Dekason: 1

First in The Twilight Galaxy series. A swashbuckling science fantasy adventure in the tradition of classic sword and planet fiction. Carkston Monitor is a swordsman without a future. On his pre-industrial home world of Kvasir, a bold scheme to earn a seat among the nobility collapses spectacularly - leaving him drunk in a roadside tavern when a spaceship captain named Welloons makes him an offer he can't refuse. The offer lands Carkston on Dekason: a civilized world populated by aristocrats who fight duels over jacket colors, argue bitterly about the proper shades of seasonal attire, and let the machinery of their civilization slowly rust in place. He's sold at auction for thirty-five thousand besants to Ahteen the Younger - young, arrogant, surprisingly dangerous with a blade - and settles in as fencing master and novelty exhibit at the Geotherm Syndicate estate. The arrangement lasts until Ahteen, facing social ruin, throws Carkston to the wolves to save his own reputation. Suddenly Carkston is a man without a position, without legal standing on an alien world, and with a vengeful nobleman paying licensed killers to put him in the ground. Which means it's time to improvise. Teaming up with Bestian - charming gangster, reluctant idealist, and head of an Unsanctioned House - Carkston turns the social warfare of Dekason's aristocracy against itself. He didn't come here to change the world. But somebody's going to bleed before he goes home. Perfect for fans of Jack Vance, Leigh Brackett, and classic adventure science fiction. Complete story, more to come in The Twilight Galaxy series.

Pages: 268, Paperback, Independently published