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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Return of the Sword is exactly what you want, April 6, 2008
This review is from: The Return of the Sword (Paperback)
With this anthology you get exactly what you'd think you'd get. It's full of swords, full of blood, and full of action. To make things even better, it's got one of my stories in it. Here's my honest take on it:
Altar of the Moon- A story about the aftereffects of a sword of power and the person forced to wield it in order to save a kingdom. Just one problem, the burden of bearing the sword becomes unbearable and it won't let itself be cast aside. This is a good emotional story with two characters that struggle with each other but are not technically enemies. Both protagonist and antagonist are sympathetic and the ending is written well. Two swords up.
The Wyrd of War- Bill Ward delivers an outstanding tale of dark magic and violent war. A doomed army defends against the mindless onslaught of an eldritch horde, twisted and corrupted by a mysterious evil. The thing that stands out immediately in this story is the use of language and mood. The hero faces impossible odds and is driven on by precious memories of a past denied him. It's the kind of thing I was trying to do with Raven Kill and it's done better. This could be my nomination for best of the book.
The Last Scream of Carnage- This is an interesting and odd story. The protagonist is definitely not heroic in any way. He's simply arrogant and violent and looking for the next thing to kill. What makes for compelling reading here is the physical arrangement of the prose, often assembled in poetic forms. You get the feeling you're reading something special and that must be why it is the feature story for the anthology. It is cleverly crafted but doesn't leave you with a character to care about so the impact it makes is not personal but rather an appreciation of its clever crafting.
(Then there's my story, "The Battle of Raven Kill." Some people have thought it was pretty good.)
What Heroes Leave Behind- A very satisfying story of an old warrior facing yet another challenge that should be left to the young. It is a great read that suffers from a terrible title. Yuck. But other than that I loved it. Hawkins hits all the right marks in telling the tale of a hero near the end of his days. The fear of encroaching death, not by glory but by simple frailty, is a powerful presence and rings true throughout. The action is well told and delivers plenty of punch while you follow the hero all the way to the end.
Fatefist at Torkas Nahl- Grand armies and evil tyrants. This is the stuff of epic sword and sorcery tales. With the backdrop of a huge battle before the gates of a nigh impregnable city comes a story about a warrior monk who is the Fatefist of the Mikari. What makes him a great character is the conflict within him as he is seduced by the power of a demonic sword that wouldn't mind changing owners. While he duels the tyrant he is lured by the call of glory so there are actually two fight scenes in one. The large battle movements are really only hinted at but that's fine because it's the scenes revolving around personal battles that are the best and capture the intensity of the moments very well.
Deep in the Land of Ice and Snow- This is a pretty straightforward story of a young warrior who seeks the counsel of a sage before claiming his kingship. It is well done and has some cool scenes with witches and wolves. The exchanges between the characters are interestingly relayed and the end brings a smile to your face. It's a simple tale and a pleasure to read.
Mountain Scarab- This is one great story. Sigurd Grimbow and a band of savage raiders attack a caravan and steal the goods. One of the goods is a feisty young woman who realizes she must stay by Sigurd's side in order to stay alive. The interaction between the two characters was an absolute joy to read. Sigurd is also one of the best sword and sorcery protagonists I've encountered. He doesn't hesitate to kill anyone he thinks needs some killing but is basically a good guy at heart. The author, Jeff Stewart, got everything right in this one.
Lair of the Cherufe- Here we have a story that is fun to read, with several clever elements and some good hack and slash style fantasy. The virgin princess, stolen from her father's castle, is to be sacrificed to the great beast and the hero has to save her. I have to admit I started laughing uncontrollably to myself when I realized a major flaw in the plot: The sacrifice has to be a virgin, right? Well, there's an easy way to fix that... But the hero made a promise to her father and so he goes through all the steps to get her back with virtue intact. This includes searching for objects of power in scary places with mythical guardians, fighting the evil Prince's henchmen, and facing off against said scary beastie. This story is good solid sword & sorcery, through and through.
To Be A Man- This is a difficult story to review because the subject matter is almost entirely sexually oriented. It is well written but it's not for children. (Funny that I seem to think violence and bloodshed are OK for kids but that's a different discussion.) The characters here are amazingly well drawn, the female lead is so over the top it's a smashing success, and the story moves along and has some truly funny moments.
The Red Worm's Way- This story was impressive for two reasons. It was well written with engaging characters and it was quirky but held my attention all the way through in a way that quirky stories seldom do. Quirky humor is very hard to pull off but this story is laced with it. That is, if you find the eating of dead human flesh funny. What makes the story such a great success is the dry and rather world-weary protagonist, Morlock Ambrosius. "Defend this body against a bunch of ravaging corpse eaters? Sure, why not. Is the pay good?"
To Destroy All Flesh- This is the story I was really looking forward to and it definitely does not disappoint. Michael Ehart does it again with a tale of the Servant of the Manthycore. The Servant is on her way throughout the land in search of a means to free herself and the lover of her youth from bondage to the vile Manthycore. This story will be especially enjoyed by those who have bought and read Michael's book. They will appreciate the subtlety of the tale as they see another chapter unfold in the life of The Servant and her daughter. Oh, and you've just got to love the props in this one. Doesn't everyone have a huge ancient boat just laying about the place?
Guardian of Rage- A hero on the run through sewers, dragging along a scared little girl, and chased by the dead and a demonic tentacle beast. This has al the makings of a bad day getting worse. Our hero, Jack Spryte, clearly wants to be somewhere else but has to survive long enough to accomplish that. The story moves along at a good clip, the villain is appropriately nasty, and a couple of neat fight scenes make this a good all around tale.
Claimed by Birthright- A great story, cleverly written. It takes on the age old question of who would win a duel between a sorcerer and a barbarian. What may first strike you as an incredibly contrived scenario of an arena duel featuring Barbarian King Brom versus, in the red corner, Mage Lord Kahzvax instead turns out to be well told tale. The chief string puller in the story has maneuvered his puppets into place and while he is a bit of a cardboard character, the other two are real enough and the fight is believable enough to make the clever ending all the more satisfying. You'll like this one a lot.
The Hand That Holds the Crown- This one was excellent. I loved every sentence, every word. It is now on the top of the list as the best of the book. A classic tale of two half brothers dueling for the crown. The fight scene between them is one of the best yet. All the brutality and cunning savagery of desperate single combat is played out by the author, Nathan Meyer. The writing is solid, the settings are vivid, and the characters are clearly drawn. I knew it was good from paragraph one but the last two pages really cinched it up for me. Outstanding in every way.
The Dawn Tree- A well told, powerful story that reads like mythic fable. Perhaps a little out of place in a sword and sorcery anthology but it is good enough to hold its own and the two main characters have some outstanding scenes with each other. Our intrepid hero, Dermanassian the desert elf, takes up the quest of replanting the Dawn Tree by escorting the tree's guardian to a suitable location. There's one problem though; the four Elementals have joined forces in order to destroy the Tree before it is planted. This leads to a battle royale at the end but of course everything winds up happy happy. Or does it?
Uneasy Truce at Ulam-Bator- This is an amazing story because it is plainly evident while reading it that the authors had great fun writing it. The introduction explains that Allen B. Llyod and William Clunie began the collaborative writing process over some Chinese food at a favorite restaurant and it shows. It's a very well written story that contains a series of fortunate and not so fortunate events. I can envision them sitting across the table from each other saying, "Then this happens." "No, wait, then this happens!" "Yeah, yeah, that's good." The result is a couple of characters that make the best out of whatever situation they find themselves in. A clever plot coupled with a wry sense of humor which is believable and not campy. An excellent read.
The Mask Oath- Steve Goble has crafted an impressive story about duty, honor, and the things that really matter. This is a powerful tale about the son of a wizard hunting down the demons that his father released. I'm...
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Return of the Sword, May 5, 2008
This review is from: The Return of the Sword (Paperback)
"Flashing Swords Presents: The Return of the Sword" edited by Jason M Waltz
The editor says there may be "...no finer compilation of heroic tales of action and adventure..." and, at least in recent memory, he may be right. Flashing Swords Press has been trying to present and create a place for Sword and Sorcery. They have met that goal and gone beyond it as these stories are indeed fine heroic tales and are of a quality that extends beyond a genre offering.
The book has language to thrill, a wonderful cover painting by Johnney Perkins, thoughtful introductions by the editor, Jason M Waltz, an article on writing fantasy by E E Knight and too few interior illustrations.
The first story, "Altar of the Moon" by Stacey Berg fits right into the theme of the anthology's title as a sword does return. The mysterious conversation between the characters that have and will fulfill their destinies postpones the confrontation in a delightful piece of pacing.
Battle descriptions usually do not hold my attention as I usually rush through them but not here with my choice as most outstanding story. As I read "The Wyrd of War" I felt as if I was seeing a Peter Jackson film. Full of smoke and the fog of war, a very intimate and detailed soldier's experience is related. I felt driven by the momentum of fate in this elemental tale.
"The Last Scream of Carnage" by Phil Emery makes interesting use of formatting the spacing of the text which earned it the editor's choice. It is a very intense tale which would make a great radio adaptation. Too bad Orson Welles is no longer around to read this for us. Pay close attention to the way the sentences read, lending power to the actual words.
"The Battle of Raven Kill" by Jeff Draper is another good blow-by-blow telling which kept me interested. I liked the use of the rocks to frame the tale. Really gave a lyrical feel to the end of the story.
"What Heroes Leave Behind" by Nicholas Ian Hawkins also has a lyrical conclusion. The story plays with your expectations of a typical tale of a legendary warrior and an impressionable youth but quickly moves beyond the archetypes. I really felt the age-fullness of Tolasun throughout the story, much as I feel my own through the day! Instead of being a cranky archetype, he was real and this is probably what is legendary about this story.
