The Road of Azrael

This Robert E. Howard story opens with Kosru Malik in the camp of an aspiring Persian leader named Muhammad Khan. However, a clash with a hated foe among the camp followers leads to Kosru's hasty flight. He hides from a small caravan headed toward the camp and is surprised to see a Frankish girl among them. He continues his flight and meets Sir Eric de Cogan, an English knight. Normally, Kosru was not fond of `Franks' but Sir Eric was different. Ten years earlier, Sir Eric had saved him during the sack of Jerusalem (1099 AD) so Kosru gladly pledges himself to his service. Moments later, he discovers that Sir Eric is chasing after Ettaire de Brose, the Frankish girl, who was sold to Mohammad Khan. Seeing only death at the end of such a quest, Kosru nonetheless guides Sir Eric.

The pair manage to snatch the girl in the night but are soon caught by Ali bin Sulieman and his band of 500 Arabs. While Eric and Kosru were busy tracking Ettaire, Muhammad's Kurdish cavalry was herding Ali and his men into a trap. Sir Eric convinces Ali to join forces in order to escape the trap; he has just been in the enemy camp and has key information. Ali grudgingly accepts. The early morning battle of Ali's Arabs vs. Muhammad's troops soon turns into a route after Ali bin Sulieman is cut down. However, Sir Eric, Kosru, and Ettaire escape.

Fleeing south and east, the trio soon comes to the Persian Gulf. Surprisingly, a mixed band of shipwrecked Vikings and Saxons confront them. They are led by King Harold Godwinson, who supposedly died when William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066. Both the Saxons and the Vikings want to leave the trio to their fate but King Harold decides otherwise for the sake of Ettaire. The epic final battle finds Muhammad leading his 500 men against the 100 Saxons and Vikings. Sir Eric chose the ground well so that the battle is all afoot and King Harold's shield wall proves to be death for men used to fighting on horseback.

When Kosru slays Muhammad in battle, the Persians retreat. Only a handful of Harold's men remain but another Viking ship lands on the beach. Kosru sees that the unconscious Sir Eric and Ettaire are safely on the ship before he rides off. He traveled the Road of Azrael and lived (Azrael is the Angel of Death).

This is a fun and lively story, told in first person from Kosru's point of view. There is plenty of action, entertaining chases, and great atmosphere. However, it has some serious problems. The idea of King Harold Godwinson being on a Viking ship in the Persian Gulf at the age of 87 is ludicrous. First, he died in 1066. Well, the story says he lived. But then, why would he be here? His sons both sought to reclaim their father's kingdom but Harold remained `dead' through that? I did like that he had only one eye since it is reported that he took an arrow in the eye during the battle. How is it that he is fighting in the shield wall and survives? 87 back in 1109 is downright ancient and wouldn't be able to last an extended battle. Also, as he did in Spears of Clontarf, Howard has put horns on the Viking helmets; there were no horns. Lastly, and perhaps most egregious, how did the Viking ships get to the Persian Gulf? They would have to have found portage for their ships across the Suez into the Red Sea and then sailed around the Arabian Peninsula. For what purpose? Obviously, to be on hand should some unfortunates need to be rescued. That is just crazy.

Hawks over Egypt

It is Cairo in the year 1021 and two men chance upon one another in a dark alley. Harsh words are traded as one accuses the other of following him. Before blades can clash, three Sudani attack. The would-be foes join forces to defeat these three. Al Afdahl the Turk admits his error in accusing de Guzman of following him and the two go for a drink and hatch a plot that will benefit both. De Guzman is a Spaniard out to avenge the slaughter of his family and, as luck would have it, al Afdahl wants the same man dead for other reasons. With the Turk as his guide, de Guzman slays Zahir el Ghazi in single combat. However, Ghazi revealed that Spain was doomed because Al Hakim, the Caliph, is planning a massive attack that will sweep away Castile. To save Spain, he must now kill the Caliph but al Afdahl will not aid him in this and demands he leave Cairo.

Elsewhere, Zaida the Venetian slave girl had been tossed into the streets and discovered by Al Hakim himself! He had banned women from the streets of Cairo and he planned to make her death a harsh lesson. Zaida changes his mind with her feminine wiles but soon thereafter, she discards her to the leader of his Sudani warriors who, in turn, sells her to her worst rival, an Arab princess who wants nothing more than to torture and mutilate poor Zaida. Things look bleak indeed.

Like the Spears of Clontarf, this story is based in history though it paints a different picture than history tells. Al Hakim was indeed Caliph who vanished in 1021 though his bloody clothes were discovered in the desert near Cairo. This story purports to explain how that came to pass. I don't know enough specific history about the region to level any complaints as regards the accuracy of the general details of the story. The narrative is much better than Clontarf as it follows primarily Diego de Guzman and Zaida. It is a very engaging tale with lots of exciting fights, excessive bloodletting, and even a naked slave girl. Great stuff!

Spears of Clontarf

This Robert E. Howard short story tells the tale of Conn the Kern (light infantryman) in the days before the battle of Clontarf (1014 AD). Conn was an outlaw in Ireland and while trying to flee, he was enslaved by Vikings. The Vikings sold him in the Faroe Islands which is where the story begins. Conn kills his owner and escapes by boat, miraculously washing ashore in Ireland after his boat was sunk by a storm. Here he meets Dunlang O'Hartigan who is traveling to join King Brian Boru in a battle against the Vikings. Conn gladly joins Dunlang and presents himself to the king. King Brian muses aloud about hanging the outlaw but agrees that it would be best to let the kern die in battle the following day. The battle proves particularly bloody, ending the careers of a great many Irish heroes, including Dunlang. Conn avenges himself by killing the Viking who enslaved him and sold him in the Faroe Islands.

The 30 page story is not one of Howard's best. He is so busy covering the actions of the many historic figures that he forgets about Conn. Moreover, there are so many characters that I quickly lost track. This is a story for someone intimately familiar with the Battle of Clontarf. The tale leaps from this Irish chieftain facing this Viking leader to the next chieftain against another Viking. As an aside, his Vikings have horned helmets which grated on me. Conn is often not even a bystander for some of these engagements. It is as if Howard initially meant to write the story from Conn's perspective but then couldn't help himself from drifting onto the history of it.

In the buildup to the battle, we meet Eevin of Craglea, a Pictish girl who is described as particularly petite with black hair and a green gown that seemed like scales – Conn almost thought she was a mermaid. Eevin has the gift of sight and accurately predicts the outcome of the battle and the deaths of both King Brian and Dunlang. Also, she seems to have magical powers of stealth since she confronts both King Brian in his tent and Queen Kormlada in her castle. She seemed a strange character to include for historical fiction.

Also of note, Broder the Viking had been told by a diviner that if he fought the following day, he would lose but King Brian would die also. Any other day, he would still lose but Brian would survive. He chose to make sure Brian died. Of course, with that sort of divination, you would think he might avoid battle and stay within the castle walls.

This is one of many stories that features the hero Turlogh Dubh O'Brien, who appears in several other tales. I was surprised by that since I had hardly noticed Turlogh (since he was one of the two Turloghs mentioned). Shouldn't this guest star have loomed a bit larger? The story ends with Turlogh cutting the slave collar from Conn after the battle is done.