Avon Eos, New York, 1998, 1^st/1^st.  ISBN 0-380-97460-6.  Hard cover, 338 pages.  Very light corner and spine end wear, tight binding with headbands; bit of soil on outer page block.  Dust jacket with price intact has some rubs and light scratches; tear at upper and lower rear corner folds with tape on verso and some draying, some front corner and spine ends wear.  Interior clean and unmarked.  ‘As unwanted, rebellious boys, they found refuge in the grim school of Ironhall.  They emerged years later as nimble and deadly young men, the finest swordsmen in the realm – the King’s Blades.  A magical ritual of a sword through the heart bound each of them to absolute loyalty to defend his ward – if not the king himself, then whomever else he designated.  And the greatest Blade of them all was Sir Durendal. … Durendal is bonded till death, not to his beloved king, but to an effete noble fop.  Yet twisting Destiny has many strange and inscrutable plans for this young knight.  For a mission, a contest, and, perhaps, a treasure beyond imagining awaits Durendal behind the walls of an ancient, isolated city in a faraway land where dangers are legion and death is omnipresent.’ (from front flap)