Fantasy Books
Dark Muse News: Anna Smith Spark’s A Sword of Bronze and Ashes
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, September 12, 2023, FLAME TREE PRESS (Cover illustration by Broci)
Welcome to more Dark Muse News. This post reviews Anna Smith Spark’s A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. It was released in September 2023 (Flame Tree Press, cover illustration by Broci) and is the first book of the series The Making of This World: Ruined. The sequel, A Sword of Gold and Ruin, was recently published in October, 2025.
Anna Smith Spark is known as the Queen of Grimdark, a moniker she acquired with her Empires of Dust series. You can expect the same poetic brutality here. Her style and approach are very unique but are reminiscent of Tanith Lee. Literary wording may keep you distanced as a reader, but the raw emotion expressed throughout is so real that it makes the fantasy feel real, too. We interviewed Anna Smith Spark in 2019 – Disgust and Desire as part of our Beauty in Weird Fiction series, where she revealed all sorts of muses and inspirations. That year, we hosted a Q&A Session at Gen Con; there, she, John O’Neill, and I showed off our footwear (link); Anna’s footwear won hands down!
Anyway, this post reviews the book, offers excerpts, and explains a few new blurbs we posit:
- A Sword of Bronze and Ashes could easily represent Hellblade 3: Family Edition!
- If Lewis Caroll’s Alice lived within Little House on the Prairie, infected by Silent Hill, you would experience A Sword of Bronze and Ashes!
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes combines the fierce beauty of Celtic myth with grimdark battle violence. It’s a lyrical, folk horror high fantasy.
Kanda has a good life until shadows from her past return threatening everything she loves. And Kanda, like any parent, has things in her past she does not want her children to know. Red war is coming: pursued by an ancient evil, Kanda must call upon all her strength to protect her family. But how can she keep her children safe, if they want to stand as warriors beside her when the light fades and darkness rises?
Introducing Ikandera Thygethyn (Kandra)Kandra is the dominant protagonist. She is haunted by memories of her mythological past. At first, it seems she is an unreliable narrator, perhaps a mentally ill one, whom her family, and you as a reader, must trust simply because she is mom. The antagonizing forces do not just affect her, though, and the family embarks on a quest for sirvavil together. This is really fresh stuff. How often have you read a book with these qualities:
- Female protagonist… not a warrior like Jirel of Joiry or Marcel’s Black Widow, but a mother living in a remote homestead
- She is aging… not in her young prime
- Having an identity crisis… not a confident heroine, but one full of doubts and insecurities, fighting memories and dreams
- Accompanied by her family (three young daughters and a passive, farmer husband)… not a sword-wielding buddy or party of four adventurers
As surely as Kandra wrestles with aging and her identity evolving, she must endure watching her children become independent as they all confront supernatural horrors. Kandra is battling with self-talk and arguments with ghosts. She was once a warrior, but now she is an old mother. Check out Kandra’s description of herself in the Excerpts below. Strangely, I was reminded of Kate McKinnon’s performance on Saturday Night Live with her Gifts from Mom skit, where she plays the stereotypical apologetic, insecure mother. This book is far from comedy, but Kandra is definitely dealing with similar emotions.
Kandra, with her husband Dellet, has three daughters: the oldest is Sal, who is empathetic and quieter compared to the middle child, Calian. Calian is spunky and channels similar powers as her mom; her coming of age as a de facto apprentice sparks much parental grief. The youngest, Morna, offers an innocent perspective and vulnerability.
The mystery of what Kandra did/experienced before marrying Dellet is carefully revealed chapter by chapter. It is tough for her and her family to discern fantasy from reality. Some spell casting is traditional, but one particular mechanic really plays with your mind. As Kandra’s horrors and past threaten her family, she protects them by telling stories. Somehow, the act of storytelling literally creates a shieldwall against lingering nightmares. The implication is wildly fantastic: fiction protects people from supernatural horrors that are becoming real!
If Lewis Caroll’s Alice lived within Little House on the Prairie, infected by Silent Hill, you would experience A Sword of Bronze and Ashes!Millieu
I am not a native of England or Wales, but as an outsider, the setting screams Celtic and Welsh vibes. Actually, with the potentially psychotic Ikandera Thygethyn in the lead, with disembodied voices and haunting memories stalking her across the Hall of Roven and the mountainous Mal Amwen, I was reminded of the video game series from Nija Theory, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Saga. That game series features Senu, a Pict warrior, on a haunting journey to Vikingesque Helheim to save her lover’s sou known for highlighting mental health through auditory and visual hallucinations, brutal combat, and perception-based puzzles. Rumor has it that a third game is in the works, and there is no reason to think Anna Smith Spark is involved (thought that would be cool); however, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes could easily function as Hell Blade 3: Family Edition. Think of Senua going through the same horrors, facing similar sword battles, but with a family in tow!
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes could easily function as Hellblade 3: Family Edition!Excerpts: Kandra Describes Herself:
“I wet myself when I laugh too hard, Geiamnyn, I have stretch marks from my armpits to my kneecaps, every other month my bleed is so heavy I should strap a cauldron between my legs. You forgot to mention those things. I’m sure my husband could tell you more about me, if you ask him, I sweat in my sleep so the blanket needs washing, I snore, I fart in my sleep, sometimes I piss and fart when I come.” – p103
Fighting with a Family in TowKandra’s sword clashed against the faceless woman’s white blade. The woman too shrieked in joy. White fire crashed around them, the shock of it crashed through Kandra. So long. Too long. A vast shape rising before her, tall as the sky, all she could see. Arms of white fire, wings of white fire, a sword of fire, a crown of gold flames. She saw it with her eyes closed and burning. She tried to raise her sword, her arms were on fire, her sword was melting, glowing, the bronze glowed and dripped. She could hear the children screaming. through pain she lashed out, felt the blade meet and open long-dead bloodless flesh. “Dellet!” she screamed. “Dellet, get away. The children, Dellet!” -p23
Weird Conflict & MeleeKandra came to meet the [a “hodden”, think scarecrow with a horse skull]. The broken sword was out, the sword met the stone hand with a stroke so mighty chips of stone flew up. It towered over her, the length of its wooden arms was twicethe twice the length of her sword blade. She spun back, hacked low at its legs. Her sword caught its left leg and sank into it, sending out a shower of rotten wood dust. It neighed, its teeth clacked. A flint hand came down heavily against the shoulder, pain blossomed, she twisted away drgggin the sword out. She tried not hear her family’s cries as they saw she was bleeding. She staggered, struck again. Harder! Harder! A shower of wood dust that made her choke. Splinters of rotten wood in her mouth. Now Kandra gagged and rethced. The hodden lumbered forward, smashed Kandra sideways. She grasped its arm, the wood crumbling under her hand, driving splinters into her skin… -p52
Sequel just arrived October 21, 2025: A Sword of Gold and Ruin Cover BlurbThe sequel to the masterpiece folk horror high fantasy A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, a lyrical blend of epic myth and daily life.
Kanda and her family are on a quest to rebuild the glory that was Roven. Mother and daughters stand together as a light against the darkness. But mother and daughters both have hands that are stained red with blood. They walk a path that is stranger and more beautiful than even Kanda dared imagine, bright with joy, bitter with grief. Ghosts and monsters dog their footsteps – but the greatest monsters lie in their hearts.
Anna Smith Spark is a critically acclaimed, multi-award short-listedgrimdark epic fantasy novelist. She writes lyrical prose-poetry about war, love, landscapes, and war. Her writing has been described as ‘a masterwork’ by Nightmarish Conjurings, ‘an experience like no other series in fantasy’ by Grimdark Magazine, ‘literary Game of Thrones’ by the Sunday Times, and ‘howls like early Moorcock, converses like the best of Le Guin’ by the Daily Mail. Her favourite authors are Mary Renault, R Scott Bakker and M. John Harrison
S.E. Lindberg is a Managing Editor at Black Gate, regularly reviewing books and interviewing authors on the topic of “Beauty & Art in Weird-Fantasy Fiction.” He has taken lead roles organizing the Gen Con Writers’ Symposium (chairing it in 2023), is the lead moderator of the Goodreads Sword & Sorcery Group, and was an intern for Tales from the Magician’s Skull magazine. As for crafting stories, he has contributed eight entries across Perseid Press’s Heroes in Hell and Heroika series, and has an entry in Weirdbook Annual #3: Zombies. He independently publishes novels under the banner Dyscrasia Fiction; short stories of Dyscrasia Fiction have appeared in Whetstone Amateur S&S Magazine, Swords & Sorcery online magazine, Rogues In the House Podcast’s A Book of Blades Vol I & II, DMR’s Terra Incognita, the 9th issue of Tales From the Magician’s Skull, Savage Realms Magazine, and Michael Stackpole’s S&S Chain Story 2 Project.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Spotlight on “The Optimists” by Brian Platzer
Other LitStack Spots Along with this book in our LitStack Spotlight, our interests have been…
The post Spotlight on “The Optimists” by Brian Platzer appeared first on LitStack.
Categories: Fantasy Books
The Conan novels of John Maddox Roberts
The Conan novels of John Maddox Roberts (Tor Books, 1985-1995). Covers by Boris, Ken Kelly, and Julie Bell
The name John Maddox Roberts (1947 – ) first came to my attention as a writer of Conan sword & sorcery pastiches from Tor. He wrote eight, and when I talk to other REH fans Roberts’ name is almost always listed near the top of the Conan pastiche writers.
Of the pastiches that were published by Tor between 1982 and 2004, I’d have to agree, although I like the earlier pastiches by Andy Offutt and Karl Edward Wagner better.
Roberts’ pastiches were:
Conan the Valorous — 1985 (Boris or Les Edwards cover)
Conan the Champion — 1987 (Ken Kelly cover)
Conan the Marauder — 1988 (Ken Kelly cover)
Conan the Bold — 1989 (Ken Kelly cover)
Conan the Rogue — 1991 (Ken Kelly cover)
Conan and the Treasure of Python — 1993 (Julie Bell Cover)
Conan and the Manhunters — 1994 (Ken Kelly cover)
Conan and the Amazon — 1995 (Ken Kelly cover)
Some quick notes on the books. I’ve read all but The Champion, which I don’t own. There’s some confusion about the Conan the Valorous cover. My copy lists Boris as the artist inside but there’s no signature and it doesn’t look like Boris to me. Another source claims Les Edwards as the artist and I suspect that’s correct.
As for plots and details, Conan the Rogue is a retelling of A Fistful of Dollars, which was a retelling of Yojimbo, a Samuri movie by Akira Kurosawa. Overall, Roberts’ Conan is more controlled and less impetuous than REH’s Cimmerian at this early time in his career. However, Roberts catches the “barbaric” strain of the character better than any of the other TOR pastichers.
All the TOR Conans are a little too long, including these. That’s probably not the authors’ fault, since I imagine they had pretty specific word counts to hit. I think that sword and sorcery works best at novella length.
The Falcon series by John Maddox Roberts (Signet, 1982-1983)
Years before I read my first John Maddox Roberts Conan pastiche, I read a violent series about a crusader named Draco Falcon, written by an author named Mark Ramsay. This was certainly not Sword & Planet, nor even Sword & Sorcery. It was/is historical fiction in the tradition of Harold Lamb and Talbot Mundy, though with a bit more adult content. It featured a young knight named Draco Falcon who returns from a crusade to the Holy Land to seek vengeance on those who betrayed him there.
Mark Ramsay turned out to be a pseudonym for John Maddox Roberts. The four books in the series, all from Signet, are:
The Falcon Strikes, 1982
The Black Pope, 1982
The Bloody Cross, 1982
The King’s Treasure, 1983
I was unable to find any information about the cover artists. They look as if they could have all been done by the same person.
Signet certainly intended to continue the series. In the back of Book #4 is a teaser chapter for a Book #5, which was to be entitled Greek Fire. It never happened and I don’t know why. I wish it had. The series has the feel of authentic history (exaggerated, of course), and is quite brutal and full of battles. Draco himself is a Conan type figure, although less of a loner.
King of the Wood by John Maddox Roberts (Tor, April 1986). Cover by Kirk Reinert
I have several more of Roberts’ books in my collection and will probably get around to reading them one day. The only other one I’ve read is King of the Wood, which is an alternate history in which North America has been settled by Vikings, Mongols, and other old-world populations. I classify it as sword & sorcery and liked it pretty well.
Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for us was a review of Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer. See all of his recent posts for Black Gate here.
Categories: Fantasy Books
7 Author Shoutouts | Authors We Love To Recommend
Here are 7 Author Shoutouts for this week. Find your favorite author or discover an…
The post 7 Author Shoutouts | Authors We Love To Recommend appeared first on LitStack.
Categories: Fantasy Books
The City in Glass - Book Review
The City in Glassby Nghi VoWhat is it about:A demon. An angel. A city that burns at the heart of the world.
The demon Vitrine—immortal, powerful, and capricious—loves the dazzling city of Azril. She has mothered, married, and maddened the city and its people for generations, and built it into a place of joy and desire, revelry and riot.
And then the angels come, and the city falls.
Vitrine is left with nothing but memories and a book containing the names of those she has lost—and an angel, now bound by her mad, grief-stricken curse to haunt the city he burned.
She mourns her dead and rages against the angel she longs to destroy. Made to be each other’s devastation, angel and demon are destined for eternal battle. Instead, they find themselves locked in a devouring fascination that will change them both forever.
Together, they unearth the past of the lost city and begin to shape its future. But when war threatens Azril and everything they have built, Vitrine and her angel must decide whether they will let the city fall again.
The City in Glass is both a brilliantly constructed history and an epic love story, of death and resurrection, memory and transformation, redemption and desire strong enough to burn a world to ashes and build it anew.
What did I think of it:I love the The Singing Hills Cycle books by Nghi Vo, so wanted to give something else by Vo a try.
And got my heart stepped on and broken in the most devastatingly beautiful way.
This book is so gorgeously written. The imagery, the stories, the doomed city, I fell in love with Azril even where I didn't have it in me to love Vitrine. With all her passion and love for the city, Vitrine was too selfish to be the heroine in this story even as both she and the angel are changed by their connection. Instead she's the catalyst, the heart of Azril for better or worse.
All in all this is both a wonderful story and one I will not easily pick up for a reread, although it will definitely get a spot on my keeper shelves.
Why should you read it:It's hauntingly beautiful.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Book Review: How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva
Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Orbit (January 20, 2026)
Length: 384 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva is very clearly designed to be a comfy popcorn type read, so I’ll keep that in mind while I review the book in order to give it a fair shake. Given the title, the riff on the movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days should also be obvious, with the story unapologetically borrowing from rom-com traditions like clashing personalities and forced proximity before the inevitable happy ending. And while this concept didn’t end up being a slam dunk, I can easily see it working better for readers in the right mood for something cozy, light, and deliberately low-stakes.
The story follows Pansy, a young halfling who inherits her late grandmother’s cottage and is quite eager to prove her independence to her parents by moving into it. When she gets there, however, she is dismayed to find the home already occupied by Ren, an exiled goblin who tells her that in fact they are the rightful owner of the land. Using the key to the property that her grandmother had passed down to her, Pansy refutes this claim, and thus the two arrive at an impasse. With no one willing to back down, they decide to stay at the cottage together while each trying to drive the other out, with the understanding that whoever gives up first relinquishes their claim.
From there, the book dives headfirst into the romantic comedy playbook, as Pansy and Ren both start coming up with schemes that steadily escalate. But living in such close quarters also forces them to confront their assumptions about one another, as well as the cultural differences that shape how they see the world. Despite herself, Pansy begins to sympathize with Ren’s reasons for being so attached to the cottage, and Ren eventually learns why Pansy is so determined to make it on her own. What started as a struggle between rivals gradually transforms into something far more tender and intimate, though it remains complicated by the very different worlds they come from.
Given its premise, the plot is intentionally familiar, and so is the setting. The world-building is charming enough, but also somewhat broad. Sylva relies heavily on readers’ knowledge of fantasy archetypes and tropes, trusting it to do most of the work for her, particularly when it comes to filling in the gaps around the lore, cultures, and appearances of various creatures. While this makes the world easy to settle into, it also means that world-building isn’t as rich as it could be, specifically lacking in depth and detail.
That said, this book is a cozy fantasy through and through, and it goes all in on those vibes. The tone has an almost Disney fairytale-esque simplicity to its conflicts and resolutions, bludgeoning you with its messages of acceptance, co-existence, and challenging prejudice. Heartfelt and sincere these messages may be, they can also at times feel trite and repetitive, to the point where it sometimes feels like reading a picture book that has been stretched far beyond its proper length and welcome.
Still, at the end of the day, this is not a story interested in moral gray areas so much as emotional reassurance. Pansy and Ren make for an endearing couple. Their dynamic may follow a painfully predictable trajectory, but it is also genuinely sweet. The relationship unfolds exactly as expected for this kind of story, which will likely be a selling point for readers looking for coziness rather than surprises. For me, this made the pacing feel slower than necessary, but I concede that it also suits the book’s quiet, gentle approach.
Ultimately, How to Lose a Goblin in 10 Days presents itself as a pleasant and cozy read that personally didn’t quite click with me, but I appreciated its romantic comedy inspirations and the confidence with which it carried out the premise. Recommended for readers with more interest in low-stake fantasy and cute, whimsical romance.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Dave Hook on The Island of Dr. Death and Other Stories and Other Stories by Gene Wolfe
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (Pocket Books, June 1980). Cover by Don Maitz)
It’s still January, which means I haven’t yet abandoned my ambitious New Year’s Resolution to get caught up on my favorite blogs. I started with Rich Horton’s excellent Strange at Ecbatan, and this week I’ve been spending time at Dave Hook’s book blog A Deep Look by Dave Hook.
As the name implies, Dave spends his time on his reviews, with deep dives that usually include a lot of biographical information and entertaining anecdotes. His recent reviews include looks at David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer’s groundbreaking 2002 anthology The Hard SF Renaissance, Alastair Reynolds’ 2021 collection Belladonna Nights and Other Stories, and a long-forgotten SF anthology from 1954, Sam Moskowitz’s Editor’s Choice in Science Fiction.
With all that (and much more) to choose from, the piece I started with was of course his review of Gene Wolfe’s first collection, one of the most famous science fiction collections of the 20th Century, The Island of Dr. Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (and no, that’s not a typo), first published by Pocket Books in June 1980.
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories includes all three tales in Gene Wolfe’s Archipelago sequence, the Nebula-nominated title story and two ‘sequel’ novellas, unrelated (or are they?) except for the reordered natures of their titles.
“The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories” (Orbit 7, June 1970) – Nebula nominee
“The Death of Dr. Island” (Universe 3, October 1973) – novella, Nebula and Locus Award winner, Hugo nominee
“The Doctor of Death Island” (Immortal: Short Novels of the Transhuman Future, May 1978) – novella
It also includes three other novellas, including Nebula nominee “The Eyeflash Miracles,” and Hugo and Nebula-nominated “Seven American Nights.” Here’s the rest of the TOC.
“Alien Stones” (Orbit 11, October 1972)
“La Befana” (Galaxy, January-February 1973)
“The Hero As Werwolf” (The New Improved Sun, September 1975)
“Three Fingers” (New Constellations: An Anthology of Tomorrow’s Mythologies, November 1976)
“Feather Tigers” (Edge, Autumn/Winter 1973)
“Hour of Trust” (Bad Moon Rising, 1973)
“Tracking Song” (In the Wake of Man, August 1975) – novella
“The Toy Theater” (Orbit 9, October 1971)
“Cues” (The Far Side of Time, 1974)
“The Eyeflash Miracles” (Future Power, April 1976) – novella, Nebula nominee
“Seven American Nights” (Orbit 20, March 1978) – novella, Nebula and Hugo nominee
One of the things I appreciate about Dave is that, in keeping with his ‘deep dive’ philosophy, he researches what other notables have said about his selections. Here’s Rich Horton on “Tracking Song,” in a comment on a 2011 Jo Walton post at Tor.com on the 1976 Hugo Nominees.
