the House of Stag

“Aneccentric and often very funny fantasy . . . Baker piles on such delights for anyone who wants more from fantasy than an epic journey to battle evil.” —Denver Post "If you’ve liked Baker’s previous work, or even if you haven’t yet seen it, give this a shot . . . Fun, interesting, nicely characterized and clever.” —San Diego Union-Tribune A half-demon foundling, Gard began life among the tranquil, forest-dwelling Yendri. When the Riders attack the Yendri valley, Gard is the only one of his pacifist people who resists the invasion. Exiled from his adopted people, Gard is captured and enslaved by powerful mages. Slave, gladiator, actor, laborer—Gard wears many roles as he rises through the society that enslaved him. Meanwhile, a child is born to the Yendri who fulfills their prophecies, a chosen one who will lead their people. Gard must choose carefully when his past among the Yendri intersects with his present . . . The House of the Stag takes on conventional fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads, examining what it means to fulfill the role of a lord or promised one while remaining human, sharply observed and humorously told.