The King of Swords

After turning back the invasion of Lywm-an-Esh with the help of Vadhagh from another plane, Corum and Rhalina returned to Castle Erorn.  His family castle was rebuilt and the pair lived contentedly for a time.  Then, the madness came.  Everyone in the castle began to have short tempers which soon turned violent and then murderous.  This madness had infected the whole plane.  When a delegation of Vadhagh arrived at Erorn, it turned into a fight to the death.

Taking one of the flying ships of the Vadhagh, Corum, Rhalina, and Jhary-a-Conel set out for Lywm-an-Esh to consult with Lord Arkyn.  Finding no solutions there, they were instead pursued by the man who took Corum's hand and eye.  The only hope of escape was to leap to another plane, but the pursuit followed them!  When at last they lost the soldiers of chaos, their craft shattered and they were stranded on some plane beyond the 15 planes.  Only by finding Tanelorn, the eternal city, could they return to their home and hope to counter the madness.  During his plane-hopping adventure, Corum meets his alternate selves: Elric of Melnibone and Lord Erekose.  It will take all three to defeat the creature of the Black Tower and find their way to Tanelorn.

The story hops from setting to setting, using the near omniscient and immortal Jhary to explain the oddities of the current plane.  As with previous books in the series, there is a deus ex machina feel to the story.  That the Lost Gods, whose hand and eye had been grafted to Corum in the first book, appear as saviors in this book shows that it was all foreordained.  Corum and his friends are mere pawns with no ability to determine their fate.

Compared to Elric, Corum is a bland hero.  Of course, he is from a sedate race of people who gladly spend decades composing a melody.  Just okay.  This series is only for the diehard Moorcock fan.

Tehanu

When last we saw Tenar, she had been spirited away from the Tombs of Atuan (1970) by Ged.  When Ged returned in The Furthest Shore (1972), Tenar did not.  It turns out that Tenar had gone to Ged's home island of Gont and lived with Ged's old mentor, Ogion.  However, the path of magic was not for her.  She married a farmer and raised two children.  She is a widow who lives alone on her farm, her children having grown up and moved away.  Into her life enters a girl, Therru, who has been horribly burned by vagrants.  She adopts the girl as her own and takes her along when she visits the ailing Ogion.  While at Ogion's house, Ged arrives.  He is no longer a wizard, his magic lost during The Furthest Shore.  Now just a man, he kindles feelings for Tenar, feelings which she long held toward him.

The story is slow-paced and often little more than Tenar's thoughts and doubts, fears and hopes.  The story is told almost entirely from her viewpoint.  There are frequent hints that Therru is more than she seems.  Ordinary folk fear her, Ogion insists that Tenar teach her everything, and witches are wary of her power.  What is the deal with this girl?

Considering that it took nearly 20 years for this follow up book, it is exceedingly boring.  I am baffled that it won awards.  There is Eastern philosophy in action, but mostly the characters are just a bunch of victims who survive their trials.  When there is action, it is mostly glossed over in an instant.

I enjoyed the original trilogy, but this was more like a Hallmark Special set in Earthsea.  Will Tenar find love as a widow?  Will Ged find meaning in his life without magic?  Can Therru find a place in society despite her horrible burns?

Disappointing.

Swords against Wizardry

This 4th book in the series sees the duo back in Nehwon and up to their old antics.  The first and third story are written mainly to link the other tales, but still prove entertaining.

In the Witch’s Tent (1968)

Having returned to Nehwon, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser consult a witch to divine the fate of their expedition.  While they await a result, a spear stabs through the tent.  They have been ambushed by a rival group who plan to go on the same expedition and want to eliminate the competition!  They are vastly outnumbered and all looks hopeless.  Fafhrd grabs the center post of the tent and yanks it from the ground.  The tent is built like an umbrella, the outerwalls being little more than drapes.  The tent is now in motion and Mouser deals with any threat that slips into the tent while Fafhrd flees through the dark streets of the town.  The pair miraculously escape, killing some of their foes in the process.

Stardock (1965)

In search of a fabled treasure in the Cold Wastes of the far north, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser arrive in the shadow of a tremendous range of mountains.  Towering above them all is Stardock, a titan among the mountains and rumored to be the path the gods took to the heavens, thus its name.  On this particular adventure, they are joined by a large cat named Hrissa.  The pair commence their climb of the mountain along the tougher of the known routes.  All along the way, they are troubled by dreams of a woman watching them and a flying beast that is like a giant bat.  When they reach the top, they find that the mountain is inhabited by an invisible race who are hostile to visitors.  In fact, the competing team that climbed the mountain is slaughtered by the invisible mountain residents.  Fafhrd and Mouser are whisked away by a pair of invisible princesses who make love to them to add fresh blood to the race of invisible folk.  Most of the story involves climbing the mountain and the various difficult legs of the ascent.  Though that sounds like it would be dreary, it was quite well written and exciting.  That was certainly the best part.  The invisible race felt hokey and proved to be a let down after such an epic telling of the climb.

The Two Best Thieves in Lankhmar (1968)

Having returned to Lankhmar, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser are loitering near the fencing district and note the various hoods and criminals in the area.  Each commends the other as being a particularly talented thief, and they agree that they are the 2 best in the city.  As it happens, each is in the district to sell the invisible gems that they were given by the invisible princesses of Stardock.  Each has secured his share in an ingenious way to avoid them being stolen and each has selected a different person to buy them.  The two part company.  Mouser meets with Ogo the Blind, a fence who only operates in the dark and uses his fingers to inspect jewels.  In this meeting, a lithe young woman serves as the Eye of Ogo and inspects the invisible gems in a gloomy room.  A brief sound makes Mouser look over his shoulder to see the vague outline of a hulking figure, presumably Ogo.  The Eye says to come back tomorrow for payment.  He departs with his gems.  Meanwhile, Fafhrd meets with Nemia of the Dusk, an older though still attractive woman.  The two lay arm in arm after making love and Nemia agrees to Fafhrd’s price for his gems.  Then there is a hiss!  Fafhrd turns to see a cat at the head of the bed.  He then hears a click!  Turning back to Nemia, he sees that she has placed a bracelet on his wrist, beside his ingenious container for his gems.  “A sign of my affection,” she tells him.  On the morrow, she will pay him for his gems.  Fafhrd and Mouser meet at the Silver Eel to celebrate their coming wealth.  However, each discovers that their gems are gone, having been stolen!  Enjoying one another’s company, Nemia and the Eye of Ogo chuckle at how they have stolen the invisible gems from Fafhrd and Mouser.  Each commends the other on their skills and declare themselves to be the two best thieves in Lankhmar.

The Lords of Quarmall (1964)

Quarmall is an ancient realm that is ruled by powerful sorcerers.  At the moment, the ruler is Quarmall.  He has two sons – Hasjarl and Gwaay – who hope to succeed him.  Each son has soldiers and sorcerers but each opted to hire a champion.  As chance (?) would have it, Hasjarl hired Fafhrd and Gwaay hired Gray Mouser.  Neither is aware that the other is in Quarmall.  Not only are the sons plotting how to do away with one another, but also ridding themselves of their father to provide a vacant throne.  Obviously, neither Fafhrd nor Gray Mouser are particularly loyal to the brothers, always keeping an eye out for quick profit.  When Quarmall's death is announced, the clashes come.  There is a hilarious bit where Mouser tries a powerful spell that will disintegrate any sorcerer below the first rank who is within range; all of Gwaay's sorcerers assure him that they are 1st rank.  That proves not to be true.  While Mouser accidentally topples Gwaay's magical defenses, Fafhrd finds himself on the run from Hasjarl in order to save a lovely servant from torture.  The story is full of twists and turns, betrayals and surprises.  Can Fafhrd and Mouser escape the underground mazes of Quarmall; none have escaped before!

Most entertaining and highly recommended.

Swords Against Death

A short story collection from 1970 that comprises adventures of Fafhrd the towering Northern Barbarian and Gray Mouser the diminutive streetwise rogue.

The Circle Curse (1970)

In the wake of their fight in the Thieves Guild to avenge the deaths of their beloveds, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser determine to leave Lankhmar and never return. They have hardly ridden out the gate and into the salt marshes when a wizard confronts them. Sheelba of the Eyeless Face sits in a mobile hut, not unlike that of Baba Yaga, and tells the pair that they will return to Lankhmar. The two spend years traveling through the lands and encountering what the world has to offer. Then, they find themselves sleeping in a cave and are suddenly confronted by another wizard, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes. As Sheelba had said when they set out, Ningauble repeated. The two were destined to return to Lankhmar.

This is less of a story than filler or background information. The introduction of these important wizards who both use Fafhard and Gray Mouser as pawns in their inscrutable schemes is the main purpose. The travelogue of their adventures is little more than a sentence per country or region. Really, any of those throw away lines might have made a better foundation for a story than this.

The Jewels in the Forest (1939)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are bound for a secret keep that supposedly houses immense riches in diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Seemingly by accident, they discovered a 400 year old document that detailed the place. Determined to ransack the wealth, they had set out. En route, they rode into an ambush but easily drove off the amateurs. The structure proved to be a domed structure with smaller flanking domes and a towering monolith. Getting near it inspires fear. They again encounter their ambushers and this time defeat them. Within the structure, the fear is almost unbearable. They find skeletons that show they are not the first to dare to ransack it. Moreover, one of the dead has a manuscript that also details the place. Had the builder left many such manuscripts to lure robbers to their doom?

An extremely good story with action and suspense. The rumored giant who emerged to crush people is not quite what it seems and keeps one waiting for a monster. In Nehwon, gems can hold great magic and even sentience.

Thieves’ House (1943)

The guild master of the thieves wants to plunder a relic from an impregnable dungeon but he has no thief who could do it. However, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser could do it. He dispatched his most diplomatic thief to convince them to steal it and then, once done, to take it from them! This he does and arrives at the Thieves’ House just ahead of them. The jeweled skull and hands are deposited on the table before the guild master. Success.

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser overcome the guards at the door and find their way to the guild master’s hall. He is dead and a woman rushes out a secret passage with the skull in hand. And now the other thieves are closing in. In their flight, the pair are separated. Fafhrd stumbles into a long forgotten basement in the vast catacombs where more jewel-encrusted skulls and hands await him.

Though several thieves who appeared in Ill Met in Lankhmar return, their fates at grim. As with The Jewels in the Forest, gems are sources of power. A jewel-encrusted skull and hands are not things with which to trifle.

The Bleak Shore (1940)

While gambling in Lankhmar, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are confronted by a cadaverous man. He is Death. When Death dares one to sail to the bleak shore beyond the western sea, one does not decline. Like automatons, the pair set out. Some months later, a lone sailor returns from the ship the duo purchased. He tells a tale of woe. Of the 5 crewmen hired, he is the final survivor. When the ship arrived at the bleak shore, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser instructed to crew to sail home.

Picking up on the bleak shore, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser find some strange eggs that hatch metallic monsters with swords for arms. Can they overcome these creatures or is this their doom?

A weird story with awkward splits in the narrative. There is the opening where they meet Death and set out. This is followed by the tale, told by the sailor in some Lankhmar tavern, about the events of the voyage. His story concludes with the duo disembarking on a lonely beach. Then we switch back to the two heroes. Interesting story but it doesn’t flow well.

The Howling Tower (1941)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser cross a vast plain, an empty wasteland where they occasionally here wolves howling in the distance. They had hired a guide who claimed to know the way but he vanished one night. The howling grew louder. The next night, Fafhrd vanished. The Gray Mouser followed his comrade’s trail to an abandoned village where there was a tower. The only inhabitant was a terrified old man who spoke of the wolves who haunted him. However, he can end their howling for a while if he makes a sacrifice.

Fear is a huge factor in many of the stories. Characters are often overcome with paralyzing fear that they cannot understand. Fafhrd and Gray Mouser typically control their fear but they see those who have not.

The Sunken Land (1942)

Finally aboard a small boat that they have acquired, the pair are sailing back from the Bleak Shore and toward Lankhmar. They pass near a longship that might be from the cold northern lands of Fafhrd’s youth. In a sudden confrontation with the ship’s crew, Fafhrd is aboard the longship and watches the Gray Mouser vanish into the stormy sea on their little boat. Fafhrd is the sailor of the two and he fears his comrade will be doomed.

The crew of the longship are indeed from Fafhrd’s homeland and they have sworn a vow of silence until they discover the remains of the Sunken Land. Soon after, they come upon a desolate island with half-sunken buildings. Now speaking, their leader commands them to seek out the treasure of the place. The land is not abandoned and holds dangers these men are unprepared to face.

A story in the vein of Atlantis, the ship seeks the wealth of this advanced and lost civilization but instead discovers the source of its doom. As with the ancient manuscripts that lured treasure seekers to the murderous forest keep in Jewels in the Forest, the Sunken Land also provided clues for would-be pillagers to find their doom. More of an escape story than a warrior’s tale.

The Seven Black Priests (1953)

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser have arrived on the mainland but they are far afield on an unfamiliar coast. As they traverse a little-traveled path, a strange figure swoops down from above to attack them and tumbles down the cliff once they have killed him. Oddly, the man was dark-skinned as if he was from much further south. Soon after, they come upon a bizarre and hellish-looking hill that twinkles in spots. The twinkling proves to be a massive gem, which the pair take. No sooner have they taken it than more dark-skinned men attack. All efforts to flee the area are obstructed by the mysterious black priests and, more troubling still, Fafhrd’s continuing to circle back to the hellish-looking hill. The gem is bending wills.

