A legendary fantasy cycle that stands alongside “Dune” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
“Take a doomed princess, a prince without rights and a cruel king, a vengeful mage and a sad witch—add faeries, ogres, and magical creatures, treacherous barons, travelers who aren’t who they seem to be, robbers, orphans, and a race of stern warriors fighting against all of humankind. Add politics, conspiracies, murders, battles, and sieges—then put it all into a mythical archipelago beyond the Western Sea, all the way up to the time of King Arthur.” Jack Vance weaves the threads of fairy tales and pagan myths, crafting an epic tapestry of adventures and intrigues on the Elder Isles. And the result is a masterpiece!”
— Matthew Hughes.
Lionesse is a living memory of the Elder Isles, now lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. A world before King Arthur, where powerful sorcerers, faeries, knights, and nobles—eccentric, generous, and cruel—fight the struggle between kingdoms. Prince Eil—of Troysinet—is treacherously cast into the sea during a diplomatic mission. Before he proves his right to the throne, he will travel across the entire island of Hybhrase as a captive, a vagabond, and a slave. He will meet faeries, wizards, and mysterious knights, and he will become the beloved of a mournful and beautiful girl—while thwarting the treacherous plans of the tyrant Kazmir, king of Lionesse.
“Vintage work by the author— the best he ever wrote. Vance never lets you down.” — Frank Herbert.
“Modern classics from one of the greatest fantasy and science-fiction writers.” — Raymond Feist.
“One of the best and most influential science-fiction writers of the 20th century.” — Terry Pratchett