Robert E. Vardeman

As head of Winston Mail Order Inc, 74-year-old Andrea Winston considers neither her son, nor her two daughters as suitable successors and she has made secret plans to bring in a granddaughter, Celeste's illegitimate child, who was adopted at birth. When Emily Mitchell arrives to take up her position, she is full of trepidation. But even her worst fears have not prepared her for the terrifying events that await her ...

Wandering tribes of primitive humans meet and fight and love and die. When one tribe meets another, individuals fight inside a Battle Circle. The loser must become a member of the victorious tribe. Each warrior is named by his weapon. When Sol the Sword is bested by Sol of All Weapons, he loses his tribe, his name, and his weapon. Re-named Sos the Rope, he joins with Sol of All Weapons to try to create something greater than a world of Battle Circles. An early classic from Piers Anthony, creator of the legendary Xanth series, Sos the Rope was nominated for the prestigious Hugo Award.

It's the tale of Fost Longstrider, a courier, who becomes involved in a fight between two princesses. over the six novels (or two collections) it builds to an apocalytic climax. Characters involve a sadistic prince, lecherous genies, and it's set in an alternate earth. Quite a lot of fun, but the high sexual content does not suggest it for children.