Magical sentient gems, dark gods, inscrutable priesthoods, and building fear; yes, we are somewhere in Nehwon. Often, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser will acquire some treasure only to find they must discard it for their survival. It is almost a cliché at this point.

Claws from the Night (1951)

Gray Mouser and Fafhrd have returned to Lankhmar. There has been a strange series of jewel thefts by birds. Some women have been scarred by bird claws while their earrings, necklaces, or other jewelry is stolen. Mouser is hiding in the rafters of a wealthy merchant’s manor with his eye on a precious jewel the merchant is offering his lovely young wife. Before he can snatch the jewel with a fishing line, a bird swoops in through an open window and absconds with the gem. On the rooves of the city, Fafhrd has a hawk that he send to kill the thieving bird. No sooner does he have he gem in hand than anther bird snatches it from him! Fafhrd and Mouser race along the rooftops to determine where the bird is going and find it is destined for an abandoned temple. It is here that they will find the mystery of the late bird thefts and, with any luck, a fortune in jewelry.

One wonders if this could have been inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963). Has a forgotten goddess returned to wreak vengeance on a city that shuttered her temple or has a crazed sorcerous with an uncanny control over birds initiated a clever crime ring?

The Price of Pain-Ease (1970)

Mouser and Fafhrd have stolen a cottage from a noble and had it carried to their favorite tavern, the Silver Eel. This also happens to be near the site where their beloveds, Vlanna and Ivrian, died. At first, the cottage is a luxury and a joy. Later, Mouser discovers that all the books on the shelves deal with death, most especially how to avoid dying. Soon, the pair are each haunted by their dead lovers, though neither tells the other of these ghostly visions. On the same day, each rides out to meet with one of the inscrutable wizards: Fafhrd sees Ningauble and Mouser consults Sheelba. Each wizard demands the mask of death from the Shadowlands in order to release them from their haunting. Thus, each rides out on a collision course with the other. On the way, each encounters their ghostly lover before arriving simultaneously at the castle of Death. However, the noble from whom they stole the cottage is also present and he means to end Death!

Nehwon is a strange world where one can ride into the land of the dead and do battle with Death himself. Strangely, this is not the same Death who appeared in The Bleak Shore. There are multiple Deaths it seems. Of note, the heroes swore themselves to service to the wizards in this adventure.

Bazaar of the Bizarre (1963)

Sheelba and Ningauble have called Mouser and Fafhrd to the Plaza of Dark Delights. Mouser arrived earlier than expected and spotted a new shop. Upon investigating, he finds the most astonishing goods. Impossible and wonderous things. Hanging through the shop in cages are the most beautiful women, all beckoning him to purchase them. Meanwhile, Fafhrd arrives on time and is summoned into an ally by Sheelba and Ningauble. They explain that the new shop is an illusion created by an invading alien race. One provides Fafhrd with a way to see through the illusions and the other offers a scarf to make him invisible. So armed, he enters the place to find worthless junk strewn through the place and cages containing huge spiders dangling from the ceiling. Inexplicably, Mouser doesn’t want to leave.

Strangely, Mouser or Fafhrd is often manipulated into doing things they would not do. Fafhrd was mind-controlled in The Bleak Shore, The Howling Tower, and The Seven Black Priests. Mouser is somewhat more in control, only having been so manipulated in The Bleak Shore and this story.

Many of the stories end with our heroes no richer – expect maybe in wisdom – than when they started. The treasure to be gained proves to be a curse. There is also the fact that many stories only hint at the threats they faced. Half the time, the duo walks away without understanding what they faced. I can see this conversation being inserted into several of these tales:

Fafhrd: “What the hell was that all about?”

Mouser: “I don’t know.” Shrugs.

Swords and Deviltry

Though I first discovered Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in the pages of Deities and Demigods back in the very early 80s (the Nehwon Mythos were one of three fictional mythologies included in the original version, Melnibone and Cthulhu being the others), it has taken until now (December 2015) for me to read Fritz Lieber. Like Conan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser star in short stories that were mostly published in magazines and only later compiled into books. Thus, this first book is composed of 3 stories. The first two serve as origin stories, one for each of them, and the third covers their meeting.

Snow Women: Fafhrd is a barbarian from the Cold Wastes. The place has a Viking feel to it. The women of Cold Corner hold great sway thanks to their magic. They gather in covens and can conjure ice and snow to target those they disfavor within a wide range. The peculiar magic does not readily convert to D&D rules, which grants it an even more magical quality. Fafhrd is utterly fascinated by civilization and wants to escape the Cold Wastes with an actress who is part of a traveling show. However, his mother, who is head of the coven of snow women, wants the actress dead and her son bent to her will. As Fafhrd tries to convince Vlana the actress that he should accompany her, there are others who desire her. Fafhrd must escape the icy curse that seeks to hold him back and strike down those who would take Vlana as an enslaved concubine.

