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Book Details

The Well of the Unicorn

78.6% complete
1948
2024
1 time
See 39
1 - Taxed Out
2 - The Cot: There Is a Song
3 - Naaros: A New Friend at The Old Sword
4 - Naaros: Men Meet at Night
5 - The Road: Change and Unchange
6 - The Iulia: First Tale of the Well
7 - The Iulia Once More: Gifts Are Given
8 - The Isles of Gentebbi: "It Is Not Fair"
9 - Ships Come to Salmonessa
10 - Salmonessa: Now We Have an Allegiance
11 - Salmonessa: The Duke Plans
12 - A Night in Salmonessa
13 - The Caseway: Battle
14 - A Night in Mariola
15 - Hestinga: It Is Another Day
16 - A Judgment in Hestinga
17 - The Count's Pillow: Second Tale of the Well
18 - Issue of the Pass: Captains Gather
19 - The Whiteriverdales: Spear and Shield
20 - The Whiteriverdales: Debate of the Deserion
21 - The High Hills of Froy: They Ride
22 - Shalland: Evil at the Inn
23 - Shalland: Debate of Meliboë the Enchanter
24 - The Northern Sea: A Bond Broken
25 - The Northern Sea: Third Tale of the Well
26 - Os Erigu: The Cup of War
27 - Os Erigu: Generosity Rejected
28 - Os Erigu: Ramp of the Cat
29 - Os Erigu: Treason
30 - Bear Fjord: The Brand Is Aloft
31 - Farewell to Os Erigu
32 - Hrakra Mouth: Great Tidings
33 - The Coast of Skogalang: Fourth Tale of the Well
34 - Return from Sea
35 - Naaros: "I Am Free"
36 - Naaros: Duty
37 - Naaros: Wedding Day
38 - The Whiteriverdales: Wedding Night
39 - The Whiteriverdales: No End
Book Cover
Has a genre Has an extract Has a year read Has a rating In my library 
2799
No series
Copyright © 1948 by William Sloane Associates, Inc.
Copyright renewed 1976 by John Clark.
To Edith
her idea
Airar could hear the horses before they reached the corner of the hedge where the big plane tree was.
May contain spoilers
There is no peace but that interior in us" - and wondered why she wept.
No comments on file
Extract (may contain spoilers)
"DOWN THERE," SAID THE HAIRY MAN, pointing to a hole from which came up a smell afronting to a countryman, though Airar had not imagined the boat so neat a-decks or so compact below; she was of the type called iulia.  There was a passage with a door that stood open and a table visible beyond it by the light through a small window at the stern.  Airar entered to find himself, as now fully expected, facing Rudr the free-fisher, who got up from a bench, touched hands, and motioned to a seat opposite.

"Make yourself welcome, master clerk," said he, but Airar:

"Prisoners are welcome always, it's said, to the captor."

A movement crossed the face of the master-fisher, anger or what one could say not.  "You just call it prisoner if you like, but you'll come round to see how we saved life.  They Mariupol coggers, they have their mouths open all the time like carp, and the'll just learn (whuff) how a man can't do that with old Count hearing.  Unreasonable he's called and unreasonable is, but not silly.  That's why I'll have none of this misborn rising, nor let you neither  (Gruff.)"

"My deepest gratitude," said Airar, doing his best to make the tone ironic.  "It is much to do for a stranger."

Rudr's eyes rolled to a point over Aires head, he stepped to the door, and in a voice of remarkable volume shouted, "Tholing!  Powry!  Sweeps and up anchor!"  The remainder of the conversation was punctuated with rhythmic thumps and Airar could feel the vessel moving; Rudr sat down and said:

"We free-fishers say that to blow on one, wind must blow on all.  (Mmf.)  Aye....  Fair enough, we want somewhat from you; that is, dealing with the sea-demons that plague us.  Doctor Meliboë, he's been our man for that, but not so like to be trusted now after what you do say two nights gone and this Mariupol rising.  (Puff.)  You just do this for us, and will lose nought by 't direct besides being clear of this forebe-damned rising.  There's the thing, straight out as with free-fishers ever.  What say you?"

The thought coursed through Airar's mind that this free-fisher had been something less than straight out when he gave quite another reason for not joining the revolt the other night.  He said:

"Why, I say shame on any that can see the Wingèd Wolf up with the blades below and not have a part."

"(Whuff.)  Aye, a deal to say.  We have young men like you in our islands, that will fish for the whale-fish in wind and ice, and then I must tell their dandy-girls they're drownded.  Have you a dandy-girl to yourself-ward?"

 

Added: 20-Mar-2020
Last Updated: 16-Oct-2024

Quotes

Airar went sick in the realization that war was no dainty sport he had been taught, but horror and pain and the death of friends.
Now you do unconvince me.  No need for all these flowers if you're sincere; only falsity needs poetry.
Spare me your musings.  You had hoped, I doubt not, that once Count Vulk were down, the world were paradise.  Not so; you that think to war and die for some high purpose will fall for less than nothing, since other Vulks with other names will always rise.  For that, how dare you name these men rascals?  The Dalarna you desire may be as desperate to them as theirs to you.

Publications

 01-Oct-1979
Del Rey
Mass Market Paperback
In my libraryI read this editionOrder from amazon.comHas a cover imageBook Edition Cover
Date Issued:
Cir 01-Oct-1979
Format:
Mass Market Paperback
Cover Price:
$2.25
Pages*:
388
Read:
Once
Reading(s):
1)   21 Jul 2024 - 4 Aug 2024
Internal ID:
2170
Publisher:
ISBN:
0-345-28359-7
ISBN-13:
978-0-345-28359-7
Printing:
2
Country:
United States
Language:
English
Credits:
Darrell K Sweet  - Cover Artist
"The Well of the Unicorn is one of the finest novels in the field of heroic fantasy.  It is a rousing tale of swordplay and sorcery, an appealing love story and a shrewd and subtle commentary on problems of politics, morals, and philosophy."
- L. SPRAGUE DE CAMP


RAPINE AND SORCERY

Robbed of lands and heritage by the rapacious Vulkings, young Airar Alvarson has only his limited gift for sorcery to aid him against the world of savage intrigues.  The he met the mysterious sorcerer Meliboë and was given a strang iron ring - a ring that led him into a futile conspiracy and soon left him dleeing for his life.

Driven by enchantments and destiny, he found himself leading a band of warriors against the mighty empire of the Vulkings.  With him was Evadne, the woman maid who mocked him while she sought to serve by fair means or foul.  And then he met Argyra, the Imperial Princess who preached the peace of he Well but brought him only turmoil and strife.
Cover:
Book CoverBook Back Cover
Notes and Comments:
First Ballantine Books Edition: May 1976
Second Printing: October 1979
First Canadian Printing: May 1976
Amazon.com has issue date as Sep 12, 1979

My son picked this one out for me.
Image File
01-Oct-1979
Del Rey
Mass Market Paperback

Related

Author(s)

 Fletcher Pratt
Birth: 25 Apr 1897 Buffalo, New York, USA
Death: 10 Jun 1956

Awards

No awards found
*
  • I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
  • Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
  • When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
  • When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
  • Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.






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Presented: 12-Nov-2024 07:40:44

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