And the best novella of the year, ignored either because it was in an Elwood anthology or because that anthology, regardless of editor, just wasn’t that much seen, was another utterly amazing story by Gene Wolfe: ‘Tracking Song.’ That would be my choice, at this remove, for the best novella of 1975.
And Gardner Dozois on “The Hero as Werwolf,” commenting on the same article.
In novelette, ‘The Borderland of Sol’ is a weak winner. The clear winner for me here is ‘The Hero as Werewolf,’ one of my favorite Wolfe stories; I liked it better than ‘Tracking Song,’ which I liked, but always got the uneasy feeling from that I didn’t really understand it (Michael Swanwick and I once sat down and spent about an hour trying to puzzle out what was really happening in ‘Tracking Song,’ and ultimately failed).
Ah, the enigmatic appeal of Gene Wolfe. It’s comforting that, at least at times, Gardner Dozois doesn’t have any more success than I at deciphering Wolfe’s fiction.
Dave includes his usual well-researched commentary, and eventually gets around to a few brief comments on the stories themselves. Here’s a taste.
When The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories was released in 1980, Gene Wolfe was a major, happening author for both novels and short fiction that a lot of people were paying attention to. It finished fourth in the Locus Best Single Author Collection Award for 1981. My overall average rating… is 3.76/5, or “Very good.” I loved reading several stories that were new to me, and enjoyed all but one. Recommended, with one caveat.
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories, an Archipelago short story. I enjoyed this fantasy about a child whose life comes to interact with several characters from literature, perhaps inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells. Great characters, love the writing. On latest reread, “Great” on reread, a lot of fantasy and rather meta fiction, perhaps, and substantial drug abuse. I love Wolfe’s afterword in The Best of Gene Wolfe: A Definitive Retrospective of His Finest Short Fiction, where he tells the story of Isaac Asimov mistakenly attempting to give him the Nebula Award for this story when he was a Nebula Award finalist for it. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great.”
“Alien Stones,“ a novelette. An interesting story of space and exploring an alien ship, with both ships giant, with crew way spread out, and with artificial intelligence. This story was new to me, and I am glad I read it. Rated 3.7/5, or “Very good.”
“The Death of Dr. Island,“ an Archipelago novella. A great story, inspired by a comment by John Jakes from when Asimov mistakenly announced Wolfe a Nebula Award award winner for “The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories.” Jakes said, “You know, Gene, if you’d just write ‘The Death of Doctor Island’ now, you’d win.” The protagonist is a therapy patient in the outer system who has been transported to a satellite where therapy will occur. He meets two other patients and Doctor Island, an AI. One of them dies to heal the other, and the protagonist is very changed. This is quite a story; I don’t see how I missed reading this before. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great.”
“Tracking Song,” a novella. A superb story of a person who has substantial amnesia in a post-human world, with cyborgs and many related human-like sapients and a few frozen robots. He goes on a journey, and discovers things. One hell of a story, definitely great early Wolfe. I was surprised that this story had no award nominations. Rich Horton suggested this was because of Roger Elwood as editor, and the Elwood anthology was not seen much (see above for quotes by Horton and Dozois). Gardner Dozois liked it also but not quite as much, and also mentioned not really understanding the story. I agree with Dozois that at the end I am not really sure I understand the story either, but I love it. Granted that it’s a 60 page (estimated) novella, but I am surprised this has only been reprinted in this Wolfe collection and in German and Croatian anthologies. Rated 4/5, or “Great.”
Read Dave’s complete review here, and check out his excellent blog A Deep Look by Dave Hook.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Teaser Tuesdays - Six Scorched Roses
The first time I met death, it was in my first breaths - or rather, the first breaths I didn't take. I was born too small, too sickly, too quiet.(page 3, Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent)---------
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Categories: Fantasy Books
Book review: Goth the Wanderer by Raymond St. Elmo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Raymond St. Elmo is a programmer of artificial intelligences and virtual realities, who has no time for literary fabrications of fictitious characters and world-building. And yes, that was meant to be ironic.
A degree in Spanish Literature gave him a love of Magic Realism. Programming gave him a job. The job introduced him to artifical intelligence and virtual realities; as close to magic as reality is likely to get outside the covers of a book. And yes, that was meant to be cynical.
The author of several first-person comic-accounts of strange quests for mysterious manuscripts, mysterious girls in cloaks whose face appears SUDDENLY IN THE FLASH OF LIGHTNING. And yes, that was meant to be dramatic.
Publisher: Raymond St. Elmo (January 18, 2026) Page count: 181 pages Formats: ebook, paperback
I'm always looking to see what Raymond St. Elmo creates next. I dig his imagination and playful turn of phrase. Goth the Wanderer is, I think, his shortest book, and it’s pretty unique.
It has a strong Alice in Wonderland vibe. Except, Goth has a long knife, a battle pack, is hard-headed, bossy, brave, and likable. She sets off on a quest to recover her stolen shoe and quickly gathers companions, forming what becomes the Questers of the Shoe. Along the way she’s joined by a conversational wolf, a ghost girl, a candle that talks (mostly in exclamations), and a Very Large Mouse, who is absolutely not a rat. At some point even the shoe thief herself joins the party, which complicates things nicely.
Because it’s short and light on stakes, Goth the Wanderer reads quickly. As expected from the author, the ideas and imagery are vivid and odd, and the tone sits comfortably in cozy-adjacent territory. Don’t expect epic consequences or world-shaking revelations. Do expect wild imagination, whimsical writing, and the pleasure of watching a bossy eleven-year-old charge boldly into the unknown. The story maintains dreamlike wonder with just a hint of menace.
While it works as a standalone, expect nods to the previous Wanderer stories. Night Creep, for example, plays an important role here. The author’s own drawings appear throughout. They're simple, slightly rough, but they suit the book perfectly.
In short, Goth the Wanderer is imaginative, odd, and fun. A bold little quest with strange companions and unlikely places led by a girl who refuses to wait for permission.
Categories: Fantasy Books
ON SUNDAYS SHE PICKED FLOWERS by Yah Yah Scholfield
Yah Yah Scholfield’s On Sundays She Picked Flowers marks her impressive debut. It is a novel about perseverance, generational abuse, race, and shapeshifting creatures. It is part horror, part southern gothic and has the surreal, magical feel of a fairy tale. It is an arresting, powerful debut, in other words. In this sinister and…
Categories: Fantasy Books
Strange Horizons Roundtable on Influence
This week is the 2026 Strange Horizons Criticism Special, which includes a new essay and review every day, a podcast, an editorial, and a roundtable: “Giving Permission: A Roundtable on the Obscurity of Influence” with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, Charles Payseur, Daniel A. Rabuzzi, and me. You can read the entire discussion here. Here’s a bit about the overall premise from the preamble: “We were seeking to identify a score or so authors who defy easy classification, whose unique style and/or […]
The post Strange Horizons Roundtable on Influence first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Spotlight on “The Ghost Women” by Jennifer Murphy
Other LitStack Spots Along with the book in this LitStack Spotlight, we’ve also spotted a…
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Categories: Fantasy Books
Echoes of Insurrection – T. A. White
Echoes of Insurrection Series: The Firebird Chronicles #6 Published by T.A. White on January 14, 2026
With the alien scourge responsible for the greatest war in humanity’s history in full retreat, Kira Forrest anticipates a few months of rest and relaxation while she and her found family recover from their ordeal.
