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The Great Game #2
Present Tense
Hunted by the local gods, burdened by the faith of his friends, and driven relentlessly by his conscience to do the best he can for those who depend on him, Edward is drawn into a local war on Nextdoor. When he finally returns home, he is still wanted for murder and must go into hiding before he enlists, but a dodge through Nextdoor en route to New Zealand shows that he cannot simply walk away from the prophecy of the Filoby Testament. Will public-school notions of honor and duty suffice to save a world?
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
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195 people want to read
About the author
Dave Duncan
140 books591 followersOriginally from Scotland, Dave Duncan lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds were more satisfying than the real one, he published more than 60 novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical.
He wrote at times under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?")
His most successful works were fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and seven books about The King’s Blades. His books have been translated into 15 languages, and of late have been appearing in audiobook format as well.
He and Janet were married in 1959. He is survived by her, one son and two daughters, as well as four grandchildren.
He was both a founding and honorary lifetime member of SFCanada, and a member of the CSFFA Hall of Fame.
He wrote at times under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?")
His most successful works were fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and seven books about The King’s Blades. His books have been translated into 15 languages, and of late have been appearing in audiobook format as well.
He and Janet were married in 1959. He is survived by her, one son and two daughters, as well as four grandchildren.
He was both a founding and honorary lifetime member of SFCanada, and a member of the CSFFA Hall of Fame.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 29, 2021
Oh man. This series is SO '90s fantasy -- complete with the evil degenerate queer men (but more than one queer man, and at least two of them are bi, so there is that?) and the colonialism and the rape -- plus some weirdness all its own (the main pairing of the entire series is between first cousins who were raised as brother and sister, so, uh, yeah). And yet the worldbuilding is so spectacular that I do not care at all. And it's *religious* worldbuilding, so I am triply overjoyed.
Would I love this series as much if I read it for the first time now? Maybe not. But I would still love it, because at heart I am just a complete sucker for this stuff. And when I first read it, it was pure joy. Still can't put it down.
(However, this is one of those series I love but recommend to no one.)
Would I love this series as much if I read it for the first time now? Maybe not. But I would still love it, because at heart I am just a complete sucker for this stuff. And when I first read it, it was pure joy. Still can't put it down.
(However, this is one of those series I love but recommend to no one.)
December 14, 2021
SPOILERS from the first novel in series!!!
This book starts 3 years after the previous book with Edward dumped into our world in Flanders in the middle of WWI. Because the transit from one world to another causes seizure like symptoms and pain, plus the fact that he's completely naked, they take him to a hospital and secure him in a special ward. They suspect that he's a spy so he says nothing and pretends to be a moron. Luckily his old friend from school is in the hospital because he lost a hand and recognizes Edward, seeks him out in the middle of the night to hear part of his story and plot to escape.
Interspersed with chapters in our world are Edward's recounting what happened to him on NextDoor. I found it fascinating. Edward had been travelling to find a person who could lead him to allies but he arrives just in time to see that person and his family burned to death on purpose by the people in power. So Edward is stuck and has to adapt. Luckily his "stranger" charisma helps him make his way up the levels to being in charge of an army.
Meanwhile on Earth Edward just wants to enlist and do his part for King and Country. However he also feels bound to report back to Olympus on NextDoor of a traitor in their midst. The traitor that caused Edward to be dropped into Flanders instead of a safe place where allies would be expecting him.
This book starts 3 years after the previous book with Edward dumped into our world in Flanders in the middle of WWI. Because the transit from one world to another causes seizure like symptoms and pain, plus the fact that he's completely naked, they take him to a hospital and secure him in a special ward. They suspect that he's a spy so he says nothing and pretends to be a moron. Luckily his old friend from school is in the hospital because he lost a hand and recognizes Edward, seeks him out in the middle of the night to hear part of his story and plot to escape.
Interspersed with chapters in our world are Edward's recounting what happened to him on NextDoor. I found it fascinating. Edward had been travelling to find a person who could lead him to allies but he arrives just in time to see that person and his family burned to death on purpose by the people in power. So Edward is stuck and has to adapt. Luckily his "stranger" charisma helps him make his way up the levels to being in charge of an army.
Meanwhile on Earth Edward just wants to enlist and do his part for King and Country. However he also feels bound to report back to Olympus on NextDoor of a traitor in their midst. The traitor that caused Edward to be dropped into Flanders instead of a safe place where allies would be expecting him.
December 15, 2013
This installment in the series was Kind of like a long road trip from the west coast where exciting stuff happens in California and then in Nevada or Arizona or Colorado and then eventually you get to someplace that's all grasslands and strip malls / I will be heading on to book three but there were some doldrums here in book two for me.
December 25, 2025
I was wanting more from Dave Duncan. I found this book hard to follow. Maybe it was me and my attention span. Maybe I have too much going on in my life right now. But no matter what the issue, I just had a real hard time keeping track of what was going on.
January 19, 2021
For a second volume, it held up well. There was a decent amount of character development and while there is prophecy, he does not telegraph how he will end the series.
June 1, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in January 2000.
One of the reviews of the first novel from The Great Game sequence, quoted on the cover of this, the second, describes it as the most significant fantasy novel of the decade. While it is good, and attempts something rather unusual, I don't feel that it is that good. (mind you, I can't think of many fantasy novels from the nineties that I would describe as particularly significant.) Present Tense shares both the strengths and flaws of Past Imperative.
