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Deathknight
Falc of Risskor, Knight of the Order Most Old and a humorless warrior, must keep his libido in check when he encounters the beautiful one who has sworn to kill all the Knights of the Order Most Old
- GenresFantasy
Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1990
43 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Andrew J. Offutt
211 books72 followersAndrew Jefferson Offutt was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A.J. Offutt, and Andy Offut. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, had his name in all lower-case letters. His son is the author Chris Offutt.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 26, 2020
This novel is set in a rich and well-developed fantasy world, one of offutt's most complex and interesting. There are a daunting number of characters to keep straight (including one of his best female characters ever), but the action flows well and it's easy to keep track of what's happening once you get into it. It all winds up with a clever twist. It's good fantasy adventure in the classic tradition.
January 5, 2017
I really tried to give this book a shot but the description is just killing me. The thing is that it's not only the description. Perhaps if the characters were a bit more realistic even for a high-fantasy (by that I mean to have more complicated mentality and character; to be individualised and not idealised).
If the story was a little more developed (how someone becomes a member of the OMO; a map would help with the world; the political situation specifically slaves) and if the language was simpler because most of the time I understood less than the half of what I had read. I understand that the time of the action requires formality and older words but come on I'd understand Dickens better.
Overall it's a very confusing book and not in any good way. I think it needs to be polished because honestly I wouldn't recommend it to anyone or read it again.
If the story was a little more developed (how someone becomes a member of the OMO; a map would help with the world; the political situation specifically slaves) and if the language was simpler because most of the time I understood less than the half of what I had read. I understand that the time of the action requires formality and older words but come on I'd understand Dickens better.
Overall it's a very confusing book and not in any good way. I think it needs to be polished because honestly I wouldn't recommend it to anyone or read it again.
July 30, 2018
for all my initial reservations about this book - the first four pages of my Kindle were filled with a long list of characters - over 60 of them! It was a daunting prospect and I nearly deleted the book without reading.
However, I decided to give it a try and, after a few rather 'dodgy' pages, this settled into something quite lovely.
Rich details and descriptions, a character who I am not sure whether to love or loathe, world building that is subtle and not 'in-your-face'. I think some readers may have found the intricate descriptions overwhelming, and in places they were, but they also fitted the character and his mind-set. The description of Falc undressing was long and minutely detailed but it gave depth to the character and clarified much about his character.
The story started very slowly, and even at the half-way point I was not sure what, if anything, was going to happen, but it was lovely to read a fantasy novel that was relatively simple and didnt involve entire countries, armies, orcs, goblins, wizards etc.
Loved it. But I'd advise the editor to scrap the 'character list' at the start. The writing was such that each character was clearly defined and believable and the list only served to make me think this was going to be some epic tome involving all and sundry Instead it was more of a gentle tale of a man doing his best to uphold his honour.
However, I decided to give it a try and, after a few rather 'dodgy' pages, this settled into something quite lovely.
Rich details and descriptions, a character who I am not sure whether to love or loathe, world building that is subtle and not 'in-your-face'. I think some readers may have found the intricate descriptions overwhelming, and in places they were, but they also fitted the character and his mind-set. The description of Falc undressing was long and minutely detailed but it gave depth to the character and clarified much about his character.
The story started very slowly, and even at the half-way point I was not sure what, if anything, was going to happen, but it was lovely to read a fantasy novel that was relatively simple and didnt involve entire countries, armies, orcs, goblins, wizards etc.
Loved it. But I'd advise the editor to scrap the 'character list' at the start. The writing was such that each character was clearly defined and believable and the list only served to make me think this was going to be some epic tome involving all and sundry Instead it was more of a gentle tale of a man doing his best to uphold his honour.
