Reminds one of Dumas and his musketeers . . . Told with great verve, so as to please faithful King's Blades fans and win new ones for an underrated saga full of familiar fantasy elements treated with wit and ingenuity.

Booklist

The long-running Light Fantasy series with hidden depths may sometimes seem like the exclusive province of Terry Pratchett, but he has at least one genuine rival in North America. Dave Duncan's new "Chronicle of the King's Blades", Impossible Odds, compares favorably with Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment. Whereas Pratchett's nod toward feminism didn't entirely convince, Duncan gets right to the nitty-gritty.

Locus

A thinking reader's Prisoner of Zenda, which may be missing the point.

Publisher's Weekly

Fans of Duncan's King's Blades and King's Daggers novels should enjoy his newest offering, as much a mystery as a fantasy. With enough subplots and surprise twists to make Agatha Christie happy, this novel will have readers guessing until the very end.

Barnes and Noble

IMPOSSIBLE ODDS is a great read . . . a fast moving, intelligent, totally engaging, fantasy adventure. Highly recommended.

Yet Another Book Review

Deserves a wide readership and belongs in most fantasy collections.

Library Journal

Hair-raising escapes, battles, spying, various kinds of duplicity and occasional moments of love. IMPOSSIBLE ODDS is another entertaining adventure from a contemporary master of the form.

Edmonton Journal

Duncan excels at old-fashioned swashbuckling fantasy, maintaining a delicate balance between breathtaking excitement, romance and high camp in a genre that is easy to overdo. This is page-turning adventure with fun characters, crackling dialogue and a smart, twisty plot.

Romantic Times Book Club

Back