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Korvix the Axe Warrior #1
Clashing Blades: Tales of Sword & Sorcery and Heroic Fantasy
Monsters, magic, savage action and clashing blades.
Sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy tales in the tradition of Robert E. Howard's Conan and Kull, Lin Carter's Thongor, and Karl Edward Wagner's Kane, featuring Matt Hilton's Korvix the axe warrior and other mighty heroes.
Sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy tales in the tradition of Robert E. Howard's Conan and Kull, Lin Carter's Thongor, and Karl Edward Wagner's Kane, featuring Matt Hilton's Korvix the axe warrior and other mighty heroes.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2023
About the author
Matt Hilton
98 books241 followersMatt Hilton worked for twenty-two years in private security and the police force in Cumbria. He is a 4th Dan blackbelt and coach in Ju-Jitsu. He lives in Cumbria with his wife and son.
Matt is the author of the best-selling Joe Hunter thriller series, as well as standalone horror thrillers and short stories that have appeared in a number of collections and anthologies. Matt's first novel - Dead Men's Dust - was a Sunday Times best-seller and was shortlisted for the ITW New Novel Award 2009.
Matt is the author of the best-selling Joe Hunter thriller series, as well as standalone horror thrillers and short stories that have appeared in a number of collections and anthologies. Matt's first novel - Dead Men's Dust - was a Sunday Times best-seller and was shortlisted for the ITW New Novel Award 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 22, 2024
Nice collection of Sword and Sorcery stories by an author known for Thrillers. The first few stories about a plainsman have a really gritty feel. These are the best in the book. The last 4 center on Justice keepers of an Empire, and a man of god from World War II, eradicating compelling versions of a vampire and a ghoul in Eastern Europe. Recommend!
May 27, 2024
As an editor of a couple of S&S projects, I've become acquainted with a handful of writers of the genre, including Matt Hilton. In fact, one of Hilton's Korvix adventures will be appearing in Swords & Heroes E-zine in a few weeks, online here: https://tulefogpress.substack.com/
So I thought I should read a few more of the author's tales just to familiarize myself with his axe-wielding hero. Clashing Blades was a good introduction.
Opening the collection are 4 Korvix tales, the first two are told in the third person present tense, which just didn't work for me. I actually got a bit confused, but that's on me. (How a writer chooses to narrate his or her story is up to them, of course, but I'm just not into this type of POV - Suzanne Colllins' Hunger Games doubly annoyed me with first person present! lol)
That being said, there was lots of good action, and by stories #3 and #4, I really started enjoyed the tales. Korvix is a kind of rogue mercenary when needed but follows his own path and morality. He just can't keep himself out of trouble though! "Vengeance of the gods" was my favorite. It really had an interesting mythological take to it, plus a noble resolution. My kind of tale.
The next two stories are fantasy as well, but feature a character named Kendrick who is a vigilante of sorts. These tales are gripping and entertaining and I'd like to read more stories in this universe.
The final two adventures are alt-history/fantasy set in WW II Germany. The stories feature Ludis, a lapsed clergyman-cum-warrior who has fantastic evils to confront. I enjoyed them both, but the second of these two stories, while it can stand alone, actually introduces Hilton's novel, Darkest Hour, where the story continues.
Overall 4.5. Recommended for S&S fans and fans of dark fantasy.
So I thought I should read a few more of the author's tales just to familiarize myself with his axe-wielding hero. Clashing Blades was a good introduction.
Opening the collection are 4 Korvix tales, the first two are told in the third person present tense, which just didn't work for me. I actually got a bit confused, but that's on me. (How a writer chooses to narrate his or her story is up to them, of course, but I'm just not into this type of POV - Suzanne Colllins' Hunger Games doubly annoyed me with first person present! lol)
That being said, there was lots of good action, and by stories #3 and #4, I really started enjoyed the tales. Korvix is a kind of rogue mercenary when needed but follows his own path and morality. He just can't keep himself out of trouble though! "Vengeance of the gods" was my favorite. It really had an interesting mythological take to it, plus a noble resolution. My kind of tale.
The next two stories are fantasy as well, but feature a character named Kendrick who is a vigilante of sorts. These tales are gripping and entertaining and I'd like to read more stories in this universe.
