This review is a Writing Repository original.

Old Gods and Other Tales

By Scott Oden – Independently Published – August 28, 2025

Review by Robin Marx

Old Gods and Other Tales is an independently published collection of eleven short stories by Scott Oden. While he has attracted a following in the Sword & Sorcery scene for fantasy work including the occasional Conan the Barbarian pastiche (i.e., the “Conan the Unconquered” novelette that accompanies Funcom’s video game of the same name; Conan: The Shadow of Vengeance, part of Titan Books’ Heroic Legends line) and his outspoken admiration of Conan’s creator Robert E. Howard, Oden’s first love is the “Heroic Historical.” Some of his creations are straight historical fiction (e.g., Men of Bronze, while others marry Earth’s distant past with the fantastic (e.g., the Viking orc trilogy THE GRIMNIR SAGA). Pulse-pounding action, particularly against overwhelming odds, is a prominent element in Oden’s work and Old Gods and Other Tales offers readers a representative look at the thrills he has to offer.

The collection opens with “The Prince of Cups,” one of the more overtly Sword & Sorcery-oriented stories. Tisias the Crow, a flamboyant gambler/thief/duelist is hired by the playwright Barzentes to steal back a seditious play ill-advisedly given to the elite courtesan Pythonike and seal her lips permanently. Tisias is reluctant to resort to murder, however, and decides to put another one of his specialties to use in assisting Barzentes. Tisias is a rakish and fun character, and the glimpses readers receive of both the magic and Old Stamboul city setting are intriguing.

“The Lion of Montgisard” is a straight historical fiction tale, recounting the Battle of Montgisard between Saladin’s army and the vastly outnumbered forces of the leper king Baldwin IV. Set in the same historical period and sharing several historical personages, fans of the 2005 Ridley Scott movie Kingdom of Heaven are likely to enjoy this story; it’s even narrated by Balian, who was portrayed by Orlando Bloom in the film. “The Lion of Montgisard” delivers the sort of desperate, against all odds, stirring adventure that is Oden’s forte. While certainly authentic for the period, the frequent “God wills it!” battle cries land a little uncomfortably in 2026, given the attempts of Christian nationalists (notably US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has a “Deus Vult” tattoo) to revive it as a racist, far right rallying slogan. Oden is obviously not responsible for America’s current debased political climate, however, and what we see of the Crusaders’ opposition feels as humanizing as space and the intense life-or-death circumstances allow.

Three of the included stories in this volume focus on Martin Kestrel, a playwright in a fantasy-tinged Elizabethan London in which the Queen has diplomatic relations with the fey folk. As “A Stage by Any Other Name”—Kestrel’s first appearance—begins, one of Kestrel’s scripts has gotten him into political trouble with Gresham Drake, an influential moneylender and occultist backed by a secret society called the Brotherhood of the Silver Thorn. Drake hopes to eliminate the thorn (no pun intended) in his side by selling off Kestrel’s considerable debt to Lady Ravenna, the cold and intimidating Faerie Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth’s court. Kestrel must use his wits and silver tongue to keep his demanding new patron happy while outmaneuvering his foes. While the premise is interesting, “A Stage by Any Other Name” ends incredibly abruptly, feeling more like a chapter than a complete story. Fortunately, the dangling plot threads are taken up again in the two follow-up stories later in the book, “The Wordsmith’s Gambit” and “The Final Performance.” Across both stories, Kestrel works to foil the Silver Thorn Brotherhood while keeping Lady Ravenna placated.

According to their introduction, the Martin Kestrel stories were born out of Oden’s desire to create a Sword & Sorcery protagonist who is a creative artist by trade. Elizabethan London with a cutthroat occult underground is a fascinating setting, and while Kestrel is an interesting and cerebral hero, the three stories felt like they didn’t quite live up to their full potential. It also seemed like Oden struggled a bit giving trying to end these stories without violent climaxes. “The Wordsmith’s Gambit” ends with Kestrel cleverly talking himself out of a dangerous situation, but the most exciting part of the story—a daring heist—takes place off-screen, handled by his associates. As a reader, that’s the bit I most want to see! While the Kestrel stories aren’t quite up to Oden’s usual standard, they’re an interesting experiment. It also feels significant that he chose to write three stories with this protagonist. Perhaps, rather than as short stories, Kestrel’s exploits would work better expanded into a full-length novel.

