Part of Series
In this 20,000-word novelette set in the main character through-line of the Door Into... novels, the first man in a thousand years to bear the Blue Flame of Power, Herewiss s'Hearn, is now happily married to King Freelorn of Arlen, their lover Segnbora tai-Enraesi, the fire elemental Sunspark and the dragon Hasai. But he tells none of them why (at a most delicate moment) he must undertake a clandestine mission to the city of Darthis. His reasons are secret: his intentions desperate. So why does Herewiss wind up spending his whole visit in a tavern? Only the Stuck Pig's indefatigable bouncer, Iras, can learn the reason why... and finds herself caught up in a kind of tavern brawl that no one's ever imagined. "The Levin-Gad" is the first of five novelettes to be published during 2018, spanning the years between Book 3 of the Tale of the Five, The Door Into Sunset, and the forthcoming The Door Into Starlight.
Author
Diane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years. Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there. She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood. Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance." (From her official website)
