Francesco Dall'ongaro (1873)

An irreverent, satirical adventure with more plot twists and conspiracies than the Kennedy assassination, This Evil Rising features Prince Raitan, a union member barbarian in a royal family of sorcerers. While his sister, the Princess, studies spells and incantations, Raitan hones his skills in fighting dragons and giant two-headed birds with a maiden-in-need-of-rescue clutching his knees. He also grunts a lot. Their father, King Redeemus, wants the heir to the throne to shape up and become a respectable sorcerer. And Raitan had better hurry, because his uncle, the Dark Lord Banthantamus, who was killed and dismembered for his evil domination of the kingdom, has been prophesized in an ancient scroll to return from the dead to spread chaos and mayhem, and according to the prophesy, the only one who can stop him is the Prince and three stranded off-world telemarketers from Minneapolis.