It is hardly surprising that the strengths are shared, since they are mainly in the underlying scenario shared by the whole series. In Present Tense, the two worlds of First World War England and Nexdoor in the grip of its rapacious deities are alternated, as the Nextdoor elements consist of a tale told by Edward Exeter to the few people he can get to believe in him. A new item which is good is a tribe on Nextdoor with a very unusual culture, completely unlike the European peasantry, nobility and barbarian hordes which usually inhabit fantasy novels. Instead, it is based on an African society with segregated groups of unmarried men.
A lot of what goes on in these books seems to really be about anti-colonialism. Exeter's own background - brought up in Africa yet (unusually) freely allowed to mingle with the people around rather than being kept in completely European society of sent to an English prep school - is explicitly said to help him interact with the people he meets on Nextdoor in contrast to the standard British colonial behaviour. But the whole background of Nextdoor, where the exploitative deities are normal Earth people who have gained vast powers as a result of crossing over, is a (fairly unsubtle) commentary on imperialist culture.
The major shared weakness is a poor start; with each novel, it is about fifty pages before the story grips enough for the initial "This rubbish isn't worth reading" reaction to wear off. I can't quite see what it is that Duncan fails to do, but this novel would be improved by omitting or rewriting the introductory section, which deals with the British army's reaction to Exeter's sudden appearance naked on the Western Front. Maybe changing the style so that it read more like the reader would expect from a 1917 army report - which is what it purports to be - would help. Alternatively, just beginning with the second section, in which Exeter has been incarcerated in a mental hospital in Kent, would be better than what we have (it would be easy to work out how he got there).
One of the reviews of the first novel from The Great Game sequence, quoted on the cover of this, the second, describes it as the most significant fantasy novel of the decade. While it is good, and attempts something rather unusual, I don't feel that it is that good. (mind you, I can't think of many fantasy novels from the nineties that I would describe as particularly significant.) Present Tense shares both the strengths and flaws of Past Imperative.
It is hardly surprising that the strengths are shared, since they are mainly in the underlying scenario shared by the whole series. In Present Tense, the two worlds of First World War England and Nexdoor in the grip of its rapacious deities are alternated, as the Nextdoor elements consist of a tale told by Edward Exeter to the few people he can get to believe in him. A new item which is good is a tribe on Nextdoor with a very unusual culture, completely unlike the European peasantry, nobility and barbarian hordes which usually inhabit fantasy novels. Instead, it is based on an African society with segregated groups of unmarried men.
A lot of what goes on in these books seems to really be about anti-colonialism. Exeter's own background - brought up in Africa yet (unusually) freely allowed to mingle with the people around rather than being kept in completely European society of sent to an English prep school - is explicitly said to help him interact with the people he meets on Nextdoor in contrast to the standard British colonial behaviour. But the whole background of Nextdoor, where the exploitative deities are normal Earth people who have gained vast powers as a result of crossing over, is a (fairly unsubtle) commentary on imperialist culture.
The major shared weakness is a poor start; with each novel, it is about fifty pages before the story grips enough for the initial "This rubbish isn't worth reading" reaction to wear off. I can't quite see what it is that Duncan fails to do, but this novel would be improved by omitting or rewriting the introductory section, which deals with the British army's reaction to Exeter's sudden appearance naked on the Western Front. Maybe changing the style so that it read more like the reader would expect from a 1917 army report - which is what it purports to be - would help. Alternatively, just beginning with the second section, in which Exeter has been incarcerated in a mental hospital in Kent, would be better than what we have (it would be easy to work out how he got there).
March 11, 2010
so, we take up some years after the conclusion of the first book in this trilogy, luckily all the familiar characters (at least from our side of the iron curtain, as it were, are still present). This book has much more of an anticipatory feel about it, though, because we've already got so much stuff going on from the first one.
"He plays his part in history and walks away to die."
Things aren't quite that dramatic. not yet, at least. the story of Edward's times Next Door are fascinating stuff, all the more interesting are the reactions of those that believe him and those that don't.
"Did you say, ‘Another world'? Oh." Mrs. Bodgley pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "How very curious!" she murmured, and returned her attention to the cutlery.
As you can see there's quite some acceptance and alacrity going on, which makes things very interesting when you factor in the longing a place like next door could hold for a war cripple. There's still another book to go, though, and it looks as if the God of Death is very much on the cards.
"He plays his part in history and walks away to die."
Things aren't quite that dramatic. not yet, at least. the story of Edward's times Next Door are fascinating stuff, all the more interesting are the reactions of those that believe him and those that don't.
"Did you say, ‘Another world'? Oh." Mrs. Bodgley pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "How very curious!" she murmured, and returned her attention to the cutlery.
As you can see there's quite some acceptance and alacrity going on, which makes things very interesting when you factor in the longing a place like next door could hold for a war cripple. There's still another book to go, though, and it looks as if the God of Death is very much on the cards.
July 15, 2016
I enjoyed this quite a bit more than the first book in the series. If the first book did nothing but introduce the players and set up the board, this books shows us the opening moves in the Great Game of the series' title. It will be interesting to see where the last one goes.
August 21, 2007
A series that sets up an engaging atmosphere and then throws it away.
April 14, 2008
I loved this book. I checked all three out from the Omaha library. Such an interesting story line if you like fantasy.
Read
January 17, 2016The Great Game
July 11, 2012
Please see my review for the third book, Future Indefinite, where I review all three books.
January 22, 2013
Not a bad second in the series it must be said. Takes us to 1917 and England for a while. Fills in the three years nicely and has rather a good end to it. If I could give 3.5 I would but...
May 21, 2016
not as good as the first one which I loved. I am now on the third one in the series and it is better than the second but still not as good as the first
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews