Fiction_L Archives Gray Mantle Dates: 11/8/99,2:19 PM  through  11/9/99,10:12 AM  (2 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to November 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 11/8/99, 2:19 PM

----------
From: "Carrie FARROW" <[removed]@rochester.lib.mn.us>
To: <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
Subject: Gray Mantle?
Date: Sun, Nov 7, 1999, 3:31 PM


Thanks for the help finding the Mary Higgins Clark read-alike that turned
out to be Mary Higgins Clark!! Our patron was delighted.

I have another one. A patron was inquiring today about the exact title and
author of a book he read some time ago. He thinks that the title was Gray
Mantle. He vividly described the cover of the book to me. A warrior stands
triumphantly brandishing his sword (wearing a gray mantle) about him
skeletons are magicly being raised from the dead to try to kill him.

The story begins with the birth of two sons. One is the son of the king.
An evil plot is hatched to kill the king's son. His sympathizers catch
wind of this and switch the babies. The imposter baby is killed and the
king's son is raised by a wizard. The son grows up to be a great warrior.

Many thanks to anyone who can help us out. The patron has been trying to
find this book again for several years.

FROM: "Dennis K. Lien" <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 11/9/99, 10:12 AM

>Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 14:22:18 -0600
>From: "Fiction_L" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
>Subject: FW: Gray Mantle? (fwd)
>
>- ----------
>From: "Carrie FARROW" <[removed]@rochester.lib.mn.us>
>To: <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
>Subject: Gray Mantle?
>Date: Sun, Nov 7, 1999, 3:31 PM
>
>
>
>I have another one. A patron was inquiring today about the exact title and
>author of a book he read some time ago. He thinks that the title was Gray
>Mantle. He vividly described the cover of the book to me. A warrior stands
>triumphantly brandishing his sword (wearing a gray mantle) about him
>skeletons are magicly being raised from the dead to try to kill him.
>
>The story begins with the birth of two sons. One is the son of the king.
>An evil plot is hatched to kill the king's son. His sympathizers catch
>wind of this and switch the babies. The imposter baby is killed and the
>king's son is raised by a wizard. The son grows up to be a great warrior.
>
>Many thanks to anyone who can help us out. The patron has been trying to
>find this book again for several years.


I suspect that your client is thinking of GRAYMANTLE (one word, not two)
by John Morressy. It was a 1981 Playboy Press paperback original and is
the second of four volumes in his "Iron Angel" series. The others are
IRONBRAND (Playboy Press pb, 1980); KINGSBANE (Playboy Press pb, 1982);
and THE TIME OF THE ANNIHILATOR (Ace pb, 1985). Morressy is a prolific
writer of sf and fantasy (mostly humorous fantasy; the Kedrigern the
Wizard series), but I don't believe he's done any "serious" sword and
sorcery fantasy other than those four titles.

If your client can't find copies locally with this information, try calling
or e-mailing Uncle Hugo's or DreamHaven sf bookstores here in Mpls; both
have huge stocks of old pbs at reasonable prices (mostly $1 to $2)
and both do mail orders:

[removed]@aol.com
[removed]@visi.com

Standard disclaimer: I have no financial investment in either store
(unless spending several hundred dollars each year in each counts as
such).

If he wants at some time to write Mr. Morressy a fan letter, his
address is: PO Box 33 / Apple Hill Road / East Sullivan NH 03445.

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

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