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Twelve Kingdoms #1
Mustapha and His Wise Dog
Mustapha, young and clever, was outcast by his own brothers to wander in a dangerous land with only his magical, mischievous dog Elcoloq at his side. They were the unlikely warriors chosen by the gods to challenge the evil rising to threaten the world. They were the defiant ones willing to venture into the kingdom of powerful warlocks and seductive witches only to discover the fantastic journey yet awaiting them...a destiny of unforgettable adventure filled with dread demons and a treacherous lady..an awesome odyssey to a country of death, beauty...and a storyteller's secret.
175 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1985
109 people want to read
About the author
Esther M. Friesner
264 books711 followersEsther M. Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A's in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University; within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She has published twenty-seven novels so far; her most recent titles include Temping Fate from Penguin-Puffin and Nobody's Princess from Random House.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 11, 2014
An entertaining and frothy fantasy in a Middle-Eastern fairy tale mode, the sort of thing I will start cramming down my son's literary gullet as soon as practicable (T-Minus four years and counting).
It is, more or less, the picaresque adventures of a boy and his dog, as they travel the world to seek their fortune. It never quite solidifies into a single plot, other than following through a half-baked goal of Mustapha's to cure his companion of the magical ability to turn human.
But you get deep into the story and realize that a greater game is already afoot: the dread Morgeld plots against a benevolent warlock, and Mustapha and Elcoloq stumble into the middle of it. Presumably more of that will feature in the rest of the Twelve Kingdom stories.
Elcoloq, the wise dog of the title, turns out to be both the brains of the outfit and more of the rogue.
It is, more or less, the picaresque adventures of a boy and his dog, as they travel the world to seek their fortune. It never quite solidifies into a single plot, other than following through a half-baked goal of Mustapha's to cure his companion of the magical ability to turn human.
But you get deep into the story and realize that a greater game is already afoot: the dread Morgeld plots against a benevolent warlock, and Mustapha and Elcoloq stumble into the middle of it. Presumably more of that will feature in the rest of the Twelve Kingdom stories.
Elcoloq, the wise dog of the title, turns out to be both the brains of the outfit and more of the rogue.
January 19, 2009
I read this to my son for his bed-time story. A fun fairy tale story with a strong Middle Eastern flavor, following the adventures of an itinerant showman and his performing (and talking) dog. I’ve always liked this book. Friesner’s output is inconsistent, but I have no complaints about this one.
December 23, 2017
I have had these books for probably 20 years, maybe more. Was looking for a book that was short and I could finish before the end of the year. I always loved the covers and thought they looked fun. It wasn't terrible, but felt pretty "lite" maybe YA and the main quest just seemed completely ridiculous so that was a repeating, "Why?" that kept popping up in my head.
September 5, 2016
This was a delightful read about a young man, Mustapha, wandering the world with his wisecracking, talking dog. Yes, a talking dog. The world that Musapha and his dog, Elcoloq, live in is full of magic and reminded me of some of the stories from The Arabian Nights. I'm sure the author was inspired by the latter. It's a short read (a couple of hours), but it will keep you entertained. I do wish I could have read it on my eBook, but if you can find a copy, do give it a read.
August 2, 2015
1st in series.
March 12, 2017
A fun romp. Felt more like spoken storytelling than written fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews