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Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1
Prisoner of the Horned Helmet
In an age before Atlantis rose, an age rife with sorcery and violence, the earth trembled beneath the all-conquering hooves of the Kitzaak Horde, and only one man, Gath of Baal, dares to confront the Kitzaak lances to stand between the never-defeated armies and the lush valley that will, long millenia in the future, be known as the Mediterranean Sea. To save the peaceful People of the Forest, Gath must dice with the gods, and the price he must pay is to become death made flesh, the Prisoner of the Horned Helmet.
314 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 11, 2020
In 1973 Frank Frazetta painted The Death Dealer. It is a rather provocative piece of work as far as fantasy art goes, featuring a sinister figure atop a large black steed and wielding a bloody axe; face lost in shadow except for two smouldering red eyes gazing contemptuously out of the frame. It also has its own Wikipedia entry.
He stripped each body and made a blanket from their leather tunics. He heaped their armor and weapons along with his broken axe and helmet on the blanket, tied them in a bundle. He drank from the stream in animal fashion, and washed most of the dry blood and gore off his body. Then he picked up the bundle, heaved it to his back, and started down a narrow trail beside the stream.
In 1988, the first in a series of novels entitled “Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer” was published: it was titled Prisoner of the Horned Helmet. The author (James Silke) draws his inspiration directly from Frazetta’s painting, and strives to infuse the story with the same menace and grittiness that Frazetta so successfully portrayed. It is also, unsurprisingly, a nod to the works of Robert E. Howard and his contemporaries. The prose is purple and the battles are bloody; the somewhat psychotic (anti) hero protagonist says nary a word and scantily clad maidens swoon at the first sign of danger.
Politically correct this may not be, but it is powerful stuff. The first battle featuring Gath of Baal (a.k.a. the Death Dealer) is nothing short of breathtaking. He is somewhat invincible, which negates the stress factor to an extent, but hot-damn if I’d gotten hold of this in my teenage years I may well have pursued a career in pillaging or, barring that, writing.
He was a massive horned demon of black metal and sinew graced by golden light, drinking air and holding the bridge with booted feet as if all the elements were personal possessions. The helmet had transformed him. He was death, and he had never felt so alive.
Does the novel succeed in what it sets out to do, i.e. to bring to life the Death Dealer of Frazetta’s painting? To an extent, sure enough, but it does have some shortcomings: the plot is on the thin side and there is no character development to speak of. It’s a simplistic and occasionally silly story, but hey, who cares? They don’t make them like this anymore. If anything, you need to read this for the adrenaline fueled and uncompromising fighting sequences. Also: if you really wanted to, you could think of this book as “Beauty and the Beast” on some seriously hardcore enhancement drugs.
Finally, a note on the cover art, also by Frank Frazetta. I always appreciate it if I am able to relate the cover of a book to its contents. In this instance we have Gath of Baal laying into some slave drivers at the ruins of a place called “Chela Kong”. Yes, it’s in the book.
I’ll be rating this quite high, thank you very much. Nothing wrong with some pulpy goodness every now and then, although it’s not quite as good as, say, Karl Edward Wagner's Dark Crusade.
He stripped each body and made a blanket from their leather tunics. He heaped their armor and weapons along with his broken axe and helmet on the blanket, tied them in a bundle. He drank from the stream in animal fashion, and washed most of the dry blood and gore off his body. Then he picked up the bundle, heaved it to his back, and started down a narrow trail beside the stream.
In 1988, the first in a series of novels entitled “Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer” was published: it was titled Prisoner of the Horned Helmet. The author (James Silke) draws his inspiration directly from Frazetta’s painting, and strives to infuse the story with the same menace and grittiness that Frazetta so successfully portrayed. It is also, unsurprisingly, a nod to the works of Robert E. Howard and his contemporaries. The prose is purple and the battles are bloody; the somewhat psychotic (anti) hero protagonist says nary a word and scantily clad maidens swoon at the first sign of danger.
Politically correct this may not be, but it is powerful stuff. The first battle featuring Gath of Baal (a.k.a. the Death Dealer) is nothing short of breathtaking. He is somewhat invincible, which negates the stress factor to an extent, but hot-damn if I’d gotten hold of this in my teenage years I may well have pursued a career in pillaging or, barring that, writing.
He was a massive horned demon of black metal and sinew graced by golden light, drinking air and holding the bridge with booted feet as if all the elements were personal possessions. The helmet had transformed him. He was death, and he had never felt so alive.
Does the novel succeed in what it sets out to do, i.e. to bring to life the Death Dealer of Frazetta’s painting? To an extent, sure enough, but it does have some shortcomings: the plot is on the thin side and there is no character development to speak of. It’s a simplistic and occasionally silly story, but hey, who cares? They don’t make them like this anymore. If anything, you need to read this for the adrenaline fueled and uncompromising fighting sequences. Also: if you really wanted to, you could think of this book as “Beauty and the Beast” on some seriously hardcore enhancement drugs.
Finally, a note on the cover art, also by Frank Frazetta. I always appreciate it if I am able to relate the cover of a book to its contents. In this instance we have Gath of Baal laying into some slave drivers at the ruins of a place called “Chela Kong”. Yes, it’s in the book.
I’ll be rating this quite high, thank you very much. Nothing wrong with some pulpy goodness every now and then, although it’s not quite as good as, say, Karl Edward Wagner's Dark Crusade.
July 19, 2019
Getting Frank Frazetta involved in fantasy fiction sets my expectations moderate-high: if this story was even one-tenth worthy of his amazing illustrations, then would be in for one hell of a ride.
Uff. Just looking at his art makes me shiver. It's amazing. May he live forever in our hearts. An of course I don't need to tell you about any of this, it's nothing we don't all already know or agree on, I just feel that it's still important for contrast. The story itself is pretty bad, after all.
It does have some of the building blocks it needs and goes through the right motions, with high stakes and tension, vile villains, and generally unambiguous conflict that could get you going if properly told. The heroes are fairly bland, however, the action uninteresting, and the setting your stereotypical and undeveloped Sword & Sorcery playground. In right hands, with a skilled author at the helm, good knowledge of prose and dialogue, it all could still have worked out and been pretty amazing.
But that was not the case. In fact the prose is some of the worst I've ever read outside of Eye of Argon. If you'd told me this one had a similarly poor reputation in fantasy circles, I would not have been even remotely surprised. James Silke has not the slightest clue how words work, how to write an effective scene, how to describe places, when to use purple prose and when not, or what people should talk about or how. It's like a moderately promising comic book drawn by a self-taught teenager. It really brings everything else down along with it and ensures I can never get into the story properly, what with being hurting on the inside even trying to read the damn thing.
I'm sorry, Frank. You're still great.
Uff. Just looking at his art makes me shiver. It's amazing. May he live forever in our hearts. An of course I don't need to tell you about any of this, it's nothing we don't all already know or agree on, I just feel that it's still important for contrast. The story itself is pretty bad, after all.
It does have some of the building blocks it needs and goes through the right motions, with high stakes and tension, vile villains, and generally unambiguous conflict that could get you going if properly told. The heroes are fairly bland, however, the action uninteresting, and the setting your stereotypical and undeveloped Sword & Sorcery playground. In right hands, with a skilled author at the helm, good knowledge of prose and dialogue, it all could still have worked out and been pretty amazing.
But that was not the case. In fact the prose is some of the worst I've ever read outside of Eye of Argon. If you'd told me this one had a similarly poor reputation in fantasy circles, I would not have been even remotely surprised. James Silke has not the slightest clue how words work, how to write an effective scene, how to describe places, when to use purple prose and when not, or what people should talk about or how. It's like a moderately promising comic book drawn by a self-taught teenager. It really brings everything else down along with it and ensures I can never get into the story properly, what with being hurting on the inside even trying to read the damn thing.
I'm sorry, Frank. You're still great.
December 13, 2017
So much better than I was expecting. A really fun, fast-paced Sword and Sorcery origin tale. I utterly devoured this book in a few hours. Really looking forward to reading the rest of this four-part series. Highly recommended to all Fantasy fans, especially those who love the artwork of Frazetta.
January 28, 2022
Well, I finally finished book 1. It was…just ok. It was never terrible, the chapters were short and punchy, and there was some good scenes here and there. But it wasn’t quite as action-oriented as the cover art implies, nor as dark and gritty. If the book had been trimmed by about 70-80 pages it would have moved along a bit faster. It frankly felt more like generic fantasy than old-school S&S, but I liked enough to want to read book 2 in the near future. With the premise of the Death Dealer/Horned Helmet set up now, and the setting/characters in place, I’m hoping book 2 picks up the pace a bit and provides me with more blood ‘n’ thunder action. Because that’s just what this series needs. Two and a half stars out of five.
June 2, 2008
My older brothers bought the Death Dealer books as they were coming out, so I was familiar with the character from an early age. It was not until I was in my early teens that I read them for myself, and I read through the quartet again while living on my own in Arizona (sometime in early 2003). I have been in need of some good fantasy, so I dusted off the Death Dealer and read the first book again.
Though I enjoyed the books a great deal in my youth, I was surprised at how poorly they were written. James Silke makes use of numerous metaphors that are, in my opinion, very poor. He also writes in a style that I shall call “hyper-masculine” in which girls are typically dainty little things with many “pert” parts, and more innocent than newborn babies.
What the author excels at is writing in a pulp fiction format in which every chapter leaves you hanging onto the edge. Characters are larger than life and established by their very presence before any action is even taken. Although the story does not seem very unique at first- barbarian people threatened by foreign conquerors, the Horned Helmet itself and the nature of the invaders makes the story very interesting and filled with twists and turns worthy of a weekly serial.
The Death Dealer books depend on a strong visual style in which people, places, and events are described in detail, but no time is lost. Everything must move forward, and the chapters are generally one or two pages.
Compared to a lot of the fiction out there, the Death Dealer books, and the first one in particular, are much better than what is out there. Still, the poor execution does make the story feel like a cheap B-budget barbarian movie sometimes. I suppose that should not surprise me since the author was the writer of some of the less memorable Hollywood movie scripts.
3.5 Characters
The characters in the story are rich, complex, and very vibrant. They’re easy to envision, but not always easy to predict. Brown John is an interesting character, and Gath of Baal is distinct from other well-known barbarian heroes such as Conan. Female characters are generally caricatures though, with simple motivations and actions that are tired, predictable, and sexist.
4.5 Pace
The pace of the book is red-hot. It hardly ever slows down, chapters average two or three pages, and the hero is engaged in bloody battle within ten pages of the beginning.
4 Story
I like this story a lot. The idea of a powerful warrior imprisoned by a demonic helmet is interesting, but I also love the Kitzakks, the Grillards, and the power struggle over the fate of Gath of Baal by Brown John and Cobra, with Robin Lakehair in the middle of it all.
2.5 Dialogue
Most of the dialogue is decent and appropriate, but it also feels too predictable at times. Brown John, despite his roots as a performer and actor, is frequently too verbose. I didn’t feel his arguments were strong enough. In general, I thought his talk to Robin in Chapter 12 was weak, but his conversation with Gath in Chapter 57 was a good example of his character. Gath’s dialogue was suited to his temperament, but he used a few too many barbarian clichés at times (such as “You lie”).
2 Style/Technical
There was almost no moment that I didn’t cringe while reading. Though I love the story, characters, and fast pace, there is something in the technical execution that I do not like. Descriptions were broken into too many one-word sentences, many of the metaphors felt insipid or needlessly macho, and the author seemed to focus a lot of his energy on something that could be described as “majestic” or “epic” when he should have simply focused on the story.
3.3 Overall
“Prisoner of the Horned Helmet” is a good fantasy book, and far better than most of the other fantasy out there, but not a great book in its own right. Tolkien and Howard produced superior work, and James Silke relies on a hyper-masculine story that feels clichéd and corny. At the same time, his characters are generally vibrant, the fight scenes exciting, and the pace unrelenting. If it were not for the frequent mild pornographic content, I could recommend this book to anybody.
Though I enjoyed the books a great deal in my youth, I was surprised at how poorly they were written. James Silke makes use of numerous metaphors that are, in my opinion, very poor. He also writes in a style that I shall call “hyper-masculine” in which girls are typically dainty little things with many “pert” parts, and more innocent than newborn babies.
What the author excels at is writing in a pulp fiction format in which every chapter leaves you hanging onto the edge. Characters are larger than life and established by their very presence before any action is even taken. Although the story does not seem very unique at first- barbarian people threatened by foreign conquerors, the Horned Helmet itself and the nature of the invaders makes the story very interesting and filled with twists and turns worthy of a weekly serial.
The Death Dealer books depend on a strong visual style in which people, places, and events are described in detail, but no time is lost. Everything must move forward, and the chapters are generally one or two pages.
Compared to a lot of the fiction out there, the Death Dealer books, and the first one in particular, are much better than what is out there. Still, the poor execution does make the story feel like a cheap B-budget barbarian movie sometimes. I suppose that should not surprise me since the author was the writer of some of the less memorable Hollywood movie scripts.
3.5 Characters
The characters in the story are rich, complex, and very vibrant. They’re easy to envision, but not always easy to predict. Brown John is an interesting character, and Gath of Baal is distinct from other well-known barbarian heroes such as Conan. Female characters are generally caricatures though, with simple motivations and actions that are tired, predictable, and sexist.
4.5 Pace
The pace of the book is red-hot. It hardly ever slows down, chapters average two or three pages, and the hero is engaged in bloody battle within ten pages of the beginning.
4 Story
I like this story a lot. The idea of a powerful warrior imprisoned by a demonic helmet is interesting, but I also love the Kitzakks, the Grillards, and the power struggle over the fate of Gath of Baal by Brown John and Cobra, with Robin Lakehair in the middle of it all.
2.5 Dialogue
Most of the dialogue is decent and appropriate, but it also feels too predictable at times. Brown John, despite his roots as a performer and actor, is frequently too verbose. I didn’t feel his arguments were strong enough. In general, I thought his talk to Robin in Chapter 12 was weak, but his conversation with Gath in Chapter 57 was a good example of his character. Gath’s dialogue was suited to his temperament, but he used a few too many barbarian clichés at times (such as “You lie”).
2 Style/Technical
There was almost no moment that I didn’t cringe while reading. Though I love the story, characters, and fast pace, there is something in the technical execution that I do not like. Descriptions were broken into too many one-word sentences, many of the metaphors felt insipid or needlessly macho, and the author seemed to focus a lot of his energy on something that could be described as “majestic” or “epic” when he should have simply focused on the story.
3.3 Overall
“Prisoner of the Horned Helmet” is a good fantasy book, and far better than most of the other fantasy out there, but not a great book in its own right. Tolkien and Howard produced superior work, and James Silke relies on a hyper-masculine story that feels clichéd and corny. At the same time, his characters are generally vibrant, the fight scenes exciting, and the pace unrelenting. If it were not for the frequent mild pornographic content, I could recommend this book to anybody.
January 9, 2025
It's interesting to reread books we first encountered in youth. I was so excited for this one. I remember really liking it. Now I'm amazed at how much I must have changed in the intervening 20+ years. It's not terrible but the 3 stars is generous. I think, in my old age, I've become tired of 'heroes' who are not very heroic. The only aspect of heroism they embody is wanting to beat up monsters and only because they don't want to seem weaker than said monsters. I'll take The Lone Ranger, Captain America, or Superman over Gath of Baal. Or even Conan for that matter, which is obviously the archetype for this book. At least Conan seemed to have an inner nobility and might let me leave uninjured if I had to ask him for help.
August 31, 2017
An underrated and little known series but one that drips sword and sorcery from every page. Demons, dark gods, drug swayed decadence, black magic, brutality, wonder, and even a sprinkling of innocence. The book has it all in grand fashion.
Plus it's cover art is Frank Frazetta. It's worth having on your shelf for that alone.
Plus it's cover art is Frank Frazetta. It's worth having on your shelf for that alone.
August 9, 2017
Enter a realm of myths, barbarians and magic.
Simply put, if you like the Conan stories.
You most likely will enjoy this.
Gath is a large warrior living in seclusion.
When enemy invaders, begin targeting his woodlands.
Add some magic, gods, goddesses, along with a cursed helmet.
Sorcery and savagery.
With a nice amount of detail to settings and good story flow.
Not bad for an opening book, in a series.
Added bonus.
The Frank Frazetta artwork on the covers.
Simply put, if you like the Conan stories.
You most likely will enjoy this.
Gath is a large warrior living in seclusion.
When enemy invaders, begin targeting his woodlands.
Add some magic, gods, goddesses, along with a cursed helmet.
Sorcery and savagery.
With a nice amount of detail to settings and good story flow.
Not bad for an opening book, in a series.
Added bonus.
The Frank Frazetta artwork on the covers.
July 28, 2010
This was first in a series of books based on Frank Frazetta's painting of Death Dealer. There are 4 in the series and all have covers featuring the Death Dealer character.
I had very high hopes for these and they didn't quite live up to what I hoped for, but that's not the author's fault. They were in general pretty good, with an intersting character and a lot of bloody good fighting.
I had very high hopes for these and they didn't quite live up to what I hoped for, but that's not the author's fault. They were in general pretty good, with an intersting character and a lot of bloody good fighting.
May 15, 2014
This was a revisit for me, I read it a couple of times before. I just truly enjoy the art of Frazetta and for one of his creations to have a few books that give it life....well I am willing to give it a try. I think this is my favorite in the series. Though I have enjoyed the others quite a bit.
August 1, 2013
My boyfriend loves this series. He knows that I love to read so he gave me the first book. It took a minute to get into it but boy am I glad that I stayed with it. Is it e best book ever written? No. But it has good entertainment value. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
August 18, 2015
A solid sword and sorcery novel painting a bleak world that is magical, interesting, deadly, and gritty. Do not think you are stepping into a Tolkien fantasy when you open this one, this is a real, adult, and dangerous world.
August 5, 2015
"It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet." ~Kojiro Tomita
I feel like I got fucked by this one. So, so bad.
I feel like I got fucked by this one. So, so bad.
September 2, 2015
Fine entertainment, if you like this sort of thing.
Read
October 21, 2025Are you familiar with Frank Frazetta’s 1973 fantasy painting ‘Death Dealer’? You most likely are, even if it doesn’t pop into your brain. In fact, you’ve probably seen it a few times before and never really attributed it to anything other than an intense, menacing image.
For those who’ve not seen it – I’m included it here on my review post (though it won’t appear on GR);
This painting by Frazetta just might be my favorite piece of art.
A menacing figure perched upon a massive black horse, with a shield, a curved axe and a horned helmet, with buzzards flying in the background, this image has inspired thousands of people. Between music, art, writing and film – and beyond – this image is quintessential Frazetta and sword and sorcery.
Now, I was never aware that a novel (a series in fact) had been commissioned to tell the story of the ‘Death Dealer,’ until a few years ago. While researching a different image that Frazetta had created for a project of mine, I was reminded about the books and lo and behold, I had a digital copy of this book on my Kindle already. I can’t actually remember where I got it from, but I’m thinking it was in a sword and sorcery Kickstarter I backed probably about fifteen years ago.
Finding that I had the book and feeling in the mood for a classic sword and sorcery novel, I decided to give it a go, hoping to discover that this was as fantastic as the image that inspired it.
What I liked: The novel is a classic throwback to 80’s sword and sorcery where we follow Gath of Baal, a barbarian warrior who becomes the ‘Death Dealer.’
A horde of Kitzaak warriors is on the rampage, destroying and conquering every village they come across as they travel throughout the land. The common people need a champion. Brown John is an actor, poet, meek magician and barterer. After seeing what Gath does to a small group of Kitzaak scout warriors, Brown John decides Gath is the champion they need and puts a plan in place.
At the same time, the sorceress/goddess Cobra, a snake that can take the form of a gorgeous woman, realizes that Gath just might be the key to unlocking her God from its imprisonment and she puts a plan in place – to seduce and get what she needs to have Gath unwittingly accept the horned helmet, which she believes will eat him from the inside and unleash her God upon the land.
Silke writes with gusto, and throughout I was reminded of the movies I loved growing up. ‘Wizards,’ ‘Fire and Ice,’ ‘Heavy Metal,’ ‘Conan,’ ‘Willow,’ ‘Deathstalker,’ and ‘Dragonslayer,’ just to name a few. Behind every tree lies danger and we never know if it’ll be man or beast or something in between.
The action scenes are fantastic, but also the downtime moments are great, really moving the personal side of the story along. Most of these involve Robin Lakehair. A young woman tasked by Brown John to heal Gath and somehow convince him to come and help the common people, instead of wandering the forests seemingly aimlessly.
The ending is a great bit of wrap up and Silke does a great job of showing the aftermath of Gath’s stand against the horde and what comes of those who survive. While there are three more novels after this one, the book ends as a singular read, which was nice.
What I didn’t like: Though the book is mostly action packed, there are some significant moments where this one plods along and loses its steam. It always comes back and always picks up, but it’s easy to see what would get chopped were this ever to be turned into a script to be filmed.
Why you should buy this: If you’re a huge fan of Frazetta’s, the painting itself or simply sword and sorcery/fantasy novels, then this is definitely a must read. A bit harder to find, I think if you went on an instore or online journey to track it down, you’ll be richly rewarded for the story you discover within. This was a nostalgic throwback to my youth and it brought me back to those weekend evenings when I’d be binge watching movies just like this book.
For those who’ve not seen it – I’m included it here on my review post (though it won’t appear on GR);
This painting by Frazetta just might be my favorite piece of art.
A menacing figure perched upon a massive black horse, with a shield, a curved axe and a horned helmet, with buzzards flying in the background, this image has inspired thousands of people. Between music, art, writing and film – and beyond – this image is quintessential Frazetta and sword and sorcery.
Now, I was never aware that a novel (a series in fact) had been commissioned to tell the story of the ‘Death Dealer,’ until a few years ago. While researching a different image that Frazetta had created for a project of mine, I was reminded about the books and lo and behold, I had a digital copy of this book on my Kindle already. I can’t actually remember where I got it from, but I’m thinking it was in a sword and sorcery Kickstarter I backed probably about fifteen years ago.
Finding that I had the book and feeling in the mood for a classic sword and sorcery novel, I decided to give it a go, hoping to discover that this was as fantastic as the image that inspired it.
What I liked: The novel is a classic throwback to 80’s sword and sorcery where we follow Gath of Baal, a barbarian warrior who becomes the ‘Death Dealer.’
A horde of Kitzaak warriors is on the rampage, destroying and conquering every village they come across as they travel throughout the land. The common people need a champion. Brown John is an actor, poet, meek magician and barterer. After seeing what Gath does to a small group of Kitzaak scout warriors, Brown John decides Gath is the champion they need and puts a plan in place.
At the same time, the sorceress/goddess Cobra, a snake that can take the form of a gorgeous woman, realizes that Gath just might be the key to unlocking her God from its imprisonment and she puts a plan in place – to seduce and get what she needs to have Gath unwittingly accept the horned helmet, which she believes will eat him from the inside and unleash her God upon the land.
Silke writes with gusto, and throughout I was reminded of the movies I loved growing up. ‘Wizards,’ ‘Fire and Ice,’ ‘Heavy Metal,’ ‘Conan,’ ‘Willow,’ ‘Deathstalker,’ and ‘Dragonslayer,’ just to name a few. Behind every tree lies danger and we never know if it’ll be man or beast or something in between.
The action scenes are fantastic, but also the downtime moments are great, really moving the personal side of the story along. Most of these involve Robin Lakehair. A young woman tasked by Brown John to heal Gath and somehow convince him to come and help the common people, instead of wandering the forests seemingly aimlessly.
The ending is a great bit of wrap up and Silke does a great job of showing the aftermath of Gath’s stand against the horde and what comes of those who survive. While there are three more novels after this one, the book ends as a singular read, which was nice.
What I didn’t like: Though the book is mostly action packed, there are some significant moments where this one plods along and loses its steam. It always comes back and always picks up, but it’s easy to see what would get chopped were this ever to be turned into a script to be filmed.
Why you should buy this: If you’re a huge fan of Frazetta’s, the painting itself or simply sword and sorcery/fantasy novels, then this is definitely a must read. A bit harder to find, I think if you went on an instore or online journey to track it down, you’ll be richly rewarded for the story you discover within. This was a nostalgic throwback to my youth and it brought me back to those weekend evenings when I’d be binge watching movies just like this book.
November 20, 2017
Gath is like Conan.. if Conan had a learning disability. I'd say he is a bad character, but he has no character in the first place. The moron stares and grunts throughout the entire book while bland sidekicks lead the way.
I thought I was getting some old-school, pulpy sword-and-sorcery. Instead I read a book about heaving chests and straining muscles. Seriously, the way the author describes everything has some weird sexual undertones that I didn't want.. at all.
Huge miss here. I want more stuff like Howard and Moorcock and thought this might fill that want, but no. Not close.
I thought I was getting some old-school, pulpy sword-and-sorcery. Instead I read a book about heaving chests and straining muscles. Seriously, the way the author describes everything has some weird sexual undertones that I didn't want.. at all.
Huge miss here. I want more stuff like Howard and Moorcock and thought this might fill that want, but no. Not close.
December 20, 2023
kind of dooms itself by tying its name to frank frazetta
pretty average, hard to live up to frazetta’s art truly but in certain points this read more like an average fantasy novel as opposed to real dark and brooding sword and sorcery. liked the primal setting and theres some scenes that were solid and evocative but i think for anyone who wants to read something that evokes Frazetta’s Death Dealer I’d just read some Robert E Howard or Karl Edward Wagner. id be open to checking out book 2 but definitely not for the prices listed online lol
pretty average, hard to live up to frazetta’s art truly but in certain points this read more like an average fantasy novel as opposed to real dark and brooding sword and sorcery. liked the primal setting and theres some scenes that were solid and evocative but i think for anyone who wants to read something that evokes Frazetta’s Death Dealer I’d just read some Robert E Howard or Karl Edward Wagner. id be open to checking out book 2 but definitely not for the prices listed online lol
November 5, 2021
When I first saw the Death Dealer by Frazetta I was amazed. All of his Death Dealer paintings, and all of his other paintings are amazing. So when I saw this book I had to read it and I am glad I did. It’s great fantasy in the likes of Conan. The helmet is possessed and anyone that wears it can’t take it off. The sad fact is that this four book series is hard to find but well worth tracking down a copy. I hope they rerelease these books someday.
March 14, 2022
Probably the first fantasy novel I’ve read since attempting LOTR. And first finished one since…Song in the Silence which came out in 1997. So it’s a nice return to fantasy. Have to revisit that one next.
This was a lot of fun. I don’t know anything about fantasy novels. So I’ll just say that this was a great, fun read and I can’t wait to read the next three.
If only the next one didn’t cost 70 dollars.
This was a lot of fun. I don’t know anything about fantasy novels. So I’ll just say that this was a great, fun read and I can’t wait to read the next three.
If only the next one didn’t cost 70 dollars.
Read
June 27, 2024I enjoyed this story of a loner barbarian and his heavy burden of a demon enchanted helmet. The book is written in old pulpy sword and sorcery style, so lots of violence, blood, and sexual themes. A dark and gritty novel, but then again, it's based on Frank Frazetta's character.
February 22, 2018
One of the few series that I have read multiple times and I believe it's time for another read.
January 22, 2019
Dark, dirty and well written. The finale's action and imagery is something to look forward to. I will read this book again and again.
April 27, 2022
4.5/5 Stars
March 25, 2023
I was in the mood for some good old-fashioned sword and sorcery, and this book delivers exactly what it promises: a thrilling adventure of violence and unique fantasy. I give it 5/5.
May 17, 2023
A very well written fantasy story. A Brutal story of a people's fight for survival and self discovery.
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September 16, 2025Amazing artwork
October 6, 2025
A great guilty pleasure to read: visceral, graphic and gratuitous. Loved it.
March 8, 2022
A perfect example of how a great cover can sell a not so great book.
It has all the elements that hook me in: Frazetta cover, cool sounding character name, magic, fantasy, a reputation. I guess it's that reputation I take issue with. I should have known something was up as the book is out of print but yet the character is extremely well known.
General thoughts:
1. Setting: Earth in the distant past. Forest, plains and mountains. It briefly mentions that the land this story takes place in is an actual place on our earth in the present day. Sounds kind of cool at first, but the way it's stated in basically a sentence or two early on in the book comes off just as "matter-of-fact" and really has no bearing on the story itself. At all.
2. Characters: You've got your barbarian bad guy horde seeking to enslave all who get in their way, but so far the only ones doing that are the peasants of our tale. You've got a carnival of traveling, entertaining minstrels, actors, singers and dancers headed up by a guy named Brown John and his two loyal lapdog sons. One minute Brown John is getting body-slammed on a stage and peed on by one of the bad guys and then later the same Brown John is heading up a makeshift army of villagers to stave off the horde. Hard to believe he went from public humiliation to unofficial field general that fast, but hey it's called "fantasy" for a reason I guess. The death god worshiping sorceress lady named Cobra is interesting, albeit her name is pretty unoriginal, but read this and you'll see why they call her that. You've also got a young forest hippie chick, Robin Lakehair, who serves only as a nice buffer/voice of reason to the big man on campus: Gath of Baal. Now Gath is the guy on the cover. He's supposed to be this "death incarnate" type of guy right? He dons the mythic helmet of the Lord of Death and becomes the latest "Death Dealer". I'm all in, but what we end up with is a bit of a letdown. For one, call me silly, but aren't I usually supposed to like/cheer for/want to hang out with and witness the good guy/likeable anti-hero? One reviewer likened Gath to Conan the Barbarian with a learning disorder. I'd have to agree. He's got all the personality of a dead carp tied to a broom handle. He grunts and mutters, if he says much at all. He ends up doing the noble, right thing but it is so dully done it is uninspiring. He goes and does. Like a dog playing catch with a stick. Not much fanfare to it.
3. Action: Some scenes play out ok. Seems like Gath is more than capable of handling some muscleman tasks without a mystic helmet to help him. Halfway through I felt like, for a book about a guy called the "Death Dealer", he really wasn't all that impressive dealing out death. I was expecting Gath to become like Samson from the Bible, or Thor with his mighty hammer, once he got the helmet but the biggest fight in the book was, (and I could be wrong because I was starting to skim at that point), not necessarily the result of Gath alone per se, but because the horde army became dumber than a box of hammers and acted like a stampeding herd of cattle. The panicked rear pushing the trapped front off a cliff to mass death. In fact, the one time I felt like Gath was starting to really roll some heads was in a short scene featured on the cover. That was it though. Mostly grunting and plodding along, with almost all of the dialogue and story coming from the other characters.
I researched the author, James Silke, after reading this. He's not really a prolific fantasy author, more known for some of his writing of 80s cheese movies. One of which was the 1987 film "The Barbarians". (That film had not one, but two bonehead muscle bound Conan-like heroes and a traveling minstrel group helping take out a sorcerer in control of an evil horde. Whaddaya know.)
Long story short: It had all the elements of what you'd expect. Execution just came off worse than any of the poorest Conan pastiches. However, I will give the second book in the series a try. If not for curiosity's sake, then because of that great alluring Frazetta cover.
It has all the elements that hook me in: Frazetta cover, cool sounding character name, magic, fantasy, a reputation. I guess it's that reputation I take issue with. I should have known something was up as the book is out of print but yet the character is extremely well known.
General thoughts:
1. Setting: Earth in the distant past. Forest, plains and mountains. It briefly mentions that the land this story takes place in is an actual place on our earth in the present day. Sounds kind of cool at first, but the way it's stated in basically a sentence or two early on in the book comes off just as "matter-of-fact" and really has no bearing on the story itself. At all.
2. Characters: You've got your barbarian bad guy horde seeking to enslave all who get in their way, but so far the only ones doing that are the peasants of our tale. You've got a carnival of traveling, entertaining minstrels, actors, singers and dancers headed up by a guy named Brown John and his two loyal lapdog sons. One minute Brown John is getting body-slammed on a stage and peed on by one of the bad guys and then later the same Brown John is heading up a makeshift army of villagers to stave off the horde. Hard to believe he went from public humiliation to unofficial field general that fast, but hey it's called "fantasy" for a reason I guess. The death god worshiping sorceress lady named Cobra is interesting, albeit her name is pretty unoriginal, but read this and you'll see why they call her that. You've also got a young forest hippie chick, Robin Lakehair, who serves only as a nice buffer/voice of reason to the big man on campus: Gath of Baal. Now Gath is the guy on the cover. He's supposed to be this "death incarnate" type of guy right? He dons the mythic helmet of the Lord of Death and becomes the latest "Death Dealer". I'm all in, but what we end up with is a bit of a letdown. For one, call me silly, but aren't I usually supposed to like/cheer for/want to hang out with and witness the good guy/likeable anti-hero? One reviewer likened Gath to Conan the Barbarian with a learning disorder. I'd have to agree. He's got all the personality of a dead carp tied to a broom handle. He grunts and mutters, if he says much at all. He ends up doing the noble, right thing but it is so dully done it is uninspiring. He goes and does. Like a dog playing catch with a stick. Not much fanfare to it.
3. Action: Some scenes play out ok. Seems like Gath is more than capable of handling some muscleman tasks without a mystic helmet to help him. Halfway through I felt like, for a book about a guy called the "Death Dealer", he really wasn't all that impressive dealing out death. I was expecting Gath to become like Samson from the Bible, or Thor with his mighty hammer, once he got the helmet but the biggest fight in the book was, (and I could be wrong because I was starting to skim at that point), not necessarily the result of Gath alone per se, but because the horde army became dumber than a box of hammers and acted like a stampeding herd of cattle. The panicked rear pushing the trapped front off a cliff to mass death. In fact, the one time I felt like Gath was starting to really roll some heads was in a short scene featured on the cover. That was it though. Mostly grunting and plodding along, with almost all of the dialogue and story coming from the other characters.
I researched the author, James Silke, after reading this. He's not really a prolific fantasy author, more known for some of his writing of 80s cheese movies. One of which was the 1987 film "The Barbarians". (That film had not one, but two bonehead muscle bound Conan-like heroes and a traveling minstrel group helping take out a sorcerer in control of an evil horde. Whaddaya know.)
Long story short: It had all the elements of what you'd expect. Execution just came off worse than any of the poorest Conan pastiches. However, I will give the second book in the series a try. If not for curiosity's sake, then because of that great alluring Frazetta cover.
November 29, 2012
The Kitzaak Horde is overtaking and devouring all the land they come across. When they reach the lands of forest dwelling barbarians the never defeated army seems assured of victory. Only one man, Gath of Baal, has any hope of stopping them. With the help of a magical helmet belonging to the Master of Darkness, Gath becomes the Death Dealer, an unstoppable demon with a thirst for blood. But the helmet extracts a price for its service; one that may cost Gath his life.
At first, it was a little hard for me to get into this book because there wasn't a clearly defined main character. It's a big story and requires a number of varied viewpoints to tell. But once Gath and Robin Lakehair, and old Brown John get into the picture the story is rolling along nicely. I liked the characters once I got a chance to know them. There's plenty of action in the book and a little romance. I like the voice of the story, although I did have to roll my eyes a little at the way the two main female characters, Robin and Cobra, were described.
I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the next one in the series.
At first, it was a little hard for me to get into this book because there wasn't a clearly defined main character. It's a big story and requires a number of varied viewpoints to tell. But once Gath and Robin Lakehair, and old Brown John get into the picture the story is rolling along nicely. I liked the characters once I got a chance to know them. There's plenty of action in the book and a little romance. I like the voice of the story, although I did have to roll my eyes a little at the way the two main female characters, Robin and Cobra, were described.
I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the next one in the series.
June 9, 2014
It was a long time ago when I read the series. I was in my mid to late 30's. Hardcore executive headhunter all stressed out. A friend offered the books to me.
My Step-son read lots of sic-fi and some fantasy. I loved Tolkien after high school.
What the heck? I took them. I needed something.
Immediately into the first paperback I loved it. If it's fantasy, then it worked. I fell into that world and enjoyed the images and characters in real time, so to speak.
I don't have much to compare this style of writing to. But, I loved the series. Frazetta's art is intense but cool.
I gave the books to my nephew who was in his mid 20's. Doesn't read a lot. Same thing. He couldn't put them down.
It ain't Dickens. It's a ride. All you have to do is let go and visit another world. Happy Trails.
My Step-son read lots of sic-fi and some fantasy. I loved Tolkien after high school.
What the heck? I took them. I needed something.
Immediately into the first paperback I loved it. If it's fantasy, then it worked. I fell into that world and enjoyed the images and characters in real time, so to speak.
I don't have much to compare this style of writing to. But, I loved the series. Frazetta's art is intense but cool.
I gave the books to my nephew who was in his mid 20's. Doesn't read a lot. Same thing. He couldn't put them down.
It ain't Dickens. It's a ride. All you have to do is let go and visit another world. Happy Trails.
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