“The Bones Remember” starts with a wild, original, and fun premise: essentially “Whatever happened to that skeletal warrior with the octopus-emblazoned shield from Ray Harryhausen’s Jason and the Argonauts?” The story that follows is surprisingly emotional, however, as the skeleton (whose name was Meriones, we learn) reflects upon memories of the past and situations and sensations from his former life as he embarks on a mission of revenge for the theft of the Golden Fleece. I appreciated the artistry on display here, how Oden took a slightly goofy idea and made something unexpectedly moving out of it.

The collection’s title story, “Old Gods,” is another historical fantasy, this time starring a wandering 6th century Vandal named Athalaric. Athalaric violently intervenes when he encounters a beautiful woman being accosted by a mob accusing her of witchcraft. While his initial rescue is successful, the locals return later in greater numbers. Athalaric soon learns that the claims the woman Nikaia possesses preternatural powers are not unfounded, and that she comes from a very unusual bloodline. While the action and romantic elements are satisfying, the dreamy interlude felt like an awkward infodump of exposition that could have been shared more elegantly. Taken as a whole, however, “Old Gods” is still an entertaining example of historically anchored Sword & Sorcery, featuring perhaps the most Conan-like protagonist in the book.

“The Purple Shroud” takes inspiration from a fantastic situation, Conan violently seizing the throne of Aquilonia from King Numedides, and relocates it to the Byzantine Empire, with historical figures in the starring roles. Ioannes Tzimiskes infiltrates the quarters of Emperor Nikephoros Phokas with designs to assassinate him and replace him on the throne. Complicating matters is the fact that the pair were once close friends, and Ioannes is also being pressured to slay the guiltless Empress Theophano or risk losing the support of powerful allies. The meat of the story centers on the duel between Tzimiskes and Phokas, with the two crossing blades while conversing. Tzimiskes attempts to justify his betrayal, and Phokas warns him of the countless burdens of statesmanship while still selling his life dearly. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. “The Purple Shroud” boasts exciting swordplay and court intrigue, all set in a historical period mostly unfamiliar to this reader.

“The Unburied” is an ancient world zombie yarn, involving soldiers from Alexander the Great’s army struggling against the living dead upon returning to their home village. The story is well-executed, but as it boils down to bog-standard traditional zombie tropes paired with one of Oden’s trademark desperate last stands it feels distinctly familiar.

Described in somewhat unconfident terms as a “strange and experimental piece” and as preliminary work for an as-yet embryonic novel on the 12th century siege of Acre, “The Eternal Jest” consists of three linked episodes. The first centers upon Templar Jean de Montluc, one of seven men tasked with defending a gate from an army of 10,000 invaders, buying time until ships can evacuate the falling city of Acre. Ten years later, the second episode introduces us to Raoul de Montjoie, a jocular leper knight who, upon hearing of their plight while visiting a tavern, immediately takes it upon himself to rescue a group of children taken by local brigands to be sold into slavery. As with Jean de Montluc a decade earlier the odds prove insurmountable, but Raoul de Montjoie again demonstrates the amount of good a dying man can accomplish. A decade after Raoul’s death, the final episode returns to a supporting character from the first segment: Jean de Montluc’s squire and bastard son Guillaume. Now a lord in his own right, Guillaume is crippled by survivor’s guilt over his inglorious escape from Acre, bereft over the loss of his wife and sons from plague, and stricken with a chronic wasting disease. Aimless and bitter, he has a chance encounter with Miriam, one of the children freed by Raoul de Montjoie’s suicide mission a decade ago. Hearing her tale inspires Guillaume to similarly dedicate himself in service to others. The overarching core of the three-episode cycle is stated quite openly: “The strong die so the weak might live, and the weak grow strong so that they might die for others in turn.” It’s a powerful theme and one affectingly delivered. In recent years there has been much hand-wringing discussion of “masculinity in crisis,” and so many of the men most vocal about masculinity absolutely should not be listened to. They sell a profoundly insecure, intolerant, and superficial conception of masculinity that diminishes women, promotes pointless aggression, and pushes an infantile zero-sum view of society and interpersonal relations. In contrast, “The Eternal Jest” is a showcase for healthy masculinity. What can be manlier than being a protector? A steadfast bulwark shielding those in dire need? The world isn’t divided up into Alphas and Betas, heroes and zeroes. Guillaume is weak and powerless when we first meet him, but through Jean’s sacrifice (and former victim Miriam’s sage guidance!) Guillaume is allowed to grow into a hero himself. “The Eternal Jest” is the most moving and impactful tale in the book. It should have been the title story.

Have you ever been talking with a friend and, out of the blue, they say something incredibly revealing, vulnerable, and poignant? And then that friend, realizing that they may have gotten a little too real, rushes to defuse the moment with a joke? That’s what readers get with the final story in the book, “Three-Tabbed Doom.” Chad of Poughkeepsie, employed at Mediocre Mutual Insurance, frees his comrades from tyranny by striking down (in Office Space fashion) the evil HP LaserJet 4200 that oppresses them. It’s a silly bit of fluff. Not unentertaining but placing it immediately after “The Eternal Jest” feels like an act of self-sabotage on Oden’s part. Come on, man. You were real with us readers for a moment there, and this is how you’re going to leave us?

Minor quibbles aside, Old Gods and Other Tales is an excellent microcosm of the work of an underacknowledged author. While his Sword & Sorcery stories are entertaining, he seems most confident with the real world as his foundation; historical fantasies and the more grounded Heroic Historicals are where he truly shines. Adrenaline, overwhelming odds, and desperate last stands are his forte. Old Gods and Other Tales was awarded the 2026 Costigan Award for Literary Achievement by the Robert E. Howard Foundation.

Old Gods and Other Tales is available as an ePub directly from the author, and in Kindle and paperback formats from Amazon.

#WritingRepositoryOriginal #BookReview #Fantasy #SwordAndSorcery #HistoricalFantasy #HistoricalFiction #OldGodsAndOtherTales #ScottOden

This review originally appeared at the New Edge Sword & Sorcery blog on July 8, 2024.

Hurled Headlong Flaming

By Matt Holder – Spiral Tower Press – April 29, 2024

Review by Robin Marx

It is the year 1291 and the coastal Mediterranean city-state of Acre is under siege. After cutting a bloody swath through the Levant, the tide has turned against the European Crusaders. They find themselves surrounded by the Mamluk Sultanate and losing their foothold on the Holy Land. Traumatized by the insanity of the times and desperate to intervene, an unnamed Bishop begs the assistance of Islamic scholar and mapmaker Yaqut al-Hamawi. The cataclysm foretold in the Book of Revelation appears to be rapidly approaching, and the Bishop seeks sacred texts that may help humanity better cope with the tumult to come. To reach the otherworldly library housing the sacred texts, the Bishop must embark on a harrowing–in both the conventional and theological senses of the word–journey into the mythic underworld, risking both his body and soul.

Matt Holder’s HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING is the debut release from Spiral Tower Press’ newly established Keen Blades imprint. The publisher of WHETSTONE: AMATEUR MAGAZINE OF SWORD AND SORCERY, Spiral Tower Press also seeks to use Keen Blades to release new and original works of briskly paced fantasy adventure, specifically focusing on novella-length tales “that test the boundaries of what sword and sorcery can be.” In his introduction, editor Jason Ray Carney cites the “psychocartographic” nature of HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING as one of the novella’s core attractions. Like John Milton’s PARADISE LOST and Dante Alighieri’s DIVINE COMEDY before it, HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING blends a spiritual journey with a tour of various otherworldly locales. Unlike with a more conventional fantasy travelogue, these places are not to be taken merely at face value; they are often laden with additional significance, either imbued with allegory or providing object lessons for the pilgrim.

While the prelude and coda take place in the human realm, the underworld journey at the heart of the novella is divided into three distinct parts. During “Part I – The Matter of War,” the Bishop undergoes a symbolic rebirth, emerging naked and scorched into the underworld. Before long he is pulled into brutal conflict with a variety of opponents of vastly differing physiques, some human in form, others unmistakably demonic in nature. Recalling al-Hamawi’s advice, the Bishop must fight until he is “fluent,” shedding enough blood to attract the attention of powerful demons able to aid him in his quest. This first section of the book is visceral and relentless, showing a man of the cloth demolishing every obstacle in his path. Despite this section’s relatively brief page count, Holder delivers an epic, operatic montage-style depiction of the chaos of war.

Abandoning the limited third-person perspective of Part I, “Part II – The Matter of Truth” abruptly shifts to a Socratic dialogue-style format. Having successfully gained an audience with powerful demons, the Bishop must prove himself worthy of admission into the infernal city that houses the library he seeks. Three demons compel the Bishop to give a persuasive lecture on the nature of authority and truth. While conducted in a more genteel manner than the previous blood-drenched section, Holder gives the sense that this is merely a battle of a different sort.

