Customer Reviews

Elric: The Stealer of Souls (Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melniboné)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a hard volume to review. If you have already read some Elric stories, this is an enjoyable way to see the evolution of the character. The historical material that's collected here is really great, including a fanzine story from early on, some musings by Moorcock that he wrote at the time, and so on.

Unfortunately, those exact things make this a hard book to recommend to non-fans. The unfortunate fact is that the early Elric stories aren't nearly as good as the later ones, and the book only starts to come together in the second half. If you're new to Elric, it may be better to read the novels first, or maybe start with the second volume of this series. Although I've rated this book 4 stars, if you're not already a fan (or aren't interested in the background of the stories), I'd have to say 2 1/2 stars is more correct.

I almost gave up on this book at the very beginning. The whole first part of the book is taken up by writings about the origin of the hero and how the stories situate within the sci-fi/fantasy of the time, etc. Being completely unfamiliar with Elric, this material was of next to no use to me. I am sure devoted Elric/Moorcock fans would be happy to have such background material... but seeing as the book is a Kindle freebie, I'm thinking that they're trying to attract a newer audience. A newer audience (like myself) is likely to be turned off when they open the book on their Kindle to a wealth of introductory material with no meaning to them. It probably would have been a better idea to start the book at the first story and let the new reader try the essays and historical commentary afterwards. Thankfully, there is a nice clickable Table of Contents. So on to the stories...

Honestly, I found it hard to get engaged with the stories. I think it may be a stylistic preference for me. A lot of the narrative is "tell" instead of "show," and I prefer it the other way around. The mythology and world are interesting but could stand to be fleshed out better. I would have loved to learn more about the nations whose denizens seem to pop in and out of the story without really sticking. The plots do have a decent bit of action, but sometimes events seem a little abrupt. I had trouble sticking with the first few stories, but I found myself more engaged as the stories progressed. By the end, I was invested in finding out what would happen, and the narrative seemed to flow with more ease.

Overall, the stories are a mixed bag in regards to quality, though there is definite improvement in the Stormbringer section, which is pretty much the last half. The other material commenting on Elric is probably valuable to fans but doesn't really do much for new readers.

Michael Moorcock's Elric is one of those fantasy cult-classics that's hovered in my peripherals for several years. And after being greatly pleased with Del Rey's recent trade-paper back editions of the The Fully Illustrated Robert E. Howard Library, their new publications of the Moorcock' s Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melnibone seemed the perfect opportunity for a Sword & Sorcery fan, like myself, to finally read them, (especially since I'm a sucker for illustrated books too). So I started this book with very high expectations. But maybe, just a little too high.

Elric is the last prince of a dying race and his royal blood carries a genetic defect that makes him a pure albino and physically frail. He possesses, or more accurately, is possessed by, the evil soul-stealing-sword; Stormbringer, which grants him power but also, makes Elric physically dependent. As the last prince of a fallen and advanced civilization, Elric has the knowledge of generations studied in dark sorceries at his disposal. He's a brooding and vengeful character who is haunted by past, unforgivable deeds. But he is also the dark savior whose destiny is to stop total domination by the forces of chaos and maintain the universal balance. This also means the complete destruction of himself and his world.

I especially enjoy the connection between Elric's fantasy world and our real one. I also found myself intrigued almost as much by Elric's side-kick, Moonglum, as I do by Elric himself. Throughout the stories, I delightfully wonder just what makes a free-booting, adventurer like Moonglum, so faithful to a self-destructive soul like Elric. Granted, there is sometimes profit to be gained, but Elric isn't really a likeable guy and Stormbringer can be just as likely to kill friends as it does enemies.

As literary value to the genre, I personally feel that these stories are well worthy of more then five stars. With Elric, Mr. Moorcock was one of the pioneers in modern fantasy fiction in the early 60's. It's easy to see his influence in fantasy today (not too mention that a few early 70's hard-rock bands reference Elric in their music). From what I understand, when Moorcock first wrote the Elric stories, he set out to create something totally different from the standard Sword & Sorcery heroes that came before. Elric is most defiantly that. In Fact, he's one of the most unique fantasy characters, I've ever read. However, I try to reserve that fifth star for the books that just "blow-me-away" and despite Stealer of Souls having all the ingredients I like in a fantasy story, it just didn't do that for me. Maybe it's simply just dated, or maybe it was the magazine format these stories were originally written for, but, overall, Stealer.. was missing that "grab-me-by-the-guts" "keep-me-up-past bedtime" reading. In some parts, the indented mind-blowing incomprehensibility, just ended-up being too over-the-top and forgettable, if not boring, to me. It's still an enjoyable read and there's definite potential for the following books to be even better.

