Wandor's Ride

A Relic of the early 1970s

Wandor’s Ride was the first in a four book series by Roland J. Green from 1973. It was a mass market paperback from Avon Books. Avon had kept A. Merritt in print for years and also published Roger Zelazny. Avon paperbacks from this period used a heavier paper so they feel different.

This is 190 pages long. Cover by Enrich which is very early 1970s looking.

The novel starts with Bertan Wandor, master of Duelist Guild on the run in the forest from the evil Duke Cragor’s henchman. I have to say Wandor is not a great name for a character. When it looks like it is all over, he is saved from some native short people who live inside a mountain. Wandor drinks some LSD beverage where he is given a very long list of things to do and retrieve:

“Go and win Firehair the Maiden.

Go and win the faith of Strong-Ax and Fear-No-Devil.

Go and win aid from Cheloth of the Woods.

Go and Seek these-- the Helm of Jangar, the Ax of Yevoda, the Spear of Valkath, the Sword of Aros, the Dragon-Steed of Morkol.”

“Go among all peoples and through all lands and against all who torment and distress men, wherever you find them barring your passage.”

“Go then to the house of him you call father and take up the talisman a

nd watch, while Mount Pendwyr splits with fire and the hills and woods rise into the sky and are scattered to the sea.

“Go then at last forth, to battle, and smitethose who come against you, with all your strength and cunning.

Wandor was a foundling child. He was found under some bushes next to a field with the body of a woman they thought his true mother. So this novel starts out as sword & sorcery and gets a big dose of high fantasy prophecy and quests.

Wandor is hired by King Nond to act as his agent in a territory that is on another continent to the west. King Nond is attempting to strengthen his position when Duke Cragor hoists the flag of revolt.

Wandor has some adventures on the ocean. Meets up with Baron Delvor, the king’s viceroy and links up with Gwynna, Baron Delvor’s daughter.

Duke Cragor has a mercenary army to crush Baron Delvor. Wandor and Gwynna travel over the mountains to enlist the Plainsmen. There are forest dwelling Khindi who act like Easter Woodland Indians of the U.S. The Plaismen are like a cross between the Sioux and Scythians. Horses appear to be native, the natives work in metal.

There is the big climactic battle. Cragor has an attendant sorcerer who does not seem to be very effective.

This book was 190 pages and it read like it was 380 pages. Green knows his bladed weapons. There is some eastern martial arts moves by Wandor. Remember in 1973, everyone was Kung-Fu fighting.

Green knew his pre-gunpowder warfare. He also knew how to write action scenes. The supernatural element is weak. He reminds me of John Maddox Roberts in this regard. The whole epic quests throws the narrative off. The proverbial ketchup on chocolate ice cream. Maybe the editors at Avon wanted something to bring in both Robert E. Howard style sword & sorcery with more epic elements of Tolkien. You would see this evolution in its final form a few years later with Del Rey books.

Roland Green wrote twenty seven of the Richard Blade series, seven Conan pastiches (which are not well thought of), and co-wrote two of Jerry Pournelle’s Janissaries books (great series). He also co-wrote H. Beam Piper’s character Lord Kalvan stories with John F. Carr. Green’s best use appeared to be a co-writer for action scenes and not for plot.

I bought three of the Wandor books in the early 1990s when I was picking up all sword & sorcery- good, bad, and indifferent. I scanned through them at the time but really did not read them in detail like I just did with Wandor’s Ride. Will I read more Wandor? We will find out together.