Her hard earned peace is cut short when an attack on the Great Houses reveals cracks in the very foundation of the empire. When blame is laid at the feet of Kira’s birth house, she will have to find the true perpetrators quick if she wants to protect her new home and everyone within it.
Her hunt will lead her to strange planets and ultimately a place anchored in her past. With the balance of power in a tension fraught universe at stake, Kira will have to decide what is most important to her. The love that sustains her or the safety of all she holds dear.
War isn’t just coming. It’s already here.
Pages: 679 Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction / Romance / Science Fiction, Fiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera
Format: eBook ISBN: 1230009628021
By: T.A. White
Also in this series: Rules of Redemption, Age of Deception, Threshold of Annihilation, Facets of Revolution, Trials of Conviction
Also by this author: Age of Deception, Threshold of Annihilation, Facets of Revolution
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Another outstanding entry from T. A. White and a standout in one of my favorite series. This installment is an action-packed page-turner that is difficult to put down. I strongly recommend reading the series in order, as the story relies heavily on established characters and world-building; without that background, readers may feel lost. The book concludes with a light cliffhanger—just enough to leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Wolf Worm - Early Book Review
Wolf Wormby T. KingfisherWhat is it about:The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects, or hope. When the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor, Halder’s wife? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”
With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a dark road full of parasitic maggots that burrow into human flesh, and that his monstrous experiments may grow to encompass his newest illustrator as well.
What did I think of it:New Nightmare Unlocked!
I'm not a fan of bugs and other creepy crawlies at the best of times, so knowing this book had parasitic maggots I went in with the expectation of being squicked out.
Turns out I was both squicked and freaked out by this book!
I loved the buildup, the setting, and the characters. Sonia (as all of Kingfisher's main characters) was easy to root for, and I could not put the book down, even (or especially) during the more icky scenes.
Kingfisher brilliantly weaves entomology with myth creating a horrifically awesome story that I most certainly will reread, even though it has given me new nightmares about insects.
Why should you read it:if you are as squicked out by insects as I am, this is the perfect Horror for you!
Expected publication March 24, 2026
Categories: Fantasy Books
Five Things I Think I Think (January, 2026)
It’s been quite a while since I’ve shared some Things I Think. Since I just jumped back down the Castle rabbit hole, and finished off the associated Nikki Heat books, I had the basis for this column. And away we go!
Nathan Fillion was a big name on the nerd convention circuit (you know I was a nerd way back when it got you laughed at in school) due to the cult favorite, Firefly. He’d had some attention in more mainstream things such as Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place, but in 2009 a buddy cop show launched him to stardom. He was Richard Castle, a James Patterson-like writer who works with NYC detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). It’s an odd couple pairing, with the immature Castle constantly annoying the professional driven Beckett.
I like a drama buddy cop show with humor, and Castle is one of the best. There are some over-arching story-lines, and even a big cast change. Humor, original crimes, good cast: this show worked. I’m on season two of my first-ever re-watch, and this is still a favorite show. It holds up, and Fillion really shines. It’s got more humor than his current hit show, The Rookie, which I also watch.
The show ran eight seasons, with viewership trending downward, as is often the case in long-running ones. But it got to where Fillion and Stanic were not even speaking off camera. It was abruptly announced that the show would continue without Katic – only Fillion. Not long after that, it was canceled outright. Several Castle co-stars have appeared on The Rookie. Katic has not been one of them. But you can’t go wrong watching Castle.
2 – HOW ABOUT NIKKI HEAT?
So, on the show, Richard Castle is a thriller writer. He achieved fame with novels about Derrick Storm, a spy-type stud. He kills off Storm in season one, and begins writing about a hot, tough, NYC detective named Nikki Heat. And she’s openly based on Beckett.
Tom Straw, writing as Richard Castle, turned out three Derrick Storm novels, and ten Nikki Heat books. There were also short stories, and graphic novels in the mix.
The Heat novels are essentially like bonus episodes of the show. It’s easy to envision Stana Katic as Heat, and Nathan Fillion as Jameson Rook. The book characters aren’t exact duplicates of the TV show, but pretty similar. The books hit a ‘jump the shark’ period in books eight and nine, but recovered. There were crossovers with Storm, and it was a bit much. But I think any Castle fan will enjoy Nikki Heat.
3 – GRIM DAWN IS PRETTY COOL
I played a TON of Diablo 1, and 2, back in the day. I replaced Diablo with Titan Quest, a really cool ARPG I got many hours on. I finally got around to D3, last year. I liked it well enough. I set aside the Reaper of Souls expansion, however. I then bought Titan Quest II in early access. TQII set aside it’s proprietary engine to use the Unreal Engine. It looks pretty, but it doesn’t have the charm of TQ1.
Which makes it somewhat ironic that I abandoned Titan Quest II, for Grim Dark. The 2016 ARPG was built using the Titan Quest 1 engine, by some former developers of TQ1. And I am enjoying this game far more than I was TQ2.
It’s a mix of pre-Victorian, horror, alien, cowboy, fantasy settings. Which all combine pretty neat. I have a large axe for melee, and a two handed musket for ranged. You can make some decisions with limited impacts on the storyline. Which is pretty railroad. But I like rr. There are side quests, as well as bounties from different factions, so you an mix things up.
You multi-class at level 10, so you can tailor your character to play a couple different ways if you want. Point-and-click games don’t capture me the way they did in D1 and D2 days. But I’m pretty into Grim Dawn. I was looking for something after LA Noire, and this is working for me. Leaving Reaper of Souls, and Titan Quest 2, on the shelf.
4 – AUDIOBOOKS COUNT AS READING
This is a distinction mostly made by obnoxious twits, who want to argue semantics. I am not going to use the term ‘consume books’ so that doofuses who wanna expound on the difference between seeing/reading, and listening.
Yes, reading is a specific experience. But for purposes of enjoying a book, ‘reading’ is a generic term, unless you want to specify a difference. People who get into ‘the listening experience is different’ are exhausting. Like so many on social media.
In January, I finished 9 audiobooks, 4 physical books, and 2 e-books. I would not have been able to get to those nine books, ‘reading.’ 7 of the 9 were first reads. I’d have completely missed out on those.
I just block people who start on about this. It’s not even worth arguing.
5 – DOUGLAS ADAMS WAS A TREASURE
I re-read the first two books of The Hitchchiker’s Guide, listened to audiobooks of them, listeneed to the entire radio series, and continue to listen to the BBC radio plays of the two Dirk Gently novels. And Douglas Adams never grows old for me. The latter Hitchchiker’s books are uneven, for well-documented reasons.
But Adams’ works age well. He had an insatiable curiosity about many things, along with keen insights. I will never outgrow Adams, or Terry Pratchett. I’m going to do a regular column on Aams quotes. Mostly his real life – not his book characters. Douglas Adams wass a rare treasure for our lifetimes. The Black Gate Landing Page, for Adams.
Prior Ten Things I Think I Think
Four Things I Think I Think (May 2025)
Six Things I Think I Think (March 2025)
Ten Things I Think I Think (January 2025)
Ten Things I Think I Think (December 2024)
Nine Things I Think I Think (October 2024)
Five More Things I Think: Marvel Edition (September 2024)
Ten Things I Think I Think: Marvel Edition ( September 2024)
Five Things I Think I Think (January 2024)
Seven Things I Think I Think (December 2023)
Talking Tolkien: TenThings I Think I Think (August 2023)
A (Black) Gat in the Hand: Ten Things I Think I think (August 2023)
5 More Things I Think (March 2023)
10 Things I Think I Think (March 2023)
Bob Byrne’s ‘A (Black) Gat in the Hand’ made its Black Gate debut in 2018 and has returned every summer since.
His ‘The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes’ column ran every Monday morning at Black Gate from March, 2014 through March, 2017. And he irregularly posts on Rex Stout’s gargantuan detective in ‘Nero Wolfe’s Brownstone.’ He is a member of the Praed Street Irregulars, and founded www.SolarPons.com (the only website dedicated to the ‘Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street’).
He organized Black Gate’s award-nominated ‘Discovering Robert E. Howard’ series, as well as the award-winning ‘Hither Came Conan’ series. Which is now part of THE Definitive guide to Conan. He also organized 2023’s ‘Talking Tolkien.’
He has contributed stories to The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories — Parts III, IV, V, VI, XXI, and XXXIII.
He has written introductions for Steeger Books, and appeared in several magazines, including Black Mask, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, The Strand Magazine, and Sherlock Magazine.
You can definitely ‘experience the Bobness’ at Jason Waltz’s ’24? in 42′ podcast.
Categories: Fantasy Books
My Top Thirty Films, Part 2
Silent Running (Universal Pictures, March 10, 1972)
I’ve had a little think about my favorite films, and what makes them my favorites. As you will see, my choices are on the whole rather fluffy, but these are the films that I return to time and time again for comfort, or as a way to reset my brain. I’d be very interested to find out if any of my favorites align with any of your own – please let me know in the comments below!
Read Part 1 here. Without further ado, in no particular order, and no ratings (because they are all 10s), let’s get cracking!
Taxi Driver (Columbia Pictures, February 8, 1976)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Who’s in it?
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Cybill Shepherd
What’s it about?Travis Bickle (De Niro) is a Vietnam Vet, suffering from PTSD, driving a cab for a living, and growing increasingly detached from reality day by day. He lives alone, on a diet of cornflakes and scotch, and writes in his diary the thoughts that trouble him nightly; the state of the New York City streets, the perceived inhumanity of its residents, and brief phrases and idioms to live his life by.
When he meets Betsy (Shepherd), a campaign assistant for a presidential candidate, he is fascinated by her, and attempts to take her on a date. The failure of their unformed relationship is due to his social awkwardness and choice of venue (an adult film theatre). Rejected by Betsy, he falls further into delirium as he becomes obsessed with ‘saving’ a child prostitute (Foster) from her pimp (Keitel). His mental breakdown concludes in the botched assassination of the candidate, and the successful liberation of the young girl in a bloody shootout.
Why do I love it?Everyone remembers their first Scorsese, and this was mine. It is still my favourite Scorsese film, and the fella has made quite a few good ones (sarcasm)!
Taxi Driver is an utterly dreamy film for me, not in the gossamer nightgown and watercolour pastures sense, nor in the David Lynch stream of consciousness sense, but more of an intangible mosaic of sound and light and shadow. Just thinking about it now, having not actually watched in over a decade, I can see the neon-drenched streets and hear the melancholy wail of Herrmann’s brass (my favourite score of his, completed mere weeks before his death).
I fell in love instantly with Cybill Shepherd and wanted to take her out for a coffee and apple pie with a slice of cheese (which still seems utterly alien to me), although I had a hard time separating Jodie Foster from Bugsy Malone. De Niro’s raw performance, years before he became a facsimile of himself, is hypnotic, and although I couldn’t possibly identify with him, I could certainly empathise.
There are so many quirky elements in this film that add to the dreamstate; the afore-mentioned cheese slice, corn flakes and scotch, custom wrist holsters, and Bickle’s own reaction to pornography, and these have all lingered with me like half-forgotten personal memories.
Silent Running (Universal Pictures, March 10, 1972)
Silent Running (1972)
Who’s in it?
Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint
What’s it about?In the future, all of nature on Earth has been eradicated by the advancement of humanity, and the last remaining forests, along with a clutch of animals, have been sent into space in vast geodesic domes attached to giant star freighters. The custodians of these last biomes are a motley bunch of blue-collar workers, including an obsessive biologist who seemingly prefers nature over humans, Freeman Lowell (Dern), and a trio of robotic gardener drones, Huey, Dewey, and Louis. When the order comes through to destroy the habitats (for ‘business’ reasons), Lowell flips and turns on his crewmates, determined to keep the forests alive.
Why do I love it?There have not been many films that made me blub uncontrollably at the end (Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) is one of them), but when Joan Baez’s ‘Rejoice in the Sun’ kicks in as we watch Dewey, the last surviving drone, caring for a little garden with Lowell’s old watering can, the waterworks inevitably begin. It’s an ending both depressing and profoundly optimistic, and caps off a truly groundbreaking hard sci-fi flick that paved the way for many cultural touchstones, not least R2-D2, the stoned bomb operators of Dark Star (1974), and the crew of the Nostromo.
Following Star Wars, little me devoured any and all science-fiction I could find, and Silent Running felt like one of the few ‘realistic’ settings; less catsuits and rayguns, more industrial grime and hardware. It certainly helped that director Douglas Trumball shot many of the interiors in a real-life decommissioned aircraft carrier, the USS Valley Forge, blending the claustrophobic corridors and cabins with stunning, large-scale, greeblie-heavy spaceship models, and the talented performers, all bilateral amputees, imbued the little drones with so much character that they became more than machines, they were the characters that we empathized with the most. A stunning film.
Re-Animator (Empire International Pictures, October 18, 1985)
Re-Animator (1985)
Who’s in it?
Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbott, David Gale
What’s it about?VERY loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft’s 1922 novelette “Herbert West – Reanimator,” this version features West (Combs) as a brilliant, obsessive, young scientist who has developed a glowing green serum that can reanimate dead things.