A new omnibus edition of some excellent Elric stories, with a great cover by Picacio.

The foreword is by Alan Moore, which was certainly a surprise, and he entitles it 'The Return of the Thin White Duke', which is rather clever.

Moorcock's introduction talks about the reception from some people of the stories, given their ironic tone, and similar brickbats thrown apparently at Stephen Donaldson, Steven Erikson and Scott Bakker (whom I have never read), briefly, as well as his influences in fantasy, from Poul Anderson onwards.

This omnibus includes the two earlier collections Stealer of Souls, and Stormbringer. Moorcock has separated them with one his early Sojan stories, another sword wielding hero, more in the sword and planet vein though. You really don't need to seek all of these out unless you are particularly keen on that sort of thing, as they in no way compare to the excellent Elric work. The pause between collections also includes artwork from early magazines with his work, James Cawthorn's map of the Young Kingdoms, and a snippet from John Carnell as prologue to the next part.

There are illustrations scattered throughout, which are quite nice. Elric may perhaps come across as too 'soft and elfy' for some people, perhaps.

To close there are a couple of sixties essays by the author on the subject of Elric, and the odd letter, as well as a Law/Chaos cosmology tree.

If Elric is new to you, and you haven't read the stories before, you are in for a very pleasant surprise, particularly given this handsome edition and its bonus features.

Stealer of Souls : The Dreaming City - Michael Moorcock
Stealer of Souls : While the Gods Laugh - Michael Moorcock
Stealer of Souls : The Stealer of Souls - Michael Moorcock
Stealer of Souls : Kings in Darkness - Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn
Stealer of Souls : The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams [The Flame Bringers] - Michael Moorcock

Stealer of Souls : Mission To Asno! - Michael Moorcock

Stealer of Souls : Dead God's Homecoming - Michael Moorcock
Stealer of Souls : Black Sword's Brothers - Michael Moorcock
Stealer of Souls : Sad Giant's Shield - Michael Moorcock
Stealer of Souls : Doomed Lord's Passing - Michael Moorcock


Elric comes to Imrryr, engages in a black sword duel with his cousin Yrkoon, and gains his Weird.

5 out of 5


Elric meets Moonglum.

4 out of 5


Rematch with Theleb K'aarna.

4.5 out of 5


Too much royalty and dead things, but some reward.

3.5 out of 5


Elric has conflict with another sorcerer and horde, and throw in a big cat and some dragons.

3.5 out of 5

----

Sojan leads an airwar fleet.

2.5 out of 5

----


Elric's wife is abducted, and he knows now a serious conflict is coming.

4 out of 5


With his wife returned and cousin Dyvin Slorm wielding twin black blade Mournblade at his side, even Elric is a little perturbed about the thought of taking on the Dukes of Hell.

4.5 out of 5


Elric is the only possible rallying point for those that oppose Chaos, but as is useful for the wielder of Stormbringer, this will come at a cost fo friends like Rakhir the Red Archer, and to his family.

4 out of 5


Melnibone in ruins, Elric must call on the dragons for aid and hope the Lords of Law can arrive in time thanks to the Horn of Fate.

4 out of 5




5 out of 5

CORRECTION: MY comments below were misattributed to Tevis regarding the 40th anniversary edition of Stealer of Souls. HIS review is for an earlier edition from 2000, as are most of the reviews. The edition you are considering for purchase was just published in Feb. 2008, and is fully Illustrated by John Picacio. Tevis' review DOES NOT refer to this artist's work. I retract my criticism regarding his opinions about the art.


some with a jealous heart seek to distinguish themselves by disparaging others, as is the case with Tevis Fen-Kortiay's review. That, or they are visually impaired. But then, that is the reviewers pattern, if not their raison d'ętre. Having seen, in person the original art, this is the best rendition of Elric, competing only with Moorcock's loyalty to the first rendition by Cawthorn. That' not just my opinion, that's Moorcock's opinion. I dare say HIS opinion carries a bit more weight.Picacio's art so impressed the publisher, that he will be doing the 6th book as well. Picacio set the benchmark for this anniversary series.

yesterday I attended a signing for this book, and Moorcock gave a reading of the first 2 chapters, and Picacio's interior illustrations were spot on in tone and texture with the story. The interior art is lavish by most interior illustration standards.

As for the criticism of the novel itself, consider it was a fix-up novel at the get go, cobbled together from pulps. The author makes no effort to hide these facts and imperfections. Comparing this to Greedo shoots first is a patently juvenile analogy.

Reading through this book was like trudging through the muck-filled, mist-covered, at times deadly Swamps of Sadness; it was difficult and long to get through and sometimes made me forget my purpose in reading it.
Which is weird, because it was non-stop mega action packed and was also actually really well written.
The first half of the book was separated into short stories that introduce us to Elric, his life, and his friends. And while they were interesting, they were also predictable and seemed to serve very little purpose. They were hard to get through, but for no fault of their own. I think my biggest issue was that they were short, and there was therefore so much that should have happened that couldn't - because there's just not enough time in a short story.
The second half of the book was four somewhat longer interlinked stories that, put together, could almost form a book. Yay!
Moorcock's easy use of adjectives and fluttery language creates vivid, believable, and sometimes devestating images of a dying world and its potential savior, Elric the albino emperor of a dead race of sorcerers. Elric's character is a tortured one, torn between Chaos and the Gods of his people, and the Lords of Law and what fate has planned for him.
Unfortunately, for all his verbosity, I don't feel that Moorcock developed Elric as a believable character; it was almost as if Moorcock himself did not understand what Elric must suffer (and the true power that Stormbringer, his sword, held over him) and therefore couldn't write it into the book. Because of this, up until almost the very end, it was hard to cheer for Elric. It was hard to understand that he really might be the good guy in all of this. Elric is THE anti-hero of anti-heros. . .I guess I should probably just say that he is one of the more extreme anti-heroes that I have ever come across.
Still, in the last four stories, Elric and his sword and his world and his quests and his dilemmas captured my attention and made me glad that I trudged through until the end.

Elric of Melniboné* is the albino lord, final Emperor of the Bright Empire, eternal pawn in the struggles between Chaos and Law and wielder of the dread sword Stormbringer. Renown fantasist Michael Moorcock has been chronicling the adventures of this fey hero since 1961.
Del Rey publishing has just released Elric: The Stealer of Souls, volume I in their Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melniboné. This excellent edition is fully illustrated by John Picacio.
Veteran readers of swords and sorcery are, of course, familiar with this tragic hero Elric and his evil sword, Stormbringer. The Bright Empire of Melniboné flourished for ten thousand years, "Ten thousand years before history was recorded--or ten thousand years after history had ceased to be chronicled."
But now it has fallen and the albino warrior wanders the Earth with his sidekick, Moonglum, fighting and loving and ultimately and intimately involved in the battle for supremacy between the forces of Law and Chaos. Stormbringer does not just slay, but consumes the souls of its unlucky victims and nourishes the physically weak Elric who is dependent on Stormbringer for his mortal vitality.
The tales of Elric were radical departures from traditional swords and sorcery changing the genre forever. They were also a powerful influence on roleplaying. Consider the endless struggle between Chaos and Law and what is your character's alignment?
This new volume includes, chronologically, the first adventures of Elric as published in Science Fantasy magazine, and the first Elric novel, Stormbringer. Also included are essays by the author, the original editorial comments from John Carnell of Science Fantasy, magazine covers, the first book review, a new foreword from the author, and a fine introduction by Alan Moore, creator of the acclaimed graphic novel, Watchmen.
This edition offers a splendid entrée to the world of Elric, or, a look back for those who know this tragedy-torn swordsman too well, along with excellent support materials and fine illustrations from John Picacio. Recommended!
*pronounced Melnibonay
This review originally ran in Kobold Quarterly magazine www.koboldquarterly.com

Moorcock was the first Sword & Sorcery author I was ever introduced to. I began with the Dreamthief's Daughter about five years ago and was ever since in love with his writing. I became fascinated with his Von Bek characters, not to mention Elric. So when I picked up the Von Bek omnibus, I found that not only was his imagination extensive, but he is also an erudite historian. With the Dragon in the Sword and the little bit of research into the Eternal Champion, I wanted to know more about the first Eternal Champion, but I quickly learned that there were no Elric copies in print, so, having my spirits been shot, I decided to read other stuff I could scrounge up (fortunately for me, my brother was a fan so I got a lot of his books). Now, Del Ray and Moorcock have collaborated to make an exquisite book that not only gives us fans the classic Elric stories, but also historic facts around the conceiving of Elric, one of the first icons of Sword & Sorcery. I found Elric very cerebral and cathartic as a character. I could only imagine how powerful he must have seemed back in the 60's and 70's.