The story is really quite good and paints a full and deep picture of Fafhrd’s homeland. Of course, from how it is described, I am amazed that all the men hadn’t fled to the warmer lands of the south and left the women to cast their frigid spells. The women are powerful, cold, and vindictive. Part of that probably reflects the presence of the show, which is mostly barely clothed southern women dancing around for the men’s enjoyment. Yeah, the strip club has come to town and all the wives are pissed.

The Unholy Grail: The apprentice of Glavas Rho the White Wizard returned from a quest only to find the still-smoldering remains of his master’s cottage. He found that only a charred corpse remained of the gentle and wise Glavas Rho. In a fury, he followed the hoof marks and found proof that the duke had done this. He would have his revenge. Like the youthful fool that he was, he confronted the duke directly and would have paid with his life but for a timely distraction. Holding his rage at a simmer, he hid himself in a dark cave where evil magicks were empowered. Here he laid a curse upon the duke. But now he was betrayed, unwittingly, by Ivrian, the duke’s daughter. This time, the duke would make sure the apprentice of Glavas Rho would die, and die horribly. Fastened to a rack, his limbs were slowly stretched but, thanks to his magical knowledge, he was able to channel his pain through the medium of Ivrian and into the duke.

Less exciting than Snow Women, this gives a further look into the peculiar magic of Nehwon. Mouser actually uses a voodoo doll to afflict the duke but he also had a spell to hide himself and, of course, the almost inexplicable magic that transferred his death to the duke through nothing more than eye contact with Ivrian who had a hand on the duke’s arm. Wow, that’s some weird and powerful magic. The story also explains the name of Gray Mouser. The white wizard repeatedly said that Mouse, as he called him, was more of a mouser (i.e. a cat) and he was as likely to use black magic as white, thus being gray.

Ill Met in Lankhmar: Two members of the Thieves’ Guild, Fissif and Slevyas, trekked through the streets of Lankhmar with their haul of jewels from their evening heist. Happily on their way back to the guild house, they were set upon by a nimble little man on the one hand and a giant northerner on the other. No sooner had Fissif and Slevyas been dispatched than Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser gazed warily at one another. Neither had expected the other. However, they came to an almost instant agreement and felt a strange camaraderie. Then the bravos arrived. The thieves had had an escort, a trio from the Slayers Guild. Fafhrd and Mouser dispatched them with ease then went on their merry way with a fortune in jewels. After Fafhrd collected Vlana, the trio made their way to Mouser’s abode to celebrate. Despite the rundown appearance from outside, Mouser had a sumptuous apartment within, where he had made Ivrian as comfortable as a duke’s daughter should be.

Vlana was angry that Fafhrd hadn’t killed the two thieves. The entire reason she had agreed to team with Fafhrd was that he promised to aid her revenge against the Thieves’ Guild. After sufficient prompting by Vlana with an assist from Ivrian, Fafhrd and Mouser conceded to ‘reconnoiter’ the guild house for an eventual attack upon it. Dressed as beggars, they infiltrated the guild with surprising ease and even spied a sorcerer performing foul magic. They noted a rat-like creature that they had seen during their ambush of the two thieves earlier that night! The sorcerer dispatched his rat with some foul smoky tentacle creation. The two ducked away only to be summoned by none other than the guildmaster, Krovas. Mouser spun a clever lie that prevented their immediate beating but the arrival of Fissif and Slevyas exposed them. To battle! The pair managed to create just enough confusion to allow them to escape to the rooftop. After losing pursuers in a sooty cloud, the two returned to Mouser’s abode to find Vlana and Ivrian dead, slain by the sorcerer’s smoky creation. It had been meant for them. The jewels, which had been left in the women’s care, were gone.

After turning the rundown building into a funeral pyre for their beloved, the pair raced back to the guild house and visited their rage upon the sorcerer. Though he had conjured yet another smoke beast, they hacked their way through and killed both sorcerer and his rat. All other doors within the guild had been closed as the thieves hid from the sorcerer’s fearful magic. Fafhrd and Mouser left Lankhmar by the nearest gate.

