Product Description: Return of the Sword is a brand new anthology of blood-pounding, spine-tingling stories by some of fantasy's most critically acclaimed Sword and Sorcery authors.
Stacey Berg, Bill Ward, Phil Emery, Jeff Draper, Nicholas Ian Hawkins, David Pitchford, Ty Johnston, Jeff Stewart, Angeline Hawkes, Robert Rhodes, E.E. Knight, James Enge, Michael Ehart, Thomas M. MacKay, Christopher Heath, Nathan Meyer, S.C. Bryce, Allen B. Lloyd, William Clunie, Steve Goble, Bruce Durham, and Harold Lamb present you with enough fast paced adventure to keep you reading for hours.
A hand painted, wrap around cover by fantasy artist Johnney Perkins ensures that Return of the Sword will not only be enjoyable to read, but also look good on your coffee table or bookshelf.
Too long have the halls of fantasy been dominated by packs of weak-kneed elves hunting goblins and doughty dwarves mining for gold. Return now to the days of true adventure. Unsheath your sword and enter if you dare!
For anyone who who appreciates a straight-forward adventurous tales I read and have read a lot of anthologies. They're great for "in-between-books-reading" and are perfect when you just want a story that you can start and finish in one sitting. Anthologies are also a great source for sampling different writers.
Jason M Waltz did a great job of picking out the stories to use for The Return of the Sword. Except for only one or two stories (even the ones that weren't particularly something to my personal taste) I found these to be very well and interestingly written.
The Return of the Sword contains twenty sword-and-sorcery tales -- too many for me to summarize and rate individually here. I'd say most of the stories fall between 3 and 4 stars, but my personal favorites -- "The Battle of Raven Kill" by Jeff Draper, "To Be A Man" by Robert Rhodes, "The Hand that Holds The Crown" by Nathan Meyer, and "The Mask Oath" by Steve Goble are each an easy 5 stars and then some. In fact, I'd buy this book for those stories alone. And I'd venture to say that most any fan of fantasy literature will find something to their liking in this book.
I highly recommend The Return of the Sword to anyone who appreciates a straight-forward adventurous tale, and I applaud the effort to present some quality sword & sorcery tales in a market where the sub-genre seems all but forgotten. I hope more publishers will follow suit and give us more new S & S books.
A Good collection, somewhat repetitive The Return of the Sword is the first anthology published by the newly minted Flashing Swords Press, itself the publishing arm of the formerly defunct and recently revitalized Flashing Swords e-zine. Giving itself the byline "An Anthology of Heroic Adventure" Return of the Sword is editor Jason M. Waltz's collection of 19 new stories, one classic reprint, and one article that look at the character of the hero, particularly as he appears in the sword and sorcery subgenre of fantasy. In Waltz's introduction to the anthology, he writes that "heroes continue to do the ordinary in extraordinary times and do the extraordinary in ordinary times."
The stories contained in Return of the Sword manage to show that truth in many ways, with varied success.
The anthology begins with a female protagonist in "Altar of the Moon" a story by Stacey Berg that thinks about the problems inherent in the magical weapons that heroes use. What this hero is forced to do to quell the magic in her sword may surprise you. Berg's writing is fluid, and this very short story is an interesting take on the magical weapon trope.
"The Wyrd of War" by Bill Ward is a graphic battle story. It is sad for its protagonist and the ending will wrench you heart. Ward has his protagonist make a fearsome decision, one I hope no one in this modern age must face, although I fear that in some ways it is more common than you think. The story has repercussions in the euthanasia debate. (Likely this is something the author did not foresee, but I came away thinking about it.)
"The Last Scream of Carnage" by Phil Emery uses strange word placement, replacement of quotes with italics, and a sense of raw emotion to tell the story of a heroes sacrifice. Waltz's "editors choice" it is the most groundbreaking story in the anthology. Although groundbreaking in style, I found its narrative difficult to follow and I did not enjoy this story, for all its creativity.
I also disagree with Waltz's decision to have an "editor's choice" since in reality, he chose all of the stories contained in the anthology, and to elevate one above all the rest is unnecessary and distracting. His job as editor is to choose stories readers will enjoy, not tell us which one we should like best, as our tastes are not necessarily going to conform to his. His "editor's choice" decision led to this story being the only one that is illustrated and I'd like to say I feel slighted on behalf of the other writer's who contributed work to this anthology.
"The Battle of Raven Kill" by Jeff Draper is a story of self-sacrifice. The story is one man's last stand against a horde of barbarians. Draper weaves an elegant and protracted fight scene that is thrilling to read.
Nicholas Ian Hawkins' "What Heroes Leave Behind" is about an aged warrior. Tolasun is a hero who has lived longer than his legend. Hawkins writes a believable tale about a warrior who comes full circle, and how when heroes die, there are those who will pick up the mantle. The "shadow" that is part of the story is nicely woven in, and Hawkins makes that spectre an interesting and unique foe.
"Fatefist at Torkas Nahl" is an alright tale. David Pitchford pits the leaders of three opposing armies against each other, a unique type of battle, but it was overly complex, and the Fatefist himself was inexplicably obtuse. This story was neat to read, but I turned its final page not feeling that I had really been told much of a story, just a sequence of events.
Ty Johnston delves into the hero versus fate story with "Deep in the Land of Ice and Snow". It is a story that has some of the feel of legend. Ultimately though, this story would have better served as a prologue to a larger novel or novella.
"Mountain Scarab" looks into the "knight in shining armor" story. Although in this case, the knight is less than shining, and his reasons for saving the fair damsel are unknown even to him. Jeff Stewart is reprising a character that he has used before, but he story is enjoyable and the way the protagonist wins his battle is quite different if a little too much deus ex machina.
Angeline Hawkes "Lair of the Cherufe" was the least likable story of the anthology. There are glaring plot holes in her story (such as the need for the blood of royal virgins to satiate the monster's desire. If this were true, it is unlikely the king would ever have let his daughter near the man who worshiped the monster!) It is also is two stories crammed together into one. One is about the search for a sword and the other the killing of the monster. The sword is necessary for the second to be completed, but the tale of its finding either needed to be expanded to hold more interest or done away with altogether. Hawkes also throws in new confrontations with no foreshadowing. (The guardians of the lava monster.) The story ended up being poorly written even in a subgenre that is deeply tolerant of such things as I have mentioned.
"To Be a Man" by Robert Rhodes is a little crude in its content, but it is an interesting flip-flop of the barbarian chases damsel tale. The laughs Rhodes gets for his tale are more likely ones of discomfort that true laughter. Still, it is unique and there are many men who would not have done as the protagonist did for the entire world.
A collection and expansion of some of his blog posts, "Storytelling" is a nonfiction article by E. E. Knight which has a lots of very specific tips and tricks for the budding writer. With several novels to his credit, Knight's advice is worth reading for any aspiring writer.
James Enge gives readers of Black Gate a new Morlock Ambrosius story in ""The Red Worm's Way". Though not as strong a story as those in Black Gate is still true to form and continues to entertain. New readers of Morlock should go back and read the first stories in Black Gate.
"To Destroy all Flesh" by Michael Ehart is another story with female heroes. Though this story is not particular exciting, it serves as an excellent introduction to Ehart's characters, stories if whom have recently been collected into a single volume. I was intrigued enough that I might want to read Ehart's other stories. His writing is fluid and his characters heroic with a twist.
Thomas M. MacKay looks at the use of rage by the hero in "Guardian of Rage". MacKay is using a character from other stories he has published and unfortunately what results is a character that those who have not read those prior stories can get attached to. While I applaud the protagonist's heroic actions the element of rage that MacKay introduces is not distinguishable from the standard behavior of the hero and so adds little to the story.
Christopher Heath tackles the stereotype of the "brute barbarian" in "Claimed by Birthright". Heath's story owed as lot to the Conan tales (he even uses the word "Cimmerian") but twists it just slightly to allow wit combined with brute force to win the day. Not a stand out story, but still solid and entertaining.
Nathan Meyer's "The Hand that Holds the Crown" is a story about betrayal. There is actually no clear hero, and I am a bit surprised it was included in this anthology. Still, it is a story with not one, but two surprising twists, and I enjoyed how it ended.
"The Dawn Tree" by S.C. Bryce is another story about betrayal, but this time about a hero being tricked into betraying himself. This was an excellent story, and Bryce's concept of the Dawn Tree ushering in the new epoch is creative.
Allen B. Lloyd and William Clunie's collaborative story "An Uneasy Truce in Ulam-Bator" is the only truly humorous tale in this collection. It introduces two characters that Clunie and Lloyd plan to write more about. I look forward to the stories these two will tell with this unlikely pair of companions.
Steven Goble writes a tale of a heroes driving force in "The Mask Oath". In this case, it is not revenge that drives the hero. This is a tale of the noble hero, whose heroism comes from honor, justice, and love of country. It subtly praises the characteristics we prize so highly in our own armed forces.
"Valley of Bones" by Bruce Durham is a story about the front line soldier. The heroism and selflessness displayed by the protagonist is the same we all would aspire to have in our own lives. Durham' story exemplifies how anyone may be a hero given the right motivation and the right set of circumstances, the type of hero who says that "I only did what anyone would do."
The final story in this anthology is one of Harold Lamb's Cossack historical fantasy stories. This is good story for people unfamiliar with Lamb to read to get a sense of those prolific but until recently forgotten author. Now, thanks to Howard Andrew Jones and Bison Press we can read the stories of Lamb again, or for the first time.
Overall, this anthology is enjoyable. It has some stories that are less the stellar and I have pointed them out as well as I could. Readers should also know that although this story is about heroes, it is also mostly about heroes of the sword and sorcery variety. These are the heroes who most often tend to fight for gold, women, and glory. So in some ways, the stories can get repetitious because the same tropes are encountered again and again. This does not mean that he stories are poorly written, quite the contrary, but the reader might want to break up the reading of these stories.
If you like sword and sorcery fantasy, you will like this anthology. If Conan style stories bore you or seem to simplistic, there are no stories here for you. Everyone who writes will benefit from E. E. Knight's writing suggestions, but they can be found in another form on his blog. Overall, I enjoyed the anthology and read through it quite quickly, proving to me that I was having fun. And that is what this first offering from Flashing Swords Press is meant to do. Return of the Sword is meant to entertain, and it succeeds, for the most part.
Return of the Sword "Flashing Swords Presents: The Return of the Sword" edited by Jason M Waltz
The editor says there may be "...no finer compilation of heroic tales of action and adventure..." and, at least in recent memory, he may be right. Flashing Swords Press has been trying to present and create a place for Sword and Sorcery. They have met that goal and gone beyond it as these stories are indeed fine heroic tales and are of a quality that extends beyond a genre offering.
The book has language to thrill, a wonderful cover painting by Johnney Perkins, thoughtful introductions by the editor, Jason M Waltz, an article on writing fantasy by E E Knight and too few interior illustrations.
The first story, "Altar of the Moon" by Stacey Berg fits right into the theme of the anthology's title as a sword does return. The mysterious conversation between the characters that have and will fulfill their destinies postpones the confrontation in a delightful piece of pacing.
Battle descriptions usually do not hold my attention as I usually rush through them but not here with my choice as most outstanding story. As I read "The Wyrd of War" I felt as if I was seeing a Peter Jackson film. Full of smoke and the fog of war, a very intimate and detailed soldier's experience is related. I felt driven by the momentum of fate in this elemental tale.
"The Last Scream of Carnage" by Phil Emery makes interesting use of formatting the spacing of the text which earned it the editor's choice. It is a very intense tale which would make a great radio adaptation. Too bad Orson Welles is no longer around to read this for us. Pay close attention to the way the sentences read, lending power to the actual words.
"The Battle of Raven Kill" by Jeff Draper is another good blow-by-blow telling which kept me interested. I liked the use of the rocks to frame the tale. Really gave a lyrical feel to the end of the story.
"What Heroes Leave Behind" by Nicholas Ian Hawkins also has a lyrical conclusion. The story plays with your expectations of a typical tale of a legendary warrior and an impressionable youth but quickly moves beyond the archetypes. I really felt the age-fullness of Tolasun throughout the story, much as I feel my own through the day! Instead of being a cranky archetype, he was real and this is probably what is legendary about this story.
By this point in the book, I was figuring I should be hitting a clunker but it was not to be. While the demon sword in "Fatefist at Torkas Nahl" by David Pitchford was not the focus of the story, it was my favorite part.
"Deep in the Land of the Ice and Snow" by Ty Johnston is a prequel tale for a character that figures in a trilogy the editor mentions. Unfortunately, he does not mention any titles or details of the trilogy. Mores the pity as the prequel whets my appetite. The story moves along nicely in a smooth loping style not unlike the gait of a wolf moving silently through a forest. Do you think there might be some wolves in this story? You would be right. This smoothness is great after the very tense preceding stories. Good job of story placement by the editor.
"Mountain Scarab" by Jeff Stewart made me feel like I was reading Burroughs. There is a leering brute and a plucky girl and a Conan-like bandit. I loved it.
"The Lair of the Cherufe" by Angeline Hawkes continues the Burroughs feel much to my delight as someone leaps on the back of a lion. Well, not really a lion except for the body. Tarzan had it easy since he did not have to deal with a Manticore. Ripping Good Fun.
"To Be A Man" by Robert Rhodes is a curious tale. It is a unique tale with a very strong moral core. Adventure tales are filed with killings; some righteous, some fiendish, some callous. This tale revolves around a murder already taken place and is refreshing in how Robert chose to tell his story. This one gets the PG rating.
"Storytelling" by E E Knight is an article about the basics of storytelling. It is a great straight-forward style guide for heroic tales and heroic writing.
"The Red Worm's Way" by James Enge is a clever tale with an unusual twist as his Morlock character is an alcoholic and knows it. Not only does Morlock fight with the evil that surrounds him but also with his alcoholism. He is truly a unique character in literature, let alone heroic fantasy.
"To Destroy All Flesh" by Michael Ehart is another tale with a moral center and an atypical scenario. (I should note that many sword and sorcery tales have morals, usually about duty and courage, so when I mention the stories having a moral center I am thinking of ones that are not usual for hero stories.) The story reads like a solid adventure story and does not get sidetracked by the uniqueness of the two main characters even though that is what it really is about.
"Guardian of Rage" by Thomas M Mackey is the creepiest of the tales. Wars, battle, and conflict changes things. This story illustrates the transformative nature of heroes as they go beyond ordinary responses to conflict and danger. You will no what I am trying to get at after having read this story.
"Claimed by Birthright" by Christopher Heath features a hero in the classic sword and sorcery vein. Brom has stoic features but flaring nostrils. This is straight ahead wizard vs. warrior and it is exciting. Well done!
"The Hand that Holds the Crown" by Nathan Meyer has royal treachery and knightly combat "...with the sharp crack of hoof hitting bone...". Need I say more?
"The Dawn Tree" by S C Bryce is a tale of a desert elf. Yes, a desert elf. If you have delved into the Flashing Swords magazine online, and I highly recommend it, you may have run into Dermanassian. This is the best of the stories to my mind. It is a world-shaking story I think you will enjoy.
"An Uneasy Truce in Ulam-Bator" by Allen B Lloyd and William Clunie features lots of sorcery and no lack of swords. It also is a fine yarn.
"The Mask Oath" is written by my favorite author that I have discovered at Flashing Swords, Steve Goble. He does a magnificent job of revealing what motivates the Faceless Son as the story plays out.
"The Valley of Bones" by Bruce Durham reminds me of "The Wyrd of War" because you are right in the trenches on the front line in the midst of battle. Very Intense.
The final story of the anthology is also the oldest. Harold Lamb is a pulp-era historical fiction and biography writer who brings ancient times to life in his writing. This story is a tale of raiders on the Volga and Cossacks on the Steppes. His stories and books are always full of interesting details such as the trampled dirt outside a tavern is called the Cossack's bed.
All around great reading wonderfully written in bold and strong voices. [...]
Return of the Sword is exactly what you want With this anthology you get exactly what you'd think you'd get. It's full of swords, full of blood, and full of action. To make things even better, it's got one of my stories in it. Here's my honest take on it:
Altar of the Moon- A story about the aftereffects of a sword of power and the person forced to wield it in order to save a kingdom. Just one problem, the burden of bearing the sword becomes unbearable and it won't let itself be cast aside. This is a good emotional story with two characters that struggle with each other but are not technically enemies. Both protagonist and antagonist are sympathetic and the ending is written well. Two swords up.
The Wyrd of War- Bill Ward delivers an outstanding tale of dark magic and violent war. A doomed army defends against the mindless onslaught of an eldritch horde, twisted and corrupted by a mysterious evil. The thing that stands out immediately in this story is the use of language and mood. The hero faces impossible odds and is driven on by precious memories of a past denied him. It's the kind of thing I was trying to do with Raven Kill and it's done better. This could be my nomination for best of the book.
The Last Scream of Carnage- This is an interesting and odd story. The protagonist is definitely not heroic in any way. He's simply arrogant and violent and looking for the next thing to kill. What makes for compelling reading here is the physical arrangement of the prose, often assembled in poetic forms. You get the feeling you're reading something special and that must be why it is the feature story for the anthology. It is cleverly crafted but doesn't leave you with a character to care about so the impact it makes is not personal but rather an appreciation of its clever crafting.
(Then there's my story, "The Battle of Raven Kill." Some people have thought it was pretty good.)
What Heroes Leave Behind- A very satisfying story of an old warrior facing yet another challenge that should be left to the young. It is a great read that suffers from a terrible title. Yuck. But other than that I loved it. Hawkins hits all the right marks in telling the tale of a hero near the end of his days. The fear of encroaching death, not by glory but by simple frailty, is a powerful presence and rings true throughout. The action is well told and delivers plenty of punch while you follow the hero all the way to the end.
Fatefist at Torkas Nahl- Grand armies and evil tyrants. This is the stuff of epic sword and sorcery tales. With the backdrop of a huge battle before the gates of a nigh impregnable city comes a story about a warrior monk who is the Fatefist of the Mikari. What makes him a great character is the conflict within him as he is seduced by the power of a demonic sword that wouldn't mind changing owners. While he duels the tyrant he is lured by the call of glory so there are actually two fight scenes in one. The large battle movements are really only hinted at but that's fine because it's the scenes revolving around personal battles that are the best and capture the intensity of the moments very well.
Deep in the Land of Ice and Snow- This is a pretty straightforward story of a young warrior who seeks the counsel of a sage before claiming his kingship. It is well done and has some cool scenes with witches and wolves. The exchanges between the characters are interestingly relayed and the end brings a smile to your face. It's a simple tale and a pleasure to read.
Mountain Scarab- This is one great story. Sigurd Grimbow and a band of savage raiders attack a caravan and steal the goods. One of the goods is a feisty young woman who realizes she must stay by Sigurd's side in order to stay alive. The interaction between the two characters was an absolute joy to read. Sigurd is also one of the best sword and sorcery protagonists I've encountered. He doesn't hesitate to kill anyone he thinks needs some killing but is basically a good guy at heart. The author, Jeff Stewart, got everything right in this one.
Lair of the Cherufe- Here we have a story that is fun to read, with several clever elements and some good hack and slash style fantasy. The virgin princess, stolen from her father's castle, is to be sacrificed to the great beast and the hero has to save her. I have to admit I started laughing uncontrollably to myself when I realized a major flaw in the plot: The sacrifice has to be a virgin, right? Well, there's an easy way to fix that... But the hero made a promise to her father and so he goes through all the steps to get her back with virtue intact. This includes searching for objects of power in scary places with mythical guardians, fighting the evil Prince's henchmen, and facing off against said scary beastie. This story is good solid sword & sorcery, through and through.
To Be A Man- This is a difficult story to review because the subject matter is almost entirely sexually oriented. It is well written but it's not for children. (Funny that I seem to think violence and bloodshed are OK for kids but that's a different discussion.) The characters here are amazingly well drawn, the female lead is so over the top it's a smashing success, and the story moves along and has some truly funny moments.
The Red Worm's Way- This story was impressive for two reasons. It was well written with engaging characters and it was quirky but held my attention all the way through in a way that quirky stories seldom do. Quirky humor is very hard to pull off but this story is laced with it. That is, if you find the eating of dead human flesh funny. What makes the story such a great success is the dry and rather world-weary protagonist, Morlock Ambrosius. "Defend this body against a bunch of ravaging corpse eaters? Sure, why not. Is the pay good?"
