Speak to the Devil

by Dave Duncan

Other authors: Matt Stawicki (Cover artist)

Series: The Brothers Magnus (1)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
76	4	352,861	(2.93)	2
Anton, an ambitious young knight, and Wulfgang, an amiable teenager who hears Voices that may belong to the devil or saints (depending on who tells the tale), join Cardinal Zdenek's forces with the assignment to take the strategic fortress at Cardice, command the army there, and hold Cardice against neighboring enemies.… (more)

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Showing 4 of 4

Duncan once again managed to create a unique magic system and used it to build an exciting tale of war, family, love and betrayal around. I thought it a good read, though the love-triangle aspect was a little clumsy. One of the brothers starts off as a perfectly likable rogue, but after a while becomes an unlikable boor, simply to make the reader switch their sympathies to the other brother.

That aside, I thought the premise, pacing and characterisation were all excellent, but be warned it ends on a huge cliffhanger, so be sure to have book two on hand! (

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Sammystarbuck | Feb 23, 2019 |

Good start in a new series from a proven author. Interesting characters,good and bad and sufficient conflicts to keep the story interesting. Lightly but appropriately based upon the era where chivalry was declining and gunpowder was ascending. (

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jamespurcell | Aug 27, 2015 |

Good start of the book even if a bit juvenile, but the ending is just too much. I can't bring myself to read the next one in the series. (

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Guide2 | Sep 4, 2012 |

Duncan has gifted us with another wonderful story, people who are as their culture made them, the culture is late medival europe with some twists, magic and religion and the ethical tensions between these forces. But and this is a giant but and a spoiler alert, this story just stops, nothing is finished, one of the bad guys is killed, and Duncan packed it up and sent it out to his publisher. I like long series, on going plot lines, continueing charactors, this one is absurd. It isn't a book, it's a very good beginning. (

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Janientrelac | Jun 11, 2010 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Dave Duncan	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Stawicki, Matt	Cover artist	secondary author	all editions	confirmed

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Anton, an ambitious young knight, and Wulfgang, an amiable teenager who hears Voices that may belong to the devil or saints (depending on who tells the tale), join Cardinal Zdenek's forces with the assignment to take the strategic fortress at Cardice, command the army there, and hold Cardice against neighboring enemies.

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For centuries the baronial Magnus family has been famous for producing both swordsman and sorcerers. Alas, the days of chivalry are over and penniless younger son Anton Magnus has been forced to enlist in the royal hussars as a mere lancer. His future looks grim and unprofitable.

Inexplicably, he is summoned to the palace in the middle of the night and offered everything he could possibly hope to earn in a whole lifetime of service to his king--an earldom, wealth, high rank in the nobility, a great castle, and the hand of a beautiful heiress. The only snag is that the enemy is at the gates with guns and sorcery. Without supernatural assistance he cannot hope even to reach his new domain in time to organize its defense, let alone live to enjoy it.

Many Magnuses in the past have possessed sorcerous powers. Anton is not one of them. But he takes the job anyway.
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