Yet again, the unusual magic of Nehwon looms large. Of particular interest, in Snow Women, Vlana had killed a man by throwing her silver dagger; it had struck him in the eye. Fafhrd took that dagger from her corpse and hurled it at the sorcerer. Where previously tossed weapons had been caught by the smoky tentacles that filled the room, this dagger swept them away and struck him in the eye. Oooh! Magic Dagger! To my shock and dismay, they left it behind even though they collected the thrown weapons that had been blocked. Gah!

So far, it would appear that Fritz Lieber doesn’t think much of women. The Snow Women were cold and villainous, using magic to control their men. Vlana is manipulative and a bit unstable. Ivrian is a trembling and delicate princess who can barely deal with the stress of meeting new people – she has not ventured from the abode since they arrived in Lankhmar 4 months ago. Ivrian’s mother – who died prior to the events of The Unholy Grail – was described as a sadistic shrew who made both her life and the duke’s life a living hell. Then again, our heroes are a pair of thieves and are unlikely to encounter women of the best character. The men look pretty villainous too.

In all, the three stories made for a very engaging read and have gotten me hooked on Nehwon. I’ve ordered the next book in the series and should have more to say about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser before long.

Solomon Kane (collected stories)

After finishing Kull, I looked for another Robert E. Howard book and found Solomon Kane.  By May 28, 2008, I had finished the collection of short stories:

 

Solomon Kane was the first of Robert E. Howard's epic characters, preceding Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror, and Red Sonja. Kane is described as a pallid-faced Puritan with a brace of pistols and a dueling sword. His adventures take place in the late 16th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The tales of Kane begin in England and the early adventures are best described as ghost stories. The format of these tales vary, sometimes just poems that outline some event (occasionally even historical events). Kane really comes to life when he travels to Africa and then journeys ever deeper into that Dark Continent. There he encounters vampires, harpies, dark magic, the remnants of ancient Atlantis, a lost colony of Assyria, and other fantastical beasts. In most of these, it is easy to see Conan in his Hyborian Age rather than a Puritan in the Elizabethan Age. Clearly, Kane found his way to darkest Africa so Howard could tell such fantastic tales.

Kane purports to be a very religious man and yet he readily accepts a magical staff from a witchdoctor. In fact, he allies himself with a witchdoctor who would surely burn at the stake in Europe. Kane is an unusually tolerant Puritan. It is also curious that Kane is very chivalrous toward women but never desires them. He has that same indifference toward women that Kull possessed. Also like Kull, Kane is a fount of knowledge. He knows a number of languages so that he can usually converse with African tribesmen wherever he may be. In the stories, Kane is a wanderer, driven by God to punish the wicked or fight evil but we learn that he was once a sea captain, was enslaved by Muslims for some years, learned woodcraft from Indians in Darien (Central America), and was a member of the fleet that repelled the Spanish Armada (1588). He's an expert swordsman, a crack shot, and amazingly strong despite a lanky build. Kane is an interesting but incomplete character. He doesn't understand his own motivation, always saying that he is compelled by a higher power, leaving him as little more than a puppet. Howard was more interested in writing extraordinary events than developing a complex character.

A movie is in the works that will bring Solomon Kane to the big screen (IMDb shows it as scheduled for release this year). It promises to explain the beginnings of Kane, why he abandoned his career as a ship's captain and became a wanderer out to smite evil. This is a tale that Robert Howard never told but I'd like to see.

 

That movie did come to pass and I comment on it somewhere ahead.  Be patient.

Kull of Atlantis

Robert E. Howard is most noted for Conan the Barbarian but Kull the Conqueror preceded him.  In 2007, I was looking for something new to read and stumbled on the collected stories of Kull.  I offered some thoughts on June 21, 2007.

I have taken to reading Robert E. Howard again. About 20 years ago, I read the Conan series (as reconstructed by L. Sprague de Kamp and Lin Carter) because it was sitting on a shelf at a friend's house. It was fun and made good material for my campaign. Since then, I have read very little of Howard. Having caught part of Kull the Conqueror (the movie that failed to launch Kevin Sorbo's movie career) not long ago, I decided to read the source material.

Kull is unlike Conan in all ways except physical description. The muscular build, lightning reflexes, intense eyes, and square-cut black hair described as a lion's mane are common to both. But Kull is very contemplative and has a complete disinterest in women. He likes to talk about philosophy, alternate realities, history, and the like. In all the stories, Kull never has an affair. He never has a queen. Where Conan is a solitary wanderer who has allies only occasionally, Kull is surrounded by associates: there is the chief councilor Tu, sidekick Brule the Spear-Slayer, Ka-nu the Pictish Ambassador, and a variety of less frequent persons. Most of Conan's adventures are early in his career and he has not yet become a King whereas Kull is king in all but one story. The typical story has Kull trying to foil the latest assassination plot against him.  Another common theme is for Kull to cross the lands on some reckless adventure which Tu wisely advises against.