“Part III – The Matter of Taking” marks another drastic transition in prose style, this time adopting a first-person epistolary presentation in the form of pages from the Bishop’s journal. Plunged into an infernal city of obelisks and blackened glass, a “churning cauldron of flesh” populated by both human souls and demons alike, the Bishop must orient himself and find a path to the library. “This place will not let you leave until you have completed your labors,” the Bishop is admonished, and he is forced to endure more hardship and despair en route to the library.

The extreme shifts in tone and prose style across the three parts of the underworld journey are disorienting, but this feels intentional. Even with the benefit of his initial coaching from al-Hamawi, the Bishop is constantly forced to react to unexpected developments and threats. Swiftly moving from gritty war epic to philosophical debate to claustrophobic horror, each presented with a different perspective, also cleverly serves to keep the reader on the back foot.

For what is ostensibly a spiritual journey, HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING is profoundly concerned with the flesh. The Bishop is not allowed to cleanly and luminously flit from scene to allegorical scene as an incorporeal soul. No, the Bishop is very much confined to his physical form. Over the course of his journey he is scraped, burned, pierced, torn, raked, abraded, bruised, lanced, and gouged. His corpus is constantly soiled with blood, sweat, dust, filth, and other distasteful stains. Although the underground imbues him with supernatural resilience, every footstep of progress he makes is nevertheless paid for in blood and perspiration. While he is still preoccupied with questions of sin and spiritual salvation, both the Bishop and the reader are constantly reminded of the fleshly vehicle he uses to navigate the underworld. This felt like a calculated rejection of philosophical dualism. Holder seems to suggest that the body and the soul cannot be separated, you carry your body and its weight with you. Even in Hell, a twisted ankle is a setback.

HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING succeeds in fulfilling Keen Blades’ stated objective of pushing the boundaries of Sword & Sorcery. The battle mayhem of Part I and the bizarre cityscape of Part III showcase deliver the kind of exciting martial action and phantasmagorical imagery present in much of the best Sword & Sorcery fiction. But the novella also demonstrates a pensiveness uncommon in the subgenre, however. Michael Moorcock’s stories often toy with philosophical themes, but it’s difficult to imagine him dedicating a third of a book to a Socratic dialogue. Otherworldly journeys figure prominently in C.L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry tales, but without the Middle Ages-flavored religiosity of HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING. Rather than core Sword & Sorcery fans, I would be quicker to recommend this book to readers who enjoyed the grimdark medieval horror of Christopher Buehlman’s BETWEEN TWO FIRES. HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING may sit uneasily in the Sword & Sorcery category, but the grit, fast pace, propulsive action, and hallucinatory imagery are likely to appeal to S&S fans, nonetheless.

#ReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #SwordAndSorcery #HistoricalFantasy #DarkFantasy #Grimdark #HurledHeadlongFlaming #MattHolder #NewEdgeSwordAndSorcery #NESS

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 9, 2015.

Bridge of Birds

By Barry Hughart – Del Rey – April 12, 1985

Review by Robin Marx

Set in mythic China, Bridge of Birds is a picaresque fable with similarities to The Princess Bride, the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Jack Vance's tales of Cugel the Clever. While it starts off with a rather simple premise—involving a search for a magical medicine for afflicted village children—the book's final chapters reveal that the entire story was no simple MacGuffin fetch quest, but in reality something far more original and carefully constructed.

All of Hughart's characters, including the crafty scholar Master Li Kao and earnest bumpkin Number Ten Ox, are well-drawn and appealing, if generally amoral. The heroes are Magnificent Bastards in a corrupt world. Still they manage to do a tremendous amount of good in between heists, swindles, and the occasional murder. The setting is colorful as well, encompassing both the exotic and decadent heights of the imperial lifestyle and the grubby desperation of the peasant class. The book hand-waves historical accuracy, set in “an Ancient China that never was”, but Hughart still presents a fascinating world that I enjoyed spending time in.

Packed with cliffhangers and abrupt reversals of fortune, Bridge of Birds is (to borrow cheesy movie review-speak) a romp from beginning to end. I found myself grinning at many points during the story, and never wider than during the book's conclusion, which was thoroughly satisfying. All loose ends are tied up neatly, with characters and locales revisited in such a way that it highlights just how far we've traveled with Li Kao and Number Ten Ox. I rarely give out five stars, but this book is definitely worth sharing.

★★★★★

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #HistoricalFantasy #Mystery #HistoricalMystery #BarryHughart #BridgeOfBirds #TheChroniclesOfMasterLiAndNumberTenOx

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 3, 2022.

Hag of the Hills

By J.T.T Ryder – Old World Heroism – March 1, 2022

Review by Robin Marx

Set on the Isle of Skye around 200 BC, this heroic fantasy novel tells the story of Brennus, a young man who, stifled by pastoral village life, wishes to follow in the martial footsteps of his late father. He has an encounter with the titular Hag of the Hills, a wicked sidhe who promises that his wish will come true—but at a cost. Brennus' life is immediately thrown into chaos as mysterious invaders sweep across the island. He manages to survive the initial onslaught, but a doomed druid's final wish saddles him with a heavy burden.

This novel is exciting and action-packed, featuring plenty of both ancient warfare and bizarre encounters with the supernatural. The author has an archaeological background, and that clearly has enriched the story. Ancient Celtic customs and religion feature prominently; oaths possess an inviolable importance for the characters in the story and slaves are casually sacrificed to the gods in an effort to seek their favor. While the characters presented are largely relatable, I appreciated the occasionally alien mindset revealed by their actions.

First in a duology, this book tells a fairly self-contained story, but certain framing passages hint about a larger, more epic tale. I look forward to reading the forthcoming sequel.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #HistoricalFantasy #HagOfTheHills #JTTRyder #TheBronzeSwordCycles

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 9, 2015.

Eight Skilled Gentlemen

By Barry Hughart – Foundation/Doubleday – January 1, 1991

Review by Robin Marx

While still a pleasure to read, Eight Skilled Gentlemen hews disappointingly close to The Story of the Stone's formula. As with the last book, there's a barrage of digressions, false starts, betrayals, and red herrings. While individual scenes are invariably entertaining—one where Number Ten Ox and Master Li have to dispose of a corpse was stomach-churningly hilarious—I felt they didn't quite come together to form a single cohesive book.

That being said, Master Li and Number Ten Ox have earned a place in my heart as two of my favorite characters, and it seems a great loss that there won't be any more adventures starring them.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #HistoricalFantasy #Mystery #HistoricalMystery #BarryHughart #EightSkilledGentlemen #TheChroniclesOfMasterLiAndNumberTenOx

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 9, 2015.

The Story of the Stone

By Barry Hughart – Spectra – October 1, 1989

Review by Robin Marx

It was great to read more about Master Li and Number Ten Ox's exploits, but I can't help feeling like it didn't quite live up to its predecessor.

While Bridge of Birds is more of a traditional fantasy adventure, The Story of the Stone ends up more like a murder mystery. While investigating an apparent forgery, the protagonists come upon the scene of a killing, along with hints that the killer may be the Laughing Prince, a long since deceased despot.

The premise is interesting, but the story that follows has even more meanderings, red herrings, and side treks that Bridge of Birds. The adventures described are always entertaining—the heroes' visit to a number of the Chinese hells stands out in particular—but with so much misdirection and dead ends I found myself losing the plot at times. It turns out there's a reason for all this, revealed (in true mystery novel fashion) as a climactic twist.

Master Li and Number Ten Ox continue to entertain, but Master Li's idiosyncrasies in particular seemed somewhat muted in this novel compared to the first one. Perhaps it was due to the spotlight time given to newly-introduced characters Moonboy and Grief-of-Dawn.

The Story of the Stone didn't wow me as much as Bridge of Birds, but then again very few books do. This is still an interesting novel and very much worth a read.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #HistoricalFantasy #Mystery #HistoricalMystery #BarryHughart #TheStoryOfTheStone #TheChroniclesOfMasterLiAndNumberTenOx

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on November 9, 2014.

Marvel 1602

By Neil Gaiman (Writer), Andy Kubert (Artist), Richard Isanove (Artist) – Marvel Universe – February 9, 2010

Review by Robin Marx

Written by Neil Gaiman, this interesting miniseries introduces a world where familiar Marvel characters (Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, several X-Men) are reimagined and placed in a historical setting.

The plot itself was mostly standard fare—time-travel has led to a disruption that threatens to destroy the universe—but it was very interesting to see the Elizabethan depictions of the characters. Part of this was the fun of catching the various references to modern day characters—some more subtle than others—but much of the appeal was seeing how the various characters were interpreted. Nicholas Fury as Queen Elizabeth's spymaster and the monastic X-men worked particularly well, but the Peter Parker and Bruce Banner equivalents (at least in this series; it looks like they're brought back in the spin-offs) seemed like they were mostly around for the “hey, it's that guy!” factor.

