John E. Boyle's Queen's Heir (Children of Khetar series)

[John E. Boyle]

Correct, Shiningbrow.  You'll see a number of similarities between the Melniboneans of Michael Moorcock and the Empire of the Dragon.

[Godlearner]

14 minutes ago, John E. Boyle said:

The Empire of the Dragon ...

Yeah, this is the guy to blame for getting me involved with RQ and Glorantha a long time ago. IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!!!!

[John E. Boyle]

Another author who has influenced this series is the great Leigh Brackett, her book "The Sword of Rhiannon" (originally title: Sea-Kings of Mars) is a great read and a strong influence on The Children of Khetar.

[svensson]

I just posted a question regarding the possibility of licensed Glorantha fiction and your name came up @John E. Boyle. I'll make a point of looking your work up!

Note, I'm not an author myself [I'm a rotten fiction writer] but this is for the sake of a couple of newbies. I'm teaching my niece and grandniece [cuz **there's** a phrase that doesn't make you feel old or anything] both RuneQuest and Glorantha. I wanted to find some fiction that'll introduce the milieu to them without some old geezer pontificating at them. 😁

[benwaggoner]

I just finished Raven’s Blood, and wow, I am loving this series.

i wasn’t aware going into Queen’s Heir that it had a Glorantha connection (Kindle skipped over the acknowledgement page). So the analogs slowly built up (huh, that’s like Orlanth and Humakt. And the Household of Death) until we got to Byzantium, and it was just utterly obvious it was Nochet in Esrolia. And Minos was clearly a Belintar analog, who had defeated the Only Old One.

That said, there were lots of interesting ways it was anchored in some real history and mythology, and the compare and contrast added to my enjoyment.

Queen’s Heir was less obviously an analog. And in no case were the analogs so specific that it spoiled the plot, any more than the Lunar Empire was ruined by having analogs to the Roman Empire when I got into Glorantha in the 80’s.

Both were well plotted and written, and I think would appeal to readers without any Glorantha background. Sure could have used that map, though!

I hope Book 3 isn’t too much further away. I’m excited that it’ll be from Bel’s perspective. The foreshadowing in the framing structure of it being a tale told to grandchildren has me very curious to see how things play out!

Seems like we’re less than 40% of the way through the story, but wouldn’t at all mind seven or a dozen more books!

Great stuff, and my favorite novels I’ve read in at least the last year.