By this point in the book, I was figuring I should be hitting a clunker but it was not to be. While the demon sword in "Fatefist at Torkas Nahl" by David Pitchford was not the focus of the story, it was my favorite part.
"Deep in the Land of the Ice and Snow" by Ty Johnston is a prequel tale for a character that figures in a trilogy the editor mentions. Unfortunately, he does not mention any titles or details of the trilogy. Mores the pity as the prequel whets my appetite. The story moves along nicely in a smooth loping style not unlike the gait of a wolf moving silently through a forest. Do you think there might be some wolves in this story? You would be right. This smoothness is great after the very tense preceding stories. Good job of story placement by the editor.
"Mountain Scarab" by Jeff Stewart made me feel like I was reading Burroughs. There is a leering brute and a plucky girl and a Conan-like bandit. I loved it.
"The Lair of the Cherufe" by Angeline Hawkes continues the Burroughs feel much to my delight as someone leaps on the back of a lion. Well, not really a lion except for the body. Tarzan had it easy since he did not have to deal with a Manticore. Ripping Good Fun.
"To Be A Man" by Robert Rhodes is a curious tale. It is a unique tale with a very strong moral core. Adventure tales are filed with killings; some righteous, some fiendish, some callous. This tale revolves around a murder already taken place and is refreshing in how Robert chose to tell his story. This one gets the PG rating.
"Storytelling" by E E Knight is an article about the basics of storytelling. It is a great straight-forward style guide for heroic tales and heroic writing.
"The Red Worm's Way" by James Enge is a clever tale with an unusual twist as his Morlock character is an alcoholic and knows it. Not only does Morlock fight with the evil that surrounds him but also with his alcoholism. He is truly a unique character in literature, let alone heroic fantasy.
"To Destroy All Flesh" by Michael Ehart is another tale with a moral center and an atypical scenario. (I should note that many sword and sorcery tales have morals, usually about duty and courage, so when I mention the stories having a moral center I am thinking of ones that are not usual for hero stories.) The story reads like a solid adventure story and does not get sidetracked by the uniqueness of the two main characters even though that is what it really is about.
"Guardian of Rage" by Thomas M Mackey is the creepiest of the tales. Wars, battle, and conflict changes things. This story illustrates the transformative nature of heroes as they go beyond ordinary responses to conflict and danger. You will no what I am trying to get at after having read this story.
"Claimed by Birthright" by Christopher Heath features a hero in the classic sword and sorcery vein. Brom has stoic features but flaring nostrils. This is straight ahead wizard vs. warrior and it is exciting. Well done!
"The Hand that Holds the Crown" by Nathan Meyer has royal treachery and knightly combat "...with the sharp crack of hoof hitting bone...". Need I say more?
"The Dawn Tree" by S C Bryce is a tale of a desert elf. Yes, a desert elf. If you have delved into the Flashing Swords magazine online, and I highly recommend it, you may have run into Dermanassian. This is the best of the stories to my mind. It is a world-shaking story I think you will enjoy.
"An Uneasy Truce in Ulam-Bator" by Allen B Lloyd and William Clunie features lots of sorcery and no lack of swords. It also is a fine yarn.
"The Mask Oath" is written by my favorite author that I have discovered at Flashing Swords, Steve Goble. He does a magnificent job of revealing what motivates the Faceless Son as the story plays out.
"The Valley of Bones" by Bruce Durham reminds me of "The Wyrd of War" because you are right in the trenches on the front line in the midst of battle. Very Intense.
The final story of the anthology is also the oldest. Harold Lamb is a pulp-era historical fiction and biography writer who brings ancient times to life in his writing. This story is a tale of raiders on the Volga and Cossacks on the Steppes. His stories and books are always full of interesting details such as the trampled dirt outside a tavern is called the Cossack's bed.
All around great reading wonderfully written in bold and strong voices. [...]
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For anyone who who appreciates a straight-forward adventurous tales,, January 10, 2009
I read and have read a lot of anthologies. They're great for "in-between-books-reading" and are perfect when you just want a story that you can start and finish in one sitting. Anthologies are also a great source for sampling different writers.
Jason M Waltz did a great job of picking out the stories to use for The Return of the Sword. Except for only one or two stories (even the ones that weren't particularly something to my personal taste) I found these to be very well and interestingly written.
The Return of the Sword contains twenty sword-and-sorcery tales -- too many for me to summarize and rate individually here. I'd say most of the stories fall between 3 and 4 stars, but my personal favorites -- "The Battle of Raven Kill" by Jeff Draper, "To Be A Man" by Robert Rhodes, "The Hand that Holds The Crown" by Nathan Meyer, and "The Mask Oath" by Steve Goble are each an easy 5 stars and then some. In fact, I'd buy this book for those stories alone. And I'd venture to say that most any fan of fantasy literature will find something to their liking in this book.
I highly recommend The Return of the Sword to anyone who appreciates a straight-forward adventurous tale, and I applaud the effort to present some quality sword & sorcery tales in a market where the sub-genre seems all but forgotten. I hope more publishers will follow suit and give us more new S & S books.
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