All-in-all, this was a fresh take on the Marvel Universe, and I look forward to reading the 1602 spin-offs.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #ComicReview #HistoricalFantasy #Superheroes #MarvelComics #Marvel1602 #NeilGaiman #AndyKubert #RichardIsanove

This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on December 23, 2023.

The Doom of Odin

By Scott Oden – St. Martin's Press – December 19, 2023

Review by Robin Marx

Third and final volume in the GRIMNIR SAGA, The Doom of Odin begins where many tales would end. The year is 1347, and Grimnir—the last skraelingr (i.e., orc)—has doggedly tracked his nemesis to Rome, a dying city decimated by the black plague. After nearly 130 years of pursuit, it is there that he plans to fulfill his oath to destroy the resurrected wyrm Níðhöggr, Odin’s chosen weapon and the ancient enemy of Grimnir’s people. As he’s closing in on Níðhöggr’s lair, however, Grimnir is felled by a crossbow bolt loosed by a terrified mercenary. Just like that, a legendary warrior seasoned by a thousand years of battle is snuffed out by a single lucky shot.

Grimnir awakens in Nástrond, a grim realm at the base of the World Tree Yggðrasil. A dark mirror of the humans’ Valhalla, Nástrond is where Grimnir’s extinct people feast, intrigue, and brawl. The family reunion is an acrimonious one, however, as his parents, cousins, and myriad half-brothers despise him as an upstart outsider. The contempt is mutual, as Grimnir feels his fellows have strayed from Loki’s path, more concerned with social jockeying and establishing petty kingdoms than honing each other through constant warfare in preparation for Ragnarök. A treacherous ambush cuts short Grimnir’s afterlife, but while “slain” souls in Nástrond are typically revived a few hours later, Grimnir instead finds himself unceremoniously shunted back into the world of the living. Subsequent deaths catapult Grimnir back and forth between Rome and the Worlds Below, where he doggedly pursues his goals in parallel. In the world of the living, he continues his quest to destroy Níðhöggr and thwart the wyrm’s master, Odin. When in the afterlife, Grimnir strives to discover the source of his mysterious resilience and the role he is destined to play in the final battle of Ragnarök.

Norse mythology figured heavily in both A Gathering of Ravens and Twilight of the Gods. But while the gods and creatures of Scandinavian folklore were marginalized by the encroachment of Christianity in the first two volumes of the GRIMNIR SAGA, having so much of the final book’s action take place in otherworldly realms allows Scott Oden to pull out all the stops, delivering a phantasmagorical epic packed with Scandinavian spirits and monsters. In The Doom of Odin humans are mostly anonymous rabble rather than the central characters they were previously. Instead, Grimnir finds himself struggling against the souls of his vanquished race, fey witches, undead draugar, winged murder-crones, giants, and Odin himself. While the story is consequently less grounded in our historical world than previous volumes, the cosmic elements feel like a natural escalation at this point in the narrative. Oden creates the sense that not only is Ragnarök nigh, it’s also just two steps away.

After following Grimnir’s exploits over two books as the sole surviving skraelingr, it was fascinating seeing him thrown in among his own people. Grimnir’s cocksure bravado and casual cruelty seem ubiquitous among his kind; they act like jackals, constantly circling each other, waiting for an opening to strike. While the skraelingar clearly share a certain base disposition, their personalities are given enough nuance to keep them from feeling one-dimensional. The fierce warrior woman Skaði is a special highlight, especially after seeing Grimnir mostly interact with smaller, more fragile human women in the previous books.

Even compared to the first two volumes, The Doom of Odin revels in vicious, graphic violence. Skulls are smashed and entrails are spilt, and it’s all rendered in vivid detail. Much like the story’s stakes had been raised, it felt like the brutality had been taken up a few notches as well. This wasn’t a negative point for me, if anything it created the sense that Grimnir was truly unchained for the first time, giving in to his empowering rage in a way most works of entertainment warn against. Sensitive readers might find themselves skimming some passages, however.

A minor issue I had with The Doom of Odin is that the cast of characters is considerably larger than before, and Old Norse mythological terms more frequently encountered. There were occasions when I had trouble keeping track of who some of the minor characters were, or what a given branch of the World Tree signified. It was only upon finishing the book that I discovered that a combination glossary/dramatis personae had been tucked away in the back. This appendix would have smoothed over the few rough patches in my reading journey if only the book had drawn my attention to it earlier, perhaps in a table of contents.

