Encyclopedia of Fantasy (1997)
Fergusson, Bruce
Tagged: Author.
(1951- ) US writer whose fantasy work consists of two titles in his Six Kingdoms sequence, which seems open-ended. The general venue is a medieval Fantasyland, somewhat grimmer than the norm; but – most unusually – the main setting within this venue is urban (see Urban Fantasy) and extremely bleak. The first tale, The Shadow of His Wings (1987), features a Hidden Monarch who is inclined not to accept the throne and a Quest which he can succeed in terminating only at heavy cost to others. The protagonist of The Mace of Souls: A Novel of the Six Kingdoms (1989) is a criminal whose initial reasons for becoming involved in his quest are to acquire sufficient funds to get to a nicer climate; the general tenor of the story is mean-street and weary. Both novels, after much duelling with Shadows and episodes of personal growth, end positively; but it is clear that Fergusson was not entirely comfortable with the conventions of Heroic Fantasy. It is hoped his silence will end. [JC]
Bruce Chandler Fergusson
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