Having secured a spot as a medical student at the famed Miskatonic University, West ropes his fellow student, Dan Cain (Abbott) into a series of experiments that soon grow wildly out of control. When one of the professors, Dr. Hill (Gale) learns of West’s discovery, he covets it for himself, but soon falls foul of West’s vengeance. However, death doesn’t stop him from continuing his quest to steal not only the formula, but Dan’s girlfriend, Megan (Crampton), and he literally unleashes bloody hell upon the university in his efforts.
Why do I love it?The first of Brian Gordon’s utterly bonkers reinventions of Lovecraft classics (see also From Beyond (1986), Castle Freak (1995), and Dagon (2001)), Re-Animator popped onto the scene when I had just hit 18, and was one of the first legitimate ‘adult’ certificate films I went to see. I was already frothing at the mouth having had the film’s insane effects teased by Fangoria magazine, but I really wasn’t prepared for the sheer sticky madness of the whole affair. Not only was it gory as all heck, but the gore itself was used in such an imaginative and hilarious way, that it altered my brain chemistry forever. Remember, this is a kid who grew up with the horny grue of Hammer films, so I was used to a little more restraint in the bloodletting (barring the occasional The Thing (1982) highlight).
Re-Animator however decided to not just disembowel someone, but then had their reanimated entrails loop out and grab someone, it had a headless corpse steady its own head by slamming it onto a desk paper spike, the undead are dispatched with bone saws. Of course, much of this visceral lunacy would be turned up to 11 in the better of the two sequels, Bride of Re-Animator (1990), but this film was the O.G. — the one that kicked off my passion for over-the-top gore, and my enduring infatuation with Barbara Crampton.
Jaws (Universal Pictures, June 20, 1975)
Jaws (1975)
Who’s in it?
Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
What’s it about?When the sleepy seaside town of Amity Island in New England is rocked by a shark attack, the local sheriff, Martin Brody (Scheider), must contend with the town mayor who wants to keep the beaches open for the 4th of July, while trying to convince the townsfolk of the very real danger of stepping into the ocean. A failed shark hunt leads him to recruit a student oceanographer, Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss), and a grizzled seadog, Quint (Shaw), in a last desperate attempt to destroy the toothsome terror before it can do more snacking.
Why do I love it?In this complete list of favourite movies, I would argue that all of them are fantastic, but only a handful of them are perfect. Jaws is undoubtedly one of the perfect ones.
My dad (in one of his rare moments of doing something cool with me) took me when I was 9 to see Jaws in the cinema. This was in the first week of release, when the hysteria hadn’t quite kicked in yet, and it had an ‘A’ certificate (the UK equivalent of a PG film), shortly before it was recertified to ‘AA’ (no one under 14 allowed). Naturally it scared seven colours out of me, especially old Ben Gardner’s noggin popping out of the boat hull.
Later that year we holidayed in Cornwall, and I recall the sheer panic when someone yelled “Shark!” at the beach and the sunburned throng erupted from the surf, mimicking a scene from Spielberg’s masterpiece. We did indeed see a dorsal fin, but it was probably a basking shark, harmless. We don’t get great whites off the English coast. Still, it was a lovely snapshot of the ongoing shark obsession that had gripped the world, and a perversely happy memory for me.
Jaws is a regular watch for me, it’s one of those comfort films that I can put on and just wallow in the mastery of all concerned; the stellar cast, the music, the cinematography, and Spielberg’s supernatural blocking skills. The film means so much to me, and has been present in key moments in my life — my early introduction to horror, as a learning tool in film school, as a teaching tool for my own son. I think I’d like it to be one the last things I watch before finally shuffling off. Guess I should be making plans.
Starship Troopers (TriStar Pictures, November 7, 1997)
Starship Troopers (1997)
Who’s in it?
Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Neil Patrick Harris, Dina Meyer
What’s it about?The future expansion of the human race has brought us into contact with a highly-evolved alien insect species, which is now hellbent on destroying our planet. The war with the ‘Arachnids’ is ongoing, and the world government, run by a fascist corporation born from the ashes of a failed democracy, puts military service above all else. Only through fighting for your planet can you truly be perceived to be a citizen, and thus embrace the benefits that come with that status.
Into the fray is thrown Johnny Rico (Van Dien), a blond-haired, blue-eyed jock who doesn’t quite have the smarts for officer material, but is a good fit for the fodder known as the General Infantry. Rico enlists partly to impress his crush, Carmen (Richards), but is fully onboard after his parents and home town are destroyed in a bug attack. Once thrust into the brutality of close combat with the Arachnids, all that remains is for Rico to try to survive each encounter, save his friends, and eradicate the bug menace once and for all (spoiler alert — two out of three ain’t bad).
Why do I love it?The third in the holy Verhoeven trilogy, following Robocop (1987) and Total Recall (1990), and although I love the others equally, Starship Troopers is the one I’ve returned to the most times (and that’s saying something).
For all of my inherent anti-war feelings, I am always completely swept away on a jingoist wave of blood lust when this film gets going — much like rooting for the Colonial Marines when a swarm of xenomorphs is advancing. Nothing beats this film for sheer, bombastic military mayhem, and yet at its core are some sneaky anti-fascist themes, sandwiched between the violent layers like warm syrup in a stroopwaffle. Verhoeven’s great at this, he did something similar with Robocop, and here he manipulates (let’s face it) a Beverly Hills soap cast in a savage deconstruction of the military machine and Robert A. Heinlein’s alleged right-wing fantasies in his original 1957 novel on which this film is based.
But enough of my pseudo-analysis of themes, what really probes my brain bug are the effects, stunning for the time and further proof that for the best CG effects you need to place them in the hands of a traditional artist. Phil Tippett’s bugs still hold up today — it’s hard not to marvel at the swarms of Arachnids thundering across the rocky plateaus on their way to slice and dice the hopelessly outnumbered soldiers. Add to this spectacle some of the best military vehicles ever put on screen, gnarly animatronic gore, and Michael Ironside shoving his metal fingers into a hollowed out bonce and growling, “they sucked out his brains,” and you have the recipe for a damned good time. POPCORN, STAT!
Previous Murky Movie surveys from Neil Baker include:
My Top Thirty Films, Part 1
The Star Warses
Just When You Thought It Was Safe
Tech Tok
The Weyland-Yutaniverse
Foreign Bodies
Mummy Issues
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Monster Mayhem
It’s All Rather Hit-or-Mythos
You Can’t Handle the Tooth
Tubi Dive
What Possessed You?
See all of Neil Baker’s Black Gate film reviews here. Neil spends his days watching dodgy movies, most of them terrible, in the hope that you might be inspired to watch them too. He is often asked why he doesn’t watch ‘proper’ films, and he honestly doesn’t have a good answer. He is an author, illustrator, teacher, and sculptor of turtle exhibits.
