To Walk on Worlds Rogues in the House Podcast, 2024, 188pages); Cover art by Mike Hoffman
Black Gate highlighted Rogues in the House (RitH) podcast in 2022, and in a few years, that crew rapidly expanded with Sword & Sorcery publications that include: A Book of Blades (2022) and A Book of Blades Vol. II (2023), and a collection of John R. Fultz's stories in The Revelations of Zang (2024) This post reviews the newest collection of stories from RitH's own Matthew John released this June: To Walk on Worlds is available now in eBook and paperback. Matthew John is fascinated with adventure fiction and moonlights as a writer and game designer for Monolith in addition to his podcast responsibilities. This post reviews To Walk on Worlds with excerpts.
If Gandalf was an a**hole, then we'd call him a "Meddler" instead of an "Istar"
The back cover indicates Lachmannon may be the protagonist of focus, and this Northman of Kaelta displays clear, Conan-like vibes while featuring in many of the stories as the key barbarian. He rocks, but the everpresent, and more unique character (anti-hero?) across the book is Maxus the Meddler. A "meddler" is a sorcerer, and Maxus gains the god-like power to move (and exploit and dominate) multiple realms; the titular phrase 'To Talk on Worlds' emphasizes that readers will experience Maxus's exploration and machinations. Interior illustrations by Sandy Carruthers feature Maxus most, and he appears physically like Gandalf. So Maxus is phenotypically a wizard, but he is otherwise a bonafide a** hole. In the rare instances Maxus requires assistance from other beings, he does not form a fellowship. He may lure in rogue champions, like Lachmannon, to aid him but he would never consider them a partner. Maxus the Meddler is a splendid character, and it is super fun to witness him gain power and exploit other characters.
The table of contents (below) reveals eleven stories, seven of which were published in popular S&S venues. They read even better together, with four additional stories helping flesh out the land containing the capital city of Pathra, Keal, Vescivius, Spatha, and the Burning Isle. Oddly, perhaps on purpose, every story has an abundance of grinning characters. Matthew Johns's writing style is very accessible, moving at the fast pace one would expect from pulpy fiction.
Check out the excerpts that convey (1) weird foes, (2) desperate melee, and (3) vile sorcery!
CONAN City of the Dead, by John C. Hocking (2024, Titan Books. 507p)[/caption]
It’s June of 2024, and Titan Books has just delivered John C. Hocking’s City of the Dead which contains both Conan and the Emerald Lotus(1995, TOR) and its follow-up Conan and the Living Plague—a book lost in the limbo of publishing craziness for ~two decades! Hocking also wrote a bridging novella set in between these two novels called “Black Starlight” (serialized across Conan comics in 2019, and provided assembled as an eBook in 2023 as Conan: Black Starlight: The Heroic Legends Series). Since Titan Books & Heroic Signatures had the rights to publish and print “Black Starlight” separately, it seems like a lost opportunity to have it absent from City of the Dead, but fans are just glad to finally see the Living Plague in print, it is tough to whine about that.
Conan fans will be purchasing City of the Deadin a frenzy since they are familiar with Hocking’s style and its heroic journey
Want to know what the fuss is all about? This post is all about John C. Hocking’s Conan pastiche. It consolidates my reviews from Emerald Lotus and Black Starlight and highlights from my interview-with-Hocking and pre-review of Living Plague (that post contained informational, but distanced comments, about the book since the manuscript was still not available to all… at the time, I was blessed with one of the sacred Perilous World copies by Hocking to read). Read this and you'll have all the excerpts and context needed to lure you into the City of the Dead.
I just finished two Euro-Mediterranean-inspired fantasy novels, and, by
chance, both feature dragons on their beautiful covers. This post showcases
both. Scott Oden's The Doom of Oden wraps up a trilogy (Grimnir
Series) and Howard Andrew Jones' Lord of a Shattered Land begins
a five-book series (Hanuvar Chronicles). Each offer anti-Roman
myths/legends, Oden's Grimnir overtly calls out Rome (and then introduces loads
of Nordic fantasy) and HAJ's Hanuvar's primary antagonist is the Dervan Empire
(obviously inspired by the Roman Empire). In the spirit of Robert E. Howard's
Conan, who roamed the Euro-Mediterranan continue of Hyboria, these both
continue a tradition with a unique flair. These series are not to be missed!
Both are veteran authors with respect for history and historical fiction
(HAJ is known for his Harold Lamb series editing and Oden
for his bibliography that includes The White Lion, The Lion of
Cairo, Men of Bronze, and Memnon). Here they write sagas
about veteran protagonists. Don't expect coming-of-age stories or epic fantasy,
five-character parties either. These provide the classic Sword & Sorcery
approach: the protagonists may have sidekicks, but they operate primarily on
their own, and they are already equipped with experience/skills/power from
page-one. So the pace is fast and focused.
Both Lord of a Shattered Land and The Doom of
Odin blend history with fantasy but each provides significant doses of
myth/sorcery, so these are not alternate history novels. Each
protagonist is motivated by their respective family too: HAJ's Hanuvar is
human, and since he is a displaced general managing to survive as his society
is destroyed by Derva (Rome), he operates like a secret agent going rogue
behind enemy lines to rescue other stragglers and family members. Oden's
Grimnir is inhuman, more of a manifestation of Beowulf's Grendel's kin, and
whereas the first two books had Grimnir apart from his estranged family, this
last installment showcases loads of family drama (i.e., think family reunion on
the scale of Ragnarok, aka, the end of the world, with Rome hosting part of the
picnic).
