The Revenge of the Rose [Mass Market Paperback]

Michael Moorcock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

Returning to the Dreaming City, the mad albino warrior Elric hears the tortured voice of his dead father amid the catacombs of his ancestors, and must battle the forces of hell with the help of a special woman. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Moorcock returns to his most popular sword-and-sorcery series with a vengeance as he fills in the blank spaces in the life of Elric, the albino sorcerer and doomed "Eternal Champion." Elric's quest--to rescue the soul of his long-dead father by cheating the Lords of Chaos--leads him across time and space through the many worlds of the multiverse as diverse forces oppose him at every step. Moorcock's strength as a writer lies in his bold imagery and cosmic vision as well as in his ability to depict characters that are both larger than life and genuinely appealing. Essential for aficionados of classic heroic adventure.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Continuing Moorcock's saga of Elric the albino sorcerer prince and mercenary warrior (The Fortress of the Pearl, 1989, etc.), whose blade Stombringer devours the souls of those it slays. This time out, a dragon brings Elric before the ghost of Sadric his father; Sadric requires Elric to locate his soul, now reposing in a rosewood box in a far distant land, and restore it to him--or Sadric's ghost will be welded to Elric with horrid consequences. During his quest Elric will discover an ally, the mysterious warrior princess Rose; their mutual foe will be Charion, the undead agent of Chaos. Matters are complicated by the constant interference of the dangerous contending demons Arioch and Mashabak. Before he finally restores Sadric's soul, Elric learns that most of what occurs is motivated by Rose's vast scheme to revenge herself upon Charion for destroying her people. Long on philosophy and chat, short on plot and action; annoying, too, is the way the narrative slips from past to present tense and back, to no discernible purpose. A disappointing installment, seemingly cobbled hurriedly together from ill-matched parts. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ace (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441001068
• ISBN-13: 978-0441001064
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,161,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in London in 1939, Michael Moorcock now lives in Texas. A prolific and award-winning writer with more than eighty works of fiction and non-fiction to his name, he is the creator of Elric, Jerry Cornelius and Colonel Pyat, amongst many other memorable characters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Questions answered and new questions posed, June 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Revenge of the Rose (Mass Market Paperback)

I really didn't have as much of a problem with the "talky" format of this book. After all, Elric tends to be a pretty contemplative guy. It filled in some background for me on Elric and his father,Sadric, which was welcome. Although we hear about Sadric in other books this is, as far as I know having read everything, but the Fortress of Pearl, the only time we see him in action. This book also provided some background on how Melnibone came to be what it was, as well as clarifying where its citizens may have come from. I liked seeing a female character, the Rose, who is quite capable of taking care of herself, who aside from Myshella Emporess of the Dawn and maybe Queen Yishana, tend to be absent from the other books. I'd like to see more stories in the future covering her other adventures.I love Wheldrake,as well, perhaps because I am a writer myself, albeit a definite amateur. He asked some of the questions I would ask and made some of the comments I would make, if I were able to talk to Elric. I also related to his poetic ramblings, being prone to them myself, and other aspects of his personality. I actually like the narrative style of this book better than the style of the earlier books, it seemed richer somehow. I would recommend reading it, but only if you've read at least the first few books, just to get an idea of the nature of Stormbringer, which is Elric's sword, the concept of the multiverse, and who, or what Elric's patron is and the relationship of the rulers of Melnibone to chaos. Chronologically, although not in order of publication, Revenge of the Rose follows book 4: Bane of the Black Sword.

As a further note, there is a mistake in the Kirkus review. The agent of chaos is named Gaynor the Damned, not Charion. Charion is a clairvoyant whom Elric and his companions meet in the Gypsy Nation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Elric so far, October 3, 2000

By 

Shane Tiernan (St. Petersburg, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Revenge of the Rose (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm currently reading _Stormbringer_ so I can't say anything about that book but this is my favorite Elric book out of the other 7. It's not as pulpy because it was written as a novel, not as short episodes for a magazine and the gypsy caravan was absolutely ingenious. Rose was cool too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It just didn't seem the same, October 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Revenge of the Rose (Mass Market Paperback)

Elric has always been my favorite of the Champions. This book just didn't seem the same as the earlier ones, though. Of course, I've changed a lot since then, too. This one seemed overly contemplative, and Elric was too conveniently whisked through the multiverse to keep the plot together. Also lacking in action, and the final battle seemed a formality.