The King's Daggers Books

Before They Could be Blades... They Were the King's Daggers Young Stalwart, known as Wart to his fellow students, is expelled from the academy fo King's Blades, only to be plunged into a current of breathless intrigue and danger. Together with Emerald, a former White Sister, Wart must survive corcery, swordplay, ambush, a chimera, a quagmarsh, and more, and uncover a devious plot to assassinate their king...and prove himself worthy of a place among the King's Blades. Before They Could be BladesThey Were the King's Daggers Young Stalwart, known as Wart to his fellow students, is expelled from the academy for King's Blades, only to be plunged into a current of breathless intrigue and danger. Together with Emerald, a former White Sister, Wart must survive sorcery, swordplay, ambush, a chimera, a quagmarsh, and more, and uncover a devious plot to assassinate their kingand prove himself worthy of a place among the King's Blades.

Sir Stalwart and Emerald set off for an ancient lord's house known as Smealey Hall, where they believe the source of evil--in the form of murder--lies, and along the way they are joined by Badger, a Blade-in-training.

A Notorious Killer Stalks the King The world's most deadly assassin has been hired to kill King Ambrose. Once again King's Daggers are plunged into danger, because only White Sister Emerald can identify the killer's magic and only Sir Stalwart knows what he looks like. The two must trap the killer before he can strike the king -- or at them. As the trial of death leads back to Ironhall, the swordsmen school Stalwart so recently left, he finds he is a boy sent to do a man's job -- and Emerald is a girl sent to do a boy's.

Originally issued as a YA trilogy, "The King's Daggers" (including volumes Sir Stalwart, The Crooked House and Silvercloak), The Monster War works equally well as a single novel. The story fills a gap in the first Blades novel, The Gilded Chain, when King Ambrose sought to shut down the evil sorcery of the "Elementaries" and the sorcerers fought back by trying to kill him. The same great characters are all here: Ambrose himself, Grand Master, and Blades Durendal, Bandit, and Snake. Appearing for the first time are Sir Stalwart, the only Blade who does not bear a binding scar, and Emerald of the White Sisters, the only girl ever enrolled in Ironhall. The action wanders across Chivial from the White Sisters' headquarters at Oakendown, to Grandon, and into the heart of Ironhall, for the evil penetrates even there. If you missed this one the first time (and most Blades fans did) then here is your chance to join the action as the King's Blades ride again!