Wow, yesterday was a good day for people on the f-list talking about things I like to read. There was that whole discussion of Samurai Deeper Kyo, and then vierran45 was talking about P.C. Hodgell's vastly under-read and under-rated Kencyr series, a/k/a the Chronicles of the Kencyrath (roll on past the first couple of paragraphs of her reading report). When I think of all the crap derivative fantasy fiction that's out there, and then about how few people have even heard of Hodgell, I want to tear my hair out!
Anyway, check out what vierran45 has to say - she's summed up the series pretty well. They are hard to obtain (out of print), but well worth the trouble.