August 9, 2019
Deathknight is a relatively old (1990) fantasy in the "sword & planet" genre, a genre which seems mostly dead at this point. Deathknight does a lot of things that are....I guess I'd call it "interesting". Things that are bold choices that mostly work. For instance, the main character actually comes across as devout (making you realise how absent that kind of character is in most books, where everything is a kind of bland 21st century agnosticism). The book features what today would be called diversity -- the main character is black and the secondary character is completely a-sexual -- which is a bit refreshing in a book published in 1990. There are flashes of what we now call "grimdark".
The author also does something few fantasy authors do (but was relatively common in the sword & planet genre) -- the flora & fauna of his world is actually weird but he doesn't info-dump or explain it. What I mean is: most fantasy will have people riding around on horses, drinking beer, and eating chicken for dinner. Offut gives us something that isn't just a carbon-copy of our own world. But he also explains virtually nothing, instead the details emerge organically and without beating you over the head. Here's an example from an early passage:
Wait a second. 33 & 99 is a multiple of a man's fingers (without the thumb)? That means a man has either 3 or 11 fingers? What the....?!?
We're never told what a darg is or derrberries or a ferg or a crawk or hax or any number of other things. It is casually dropped that human females only have estrus twice a year. Personally, I found it refreshing, though other reviewers found it disorienting & didn't take to it.
It was also refreshing that The Plot isn't something big & grandiose. There's no saving the world or a fight against evil. But this is also where the book falls down because the plot is so thin & meager that it isn't even really introduced until about 60% of the way into the book. And then wrapping up the plot is handled in what is just a few pages -- basically, capture a guy, torture him, okay now we know everything & win. The end.
Side note: This is the second or third fantasy book I've read recently where everyone -- the characters, the author, and (by implication) the readers -- all just assume that torture works perfectly & efficiently. In just a few minutes people will tell you what's going on. They wouldn't possibly lie (how long would it take to verify their claims?). They wouldn't possibly confess to things they didn't do. You couldn't possibly have got the wrong guy. It is just kinda weird how...thoughtlessly it seems to be accepted.
And a side note to that side note: each chapter has a quote from the founder of Falc's religious order. And they are....weirdly like things a 20th century American hyper-individualist conservative person would say.
(Keep in mind this talk about "freedom" occurs in a society with actual slaves all over the place and un-elected feudal lords that have no courts or proper judicial system.)
He has a weird anti-statist anti-socialist rant
And another anti-statist rant
It all just felt...fake? And tone deaf. People in medieval societies don't talk like that about those kind of issues. Anyway, it didn't affect my review, I just found it weird.
What did affect my review is just that...nothing happens in the entire book. As mentioned, there's not much of a plot. What there is, begins glacially slow and wraps up instantly and -- honestly -- without much drama or tension. So what we're left with a kind of character drama between the two main characters -- Falc & Jinnery. Except Jinnery doesn't appear until 1/3rd of the way of the book and then she disappears from the narrative for another 15%. They don't form a duo and start their respective character arcs until the book is half way done. And, honestly, the characters aren't that well drawn. Neither one is really deep or interesting enough to carry the weight of a character drama.
I read this in the middle of reading a bunch of shorter books (almost all under 200 pages) and it struck me that this book suffers from doing two things in a mediocre way, blowing out the page count, making it drag. The character drama is weighed down by the political intrigue. I think if the book has dropped the political intrigue and cut 150 pages out, focusing more on the Jinnery & Falc's oil & water relationship it would have been much stronger.
The author also does something few fantasy authors do (but was relatively common in the sword & planet genre) -- the flora & fauna of his world is actually weird but he doesn't info-dump or explain it. What I mean is: most fantasy will have people riding around on horses, drinking beer, and eating chicken for dinner. Offut gives us something that isn't just a carbon-copy of our own world. But he also explains virtually nothing, instead the details emerge organically and without beating you over the head. Here's an example from an early passage:
With his arms folded over his chest he performed thirty-three slow squat-to-heels and rise-on-toes. The last ended with his seeming to strain toward the sky, his lips moving, his body a taut line from the toes on which he balanced to the upward straining fingertips. His lips were moving. He relaxed and breathed deeply, diaphragmatically, for ninety-nine beats. The number of a man’s fingers and its multiples, without the thumb, formed the mystic number sacred to Ashah.