While Conan the Barbarian (with Arnold) did a fairly good job of bringing Howard's creation to the big screen, Kull the Conqueror failed entirely to stay true to the character. According to the IMDb, the movie was originally meant to be a Conan sequel but Arnold declined and the movie was reworked to have King Kull. Since it was to be Kull, it is amazing that they created Ascalante as a sidekick rather than use Brule the Spear-Slayer or Dalgar the Farsunian Adventurer or Captain Kelkor of the Red Slayers. The movie bares little resemblance to the literary Kull and none of the changes appear to be for the better.

It is plain why Howard abandoned Kull in favor of Conan. Kull really has only two facets: dull contemplation and uncontrollable furious rage. His amazing indifference to so much is annoying and he often nags how being king is boring compared to his days of high adventure. He reminds me of Admiral James Kirk always wishing he was just a captain again. Why the hell did you become king/admiral if it is such an undesired burden?

The Shadow of the Vulture

I finally got around to reading the foundation for Red Sonja on April 22, 2007:

 

Though most are familiar with the Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan and Kull) character of Red Sonja from the comics and the disappointing movie of 1985, her first and only appearance in his writing is dramatically different. The short story was `The Shadow of the Vulture' (1934) and went something like this:

The year is 1529. An Austrian embassy has arrived in Constantinople to meet with Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Among the members of the embassy is Gottfried von Kalmbach. By chance, the Sultan recognizes Kalmbach as the very knight who wounded him some years earlier during the taking of Rhodes. Though he desires the knight's death, it would be impolitic to kill a member of an embassy. Instead, when the embassy leaves, the Sultan arranges for Mikhal Oglu the Vulture to track down the knight and return with his head.

Kalmbach soon finds himself fleeing across the Balkans and Austria, seldom far ahead of Oglu and his horsemen. The Sultan has launched an invasion of Europe and Kalmbach is only one step ahead of the vanguard. He manages to take refuge in Vienna just as the Sultan begins his siege. It is here while manning the walls that Kalmbach spots Sonya of Rogatino. This foul-mouthed red-headed hellion proves to be a skilled artillerist, a talented swordswoman, and the sister of Suleiman's wife. Twice she saves Kalmbach from death though she otherwise exhibits nothing but scorn for him. As the Siege of Vienna fails, Sonja learns that Kalmbach is being hunted and that he shall not rest easy so long as Mikhal Oglu lives. She quickly devises a plan, sending a messenger to Oglu that lures him and 20 of his men into a waiting volley of matchlock muskets.

During the Sultan's "Victory Celebration" in Constantinople, a package arrives. While the Sultan reads the accompanying note signed by Sonya and Kalmbach, the opened package reveals the head of Mikhal Oglu.

In the story, there is never any hint that Kalmbach and Sonya are anything more than comrades in arms and she shows equal disdain for all men. Also, she wore breeches, thigh-high boots, a red cloak, a green sash, a helmet and a hauberk. She had two pistols and a saber in her sash. It was many years later (1973) that Marvel Comics transplanted Red Sonja into the Hyborean Age of Conan, changed the spelling of her name, and introduced her chain mail bikini.

Currently, a new Red Sonja movie is in the works, scheduled for 2008. I suspect, if it gets made, it will be better than the last movie.

 

The movie never did get made, which is probably for the best since it was going to have Rose McGowan as Sonja directed by then finance Robert Rodriguez.  Though Rodriguez has demonstrated a knack for action movies, casting the dainty 5'4" McGowan as an unbeatable fighter would have been difficult.  Of course, having read the origin story, why not make the real thing?  That would nix the chain mail bikini.  Hmm.

The Farthest Shore

The book that contained the source material for the Earthsea miniseries also had an additional book which was not covered in the miniseries.  I wrote this review July 1, 2006:

 