This post provides
brief reviews, book blurbs, and excerpts. Read on and battle Rome and ancient
Gods!
Hanuvar is a fictionalized general (an incarnation of Hannibal of
Carthage) who tangles with the Roman-like Dervani who have invaded his
homeland. Expect espionage thriller sorties, gladiator battles, and
sorcery-saturated climaxes in each chapter to balance all the melee. Lord of
a Shattered Land (Aug 2023) kicks off a 5 book series from Baen, followed
by City of Marble and Blood (Oct 2023), and Shadow of the
Smoking Mountain (Oct 2024), (#4 and #5 to be revealed later).
Hanuvar is Conan possessed by James Bond!
Lord of a Shattered Land Cover Blurb
When their walls were breached at last, the people of Volanus fought
block by block, house by house, until most fell with sword in hand. Less than a
thousand survivors were led away in chains.
The city’s treasuries were looted, its temples defiled, and then, to sate
their emperor’s thirst for vengeance, the mages of the Dervan Empire cursed
Volanus and sowed its fields with salt. They committed only one error: the
greatest Volani general yet lived.
Against the might of a vast empire, Hanuvar had only an aging sword arm,
a lifetime of wisdom… and the greatest military mind in the world, set upon a
single goal. No matter where they’d been sent, from the festering capital to
the furthest outpost of the Dervan Empire, Hanuvar would find his people. Every
last one of them. And he would set them free.
Worst of all, a magical attack had left Hanuvar with a lingering curse
that might change him forever, or lead him to an early grave…
Lord of a Shattered features fourteen episodes chronicling Hanuvar's
undercover investigations and travels. The settings and delivery are
reminiscent of Richard L Tierney's Simon of Gitta (Black Gate review) who
was posed as an enemy of sorcerous Rome (the character Simon was loosely
modeled after the biblical magus, and was motivated by vengeance.)
Hanuvar is driven more to save his people than to cause further harm, but
bloodshed follows him everywhere. HAJ's delivery is splendidly smooth, whether he is describing body horror or humorous situations--at times evoking Leiber's Lanhmar ambiance. You
likely have seen some of his stories, since seven of the fourteen
episodes/chapters were published in similar form by reappearing here with
slight editing to close out a story arc:
“The Way of
Serpents,” first published in the Goodman Games Gen Con 2016
Program Guide and then reprinted in Issue "zero" of Tales
From the Magician’s Skull, 2018.
“Crypt of
Stars,” printed in Tales From the Magician’s Skull, Issue 1,
2018.
“The Second
Death of Hanuvar,” printed in Tales From the Magician’s Skull,
Issue 3, 2019.
“A Stone’s
Throw,” printed in Heroic Fiction Quarterly #40, 2019.
“Course of
Blood,” printed in the anthology Galactic Stew.
“From the
Darkness Beneath” in Terra Incognita
“Shroud of
Feathers” appeared in issue 6 of Tales From the Magician’s Skull.
Excerpt: Vivid, clever,
James-Bond-Like Melee
"His opponents were spread out, and while the circumstance was far
from ideal, it might not get better. Hanuvar dashed from the brush and slammed
the antlered man’s head with his spear haft. This knocked his foe’s deer-hood
askew and set him reeling drunkenly. Hanuvar closed and struck him across the
throat with the heel of his hand.
Antler-head sank to his knees, gasping for breath.
Hanuvar grasped his cheeks, pushed the severed finger through his teeth,
and clamped the man’s jaw shut. “Swallow,” he ordered into his ear, the spear
blade against his neck.
The man’s throat moved, he pushed at Hanuvar’s arm with shaking
fingers . . . then swallowed as the spear blade pricked him."
"Arcella lay there, at least what was left of her. Her dress had
been rent down the front, and her skinless, hairless body lay wet and
glistening, the lidless eyes rendered enormous. Unlike the other bodies, her
internal organs still lay in their places. The reek was overwhelming.
Even Hanuvar was stunned by the scene, for he could think of no ordinary
means by which the woman could have screamed and then been rendered skinless in
the scant moment since they had raced to find her."
The City of Marble and Blood (already out) continues Hanuvar's
grand adventures!
Ymir’s balls! Oden's trilogy comes to an end. This was initiated with A Gathering
of Ravens (reviewed by Flecther Vredenburgh on Black Gate)
to be followed by Twilight of
the Gods. Read those first to become a cheerleader of
Grimnir. The milieu is reminiscent of Poul Anderson’s Viking
Age The Broken Sword, being full of Dane’s and Celtic faeries and
Norse myths. Oden's style is more readable than that classic, but is still
saturated with just the right amount of call-outs to geographies and history to
blur the lines between fantasy and history. This is no historical fantasy, but
the foundation of history is so well played the fantasy feels “real.” Equally
balanced are the sorceries of Celtic witches, Norse deities, and Christian
beliefs. All supernatural “sides” of faith conflict here. All are presented as real,
though some are being superseded. So who is the orc protagonist
employed by Scott Oden to redeem the Orc culture? He is Grimnir...Grendel’s
brother, as named by some. The lady ÉtaÃn, a servant of the Christian God, the
Nailed One, and unlikely companion of him describes him:
His name suits him since he might as well be
carrying a flagstaff with the contemporary “Grimdark subgenre” splayed upon it.
