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Novels : The
Book of Plans
The Book of Plans - Michael Pryor
Cover
blurb
'The House of Many Rooms is still in the grip of Prince Stefan, and his powers
are growing... Following a disastrous attempt to wrest control from the evil
Stefan, Saul Harding and the Princess and her Followers are on the run, searching
for Saul's missing parents and a way to save the House of Many Rooms. Somehow,
they must find the Book of Plans, as the power the book holds may be their
last chance. But their search means facing new terrors and a hundred new worlds
- all before Stefan's powers grow too strong and disrupt the fragile order
of every world in existence... The second book in a thrilling new trilogy by
one of Australia's most talented science fiction/fantasy authors.'
Michael
Pryor says
'The Book of Plans, naturally enough, followed directly from The House of Many
Rooms. And I was writing it soon after my own home had undergone a major renovation,
so the whole notion of what a home means, and how important it is was still
fresh in my mind. And at the back of my mind I was also conscious of the idea
of creation, of shaping, and how this skill helps define us as human beings.
We can make things from nothing, through our own energy and effort. I've always
been impressed with the whole process of creation, the way we can make things,
and The Book of Plans continues an exploration of creation on a grand scale.
On a more individual level, I wanted to explore Saul Harding more. Here's an
ordinary kind of guy who's been swept up in extraordinary events. He's an unwilling
participant, prone to doubt himself a bit too much. But I wanted to see what
he could offer to the group, and what it would show him about himself.'
Published by Hodder SF/Fantasy 1998 - ISBN 0 7336 0928 7
'The Book of Plans'
begins
Saul Harding ducked but couldn't avoid the
fist. It hit him right in the mouth and made his head jerk backwards,
slamming into a tree trunk. He staggered for a split second before
his foot tripped on a root and he hit the dusty ground. In one
motion he rolled onto his shoulder and came up throwing punches,
ignoring the red hot pain in his lip. When his fist met nothing
but air, he stumbled off balance and was smashed behind the ear.
He went down in an ugly heap, his head ringing.
"You'll have to do better than that," Aidan
said. Saul looked up. Tall, red-haired Aidan stood dusting his
hands, silhouetted against a bright sky. He wore a black T-shirt
and a pair of shorts, and looked as if he spent his whole life
in a gym. "You're going to be a handicap to us if you can't
handle yourself in combat." Saul dragged himself backwards
until he was slumped against the rough bark of the tree trunk.
He touched his lip gingerly and was relieved when it came away
unbloodied. "I can handle myself," he said slowly. "Besides,
I'm a thinker, not a fighter."
Aidan glanced at him sharply. "You
have to be both if you're part of our group. There are so few
of us we have to be able to fight and think," he said. "To
protect the Princess."
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