I'm trying to recall the title of a novel I once read. The publication date would probably be in the '80s or early '90s. I don't remember much that happened in it, which may be an accurate recollection.
Anyway, the main plot concerns two men, both of whom are sorcerers, if I recall correctly, and a woman. One of the sorcerors is the protagonist, and the woman is (or becomes) his love interest. The other sorcerer is the antagonist, and seems to have some kind of relation to the woman. She might be his daughter, niece, ward, or something like that. Anyway, the antagonist has the woman imprisoned in an underground cavern or something. The protagonist, who might be a guest of the antagonist, somehow discovers the woman and is able to communicate with her, but not to rescue her. She might be trapped behind an ice wall, a magical barrier, or something. As I recall the story ends with a magical confrontation between the two sorcerers.
Of course, the protagonist defeats the antagonist and rescues the woman.
And no, it's not a movie called Arabian Adventure, which as I recall was much more fun than the novel in question.
Additional Info:
- I believe the cover was glossy with an illustration, but I don't recall any details of the illustration. It seemed to me to be a generic '80s/'90s fantasy cover. I'm pretty sure it was a paperback.
- I don't recall who the author was. If it was Terry Brooks or Lloyd Alexander, I believe I would have remembered it. It might possibly have been Piers Anthony, but I still believe I would have remembered if he were the author. However, it seems to me that the author was male.
- I don't recall any humor in the book. I'm not saying there wasn't any, but the overall tone was serious.
- I believe the final duel was face-to-face, or at least it ended up that way.
- I don't recall that there was anything particularly novel about the magic system.
- It seems to me that the protagonist used a kind of magic that caused physical shock to the antagonist, such as extremes of temperature or pressure.
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I think the antagonist died, but with no visible wounds, and his body was not disintegrated.
- I know this is very vague, but I think ice was important, possibly related to the magic of the antagonist and/or the protagonist.
- I'm quite confident I read this book by mid-1993 at the latest.
- I don't remember any dragons, witches, goblins, trolls, elves, or dwarves.
- I don't remember any large battles or quests (of the trekking sort).
- There may have been more than three characters, but I only remember three.
- Most of the action, such as it was, seems to have taken place in and around (and under?) the antagonist's castle/tower/manse/house.