Yet his predicament and motivations are as compelling as any vigilante hero.
How best to end the series other than (a) meeting Grimnir's estranged family
[i.e., the paternal Bálegyr] while (b) ushering in Ragnarok? This last
installment takes us to mindbending travel between ancient Rome and
Nastrond/Yggdrasil (i.e. Nordic Otherworlds that Oden can explain better than
me). Granted Rome is only part of the landscape here; readers should expect
more time in the Nordic realms.
The Doom of Odin: A Novel (Grimnir
Series Book 3) Blurb:
Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew
his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that’s changed. A new faith has
arisen. The Old Ways are dying, and their followers retreating into the
shadows; even still, Grimnir’s vengeance cannot be denied.
Taking a young Christian hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a
journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark, where the wisdom of the
ancient dwarves has given way to madness, to the war-torn heart of southern
England, where the spirits of the land make violence on one another. And thence
to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his
enemy awaits.
But, unless Grimnir can set aside his hatreds, his dream of retribution
will come to nothing. For Dubhlinn is set to be the site of a reckoning—the Old
Ways versus the New—and Grimnir, the last of his kind left to plague mankind,
must choose: stand with the Christian King of Ireland and see his vengeance
done or stand against him and see it slip away?
Grimdark Battles Infused with Norse
Mythology
Excerpt 1:
Grimnir hacked slivers from the skrælingr’s club; over his shoulder, he
saw the shuffling kaunr—that straight-legged bastard with a beard like tarry
weeds—moving into his blind side. Snarling, Grimnir deflected another blow from
the skrælingr’s knotty club, then drove the hilt of his long-seax into the
idiot’s teeth. Once. Twice. Blood spurted from the wreckage of his nose and
mouth. A third blow snapped the skrælingr’s head back. The club slipped from
his nerveless fingers. A fourth crushing blow sent him crumpling to the ground
with a broken neck.
Excerpt 2:
Grimnir never let him finish...With a serpentine hiss, the son of Bálegyr
snapped his arm forward, driving the blade of his spear into the point of the
kaunr’s bearded chin. His drawn breath, meant for the boastful recitation of
his deeds, turned into a death-rattle as the spearhead plowed through bone and
teeth; it cut through the muscle of his tongue and the soft flesh of his
palate, splitting his face from jaw to brow. Blood spewed from the spear-cleft
ruin.
Jason M Waltz (Publisher of RBE/RBF) had dedicated the re-release to Robert Mancebo, author for several Rogue Blade Entertainment anthologies, who sadly passed away in 2023.
For this "Good vibes from Reviews" tag, note the response from Robert Mancebo's daughter in the Black Gate commentary. Breathtaking. Reviews and announcements rarely are emotive. Writing and reading is often a solitary hobby, but as Rachel points out, books bring us together in ways often not told.
Here is my mini-review and re-release notice:
In 2010, Black Gate announced Rogue
Blades Entertainment Conjures DEMONS. This October 2023, the
third edition has been issued and with it a revamped Kindle version! The
original Kindle edition lacked a functioning, linked Table of Contents, but
that’s all brought up to modern standards. It is dedicated to Robert Mancebo,
author for several Rogue Blade Entertainment anthologies, who sadly passed away
in 2023.
Jason M Waltz is well known amongst adventure fiction
readers, especially the Swords & Sorcery crowd. With his Rogue Blades Entertainment Books and
associated Foundation, he’s brought us the epic Return of the Sword(BG review)
and then Rage of the Behemoth, and Demons. He’s
edited/published a variety
of other anthologies with themes of Weird Noir, Pirates, and Sword
& Planet with Lost Empire of Sol (BG review),
and splendid nonfiction like Writing Fantasy Heroes (BGreview)
and recently Robert E. Howard Changed My Life (BG review).
He recently ran a successful Kickstarter for another anthology as spotlighted
on BG: “Neither
Beg Nor Yield – A Sword & Sorcery Anthology with Attitude.” As you
await Neither Beg Nor Yield, you’ll want to revisit Demons.
Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology – Blurb
When the gates of Hell open, who stands between Man and the
Abyss? From mankind’s infancy, people have huddled in the dark, drawing signs
in the air, muttering quiet prayers, quivering with dread at what roams in the
night. Demons. Creatures of the Darkness. Evil spirits riding dark winds. And
mankind trembled. Yet a few stood, drew steel imbued with magic to hue spirit
as well as flesh, and walked out into the night to meet the foes of mortal men.
Join the struggle in these 28 masterful tales of adventure and mayhem as
heroes, forged as strong as the steel they wield, defy foes from the realms of
nightmare.
Mini-Review
In Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology, Rogue
Blades Entertainment (RBE) delivers what it claims: a sampling of demon stories
and adventure. Your chance of finding appealing stories is decent with 28
entries. Chock full of demons, champions, possession, witches, etc.. Kudos to
RBE for keeping these tales alive from a 2006 publication (Carnifex Press). The
purpose of an anthology is to provide an array of options, allow new readers to
explore the genre, allow self-described “veteran readers” to identify new
authors, and enable reading in small doses (i.e. great for traveling or parents
with small children constantly interrupting their activities). “Demons”
delivers this.
