Right now, the sword-and-sorcery genre is in the best shape it’s been for long time. For further proof of that, look no further than the first issue of BATTLEBORN, a new magazine/anthology series that has launched with more than 200 pages of excellent work. I backed the Kickstarter for it and have been dipping into it for a while now. I’ve finished reading it and I’m happy to report that it’s a great debut.
The late Howard Andrew Jones, author of the Hanuvar Chronicles and other great novels, is listed as the Editor Emeritus, and fittingly, this first issue leads off with a Hanuvar short story by him. From there, we have these stories and poems:
“Blood of the Oni” by C.L. Werner
“Jaguar’s Children” by Gregory D. Mele
“Vengeance Vow” by TJ Marquis
“To Boast of Victory” by Erik Waag
“Temple of the River King” by Lee Patton
“The Fury’s Blade” by Robert Rhodes
“The Road of Kings” by Robert E. Howard
“Pearls of the Vampire Queen” by Michael Shea
THE LAST SPELL (Part 1 of 3) by Schuyler Hernstrom
Plus articles by Morgan Holmes on the origins of sword-and-sorcery, Jason M. Waltz on great opening lines, Jason Ray Carney on Michael Shea’s story, book reviews by Gregory D. Mele, and Sean C.W. Korsgaard on the Devil Dogs of Belleau Wood.
Every one of the stories is good, no doubt about that, but naturally I have some favorites. I was particularly partial to:
“Blood of the Oni” by C.L. Werner – This is a tale of Shintaro Oba, Werner’s wandering samurai series character. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of samurai fiction, but Werner always wins me over with these stories. Excellent action, appropriately creepy, and Shintaro Oba is a fine protagonist. I’ve read a couple of others in the series and really need to seek out the rest.
“To Boast of Victory” by Erik Waag – This story features Waag’s series character Skarde, a northern barbarian who serves as a mercenary soldier in the siege of a fortress. It’s fast-paced, funny, has some good action, and Skarde is a great character. He stars in several novels I’m eager to read, the first one of which is already waiting on my Kindle.
“Temple of the River King” by Lee Patton – Patton is a relatively new writer, but you’d never know it by this story, which reads like the polished work of an old pro. His protagonist, an undead mercenary known as Izrak the Deathless, has fought evil for centuries, and in this story he has to venture into a watery realm to rescue a princess. A standard plot, you say? Well, no, not in Patton’s hands. This is a beautifully written tale that lingers in the reader’s mind. It’s Izrak’s second appearance, and the first, the novella “A Valley of Shadow”, is also waiting on my Kindle.
My favorite story in this volume is “The Fury’s Blade” by Robert Rhodes, the debut tale of Gabriela de Quetar, a warrior nun (that’s ’way oversimplifying things) who’s sent with her mentor to an alternate version of the Spanish Main to recover a stolen religious icon, a cloak that makes the wearer invulnerable. This has the pace and color of a great historical novel, along with plenty of swashbuckling swordplay, and to make things even better, there’s a volcano looming in the background that just might be about to erupt . . . I love volcanoes in fiction. Maybe not quite as much as quicksand and fights on top of moving trains, but throw a good volcano eruption into a book and I’m happy. There are more stories about Gabriela de Quetar in the works, and I’m eager to read them.
Overall, BATTLEBORN #1 is a very impressive way to launch this series, and I plan to be on hand for every issue that comes out. Very highly recommended. The e-book edition is available on Amazon, and e-book and print editions appear to still be available on Indiegogo. If you’re a sword-and-sorcery fan, you need this one.
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