The Ethical Swordsman
core novel 2019 The King's Blades
Record
| First published | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.24 (94 ratings, collected 2026-11-02) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781988274638 |
| Internal chronology | 5 |
Synopsis
Niall was raised by his father to keep his word, and he has tried to live by that principle, including during his training as a Blade. When King Ambrose dies, his daughter Malinda becomes queen, and her behavior raises suspicions. She makes Niall Prime of the Blades and requires him to swear an oath to protect her, then turns him into a spy. He must carry out a dangerous mission that tests his beliefs, and he must risk his life for a ruler he may not be able to trust.
Where it sits
- Universe: The King's Blades
- Series: Tales of the King's Blades core; position 5 of 5 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Dave Duncan
Notes
- From the series record (Tales of the King's Blades): Novels about individual Blades of Chivial, beginning with Durendal in The Gilded Chain and ending with The Ethical Swordsman.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Tales of the King's Blades: position 5 of 5: previous One Velvet Glove (2017)
- Internal chronology, within The King's Blades: position 11 of 11: previous One Velvet Glove (2017)
Sources
- Rising Shadow, Sky of Swords
- FantasticFiction, King's Blades
- Schweitzer Online listing (Five Rivers, 2019)
- Apple Books publisher description
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