Το κάστρο του μαργαριταριού

The Elric Saga #8

by Michael Moorcock, Θωμάς Π. Μαστακούρης (Translator)

Mέσα στην παθιασμένη του αναζήτηση για την αλήθεια και τη γνώση, ο Έλρικ, ο τελευταίος αυτοκράτορας του Mελνιμπονέ θα περιπλανηθεί αυτοεξόριστος μέχρι την Έρημο των Στεναγμών. Eκεί στην εξωτική πόλη της Kουαρτζασαάτ, μόνος, ξεχασμένος και ετοιμοθάνατος, θα μπλέξει άθελά του σε έναν ακήρυχτο πόλεμο ανάμεσα στους εκφυλισμένους κυβερνήτες της παρηκμασμένης πόλης. Aυτή τη φορά, η Mοίρα πρόκειται να οδηγήσει πολύ πιο πέρα από τα βασίλεια των Oνείρων, εκεί που τα πάντα μπορούν να συμβούν, και όπου οι πιο φριχτοί εφιάλτες αποτελούν μια θανάσιμη πραγματικότητα. Στο τέλος του ταξιδιού τον περιμένει το Kάστρο του Mαργαριταριού, ένα μέρος απίστευτης ομορφιάς και ανείπωτων κινδύνων, από το οποίο κανείς δεν έχει επιστρέψει δυνατός.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Sword and Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

269 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Michael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.

Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.

During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a fifteen year hiatus, when he was approaching fifty, Michael Moorcock returned to the Elric Saga. The result, this novel, The Fortress of the Pearl, is clearly the book of a middle-aged man. The flights of fancy are fewer, but the world-building is solid and professional. The prose, occasionally less vigorous, is more balanced and finely crafted. The pace is more leisurely, the dialogue more philosophical, and the young Elric, less wildly Byronic—though still dark with fits of despair and princely cruelty—is a more sympathetic character here, almost a Siddhartha-like seeker after truth.

The novel is set during the period of Elric’s youthful wanderings, when he voluntarily relinquished his kingdom in order to see something of the world. He soon finds himself in thrall to Lord Gho of Quarzhasaat, the only source of the elixir that can save him from death. Gho’s command? Elric must deliver the great pearl of the title. When he discovers the pearl may only be found inside the reveries of a sleeping young girl, Elric joins forces with the beautiful “dream-thief” Oone, and together they journey into the girl’s dreams. The quest turns out to be an arduous one, through a marvelous and dangerous world, and it is Oone, the professional dream-thief, who guides Elric through its onieric perils, as Beatrice once led Dante out of Hell.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel, one of the best in a superb series.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which the Moody as Fish Albino Emperor of the Grumpy Soul-Eating Sword (MaFAEofGSEW™) goes on a super extra adventurous field trip to Lovecraft Country (aka the dreamland), and meets quite the wonderful array of most delightful characters and thingies in the process. (But not my Jojo Cabal, unfortunately.)

So how exactly did dear Elric come to visit this most welcoming, fun-filled place, you ask? Why by getting beautifully tricked (like a bloody shrimping amateur, if I might add) by a deliciously evil villainous villain! Who kind of sort of turned our MaFAEofGSEW™ into a high as shrimp junkie, and then had him spoiler spoiler spoiler for Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler (not the character’s real name), so that he would have to spoiler spoiler spoiler. Which would eventually lead him to spoiler spoiler spoiler. I kid you not. And here we are. (Meaning “Poof! Dreamland!” and stuff. In case you’d already forgotten and stuff.)



Okay, so I must unwillingly admit that, despite its most titillating setting, the book isn’t as fast paced as the previous one in the series. (Which is slightly outrageous.) And that it sometimes drags on a teensy little bit as a result. (Although not enough to turn me into a lethargically apathetic barnacle, so all’s good and stuff.) Also, no scrumptious pirates to be had this time around. And that is quite the rip-off, if you ask me.

BUT. There is Oh-So-Wondrous-Stuff Galore (OSWSG™) in this instalment, which more than makes up for the slowish pace and revolting lack of “Arrh!” First of all, there is a very much welcome shortage of Sweet Cymoril, so alleluia to our Lord Shrimp for that. Not that I have nothing against Elric’s pathetically boring lovely paramour. Of course not. She’s an enchanting girl and all that. Really. It’s just that I wouldn’t particularly mind if she dropped deadly dead or something.



Oh noes, did Bertie Dear just slip on you, Sweet Cymoril? I am so verry sorry about that. I hope it didn’t hurt too much!

Second of all, there’s a most lusciously enticing Conan vibe here. (And it is a truth universally acknowledged that any story reminiscent of my Barbarian Cutie Pie’s adventures is automatically super very cool.) The local petting zoo would make Conan so proud! Such sweet, affectionate creatures it is packed with! We’ve got sexey as fish mummified goats (don’t ask), gigantic half-digested worms (yum), armoured rabbit warriors, triple-headed-winged-clawed giant crows with a bad temper, blood-sucking bats cats that fly and more spoiler spoiler spoiler! And if that wasn’t glorious enough, we’ve got Elric Himself And In The Flesh channelling his inner Cimmerian and skewering the enemy à la Conan, with locally-sourced utensils and stuff. (No barbarian beef bones being available during Elric’s relaxing stay in the dreamland, the poor thing had to resort to using not-so-stylish, measly stalactites. Quite a pity, methinks.)

Now throw in hideous chuckles, severed heads, hacked limbs, and glorious slaughter, and what do you get? A scrumptiously exquisite Conan-flavored adventure that is guaranteed to have even the most barbaric barbarian celebrating like a wee little moustachioed hooligan.



Told ya.

➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): a dreamland with not a single Freddy Krueger in sight?! This is totally unacceptable. Mr Moorcock, I want my money back.

P.S. Pre-emptive burials and tour guides with Mary Poppins-like storage abilities FTW!
P.S. You are quite welcome and stuff.

👋 To be continued and stuff.

· Book 1: Elric of Melniboné ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Fortress of the Pearl ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Sailor on the Seas of Fate ★★★★★
· Book 4: The Weird of the White Wolf ★★★
· Book 5: The Vanishing Tower (aka “The Sleeping Sorceress”) - to be read.
· Book 6: The Revenge of the Black Rose - to be read.
· Book 7: The Bane of the Black Sword - to be read.
· Book 8: Stormbringer - to be read.
· Book 9: Elric at the End of Time - to be read.
· Book 10: Daughter of Dreams - to be read.
· Book 11: Destiny’s Brother - to be read.
· Book 12: Son of the Wolf - to be read.

(Following the Tor reading order)



[Pre-reread-non-review nonsense]

Elric + Lovecraft + my Barbarian Paramour =



Full review to come and stuff. (Yeah yeah yeah, I know I already said that 8 months ago, but I really do actually genuinely intend to most certainly write it this time. Maybe. Cross my black, withered heart and hope to die a horribly excruciating death and stuff.)



[May 2019]

Beautifully fished-up, sardonic albino emperors and wonderfully grumpy, soul-eating cats cursed swords FTW!



See, even Little Han of the Solo approves. Ha.

➽ Fully crappy review to come. At some point in my next life. Or the one after that. Maybe.

[Nicholas Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good lord, this book was awesome. Moorcock's style is incredible: descriptive without being verbose, simple but oh, so elegant. And Elric as a character is just damn cool.

Some of its commentary about greed, government, and imperialism is shockingly relevant today (yikes!), and this book's last page--its final line, especially--was just...mind-blowing. Not sure if the revelation will play out in future books, but it's cool if it does and maybe even cooler if it doesn't.

Anyway, I have the next book (chronologically) so I'll probably tackle it soon.

Oh, and if you don't listen to Hawkwind while reading Moorcock, you're doing it wrong ;)

Eames out.

[Elizabeth Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, and honestly, I have no idea why I held on to my copy all this time. It's not very interesting I'm afraid. Only 230 pages and it goes on FOREVER in places, Elric's a whiner, and Moorcock pulls stuff out of nowhere all the time (last 50 pages of the book and Elric suddenly remembers a story he heard when he was wandering the marketplace at the beginning of the book, but Moorcock didn't MENTION any of that in the beginning, Elric just happens to remember it NOW. A little set up would've been nice.)

And it's a pity, because Moorcock's descriptions are awfully nice, he comes up with some very pretty landscapes, AND some really gruesome imagery at times. In one otherworldly area,

"Three horses appeared there. Hooves flailed at the air. Tails lashed. Then they were galloping across the water in the direction of the boat. Then they had passed it and vanished into the mist. Not one of the beasts had possessed a head."

That's all out of NOWHERE, and it's never mentioned again, and it's creepy as all get-out. If there's been more moments that powerful the book might've grabbed me more. As is, I just didn't like it very much.

[S.E. Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moorcock delivers souls for Arioch, and classic Elric for you, in The Fortress of the Pearl

Expect Michael Moorcock’s style/voice. It is “pulpy” with tons of wild action. A breathtaking pace will drag you from your reading chair! It’s blistering. Literally, every few pages new conflict emerges, and is dealt with. Every 2-3 pages, Elric encounters mind-bending conflicts. This is awesome for the first 33%, then it becomes underwhelming/distracting since many of the threats are obtuse. Some sequences are spot-on awesome (fire beetles, tons of corpses blow apart via sorcery); and many are silly and wildly coincidental (Whiskers the winged, fighting cat, really?).

Moorcock has a weird milieu in his Eternal Champion multiverse, and has dream-like worlds. In Fortress, this dreaminess is explicit, since Elric travels in dreams for >50% of the book [no spoilers there, the book flap reveals as much]. Fortress of the Pearl reads as if Elric quests for the Holy Grail in Dante’s Hell. In fact, Elric goes through ~6 levels of supernatural tours searching for a “Holy Girl” in the hidden/remote Fortress of the Pearl. Plenty of tour guides come and go through these levels:
a. Sadanor Land of Dreams in Common
b. Marador Land of Old Desires
c. Paranor Land of Lost Beliefs
d. Celador Land of Forgotton Love
e. Imador, Land of New Ambition
f. Faldor Land of Madness

You’ll be treated to heavy doses of philosophy too, which usually add depth: life’s motivations, realization of dreams, moving past tragic pasts (avoid the City of Inventive Cowardice!), addressing conflict and political corruption, complacency on personal and social levels, etc.

Untapped Potential. The pacing and apparent random encounters, which are Moorcock Hallmarks, has limits. There still seems untapped potential here in Elric’s tale. Moorcock has started so many interesting threads that he’ll never be able to fill them in, but he hardly had to start new ones. Here, Oone the Dreamthief is introduced, for instance; her tale is clearly a setup for The Dreamthief's Daughter. Starting new tales is all well and good, but when word-count and pacing is designed to be dense/efficient, I would have enjoyed more explanation of Cymoril. She still lies in Imrryr (The Dreaming City), while he literally adventures in dreams. Melnibone’s past with Quarzhasaat is explained on a cursory level too. So, Moorcock delivered an intermediate tale. Yet he could have delivered much more.

On the whole, Fortress of the Pearl is a wondrous blend of Sword and Sorcery. It had me hooked. It developed Elric story and character well enough (note that it was published last in the sequence but is only #2 chronologically). Elric remains a must read for fantasy fans, especially Sword & Sorcery fans (Howard, Leiber, Wagner,…). If starting new, try reading in chronological sequence:

Story Chronology #: Title (publication year)
1: Elric of Melniboné (1972)
2: Fortress Of The Pearl (1989)
3: The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (1976)
4: The Weird of the White Wolf (1961)
5: Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress (1970)
6: Revenge of the Rose (1991)
7: The Bane of the Black Sword (1962)
8: Stormbringer (1963)

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A later written Elric tale that's early in the chronology. I continue to like the character a lot, and loved how this one ended, but the quest in the middle was kind of ho-hum. 3.5/5

[Rob Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this post I review some the themes (and frustrations) I identified when reading The Fortress of the Pearl by Michael Moorcock.

Firstly, I was (and still am) a great fan of the Elric books having read these extensively as a teenager. This story takes place during a previously ambiguous period between Elric of Melniboné and The Sailor on the Seas of Fate and has Elric questing (as usual) following on from inadvertently swallowing some slow acting poison. He needs to retrieve the "Pearl at the Heart of the World" to receive the antidote. The journey takes him through a dream world where reality is distorted and warped. In addition to the antidote Elric will also secure the release of a young boy who has been taken hostage.

The book is split into three parts: parts I and III are more in line with the previous Elric books, in terms of thrills, composition and construction. In these sections you have the characteristic elements which you’ve come across before in terms of rich descriptions of cultures and civilizations, plus the usual strange mix of characters all underpinned with ruthless action.

The first issue I had concerned the reason for the quest itself. Here we have a mighty warrior, aided by magic and a sword which sucks your soul out of you. Why didn't Elric just beat the living daylights out of the villain and get the antidote immediately after swallowing the poison (in fact he does as much towards the end of the book anyway, practically killing everyone in the entire city)? Also, why is he so bothered about one boy? Like I've just said he practically kills everyone anyway, plus in previous books he slaughters many innocents basically because they just got in his way.

As ever the book uses the idea of the multiverse:

"There is an infinity of worlds and some are yet unborn, some so old they have grown senile, some born of dreams, some destroyed by nightmares."

This idea is explored further in part II via an exploration of the nature of dreams and reality. Each of the dream worlds Elric passes through tries to entice Elric to attain unreachable desires in different ways but ultimately suggests that spiritual nourishment is an important as physical.

So in summary, not one of the best Elric stories as there was too much philosophizing which slowed down the action to a meandering snail’s pace at times and although you could read The Fortress of the Pearl as a stand-alone novel I would suggest that your read the rest of the series first to set this story into context.

[Elessar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

La Fortaleza de la Perla fue la penúltima historia, si mal no recuerdo, escrita por Moorcock de su personaje más conocido. Sin embargo, es la segunda en el orden cronológico interno. Los casi veinte años de diferencia en la escritura entre el primer libro y éste quedan reflejados en el estilo. Aquí nos encontramos con una narración más pausada, llena de reflexiones, y mucho más onírica. Es una historia más madura, quizá, pero resulta bastante menos atractiva, a pesar de contar con una idea muy interesante. Tras los hechos acaecidos en el anterior volumen, que no relataré aquí para evitar causar destripes innecesarios en el lector interesado, Elric se ve envuelto en una forzada aventura como consecuencia de un engaño premeditado. Una empresa que se desarrollará en un plano ilusorio, aunque no tanto como podamos llegar a creer.
Es una lectura que dada su brevedad no cansa, y que destaca principalmente por su introducción y desenlace; sobre todo este último, sorprendentemente sangriento y con un enfoque muy particular de la moralidad. ¿Qué mejor forma que cerrar esta hemorragia del final que con la lectura del próximo volumen? Aunque seguro que vuelve a abrirse...

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the disparaging view of Orientalism was that of seeing white-skinned academics pontificating on the East even though they knew little of its life or history. So, what about an author of fantasy who sinks his teeth into the Arabian Nights and produces a world of afreets, ghouls and monstrous imagination? I have to admit, until I read Mr. Moorcock's The Dancers at the End of Time, I had never been a fan, and reading The Fortress of the Pearl really pushed me back into my previous dislike.

I can cope with the imaginary philosophy, a dream world which at times mirrors Dante yet mainly indulges in fanciful cities, brutal guards and only partial human-like residents. However, I longed for something a little less like A Thousand Nights and One, or The Thief of Baghdad. It was all so - well - oriental, in the manner of Sheherazade. Though I thought that sometimes Carlos Castaneda intruded a little. It's one thing to dream in fairyland and another to empty your consciousness into a drug-filled oblivion.

I enjoyed the story, but only as an Arabian adventure. If there was something deeper in the text, as Elric and Oone disputed their presence with the denizens beyond the Marador Gate, it mostly escaped my earth-bound mentality.

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sword and sorcery at its finest!

I'm finally reading the Elric saga, in chronological order, and this one is from a more matured Moorcock and a more nuanced Elric. I'm starting to love this series.

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Melnibonéan magnificence.

[Κωνσταντίνος Ζαχαράκης · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η δεύτερη περιπέτεια του Ελρικ μας πάει σε μια διεφθαρμένη πόλη που η διακυβέρνησή της είναι έτοιμη να θυσιάσει τα πάντα και τους πάντες προκειμένου να αποκτήσει το θρυλικό Μαργαριτάρι στην καρδιά του κόσμου.

Εε, και ποιος καλύτερος να το αναλάβει από τον χλωμό Δαίμονα;

Ένα ταξίδι στη χώρα των ονείρων γεμάτο πανέμορφα, μαγικά και σουρεαλιστικα τοπία.
Και μάλιστα με παρέα. Μια Ονειροκλεφτρα!
Όλα ποτισμένα πάντοτε με το ζοφερό άρωμα του Μουρκοκ.

Το μεγαλύτερό μου πρόβλημα ήταν πέντε έξι καταστάσεις που λύθηκαν κυριολεκτικά από το πουθενά χωρίς ιδιαίτερη προοικονομια - ή και καθόλου.

Αν σας αρέσει κάτι κλασικό, που ταξιδεύει σε φανταστικά πρωτότυπα τοπία, που παρουσιάζει με θράσος την κοσμοπλασια και φέρνει στην επιφάνεια τη διαφθορά του δικού μας κόσμου (χωρίς να δίνει ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στο πώς ή γιατί λύνονται τα προβλήματα στον δρόμο) τότε σίγουρα αξίζει να το τσεκαρετε.

[Vlad]

... a hero in a quest to enlighten and unite decadent kingdoms, to bring them to reason and good will, knowledge and justice, finding instead same complacency, arrogance and lack of scruples as in his own...
... servants of chaos and law united by the same goal, refusing destiny, travelling imaginary worlds, while dreams are brought to reality, their desires take substance...

[Petros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notice: I have made a review for every book of this series and they need to be read in order since they are supposed to feel like an on-going impression. So if you read the second without reading the first will feel rather off.

I am mostly focusing on the style of storytelling and a lot less on if it reads well or something sophisticated like that. For the same reason I tend to have lots of SPOILERS which means that if you read this text you will know THE OVERALL PLOT and how much I DIDN’T like it. So be warned that this is a mostly negative opinion for the whole trilogy which tends to reveal in detail why I didn’t like it. Better be read after you have read the books or if you want to avoid a not-so-smart series. YOU HAVE NOW BEEN WARNED and I can now initiate the slaughter.

--- The Fortress of the Pearl ---

So Erlic left his woman and his luxurious kingdom and is now dying in the middle of the desert… because he thinks this was a much better thing to do for some weird reason. He finds a city, where he befriends a little kid. He is invaded by one of the leaders of the city and as soon as he drinks from the cup he is offered, he gets poisoned. He has a month to bring the nefarious leader a magical pearl that somehow controls dreams and reality. As a reward he will be given the antidote and the little boy will not be harmed. And that is the main objective of this story.

Now, one will wonder several things at this point. Things like why didn’t Elric start pulverizing the ungrateful bastard until he tells him where the antidote is. Or why does he care about the little boy at all when in the previous book he nihilistically massacred thousands of innocents just because they were standing in his way . Or why doesn’t he summon a God to teleport him to the pearl. Or teleport the pearl to his palm. Or to heal him. Or WHATEVER!

Anyways, he is told the pearl is hidden in an oasis in the middle of the desert. He goes there and along the way he meets lots of adventurers who are also trying to get to the pearl unsuccessfully for centuries. Apparently, the defences around it are amazingly powerful. So these adventurers constantly try to threaten or bribe Elric into becoming their ally, since if he was sent by one of the leaders of the city, he must be one of the best Dream Thieves in the world. Elric on the other hand has no idea what a Dream Thief is, gets bored, and slays most of them in five lines of text just so he can go on with his mission. There is also an inconsistency here as it is mentioned he has already killed several people with the sword when in reality he never did it before. The reason is because the book was originally written after the main storyline was over as an extra chapter. Gotcha there Moorcock!

As he arrives to the oasis, he finds a simple nice village full of non-fighters. Weird how nobody could conquer such an unguarded place for centuries. Makes no sense. He finds out that the pearl is actually appearing only once every one century through the priestess of the oasis. And conveniently, the priestess was put in a sleep spell by an adventurer before he was killed. She did not awake and will normally stay asleep forever, unless someone enters her dreams and finds her. Because as we saw in the previous book, not even the Gods can undo a sleep spell in this world. Elric gets assistance from another priestess and together they enter the girl’s dreams. For some reason she trusts him although he admits he came to steal the pearl. Makes no sense.

The dreamworld is by far a very amazing place, as it is practically bubble worlds formed by the dreams of mortals and Gods. Everything is bizarre and continually changes shape. Also, every area represents a different psyche of the human subconscious thus there was a hidden message behind everything. Too bad the plot sucks monkey balls. All Elric does is asking the priestess what this is and what that does, slays anything that stands in the way in five lines of text and constantly tries to deny the fact he is not a Dream Thief, despite coming here to steal the pearl. That practically makes his female companion as a cheap way to have the author explain the world to the reader. Oh, she is also fan service as at one point out of nowhere they have sex for some reason.

So he finally reaches the girl, who is acting like a queen inside a fortress. As he enters it, he finds lots of those adventurers standing there, trying to court the queen into accepting them and thus giving them the pearl. How the hell did all those guys get there if only Elric and the fan service girl got in the dreamworld? How did they even pass all the monsters and the traps faster than him? Makes no sense.

Anyways, Elric doesn’t find a reason to antagonize these guys in seduction skills. He just slays them all in five lines of text. The queen then accepts him and they all wake up with the pearl in his hand. He then bids them farewell and leaves with the pearl and they don’t seem to care he is taking it away, despite he is not stealing it and they were guarding it for centuries. Makes no sense.

So he goes back to the city where he is given the antidote and the boy is set free… as if it mattered at all. The leader though double crosses Elric and sends his entire platoon to kill him. Elric slays them all in five lines of text. He then throws the pearl inside the bastard’s mouth and he chokes to death. Then the other leaders of the city appear and demand to take the pearl for themselves. Their diplomacy skills suck and thus they send ten times more soldiers against Elric, who slays them all in… six lines.

And then the story ends with him leaving the city and the fan service girl being impregnated with his baby.
What about the pearl? If it was THAT powerful, why didn’t he use it somehow? What about the boy? If it was THAT important, why did he just dump it? And after he single handily decimates half the armies in the desert in six lines of text, why does he decide to get the hell away from there instead of… I don’t know, stay and enjoy the glory of his feats? What about that chick getting pregnant by having sex in a dream? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

Makes no sense. In fact, the entire book made no sense, besides the symbolisms in the dreamworld. And guess what, dreams are not even real! The only thing that was logical was something completely illogical. (Facepalm)

[Gary K Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I had decided to do a reread of the Elric saga starting this year. The series had been repacked into a 3 volume set with each volume covering multiple books... in chronological order – rather than publication order. Each volume had new artwork and introductions (including Neil Gaiman). Ok – seemed like a reasonable temptation for the reread. For me, however this meant reading some of the stories for the first time.

The Fortress of the Pearl was one such story. It was released in 1989. I saw one reference saying that there had a been a 15 year gap between stories. I couldn't actually confirm that since the stories had been repackaged so many times I'm not sure what the 'official' release years are.. There was a gap anyway. In my version of the book this was book 2... sandwiched between Elric of Melniboné and The Sailor on the Seas of Fate. It is essentially a side-quest for Elric without any of his normal companions (unless you consider Stormbringer a companion 😀 )

Elric ventures into the desert and comes across the city of Quarzhasaat. (Love that name). He has been without his medicines he needs to sustain himself and is near death. He does all of this 'undercover' and doesn't let on to anyone who he is. Even if he did, the greedy citizens of Quarzhasaat probably would have held him for ransom anyway (Yyrkoon wouldn't have paid 😀 )

In any case, under duress he gets swindled into going on a quest for the Pearl at the Heart of the World. He comes across some various foes/allies... including several sects of Sorcerer Adventurers, Dreamthieves, the Pearl Warrior, and various supernatural beings. After agreeing to the quest he discovers that hundreds ahead of him have tried the same.. and failed.

The idea of being blackmailed into performing an act by being administered poison – and being offered the antidote only if successful – isn't exactly new in literature. I could think of a few recent books I had read (published after this one) with the same idea... Scalzi's Ghost Brigades and Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series.

Another concept that seemed familiar was that of Varadia – the Holy Girl – who held all the wisdom of her people within her. It's a stretch, but kind of reminded me of The Archive from the Dresden Files.

There is a lot of the 'high fantasy' mentioned in my review of Elric of Melniboné i.e. probably somewhat influenced or inspired by drugs. 😀 Many of the plot elements were like a sprawling dream sequence (both figuratively and literally in spots). The dialogue was lame in spots, but no worse than some of the other Moorcock books I have read. The settings were interesting and the names and characters imaginatively named. I liked the seven areas/aspects of the Dream Realm …
1. Sadanor, or the Land of Dreams-in-Common.
2. the Land of Old Desires,
3. Paranor, the Land of Lost Beliefs.
4. Celador, which is the Land of Forgotten Love.
5. Imador, the Land of New Ambition,
6. Falador, the Land of Madness
7. has no name

Overall it was a little too mystical and weird for me. I thought it was an average Elric story – not a bad one – so I rated it a 3 - probably 3.5 rounded down. Too much weirdness and not enough Stormbringer. I did like the little twist at the end.

If I had been reading these as they were released - and there really was a 15 year gap I probably would have been more forgiving about it. I mean between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace was about the same amount of time... and sure... we got Jar Jar... but it WAS Star Wars. In this case it WAS new Elric - still nice to have a new story. (not sure who Jar Jar would be in this story... maybe the Pearl Warrior 😀)

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes... this is a fine piece of work. Written at a later time to the others in the series and that is so much in its favour.

The true nature of the anti-hero is examined and by the climax, your sympathies lie firmly in chaos.

Terrific tale.

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the end of Elric of Melniboné the titular emperor left his realm to explore the Young Kingdoms and to learn of their ways. His goal is to improve himself and become a better ruler of his people. There are supernatural forces to his universe of which even the acknowledged sorcerer has only a very limited understanding. In The Fortress of the Pearl – a novel published more than ten years after the last installment to the original series – we follow Elric as he first gathers first-hand experience of how dream and reality become inseparable in a Multiverse of planes.

I was absolutely amazed by the complexity of the tale. The story opens with a chapter on how Elric ended up in the desert city of Quarzhasaat. It was once defeated by Melniboné, but since the victor has left it to its own devices. It's very proud of its wealth and prone to political intrigue, especially among the members of its ruling Council of Seven (or the Six and One Other).

A would-be nobleman, Lord Gho Fhaazi, seeks his own seat at the table and he knows how he could justify his claim. Because Elric is weakened by an unlucky abstinence of his sustaining drug, Lord Gho is able to force him into another addiction. Without the elixir Elric will suffer greatly – and he'll die in three weeks if he doesn't consume the cure that only Lord Gho possesses. To further ensure the albino's support for his cause he enslaved a young friend of his. Elric cannot but accept his fate and soon he travels the Red Road in search for the mythical Fortress of the Pearl.

What begins as a quest to save his own life soon turns into a more noble cause to save the life of a young girl that was equally wronged by the wicked aristocrat. The Holy Girl of the Bauradi – the wise keeper of their history and possessor of supernatural knowledge – was trapped in a dream by Lord Gho's servants, the warrior sect of the Sorcerer Adventurers. When Elric meets a so-called dreamthief, the kind Alnac Kreb, he learns that dreams are not just dreams.

I was as eager to learn more about the mysteries of his world as Elric was, and throughout the story we are treated to many insights. The remarks are never straight-forward though and we are often left wondering what exactly is meant and whether things are to be taken literally. For me the ambiguity is much more intriguing than straight facts would have been. Especially since it's not just knowledge about facts – together with the dreamthief Oone Elric soon travels into the very thing whose nature he cannot fully grasp in order to find a way to save the girl from her nightmare prison.

Dreams are by nature intangible, and the adventures in the dream plane perfectly mirror the dreamer's experience. There is the comical Pearl Warrior who challenges them to battle numerous times, yet who is strangely also at their side in times of greater danger. There is the veiled Navigator that guides them part of their way, apparently an incarnation of the girl itself and a queen of no realm (whatever that means). Apparently, the Pearl only existed in legend but the Holy Girl was imprisoned to force her to reveal its location; she creates the Fortress and the Pearl to escape her predicament, and her creation later gains outside reality that will enable Elric to escape his predicament. As for the actual occurrences, it's often not easy to discern with any confidence what exactly is happening.

It's not only the elusive images that make this a very unique experience. Of the characters my favorite was most likely Jasper Colinadous (and his cat Whiskers). He seems to hint to the nature of the Multiverse, yet his sketchy memory of his past (and future) are more puzzling than enlightening. But his confusion is highly entertaining. I suspect he'll return in different guises in later stories, as otherwise I would be terribly disappointed by his sudden departure.

The climax of destruction, eternal gratitude and blood-stained revenge very satisfactorily ends a story that on an intellectual level left you pleasantly in limbo. I've already read on (a review for The Sailor on the Seas of Fate will follow very soon) and I know that for Elric the details of the events will leave his waking memory and only return to him in dreams. But I'm highly exited to see how the repercussions will be further developed in other stories.

Rating: 4/5

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the first Elric book entertaining and it piqued my interest. After reading this novel, however, I can say that I am sufficiently hooked on Elric. Although this is the eighth novel in the series (according to Goodreads), I read this one immediately after the first because I am reading the Elric stories in order of their internal chronology (see this list)

In the first one-third of this novel, Elric finds himself in the scorched desert realm of Quarzahasaat some unspecified amount of time after first adventuring forth from his home island. Here he makes a deal with a crafty trader for his life, only to end up enslaved to the trader and thus embarking upon a quest for an unknown object (the "Pearl at the Heart of the World") in an unknown location (the "Fortress of the Pearl"), with just a riddle to guide him and his freedom and very life (plus one other's) at stake. I enjoyed this portion of the novel because Elric quickly finds himself in a situation that seems insurmountable.

Along the way, Elric befriends a dreamthief: an adventurer-sage (though not your typical sage, as this one is young, and attractive, and female) that travels the multiverse by way of others' dreams. Of the world of dreams, Moorcock writes via one of his characters, "There is an infinity of worlds and some are yet unborn, some so old they have grown senile, some born of dreams, some destroyed by nightmares." Here Moorcock is employing his concept of the multiverse -- an idea that there are many universes -- which is even now finding favor amongst modern theoretical physicists (at least the "multiple universes" part, not the "reality of dreams" part).

Elric ventures from the desert realm to the dream realm where, like in the previous installment of Elric's saga, he embarks on a surreal adventure through another dimension. About the dream world, one of Elric's companions explains: "Supernatural worlds... obey none of the laws we are familiar with in our own... They exist only as satellites to those realms we call 'real'... There is even a theory that our worlds are the satellites and that these supernatural worlds are the birthplaces of all our realities." Let your mind chew on that one for awhile!

Elric's journey through the dream world is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. For one, it is host to many strange denizens: a three-headed crow, a vampiric house cat with the wings of a bat, a ghostly pale rider on a pale horse that haunts them like an ephemeral apparition of the imagination, a Queen that speaks in riddles. There are even shades of another dream world, that of the Wizard of Oz (instead of following the yellow brick road to an emerald city, at one point Elric and his companions follow a marble road to an ivory fortress). However, Elric's tale is darker and bloodier than Alice's or Dorothy's.

The dream world is divided into seven consecutive parts, each a reflection of those dreams and ambitions we (the readers) all experience and which threaten to drive us to complacency and inaction. Likewise, Elric struggles through each dream world as it tempts him with his own unattainable desires. Elric may be like Alice lost in Wonderland, but this grim vision of Wonderland is laced with a heavy dose of Dante's Inferno.

In the all of the dream lands, Elric finds he has need for neither food nor sleep. And yet he experiences fatigue. His sage companion explains: "Your weariness is not physical here, but manifests itself in your moods. You must seek spiritual sustenance as assiduously as you would normally seek food and water." As with much of the dialogue pertaining to the travelers' dream world experiences, these words are a metaphor for living in our own world.

As another example, in the Land of Old Desires the inhabitants are trapped in an endless melancholy over lost ambition. Multiple characters (one of them Elric) remark, "Better not to seek that which can only disappoint," to which Elric's companion counters, "When you set out to discover fulfillment... then you achieve stature in the world." This is the classic story of a sage leading a pupil through the world of the mind and spirit, and in so doing, teaching the pupil how to succeed (much like Yoda and Luke, or Morpheus and Neo, or the kung fu master and student that inspired both of those, all of which are examples that came along after Elric).

In this way, each phase of Elric's journey through the dream world presents a different parable for life and the contest against regret, melancholy, ambition, hopes, desires, fear of failure. And as in the first novel, and like Alice or Dorothy or Luke or Neo or Grasshopper, the protagonist of this story often finds himself struggling without an answer or solution for what ails him.

This book was written more than three decades after the first, and I think Moorcock's writing improved during the interim. As before, his prose isn't always extraordinary and some passages are downright clumsy. But I think he really shines in his character dialogue and occasionally with his descriptive passages. He also delivers a romance that subtly sneaks up on the reader (and Elric) in a way that is far more realistic than the overused "love at first sight" or "love for a princess" tropes.

This fantasy seems cast in the same mold as the tales of Carroll, Baum, and Dante that came before it. I really enjoy fantasy stories that invoke the surreal and the metaphorical, and I found myself inescapably drawn into the imagination of this novel.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slotted as the second book of the Elric saga despite coming out in 1989 well after the initial 6 books
Moorcock's "The Fortress of the Pearl" finds Elric in the decadent city of Quarzhasaat and involved in a quest that takes him both physically to other locations and spiritually into a dream realm in order to cure his own poisoning, save the life of a friend, and revive a spiritual leader from a sleep state.
On his journey he is joined by two different companions and what struck me as a change of pace is that with the second companion, Oone, Elric more or less becomes companion to her lead. So a major switch from most Elric stories with our hero way out of his element and bowing to another more knowledgeable person than himself. He also strikingly goes through the course of the book minus Stormbringer. It is almost as if Moorcock wanted to challenge himself as a writer by writing an Elric story in which he doesn't use the sword as much as the other novels. The sword becoming the crutch and end all of things in most stories. This is also written by an older Moorcock as well so this novel in particular seems to have more meat on its bones than prior Elric books.
The book ends setting up a full trilogy spin-off.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is either the second or seventh book in the Elric series, depending on whether you're going by suggested reading order (I'm not sure who made the suggestion) or by publication year. Either way, this one (as well as The Revenge of the Rose, which appeared a couple of years later) has a very different feel from the original six books in the saga. Elric is a core character in Moorcock's vast multiverse tapestry, and the first six books had a wild flair and breakneck pace with a spontaneity that made it feel like you could take nothing for granted and anything could happen and probably would. These later books, from the time was Moorcock was consciously trying for a more polished and literary style, are good ones, but didn't quite feel like they fit well, Pearl less than Rose for me. Still, the rich background and imagery is quite evident, and Moorcock fans definitely shouldn't miss this one... but I wouldn't recommend new readers start here.

[Mitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

„Die Festung der Perle“ ist Band 2 des Sammelbandes ELRIC von Michael Moorcock, der kürzlich bei TOR erschienen ist. Vereint sind hier die wichtigen acht Elric-Romane:
1. „Elric von Melniboné“,
2. „Die Festung der Perle“,
3.„Auf der See des Schicksals“,
4. „Der Zauber des weißen Wolfs“,
5. „Die schlafende Magierin“,
6. „Die Rache der Rose“,
7. „Der Fluch des schwarzen Schwerts“ und
8. „Sturmbringer“).

Leider hat mich das Buch komplett enttäuscht. Die umfangreiche Rahmenhandlung war zwar faszinierend, d.h. der Anfang und der Schluss in der Wüstenlandschaft und Wüstenstad, und die dortigen Intrigen haben mir sehr gut gefallen, allerdings ist das Mittelstück ein Plot in sogenannten Traumgefilden, sowohl Elrik als auch die übrigen Protagonisten und Statisten handeln hier sehr plakativ und einseitig und alles wirkt skurril und überzogen und einfach langweilig. Schade. Bd. 1 war so gut und Bd. 2 jetzt eine Enttäuschung. Ich bin neugierig, wie Bd. 3 wird.

[Radoslav · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being rescued from certain death, Elric finds himself in yet another predicament. Blackmailed into finding the legendary treasure, with little time and hazy prophecies, he sets out on his uneasy quest.

Perhaps not for perfect score, but I'll give it just that. It's been a while since I've heard the crooning of the black blade, and I've missed the adventures of the pale emperor. Having read the main body of works, and knowing the end of the saga, I still enjoyed the story told here. Moorcock's writing is still as captivating, and the world is still as enchanting.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the order laid out in the Saga Press edition, The Fortress of the Pearl was the next installment in Elric’s saga.

We follow our brooding albino to a desert town called Quarzhasaat, where is he unwittingly thrust into an adventure to find The Pearl at the Heart of the World. Lord Gho outplays him and essentially forces him to find this treasured artefact.

Along the way, we learn the true nature of the pearl and what happened to all who have tried to find it before.

I really enjoyed Alnac Kreb’s character and the desert nomads. Oone was a cool companion; not sure if I agree with the choices Moorcock made but it does intrigue me to see if that ever gets addressed later on in the series.

Going through all the Dream Realms was really awesome and trippy at times. I loved the reveal with the Holy Girl, the characters of the Pearl Warrior, Raik Na Seem, and Colin Jalinadous and Whiskers, iykyk.

The ending was interesting. Elric has such noble aims for his people and for himself. He wants justice and equality and to create a fairer society for all. By journeying with Oone, I thought he was one step closer, and by seeing the disaster that the Council has made of the city of Quarzhasaat, Elric has a prime example of what not to do concerning Melniboné. And yet, the slaughter happens. Vengeance and Stormbringer were indeed the master in the end here. It strikes a chord of concern for me, since his actions are clearly in conflict with his ideals.

Lastly, I’ll touch on some themes that were revealed. Heroes and legends and dreams and reality. The legend of the pearl just by the shear fact that it was a legend became real, so does that translate to our world? Can dreams become a reality? Are dreams just a gateway to a possibility of reality?

In this realm, dreams have the power to exist, so can we take that fact and apply it to our world? You make the choice to follow your dreams or not, that is freedom, so what can you make happen? How can you change the world? Food for thought.


Quotes

The albino reflected on the power of the human mind to build a fantasy and then defend it with complete determination as a reality.

He turned blazing red eyes upon the aristocrat. It seemed that the fires of hell raged inside that skull.

"If your people spent less time maintaining their own devalued myths about themselves and more upon studying the world as it is I think your city would have a greater chance of surviving. As it is, the place is crumbling beneath the weight of its own degraded fictions. The legends which offer a race their sense of pride and history eventually become putrid."

This was a court whose energies were not devoted to maintaining itself unchanged for eternity, but to every kind of new idea and lively, humane discussion, which welcomed fresh thought not as a threat to its existence but as a very necessity to its continued well-being, whose wealth was devoted to experiment in the arts and sciences, to supporting those who were needy, to aiding thinkers and scholars.

This was his dream and it was why he travelled the world, why he refused the power which was his, why he risked his life, his mind, his love and everything else he valued, for he believed that there was no life worth living that was not risked in pursuit of knowledge and justice.

Justice was not obtained, he believed, by administration but by experience. One must know what it was to suffer humiliation and powerlessness; at least to some degree, before one could entirely appreciate its effect. One must give up power if one was to achieve true justice. This was not the logic of Empire, but it was the logic of one who truly loved the world and desired to see an age dawn when all people would be free to pursue their ambitions in dignity and self-respect.

“Power is neither good nor evil. It is the use one makes of it which is good or evil.”

“Trade was ever War’s superior…”

"Is all creation so malleable?" Elric asked with a shudder.
"What we create must ever be, lest it die," she said, her tone one of ironical finality.

"The struggle between Law and Chaos echoes that struggle within ourselves between unbridled emotion and too much caution, I suppose," Elric mused…

"I am dependent..." he began.
She shook her head gently. "You are not. You believe that sword to be part of your identity but it is not. It is your nemesis. It is the part of you which represents your weakness, not your strength."

"Our other name for this land is the Land of New Ambition. But new ambitions can mislead. We invent them when the old ambition seems too hard to achieve, eh?"

"Those who would possess her also guard her," said Lady Sough suddenly.
"But she is not theirs."

…overhead they could see a diseased sky like pewter in which dark, leathery things flew and communicated with desolate cries above palms whose leaves resembled nothing so much as viridian skins stretched out to await a sun which never rose.

“…legends in themselves have no power. The power comes from the uses that the living make of the legend. The legends merely represent an ideal."

“In the end, we have only ourselves to look to. No cause, no force, no challenge, will ever replace that truth..."
"It is to be myself that I travel as I do, Lady Oone," he reminded her.

"Fate is cruel, Oone. It would be better if it provided us with one unaltering path. Instead it forces us to make choices, never to know if those choices were for the best."

[Gmancam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some cool action moments and interesting scenery sprinkled in a middle section that drags on for too long. I mostly enjoyed the early and ending chapters.

[Josh Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series reminds me of an updated version of Conan. It has all the same storytelling sensibilities, though the writing is much more accessible for a modern audience.

Like the first Elric book, this seems aimed at teens that are looking for something slightly “edgy”, but miles from grimdark.

While my mind wandered at times, this story still seems to be more than the sum of its parts for me, and I found I enjoyed the book more upon reflection.

I imagine I’ll be slowly working my way through the entire Elric saga, as it’s considered one of the genre’s GOATs. As it is, I’d recommend this primarily for teens, or adults looking for some easy reading.

[NekroRider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like with Elric of Melnibone, I'm not sure on the exact rating yet, but at least 4 stars for sure. The narrative style of these books are simple in the manner of fables and fairy tales, and feels very nostalgic. The prose is quite beautiful, I really love Moorcock's intelligent use of language. I also enjoyed the philosophical/life questions Elric was faced with as he journeyed through the Dream Lands.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book#8 (strictly speaking Book#2 chronologically; a descriptive I find rather humorous considering the nature of the Eternal Champion concept…) takes this reader back in “Elric of Melnibone” time (Yyrkoon is on the throne, Cymoril is alive) and plops us down in the Sighing Desert, where Elric has found himself near death in his failed search for the fabled Tanelorn (similar to Atlantis). Rescued (surprise!), he is again called upon to use his sword-and-sorcery to attain something for another. But who is he truly working for after all? And what is The Pearl at the Heart of the World? And why do so many people seek it?

The tale feels a bit padded, which isn’t surprising considering when it was written by Moorcock. Elric spends as much time brooding about Cymoril and welcoming death as he does using his skills with magic and with Stormbringer. A story for those who read the books in publishing order, not the re-ordering that places this in the “correct timeline”. A worthwhile read that introduces us to Oone, the mother of Elric’s two children (Oona and Onric), but doesn’t do much in the way of excitement until the final 20 pages or so. Entirely too much dialogue, and in the Eternal Champion universe we hardly need simplistic chatter to drive the plot. Moorcock could write stories like this forever - Eternal Champion, anyone?!? - but I would have hoped for more bloody action throughout, better monsters and demons, a more complex and interesting storyline, and less pseudo-metaphysics. I love the concept of the Multiverse, but for what happens, not what is discussed.

[Phillip · Rating 2 out of 5]

A meandering tale, too long spent in a world of dreams resulted in a messy story and whimsical, untethered worldbuilding. The beginning hook and resolution were satisfying, but the middle was plagued with sudden solutions delivered straight from the hand of the author. This left it without a feeling of real tension or stakes. Lastly, the characterization of Elric felt uneven as in some scenes he was his usual inquisitive and enjoyable self, but in others he seemed to lose all wit only to further the plot.

[Jonathan Ammon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slower paced and more thoughtful Elric quest. Moorcock is much more open about what he is doing with his themes here, and sometimes a bit too self-aware for the story. Fascinating stuff though and worth revisiting. Elric and his story line reminds me a lot of Wolfe’s Severian in this entry, and it would be interesting to know if inspiration went both ways. One would assume it was Wolfe that took inspiration from Moorcock, but this later Elric novel was written after Wolfe’s Solar Cycle.

[Buzz Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second chronological book in the Elric Saga #1 and I did not like it nearly as much as the first.

This book was like the movie Inception meets Alice in Wonderland with a little Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka thrown in.