Mad
Shadows III: The Heroes of Echo Gate (Pulp Hero Press, February
2021). Cover artist uncredited
Joe Bonadonna’s third installment of his Mad Shadows,
Dorgo the Dowser series, The Heroes of Echo Gate,
was announced this
Feb 2021 at Black Gate. We covered Dorgo’s
world and Bonadonnoa’s cinematic narrative, which we’ll touch upon again during
this review. Also on Black Gate, the author of the
internationally acclaimed IX Series, Andrew Paul
Weston, reviewed all three books of the Mad Shadow
series. This post reinforces those articles and highlights
this fresh fantasy adventure’s (a) Epic Scope, (b) Cinematic Style, and (c)
Faith theme.
The Heroes of Echo Gate is fun, fresh fantasy. Dorgo and his
fellowship of Harryhausen-like creatures defend a magical portal from a horde
of demons. Epic!
As the cover implies, we have our beloved weird-fiction
investigator & mercenary Dorgo (the guy front and center on the cover with
the dowsing rod and sword) defending the titular portal with a band of friends
(most of whom could have stared in a Ray Harryhausen movie. For the young
readers take note that Harryhausen was the “Frank Frazetta” of cinema who gave
life to the fantastical creatures before computer graphics were invented. There
are three acts that follow the classic purposes: setup, rising tension, and an
epic battle. The climax consumes a full third of the book and resonates with
all the grandeur of defending Tolkien’s Helm’s Deep. The city of Soolaflan, on
the island of Thavarar, is the fortress and it is situated around Echo Gate.
Demons from across time want access to it. The portals across the world of
Tanyime (and even across time and space) echo those from C. J. Cherryh’s Morgaine
Cycle and even Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar Saga.
(a) Epic Scope
Read the first two books to appreciate the players and the
role of the Wandering Swords group: Book One: Mad
Shadows by Joe Bonadonna and Book Two: Dorgo the
Dowser and the Order of the Serpent. The first two are episodic
weird-mystery with Dorgo taking the spotlight. The adventures are more “Crime
& Sorcery” than “Sword & Sorcery.” Dorgo is not an official constable
or justice keeper, but he is a hired layman with investigative skills and a
magical dowsing rod. Bonadonna brands his Dorgo tales “Gothic Noir” which is
fitting. Despite the weirdness of Valdar city and the threatening necromancy
that abounds, we know Dorgo will survive and resolve any case as surely as
Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser did.
Heroes of Echo Gate is simply more epic than the
first two. First, the structure abandons the episodic set of stories for one
epic tale. Secondly, the point of view (although maintaining a focus on Dorgo)
pans back to feature a party of 6-8 heroes. Also, at 318pages, it is larger
than the first two (at 270 and 233 pages). With these changes, combined with
the prevalence of non-human creatures and some engagement of royalty, Heroes
of Echo Gate fits a high-fantasy mold.
(b) Cinematic Style & A Fellowship of Harryhausen Creatures
Joe Bonadonna weaves in Easter Eggs to his many
relationships/bibliography. Two obvious ones I caught were: (1) the “Rogue
Blades” mercenary group, a call out to Jason M. Waltz’s Rogue Blades Foundation publishing
(Bonadonna has a contribution with David C. Smith in RBF’s Scott Oden
Presents: The Lost Empire of Sol); (2), a description of weird
terrain that contained Waters of
Darkness (the title of a book Bonadonna co-wrote with David C.
Smith).
Bonadonna has written articles for Black Gate wherein he
describes how cinema informed his style. Prior/in-addition-to
writing, he was a rock guitarist, songwriter, and even a board member of the
Chicago Screenwriter’s Network. So he composes as if he is writing for the
camera, and his mind has been influenced by the masters. This reads like a
homage to classic fantasy films. Dorgo’s group comprises creatures right out of
the 1958 7th Voyage of Sinbad and the 1963 Jason
and the Argonauts. This time, many of the Harryhausen-like beings
are heroes rather than villainous monsters; for instance, the cyclops Quedemas
(with his hilariously named warhammer “Daisy”) and his compatriot Saburo the
minotaur serve as warriors with Dorgo. Incidentally, those two are like
brothers and their comradery is emotionally engaging. Plenty of animated
skeletons, evil harpies, and some Talos-like automatons are also present.
The Heroes of Echo Gate begs to be put into stop-motion,
cinematic form.
(c) Conflict: Faith
Like lots of fantasy, there are themes of spirituality or
faith being explored. There is nothing heavy-handed here. Expect just the right
amount of thought-provoking tidbits one may expect when protagonists are
battling angelic/demonic powers. As much as the monsters are drawn from Mount
Olympus and cinema, the angels reflect various Christian manifestations (i.e.,
nuns). Everyone, good or evil, seems to play with Odyllic power, the same magic
that empowers Dorgo and his dowsing rod. At root of the conflict is the
corruptibility of those without faith in gods versus those who are
faithful. Also at play is the faith in companionship/brotherhood (outside
of religion).
The Heroes of Echo Gate expands the scope and influence of Dorgo the Dowser. Check out his adventures in the Mad Shadows series:
Joe Bonadonna
Joe Bonadonna is the author of the heroic fantasies Mad
Shadows-Book 1: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser (winner of the 2017
Golden Book Readers’ Choice Award for Fantasy); Mad Shadows-Book 2: Dorgo
the Dowser and the Order of the Serpent; Mad Shadows-Book 3: The Heroes of Echo
Gate; the space operas Three Against The Stars and The MechMen
of Canis-9; and the sword & sorcery adventure, Waters of Darkness (in
collaboration with David C. Smith.) With co-writer Erika M Szabo, he
wrote Three Ghosts in a Black Pumpkin (winner of the 2017 Golden
Books Judge’s Choice Award for Children’s Fantasy), and The Power of the
Sapphire Wand. He also has stories appearing in: Azieran—Artifacts
and Relics; GRIOTS 2: Sisters of the Spear; Heroika: Dragon Eaters; Poets in
Hell; Doctors in Hell; Pirates in Hell; Lovers in Hell; Mystics in Hell;
Sinbad: The New Voyages, Volume 4; Unbreakable Ink; Sha’Daa Toys (in
collaboration with Shebat Legion), and The Lost Empire of Sol (with
David C. Smith.) In addition to his fiction, he has written a number of
articles and book reviews for Black Gate online magazine.
Visit his Amazon Author’s page or
his Facebook author’s page, called Bonadonna’s Bookshelf.
