The Hand of Glodd (#1 Tarquin the Honest)

Author(s): Gareth Ward

Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Wardini's Authors | Wardini's Book Club | Staff Picks - Catt

Tarquin the Honest, Wizard of the Silver Weasel, is a liar, a coward, a charlatan and a cheat. And, according to his diminutive roguish sidekick Lunar Nix, those are his most endearing qualities.


On a perilous quest to recover The Golden Gauntlet for a mysterious patron, Tarquin and his band of unlikely warriors must navigate the terrors of the Sorrow Wood, battle zombies, giants, zombie-giants and an entire evil order of necromancers. Despite never living up to the expectations of his hero father, somehow Tarquin – through his multitude of dubious skills and a deluded perception of his own greatness must defy death to overcome a series of complex challenges. Will Tarquin betray his friends to save his own skin, or will he roll the dice and risk everything? Only the goddess Fortuna knows and she’s not telling.


In this, his first novel for adults, award-winning YA author Gareth Ward, aka The Great Wardini, has delivered a quick-witted, fantastical tale packed with magic, action, and a cast of memorable characters.

Dungeons & Dragons meets Terry Pratchet in this epic adventure full of danger, magic, mischief & mayhem. This is such a fun read & will have you laughing out loud all the way through (especially at all the innuendo!). I absolutely loved it! Catt


Product Information

Gareth Ward, a.k.a. The Great Wardini is a magician, hypnotist, storyteller, bookseller and author. He has worked as a Royal Marine Commando, Police Officer, Evil Magician and Zombie. He basically likes jobs where you get to wear really cool hats – as writer and compere of Napier City’s inaugural Steampunk murder mystery evening he wore a rather splendid bowler.


Born in the town of Banbury in the UK, he attended the University of York where he gained a joint honours degree in Biology and Computer Science. If you want your cat reprogrammed, he’s your man.


He currently resides in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand where he runs two independent bookshops, Wardini Books and Wardini Books Napier with his wife Louise. He is a D&D geek and part of the Kiwis and Dragons D&D podcast (not suitable for children) www.kiwisanddragons.co.nz. His first novel for grown-ups, Tarquin the Honest, The Hand of Glodd, is based on his legendary D&D wizard Tarquin the Honest – you’ve probably heard of him!
His first Y/A novel, The Traitor and the Thief, a rip-roaring young adult Steampunk adventure, won the 2016 Storylines Tessa Duder Award, the 2018 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel, a 2018 Storylines Notable Book Award and was a finalist in two categories at The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

General Fields

  • : 9781776890118
  • : David Bateman Ltd
  • : David Bateman Ltd
  • : 01 August 2022
  • : h234mm x w153mm x s22mm
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Gareth Ward
  • : Paperback
  • : 272