The Bard's Tale
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Bard's Tale Novels

"Set in the same literary universe as the bestselling computer adventure, The Bard's Tale IV." -Amazon.com

Back when I was first playing the original Bard's Tale, I once thought "it would be great to read a story set in this world." Playing more recently, I had the same thought again. I've since found out that there's an entire series of novels set in the Bard's Tale world. Here's the information I've been able to acquire so far from several websites. I'm not sure of its accuracy. I'll be purchasing these books as soon as I can.

1. Castle of Deception (The Bard's Tale, No 4)
by Mercedes Lackey, Josepha Sherman
320 pages (July 1992) ISBN: 0671721259
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Synopsis: Believing his new life as a bard's apprentice will be filled with excitement and adventure, young Kevin is disappointed by his first task to deliver a manuscript to the castle of Count Volmar. Disappointed, that is, until the Count's niece is kidnapped by elves. Kevin agrees to locate the young woman, unaware that she is not actually the Count's niece and that the elves are not actually elves.

2. Fortress of Frost and Fire (Bard's Tale)
by Mercedes Lackey, Ru Emerson
(April 1993) ISBN: 0671721623
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Synopsis: Return to the world of The Bard's Tale in this stand-alone sequel to the smash hit Castle of Deception. Naitachal, who abandoned the sinister powers of necromancy to become the first elven Bard, showed his true heroic nature in Castle. He is now a Master Bard with a mystical apprentice, Gawaine, a young human. On an adventure to a distant, icy land, the pair rescue three strangers who make for strange companions indeed.

3. The Chaos Gate (The Bard's Tale)
by Josepha Sherman
(April 1994) ISBN: 0671875973
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Synopsis: Once a Necromancer like all his kind, the reformed Dark Elf Naitachal is now a peaceful Bard. But shadows from his past linger. His erstwhile clan sees him as the worst of traitors -- and they mean to take revenge using the Chaos Gate. Only Kevin, once Naitachal's apprentice but now a Count in his own castle, can save the Dark Elf from doom.

4. Prison of Souls (The Bard's Tale)
by Mercedes Lackey, Mark Shepherd
368 pages (November 1994) ISBN: 0671721933
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Synopsis: The Dark Elf Naitachal, the hero of Fortress of Frost and Fire, is still going strong and training new apprentices. But his latest, the King's own son, Alaire, isn't ready for their new mission. Prince Alaire is sent on a diplomatic mission to discover why a once-peaceful neighboring kingdom, whose ruler has banned the use of magic, is preparing to go to war.

5. Thunder of the Captains: A Bard's Tale
by Holly Lisle, Aaron Allston
288 pages (July 1996) ISBN: 0671877313
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Synopsis: When a peace treaty leads to shipwreck and disaster, the survivors, including the leaders of two mighty nations, advisors, ambassadors, sailors, and scribes, are forced to overcome the limits of state in order to survive. King and queen alike are stranded in a land where danger lies everywhere, and hope is an ocean away.

6. Wrath of the Princes (Bard's Tale Series)
by Holly Lisle, Aaron Allston
352 pages (March 1997) ISBN: 0671877712
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Synopsis: Kin Underbridge and Halleyne dar Dero have returned home to the continent on Feyndala, but not to safety. For the powers that shipwrecked them are now in control of Feyndala's kingdoms. Halleyne and Kin must arrange the rescue of those they left behind, even though the forces of four nations are arrayed against them.

7. Escape from Roksamur (Bard's Tale)
by Mark Shepherd
288 pages (August 1997) ISBN: 0671877976
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Synopsis: Because he's the only man the king, his brother, can trust to investigate the death of the previous ambassador, Bard Alaire has been made ambassador to the troubled kingdom of Suinomen. Once before Alaire was in Suinomen--and barely made it out alive from its Prison of Souls. Now he will face high seas, low magic, and kidnapping by giant spiders--and that's before he even gets there.

8. Curse of the Black Heron (Bard's Tale)
by Holly Lisle
240 pages (March 1998) ISBN: 0671878689
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Synopsis: Izzy has happy memories from when she was very young, and her father had been one of the greatest Bards in the land. But that had been before she had been given over to a foster mother to live a life of poverty, hard work and misery. As Izzy looks forward 19 days to her freedom, a new ruler seizes the throne of her country. Now Izzy and her friend Giraud, the only surviving heir of an out-of-favor lord, are running for their lives.