Upland Outlaws: Dave Duncan

Book II of A Handful Of Men. The protocol that kept tenuous peace among Pandemia's sorcerers has been overturned and the Impire should have been in turmoil. Shandie, the rightful Imperor, has escaped the clutches of his enemies but the power-mad dwarf sorcerer Zinixio has placed a magical substitute on the throne and life in the Impire seems to run smoothly. Once Zinixio gets his hands on Shandie and his heir, the Impire will be his alone to rule. Then he will reap revenge on King Rap of Krasnegar, a sorcerer whose skills are only a shadow of their former strength. Meanwhile, Shandie cannot hope to raise an army when everyone knows he sits securely on the throne...and with every free sorcerer in hiding, it seems one heck of a time to start a revolution. Cover art by Terry Oakes.