The Clocks of Iraz

Infobox Book |
name = The Clocks of Iraz
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = first edition of "The Clocks of Iraz"
author = L. Sprague de Camp
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Novarian series
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Pyramid Books
release_date = November, 1971
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 190 pp
isbn = NA
preceded_by = The Goblin Tower
followed_by = The Unbeheaded King

"The Clocks of Iraz" is a fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, the second book of both his Novarian series and the "Reluctant King" trilogy featuring King Jorian of Xylar. It was first published as a paperback by Pyramid Books in 1971 and later reprinted by Del Rey Books. The novel has been translated into Portuguese, Italian, French, German and Dutch.

Plot summary

In this sequel to "The Goblin Tower", ex-king Jorian of Xylar and Dr. Karadur renew their alliance, with the latter offering to help the former recover his favorite wife Estrildis in return for a new service. Jorian is commissioned to repair the clocks in the Tower of Kumashar, the great lighthouse of Iraz, capital city of the empire of Penembei to the south of Novaria. The timepieces had originally been installed by Jorian's father Evor the Clockmaker, a renowned practitioner of that trade.

Complications consist of a pair of competing prophecies regarding the fate of the city, Iraz's cut-throat politics and xenophobic racing factions (clearly based on those of the Byzantine Empire), and a perfect storm of enemies approaching the city, including the pirates of Algarth, a mercenary company from Novaria, the desert hordes of Fedirun, and a revolutionary peasant army. Topping these is the Emperor Ishbahar himself, who seems to think Jorian might make a good heir to dump the whole mess on... Jorian hardly needs to hear a new prophecy relating to "himself" — "beware the second crown" — to tread cautiously. It will take luck as well as cunning just to get out alive, let alone save the city and seize the forlorn hope of regaining Estrildis with the aid of Karadur's flying bathtub.

The riots which dominate the last chapters of the book are evidently modeled on the Nika riots, a major event in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian.

etting

As in "The Goblin Tower", the political constraints under which the protagonist labors are at least as important as the fantastic element. Just as Novaria echoes Classical Greece, the city of Iraz with its convoluted infighting is grounded on earthly models, particularly the Bronze Age city-states of Sumeria, Hellenistic Alexandria, and Medieval Constantinople, a setting de Camp had been familiar with at least since his researches for his early novel "Lest Darkness Fall".

References

*cite book | last=Laughlin | first=Charlotte | coauthors=Daniel J. H. Levack | title=De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography | location=San Francisco | publisher=Underwood/Miller | pages=32 | date=1983