What if a simple gambler is made responsible for the defense of a kingdom on the eve of war?  What if that kingdom had a pitiful military?  What if the cost of failure is death?  This is the plight of Sterren of Ethshar in "The Unwilling Warlord" by Lawrence Watt-Evans.

In the small kingdom of Semma, positions of authority are granted by birthright.  Sterren just happens to be the next in line for the title of Warlord.  Unfortunately, having grown up half a world away in the streets of Ethshar, playing dice games for a living, Sterren is about as ill prepared for the role as one could imagine.  That might have been okay if Semma's current King hadn't provoked the neighbours into a war Semma couldn't possibly win.

To top it all off, Sterren's luck with the dice has vanished.

Once again, Lawrence Watt-Evans creates an absurd situation out of believable characters, and the mix of humour and suspense is great.  When Sterren isn't trying to save his skin by saving the kingdom, he's trying to save his skin by plotting his escape.  That's only the first third of the novel!  I won't spoil any of the surprises regarding the rest of the story.

The Good: The humour.  The pacing.  The "what's gonna happen NOW?" suspense.
The Bad: I'm not sure about the depiction of the "Edge of the World".  But it's a fantasy novel with lots of magic, so I guess anything is possible.
The Ugly: Nothing comes to mind.  

"The Misenchanted Sword" is still my favourite book by Watt-Evans, but this is a worthy addition to the collection.

You can read the whole book for free in digital format.  Download the rtf here:  http://ebookbrowse.com/watt-evans-lawrence-ethshar-03-the-unwilling-warlord-rtf-d140146853