Packed with world-shaking events and operatic struggle, The Doom of Odin is an immensely satisfying conclusion to Grimnir’s saga. One of grimdark’s most compelling characters gets exactly the bloody send-off he deserves. Grimnir’s tale couldn’t have ended any other way.

#ReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #SwordAndSorcery #Grimdark #HistoricalFantasy #TheDoomOfOdin #TheGrimnirSaga #ScottOden #GrimdarkMagazine #GdM

This review originally appeared at Grimdark Magazine on December 5, 2023.

Twilight of the Gods

By Scott Oden – St. Martin's Press – February 18, 2020

Review by Robin Marx

It is the year 1218, and deep in the wilds of Scandinavia there is a sense that Fimbulvetr, the final winter presaging Ragnarök, is at hand. While the Norse, Danes, and Swedes neighboring them have adopted Christianity, the isolated Raven-Geat tribe reject the so-called “Nailed God” and cling to the old ways. Though surrounded by enemies, the Raven-Geats have a protector known as the Hooded One, immortal herald of the Tangled God Loki. As Twilight of the Gods opens, hot-blooded teenage girl Dísa Dagrúnsdottir has just been chosen by the Fates to serve as the Hooded One’s new priestess. She is shocked to learn that the truculent and mercurial guardian of her people is a literal monster: Grimnir, last of the kaunr, what we would call an orc. As Dísa attempts to survive her new master’s cruel ordeals, a greater threat looms just out of sight. A haunted and deranged zealot fresh from the sack of Constantinople plots a new personal Crusade, one to exterminate the heathen Raven-Geats and unite the Scandinavian peninsula under the White Christ.

Set two centuries after the events of A Gathering of Ravens, Twilight of the Gods is the second volume in Scott Oden’s GRIMNIR SAGA. Twilight of the Gods manages to be both more intimate and more epic than its predecessor. Where A Gathering of Ravens spans more than a decade, roaming from Denmark to England and then Ireland, Twilight of the Gods mostly confines itself to the wilderness of what is now Sweden. The cast of characters is smaller, but the stakes are much higher. While the first book primarily dealt with a personal vendetta, this time a reluctant Grimnir finds himself called upon both to defend the humans he’s been parasitically lording over for generations and fulfill his role in a prophesized religious war threatening to spark the end of the world.

Twilight of the Gods is a book drenched in both grim Norse fatalism and blood & thunder heroics. The novels in the Grimnir Saga depict a North where the Old Gods are in decline. Grimnir is the last of his kind, and other once respected and feared supernatural creatures have likewise become relegated to the margins of the world or gone extinct entirely. The influence of Odin and the old pantheon wanes, displaced by the encroaching Christian faith. For Grimnir and many of the other characters in this book, there’s a pervading feeling that the war has already been lost, yet for various reasons they still gear up to fight one last glorious battle. And readers familiar with Oden’s other work, from the previous Grimnir novel to historical adventures like Men of Bronze and The Lion of Cairo, know that Oden can deliver that final battle with gusto. Simultaneously rousing and horrifying, the combats in this novel blend cinematic action with gory, gritty, down-in-the-mud struggle.

As with A Gathering of Ravens, appealing characters are another strong point in Twilight of the Gods. Oden treads a delicate line with his hero Grimnir; he must appear monstrous enough to feel like an “authentic” orc and not just a brutish costumed human, but not so repellent that the reader finds themselves unable to relate to the character or enjoy his exploits. Grimnir is bellicose, capricious, spiteful, and arrogant. He’s casually brutal and an unrepentant murderer. But he’s also an orc of his word, and never fails to repay a debt. In his dealings with humans, who Grimnir views as little more than animals, Oden also imbues him with a mischievous, amused paternalism. Grimnir may not have a heart of gold, but he’s not an outright villain, either. To preserve Grimnir’s mystique, Oden wisely provides primary viewpoint character Dísa as a counterbalance and foil. Imperfect and impetuous, and sharing more than a little of Grimnir’s arrogance, Dísa is an entertaining heroine to follow. Her undying determination is admirable, and it’s interesting to watch her learn when to push back against Grimnir and when to (grudgingly) accept his brusque guidance.

Despite the exceptional quality of the book, Twilight of the Gods had the misfortune of launching in February 2020, roughly simultaneously with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With all the societal upheaval, store closures, cancelled events, and supply chain issues that followed, I suspect unlucky timing and curtailed promotions prevented this volume from attracting the audience it deserved. Now is an ideal time to read Twilight of the Gods, however. Its conclusion will leave readers wanting more, just as more is about to arrive: The Doom of Odin, book 3 in THE GRIMNIR SAGA, is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2023.

Wholeheartedly recommended for fans of Vikings, orcs, Viking orcs, tough heroines, Scandinavian metal, and doomed battles against incredible odds.

#ReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #SwordAndSorcery #Grimdark #HistoricalFantasy #TwilightOfTheGods #TheGrimnirSaga #ScottOden #GrimdarkMagazine #GdM

This review originally appeared at the Thews You Can Use Sword & Sorcery Newsletter on December 9, 2022.

Between Two Fires

By Christopher Buehlman – Ace Books – October 2, 2012

Review by Robin Marx

In fourteenth-century France, all hell is breaking loose. War and the Black Plague have ravaged the land. Survivors live in decimated villages, suspicious of their neighbors and outright hostile to outsiders. The wealthy barricade themselves in palatial manors, ignoring the devastation outside their fortified walls and feasting like there is no tomorrow. And indeed there may not be: the devout have concluded that God has turned his face from mankind, abandoning the earthly realm to the depredations of demons from the pit.

The narrative begins with a fateful encounter between Thomas, a disgraced knight, and an orphaned girl hiding in a dilapidated farmhouse with the plague-ridden remains of her father. A scarred veteran who handled himself capably in battle yet still saw his title and holdings stripped from him through the machinations of a rival, Thomas has discarded the tenets of chivalry and turned to banditry. But when this strange, vulnerable girl turns up pleading for help, against his better instincts he allows himself to become her protector. He agrees to take her as far as the next town, but unpredictable circumstances and the girl’s prophetic and compelling visions of angels and demons spur them on a much longer journey, from the ruins of Normandy to Paris and beyond.

The odyssey that follows blends perilous and down-to-earth struggles to survive with surreal encounters with the supernatural. Billed as a medieval horror novel, much of the book adopts a decidedly “grimdark” tone, somewhat akin to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, but set in the late Middle Ages. Most characters are—justifiably—paranoid or desperate, as any stranger could be a carrier of the plague or an opportunistic brigand intent on murder and thievery. However, this gritty and earthy atmosphere gives way to a much more phantasmagorical writing style whenever Thomas and his ward come into contact with the book’s numerous supernatural threats, some demonic in the traditional Biblical sense and others verging on Lovecraftian in nature. On those rare occasions when Thomas and the girl (whose name is not revealed to the reader until surprisingly far into the book) have a brush with the sublime, Buehlman adopts a much more lyrical tone. Throughout the book the author smoothly shifts gears between these disparate styles, masterfully punctuating each scene. I wasn’t shocked to learn, after finishing the book, that Buehlman is an award-winning poet.

Another aspect of the novel that benefits from the author’s expertise is the combat scenes. Buehlman has worked with fight choreographers, trained with swords and bows, and has worked as a combat performer at numerous Renaissance Faires. This experience, coupled with the assistance of multiple medieval weaponry experts cited in the book’s acknowledgements, lends the fights in the book a vivid and naturalistic feel. Combat as presented here is weighty, brutal, and never entered into lightly. It’s about as far from swashbuckling as you can get: combatants grow tired, bystanders interfere, and a chance loss of footing is just as likely to end one’s life as a well-placed blow.

While the prose styling and robust action stand out, the most appealing element is the humanity with which Buehlman treats his characters. The hesitant, growing bond between Thomas and the girl takes center stage, but the supporting cast are also rendered with care and patience. The people that the duo come into contact with are often frightened or suspicious, or seek to take advantage, but the reader is given insight into those characters’ doubts and fears, the dire circumstances that push them to act in the manner they do. For all but the most demonic members of the cast, when a supporting character betrays or acts against the interests of the protagonists, they’re usually given an achingly sympathetic and human reason for doing so. The world is blatantly and terrifyingly broken, and they’re all doing what they can to get by.

So much of Between Two Fires deals with questions of faith, but I hesitate to label this book a Christian apologia or parable. There are physical manifestations of Biblical angels and devils aplenty, but the focus remains firmly fixed on mankind. It is a moving humanist tale, demonstrating that no angel or savior can come to the rescue without people first learning to trust, cooperate, forgive, and even love one another under the grimmest of circumstances.

Recommended to fans of grimdark fantasy or dark historical fiction. It’s a grueling journey, but the oppressive onyx storm clouds overhead hide a platinum lining.

#ReviewArchive #BookReview #Fantasy #Grimdark #HistoricalFantasy #BetweenTwoFires #ChristopherBuehlman #ThewsYouCanUse