The third book of the Earthsea Trilogy - The Farthest Shore - revolves mainly around the character Arren, a prince from Enlad who has arrived at the Isle of the Wise (where the wizards' school is located) to tell how magic is draining from the lands. Ged is now Archmage and in his forties, an `old man' from Arren's perspective. Much is made of how the isles need a king to deal with such issues though the last king was 800 years past. Ged decided he must track down the trouble and elects to take Arren with him. The pair sail through several adventures, each demonstrating that the world of the living and the world of the dead are drawing nearer. Still on their quest, Orm Embar, the greatest living dragon, seeks Ged and requests his aid. Ged and Arren sail to the distant isle of Selidor, supposedly on the edge of the world. There they meet a wizard who has seemingly defeated death and made himself immortal. In order to defeat him, Orm Embar gives his life while Ged and Arren must chase the wizard into death to undo the curse he has set upon the world. In order to win immortality for himself, the wizard had torn a hole between life and death, a hole through which all the magic from the living world was draining, thus killing the world while not bringing life to the dead. Ged mended the rent thus killing the wizard but in so doing spent all his magic, leaving him just a man. Arren helped/carried Ged back to the world of the living, thus fulfilling a prophecy for the future king. The eldest of the dragons met them upon their return to Selidor and flew the pair back to the Isle of the Wise, where Arren was proclaimed the future king and Ged retired as Archmage to live out his life on his home island of Gont.

Of the three books, this one showed itself as being written by a woman more clearly than the others. There was too much talk of Arren's love for Ged and vice versa. Constantly the reader is reminded of Arren's affection and devotion for the older man. He was excessively emotional though I guess that isn't too strange for a teenage boy. Also, Arren seemed rather dense at times, proving oblivious to Ged's efforts to track the source of the drain on the world's magic.

I don't know if anyone has printed a D20 World Supplement for Earthsea but it doesn't seem a good world for gaming, at least not what is seen in the books. Though we are told of Gontish pirates and Karg Raiders, they are on the fringes of the stories and mostly undeveloped. In the whole trilogy, we never meet a warrior character. All the great heroes of old were mages. Arren wore an enchanted sword that he drew many times but only used once, and that on the wizard who was immortal.

Wizard of Earthsea & The Tombs of Atuan

Finally got around to reading the source material from the Earthsea miniseries and in June, 2006, I offered this review:

 

Not long ago, I watched the miniseries called Earthsea. I liked it so checked around the web to see what others thought. To my surprise, it was savaged by the fans of the books upon which it was based. So, I decided to read the source material for myself.

The first book of the Earthsea saga was 'Wizard of Earthsea' and it deals with Ged (though known to most by his use-name of Sparrowhawk), who is destined to be the greatest wizard of Earthsea. He has a natural talent for magic but no patience. His impatience leads him to be reckless and create a nameless demon - called a gebbeth - that is intent on devouring his soul and using his body as a vessel. The book is something of a morality tale where Ged learns humility and the reader has the balance of good and evil explained. Still, it is an entertaining read and this facet of the tale was done adequately in the movie.

The second book of Earthsea was 'The Tombs of Atuan' and it tells the tale of Tenar, a girl chosen as priestess for the Nameless Ones when she was only 5. Like the Dali Lama, it seems this particular priestess is continually reborn. Now called Arha - the Eaten One - she served the Nameless Ones through ritual dances, blood sacrifices, and other such observances. It is with the arrival of Ged that her life changes. He seeks to steal a broken half of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe, which is really more a bracelet. The ring was broken long ago and Ged had stumbled upon one half while chasing the gebbeth (previous book) and now seeks the other which is said to be housed in the Labyrinth of the Nameless Ones. Ged's powerful magic is little use in the Labyrinth and only through winning Arha as an ally does he succeed. As the pair flee the Labyrinth with the restored ring, the labyrinth and the temple which sits upon it collapse. Strangely, two more chapters follow, delving into how Tenar will cope in the world. She cannot stay in her land and her only skills are related to the worship of gods she has just betrayed by aiding a blasphemer to escape. This tale was tossed aside in the movie though bits and pieces are apparent.

Probably the most oft repeated complaint I found was that Ged was white in the movie while he is 'red-brown' or 'coppery-skinned' in the book. His friend Vetch is described as 'black-brown' but is played by a pasty-white fellow. Only the barbarous Kargs - a Viking- like people from what I have read so far - are white. Speaking of the Kargs, the idea that they might attack the Wizard's Isle of Roke is silly for one who reads the book, kind of like a Hobbit army marching on Mordor.

I have enjoyed the books and, for those in search of something to read, Ursula K. Le Guin writes a fine tale.

 

 

New Blog!

In 2004, I started a group on Yahoo! Groups.  It saw a lot of activity in the first year, less in the second, and then almost nothing thereafter.  It quickly became a site where I would review historical and/or fantasy movies, TV shows, books, short stories, and such.  I've continued to write reviews even while I have done the same thing on Musings.

 

As I am much happier with BlogSpot than Yahoo! Groups, I'm going to migrate my reviews here.  Also, it has been four years since anyone besides me has posted anything on the group.  Time to retire it and post the reviews here.  Maybe some of the other aspects will find their way here too.  Time will tell.

 

Welcome to the Downland Review!