Extras: Some great introductions and an insightful afterword of sorts by the man himself that explains the growth of the serials and Stormbringer. I always found Mike's writing process interesting in general, ever since I learned that his earlier long works were sometimes written in under a month. Some of Picacio's illustrations are acceptable at best, most of them mediocre. They feel like mere page filler, which is unfortunate because some of these illustrations really prove how deft a hand Picacio has. I hope with the next book we see some prettier ones.

The 1961 novellas show us the incipient toil of Moorcock; they are easily not as well-hewn as his later stuff, but that fact doesn't precisely ruin the experience. The stories are not only an exploration of who Elric is but also the universe (or Multiverse) in which the albino presides. Overall, 1961 serials are quick little thrills to have on those long periods between class or lunch-breaks at work or obviously for pleasure. They are very, very formulaic and often dry of narrative energy (especially after the first two novellas), but there are frequently moments filled with sword swinging and nasty spells that summon the aid of hellish Chaos. All together they're easily the best introduction to Elric. We get quick-as-a-knuckle-crack adventures that are usually as satisfying as cracking your knuckles.

As for Stormbringer, I was quickly gripped as we have much a larger narrative with a writer who is more enthusiastic about his very own world. In the novel, Elric is justified completely in character and action: his ruthless escapades throw him into the thick of war against man and Chaos. It's an epic war story with morbid imagery (I especially love the bits of macabre warping of the world) and intriguing characters, especially Sepiriz who can be found in many of Moorcock's Eternal Champion stories. The balance, perhaps Moorcock's most entertaining concept in his stories, is the very focus of the narrative. The story is much like his serials though: episodic, which isn't a bad thing in this iteration. Each part takes an obstacle to overcome and a character who directly or indirectly reveals a part of the Balance, and they are far more entertaining than the quickies of the 1961 novellas.

This fantastic book is a collection of novellas concerning Elric and his accursed blade, Stormbringer. What brilliant writing! This was a complete joy, and anyone that enjoyed Lord of the Rings will find this enthralling as well. The story is so original despite the fact that it shares the common structure of sword & sorcery which is "hero goes on a quest to fulfill said objective, encounters obstacles, and prevails."

I knew right away I had to read this book when Alan Moore, one of the most gifted comic book writers of all time said the Elric stories were classics. Michael Moorcock writes in a similar way, with dense description and vocabulary, and philosophical questions in parallel with action.

Elric is a fascinating, flawed "anti-hero" in the Greek tradition. The gods put him on endless quests, Sisyphus-like, and his sword Stormbringer is one of the most interesting inanimate objects as character in all of fiction.

Elric, Stealer of Souls is a collection of novellas presented in serial form. If you have read trade paperback anthologies of comic book series like "Y- the Last Man" or "The Watchmen" this style will be familiar to you. Each novella is a self-encapsulated story of its own, and in totality, they all build to create a greater dramatic arc together.

The introduction is by Alan Moore and it is dense and thoughtful. Remarks by the author follow. Michael Moorcock simultaneously gives the reader a primer on the sword & sorcery structure and history while laying out what he intends to accomplish with Elric.

After the stories, the author shares with us some of the allegorical meanings behind the Elric saga. Rather than spoiling the story as so often occurs, it adds a dimension. He writes to entertain, but the bigger issues he attempts to discuss below the surface are profound, and do not detract from the story. Like his Multiverse concept, the story of Elric is enjoyable on many levels. When he tells the reader some of his intent, he also teases, by saying he does not intend to spur us to re-read the book, looking for these themes. I wanted to do exactly that.

Elric is a must-read for any fan, casual or serious, of the "fantasy" genre. Anyone that has played Dungeons & Dragons will instantly recognize how extremely foundational Elric was to the game. More so even than Lord of the Rings, or the Arthurian legend, Elric stories were the genesis for D&D.

Michael Moorcock has labored in relative obscurity, and is self-effacing in his writing, like a true artist, detesting his work for the minute flaws that only he can see. I consider him a member of the pantheon of writing greats such as Tolkien, Herbert, and Alan Moore. I pity those readers who content themselves with the lightweight work of JK Rowling and have never experienced the multiverse of Elric, Stealer of Souls.

I read all of these books as a teen. It was fun finding them again, and starting to re-read them. Michael Moorcock creates a completely dark world filled with demons, black magic, and doomed heroes. Elric is sexy, and the stories have a dreamy, erotic quality to them. The world of Melnibone is wonderfully described as amoral, decayed, and decadent. It's a dreamy nightmare, but an exciting one.