Down Styphon! "The Lord Kalvan Saga Storms to an End!"

    John Carr has announced the final volume in his continuation of H. Beam Piper's classic paratime novel, Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen. The hardcover book is available for preorder now, with delivery expected in the summer of this year. As usual, these very well produced books are pricey ($38 including shipping for Down Styphon!), but E-book versions of all of the other volumes to date are now available from Amazon, or, preferably, direct from John.

Cover art for "Down Styphon!"

Slightly paraphrased from the flyer John sent out:

    After years of war against Great King Kalvan, the control the Styphon's House once had over the Five Great Kingdoms is in serious jeopardy. In Hos-Bletha there are two Great Kings, and in Hos-Agrys the Prince Regent's rule is threatened as the Prince nears his Majority. In Hos-Harphax, the new Great Queen is taxing her subjects to the breaking point, while in Hos-Zygros Great King Phidestros openly despises Styphon's House. It is only in Hos-Ktemos that there is a stable regime that openly supports the Styphoni.

    Nos-Hostigos is at peace for the first time since Kalvan was deposited on the Aryan-Transpacific, Styphon's House Subsector timeline. Local threats in the Middle Kingdoms have been neutralized, Styphon's House is devoting it's energy to regaining it's former strength and influence in the Five Great Kingdoms. Some of the new Great Kings have no love for the House of Styphoni and its quest for power over them and their realms. However, the resources of the Fireseed Temple are huge, including large mercantile houses, tobacco and grain monopolies, and the great Banking Houses. Against this backdrop, Great Queen Rylla decides that now is the time to reassert Hostigi power and return home to Hos-Hostigos. Not everyone is happy with this turn of events, but Rylla is a virtual Force of Nature, and asserts her will. 

    Now it's up to her consort, Great King Kalvan, to find a way to make their return to the Princedom of Hostigos a permanent one. His first task will be to defeat the Zarthani Knights and capture their great fortress at Tarr-Ceros. If he's successful there, he will next have to beard Styphon's Archpriests right in their own Holy City of Balph... the very heart of their power and influence!

My own copy is now on pre-order!

Peter