12

A knight wakes on a hill surrounded by the detritus of battle. He walks to a nearby city, where he finds employment selling 'hands of glory' in the market. A horribly scarred and mad princess meets him there. Eventually they are married and he must go on a quest to cure her.

He meets the dog-person who maimed her, is turned into a stag, and at the conclusion of the book is sent back to his own time and place, a battle in Scotland where he is fighting his greatest enemy.

I believe it was a trilogy of novels. These are just the points that stand out vividly that I can be sure were from the same series- I read the books about 6 or 7 years ago (2007-2008) so it's all quite blurred

3
  • 1
    You say "story", but was it a full novel? A comic?
    – Mr Lister
    Apr 1, 2014 at 11:32
  • I believe it was a trilogy of novels. These are just the points that stand out vividly that I can be sure were from the same series- I read the books about 6 or 7 years ago so it's all quite blurred.
    – user24543
    Apr 1, 2014 at 16:15
  • possibly the same as scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/189324/… (which is newer but has an OP comment indicating the answer is correct)
    – Otis
    Aug 24, 2018 at 15:44

1 Answer 1

7

"The Red Pavillions" series by Kim Hunter. The first book is: "Knight's Dawn":

A wounded soldier comes to consciousness on a hillside above a forest. His helmet and sword are gone, but he still wears the bloodstained remnants of his armour, on which the words 'Kutrama and Sintra' are printed. The soldier looks about in astonishment - he has no idea how he got there or who he is. He believes he has been in a mighty battle, but as to the cause or outcome he has no idea. Only later does he learn that the last battle in that kingdom was over a century ago ...

Soldier comes to the city of Zamerkand and finds himself caught up in its vicious politics and mad economic structure; hired to collect severed hands from the many hanged, his death is ordered by politicians who just don't want any unaccountable players in town and reprieved by a mad and disfigured princess, with whom he falls desperately in love. On a quest to find the cure for her madness, he finds himself endlessly caught in mythic patterns that go otherwise than we expect...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Knights-Dawn-Red-Pavilions-Book/dp/1841490318

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.