For anthologies, we expect to experiment with doses of new
material/authors. For me, three stories that emphasized personal demons (or
personal challenges) were outstanding. They stuck with me and are worth
rereading; my favorites are in bold below in the Table of
Contents listing. But you may have your own favorites! Check them out:
Demons: Table of Contents
“Foreword”
by Armand Rosamilia
“The
Man with the Webbed Throat” by Steve Moody
“Imprisoned”
by Carl Walmsley
“Toxic”
by Steven L. Shrewsbury
“Azieran:
Bound by Virtue” by Christopher Heath
“Bodyguard
of the Dead” by C.L. Werner
“Kron
Darkbow” by Ty Johnston
“The
Vengeance of Tibor” by Ron Shiflet
“The
Beast of Lyoness” by Christopher Stires
“Fifteen
Breaths” by Phil Emery
“The
Pact” by Jonathan Green
“Blood
Ties” by Trista Robichaud
“Zeerembuk”
by Steve Goble
“The
Fearsome Hunger” by Rob Mancebo
“The
Furnace” by Sandro G. Franco
“The
First League Out from Land” by Brian Dolton
“The
Sacrifice” by Jason Irrgang
“Son
of the Rock” by Laura J. Underwood
“Into
Shards” by Murray J.D. Leeder
“Through
the Dark” by Darla J. Bowen
“Joenna’s
Ax” by Elaine Isaak
“The
Lesser: A Swords of the Daemor Tale” by Patrick Thomas
“When
the Darkness Grows” by Frederick Tor
“Demon
Heart” by Bryan Lindenberger
“Azieran:
Racked upon the Altar of Eeyuu” by Christopher Heath
Old Moon
Quarterly is a magazine of dark fantasy and weird
sword-and-sorcery. In the tradition of Clark Ashton Smith, Tanith Lee and Karl
Edward Wagner, it contains stories of strange vistas, eldritch beings, and the
bloody dispute thereof by both swordsmen and swordswomen. Old Moon
Quarterly emerged in 2022 led by Editor-in-Chief Julian Barona,
flanked by Assistant Editors Caitlyn Emily Wilcox and Graham Thomas
Wilcox. This May 2023, Black Gatereviewed
Issue #3 (with an overview of #1 and #2). True to what the
editors promise, the magazine consistently delivers strong doses of weird Sword
& Sorcery.
This post reviews Old
Moon Quarterly Issue V; shared below is the table of
contents with summaries of each story and excerpts (these were selected to
avoid spoilers while conveying the feel of each). As with previous
issues, expect stories that push the boundaries of uniqueness, blending poetic
writing with horror and adventure. If you read tropes they’ll lean toward the
twisted or bizarre.
But first a quick call out to the ongoing Kickstarter
for Issues VII & VIII; This campaign runs now through Nov
31st, 2023 and, if successful, would fund two more issues paying contributors
professional rates!
Here is a key blurb from and about the Old Moon Quarterly crew.
Old Moon Quarterly is an award-winning print and
digital magazine of sword-and-sorcery and dark fantasy fiction, featuring over
20,000 words of original fiction as well as poetry and original nonfiction.
We’ve a love for the classics of the genre and a desire to push for some new,
strange takes on our old favorites. And of course, the magazine is made with a
particular love and affinity for the eldritch aesthetics and weird storytelling
of Berserk, Bloodborne and Dark Souls.
We’ve published five issues so far, with a sixth issue on
the way. Since our inception in June 2022, we’ve increased our pay for authors
from 5c a word to 8c a word, making us the only sword-and-sorcery focused
fantasy magazine that pays what the SFWA considers a “professional” rate. We
firmly believe that dark fantasy and sword-and-sorcery authors deserve a venue
where they can receive fair pay for stories that are often very difficult to
place in other venues. We started Old Moon Quarterly to give
authors that venue.
With the funding from this Kickstarter, we’ll be able to
maintain that payrate for issues 7 and 8, which will release in 2024. And not
only will we be able to maintain that payrate, we’ll be able to increase the
amount of fiction in each issue from 20,000 to 30,000+; we’ll be able to
include (for the first time) interior artwork in a classic black-and-white
style!
The perspective and scale of this story are simply huge: the
protagonists are mammoths, and they pale in size versus their giant
antagonist! Epic duels drive this revenge
tale. Walks-like-a-Rockslide seeks revenge for the death of his mother (Grass-Wisper)
by the hands of the ancient Giant King.
The matriarch Grass-Whisper had lived in a grove in the
hills, now stomped flat by vast human-like footprints. Her carved tusks lay in
cracked-off chunks; they and the blood were all that remained—that, and the
huge flint used to skin her before eating. A flint five times the size of the
quartz blades bound to his tusks… (p11)
2) Champions Against the Maggot King by K.H. Vaughn
Get ready for some Warhammer/Grimdark-Tolkien fare. The
soldier Grath narrates this tale. He details an epic battle against the Maggot
King. The titular, heroic champions lead an army of >60 thousand that ride
in landships made from living stone, armed with canons, and fueled by elemental
sorcery. The champions include the Dwarf Ko Mon who has a lengthy
morning-star-like prosthetic, the sword-wielding elf-who-never-smiles lIhar,
and their demoness leader Sergeant, the female Sorrow Mai.
A wave of wild men break against the ship. They are
pathetic. Pale and soft, but secure in their sense of power, waving their
genitals at us as they come. They howl in impotent rage as they die, mowed down
by arrows and lances. The ship rolls over them and churns their corpses into
dirt. No one will find their bones or mourn their deaths. Where does the Maggot
King find them? There must be thousands of them in the dim light of
subterranean caves, thinking nothing but their eventual victory. (p49)
3) “The King’s Two Bodies” poem by Joe Koch
I enjoyed this so much, I read it three times to soak in the
words. It is beautiful, but too cryptic to understand on its initial
pass. Two souls with liquid properties are contained within one body. One
may exit the vessel via a ritual of exiting the body and filling a cup.
4) “The Origin of Boghounds” by Amelia Gorman
Samphire is a female bounty hunter searching out a snake-oil
salesman at the edges of Sichel, the stained city that radiates a New Orleans
swamp vibe. She’s not the only bounty hunter seeking a payout. Several other
hunters stumble into her and boghounds as they track down their prey while
unearthing mysteries and monsters.
Samphire blows out her candle and sips into the dark corner
between the headboard and wall. She disappears into the dark sod and crouches
down in a knot in the tiny crawlspace, barely fitting with her giant pack of
unguents and vinegars. [A boghound] hops silently off the straw, pads over to
her and crawls under the bed, looking up at her with those affectionate golden
eyes like two stars in the dirty dark. As the dark obscured their faces,
Samphire catches voices she’s butted against time and again. (p56)
5) “Well Met at the Gates of Hell” by David K. Henrickson
An amoral warrior arrives in Hell and is met at the entrance
by three antagonists (two humanoids, one not) seeking to duel. Lots of
banter makes this more of a light-hearted read.
In that moment, the newcomer skims the plate he has finally
freed from his armor toward the giant’s eyes and throws himself in a roll.
Automatically, the giant flinches away from the spinning
metal. ‘Faithless!” he cries out, aiming a blow at the tumbling figure as it
dives past.
The newcomer is already inside and below the other’s guard.
His blade flashes out in a backhand swing, shearing through the giant’s thigh
just above the greave. (p73)
6) “A Warning Agaynste Woldes” poem by Zachary Bos
As the title suggests, this poem has an Old Shakespeare
tone. It is cryptic like the previous poem. It conveys that nature, and its
forests, are a type of temple or church. Be wary of entering the forest, since
it is full of fear, faith, and spirits.
7) “The Skull of Ghosts” by Charles Gramlich
Confession: I’m a huge Gramlich fan and frequently seek out
his Krieg stories (I
interviewed him for Black Gate in 2019, and we
discussed his Krieg character). Here the sorcerer-warrior receives a
haunting call from “Amma”, so he seeks out his old acquaintance (of the same
name) in a plagued city. An evil sorcerer is seeking bodies to possess, and as
Krieg starts to put an end to the madness, he learns he’s jumped into a trap.
Krieg slipped to one side, caught the swordman’s hand and
twisted. A raw shriek burst from the man’s lips; bones ground audibly together
as his blade turned inevitably upward to point at his face.
The assailant’s hood fell back, revealing swarthy skin
marked by plague skulls. A topknot of greasy reddish hair invited a hold. Krieg
grabbed it, slammed the man’s face forward onto the sword. Once, twice, thrice.
Wiping his hand on the man’s cloak, the black-eyed warrior let the body fall
like a burden he’d grown tired of… (p87)
8) “The Headsman’s Melancholy” by Joseph Andre Thomas
This could easily be a Twilight Zone episode
written by Edgar Allen Poe. Executioner Jack meets a robber multiple times on
the chopping block. Written as a series of journal entries. The ending is
emotive, and a bit abstract, as Jack seeks peace by stopping his profession,
leaving town, or pursuing other options. Loved this.
The man screeched laughter as he eviscerated himself, His
blood poured down my face, into my mouth. It seeped between my teeth and
beneath my tongue.
I screamed.
His smile was no longer cocky, but overjoyed. He reached
into his chest cavity and grabbed hold of something, pulled it out. His heart,
I realized, still attached to whatever tubes and capillaries govern the
viscera. He hung it out above me with one hand… (p129)
Old Moon Quarterly Vol III — Winter (119p, March, 2023). Cover by Daniel Vega.
Old Moon Quarterly is a magazine of weird sword-and-sorcery fantasy. In the tradition of Clark Ashton Smith, Tanith Lee and Karl Edward Wagner, it contains stories of strange vistas, eldritch beings, and the bloody dispute thereof by swordsmen and swordswomen both.
Old Moon Quarterly emerged in 2022. This reviews the four stories inside the Winter 2023 issue (Vol III), which delivers solid doses of the weird adventure it promises. The Editor-in-Chief is Julian Barona, flanked by Assistant Editors Caitlyn Emily Wilcox and Graham Thomas Wilcox (who recently debuted here on Black Gate with his review of John Langan's Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies, so I gleefully checked this out). Excerpts best convey the style and elements of what to expect, so you'll get those here!
There are three books within The Citadel of Forgotten Myths, the first two being short stories that appeared elsewhere; revised versions of these are the best parts of this. In all parts, Moonglum travels with Elric to the World Above, a parallel realm where Melnibonean ancestry persists.
Part 3: And...the disappointing Third Part...by itself a 3-star (at best):
The third Book admittedly has a nice outline/scope with Arioch not responding when summoned, Xiombarg stirring up major trouble with Dyvim Marluc (introduced in the first stories); a cool bee-hive driven city called Karlaak that mirrors Elric's original city plays a major role.
But the delivery is terrible.
It is mostly exposition (all telling, little-to-no showing). It reads like an outline full of info dumps.
There are more exclamation marks than periods (I didn't count them, but that statement is close to being accurate). It is truly bizarre to read! Really it is! Almost comical! Eh gad!
Also, there is some forced romance? noble-blood incest? It comes across as just silly. Elric has some nice flashbacks regarding his first love Cymoril and his second (Zarozinia, who is still alive during this adventure into other worlds). Here, Elric feels like it is still "ok" to court a young, female Melnibonean noblewoman despite his genuine love for his other wives. I guess Zarozinia is cool with an open relationship, and Cymoril has long since passed. Anyway, the relationship falls flat/weird, and is not even developed well. I was reminded of Moorcock's weird, misogynistic entry for Ghor, Kin Slayer: The Saga of Genseric's Fifth Born Son.
Oh, then there is Orlando Funk. That is not a typo. Minus the "o" we have Orland_ Funk, who is one of Moorcock's heroes from his Runestaff series; this is the same dude. Moorcock loves weird cross overs.... but here Mr. Orlando comes across (at least to me, who was not aware of the character before) as a time-traveling, Floridian (i.e., from Orlando) who might as well have been wearing bell-bottom jeans. Every time I read his name, I had Bruno Mars' "uptown Funk" song trigger in my head. Orlando's presence added more silliness than it did mind-blowing plot twists.
Servants of War by Larry Correia and Steve Diamond (Baen Books, 2022. 424pages).
Cover art by Alan Pollack
Veteran fantasy readers may yawn if they hear about an epic fantasy about a farm boy in a remote village rising to power, and the first few pages of Servants of War dangles that trope before readers. And then horror rushes in like a tidal wave, and before Chapter 1 can end, the worn trope is burning with hellfire billowing alchemical smoke, a Grimdark spirit rises out of the book to slap the reader in the face, crank the head back, and pour gasoline-action down a thirsty throat.
Welcome to Servants of War.
The combination of military-fantasy veteran Larry Correria with horror-guru Steve Diamond promises “military fantasy with horror” and you’ll get trenches full of that. Baen released this masterpiece that opens The Age of Ravens series in hardcover and audiobook in March 2022; the paperback is due February 2023. Without spoiling, this post covers a summary, excerpts, and a small hint as to the forthcoming sequel.
OFFICIAL SUMMARY:
NEW MILITARY FANTASY FROM THE CREATOR OF MONSTER HUNTER INTERNATIONAL LARRY CORREIA AND MASTER OF HORROR STEVE DIAMOND
The war between Almacia and the Empire of Kolakolvia is in its hundredth year. Casualties grow on both sides as the conflict leaves no corner of the world untouched.
Illarion Glaskov’s quiet life on the fringes of the empire is thrown into chaos when an impossible tragedy strikes his village. When he is conscripted into the Tsarist military, he is sent to serve in The Wall — an elite regiment that pilots suits of armor made from the husks of dead golems. But the great war is not the only — or even the worst — danger facing Illarion, as he is caught in a millennia-old conflict between two goddesses. He must survive the ravages of trench warfare, horrific monsters from another world, and the treacherous internal politics of the country he serves.
MILIEU & STYLE
The setting resembles an alternative earth on the Eurasia continent. A never-ending war continues between the Almacian state (West) and the Kolakolvia (East); cities and named battle zones resonate with pseudo-Eastern European flare: Rolmani, Praja, Transellia. Both sides disrespect (or forsake) the old ways and religions which are explicitly and overtly present, albeit repressed. Golems, ghouls, and blood storms haunt both armies. The clearest sacrilege is the repurposing of golem bodies to make Objects, the name for the mechanized war-suits Kolakolvia employs (how else can one defile another species than to tap its magical potential while playing in their corpses?). In short, there are three conflicting entities: the East, the West, and the Others. Each is manipulated by a Sister goddess. The variety of conflicts keeps this interesting, expect: human vs human; state vs state; human vs. state; and heroes vs supernatural.
If a dystopian, war-ravaged alternative earth feels too familiar, don’t worry. You’ll be salivating for a trip to an even darker realm, and you’ll get that too. That jolt reminded me of the beauty of the Silent Hill games in which players experience a terrifying ghost-town for a while until an air siren blares, paint peels off walls, Hell arrives, and players yearn to find a way back to the relative safety of the ghost-town.
Stylistically, this felt like a mashup of Warhammer’s gritty sci-fi battles, with Silent Hill’s weird world-building and exploration-of-Hells, with the demon-confronting Solomon Kane leading the sorties. Somehow the warfare was never portrayed as a giant chess board; instead, the combat was intimate, frontline adventure. Localized views of battle felt like episodes of Sword & Sorcery focused on the hero(ine). I kept thinking, this is what I’d expect if Mary Shelly teamed up with Robert E. Howard to rewrite Frankenstein for BattleTech fans.
WHO ARE THE SERVANTS OF WAR?
One didn’t think about war and politics when you had a mill to run, cows to tend, and crops to plant. The greatest question in Ilyushka every year had been how deep would the ground freeze? – Illarion character’s thoughts
Humans are just the puppets of the Three Sisters, but they comprise the titular servants of war. You’ll be rooting for them in a heartbeat. There are many characters, but the primary ones are below. Their paths intertwine, of course, as some become comrades and others enemies.
• Illarion Glazkov – a farm boy who evolves into an awesome soldier; he’s trailed by ravens as he seeks atonement • Scout Specialist Natalya Baston (once in the 17th Sniper Division) – she’s an outstanding rogue motivated to free her family • Arnost Chankov – a ghoul-tattooed, low-ranking officer over Illarion • Oprichnik Kristoph Vals – Secret Service Agent under Chancellor and Tsar of Kolakolvia – no one can trust this guy, and all fear crossing him • Amos Lowe – a mysterious prisoner seeking to remain anonymous and lost
EXCERPTS Reveal What to Expect
Mechanized Melee:
…More soldiers rushed out of the fog, swarming his legs. The hatch rattled as soldiers tried to pry it open. If they got that open he’d end up a red, oozing skeleton like the last pilot he’d seen. Only Illarion’s Object did not react in the lumbering, clumsy fashion they’d come to expect. He brought the empty cannon barrel down on the head of one, crushing his skull and snapping his spine. Inside the coffin of rapidly dwindling air, Illarion twisted the controls. 12 spun and kicked. Frail bodies were crushed underfoot. Instinctively, he crouched as low as the braces around his legs allowed, then launched his body up. He’d never seen anyone jump in the suits before, and didn’t know if it was at all possible, be he had to try something.
12 was briefly airborne. The ground shook when he landed, and most of the soldiers were thrown free. He stomped down, popping skulls and driving bodies deep into the mud. A punch from his gun arm caved in a chest. A sweep of his halberd cut three bodies into six pieces. The last man hanging onto the latches was hurled free, but unfortunately for him, he left one of his gloves behind. He hit the ground, flesh already smoking, and quickly tried to bury his hand in the mud to save it. Illarion would’ve killed him, but that would’ve taken another second or two worth of air….
Horrors of War, Confronting Weird Creatures:
The doors were being torn to splinters. Kristoph watched, fascinated and appalled, as a monstrous head snapped through a window and bit off a trencher’s face off. A scorpion tail, but big around as his arm, zipped through a window lightning quick and stabbed another soldier in the chest. He fell near Kristoph’s feet. Kicking and twitching.
Kristoph looked up to see the monster trying to squeeze through the gap nearest him, despite two other soldiers spearing it with their bayonets. Somehow, its body was still slick and pale, as if the blood snow slid right off. Jaws snapped at him. Spittle hit him. Kristoph aimed his pistol and shot through the gap, and another immediately took its place.
As he looked down to reload, the man who had been stung was grasping at Kristoph’s boots. It was hard to understand him, with all the foam coming out of his mouth, but Kristoph suspected he was begging for a quick and merciful death. Anything to be spared the torture of this poison. It was so piteous that even Kristoph was tempted to aid him, but he might need the ammo, so he kicked the dying man’s hand away….
NEED MORE OF The Age of Ravens?
Noir Fatale, an anthology edited by Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell (Baen, 2019), has a prequel to Servants of War called “The Privileges of Violence” by Steve Diamond. It’s a grim homage to the Maltese Falcon featuring at least three of the same characters. Highly recommended.
Servants of War focused on the machinations of two of the three Sisters. Subsequent books promise to highlight the remaining goddess as all the servants of war resolve their tension with the Tsar of Kolakolvia and the Sisters. Book 2 in The Age of Ravens is forthcoming and has a tentative title of Instruments of Violence.
Skallagrim – In the Vales of Pagarna (Hidden
Crown Press, 373 pages; Kindle,
Paperback, Hardcover, March 2022). Cover by Walking of Sky Tree
Experience Skallagrim – In the Vales of Pagarna by
Stephen R. Babb in all its forms. This post covers everything to get you
hooked, from a summary, review, excerpts, and links to the complementing albums
from Glass Hammer. Reading Skallagrim feels like you are a witness to the live
version of Frazetta’s “Against the Gods” painting! You actually witness a hero
grab a sword from the sky.
The opening scene poses a set of mysteries as the titular
protagonist is brutally attacked in the streets of Archon, the Dreaming City.
He loses his memory during the struggle, by wounds or sorcery, so the hero and
the reader want to know: Why Skallagrim in a melee? Who is he, really? Why does
he feel protective over a maiden kidnapped during the conflict? Why are
multiple sorcerers after him? Why the hell can he grab a sentient, screaming
sword that materializes from a sudden storm?