The final two adventures are alt-history/fantasy set in WW II Germany. The stories feature Ludis, a lapsed clergyman-cum-warrior who has fantastic evils to confront. I enjoyed them both, but the second of these two stories, while it can stand alone, actually introduces Hilton's novel, Darkest Hour, where the story continues.
Overall 4.5. Recommended for S&S fans and fans of dark fantasy.
May 27, 2026
A rather enjoyable collection featuring some pretty dang indomitable characters. Korvix is a good Sword and Sorcery character and Hilton gives us (and him!) a quite nice run of challenges in the first 4 stories gathered here. Can totally see the influence of Robert E. Howard, which is a very fine thing indeed.
"D’Nu’s Children": nastiness abounds here, boys and girls. Good thing Korvix knows a bit about fighting with sharp things. And against massive monsters, sexy demons, evil sorcerers, behemoth fertility goddesses, golems, and bandits. The sexy demon was the easiest.
"The Fiend in the Bowl": good battle happens several times in this fun story. Korvix faces undead, bodyguards, pirates, sorcerers, eldritch horrors, friendship, and lust, and survived them all. Enjoyable story, didn't cotton to the present tense as much.
"Death Stalks By Moonlight": Super deadly foe stalks the night and Korvix! Thrilling start to this tale of sorcery and death, followed by a climactic finale of sacrifice, perseverance, and courage.
"Vengeance of the Gods": rather fun! A bit over the top also, but some terrific action, heroic and bloody. A fun salute to REH's "Tower of the Elephant"
Probably my least favorite, "BLACK LIGHTNING" was not as fun as the Korvix tales. Sorta Eldritch detective type tale, overwrit and not endearing.
I did quite enjoy "Blood, Smoke and Ashes" in a break from Sword and Sorcery, instead finding swords and vile child-napping cultists. A duo of legend and apprentice avatars of Justice ferret out the truth in their bloody battle against crime. Nothing new for such a tale, but still exciting and promising of more.
The last two tales introduce a unique character that has his own novel it seems. The first story is a very strong and dark vengeance tale, while the second is more a vignette designed to tease us into following Ludis' adventures. I just might.
"Ludis Kristaps: Upir’s Bane": a vampire hunter tale, nice a bloody, nice and vicious. This foe is a real vampire of the Old World, nothing sparkly nor countish about him.
"Ludis and the Corpse Eater": entertaining little taste of Ludis' eternal fight, this time in the early stages of WWII. Teases promise of dark adventures to come.
"D’Nu’s Children": nastiness abounds here, boys and girls. Good thing Korvix knows a bit about fighting with sharp things. And against massive monsters, sexy demons, evil sorcerers, behemoth fertility goddesses, golems, and bandits. The sexy demon was the easiest.
"The Fiend in the Bowl": good battle happens several times in this fun story. Korvix faces undead, bodyguards, pirates, sorcerers, eldritch horrors, friendship, and lust, and survived them all. Enjoyable story, didn't cotton to the present tense as much.
"Death Stalks By Moonlight": Super deadly foe stalks the night and Korvix! Thrilling start to this tale of sorcery and death, followed by a climactic finale of sacrifice, perseverance, and courage.
"Vengeance of the Gods": rather fun! A bit over the top also, but some terrific action, heroic and bloody. A fun salute to REH's "Tower of the Elephant"
Probably my least favorite, "BLACK LIGHTNING" was not as fun as the Korvix tales. Sorta Eldritch detective type tale, overwrit and not endearing.
I did quite enjoy "Blood, Smoke and Ashes" in a break from Sword and Sorcery, instead finding swords and vile child-napping cultists. A duo of legend and apprentice avatars of Justice ferret out the truth in their bloody battle against crime. Nothing new for such a tale, but still exciting and promising of more.
The last two tales introduce a unique character that has his own novel it seems. The first story is a very strong and dark vengeance tale, while the second is more a vignette designed to tease us into following Ludis' adventures. I just might.
"Ludis Kristaps: Upir’s Bane": a vampire hunter tale, nice a bloody, nice and vicious. This foe is a real vampire of the Old World, nothing sparkly nor countish about him.
"Ludis and the Corpse Eater": entertaining little taste of Ludis' eternal fight, this time in the early stages of WWII. Teases promise of dark adventures to come.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews