Customer Reviews

Dark Crusade

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Without doubt, Kane is the most compelling and enigmatic hero/antihero ever. Scholar, sorceror and warrior, Kane wanders the ages manipulating entire kingdoms and races for his amusement.

Cursed with immortality, the only remedy to alleviate infinte boredom is court intrigue and conquest.

Karl Edward Wagner has created a character of striking contrasts in a world of medieval beauty and gothic horror.

I first read this book in 1977 and haven't tired of rereading it since. Kane makes all other rugged heros and barbarians look like flower pressing dandies.

Wagner's writing is so powerful that you are drawn into Kane's world so deeply that it seems you are on the battlefield in a mystical realm in a time before time...He's my favorite anti-hero.

The pace is fast but with enough details to let you get into the characters.

My only complaint (if you can call it as one) is that you MUST read the next book because this story does not resolve itself or the characters.

Powerful characters and a lot of mystery surrounding the character Kane.

Looking forward to reading the rest of the story!!

I stumbled accross this gem of a book in a used book store several years ago, ever since I have been searching for more books in the Kane series, unsuccessfully.

My favorite fictional character used to be the Kurgan from the movie the Highlander, then I read this book. With Kane, Karl Edward Wagner sets the new standard for the badass motherf***er

I hadn't read anything in this genre is a long while, and was surprised to realize how much I missed it. Kane is a new character to me, and I'm now definitely interested in reading more of his exploits.

Kane combines a brilliant military mind and a ruthless savagery into a pragmatically effective package. I enjoyed the character all the way through the book. The cruel but effective means he had of solving problems kept reinforcing the fact that this protagonist was anything but heroic (though of course what hero would even consider serving the Dark Crusade?). It would have been nice to have learned more about him, though. Teasers were thrown out there that told me little.

I can't imagine, btw, how that last chapter could have worked as a stand alone short story, with no context.

Dark Crusade is a HUGE improvement over Wagner's other Kane novel (and the sequel to this book), Darkness Weaves (I haven't read the much-maligned Bloodstone, the only other Kane novel). In my Amazon review of the Darkness Weaves paperback, I complained that while Kane was only cool until he opened his mouth due to lame, anachronistic dialogue, in this novel Wagner makes no such mistake. However, the author still falls into the same trap of being unable to make Kane interesting or even likable until 2/3 of the way through! Until then, Kane never says anything remarkable at all, nor do we get much insight into his motivations or past. Instead, as in Darkness Weaves, we get a small number of minor characters and antagonists that, while doomed, are far more interesting and likeable than Kane ever could be. Kane is no Elric, Conan or Fafhrd. I can only hope that Kane's short stories (collected in The Midnight Sun hardcover) paint him out to be a much more interesting, in-depth character than these novels (it's next on my list).

Don't get me wrong, Dark Crusade is still a highly enjoyable read, with vivid battle scenes and nasty surprises, but it could have been so much better if Wagner had only bothered to endear us to Kane early on, instead of waiting until the last minute. By the time we get to the end, we really do feel for Kane as he walks up the stairs of the cursed Tower of Yslsl to an uncertain fate. However, an extra "throwaway" chapter (originally published as a separate story) has been included in the Baen reprint: "In The Lair Of Yslsl," which, while clearing up Kane's fate, is poorly written in comparison and strains credulity. Yslsl was much better left as an indescribable, unknown horror lurking at the edges of the story. My advice is skip "In The Lair Of Yslsl" and let the novel end where it should have, leaving the reader wanting more, not less.

If you're considering buying the expensive and out-of-print hardcover, Gods In Darkness, which collects the three Kane novels, my recommendation is don't waste your money. Buy Dark Crusade and (maybe) Darkness Weaves separately as paperbacks. You'll save money and these novels have been way overhyped...

I agree that the fantasy genre needs more books about villains and anti-heros as the main character, but Karl Edward Wagner's Kane novels don't quite do it for me (although Dark Crusade comes very, very close, and I do recommend it). If you want to read a flawless, gritty fantasy novel by Wagner, try The Road of Kings. That's easily the finest Conan pastiche ever written and puts even the best of the Kane novels to shame.

KANE

The Mystic swordsman battles the prophet of an ancient cult of evil that began before the birth of man.

Out of the blackness of an almost-forgotten past, the cruel cult of Sataki has come to life again. Orted Ak-Ceddi, a daring outlaw, is its prophet. He draws thousands of converts to his Dark Crusade - a design to destroy mankind. His bloody cohorts conquer Shapeli, but they are defeated when they drive to vanquish the southern kingdoms. Orted knows he must have a powerful cavalry to launch a new drive - and Kane is the man who can command the conquest. But Kane intends no final victory for the Forces of Darkness.

This book gave me an enjoyable read. The only problem with this book that I found was the fact that I have read the other books in the series. On its own, this is a great book, but I know how Kane acts in each of his other adventures.

His character is inconsistant with how he acts in Bloodstone and later stories (novels or short stories): he doesn't learn from his mistakes. Orted Ak'Ceddi shows his incredulity when he constantly makes idiotic attacks on opposing forces.

Kane should have known this when he made the decision to stay and fight when the city was infiltrated.

Wagner did a god job with describing the events in great detail, and the only flaw that I could find (granted, a rather large one), is the inconsistency with the protagonists character.

That is the only reason this book got a 4 star level: it didn't flow well with the rest of the series. On its own, it is a solid 5-star book, but the fact that it was in series made Dark Crusade a book less than its potential.

I have read this book three times, and I am re-reading it again.

Read this book: a fantastic choice, well drawn-up, and a great read.