Monday, November 12, 2012

BLOODSONG: VALKYRIES OF HEL - Bloodsong returns in 2013!


C. Dean Andersson
(a.k.a. Asa Drake) authored an entertaining horror/fantasy trilogy about a heroine called Bloodsong in the 1980's. He has been working on a omnibus reboot and a sequel (Valkyries of Hel). Specific dates not revealed yet. My favorite Sword and Sorcery showcases necromancy; a lot of the weird fiction had this in short stories form. The Bloodsong trilogy struck a nice balance of horror and fantasy in a trilogy of novels.  Here is his synopsis of "The Hel Trilogy":

"The "Hel Trilogy" is the first three Sword and Sorcery books of Bloodsong, a Norse warrior woman fighting to save and protect her daughter and folk from evils and threats in Viking Age Scandinavia. The Bloodsong books were reprinted by Hawk Books in 2000 as WARRIOR WITCH, WARRIOR REBEL, and WARRIOR BEAST, all three under my real name, C. Dean Andersson".

Several years ago Andersson told GW Thomas in an interview (link) that he was working on a sequel featuring Bloodsong; the sequel it has yet to officially emerge but it is nice to know that progress has been made Here is his Sept-2012 announcement on Facebook :
"The first three Norse warrior woman Bloodsong novels, in preparation for their ebook omnibus debut, are being enhanced with new and expanded scenes and revised text. The original stories are unchanged, of course, but time is now being spent on them that was not available under publisher deadlines when they were originally written in the pre-Xena 1980s. The cover painting by Boris Vallejo, created for the second Bloodsong novel, shows Bloodsong and her daughter, Guthrun, fighting together against their enemies, and is being used for the omnibus' cover through a new agreement with the artist. Meanwhile, a new Bloodsong novel, Valkyries of Hel, is being written. Altogether now, on three...BLOODSONG LIVES! BLOODSONG AND FREEDOM!"
I am always excited to be able to touch base directly with authors--in this case, it was Facebook. As a giddy fan, I copy our communications...and invite you to track down your favorite authors!


  • September 24, 2012

  • Seth Lindberg Awesome news. Any idea when Valkyries of Hel will be published?
  • Bloodsong Freyadis Guthrun's Daughter Seth Lindberg I'm hoping next year sometime...can't be sure yet...still working on the Omnibus enhancements, then have to finish writing Valkyries...but I'm having a blast doing both!
    7 hours ago · Unlike · 1
  • Seth Lindberg The Bloodsong trilogy exhibited a great blend of horror and fantasy that is seldom approached; I anxiously await the Omnibus and Valkyries. For what a fan's enthusiasm is worth, I'd gladly help plug your work when "Valkries of Hel" is ready to share (ie via Goodreads.com, blog post/interview, etc.). Thanks for the details.

  • Bloodsong Freyadis Guthrun's DaughterThanks! As I go back through the trilogy, I am amazed myself (in a generally good way) at some of the stuff I'd forgotten was there. But I am seeing things now, between characters or inside a character, that I feel needs bringing into clearer focus, and a character like Jalna in the first one who ended up being important in the second and third ones, is getting extra attention and added scenes. The enthusiasm of fans is everything! Appreciate the offer to plug it etc...any and all help will be appreciated!



Thursday, November 1, 2012

Battlepug Review - Shorty made Battlepuggage

Deliberately Silly, Sword & Sorcery Done Right

Mike Norton's BattlepugAs a Sword & Sorcery fan and pug owner, I read this with great scrutiny. I love both the genre and breed. Truth is, when it comes to dark fantasy, diehards want it delivered one of two ways: 1) seriously done or 2) professionally campy. Many movies appear neither seriously produced nor well done satire (Conan 2011 for instance). This comic does it right. It delivers an entertaining adventure, a well-designed, cheesy story that is really entertaining. Its appeal should extend beyond that of adolescent teens, aging fantasy folk, and pug owners. There is great fun in this book, and there is more to come with Vol.2 in the works. So inspired, I have already begun calling my snorty, over-excitable, comical ball-of-fur "battlepug" when she begins to show her true powers.

Disclosure: As revealed in a previous blog post- (Sword & Sorcery & Pugs link) I own a funny looking pug named Shorty.  Taken by the allure of this book, I submitted a picture of shorty sitting on her sister (cat Sweetie) and was pleased to see that Shorty made Mike Norton's Oct-19-2012's Battlepuggage Post (link).  Here she is, surveying the family room for the cat, unaware that Sweetie is under her!  How better to demonstrate the awesome powers of a Battlepug?