Revenge of the Horseclans

Horseclans #3

by Robert Adams

Bill of Morguhn...kinsman of the Clan Morguhn returns home from the Middle Kingdoms to find his father dying and the people of the duchy rebelling. The priests of the old religion have spurred the populace on to try to reclaim their lands from the noble Kindred. Only with the help of the Undying Milo, the Prairie Cats, and the power of Mind-Speak can Bili save his home from the Satanic priests and their fanatical followers. It is the 27th century on Earth and the Horseclans are the one hope for an end to the chaos and barbarism that have plaugued man for six hundred years. Would their extraordinary mental powers and savage fighting skills bring a new peach to a war-torn and devastated Earth

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Franklin Robert Adams (August 31, 1933 - January 4, 1990) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, formerly a career soldier. He is best known for his "Horseclans" books. He wrote as Robert Adams, an abbreviated form of his full name.

Adams was an early pioneer of the post-holocaust novel. His Horseclans novels are precursors to many of today's attempts at this type of story, many of which do not exhibit his painstakingly detailed world view or extraordinary plot follow-through (many of his Horseclans books are so interlinked that they make sense only when read in order; he did not create many "stand alone" books in the series).

Hallmarks of Adams' style include a focus on violent, non-stop action, meticulous detail in matters historical and military, strong description, and digressions expounding on various subjects from a conservative and libertarian viewpoint.

Reviews

[S.E. Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inappropriately named “Revenge” (this nice read had little to do with Horseclans seeking revenge) this introduces the Kindred leader Bili as he assumes power of his clan after his ruling father’s death (the “Bili the Ax” title was reserved for installment#10 but would have made more sense here); again Ken Kelly’s covers seem to represent the book disproportionally… since at least it focuses on Bili and his Axe. This epic fantasy is plagued with some cheesy dialogue, but it is forgivable since the story develops nicely.

This installment continues to develop the Horseclan world at a nice pace while reinforcing the role of telepathy, Kindred Law, and the conflict between: (a) barbarian hordes, vs. (b) sensationalized-greek-religiosity vs. (c) lurking science-derived-warlocks. Bili is set up to have key roles under the Undying god Milo’s leadership.

Onto reading #4, “A Cat of Silvery Hue”…

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first learned of Robert Adams' Horseclans saga, I was so intrigued by the premise that I bought a used lot of all eighteen novels. An impulse purchase of the grossest kind… Then came the actual reading, and my anticipation was quickly replaced by disappointment. It turned out that both The Coming of the Horseclans and Swords of the Horseclans were fascinating in concept yet clunky in execution, with a detail-laden prose style that made for an exhausting read. That being said, Adams' worldbuilding was too good to ignore, and I resolved to soldier on for at least one more volume. It seems that was the correct decision, as Revenge of the Horseclans is a significantly more enjoyable experience than either of its predecessors. The novel is still tedious in places, but it's far "tighter" in its plot and features significantly stronger characterizations. Finally, the relatively fast-paced, Sword & Sorcery meets military sci-fi that I was expecting from the entire series!

Revenge of the Horseclans picks up approximately one hundred years after Swords of the Horseclans. The formally nomadic Horseclans have consolidated control over much of what was once the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, establishing themselves as a hereditary nobility atop the more numerous Ehleenee people of the region. Still ruling as High King is the immortal Milo Morai, and much of the plot is built around Milo's attempts to squash the (Christian-inspired?) "Old Religion" that is spurring unrest amongst the Ehleenee. Where Revenge of the Horseclans most differs from Adams' first two novels is that it no longer centers upon Milo and his similarly-immortal companions, Ladies Mara and Aldora. In fact, Milo plays a purely secondary role in the plot, with the story instead focusing upon the adventures of the young nobleman Bili Morguhn. Shortly after returning home from years of tutelage in the barbaric Middle Kingdoms, Bili is thrust into the center of a brutal Ehleenee uprising and assumes lordship upon the death of his father. Unsurprisingly, much political intrigue follows, with the mysterious Witchmen eventually making their obligatory appearance.

When I began reading Revenge of the Horseclans, I was frustrated by the massive time-jump and didn't know what to think about the new protagonist. Fortunately, once I got a couple of chapters in, Bili revealed himself to be a surprisingly well-written hero. Bili's cohort of supporting clansmen are also an entertaining bunch, and Adams wisely decides to adopt a more character-centric approach for the majority of the novel. As alluded to above, Revenge of the Horseclans is also significantly more focused than either of its predecessors: whereas both The Coming of the Horseclans and Swords of the Horseclans focused upon massive military campaigns, Revenge of the Horseclans entirely concerns itself with the outbreak of rebellion in Bili's local duchy. Sure, I would've liked to have seen a bit more Milo and lots of prairie cats, but the novel's more grounded plot is comparably action-packed. There's also just enough in the way of supernatural elements (mindspeak, etc.) to perpetuate the unique vibe of the entire series. In actuality, my only significant complaint about the plot (apart from its slightly slow start) is that it ends rather abruptly- not quite as suddenly as Swords of the Horseclans, but almost immediately after its climactic battle and before you learn the reason for Milo's extreme interest in Bili. A real cliffhanger.

Ultimately, although Revenge of the Horseclans is unlikely to impress readers who didn't care for the overall premise of Adams' first two novels, its more concentrated plot should make it an easier read for fans of its chosen style. It's easily my favorite Horseclans novel up to this point and, assuming Adams actually sticks with Bili for at least a couple more volumes, I'll probably cease questioning my decision to compulsively purchase the entirety of series…

[David Palazzolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, this is the best of the series which is not a particularly high bar. It’s the first that actually felt like an actual novel and not a loose collection of vignettes or short stories shoehorned into a larger narrative and takes place many years after the second book. Our protagonist in this novel is not the undying Milo, but young Bili of Morghun aka Bili the Axe who may have had an ancestor present in the first novel. I seem to remember the name from The Coming of the Horseclans but that namesake was an older character and the current Bili is around 18 years of age.

The novel starts with Bili trudging home in the rain from far away because his father is dying and he is next in line to become the new clan chief which is referred to properly as the Morghun of Morghun. There we get a lot of info dumps where we find out many things of relevance in this setting including most importantly that one simply does not inherit the position of Chief, one also has to be approved by the governing legislature that the Morghun of Morghun sits at the head of. So we are set up with what promises to be a novel full of political intrigue as Bili must first go to each faction, introducing himself and making plain his bid for succession. However, Robert Adams quickly steers us away from that and suddenly we’re in the middle of a civil war that dark forces working in secret have been engineering for some time. Pity, really, because the first set up was much better and it was kind of annoying to have several political antagonists set up who didn’t live long enough to be really met, much less be a challenge.

The characterizations are still sparse, but deeper than in the earlier two novels though speech is still more a tool for exposition than anything else. The most interesting character in the book is Geros, who was a young man caught in battle who survives due to luck and is sent off to bring reinforcements for our heroes. Geros believes himself to be something of a coward but everyone else looks at him as a hero because he completed the task of bringing the alarm that he was ordered to. He appears one more time in a new suit of armor at a tactical meeting before battle, still doubting himself but is never heard from again.

The novel ends abruptly and unsatisfactorily after the end of a battle. We are at a a funeral pyre where we solemnly dispose of the body of the old clan chief (which I had thought had been done much earlier) and several war heroes. Included in the honored dead is a significant secondary character who dies off camera and is only referred to by his relationship to others rather than by his name which caused me to nearly miss the revelation. I don’t know why Adams decided to stop where he did, I can only assume that it had more to do with things like page/word count than any literary concern.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the timeline jumps ahead another hundred years or so, but IIRC (given that it's been ~35 years since the last time I read any of these book), this is the start of a multi-volume arc focusing on the same (non-Undying) characters, most notably one Bili of Morghun, a.k.a. Bili the Axe.

As the story opens, Bili, still a relatively young man, is coming from Harzburk (where he'd been fostered so that he could get a proper, soldierly education) back to his ancestral homelands (after a brief skirmish in the Prologue against some random bandits to demonstrate how much of a bad-ass he is). All is no longer well back in the Duchy of Morghun in Karaleenos -- Bili's father has suffered a stroke (or some similar ailment), and friction simmers between the Horseclans Kindred conquerors and their Ehleenoee subjects (although at this point there's been enough intermarriage that Bili is himself mostly of Ehleenoee extraction, and despite Undying High Lord Milo Morai's efforts to integrate the Clansmen with their conquered subjects).

And sure enough, thing soon enough break out into open rebellion and massacre, and Bili will have to fight to keep what is rightfully his, and to keep his family safe.

And are there Sinister Forces possibly maneuvering behind the scenes to stir the pot? And what's the deal with that nice wandering Horseclan bard, anyway?

So if you've read the previous books, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect: Lots of action, mostly sympathetic characters, and the Ehleenee nobles being mostly portrayed as a bunch of greasy pederasts (overlaying a general disapproval of, well, any guys who are into other guys). And this did keep me very well entertained and I plowed through it in something close to one sitting, but I also think I'm ready to step away from the Horseclans for a while, at least, lest they start to become overly samey.

[Lewis Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in Robert Adams' Horseclans epic leans away from the larger battles and conflicts of the first two instalments, telling a tale that's mostly a side-story and smaller in scale (though it ties into the overarching plot a little by the end). Though it didn't grab me as much as the previous two books, it was still an enjoyable post-apocalyptic romp brimming with fierce horse lords, evil plotting witch men, and more than enough bloodshed sprinkled throughout.

That being said, Adams has a tendency to name-drop constantly without fully fleshing everything out to the reader. As such, while reading this, it got to a point where I simply couldn't keep track of all the characters and locations (many of which are just mentioned without being further explained or explored anyway), especially without a map for guidance. This made it a little hard to get fully invested and, paired with the further absence of the sabre-tooth cats for most of the book, lands this is as a three star read for me. An enjoyable instalment, no doubt, but just consistently "pretty good" without reaching the heights of the first two.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third instalment we hear the story of Bili of Morguhn who having been summoned home to claim his inheritance doesn't find peace after years of soldiering but a hot bed of lies, battles and death.
Bili must fight a war for his right to rule but the competition is fierce...
Another great fantasy romp set in the world of the Horseclans.

[Larry Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this series back in the day. Loved the series then as well as now

[John Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, with great characters.

[Graham Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit rushed at the end that detracted from the overall reading experience!

[STU · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one most so far, but not enough to go above 3 stars.
Nice to have a central character and a reasonably clear storyline.

[David Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third installment of Robert Adams's post-apocalyptic sword-and-psychics saga introduces Bili the Axe, a nobleman from the Duchy of Morguhn with nascent psi powers and a big big axe. The plot centers around Bili's homecoming from the Middle Kingdoms (27th-century Pennsylvania), where he had been learning the profession of arms. Back in Morguhn, Mr. The Axe stumbles into a plot against his House and Confederation, organized by Adams's Evil League of Evil (revanchist Hellene aristoi and a surprise villain or two).

As with the earlier Horseclans novels, REVENGE offers Adams the chance to indulge many prejudices, some of which may even have been his own. Want elitist admiration of warrior nobles (“most [of whom]...labor far harder than any Dirtman or mechanic” (20))? It's here. Women judged almost exclusively on their beauty and sexual availability? You got it. Justification for the slaughter of rebels' young children (42)? Adams has got you covered. Homoerotic details of man-to-man combat (“thrusting the...blade deep,” “through hide jerkin and shirt and skin and flesh” (71, 73))? That's included in the purchase price. Actual homosexuality viewed invariably as a sign of pedophilia and degeneracy?* That too. Villains who weep and poop themselves when defeated (164)? Check.

Reading this installment, I kept asking myself “Why am I spending my time orbiting this moral black hole?” There are simple answers to this question. Despite his penchant for giant lumps of exposition, Adams can move a plot along when he needs to; the Horseclans novels aren't always entertaining but they read quickly. And I sometimes enjoy watching an author let his id so far off the leash as Adams does here. In a sense, these are as much horror novels as post-apocalyptic fantasies, with the part of the monster played by Adams's troubled psyche. Whether I keep reading the series depends on how much more hideous the shambling horror becomes.


* One character's father forces an Orthodox priest to marry him to “a blacksmith's apprentice” and then cries when his new husband begins attending to his marital duties (61). Presumably dad was still wearing his wedding dress during the inaugural shag.

[Mohammad Ali Abedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

(There are 18 books, and I read until Book 10, Bili the Axe)

I read a bunch of these books, and eventually I got bored of it, but man, what a ride. The story is set in a post-apocalypse world. Everything has gone wrong, from nuclear warfare to plagues, so nothing remains from our time. This new world is run by barbarians and swords. In the new world, there are a few changes. Some clans have the ability to mindspeak to a few select animals, such as big cats (which are more like panthers), and a select few have the power of immortality. Such as our main character, the Undying High Lord Milo!

Milo starts up as a small clan leader, and eventually his clan starts growing bigger as the novels progress.

The series is a manly fantasy story with none of the silly dancing elves stuff. Every few pages, someone gets either killed or raped, and the good guys usually are responsible for both. There isn’t a really strong plot or characters to speak off, but if you have to want to pretend you are a man and raping some villagers and chopping off heads, then it can be fun.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've reread this a couple of times over the years. The first few books are pretty good. Nothing superb, but a fun, fast read if you like this kind of thing. It's more of a fantasy, but there is a Science Fiction basis - it's a post apocalyptic (nuclear war) world where a nomadic people are the good guys. Some super msart animals, a few immortals & such dropped in.

This is book 3. After about book 6 or 7, I got a little worn out with the series. I've been meaning to go back & read it again, since I didn't have the entire series all at once, but read it out of order, in scattered pieces across the years.

[SFReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revenge of the Horseclans begins some 20 years after the end of the second book, Swords of the Horseclans. We're introduce to Bili Morghun, now, due to the death of his father, the newly appointed leader of Clan Morghun. But the mantle of leadership isn't all that he?s inherited. It seems a majority of the Ehleenee nobles are conspiring to launch a rebellion. The Horseclans took over Ehleenee lands after their migration from the Great Plains (see Horseclans #1 and #2).

Revenge of the Horseclans review at SFReader.com

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entry into the Horseclans series, and another thoroughly enjoyable book. Milo and company are deep into political intrigue, well at least as deep as barbarian horse warriors can get (pretty deep). The issues here kind of make it into today's world and its amazing how clean and crisp the writing and characters are here. As I have said before, you either fall into the world of the Horseclans or you don't. There is no gray area here.

Danny

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Horseclans series is probably the best blend of fantasy and SiFi I have ever read. Pretty much something for everyone in these books. Great characters, epic storyline, fantastic writings. My highest recommendation

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review of the Horseclans series under Swords of the Horseclans, Horseclans #2.

This one I really liked.

[Fatbaldguy60 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series.

[Steve]

Horseclans

[Steve]

Horseclans

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 years later and Bili the Axe is still alone with Conan the Barbarian in the battle axe pantheon. This entire series is a must-read for those who enjoy realistic battle scenes.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "premiere" of Bili the Axe, though my favorite character is still Geros Lavoheertos (sp?).

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the 2nd in the series not quite as good as the 1st. Many new characters introduced in this book, Bili being particularly interesting.

[Mark Lacy]

Variations on present-day names was annoying, use of extended monologues to convey new information to reader annoying, decided it wasn't worth continuing with.

[Tim Weakley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved his connection of the horseclans books to the fighting styles of the ancient Greeks. These books might fall under guilty pleasures. Ripping tales all of them.

[James Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series a long time ago its just as good now as then

Good story's and characters this is one of the series that made me a big sci fi fan I'm glad it came out on kindle