To Destroy All Flesh- This is the story I was really looking forward to and it definitely does not disappoint. Michael Ehart does it again with a tale of the Servant of the Manthycore. The Servant is on her way throughout the land in search of a means to free herself and the lover of her youth from bondage to the vile Manthycore. This story will be especially enjoyed by those who have bought and read Michael's book. They will appreciate the subtlety of the tale as they see another chapter unfold in the life of The Servant and her daughter. Oh, and you've just got to love the props in this one. Doesn't everyone have a huge ancient boat just laying about the place?
Guardian of Rage- A hero on the run through sewers, dragging along a scared little girl, and chased by the dead and a demonic tentacle beast. This has al the makings of a bad day getting worse. Our hero, Jack Spryte, clearly wants to be somewhere else but has to survive long enough to accomplish that. The story moves along at a good clip, the villain is appropriately nasty, and a couple of neat fight scenes make this a good all around tale.
Claimed by Birthright- A great story, cleverly written. It takes on the age old question of who would win a duel between a sorcerer and a barbarian. What may first strike you as an incredibly contrived scenario of an arena duel featuring Barbarian King Brom versus, in the red corner, Mage Lord Kahzvax instead turns out to be well told tale. The chief string puller in the story has maneuvered his puppets into place and while he is a bit of a cardboard character, the other two are real enough and the fight is believable enough to make the clever ending all the more satisfying. You'll like this one a lot.
The Hand That Holds the Crown- This one was excellent. I loved every sentence, every word. It is now on the top of the list as the best of the book. A classic tale of two half brothers dueling for the crown. The fight scene between them is one of the best yet. All the brutality and cunning savagery of desperate single combat is played out by the author, Nathan Meyer. The writing is solid, the settings are vivid, and the characters are clearly drawn. I knew it was good from paragraph one but the last two pages really cinched it up for me. Outstanding in every way.
The Dawn Tree- A well told, powerful story that reads like mythic fable. Perhaps a little out of place in a sword and sorcery anthology but it is good enough to hold its own and the two main characters have some outstanding scenes with each other. Our intrepid hero, Dermanassian the desert elf, takes up the quest of replanting the Dawn Tree by escorting the tree's guardian to a suitable location. There's one problem though; the four Elementals have joined forces in order to destroy the Tree before it is planted. This leads to a battle royale at the end but of course everything winds up happy happy. Or does it?
Uneasy Truce at Ulam-Bator- This is an amazing story because it is plainly evident while reading it that the authors had great fun writing it. The introduction explains that Allen B. Llyod and William Clunie began the collaborative writing process over some Chinese food at a favorite restaurant and it shows. It's a very well written story that contains a series of fortunate and not so fortunate events. I can envision them sitting across the table from each other saying, "Then this happens." "No, wait, then this happens!" "Yeah, yeah, that's good." The result is a couple of characters that make the best out of whatever situation they find themselves in. A clever plot coupled with a wry sense of humor which is believable and not campy. An excellent read.
The Mask Oath- Steve Goble has crafted an impressive story about duty, honor, and the things that really matter. This is a powerful tale about the son of a wizard hunting down the demons that his father released. I'm not talking about metaphorical demons like alcoholism or child abuse, I'm talking about real friggin' demons. You can't stick the head of anger management issues on a spike outside the city gates can you? Of course not! God bless sword & sorcery. Flying blood, flying body parts! Terrific story.
Valley of Bones- We end the new stories in this anthology with a military tale from Bruce Durham. As a United States Marine I know what it's like to stand with your comrades and face an onslaught of undead beasts and pagan magicks. Well that might be stretching the truth just a bit but I know the mind of a military man. The interactions between the soldiers are spot on. The sergeant character is perfectly done. (Really, so much can be revealed in a man by the way he says, "Steady, boys.") The hero is a typical soldier, doing his job. As always, that job includes acts of unimaginable heroism when the opportunity presents itself. In the span of a few moments you can go from grumbling about the pay and the food to saving the civilized world. All in a days work.
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