When the Saints
by Dave Duncan
Edited by Liz Gorinsky Review by Mel Jacob Tor Books Hardcover ISBN/ITEM#: 9780765323484
Date: 08 November 2011
List Price $27.99 Amazon US / Amazon UK
Dave Duncan's sequel to Speak to the Devil, titled When the Saints, follows Wulfgang Magnus as he comes into his powers as a Speaker. Now he is faced with a war against his brother's castle as well as potential punishment for killing a religious. The Wends, enemies of the Jorgarians, want Castle Gallant as a means to control the traffic on the Silver Road and as a foothold in Jorgary. Wolf, concerned that his powers come from the devil, is reluctant to use them, but without them, Castle Gallant will fall and many of its occupants will die.
From official release/information:
Product Description: When we left the Brothers Magnus, they had assembled in Cardice to help Anton Magnus defend the castle from attack by a neighboring state with a significant military advantage and several officers who at any moment could request help from saints—or, depending on your perspective, from the devil.
But Cardice has a secret weapon in the form of young Wulfgang Magnus, who can ask a few favors of his own from these devil-saints. The only problem is that Wulf is in love with Madlenka, the countess from Cardice who was forcibly married to Anton to explain why he's suddenly leading the country.
Even Wulf is unsure if family and political loyalty should override love. He's also beginning to realize that the magical battle he's stepped into has some serious rules that he doesn't know, and has no way to learn. And when several wild cards in every battle can tap into nearly limitless sources of magic, who knows how far and wide the battle might range?
This stunning continuation of the story begun in Speak to the Devil amps up the romance and intrigue, while letting readers spend more time with master fantasist Dave Duncan's unique, complex, and ornery-but-delightful characters.