Irona 700

Fantasy at its most enchanting: An original and absorbing tale from a master storyteller about the profound effects of a single life on the battle against ultimate evil

It is Midsummer Day, the beginning of the year 700, in the city of Benign. All the children born in the year 684 celebrate their joint sixteenth birthday by passing in front of the statue of the blind goddess Caprice—but only one will become the Chosen and join the Seventy who govern and guide the city.

Much to her surprise, Irona Matrinko, one of the many children of an impoverished fisherman, is chosen. Irona 700 moves into the palace and, with the help of a new mentor, recognizes and cultivates her great talent for guiding wars: strategy and tactics, leadership and inspiration.

As Irona gives her life to the city, an ancient enemy, Maleficence, attacks again and again, corrupting Irona’s friends, destroying her lover, and continually defeating her grandest plans for peace and harmony. Along the way, Irona becomes a masterful politician, a shrewd judge of character, and, even at great cost to her personal happiness, a true heroine.

Dave Duncan, born in Scotland in 1933, is a Canadian citizen. He received his diploma from Dundee High School and got his college education at the University of Saint Andrews. Duncan moved to Canada in 1955, where he still lives with his wife. He has three grown children and four grandchildren. He spent thirty years as a petroleum geologist and is the author of dozens of fantasy and science fiction novels, among themA Rose-Red City, Magic Casement, and The Reaver Road, as well as a highly praised historical novel,Daughter of Troy, which he published under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin. Under the name Ken Hood, Duncan is the author of the Longdirk series, which includesDemon Sword, Demon Knight, and Demon Rider.

In the fall of 2007, Duncan’s 2006 novel, Children of Chaos, was nominated for both the Prix Aurora Award and the Endeavour Award. In May 2013, Duncan, a 1989 founding member of SF Canada, was elected a lifetime member of the organization by his fellow writers, editors, and academics. His website is www.daveduncan.com.