The Pixilated Peeress

From WikipediaThe Pixilated Peeress is a fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. It is the second book in a sequence of two, following The Incorporated Knight. It was first published in hardcover by Del Rey Books in 1991, and in paperback by the same publisher in 1992. Read more - Shopping-Enabled Wikipedia on Amazon      In the article: Plot summary | SettingFrom Publishers WeeklyThe de Camps' latest fantasy is set in pragmatic Rhaetia, the same world pictured in The Incorporated Knight . Acting sergeant Thorolf Zigramson of the Fourth Commonwealth Foot, an aspiring scholar but a soldier by default, somewhat reluctantly rescues Yvette, the beautiful countess of Grintz, from the soldiers set after her by an evil duke who covets her body and her land. After elderly magician Doctor Bardi mistakenly transforms Yvette into an octopus, Thorolf turns to sinister Doctor Orlandus to restore her true form and discovers that the Doctor Orlandus has invaded the minds of his followers, including Yvette, and is slowly assuming control of the government of Rhaetia. When Thorolf is accused of Doctor Bardi's murder, he flees to the trolls, one of whom he must wed to gain sanctuary and keep from being eaten. From their uncertain stronghold he mounts an expedition to rescue his beloved countess and his country. With its direct, matter-of-fact tone, this wry and delightful fantasy punctures the pretensions to which the genre is often prone. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.