Wandor’s Ride by Roland J. Green

Wandor’s Ride (1973)  by Roland J. Green is the opener for a lengthy saga of Sword & Sorcery. While couched in the unfortunate cliche of a mystical prophecy, the series has much to offer fans that is not familiar. Green’s obvious love of martial arts adds a nice element of discipline to yet another hero chosen by destiny.

Bertan Wandor, Duelist Master, escapes a group of Duke Cragor’s men in the woods near the Mount Pendwyr only to find himself being taken in by the Hill People (who kill strangers on sight). After drinking a magic liquid Wandor has a vision of ancient times and discovers he is of the Hill people and their king.

Kaylopla, the wise-woman, sends him into the ancient caverns where he finds a gigantic pillar of fire. The guardian of the fire tells him he has a destiny to fulfill (if he is in fact the five-crown king of the prophecy) which includes finding Firehair the Maiden, Strong-Ax, Fear-No-Devil and Cheloth of the Woods, as well as the Helm of Jagnar, the Ax of Yevoda, the Spear of Valkath, the Sword of Artos and the Dragon-Steed of Morkol.

Wandor goes to the capitol and meets the king (after helping to stop a pogrom agains the Khindi). The King sends him to a land across the ocean called the Viceroyalty. On his voyage there he helps destroy two pirate ships and meets the giant Berek Strong-Ax, his first companion of the prophecy.

Once on land, Wandor and Berek must fight spies sent to kill them to reach Baron Delvor who lives in the South Marches. Duke Cragor plans to invade the Marshes in the spring. There he also meets Gwynna Firehair, who he realizes is the girl of the prophecy, though he feels no desire for her.

After Gwynna disappears on a night of blue magic fire, Wandor finds her and the spell that kept him from her is lifted. They make love, sealing a mystical bond between them. Gwynna and Wandor plan to cross the mountains to a land held by the fierce Plainsmen, where Gwynna had gone when she was fourteen, and was initiated in their magic. While they are crossing the mountains, Baron Delvor is forced to make a pact with the Khindi.

Once across the mountains, Wandor and Gwynna find the river Zephas flooded and have to make a dangerous crossing. One of their horses dies and Gwynna almost drowns. Now across, the travelers have to contend with winter that sends a blizzard against them.

During the storm Wandor tries to go hunting but is attacked by a silver bear that kills their horse and wounds him greatly. Both on the edge of death, Gwynna sends a mystical message to Zakonta the wise-woman to save them. The Plainsmen collect the duo but they won’t tell Wandor if Gwynna is alive or death. (She is actually in a catatonic magical state which appears like death.)

Both survive but are not allowed to be together as Jos-Pran, the leader of the Grey Mares tribe is jealous of Wandor. After winter Wandor is taken to the Testing which proves to be a fight in which the opponent (Jos-Pran) tries to kill him but Wandor must not kill his attacker. Wandor’s great skill as a weapon’s master helps him defeat Jos-Pran but he still hasn’t won the man’s approval and must do another test–he must ride the King Horse, a sacred animal no one can ride. Wandor fails at first but wins the animal over with gentleness and magical concentration.

With the Plainsmen now allies, Wandor rides back as a scout to Delvor to tell him 40,000 Plainsmen are coming to his rescue against Duke Cragor’s army. Wandor riding the King Horse makes it back to Delvor in time to help him meet the oncoming army.

First they have to take South Wall, a pass the Plainsmen will travel through, which they do by magical destroying a wall. Then Wandor is there to lead the paltry forces against Cragor’s army at the Delkum Valley. They do this with dwindling hopes as the Khindi flee once their arrows are depleted.

Wandor leads a last, brave charge against Cragor’s calvary. The Plainsmen show up at the last second and save the defenders. But their counter-attack may be thwarted by Kaldmor’s magic, which summons a terrible demon, Na-Kaloga. Gwynna and Zakonta repel the demon using the powers of the earth. Cragor tries to get his ally, Sir Festan, to attack with his royal troops (there by deception) but Festan refuses. Cragor kills Festan and is nearly killed by his men. Cragor and a few men escape the field. Wandor allows Festan’s men to retreat in peace. The day is won and Cragor’s evils will be forestalled for at least a year.

The first of Wandor’s adventures to find magical companions and sacred weapons. Reprinted two times as the series went on to four books. Green brings in just a hint of Eastern martial arts with the Order of Duelists. Love the Enrich (or is it San Julian?) cover which shows Gwynna Firehair wearing go-go boots and a green shorts ensemble. Wandor looks like he’s wearing jeans. (It was the Hippy ’70s after all.) Disappointingly the leopard in the picture is mentioned only briefly.

The series continues with Wandor’s Journey (1975), Wandor’s Voyage (1979) and final, fat volume, Wandor’s Flight (1981) at 375 pages instead of the usual 190. Green would pen more Sword & Sorcery and related novels as “Jeffrey Lord” in the Richard Blade series as well as contribute to the Conan, Thieves’ World and Dragonlance franchises. I prefer the Wandor books simply because they are Green’s alone. Even if they didn’t revolutionize heroic fantasy, they were never cheap knock-offs like so many later S&S boom books. His influences are not strong Robert E. Howard or J. R. R. Tolkien. This makes them different than a lot of other paperbacks. Green deserved to be reprinted and collected.