Categories: Fantasy Books
The Problem of the Invincible Warrior: Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer by James Silke
Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer, Volumes 1-4, by James Silke (Tor Books, 1988-1990). Covers by Frank Frazetta
James Silke (1931 – ) is something of a renaissance man in the arts. He’s a visual artist and prose writer, a set and costume designer, photographer, and comic book guy. Most people who I meet recognize him as a comic artist/writer, although I’ve never read any of his graphic stuff.
I’ve seen a few of the movies he’s worked on, including King Solomon’s Mines and The Barbarians. My only experience with Silke’s writing is the four Sword & Sorcery books in the Frank Frazetta Death Dealer series.
These are:
1 Prisoner of the Horned Helmet (February 1988)
2 Lords of Destruction (January 1989)
3 Tooth and Claw (November 1989)
4 Plague of Knives (June 1990)
There’s also a book called Rise of the Death Dealer, with a Frazetta Cover (shown below), but I’ve never seen a physical copy, and from what I understand it’s not a 5th book in the series. According to Fantastic Fiction, it’s an omnibus volume that collects the first two books. Fantastic Fiction has been pretty accurate in my experience.
Frank Frazetta’s Rise of the Death Dealer, omnibus edition (Tor Books, March 2005). Cover by Frank Frazetta
As far as I understand, Frazetta provided the Death Dealer character and the covers and Silke wrote stories about the warrior, including an origin story in Prisoner of the Horned Helmet. I don’t know whether Frazetta offered any story ideas but the prose is Silke.
The series features a character named Gath of Baal, a young but powerful warrior at the beginning of the series, who acquires a horned helmet imbued with great sorcery. He doesn’t realize that once he puts it on he’ll become its prisoner and will become the Death Dealer.
I enjoyed the series quite a lot. There are some strong visuals and some bloody, gory fights. The prose is serviceable but not outstanding. There are some very modern phrasings that occasionally threw me out of the story. I was hoping for more Robert E. Howard style poetic prose but didn’t get it.
The pacing is not as fast as it could have been either, mainly because the books are too long. Cutting fifty pages out of each of these volumes would have really helped. At some point I’ll also talk about the “problem” of the invincible warrior and how it diminishes tension in a tale.
Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for us was Erich von Däniken’s Chariots of the Gods? and the Pseudoscience Bestsellers of the 1970s. See all of his recent posts for Black Gate here.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Exhilerating Escape! 6 Mind-Bending Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels
Alright, let’s talk about science fiction novels and fantasy novels, and escape reality for a…
The post Exhilerating Escape! 6 Mind-Bending Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels appeared first on LitStack.
Categories: Fantasy Books
Book Review: Twelve Months by Jim Butcher
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 18 of Dresden Files
Publisher: Ace Books (January 20, 2026)
Length: 448 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
It’s kind of wild to think it’s been almost six years since Battle Ground came out, because Twelve Months very much feels like a sequel that has been cooking quietly in the background all that time. But instead of throwing readers straight back into the action, Jim Butcher hits the brakes to bring us a Dresden Files novel that’s much more subdued and reflective. In other words, this one is very much an “aftermath story” that explores what happens after the dust settles.
The last time we saw Harry, who is now openly operating as the Winter Knight, Chicago burned as the city became the site of a full-scale magical assault which resulted in the deaths of thousands. Though the attack was eventually thwarted and the enemy defeated, this came at an enormous cost. The supernatural world has been exposed for all to see, and Harry also lost someone very near and dear to him, only barely containing his anger and grief before he did something he’d regret. Still, given his history and his increasingly erratic and risky behavior, the White Council ultimately decided to cut ties with him, leaving our protagonist more isolated than ever.
And so, Twelve Months basically follows Harry across a year of his life as he tries to regain some sense of control and normalcy while trying to manage the crushing stress caused by grief, guilt, and an endless list of responsibilities. That said, there’s no more saving the world for Harry Dresden, at least not at this time. Right now, he’s in recovery mode, putting all his efforts into healing after loss and rebuilding the support systems around him, both emotionally and physically.
Stylistically, Twelve Months is one of the more unusual entries in the series. It’s certainly different from many of the previous sequels which saw Harry facing down supernatural foes and dealing with ever escalating threats. In this, the pacing slows down, but if you think that means the stakes disappear or the story loses its momentum, think again. The conflicts are alive and well, they’re just more intimate, and the focus turns towards character development and relationship dynamics.
Because of this, I can see this book receiving mixed reviews, but personally I enjoyed the change of pace. Having some room to breathe is a good thing, not to mention it’s also more realistic. Places don’t just bounce back from the brink of utter destruction, and neither do people. A lot happened in Battle Ground leading to significant repercussions that are going to take more than a few pages to digest, and Twelve Months gives us the chance to do a deep dive into the fallout, looking at how Chicago has changed. People are scared, resources are strained, and Butcher’s storytelling here truly drives home the point that the world of the Dresden Files is, and always has been, bigger than just Harry’s personal sphere.
There’s also a noticeable shift in the way Harry interacts with the greater world around him. He’s no longer the young, brash wizard who storms into every situation with his guns blazing. It’s been more than twenty-five years since the first book burst onto the scene, and in that time, the books have seen Harry mature and become a hardened man shaped by real-world experiences and fatherhood. Of course, he’s always been a reluctant hero, but there’s a lot more people now who look up to him and depend on him, and he’s becoming increasingly aware that his actions have consequences well beyond the here and now.
In the end, I do think there’s value in having a book like this every so often, especially in a long-running series. If nothing else, it helps break up the usual pattern and to prevent monotony. In this case, Dresden Files fans got a much calmer ride than we’re used to, but to be honest, I probably wouldn’t want too many more installments in this similar vein, and I certainly wouldn’t be too heartbroken if the next one swung back towards a more action-oriented approach. I’ll even admit I was cheering inside when the end of this book finally ramped up and delivered a genuinely exciting climax and conclusion.
In the end, Twelve Months feels very much like a transitional novel, nudging the overarching plot of the series forward, but not by too much and not in any way that’s too dramatic. By this point, Jim Butcher clearly knows his audience and trusts both their patience and their investment in Harry’s journey. In a way, this also feels like a book the author himself needed to write, since I’ve heard that so much of the emotional beats in the series are often a reflection of what he’s going through and feeling in his own life. As a sequel, this one feels necessary, giving the story a chance to decompress, while also efficiently laying the groundwork for what comes next.
Categories: Fantasy Books
NINE GOBLINS by T. Kingfisher
In the scale of things fantasy, goblins since the age of Tolkien (and before actually) have tended to have a bit of a bad reputation. Seen as smelly, violent, greedy, selfish, grumpy, lazy and well, a bit dim, they’re not the first choice for literary inspiration. To this we then have T. Kingfisher’s latest novella…
Categories: Fantasy Books
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