Wait a second. 33 & 99 is a multiple of a man's fingers (without the thumb)? That means a man has either 3 or 11 fingers? What the....?!?
We're never told what a darg is or derrberries or a ferg or a crawk or hax or any number of other things. It is casually dropped that human females only have estrus twice a year. Personally, I found it refreshing, though other reviewers found it disorienting & didn't take to it.
It was also refreshing that The Plot isn't something big & grandiose. There's no saving the world or a fight against evil. But this is also where the book falls down because the plot is so thin & meager that it isn't even really introduced until about 60% of the way into the book. And then wrapping up the plot is handled in what is just a few pages -- basically, capture a guy, torture him, okay now we know everything & win. The end.
Side note: This is the second or third fantasy book I've read recently where everyone -- the characters, the author, and (by implication) the readers -- all just assume that torture works perfectly & efficiently. In just a few minutes people will tell you what's going on. They wouldn't possibly lie (how long would it take to verify their claims?). They wouldn't possibly confess to things they didn't do. You couldn't possibly have got the wrong guy. It is just kinda weird how...thoughtlessly it seems to be accepted.
And a side note to that side note: each chapter has a quote from the founder of Falc's religious order. And they are....weirdly like things a 20th century American hyper-individualist conservative person would say.
That would be ridiculous and lead to great frustrations and crippling guilt as well as encourage a society based on the impossible — egalitarianism — and pauper the people to make them “equal” while less free
(Keep in mind this talk about "freedom" occurs in a society with actual slaves all over the place and un-elected feudal lords that have no courts or proper judicial system.)
He has a weird anti-statist anti-socialist rant
Enforced sharing is both evil and a redundancy. Sharing is a voluntary act. Involuntary sharing is theft, whether it is accomplished by individuals or a group or large group called government; the State or citystate.
And another anti-statist rant
The previous societies of this world were destroyed by governments [...] Never again must this beast called government be allowed to grow so powerful. The social order is individuals, who must be cherished
It all just felt...fake? And tone deaf. People in medieval societies don't talk like that about those kind of issues. Anyway, it didn't affect my review, I just found it weird.
What did affect my review is just that...nothing happens in the entire book. As mentioned, there's not much of a plot. What there is, begins glacially slow and wraps up instantly and -- honestly -- without much drama or tension. So what we're left with a kind of character drama between the two main characters -- Falc & Jinnery. Except Jinnery doesn't appear until 1/3rd of the way of the book and then she disappears from the narrative for another 15%. They don't form a duo and start their respective character arcs until the book is half way done. And, honestly, the characters aren't that well drawn. Neither one is really deep or interesting enough to carry the weight of a character drama.
I read this in the middle of reading a bunch of shorter books (almost all under 200 pages) and it struck me that this book suffers from doing two things in a mediocre way, blowing out the page count, making it drag. The character drama is weighed down by the political intrigue. I think if the book has dropped the political intrigue and cut 150 pages out, focusing more on the Jinnery & Falc's oil & water relationship it would have been much stronger.
March 24, 2022
A fairly solid sword and sorcery outing, though you have to spot it the far future semi sci fi vibe. There are a couple of problematic bits to this book, but given the three dimensional female character (who is asexual and doesn't sleep with the main character- a little ahead of the curve given it's 1990 original publication date) I'm willing to forgive them.
November 29, 2019
Pretty darn good
The writing itself is very well done. The plot is interesting with a twist near the end. Characters are interesting.
The writing itself is very well done. The plot is interesting with a twist near the end. Characters are interesting.
February 9, 2020
What I personally enjoyed about this novel is the refined use the author makes of what would now be considered archaic English. I am not sure if every abbreviation and added apostrophe is historically accurate but the tone and vibe of the character vernacular is certainly refreshing. His way of phrasing is also rather polished, making the flow of the story smoother than what I am used to.
