Tarra Khash: Hrossak!: Tales of the Primal Land [Hardcover]

Brian Lumley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tales of the Primal Land | Publication Date: March 21, 2006

Classic Lovecraftian horror from one of the masters of the form, British Fantasy Award-winner Brian Lumley.

Tarra Khash is a Hrossak, a barbarian from the steppes beyond the River Luhr. A fearless adventurer, Tarra roves Theem-hdra in search of his next fortune, his next drink, and warm, willing females to share his bed. The Hrossak is a most fortunate man, for he has faced more than one god during his travels, and so far escaped unscathed . . . .

Seeking to avenge the murder of a beautiful young woman of the half-mystical Suhm-yi, Tarra joins forces with her husband, now the last of his kind. Each worships a moon-god, and together, their faith and Tarra's weapons wreak a terrible vengeance on those who stole the treasure of the Suhm-yi and destroyed that noble race.

Eager for wealth, Tarra is trapped by a wily old man who has lured him into plumbing the depths of a treasure-filled cavern guarded by golden statues of the Great God Cthulhu. Cthulhu's treasure is not easily plundered, and Tarra nearly loses his life to the monstrous forces of the Elder God.

Many men have met the lamia Orbiquita, but none have lived to tell of her extraordinary powers of love-making--until Tarra Khash, who treats her as a woman wants to be treated and so earns her forgiveness and his life. Alas, others who assume her to be weakened by love for Tarra Khash are not so lucky!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British Fantasy Award–winner Lumley pays homage to Robert E. Howard's Conan in the six fantasy tales of his second Primal Land collection (after 2005's The House of Cthulhu). Barbarian Tarra Khash wanders the world of Theem'hdra, an island continent, where he more than holds his own against sorcerers, lamias and cutthroat thieves. In the opener, "Treasure of the Scarlet Scorpion," Tarra carries a stash of rubies from the scorpion god. From long exposure, Tarra is immune to the creature's sting; not so his doomed jailer, Nud Annoxin, when the god comes to call. In contrast to this baldly told tale is the poignant "Told in the Desert," in which an entire race faces a tragic end. These entertaining, unpretentious stories in the pulp tradition show Lumley at his relaxed best. (Apr.)
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Review

"Lumley deserves a wide audience among those who love Anne Rice . . . John Grisham . . . and Stephen King."--VOYA


"Since reading Lumley's "Necroscope" series, I know that vampires really do exist!"--H. R. Giger

"Lumley excels at depicting heroes larger than life and horrors worse than death."
--Publishers Weekly

"Lumley is obviously very bright, articulate, and in possession of an incredibly wild imagination."--Rapport

"Lumley uses language deftly to conjure his alien universe."--Publishers Weekly

"I'm impressed with Lumley's talent. He's obviously one of the best writers in the field."--John Farris

"An accomplished wordsmith, Lumley wields a pen with the deft skill of a surgeon, drawing just enough blood to titillate without offending his readers."--The Phoenix Gazette

"Lumley's strength is in his jovial voice, a diction that dominates the narrative. Lumley's love of his pulp-horror subjects is gleefully apparent. He revels in every telling detail, in stories-within-stories and convoluted histories."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Whether humorous or atmospheric and chilling, Lumley's tales are delightful."--Booklist

"For fans of Brian Lumley and anyone who enjoys Lovecraft. Well written, displaying Lumley's skill at world building."--Midwest Book Review on Harry Keogh: Necroscope and Other Weird Heroes

"A faithful tribute by veteran fantasist Lumley to horror author H.P. Lovecraft. A good addition to most libraries' horror collections and a title with special appeal to fans of the Cthulhu mythos."--Library Journal on Beneath the Moors and Darker Places

"Nightmarish in a manner obviously inspired by Lovecraft . . . long hard to find in the US. Lumley succeeds at spine-chilling creepiness. Juicy indeed--worthy additions to the mythos and the horror genre alike."--Booklist on Beneath the Moors and Darker Places

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765310759
• ISBN-13: 978-0765310750
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,490,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Lumley is the author of the bestselling Necroscope series of vampire novels. An acknowledged master of Lovecraft-style horror, Brian Lumley has won the British Fantasy Award and been named a Grand Master of Horror. His works have been published in more than a dozen countries and have inspired comic books, role-playing games, and sculpture, and been adapted for television. When not writing, Lumley can often be found spear-fishing in the Greek islands, gambling in Las Vegas, or attending a convention somewhere in the US. Lumley and his wife live in England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second Book in the Tales of the Primal Land, May 9, 2006

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarra Khash: Hrossak!: Tales of the Primal Land (Hardcover)

Brian Lumley has won many awards for his writing, with very good reason. He is a master storyteller, knowing how to create characters, plots and good old fashion tales of horror that just flat out entertain. And while his stories are often promoted as being in "the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft," his voice is truly his own. The six tales within this book are seamlessly integrated so that they can be read as a novel, rather than as a collection of short fiction. They tell of the Hrossak Terra Khash, a fearless barbarian adventurer who roams Theem'hdra in search of women, drink and his next fortune. Nothing terribly complex here, just good stories--well told. Recommended.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong fantasy collection, April 4, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarra Khash: Hrossak!: Tales of the Primal Land (Hardcover)

With the exciting first fantasy tale, readers will quickly understand why Brian Lumley is an award winning author whose fans are fanatical about his work. The six tales that make up this anthology all occur in the Primal Land and star fascinating barbarian Tarra Khash as he roams from one epic sword and sorcery adventure to another on the island continent of Theem'hdra. Each contribution is a strong entry that enables the reader to feel they accompany the antihero on his escapades as Tarra seeks fortune, and females with drink to fill in the in between time, but often faces evil sorcerers, nasty demanding gods, and murderous thieves who seem easier to confront in combat vs. some of the women he shares his bed with. Fantasy readers will enjoy this compilation that feels like a cross between Howard and Lovecraft and will want to journey with Tarra on his previous exploits in the Primal land (see THE HOUSE OF CTHULHU).

Harriet Klausner

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent saga, August 18, 2007

By 

Matthew H. Williams - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarra Khash: Hrossak!: Tales of the Primal Land (Hardcover)

Without spoiling, Tarra Khash is a name and Hrossak is sort of a race.
Several stories are told. 2:30 A.M...I have got to go to sleep!
I finish it the next morning.
Although I am a huge Lumley fan, this genre is not my usual read.
Oh my!!!!! Not to bore you, but I have a small shelf in my home
for books which I plan to read again. It's there. I simply cannot wait to
immerse myself again, in the Golden Krakens, then old King Fregg, or the Lamia! You will not be sorry.