Citadel of Seven Swords

Skarde: The Wandering Sword #1

by Erik Waag, Daniel Riley (Editor)

Sword Swinging Thrills! Skarde desires only to be free, yet his mighty sword arm, quick thinking, and daring seem only to keep him one step ahead… of the grave! Trapped on a savage volcanic island, Skarde clashes with an antediluvian wizard, an army of warrior-cultists, and a hidden monstrosity just to live another day. Along the way he finds unexpected friends, mysteries, a curse, and enemies both bold and shadowy. Skarde, brash mercenary from the far North, travels the boundless world to sate his wanderlust and his desire for coin. Discover the unknown, the dangerous and the wondrous in this first volume of Skarde’s adventures.

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2023

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice sword and sorcery piece featuring a Northman up against enslavement, a powerful sorcerer, a giant, and many other foes. I liked the ensemble of characters Skarde joined with during this fast paced book. I look forward to more adventures.

[Lyndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

With “Citadel of Seven Swords,” Erik Waag has offered up a fast-paced S&S adventure that leaps from the gate and races toward the finish line with a sword swinging, pulp-inspired urgency sure to please both casual and vested fans of the genre. From a daring slave ship escape and race through the jungle, to eventual capture only to face gladiator style combat, our hero Skarde uses both brain and brawn to survive. He ends up a slave again, working the mines for an evil sorcerer named Gul-Zagar.

Accurate summary from the blurb: “Skarde clashes with an antediluvian wizard, an army of warrior-cultists, and a hidden monstrosity just to live another day.” The hidden monstrosity is a giant straight from myth, forging the seven swords that the wizard needs to expand his rule. The trope of the cursed sword is a bit worn, but the author avoids cliché, I think. Plus, the addition of a unique heroine makes the whole thing fresh: she seems to be a kind of elemental – a woman endowed with otherworldly, volcanic powers. Together Sulmei and Skarde plan their escape, with the help of a few friends, from the wizard’s prison mines.

The storyline, setting, and characters (with a Scandinavian feel) boast many of the hallmarks of the kind of dark fantasy that Conan fans expect in their adventures. I think Waag has hit all the right notes in this short novel – ending this episode satisfactorily but also setting the stage for more exploits yet to come. Gul-Zagar’s sinister plans will not be denied. Very entertaining. 4.5 stars.

[WhitePillMedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good starting point for Skarde a wandering warrior. I thought the story was really solid with good action and there was a lot of interesting threads laid out for future books. Gul- Zagar was cool. Definitely interested in reading more about Skarde and his adventures.

[Jeremy Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly found Mr. Waag on Twitter one day and noticed he wrote books. When I saw his boasts that he had made a sword & sorcery book, I put him to the question, then jumped on Amazon to buy a copy.

It was an extraordinarily good purchase! Waag's lead character is a Nordicesque Conan with an excellent sense of gallows humor. The characters were believable, the action was enjoyable, the magic was sufficiently mysterious, otherworldly, and baffling - just as it should be.

Waag caught the old feel of pulp novels well. I was kept in the novel's immersion, and didn't have the jarring, modern interruptions of post-modern anachronisms that some recent writers engage in. It felt timeless, and pithy like something written by a writer immersed in Weird Tales, pulps, and cosmic horror. Excellent stuff, I await the sequel.

I bought the physical version of the book. It was well a well constructed text, not anything extraordinary, but well built for reading. The binding held up and didn't fold, and the glue held in a serviceable way. The covers are bound with margin folds that look like it will durably hold up to many readers. Good, serviceable stuff!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A throwback to the Sword and Sorcery days of old, Citadel of the Seven Swords is a quick, fun read. Skarde is a good lead for the story: not a dumb muscle barbarian or a Conan clone, he feels like his own character. Whereas Robert E Howard's Conan has a burning intensity, Skarde feels like the person you wouldn't mind meeting in a bar for a drink (though it was through drink that he found himself caught up in the story).

Skarde, a young barbarian from the north, is taken as a slave to a distant island run by a mad sorcerer and his enchanted troops. But there is a deeper, darker secret in the volcano, and Skarde wants to find out what.

A quick read for those who love action, old style sword and sorcery tales without getting into a deep high fantasy series.

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed from start to finish. If you're a fan of Sword & Sorcery I recommend checking this one out. Gritty swordplay, buxom dames, and everything else you hope to find in an action/adventure novel. Looking forward to seeing more from Skarde and from the author Erik Waag!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

This one was a great 4.5 out of 5 for me. I really enjoyed Skarde and the adventure felt like one Conan would be on. I am really excited for book 2 and to get to see more of Skarde and his world!

[Rene Dupre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skarde is captured as a slave on a boat and taken to an island. He bides his time as he plans his escape. Solid first book in the series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Citadel is a fast paced, fun fantasy read that hearkens back to the old days of Pulp Fantasy in all the right ways. I'm not much of a Pulp reader, but after reading this novel, it made me want to dive into that genre. Mantastic and fun!