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The Lightning's Path
An adventure of Norse myth, dark magic and revenge. A brutal warlord seeks treasure and power and finds horrors beyond imagining.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 4, 2017
The mood of the opening is so very "once upon a midnight dreary," and, like a good Lovecraft, everything spirals down, down, down--are we there yet?--down.
The gradual crescendo from slightly creepy to certain madness builds an almost pleasant sense of horror (as opposed to the graphic blood-and-guts kind, of which I'm not a fan). The prose is light, flows well, and makes a nice counterpoint to the descent of the unfolding plot and tone.
Fans of Lovecraft and dark fantasy (think Abercrombie's First Law trilogy) should give this short a try.
The gradual crescendo from slightly creepy to certain madness builds an almost pleasant sense of horror (as opposed to the graphic blood-and-guts kind, of which I'm not a fan). The prose is light, flows well, and makes a nice counterpoint to the descent of the unfolding plot and tone.
Fans of Lovecraft and dark fantasy (think Abercrombie's First Law trilogy) should give this short a try.
July 15, 2014
Reviewed on Writocracy.blogspot.com
Thane Egon Bloodaxe has kept his Witch of the Blackforest, Betlinde, captive on his ship for four years, using her magic to aid him on his bloody voyages as he collects 'inspiration' for his bard so that he may be immortalized in songs and saga's. His story turns grim as his ruthlessness and greed know no bounds.
Do not expect any delicate treatises on the complexities of human nature, love or life. There's nothing delicate about DeFrank's work other then his fine, lyrical use of language. This is epic storytelling in the old tradition of Beowulf and the Norse Edda's. This is the tales of great deeds and foul monsters told around the fires of our ancestors. This is the meat-and-bones epic all other western literature is built on.
Interestingly, it also harks back to a time when fantasy and horror were not separate genres, but inextricably interwoven elements of the same stories. In Lightning's Path you can find the sorts of bloodcurdling scenes that will make your skin crawl. It's not just blood and gore, it smacks of the genuinely creepy and utterly horrific.
Added to these macabre elements are creatures of myth, not the saccharine elves and mermaids brought to us by Tolkien and Disney, but the original, primordial and feral creatures they originally were.
The language used is enough to make you sit up and take notice. It's the type of thing you will want to savour. For instance; instead of saying 'he's dead' he says 'snowflakes no longer melted on his upturned face'. and instead of 'lightning' its the 'gods flaming javelin.'
Using his own brand of folkloric epic fantasy, DeFrank mixes solid historical revivalist literature with the magical myth and folklore of old. the result is Epic Fantasy meets preternatural Horror. George R. R. Martin meets Stephen King, with subtle hints of Edgar Allen Poe and a good dollop of Lovecraft
I use these names to provide a context, because really, Robert Defrank has a style and essence that's all his own.Impeccably researched, a living, breathing incarnation of both Norse life and folklore, vividly depicted with the sort of three dimensional imagery that allows you to step into another world with nothing holding you back, The Lightning Path is highly recommended for any fantasy and horror lover.
Thane Egon Bloodaxe has kept his Witch of the Blackforest, Betlinde, captive on his ship for four years, using her magic to aid him on his bloody voyages as he collects 'inspiration' for his bard so that he may be immortalized in songs and saga's. His story turns grim as his ruthlessness and greed know no bounds.
Do not expect any delicate treatises on the complexities of human nature, love or life. There's nothing delicate about DeFrank's work other then his fine, lyrical use of language. This is epic storytelling in the old tradition of Beowulf and the Norse Edda's. This is the tales of great deeds and foul monsters told around the fires of our ancestors. This is the meat-and-bones epic all other western literature is built on.
Interestingly, it also harks back to a time when fantasy and horror were not separate genres, but inextricably interwoven elements of the same stories. In Lightning's Path you can find the sorts of bloodcurdling scenes that will make your skin crawl. It's not just blood and gore, it smacks of the genuinely creepy and utterly horrific.
Added to these macabre elements are creatures of myth, not the saccharine elves and mermaids brought to us by Tolkien and Disney, but the original, primordial and feral creatures they originally were.
The language used is enough to make you sit up and take notice. It's the type of thing you will want to savour. For instance; instead of saying 'he's dead' he says 'snowflakes no longer melted on his upturned face'. and instead of 'lightning' its the 'gods flaming javelin.'
Using his own brand of folkloric epic fantasy, DeFrank mixes solid historical revivalist literature with the magical myth and folklore of old. the result is Epic Fantasy meets preternatural Horror. George R. R. Martin meets Stephen King, with subtle hints of Edgar Allen Poe and a good dollop of Lovecraft
I use these names to provide a context, because really, Robert Defrank has a style and essence that's all his own.Impeccably researched, a living, breathing incarnation of both Norse life and folklore, vividly depicted with the sort of three dimensional imagery that allows you to step into another world with nothing holding you back, The Lightning Path is highly recommended for any fantasy and horror lover.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews