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Kormak the Guardian #1
Stealer of Flesh
To the world at large, he is a mercenary and assassin, a brutal killer with a deadly blade. In reality Kormak is a Guardian, one of a near-extinct order sworn to protect humanity from the servants of the gathering darkness.
The Ghul are the Stealers of Flesh, an ancient race of demons who possess the bodies of humans to work great evil. Now one of them has been freed from its ancient prison using Kormak's own dwarf-forged sword and the Guardian must pursue it to a haunted city on the edge of the world to end its reign of terror.
Stealer of Flesh contains four-linked novelettes that tell the epic tale of Kormak's hunt for a prince of demons. In it he encounters a conspiracy of demented mages, an army of werewolves, Orcish blademasters and a beautiful alchemist and her insane poet brother.
The Ghul are the Stealers of Flesh, an ancient race of demons who possess the bodies of humans to work great evil. Now one of them has been freed from its ancient prison using Kormak's own dwarf-forged sword and the Guardian must pursue it to a haunted city on the edge of the world to end its reign of terror.
Stealer of Flesh contains four-linked novelettes that tell the epic tale of Kormak's hunt for a prince of demons. In it he encounters a conspiracy of demented mages, an army of werewolves, Orcish blademasters and a beautiful alchemist and her insane poet brother.
206 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2012
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716 people want to read
About the author
William King
350 books714 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 9, 2014
When an ancient amphora containing a demon is stolen, Kormak tracks the thieves down until one remains. Staggering out of a blizzard, Kormak finds himself at a fortified manor where both the last thief and the amphora are guests....
I knew William King from Gotrek & Felix: The First Omnibus so I was pretty excited when this popped up on my Freebooksy email one morning.
Basically, a body-stealing demon gets loosed upon the world and Kormak crosses an entire continent to slay it before it becomes immortal. The story is told in five smaller tales, all linked, much like some of the old Conan paperbacks this was inspired by.
King's prose is a cut above it's media fiction roots. Much like the Gotrek and Felix books, there's a good dose of humor interspersed with the gratuitous carnage.
Kormak is much deeper than the Conan ripoff I originally had him pegged for. He's a member of a religious order dedicated to fighting the forces of darkness and doesn't have a great love of wizards.
Still, if you're not a fan of the way the Sword and Sorcery subgenre of fantasy treats its women, you aren't going to find it to your liking. The female characters are largely interchangeable.
While he's not going to unseat Joe Abercrombie or any other of fantasy's current juggernauts, William King delivers the goods in Stealer of Flesh. It's bloody good fun. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I knew William King from Gotrek & Felix: The First Omnibus so I was pretty excited when this popped up on my Freebooksy email one morning.
Basically, a body-stealing demon gets loosed upon the world and Kormak crosses an entire continent to slay it before it becomes immortal. The story is told in five smaller tales, all linked, much like some of the old Conan paperbacks this was inspired by.
King's prose is a cut above it's media fiction roots. Much like the Gotrek and Felix books, there's a good dose of humor interspersed with the gratuitous carnage.
Kormak is much deeper than the Conan ripoff I originally had him pegged for. He's a member of a religious order dedicated to fighting the forces of darkness and doesn't have a great love of wizards.
Still, if you're not a fan of the way the Sword and Sorcery subgenre of fantasy treats its women, you aren't going to find it to your liking. The female characters are largely interchangeable.
While he's not going to unseat Joe Abercrombie or any other of fantasy's current juggernauts, William King delivers the goods in Stealer of Flesh. It's bloody good fun. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
August 13, 2019
Pulp sword and sorcery in the mold of Robert E. Howard’s Conan, Kull, et cetera. Lead character here is Kormak, a knight of a holy order, who is on the trail of a stolen artifact which holds the undying spirit of a demon. The long quest that follows sees our hero fighting his way across an ancient world filled with mysteries, magic, and adventure. To add spice to the normal sword wielding action are thoughtful moments where our cynical hero considers the world around him, his faith, and his legacy, as well as his cold hearted use of those people he befriends. I won’t say this book reinvents the tried and true sword and sorcery mold, but it certainly use to their maximum potential to deliver a damn entertaining story for lovers of this kind of fantasy.
October 30, 2015
Stealer of Flesh by William King
This short set of tales introduces us to Kormak, a Guardian who is essentially an assassin of dark creatures. He is hunting a Ghul across four tales. This begins a series which extends to at least 7 entries. This is Sword & Sorcery with a Warhammer feel. It has a lot of ingredients that I adore: mysterious undead creatures, intelligent banter, gritty warfare. It also had a knack for building up great potential only to not capitalize on it or to nullify it. I'll explain: in chapter one, a very silly quote from a dying character was a forced one-liner quote that was out of place; the second tale builds up a companion for Kormak and then puts her in jeopardy in a very interesting way...but chapter three mentions her in passing; chapter three also lets Kormak and Ghul share minds (I am being obtuse to not spoil) so a weird/interesting bond is formed between hunter and prey...and this is not tapped for the rest of the book; chapter four brings us into some ancient ruins with great history and a finale battle...which ends abruptly and without exploration of the ruins.
I enjoyed much of the plot twists and battles, but in the end I was not sure I really knew Kormak well enough to care about his future adventures. I am confident that William King can spin a great tale, and perhaps the remaining set fleshes out this potential.
1. Stealer of Flesh
2. Defiler of Tombs
3. Weaver of Shadow
4. City of Strife
5. Taker of Skulls
6. Ocean of Fear
7. Born of Darkness
This short set of tales introduces us to Kormak, a Guardian who is essentially an assassin of dark creatures. He is hunting a Ghul across four tales. This begins a series which extends to at least 7 entries. This is Sword & Sorcery with a Warhammer feel. It has a lot of ingredients that I adore: mysterious undead creatures, intelligent banter, gritty warfare. It also had a knack for building up great potential only to not capitalize on it or to nullify it. I'll explain: in chapter one, a very silly quote from a dying character was a forced one-liner quote that was out of place; the second tale builds up a companion for Kormak and then puts her in jeopardy in a very interesting way...but chapter three mentions her in passing; chapter three also lets Kormak and Ghul share minds (I am being obtuse to not spoil) so a weird/interesting bond is formed between hunter and prey...and this is not tapped for the rest of the book; chapter four brings us into some ancient ruins with great history and a finale battle...which ends abruptly and without exploration of the ruins.
I enjoyed much of the plot twists and battles, but in the end I was not sure I really knew Kormak well enough to care about his future adventures. I am confident that William King can spin a great tale, and perhaps the remaining set fleshes out this potential.
1. Stealer of Flesh
2. Defiler of Tombs
3. Weaver of Shadow
4. City of Strife
5. Taker of Skulls
6. Ocean of Fear
7. Born of Darkness
October 20, 2015
Look. Stop. Breathe. Stop. Read. Stop. I'd heard of William King. He's the author of Gotrek & Felix. This is his first book that I've read. It starts with very short sentences. It's jarring. It's at odds with the content.
Short sentences are an effective device for increasing tension. Overused they're just irritating. Using them for exposition is a terrible decision.
Authors are often accused of overwriting and told to keep it simple; what's less often acknowledged is that it's possible to go too far the other way and King does here. To be fair to him his prose improves marginally from the second or third chapter but by that point I was already annoyed. What makes it even worse is that the exposition was minimal and world-building almost completely absent. There didn't need to be any more than there was but why pretend otherwise?
As far as the world goes, I wonder if this was actually a pitch to Games Workshop for their Warhammer Fantasy world (which includes the aforementioned Gotrek & Felix). This world's almost indistinguishable from that one - warring principalities, hints of a large human empire with organised religion, undead, powerful Dwarven runes and orcs... If it was offered then it's possible they passed on it due to the Age of Sigmar change but it's equally possible that they just weren't interested or that it was never offered. If the latter then it's a shame that given free rein to write for himself King didn't show a little more ambition or imagination.
Overall, I thought this was an averagely written book with zero plot, an unoriginal concept and poor characterisation. I suggested earlier this year that there may be good sword and sorcery writers lurking around the franchised fiction, and particularly Warhammer, catalogues and although the only Gotrek and Felix I'd read was by another author I was aware of King's reputation - as I made clear at the beginning of this review. I'm sadly disappointed.
Short sentences are an effective device for increasing tension. Overused they're just irritating. Using them for exposition is a terrible decision.
Authors are often accused of overwriting and told to keep it simple; what's less often acknowledged is that it's possible to go too far the other way and King does here. To be fair to him his prose improves marginally from the second or third chapter but by that point I was already annoyed. What makes it even worse is that the exposition was minimal and world-building almost completely absent. There didn't need to be any more than there was but why pretend otherwise?
As far as the world goes, I wonder if this was actually a pitch to Games Workshop for their Warhammer Fantasy world (which includes the aforementioned Gotrek & Felix). This world's almost indistinguishable from that one - warring principalities, hints of a large human empire with organised religion, undead, powerful Dwarven runes and orcs... If it was offered then it's possible they passed on it due to the Age of Sigmar change but it's equally possible that they just weren't interested or that it was never offered. If the latter then it's a shame that given free rein to write for himself King didn't show a little more ambition or imagination.
Overall, I thought this was an averagely written book with zero plot, an unoriginal concept and poor characterisation. I suggested earlier this year that there may be good sword and sorcery writers lurking around the franchised fiction, and particularly Warhammer, catalogues and although the only Gotrek and Felix I'd read was by another author I was aware of King's reputation - as I made clear at the beginning of this review. I'm sadly disappointed.
November 13, 2013
The first book in the Kormak Saga, Stealer of Flesh consists of four linked sword & sorcery novellas. While there is currently quite a glut of low-cost self-published fantasy ebooks, I was quite pleasantly surprised by the quality of this work.
The story focuses on the adventures of Kormak--a Guardian equipped with a dwarf-forged sword and monastic martial training--and his efforts to track down and destroy a demonic body-stealing Ghul. While Serious Guy Slays Monsters is well-trodden fantasy ground, I appreciated the execution. Setting details and other exposition aren't presented to the reader in big info dumps, but rather handed out a tidbit at a time. Not much is disclosed about either the Guardians or their Ghul enemies, but what is disclosed is interesting. And while at first glance Kormak himself could come across as a grim two-dimensional character, King fleshes him out in a subtle and interesting manner. Despite his heroic drive, there are a number of instances where Kormak questions his own motives and whether or not his quest has a point at all. And despite his apparent monk-like dedication to his cause, it doesn't take too much pushing for him to dally with women he'd be best off avoiding. There's more to both the world and the protagonist than what's revealed at first glance.
I also enjoyed the linked novella format. Compared to other fantasy subgenres, sword & sorcery lends itself extremely well to shorter formats. King doesn't draw things out to fill out page count; he sets up an interesting premise and immediately gets down to business. My only complaint is , but the concluding story was extremely satisfying, even if the ending was a little abrupt.
I'm not as familiar with the current sword & sorcery authors as I am with the classic ones, but King strikes me as a writer to watch. I look forward to reading more Kormak tales.
The story focuses on the adventures of Kormak--a Guardian equipped with a dwarf-forged sword and monastic martial training--and his efforts to track down and destroy a demonic body-stealing Ghul. While Serious Guy Slays Monsters is well-trodden fantasy ground, I appreciated the execution. Setting details and other exposition aren't presented to the reader in big info dumps, but rather handed out a tidbit at a time. Not much is disclosed about either the Guardians or their Ghul enemies, but what is disclosed is interesting. And while at first glance Kormak himself could come across as a grim two-dimensional character, King fleshes him out in a subtle and interesting manner. Despite his heroic drive, there are a number of instances where Kormak questions his own motives and whether or not his quest has a point at all. And despite his apparent monk-like dedication to his cause, it doesn't take too much pushing for him to dally with women he'd be best off avoiding. There's more to both the world and the protagonist than what's revealed at first glance.
I also enjoyed the linked novella format. Compared to other fantasy subgenres, sword & sorcery lends itself extremely well to shorter formats. King doesn't draw things out to fill out page count; he sets up an interesting premise and immediately gets down to business. My only complaint is , but the concluding story was extremely satisfying, even if the ending was a little abrupt.
I'm not as familiar with the current sword & sorcery authors as I am with the classic ones, but King strikes me as a writer to watch. I look forward to reading more Kormak tales.
Read
October 30, 2015Lots of undeveloped potential - Decent Adventure Stealer of Flesh by William KingThis short set of tales introduces us to Kormak, a Guardian who is essentially an assassin of dark creatures. He is hunting a Ghul across four tales. This begins a series which extends to at least seven entries. This is Sword & Sorcery with a Warhammer feel. It has a lot of ingredients that I adore: mysterious undead creatures, intelligent banter, gritty warfare. It also had a knack for building up great potential only to not capitalize on it or to nullify it. I'll explain: in chapter one, a very silly quote from a dying character was a forced one-liner quote that was out of place; the second tale builds up a companion for Kormak and then puts her in jeopardy in a very interesting way...but chapter three mentions her in passing; chapter three also lets Kormak and Ghul share minds (I am being obtuse to not spoil) so a weird/interesting bond is formed between hunter and prey...and this is not tapped for the rest of the book; chapter four brings us into some ancient ruins with great history and a finale battle...which ends abruptly and without exploration of the ruins. I enjoyed much of the plot twists and battles, but in the end I was not sure I really knew Kormak well enough to care about his future adventures. I am confident that William King can spin a great tale, and perhaps the remaining set fleshes out this potential.1. Stealer of Flesh2. Defiler of Tombs3. Weaver of Shadow4. City of Strife5. Taker of Skulls6. Ocean of Fear7. Born of Darkness
February 1, 2022
Pretty good,I liked Kormak as a protagonist and he reminded me a lot of Geralt for some reason. I also like the themes that are touched during the narrative that being to my understanding the price of being remembered is it worth paying the highest price for avoiding death and becoming something more terrible and inhuman.
This is a recommend from me.
This is a recommend from me.
February 14, 2015
Let's talk about voice. Stealer of Flesh has it in spades. There's a difference between describing a scene for the reader and describing a character via their understanding of the scene. This is a book to learn from.
I didn't find the plot particularly compelling, nor did I fall for any of the major or minor characters-- that's a lie. Petra was quite awesome, but I knew she was doomed the moment she joined the quest, so her presence was less heartening and more anticipatory.
The narrative jumps forward twice, breaking this novel into 3 easier short story-sized chunks. In direct contrast to Spirits, I found the time movement to be entirely functional. There was no skimming of events. Three minor arcs occur and they're divided by a month or two of time.
I liked the dips into a larger world. The lore, various cities, and ruins of ages past were all excellent color to see through Kormac's eyes. There are clearly massive stories before, after, and around this one.
But with all that said, I did not connect with Kormac's struggle or particularly care if he succeeded. The tone of the voice in this story is bland. More than once I felt removed, like I was reading a history textbook or a biography. Unfortunately, that means I won't be picking up book two.
Having said that, there's still much tequnique to learn from this book and I already have some ideas for edits in my current Wip. Also, brilliant cover.
I didn't find the plot particularly compelling, nor did I fall for any of the major or minor characters-- that's a lie. Petra was quite awesome, but I knew she was doomed the moment she joined the quest, so her presence was less heartening and more anticipatory.
The narrative jumps forward twice, breaking this novel into 3 easier short story-sized chunks. In direct contrast to Spirits, I found the time movement to be entirely functional. There was no skimming of events. Three minor arcs occur and they're divided by a month or two of time.
I liked the dips into a larger world. The lore, various cities, and ruins of ages past were all excellent color to see through Kormac's eyes. There are clearly massive stories before, after, and around this one.
But with all that said, I did not connect with Kormac's struggle or particularly care if he succeeded. The tone of the voice in this story is bland. More than once I felt removed, like I was reading a history textbook or a biography. Unfortunately, that means I won't be picking up book two.
Having said that, there's still much tequnique to learn from this book and I already have some ideas for edits in my current Wip. Also, brilliant cover.
November 24, 2013
This was available free for Nook and sounded interesting enough, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Haven't read much pure sword and sorcery recently, though I've enjoyed the works of Tolkien, Leiber and Moorcock over the years. There was certainly some of that here, though in this case, while a typical Dungeons and Dragons adventure derived from those stories, this book seemed to derive in turn from the derivatives. The characters are fairly flat, with repeated statements of their defining characteristics and little in the way of arcs.
The writing was straightforward and transitions were a bit abrupt; the ending in particular being a bit anticlimactic. The bantering dialog was well done in short doses, but it went on a bit long in many cases. There were a few grammatical errors and non sequiturs, and virtually every page had a sentence that was missing a comma. At least that aspect of the style was consistent, but it's a style I think most editors would consider non-standard.
So it's safe to say I wasn't thrilled by the book, but there were some creative elements and enjoyable moments.
Haven't read much pure sword and sorcery recently, though I've enjoyed the works of Tolkien, Leiber and Moorcock over the years. There was certainly some of that here, though in this case, while a typical Dungeons and Dragons adventure derived from those stories, this book seemed to derive in turn from the derivatives. The characters are fairly flat, with repeated statements of their defining characteristics and little in the way of arcs.
The writing was straightforward and transitions were a bit abrupt; the ending in particular being a bit anticlimactic. The bantering dialog was well done in short doses, but it went on a bit long in many cases. There were a few grammatical errors and non sequiturs, and virtually every page had a sentence that was missing a comma. At least that aspect of the style was consistent, but it's a style I think most editors would consider non-standard.
So it's safe to say I wasn't thrilled by the book, but there were some creative elements and enjoyable moments.
October 23, 2017
Standard, straightforward Sword & Sorcery tale without much to offer in the way of innovation or creativity. It featured choppy writing with plenty of grammatical mistakes, and the story felt more like a typical D&D adventure without a robust cast of characters. Unfortunately, the characters that did exist were flat and uninteresting, including the protagonist. At least the ending was complete and this isn't a partially finished novel stretched out over several books.
December 26, 2012
Sword & sorcery in the classic mode -- a series of linked novellas about Kormak, a warrior who belongs to an order dedicated to killing ancient evils. Kormak is chasing a demon that moves from body to body (hence the title). Very enjoyable with zero padding.
February 6, 2014
Choppy writing. Use of modern slang or verbiage is jarring and throws the reader off.
August 17, 2020
I became interested in this story based on a short story in a different book that has the protagonist Kormak. The world is mysterious and dangerous and Kormak is a warrior priest like character in the vein of Solomon Kane wandering the world slaying the creatures that walk the night.
The format for this first book is four short stories in chronological order about Kormak hunting down an evil that was unleashed by a stupid man. Along the way we slowly learn more about Kormak and his world and I continued to enjoy myself.
The book is dark but not in the grim dark fantasy way. For me this is a positive as I hate that subgenre. There’s the perfect amount of action and dialogue that the pacing keeps you engaged while learning about this new world. William King is a master world builder. I can’t wait to read the next book and learn more.
I’m definitely going to continue the series. No issues with language. Of screen adult situations and even though it deals with daemons and dark magic it doesn’t have that unpleasant feels about it so I’d recommend it for anyone over 15.
The format for this first book is four short stories in chronological order about Kormak hunting down an evil that was unleashed by a stupid man. Along the way we slowly learn more about Kormak and his world and I continued to enjoy myself.
The book is dark but not in the grim dark fantasy way. For me this is a positive as I hate that subgenre. There’s the perfect amount of action and dialogue that the pacing keeps you engaged while learning about this new world. William King is a master world builder. I can’t wait to read the next book and learn more.
I’m definitely going to continue the series. No issues with language. Of screen adult situations and even though it deals with daemons and dark magic it doesn’t have that unpleasant feels about it so I’d recommend it for anyone over 15.
May 28, 2017
High Sword and Sorcery as a Monk/Knight Chases a Deadly Demon
King has created a wonderful world in which the supporters of a SunGod struggle against supporters of a Moon/God, and worshipers of Lost Gods look for the return of their Idols. He writes well, and as readers, we follow his "Guardian" protagonist as the Guardian explores the far reaches of the Sun/God's worshipers, meeting scholars, mages, werewolves, and interesting women (he is only forbidden to MARRY women; he can still enjoy their company).
Protected by magic amulets, dwarf-made armor and sword, the Guardian fights all the beings who would subjugate or dine on the humans who worship the Sun. This is the first of at least three books following the Guardian, Sir Kormak, as he fights to end the threats of evil. It's a big world, and there is lots of evil...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: AS AN EXCELLENT SWORD AND SORCERY EPIC STORY
King has created a wonderful world in which the supporters of a SunGod struggle against supporters of a Moon/God, and worshipers of Lost Gods look for the return of their Idols. He writes well, and as readers, we follow his "Guardian" protagonist as the Guardian explores the far reaches of the Sun/God's worshipers, meeting scholars, mages, werewolves, and interesting women (he is only forbidden to MARRY women; he can still enjoy their company).
Protected by magic amulets, dwarf-made armor and sword, the Guardian fights all the beings who would subjugate or dine on the humans who worship the Sun. This is the first of at least three books following the Guardian, Sir Kormak, as he fights to end the threats of evil. It's a big world, and there is lots of evil...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: AS AN EXCELLENT SWORD AND SORCERY EPIC STORY
September 15, 2021
Primera toma de contacto con el cazador de monstruos de William King. Un héroe crepuscular, desencantado del mundo que le ha tocado vivir, cínico y pesimista, pero que, fiel a su palabra, continúa luchando para preservar la precaria paz y seguridad de los inocentes.
En este libro adopta las maneras de un Clark Ashton Smith, bosquejando un mundo teñido por las nieblas hiperbóreas, de un pasado lleno de horrores que no han abandonado del todo su presente. Irregular dada su estructura de road movie, sirve de introducción al nuevo universo del autor en el que rinde homenaje a las lecturas que lo acompañaron en sus inicios, al tiempo que no duda en explorar nuevas posibilidades a temas tratados por otros (la sombra de Geralt de Rivia lo persigue) y por él mismo en otros universos compartidos.
En este libro adopta las maneras de un Clark Ashton Smith, bosquejando un mundo teñido por las nieblas hiperbóreas, de un pasado lleno de horrores que no han abandonado del todo su presente. Irregular dada su estructura de road movie, sirve de introducción al nuevo universo del autor en el que rinde homenaje a las lecturas que lo acompañaron en sus inicios, al tiempo que no duda en explorar nuevas posibilidades a temas tratados por otros (la sombra de Geralt de Rivia lo persigue) y por él mismo en otros universos compartidos.
January 31, 2018
William King is the author of many great Warhammer novels so it was with quite a bit of interest that I noticed novel in a totally new series in his own fantasy universe. The hero, Kormak, is a Guardian dedicated to expunging supernatural evil from the world. This novel is a series of linked short stories that tell of Kormak’s struggle to track down and destroy a body-stealing demon. This is an action packed adventure as fans of King’s Warhammer series would expect. If it’s missing anything, it’s the camaraderie which gave the Gotrek and Felix series its heart. Kormak journeys alone.
July 5, 2017
An enjoyable read
I will tell you the truth. I was not expecting much from this. But, I received massive enjoyment from this story. Part Conan, Part Witcher, and all fun. This is not classic literature and it could do with some edits on misspelled words, but it is enjoyable none the less.
I will tell you the truth. I was not expecting much from this. But, I received massive enjoyment from this story. Part Conan, Part Witcher, and all fun. This is not classic literature and it could do with some edits on misspelled words, but it is enjoyable none the less.
December 16, 2020
Another world
A will written Sci-Fi thriller novel in a world 🌎in to past or future. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is complicated fast moving with sorcery, demons, and witches leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend William King 👑 novels to readers looking for something different. Enjoy reading 🔰😐
A will written Sci-Fi thriller novel in a world 🌎in to past or future. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is complicated fast moving with sorcery, demons, and witches leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend William King 👑 novels to readers looking for something different. Enjoy reading 🔰😐
November 29, 2025
Tried this because i saw it recommended as a Witcher alternative.
That it is not, at all. Different fantasy kind, different approach, different writing style, different kind of world(buiding).
What it actually is, is a goodish alternative to old school sword and sorcery. Mediocre, but to me Conan and Krull and so on are also mediocre writing, so about there.
That it is not, at all. Different fantasy kind, different approach, different writing style, different kind of world(buiding).
What it actually is, is a goodish alternative to old school sword and sorcery. Mediocre, but to me Conan and Krull and so on are also mediocre writing, so about there.
March 24, 2023
It’s got swords. It’s got sorcery. It’s got a goon-faced holy mercenary bangin’ and ultimately getting every lady he sees possessed by an ancient demon until their body is a melted husk of its former self. What a guy.
July 15, 2018
Stealer of flesh
Really enjoyed this book it was very entertaining and enjoyable the hero normal is a man relentlessly fighting evil characters leaped from the page a great read
Really enjoyed this book it was very entertaining and enjoyable the hero normal is a man relentlessly fighting evil characters leaped from the page a great read
March 23, 2019
Nice action
Lots of good action and a nice blending of fable and storytelling to keep it fun. Just enough horror to grip your attention.
Lots of good action and a nice blending of fable and storytelling to keep it fun. Just enough horror to grip your attention.
October 1, 2019
An OK book. I enjoyed it, but didn't feel compelled to keep reading. Also, the ending was fairly abrupt and less than satisfying.
December 15, 2021
Pretty good sword and sorcery series. Honestly nothing particularly new. Just a solid example of the genre. Totally enjoyable.
March 16, 2022
Pretty good sword and sorcery novel. It was a quick read. I liked it enough to buy the second book and see how it goes.
November 30, 2022
Great book
If you liked magic, dwarfs ,wizards and such, the n your going to love this book too. Again, a great book
If you liked magic, dwarfs ,wizards and such, the n your going to love this book too. Again, a great book
April 7, 2015
I'm a big fan of William King.
I love the Gotrek and Felix series so I'm always willing to read anything he writes.
I've been reading about the Kormak series on his website for a while now, but with an extensive library of books on my kindle that I've never read, and a long to-read list on Goodreads, I've always been reluctant to purchase it.
Why buy something now if I don't intend to read it yet, right?
But when I found out that the 1st book of the Kormak series, Stealer of Flesh, was free on Amazon, naturally I jumped right on it.
Because he's my favorite author, and because it was free, I moved it up on my to-read list (free has powerful effects) and finally got around to reading it.
The Story
Kormak is a Guardian of the Order of the Dawn, a religious organization sworn to protect humanity from the Old Ones by hunting and killing evil wizards, creatures, and demons.
Equipped with a dwarf-forged sword and wearing amulets that ward off dark spells, he sets off from the fortress-monastery of Mount Aethelas to fulfill his life-long oath of killing all that live in the Shadow.
It starts with Kormak pursuing a thief who stole an ancient amphora that bounds a Ghul, one of the demons sometimes known as the Stealers of Flesh.
He follows the thief into the snowy wilderness and gets lost in a raging blizzard. Just as he's about to freeze to death, he encounters a mansion where the thief resides with his employer, Lord Tomas.
There Kormak learns that Lord Thomas hired the thief to retrieve the amphora and intends on freeing the Ghul so he could learn the secrets of immortality.
Lord Tomas knows that the Ghul can only be killed using specially forged runic weapons, like Kormak's blade, and so restrains Kormak with intentions of releasing him on the demon if things go wrong.
Naturally, on freeing the Ghul, things go horribly wrong and it escapes.
To continue living, the Ghul must possess a new body every few days, leaving the old body behind as a rotting pile of bone and flesh. This doesn't fit right with Kormak, so he pursues the demon through towns, forests, and deserts hell-bent on killing it (the poor guy).
The story is more like a collection of four short stories with one main objective: kill the Ghul. It's fast-paced and there's always action around the corner, just the way I like it.
It's light on magic and heavy on hand-to-hand combat. There's not much magic at all except for some creatures created from dark spells, and an "alakazam" thrown in every once in a while.
William's writing style is great, although sometimes it does feel like it could have used an editor.
The Characters
Kormak himself is a badass. He's a hunter with no interest in whether there's a bounty on your head or not. Creature or human, you do something wicked, you're going to die. No questions asked. He's blunt and gets to the point, fast.
Each short story leaves the old characters behind and introduces new characters to help Kormak with his quest.
The characters are good enough to move the story along but I did find them a bit flat. You won't be sad if anyone dies, which happens in every story.
The conversations flow, but the long ones tend to slap back and forth like a tennis ball with no concept of character emotions.
Sometimes the characters get predictable. Once William starts describing a beautiful woman, I started guessing correctly that she was going to sleep with Kormak. They all can't resist the handsomely scarred physique of the veteran warrior.
I don't mind a James Bond-ish protagonist, but predictability is never good in a story.
Overall, this is a great read.
It's not William's best, but I would still recommend picking it up. And it's free so if you love fantasy and you have a kindle then go ahead and download it and get started on the Kormak series.
I love the Gotrek and Felix series so I'm always willing to read anything he writes.
I've been reading about the Kormak series on his website for a while now, but with an extensive library of books on my kindle that I've never read, and a long to-read list on Goodreads, I've always been reluctant to purchase it.
Why buy something now if I don't intend to read it yet, right?
But when I found out that the 1st book of the Kormak series, Stealer of Flesh, was free on Amazon, naturally I jumped right on it.
Because he's my favorite author, and because it was free, I moved it up on my to-read list (free has powerful effects) and finally got around to reading it.
The Story
Kormak is a Guardian of the Order of the Dawn, a religious organization sworn to protect humanity from the Old Ones by hunting and killing evil wizards, creatures, and demons.
Equipped with a dwarf-forged sword and wearing amulets that ward off dark spells, he sets off from the fortress-monastery of Mount Aethelas to fulfill his life-long oath of killing all that live in the Shadow.
It starts with Kormak pursuing a thief who stole an ancient amphora that bounds a Ghul, one of the demons sometimes known as the Stealers of Flesh.
He follows the thief into the snowy wilderness and gets lost in a raging blizzard. Just as he's about to freeze to death, he encounters a mansion where the thief resides with his employer, Lord Tomas.
There Kormak learns that Lord Thomas hired the thief to retrieve the amphora and intends on freeing the Ghul so he could learn the secrets of immortality.
Lord Tomas knows that the Ghul can only be killed using specially forged runic weapons, like Kormak's blade, and so restrains Kormak with intentions of releasing him on the demon if things go wrong.
Naturally, on freeing the Ghul, things go horribly wrong and it escapes.
To continue living, the Ghul must possess a new body every few days, leaving the old body behind as a rotting pile of bone and flesh. This doesn't fit right with Kormak, so he pursues the demon through towns, forests, and deserts hell-bent on killing it (the poor guy).
The story is more like a collection of four short stories with one main objective: kill the Ghul. It's fast-paced and there's always action around the corner, just the way I like it.
It's light on magic and heavy on hand-to-hand combat. There's not much magic at all except for some creatures created from dark spells, and an "alakazam" thrown in every once in a while.
William's writing style is great, although sometimes it does feel like it could have used an editor.
The Characters
Kormak himself is a badass. He's a hunter with no interest in whether there's a bounty on your head or not. Creature or human, you do something wicked, you're going to die. No questions asked. He's blunt and gets to the point, fast.
Each short story leaves the old characters behind and introduces new characters to help Kormak with his quest.
The characters are good enough to move the story along but I did find them a bit flat. You won't be sad if anyone dies, which happens in every story.
The conversations flow, but the long ones tend to slap back and forth like a tennis ball with no concept of character emotions.
Sometimes the characters get predictable. Once William starts describing a beautiful woman, I started guessing correctly that she was going to sleep with Kormak. They all can't resist the handsomely scarred physique of the veteran warrior.
I don't mind a James Bond-ish protagonist, but predictability is never good in a story.
Overall, this is a great read.
It's not William's best, but I would still recommend picking it up. And it's free so if you love fantasy and you have a kindle then go ahead and download it and get started on the Kormak series.
February 13, 2016
This is my first book from William King. As straightforward sword and sorcery goes this book is a good exemple, but there is more sorcery than sword. The action is always present but not enough visceral to my liking. The story is simple, easy to follow and perfect for this kind of adventure: you get monsters, rufians, sorcerers and beautiful women a plenty. But there is something missing for it to be more than a 3 stars novel... I think the atmosphere is a little weak and combine with the lack of descriptive action sequence it leave a sense of wanting more. Otherwise I liked the Stealer of Flesh and I will continue to read the adventure of Kormak hopping that it becomes a fuller experience.
March 18, 2014
Not a bad start to a series that looks like it has about three books to it. At first I thought it was going to be about vampires, but it was much better! I enjoyed reading about how Kormak has to hunt down a demon that can travel from body to body; a demon that was released by his own sword. Look forward to reading other books in this series.
September 16, 2016
Podprůměrná fantasy s tuctovým hrdinou, který je na jedné straně nevrlý zabiják, na druhé straně zcela neodolatelný pro všechno v sukni a nedokáže udržet poklopec zapnutý. Kniha postrádala jakékoli napětí i emocionální dopad. Vlastním ještě i navazující knihu, Vykradač hrobek, ale nevím, jestli s jejím čtením budu nějak pospíchat.
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