Free Lance has had a good season, and has earned the right to compete in a major tournament for the first time in a long while.

Soon, all the money is on him to win. But the Duke makes him an offer he can't refuse - to lose to his own man.

Just to complicate things, the Duke's niece begs Free Lance to defeat her uncle's henchman to save her from a brutal marriage - Free Lance always had a soft spot for a damsel in distress.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, has our hero bitten off more than he can chew?

Full of drama and humour, this swashbuckling fantasy adventure by two of the leading exponents of the genre, sees the return of an action hero who is both charismatic and mysterious, and told in a laconic, Marlowesque first person narrative.

It is certain to be enjoyed by all readers of "The Edge Chronicles" and Terry Pratchett, and those aspiring to read them.

It is part of a unique range of books aimed at 11+s that through integration of text and illustration are also accessible to those with reading abilities of as young as 8, produced in consultation with literacy consultant Wendy Cooling.