petty differences in the second volume, Silver
Princess, Golden Knight(1993), but they end up
married in Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams(1994). They
have successfully repelled the intruders and gained
the throne in Wind Whispers, Shadow Shouts(1995)
but predictably discover that it is not easy to rule a
troubled kingdom. The thwarted forces of evil
have to be confronted once more in Game’s End
(1996).
Convergence(1996) is the opening volume in
the Blending series, which treats the same premise,
invaders from another reality, in slightly different
fashion. Five individuals, each schooled in a different
form of magic, must combine their talents to meet
the threat, which they do over the course of Compe-
titions(1997), Challenges(1998), Betrayals (1999),
and Prophecy(1999). Their number is expanded for
further adventures in Intrigues (2000), Deceptions
(2001), and Destiny(2002). The Blending series is
more original than the Hidden Realms sequence but
is sometimes slow paced and repetitious.
Enchanting(1994) is an above-average fantasy
romance with a cleverly constructed plot, and
Haughty Spirit(1999), in which a goddess is forced
to become mortal, is often quite funny. Green’s oc-
casional short stories are mostly minor contributions
to one shared world series or another, but “And the
Truth Shall Set You Free” (1989) is memorable.
Green, Simon R.(1955– )
Simon R. Green started writing fantasy with the
Hawk and Fisher series, whose two protagonists,
though a couple, are often reminiscent of those of
the FAFHRD AND THE GRAY MOUSER stories by
Fritz LEIBER. They are employed as city guards in a
corrupt and primitive fantasy city but function
more like private detectives. They debuted in
Hawk and Fisher(1990, also published as No Haven
for the Guilty) battling miscreants and magic in
pursuit of their duties. Their job is to suppress all
magic manipulation during a political campaign in
Winner Take All(1991, also published as The Devil
Take the Hindmost) and to track down a serial killer
who specializes in eliminating gods in The God
Killer(1991). The enemy is an aristocratic terrorist
in Wolf in the Fold (1991, also published as
Vengeance for a Lonely Man), they find themselves
framed and discharged in Guard against Dishonor
(1991), and they discover a second city hidden
under their own in The Bones of Haven(1992, also
published as Two Kings in Haven). Green later
added a seventh adventure, Beyond the Blue Moon
(2000), also a sequel to the otherwise separate
Demon Wars series.
The Demon Wars started with Blue Moon Ris-
ing (1991), a good-humored fantasy quest in
which the heir to the throne of a small kingdom is
forced to fight a dragon, rescue a princess, and
complete several other tasks, although his sup-
posed supporters prefer failure to success since the
kingdom is in dire financial straits and cannot
meet the expenses of maintaining an actual hero.
He befriends the dragon, meets the other chal-
lenges, and returns to his home to confront his ad-
visers. Down Among the Dead Men(1993), the
sequel, is competent but minor, and Beyond the
Blue Moon(2000) throws Hawk and Fisher into
the mix after a king is murdered.
Shadows Fall(1994) is an unusual blend of
magic, technology, and the supernatural contain-
ing some interesting sequences but not as well in-
tegrated as most of his other novels. Green spent
most of the later 1990s writing science fiction nov-
els, primarily his Deathstalker series set in a galac-
tic empire whose political and social structure is
very similar to that of his fantasies that may appeal
to fantasy fans as well. His next fantasy novel was
Drinking Midnight Wine(2001), skillfully handling a
familiar theme, a man from our world discovering a
doorway to a magical realm whose evil denizens
are plotting against us.
Green has recently begun a new series blend-
ing fantasy with the tough detective genre. Some-
thing from the Nightside (2003) introduces the
Nightside series, set in an alternate version of our
world where magic works and is accepted as an
everyday occurrence. In the second volume,
Agents of Light and Darkness(2003), the protago-
nist is hired to locate the Unholy Grail, the cup
from which Judas drank at the Last Supper. The
story is cleverly told and is reminiscent of the Gar-
rett series by Glen COOK. A prominent singer be-
gins to exhibit suicidal tendencies in Nightingale’s
Lament(2004), and her friends suspect the change
has a magical cause. More volumes in the series144 Green, Simon R.