Falc is a rather stoic and devoted individual, diligently performing his duties and rituals to the letter. The whole reason he is so respected and feared is his almost fanatical loyalty to his order's cause as well as his hinted at discipline when it comes to his training. He is shown regularly exercising, always focused on his mission, ever observant of his surroundings, very knowledgeable of the world and its residents (he picks up accents, subtle variations in mundane gestures, slight differences in poses). That said, he's no hero. While the adamant devotion is exposed and shown as admired by others, he offers little compassion for those beneath him, slaves more precisely. He is also aware he's a sodomite. Kind of a thorn in the eye for anyone believing him an ideal man.
Not much can be said about the accompanying Jinnery, her character arc being as flat as her chest. An unattractive young woman with an even less appealing personality. Only introduced after roughly a quarter of the story has passed, she is cartoonishly obnoxious and unnecessarily provocative to the point where her jabs at Falc are more annoying to the reader than him. Rather promptly she transforms from a spoiled brat to a vital companion when things go awry for Falc. Her final moment and wish for an order called "Sisters of Ashah" (or whatever) is rushed, left without much motivation and just comes off as a loose cobblestone, paving the way to a happy ending.
The surrounding world is, sadly, vague and left to the imagination. Naturally, spoilers are ahead so read at your own risk...
Overall, the novel itself feels unfinished. The change of pace in narrative leads me to believe the author had to meet a deadline (and rushed it) or had volume restrictions imposed when he was halfway done. Can't tell if the added quotes at the beginning of each chapter are there just to set the tone or if Offutt is inserting his own political beliefs. Interestingly enough, the idea of a Death knight (Deahknight here) had only been around for about a decade, after it was introduced in D&D. Him being a fantasy author, I would guess he was inspired by the idea of the fallen paladin, an anti-hero. While I kind of expected that to be the case with Falc, it ain't.
Falc is a rather stoic and devoted individual, diligently performing his duties and rituals to the letter. The whole reason he is so respected and feared is his almost fanatical loyalty to his order's cause as well as his hinted at discipline when it comes to his training. He is shown regularly exercising, always focused on his mission, ever observant of his surroundings, very knowledgeable of the world and its residents (he picks up accents, subtle variations in mundane gestures, slight differences in poses). That said, he's no hero. While the adamant devotion is exposed and shown as admired by others, he offers little compassion for those beneath him, slaves more precisely. He is also aware he's a sodomite. Kind of a thorn in the eye for anyone believing him an ideal man.
Not much can be said about the accompanying Jinnery, her character arc being as flat as her chest. An unattractive young woman with an even less appealing personality. Only introduced after roughly a quarter of the story has passed, she is cartoonishly obnoxious and unnecessarily provocative to the point where her jabs at Falc are more annoying to the reader than him. Rather promptly she transforms from a spoiled brat to a vital companion when things go awry for Falc. Her final moment and wish for an order called "Sisters of Ashah" (or whatever) is rushed, left without much motivation and just comes off as a loose cobblestone, paving the way to a happy ending.
The surrounding world is, sadly, vague and left to the imagination. Naturally, spoilers are ahead so read at your own risk...
Overall, the novel itself feels unfinished. The change of pace in narrative leads me to believe the author had to meet a deadline (and rushed it) or had volume restrictions imposed when he was halfway done. Can't tell if the added quotes at the beginning of each chapter are there just to set the tone or if Offutt is inserting his own political beliefs. Interestingly enough, the idea of a Death knight (Deahknight here) had only been around for about a decade, after it was introduced in D&D. Him being a fantasy author, I would guess he was inspired by the idea of the fallen paladin, an anti-hero. While I kind of expected that to be the case with Falc, it ain't.
