Prince of Skulls
core novel 2002 Tekumel
Record
| First published | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.20 (30 ratings, collected 2026-08-26) |
| Page count | 193 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780972588003 |
| Internal chronology | 3 |
Synopsis
Prince of Skulls is set on the world of Tékumel, where the planes of existence are easily crossed and the skeins of fate twist and turn. The novel follows Hársan, a linguist and priest, who is sent on a diplomatic mission beyond the borders of the Tsolyáni Empire. He and his companions are drawn into combat with dangerous adversaries and are forced to flee through the ruins of an ancient underground transit system while protecting a difficult N'lüss princess who travels with them. When the group finally reaches the city of Ghatón, they uncover a conspiracy whose consequences could reshape the fate of all Tékumel, with their escape proving to be only the beginning of a far larger struggle.
Where it sits
- Universe: Tekumel
- Series: Tekumel core; position 3 of 5 in the series' recorded order
- Author: M.A.R. Barker
Notes
- From the series record (Tekumel): Five novels set on the invented world of Tekumel, originally developed by the author as a role-playing setting decades before the first novel appeared; the final three novels were published after the author's 2000 death from manuscripts he had completed.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Tekumel: position 3 of 5: previous Flamesong (1985) · next Lords of Tsamra (2003)
Sources
- Tekumel novel sequence bibliography (specialised series-tracking site)
- https://www.sfbookcase.com/viewbook.asp?bookno=5952
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