The rest of the book unravels these questions, as Skallagrim
races against time to save the mystery maiden. He’ll wrestle with eldritch,
chthonic creatures, a herd of ghouls, a few necromancers, and an assassin. As
Skallagrim unearths the weird history of Andorath’s Southern Region, we get to
learn about it as he battles. The book stands alone, but did you know that
Stephen R. Babb has been a progressive rocker and theatrical-album-leader for
thirty years (more on Glass Hammer below!). Poems and lyrics infuse the prose.
For the full effect, readers should listen to the complementary Skallagrim
albums. These are not Audio Books. These are thematic rock sets chronicling
Skallagrim’s heroic journey. Embedded below are the opening songs to (1)
and (2). Listen to these! Babb is creating a rich world here.
Want to learn more about the creation of Skallagrim’s world?
Check out Oliver Brackenbury’s recent interview with the author on his
podcast So
I’m Writing a Novel Interview (Aug
22 2022). Babb reveals his influences, from Tolkien, Dunsany, and RE
Howard, and discusses how music informs writing (and vice versa). Listening to
this I learned that Skallagrim’s world actually catalyzed in Glass Hammer’s
2005 album The Inconsolable Secret (which has tracks
called Lirazel, Mog Ruith!), which then inspired the epic poem Lay of Lirazel
(2014). To know why those matter, you’ll have to read the book.
The cover blurb below is a splendid summary; below that are
excerpts and embedded samples of the music.
Book Blurb
Skallagrim wakes in the middle of a fight for his life with
only the vaguest idea of who he is. Facing an angry mob of murderous
cutthroats, he watches helplessly while the love of his life is abducted before
his eyes. Finally, with a crushing sense of despair, he realizes he’s going to
die without even knowing her name.
But he doesn’t die.
To find the girl and take his revenge upon the fiend who
took her, Skallagrim, wounded and exhausted, must endure a journey like no
other. He’ll face madmen, ghouls, tentacled horrors, and witches, both foul and
fair, as he races toward a final showdown that will have readers on the edge of
their seats.
An awe-inspiring tale of adventure, triumph, and tragedy,
set in a brutal, unforgiving wilderness and packed with heart-stopping action,
Skallagrim – In The Vales Of Pagarna marks the first installment of an
outstanding new series.
Illustrations
from the CDs by Luke Eidenschink; Steve Babb snapshot from Youtube
Excerpts Reveal What to Expect
Weird settings
The forest was weirdly beautiful in a somber, funereal way,
like a colossal mausoleum whose joyless vaults were supported by interwoven
columns, their vast, mournful chambers hollowed out by the hands of giants.
There was a certain thrill to walking in that place with its cool air and
ancient trees whose limbs trailed moss like great sweeping beards of grey.
Bloody Action
…geysers of black water shot into the air from a hundred
places at once. The plumes sparkled in the weird, flickering light, then seemed
to cascade in slow motion in a myriad of diamond-like droplets. From the point
at which each geyser had sprung, writhing tentacles sprouted—fiendish bouquets
resembling Devil’s Fingers fungus… one such arm, slick and smelly with a
coating of gleba, whipped the water directly in front of Skallagrim. He did not
remember drawing Terminus, but the sentient sword was in his hand. He swept the
blade low, severing the tentacle from the submerged, suberumpent egg from which
it had burst. An immediate release or explosion of spores caught Skallagrim off
guard, and he coughed painfully—his throat inflamed….
The Albums
#1 Skallagrim: Dreaming City album – opening
titular track
#2 Skallagrim: Intro the Breach album
(2020) : “He’s Got a Girl” and “Anthem to Andorath”
#3 Due out Oct 2023 (preorder
now), Skallagrim:At the Gate (teaser trailer)
Glass Hammer
Glass Hammer is
an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee,
created and led by Steve Babb and Fred Schendel. Babb and Schendel, who founded
the band in 1992, are the only constant members in the lineup, having
surrounded themselves by various guest performers
Fred
Schendel – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
(1992–present), lead vocals (1992-2004,
2015–present), drums (1992-2004)
Steve
Babb – bass, keyboards, backing vocals (1992–present), lead
vocals (1992-2004, 2016–present), percussion (1992-2004)
Aaron
Raulston – drums (2013–present)
Hannah
Pryor – lead vocals (2021–present)
Stephen R. Babb (a.k.a. Steve) Bio
First off, he prefers “Steve” to “Stephen.” Now that that’s
out of the way…
He’s best known as the bassist and co-writer for the
prog-rock group Glass Hammer. A professional musician for most of his life, he
started at the age of twelve as a church pianist. Since then, he has traveled
the US and a handful of other countries in various bands.
Glass Hammer, which he founded, has received critical
acclaim for their twenty-one studio albums, headlined major festivals, and have
become one of the most respected bands of the progressive rock genre.
In 1990, he had the good sense to marry the right girl, come
home from the road, settle down and start a business. Since then, he has busied
himself in the production of numerous albums for songwriters, the recording of
audiobooks, and in the day-to-day tasks required to operate a recording studio
while maintaining the persona of prog-rock star, prolific songwriter, and
lyricist. This last bit, he enjoys to the fullest.
In 2005 he penned the epic poem, The Lay Of Lirazel, which
was published in 2014. For that effort he was honored with The Imperishable
Flame Award by The North East Tolkien Society.
.jpg)