September 4, 2018
This book is very original, because it's got it's own world&language. The story was set centuries into the future, but had elements of past lifetimes. It's like the author reset this world in the era of the dark ages. But in the story it could be the future as the light age where "The Order" is almost like "The Pope"& The Catholic Church. Monks of the o.m.o sure live really adventurous and duplicate lives than those of the old world. This story had great characters,dialogue, imagination, and thoroughness. The author unraveled the mystery and the plot had me shook! The ending had me laughing, because it all came down to old world modern technology to save their new way of life!
August 30, 2017
I liked the book and the characters, however, parts of it were confusing. I sometimes did not know what they were saying or talking about. I did not know a lot of the words and could only guess at what they were. I did like the plot. I was surprised by the ending. It is a hard read. I feel like a lot of parts could have been left out and still got the story told. I am still curious as to what a darg is. I could only guess. It would have been nice if in the beginning it would have described it.
August 8, 2017
Great Adventure
Great adventure, good story line and character development. A mystery to the very end. I very much enjoyed Falc and the by play with Jinn.
Great adventure, good story line and character development. A mystery to the very end. I very much enjoyed Falc and the by play with Jinn.
June 27, 2020
Finally got round to trying this,I could not get into this one at call,possibly too old style writing got me confused,but not for me.
January 17, 2017
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2017/01/1...
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publishing Date: December 2016/1990
ISBN: 9780441141593
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 /5
Publishers Description: When Knights of the Order are Killed, Falc must bring justice and seek revenge on the brutal murderer. With an unlikely companion, Falc ventures across the land to seek vengeance. HIs task is a difficult one, but will Falc uncover the truth and protect the Order?
Review: This is a work that is being republished 16 years after the first publication. While I don’t mind reviewing earlier novels, I would rather read and review what is currently trending. However, since it landed on my reader I am forced to wade through a rather misogynistic storyline in hopes of finding something compelling. Initially my thoughts on this were biased, based on a couple of reviews. Stated issues include: too many characters and names that it was hard to track, contrived words without descriptors and lack of maps etc. While the only thing that bothered me was the high brow buffoonery, I quite enjoyed this novel.
Falc is weird. But more like assassin-monk weird with a penchant for ritualized dressing and young girls. He’s badass but not undefeatable. Jinnery is this wirey prune of a girl that was a street orphan used to plying men for paid services. This unlikely duo traipse across the storyline re-inventing themselves along the way. There is a conspiracy afoot and beneath it all, a hinted at ancient civilization where technology is still secretly utilized.
It is too bad that this is a stand alone novel as there were so many unanswered questions as well as the interesting epilogue that hints of a greater unveiling. A novel not to be taken seriously, but to have fun reading.
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publishing Date: December 2016/1990
ISBN: 9780441141593
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 /5
Publishers Description: When Knights of the Order are Killed, Falc must bring justice and seek revenge on the brutal murderer. With an unlikely companion, Falc ventures across the land to seek vengeance. HIs task is a difficult one, but will Falc uncover the truth and protect the Order?
Review: This is a work that is being republished 16 years after the first publication. While I don’t mind reviewing earlier novels, I would rather read and review what is currently trending. However, since it landed on my reader I am forced to wade through a rather misogynistic storyline in hopes of finding something compelling. Initially my thoughts on this were biased, based on a couple of reviews. Stated issues include: too many characters and names that it was hard to track, contrived words without descriptors and lack of maps etc. While the only thing that bothered me was the high brow buffoonery, I quite enjoyed this novel.
Falc is weird. But more like assassin-monk weird with a penchant for ritualized dressing and young girls. He’s badass but not undefeatable. Jinnery is this wirey prune of a girl that was a street orphan used to plying men for paid services. This unlikely duo traipse across the storyline re-inventing themselves along the way. There is a conspiracy afoot and beneath it all, a hinted at ancient civilization where technology is still secretly utilized.
It is too bad that this is a stand alone novel as there were so many unanswered questions as well as the interesting epilogue that hints of a greater unveiling. A novel not to be taken seriously, but to have fun reading.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews