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Black God's Kiss
Meet “the first lady of sword-and-sorcery, Jirel of Joiry . . . in all her ferocious mailed glory and defiance” in these classic tales from a sci-fi pioneer (Tor.com).
Originally published in the legendary magazine Weird Tales in 1934, C. L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry is fantasy’s first true strong female protagonist, as well as one of the most striking and memorable characters to come out of the golden age of science fiction and fantasy. Published alongside landmark stories by H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, the six classic stories included in this volume prove that C. L. Moore’s Jirel is a rival to Conan the Barbarian and Elric of Melniboné, making Black God’s Kiss an essential addition to any fantasy library.
“I was looking for tales of dire conflict, hot-blooded honor and impetuosity, leadership and courage—all the qualities that my culture told me were reserved for males . . . what a joy it was to run across Jirel, who at some levels of my soul I longed desperately to be.” —Suzy McKee Charnas, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author
Originally published in the legendary magazine Weird Tales in 1934, C. L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry is fantasy’s first true strong female protagonist, as well as one of the most striking and memorable characters to come out of the golden age of science fiction and fantasy. Published alongside landmark stories by H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, the six classic stories included in this volume prove that C. L. Moore’s Jirel is a rival to Conan the Barbarian and Elric of Melniboné, making Black God’s Kiss an essential addition to any fantasy library.
“I was looking for tales of dire conflict, hot-blooded honor and impetuosity, leadership and courage—all the qualities that my culture told me were reserved for males . . . what a joy it was to run across Jirel, who at some levels of my soul I longed desperately to be.” —Suzy McKee Charnas, Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1982
58 people are currently reading
879 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Moore
309 books211 followersExcerpted from Wikipedia:
Catherine Lucille Moore was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, as C. L. Moore. She was one of the first women to write in the genre, and paved the way for many other female writers in speculative fiction.
Moore met Henry Kuttner, also a science fiction writer, in 1936 when he wrote her a fan letter (mistakenly thinking that "C. L. Moore" was a man), and they married in 1940.
Afterwards, almost all of their stories were written in collaboration under various pseudonyms, most commonly Lewis Padgett (another pseudonym, one Moore often employed for works that involved little or no collaboration, was Lawrence O'Donnell).
Catherine Lucille Moore was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, as C. L. Moore. She was one of the first women to write in the genre, and paved the way for many other female writers in speculative fiction.
Moore met Henry Kuttner, also a science fiction writer, in 1936 when he wrote her a fan letter (mistakenly thinking that "C. L. Moore" was a man), and they married in 1940.
Afterwards, almost all of their stories were written in collaboration under various pseudonyms, most commonly Lewis Padgett (another pseudonym, one Moore often employed for works that involved little or no collaboration, was Lawrence O'Donnell).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
August 18, 2024
From 1935
Pulp stories about a female warrior known as Jirel of Joiry. Pretty purple prose.
Reminded me of Greek myth, Orpheus. But instead of crossing the Styx, Jirel find secret tunnels to the underworld.
I meant that the Purple Prose is pretty.
Pulp stories about a female warrior known as Jirel of Joiry. Pretty purple prose.
Reminded me of Greek myth, Orpheus. But instead of crossing the Styx, Jirel find secret tunnels to the underworld.
I meant that the Purple Prose is pretty.
July 4, 2011
At the very outset it needs to be stated that I don't agree with all those reviewers who had thought that they were doing C.L.Moore and her fantastic creation a service by comparing her with Conan the Cimmerian. No, Jirel of Joiry is not a "Gal Conan", she is a lot more than that or any other Red Sonja types currently flooding the fantasy market. She is closer to Kull of Atlantis in sombriety and credibility. Her physical strength has limits, she knows fear and acknowledges its presence in the periphery of her landscape, but most importantly: she neither tries to hide her feminine identity, nor does she try to exploit it unnecessarily. She is haughty, vengeful, impulsive, but she is a human being who tries to be the sole determinant of her own destiny. These stories, written at least 70 years ago, are documentary evidence of the presence of such a realistic heroine in the pulps at a time when they were despised as little more than "boyish" fantasies.
Jirel is the ruler of the medieval French principality of Joiry at a time dominated by warlords and wizards. Six of her adventures (unfortunately that's all) are collected in this slim volume publoshed by Paizo Books in a nice format. These stories are:
1. "Black God's Kiss": After her kingdom is overran by a cruel antagonist, Jirel explores a land of evil & sorrow (accessible through a forbidden route under her castle) in search of a weapon that would avenge her humiliation at the hands of the antagonist.
2. "Black God's Shadow": Jirel's remorse for the extreme punishment effected upon the antagonist in the 1st tale forces her to return to her unique hell where she breaks an evil spell for ever.
3. "Jirel Meets Magic": After the dark and forebodingly Freudian descriptions in the first two stoies, this tale is simply Tolkienesque as Jirel crosses over to another state in search of a fugitive wizard and comes across a witch with ultimate powers.
4. "The Dark Land": This hauntingly beautiful and yet terrifying tale forces Jirel as well us to question ourselves about love.
5. "Hellsgarde": This straight-forward horror story (as well as Gothic romance) was a fun read after the oppressive first stories.
6. "Quest of the Starstone": This is obviously a product of popular choice as the author brings together two of her most famous creations in a simple plot leading to Jirel being relegated to the second-best position by North Wset Smith.
All-in-all, I heartly recommend this book to not only the readers of rip-roaring adventures, pulps, horror stories, etc. but also to those interested in the female heroines and their role-models.
Jirel is the ruler of the medieval French principality of Joiry at a time dominated by warlords and wizards. Six of her adventures (unfortunately that's all) are collected in this slim volume publoshed by Paizo Books in a nice format. These stories are:
1. "Black God's Kiss": After her kingdom is overran by a cruel antagonist, Jirel explores a land of evil & sorrow (accessible through a forbidden route under her castle) in search of a weapon that would avenge her humiliation at the hands of the antagonist.
2. "Black God's Shadow": Jirel's remorse for the extreme punishment effected upon the antagonist in the 1st tale forces her to return to her unique hell where she breaks an evil spell for ever.
3. "Jirel Meets Magic": After the dark and forebodingly Freudian descriptions in the first two stoies, this tale is simply Tolkienesque as Jirel crosses over to another state in search of a fugitive wizard and comes across a witch with ultimate powers.
4. "The Dark Land": This hauntingly beautiful and yet terrifying tale forces Jirel as well us to question ourselves about love.
5. "Hellsgarde": This straight-forward horror story (as well as Gothic romance) was a fun read after the oppressive first stories.
6. "Quest of the Starstone": This is obviously a product of popular choice as the author brings together two of her most famous creations in a simple plot leading to Jirel being relegated to the second-best position by North Wset Smith.
All-in-all, I heartly recommend this book to not only the readers of rip-roaring adventures, pulps, horror stories, etc. but also to those interested in the female heroines and their role-models.
September 30, 2019
Jirel of Joiry is Moore’s creation, a warrior woman and a woman of substance who finds herself in this tale on the losing side of a war. She is the ruler of a small region and her world is full of monsters and potent magic.
The setting is somewhat similar to some of Robert E. Howard’s tales and I would be happy to discuss via “comments” the nuances of both authors who began writing at much the same period.
Moore’s story deals with much more than sword and sorcery. It attempts to plumb the depths of what one might vow --- what one might dare for revenge when all appears lost. Is Jirel risking eternal damnation in her determination to not to submit to warlord’s domination?
Well worth the time to see where this began.
The setting is somewhat similar to some of Robert E. Howard’s tales and I would be happy to discuss via “comments” the nuances of both authors who began writing at much the same period.
Moore’s story deals with much more than sword and sorcery. It attempts to plumb the depths of what one might vow --- what one might dare for revenge when all appears lost. Is Jirel risking eternal damnation in her determination to not to submit to warlord’s domination?
Well worth the time to see where this began.
June 8, 2011
Black God's Kiss: Joiry falls to a conqueror named Guillaume and Jirel goes to hell for a weapon to use against him.
The first story was pretty good. The writing reminds me of Michael Moorcock and the trip to hell uses the strange geometry Lovecraft made popular. The weapon she brought back was a surprise but probably shouldn't have been given the title. Jirel seems like one tough cookie so far, years ahead of her time.
Black God's Shadow: Tormented by the guilt of Guillaume's fate, Joiry returns to hell to put his soul to rest.
The second story wasn't as good as the first and felt like a retread. The setting was the same and the plot was very nearly so. It still had its moments, though.
Jirel Meets Magic: Jirel pursues the wizard Giraud into another realm, intent on killing him.
Yeah, it's pretty much the same story as the first two. Jirel goes to another realm to do something or get something, then kills her enemy. The writing is still good, evocative of Moorcock or Karl Edward Wagner, but the stories are getting tedious.
The Dark Land: On her death bed after a pike wound, Jirel gets whisked off to another realm to be the bride of Pav of Romne, Lord of Darkness.
Seriously? Another plot where Jirel goes to another realm and returns to have everything back to normal? Bleh. I realize the Jirel of Joiry stories weren't meant to be read back to back but come on! The stories are good but they're formulaic as hell.
Hellsgarde: Jirel goes to the ruins of Hellsgarde Castle to find the treasure the long dead owner died for, only to find it inhabited by his descendants. But what hellish purpose would cause them to live there?
At last, a story that breaks from the formula. Even though it's a fairly standard S&S tale, it's probably the best one in the collection.
Quest for the Starstone: Jirel teams up with C.L. Moore's other series character, Northwest Smith, in a tale that spans space and time.
Like a lot of team-up tales, this one failed to meet expectations. The Starstone was kind of a flimsy excuse to get Jirel and Northwest Smith together. Still, it wasn't bad.
The collection of Jirel of Joiry tales wasn't bad but I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I waited a week or two between tales. The first four were essentially the same plot. I can give it a 2.5 but not a 3.
The first story was pretty good. The writing reminds me of Michael Moorcock and the trip to hell uses the strange geometry Lovecraft made popular. The weapon she brought back was a surprise but probably shouldn't have been given the title. Jirel seems like one tough cookie so far, years ahead of her time.
Black God's Shadow: Tormented by the guilt of Guillaume's fate, Joiry returns to hell to put his soul to rest.
The second story wasn't as good as the first and felt like a retread. The setting was the same and the plot was very nearly so. It still had its moments, though.
Jirel Meets Magic: Jirel pursues the wizard Giraud into another realm, intent on killing him.
Yeah, it's pretty much the same story as the first two. Jirel goes to another realm to do something or get something, then kills her enemy. The writing is still good, evocative of Moorcock or Karl Edward Wagner, but the stories are getting tedious.
The Dark Land: On her death bed after a pike wound, Jirel gets whisked off to another realm to be the bride of Pav of Romne, Lord of Darkness.
Seriously? Another plot where Jirel goes to another realm and returns to have everything back to normal? Bleh. I realize the Jirel of Joiry stories weren't meant to be read back to back but come on! The stories are good but they're formulaic as hell.
Hellsgarde: Jirel goes to the ruins of Hellsgarde Castle to find the treasure the long dead owner died for, only to find it inhabited by his descendants. But what hellish purpose would cause them to live there?
At last, a story that breaks from the formula. Even though it's a fairly standard S&S tale, it's probably the best one in the collection.
Quest for the Starstone: Jirel teams up with C.L. Moore's other series character, Northwest Smith, in a tale that spans space and time.
Like a lot of team-up tales, this one failed to meet expectations. The Starstone was kind of a flimsy excuse to get Jirel and Northwest Smith together. Still, it wasn't bad.
The collection of Jirel of Joiry tales wasn't bad but I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I waited a week or two between tales. The first four were essentially the same plot. I can give it a 2.5 but not a 3.
February 21, 2024
Black God’s Kiss collects six stories about Jirel of Joiry, a red-headed warrior woman in an imaginary medieval France with warlords and sorcerers. In most of the stories she travels to other worlds. I liked the lush prose and the descriptions of Jirel and her fiery personality.
Black God’s Kiss (5/5)
(Weird Tales, October 1934)
Jirel travels to another world seeking a weapon in order to get revenge on the man who conquered her kingdom, killed her men, and forced a kiss upon her. The ending has reviewers divided. While I found it surprising I also thought that it added to the complexity of the character, something you don’t always see in sword & sorcery stories.
Black God’s Shadow (3/5)
(Weird Tales, December 1934)
In this sequel to “Black God’s Kiss,” Jirel returns to the other world from the previous story. I have mixed feelings about this one. While I liked how it continued from the previous story and I thought her motivations and the ending were interesting, I thought it took too long to get going. I found the parts where she wanders around too surreal and repetitive.
Jirel Meets Magic (4/5)
(Weird Tales, July 1935)
While hunting down a sorcerer, Jirel winds up traveling to another world. There she meets the sorceress Jarisme. I liked the description of the world she travels to, all the beings she meets, and her rivalry with the Jarisme.
The Dark Land (4/5)
(Weird Tales, January 1936)
After being terribly wounded in battle, a powerful being brings Jirel to his world in order to make her his queen. This does not sit well with her. This time I enjoyed the surreal aspect of the story as well as the increase in conflict once a third character was introduced.
Hellsgarde (5/5)
(Weird Tales, 1939)
Jirel enters a haunted castle in search of a treasure she needs as ransom in order to gain the release of twenty of her men. From start to finish this story is packed with a sinister and gothic atmosphere. Tied with “Black God’s Kiss” as my favorite.
Quest of the Starstone (3.5/5)
(Weird Tales, 1937)
A crossover story in which Jirel meets Northwest Smith, another Moore character. Co-written with her husband Henry Kuttner, this one has a different vibe to it and Jirel plays second fiddle to Northwest Smith. I thought it was odd that Jirel was called “Joiry” as well as “Jirel” throughout the story.
Overall a great selection of tales from the early days of sword & sorcery.
Black God’s Kiss (5/5)
(Weird Tales, October 1934)
Jirel travels to another world seeking a weapon in order to get revenge on the man who conquered her kingdom, killed her men, and forced a kiss upon her. The ending has reviewers divided. While I found it surprising I also thought that it added to the complexity of the character, something you don’t always see in sword & sorcery stories.
Black God’s Shadow (3/5)
(Weird Tales, December 1934)
In this sequel to “Black God’s Kiss,” Jirel returns to the other world from the previous story. I have mixed feelings about this one. While I liked how it continued from the previous story and I thought her motivations and the ending were interesting, I thought it took too long to get going. I found the parts where she wanders around too surreal and repetitive.
Jirel Meets Magic (4/5)
(Weird Tales, July 1935)
While hunting down a sorcerer, Jirel winds up traveling to another world. There she meets the sorceress Jarisme. I liked the description of the world she travels to, all the beings she meets, and her rivalry with the Jarisme.
The Dark Land (4/5)
(Weird Tales, January 1936)
After being terribly wounded in battle, a powerful being brings Jirel to his world in order to make her his queen. This does not sit well with her. This time I enjoyed the surreal aspect of the story as well as the increase in conflict once a third character was introduced.
Hellsgarde (5/5)
(Weird Tales, 1939)
Jirel enters a haunted castle in search of a treasure she needs as ransom in order to gain the release of twenty of her men. From start to finish this story is packed with a sinister and gothic atmosphere. Tied with “Black God’s Kiss” as my favorite.
Quest of the Starstone (3.5/5)
(Weird Tales, 1937)
A crossover story in which Jirel meets Northwest Smith, another Moore character. Co-written with her husband Henry Kuttner, this one has a different vibe to it and Jirel plays second fiddle to Northwest Smith. I thought it was odd that Jirel was called “Joiry” as well as “Jirel” throughout the story.
Overall a great selection of tales from the early days of sword & sorcery.
June 11, 2019
She could've taken on Conan.
June 22, 2007
C.L.Moore's writing is foundational to the sword and sorcery genre and deeply neglected.
December 16, 2019
2.5 stars
Fun, pulpy, horror infused sword and sorcery tales in the tradition of the unholy trinity of Howard, Lovecraft, and Smith. The only problem is that most of the stories here are really just the same plot told over and over. Jirel goes to a horrific otherworld, usually to find a convoluted way to kill and/or escape from a seemingly invincible foe. Also, everyone and their brother tries to "steal a kiss" from her. It's like she lives in a world-sized rape dungeon (although, to be fair, I imagine 15th-16th century France wasn't the most awesome time to be a lady).
If Moore had come up with more than one or two plots for her heroine then this collection could have easily been five stars. As it is, however, I suggest anyone interested in Jirel to just read one or two stories rather than an entire collection.
Fun, pulpy, horror infused sword and sorcery tales in the tradition of the unholy trinity of Howard, Lovecraft, and Smith. The only problem is that most of the stories here are really just the same plot told over and over. Jirel goes to a horrific otherworld, usually to find a convoluted way to kill and/or escape from a seemingly invincible foe. Also, everyone and their brother tries to "steal a kiss" from her. It's like she lives in a world-sized rape dungeon (although, to be fair, I imagine 15th-16th century France wasn't the most awesome time to be a lady).
If Moore had come up with more than one or two plots for her heroine then this collection could have easily been five stars. As it is, however, I suggest anyone interested in Jirel to just read one or two stories rather than an entire collection.
April 15, 2025
"Not until then did she remember how fatal it is said to be to accept a gift from a demon. Buy it or earn it, but never accept the gift."
One of the first women to write science fiction and fantasy, C. L. Moore was extremely popular in her era. She is one of eight fantasy authors to be named a Gandalf Grand Master.
Yet, she is not widely remembered today. Many of her stories are collaborations with her first husband Henry Kuttner, and they were published under his name or various pseudonyms rather than her own. She moved to Hollywood after Kuttner's death, then ceased writing altogether in 1963 when she married her second husband Thomas Reggie. (This made Reggie unpopular with Moore's contemporaries. Many speculated and gossiped about his controlling behavior).
Her sword-and-sorcery stories about the warrior-queen Jirel of Joiry appeared in Weird Tales magazine, alongside stories by Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft. Black God's Kiss collects the entire Jirel cycle:
"Black God's Kiss" (1934) -- After her kingdom falls to a foreign invader, Jirel travels to the underworld to find a weapon strong enough to defeat Guillaume the conqueror. She is successful. However, the curse for accepting a gift from a demon is that she falls in love with Guillaume as he dies, knowing now that no man can ever win her heart again.
"Black God's Shadow" (1934) -- Jirel returns to the land of the Black God, this time to free Guillaume's soul from damnation.
"Jirel Meets Magic" (1935) -- Vowing to kill an evil sorcerer who murdered her soldiers, Jirel chases her quarry into a portal world of dryads, fairies, and a white tower that contains many doorways into other realms.
"The Dark Land" (1936) -- On her death bed, Jirel's broken body is healed by Pav, the Lord of Romney, one of the Forbidden Lands. He demands she marry him in return, but his other paramour, the Corpse Witch, threatens to slay her. Jirel is not amused--by either of them!
"Hellsgarde" (1939) -- Jirel sneaks into an enchanted fortress looking for a lost treasure, and she is surprised to find a family living there. Are they real or supernatural, living or dead?
"Quest of the Starstone" (1937, with Henry Kuttner) -- Jirel steals a gem from a cravenly sorcerer. This is a crossover with another C. L. Moore series character, the spaceways smuggler Northwest Smith, long rumored to be George Lucas' original inspiration for Han Solo.
The last story is also notable for introducing the song "The Green Hills of Earth". In 1941, Robert Heinlein famously began referencing this song in many of his Future History stories.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gabrielle De Cuir. I bumped my review up one star because her voice is so soothing.
4.5 stars
One of the first women to write science fiction and fantasy, C. L. Moore was extremely popular in her era. She is one of eight fantasy authors to be named a Gandalf Grand Master.
Yet, she is not widely remembered today. Many of her stories are collaborations with her first husband Henry Kuttner, and they were published under his name or various pseudonyms rather than her own. She moved to Hollywood after Kuttner's death, then ceased writing altogether in 1963 when she married her second husband Thomas Reggie. (This made Reggie unpopular with Moore's contemporaries. Many speculated and gossiped about his controlling behavior).
Her sword-and-sorcery stories about the warrior-queen Jirel of Joiry appeared in Weird Tales magazine, alongside stories by Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft. Black God's Kiss collects the entire Jirel cycle:
"Black God's Kiss" (1934) -- After her kingdom falls to a foreign invader, Jirel travels to the underworld to find a weapon strong enough to defeat Guillaume the conqueror. She is successful. However, the curse for accepting a gift from a demon is that she falls in love with Guillaume as he dies, knowing now that no man can ever win her heart again.
"Black God's Shadow" (1934) -- Jirel returns to the land of the Black God, this time to free Guillaume's soul from damnation.
"Jirel Meets Magic" (1935) -- Vowing to kill an evil sorcerer who murdered her soldiers, Jirel chases her quarry into a portal world of dryads, fairies, and a white tower that contains many doorways into other realms.
"The Dark Land" (1936) -- On her death bed, Jirel's broken body is healed by Pav, the Lord of Romney, one of the Forbidden Lands. He demands she marry him in return, but his other paramour, the Corpse Witch, threatens to slay her. Jirel is not amused--by either of them!
"Hellsgarde" (1939) -- Jirel sneaks into an enchanted fortress looking for a lost treasure, and she is surprised to find a family living there. Are they real or supernatural, living or dead?
"Quest of the Starstone" (1937, with Henry Kuttner) -- Jirel steals a gem from a cravenly sorcerer. This is a crossover with another C. L. Moore series character, the spaceways smuggler Northwest Smith, long rumored to be George Lucas' original inspiration for Han Solo.
The last story is also notable for introducing the song "The Green Hills of Earth". In 1941, Robert Heinlein famously began referencing this song in many of his Future History stories.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gabrielle De Cuir. I bumped my review up one star because her voice is so soothing.
4.5 stars
October 24, 2012
Reading Black God's Kiss made me realize what have I lost at not knowing Catherine Lucille Moore. The five histories (and the crossover with her husband's character) appearing in Black God's Kiss (which is both the first story's name in the volume and the one which marks Jiriel of Joiry as an extraordinaire and quite human character) let me taste something of what Moore really is.
There is no other way to begin talking about Black god's Kiss and C. L. Moore than analizing Jirel of Joiry, which can be defined with one word: Fire. Jirel is nothing if not passionate; rage and passion and love (in a sort of way) rule her live, more than once this deep rage, this lust for life is what lets her survive the ordeals she confronts; from dark gods, to evil men, to dark wizards and men from the future. But Jirel is not only fire in essence, but also in body, from her long red hair, her lion yellow eyes, to the passion present on the feminine curves of her body, to her expression of eternal defiance or her burly celebration after victory. That is what defines Jirel of Joiry, such passion that forces us, as it does to her men, follow her into battle and sometimes into the abyss and stranger lands.
Yet still, Jirel is quite human herself. She is pasional, courageous and sometimes barbaric... yet she is also honorable, naïve, superstitious, and human in her desires. More than once she has found herself vulnerable and afraid, but most of the time her fury gives her the upper hand... other times she is as much afraid as any other girl... but in the hells she has taken to visit, who would not be afraid.
From the first story to the last France, from where she reigns Joiry, is nothing but a background to give us a frame of reference to understand Jirel. As some say, "Jirel comes from a naiver era". From this background we rarely see something more than the walls of her castle and those of her enemies, we learn that she has a cousin with a fortress close to her land, an allies and enemies too, yet we heard nothing of her parents or suitors. She is a catholic and has god in high regard, yet she wouldn't think twice in damn her soul or leave the protection of the cross if that is what she needs to destroy her enemies.
That is France... but the true stories always take... well... elsewhere. From outlandish worlds that when seen in the plain light of day will take your sanity away, fiendish and esoteric worlds that can only be understood under the veil of illusions, fae-like worlds with doors to worlds unimagined by mortal minds, esoteric places between the worlds of reality and fantasy. They all are populated by strange versions of ourselves, or bizarre creatures we hardly imagined in our weirdest dreams, where Jiriel usually travels alone, moving between alien creatures, some of which from human, only have the appearance... and usually it's never the true one.
Reading Dark God's Kiss and many of Jirel's stories is like reading an story of a female medieval Conan crossing in between worlds that H.P. Lovecraft would have imagined. An interesting and dangerous mixture, where she understand the impossibility of what she lives, but only has her senses to guide her and her rage to impulse her to win against, sometimes, impossible odds. But as always, her rage is a two bladed sword, as much times saving her, as making imperiling her, or destroying what she loves... more than once taking her to death's door if not for outside forces.
So, what can I said about C. L. Moore and Dark God's Kiss? Simply, I enjoyed deeply her stories and fall deeply in love with Jiriel, so much that the last stories I drank them like sweet wine, unable to stop and taking myself a day to savor the aftertaste this story left me before beginning with something else.
If you have the chance... don't doubt it, and give Jiriel an opportunity, I am sure she will bewitch you as she did with me.
There is no other way to begin talking about Black god's Kiss and C. L. Moore than analizing Jirel of Joiry, which can be defined with one word: Fire. Jirel is nothing if not passionate; rage and passion and love (in a sort of way) rule her live, more than once this deep rage, this lust for life is what lets her survive the ordeals she confronts; from dark gods, to evil men, to dark wizards and men from the future. But Jirel is not only fire in essence, but also in body, from her long red hair, her lion yellow eyes, to the passion present on the feminine curves of her body, to her expression of eternal defiance or her burly celebration after victory. That is what defines Jirel of Joiry, such passion that forces us, as it does to her men, follow her into battle and sometimes into the abyss and stranger lands.
Yet still, Jirel is quite human herself. She is pasional, courageous and sometimes barbaric... yet she is also honorable, naïve, superstitious, and human in her desires. More than once she has found herself vulnerable and afraid, but most of the time her fury gives her the upper hand... other times she is as much afraid as any other girl... but in the hells she has taken to visit, who would not be afraid.
From the first story to the last France, from where she reigns Joiry, is nothing but a background to give us a frame of reference to understand Jirel. As some say, "Jirel comes from a naiver era". From this background we rarely see something more than the walls of her castle and those of her enemies, we learn that she has a cousin with a fortress close to her land, an allies and enemies too, yet we heard nothing of her parents or suitors. She is a catholic and has god in high regard, yet she wouldn't think twice in damn her soul or leave the protection of the cross if that is what she needs to destroy her enemies.
That is France... but the true stories always take... well... elsewhere. From outlandish worlds that when seen in the plain light of day will take your sanity away, fiendish and esoteric worlds that can only be understood under the veil of illusions, fae-like worlds with doors to worlds unimagined by mortal minds, esoteric places between the worlds of reality and fantasy. They all are populated by strange versions of ourselves, or bizarre creatures we hardly imagined in our weirdest dreams, where Jiriel usually travels alone, moving between alien creatures, some of which from human, only have the appearance... and usually it's never the true one.
Reading Dark God's Kiss and many of Jirel's stories is like reading an story of a female medieval Conan crossing in between worlds that H.P. Lovecraft would have imagined. An interesting and dangerous mixture, where she understand the impossibility of what she lives, but only has her senses to guide her and her rage to impulse her to win against, sometimes, impossible odds. But as always, her rage is a two bladed sword, as much times saving her, as making imperiling her, or destroying what she loves... more than once taking her to death's door if not for outside forces.
So, what can I said about C. L. Moore and Dark God's Kiss? Simply, I enjoyed deeply her stories and fall deeply in love with Jiriel, so much that the last stories I drank them like sweet wine, unable to stop and taking myself a day to savor the aftertaste this story left me before beginning with something else.
If you have the chance... don't doubt it, and give Jiriel an opportunity, I am sure she will bewitch you as she did with me.
November 5, 2015
C. L. Moore's "Black God's Kiss" collects all six Jirel of Joiry stories (including Quest of the Starstone, the Jirel/Northwest Smith crossover).
Moore's greatest strength is her fantastic vocabulary and the ability to create extremely vivid images with her prose. Each story is worded in so beautiful a manner that is rarely equaled in the genre (or elsewhere). Her sentences possess a certain musicality and flow, resulting in very distinctive writing. Her worlds are truly fantastic, with creatures and beings and plants and terrain that will make you go "Wow!" often.
However, all these traits fall into the water before the sheer - utter - boredom these collection evokes.
Who's to blame? Well, it's Jirel herself.
Jirel of Joiry is an extremely passive protagonist. While she does indeed run hither and tither, and wonders, and gazes in awe, or in dread, or in anger - that's all she does. She goes, and observes. All that happens story-wise, all the action and the deeds that propels the tale forward - are done by others, to Jirel. Always and without exception, she is simply an observer of her own adventures.
Moore also exhibits a peculiar kind of circuitous narrative. She often repeats and re-uses the same scenes, using only slightly different vocabulary. This repetition is not only carried from story-to-story, plot-wise, but also within the stories themselves. Jirel gets into trouble by doing the same stuff, chasing the same people, and getting attacked in the same manner. These attacks are often mental, so that means... a series of long, descriptive paragraphs where Jirel effectively... stands still.
I'm the first to defend the so-called "purple prose", but when that's all there is to a tale... well. The collection should really be titled "Jirel of Joiry, or, How I Repeatedly Chased Wizards Through Strange Magical Portals And Then Idled About While Thing Happened To Me".
In summary, I can't recommend "Black God's Kiss".
Moore's greatest strength is her fantastic vocabulary and the ability to create extremely vivid images with her prose. Each story is worded in so beautiful a manner that is rarely equaled in the genre (or elsewhere). Her sentences possess a certain musicality and flow, resulting in very distinctive writing. Her worlds are truly fantastic, with creatures and beings and plants and terrain that will make you go "Wow!" often.
However, all these traits fall into the water before the sheer - utter - boredom these collection evokes.
Who's to blame? Well, it's Jirel herself.
Jirel of Joiry is an extremely passive protagonist. While she does indeed run hither and tither, and wonders, and gazes in awe, or in dread, or in anger - that's all she does. She goes, and observes. All that happens story-wise, all the action and the deeds that propels the tale forward - are done by others, to Jirel. Always and without exception, she is simply an observer of her own adventures.
Moore also exhibits a peculiar kind of circuitous narrative. She often repeats and re-uses the same scenes, using only slightly different vocabulary. This repetition is not only carried from story-to-story, plot-wise, but also within the stories themselves. Jirel gets into trouble by doing the same stuff, chasing the same people, and getting attacked in the same manner. These attacks are often mental, so that means... a series of long, descriptive paragraphs where Jirel effectively... stands still.
I'm the first to defend the so-called "purple prose", but when that's all there is to a tale... well. The collection should really be titled "Jirel of Joiry, or, How I Repeatedly Chased Wizards Through Strange Magical Portals And Then Idled About While Thing Happened To Me".
In summary, I can't recommend "Black God's Kiss".
January 18, 2021
Other stories of the like may end with the lustful (sometimes forceful) embrace; this collection begins there, and follows Jirel as she seeks retribution for the act. To regain honour, she'd sell her soul to gods of unknown, and likely unknowable, motive. Think 'Worms of the Earth', especially because we feel more than we see in the underworld.
Moore is less interested in the physical horrors, which are often dispatched with cursory mention, and instead focuses on the horrors of perhaps personal pathos that roam an interior landscape, and the emotional fortitude needed to overcome them.
When Jirel meets magic, it dwells on the threshold like Dunsany's Elfland; traversing tunnels of dubious physics, a Sorceress' labyrinth of doors, Hellsgarde Castle at dusk.
Despite a tendency at times to prolong, repeat or overbake, there are a great many things in these adventures which show why it was a golden era for fantasy.
Black God's Kiss: 4/5
Black God's Shadow: 2/5
Jirel Meets Magic: 3/5
The Dark Land: 2/5
Quest of the Starstone: 3/5
Hellsgarde: 4/5
Moore is less interested in the physical horrors, which are often dispatched with cursory mention, and instead focuses on the horrors of perhaps personal pathos that roam an interior landscape, and the emotional fortitude needed to overcome them.
When Jirel meets magic, it dwells on the threshold like Dunsany's Elfland; traversing tunnels of dubious physics, a Sorceress' labyrinth of doors, Hellsgarde Castle at dusk.
Despite a tendency at times to prolong, repeat or overbake, there are a great many things in these adventures which show why it was a golden era for fantasy.
Black God's Kiss: 4/5
Black God's Shadow: 2/5
Jirel Meets Magic: 3/5
The Dark Land: 2/5
Quest of the Starstone: 3/5
Hellsgarde: 4/5
April 5, 2019
“The soul can be lost but once.”
This story introduces the one tor.com calls, “the first lady of sword-and-sorcery, Jirel of Joiry … in all her ferocious mailed glory and defiance.” Very dark, almost horror. Not my kind of reading, but exceptionally well done, especially considering it was first published in 1934. Stories like this established Moore among the top tier of science fiction/fantasy writers.
“Shrive me, I say! I go into hell tonight to pray to the devil for a weapon, and it may be I shall not return.” “I will give you God’s blessing, but it will not avail you--there.”
Unlike later fantasy, the Jirel stories are firmly planted in this world. References to the former Roman empire and French wine, while slightly anachronistic, set Joiry somewhere in medieval Europe. Moore also takes the church as it would have been then as a given to Jirel’s culture.
“The pull of gravity of the place must have been less than she was accustomed to, but she only knew that she was skimming over the ground with amazing speed.” “She was soon skimming over the grass.”
A third of a century before men walked on the moon, Moore correctly posits the dance-like gait of one moving in low gravity. Prescient? No, smart and observant.
“She was coming to know that death lay in wait for her if she bore this burden long, that it was a two-edged weapon which could strike at its wielder if the blow was delayed too long.”
This story introduces the one tor.com calls, “the first lady of sword-and-sorcery, Jirel of Joiry … in all her ferocious mailed glory and defiance.” Very dark, almost horror. Not my kind of reading, but exceptionally well done, especially considering it was first published in 1934. Stories like this established Moore among the top tier of science fiction/fantasy writers.
“Shrive me, I say! I go into hell tonight to pray to the devil for a weapon, and it may be I shall not return.” “I will give you God’s blessing, but it will not avail you--there.”
Unlike later fantasy, the Jirel stories are firmly planted in this world. References to the former Roman empire and French wine, while slightly anachronistic, set Joiry somewhere in medieval Europe. Moore also takes the church as it would have been then as a given to Jirel’s culture.
“The pull of gravity of the place must have been less than she was accustomed to, but she only knew that she was skimming over the ground with amazing speed.” “She was soon skimming over the grass.”
A third of a century before men walked on the moon, Moore correctly posits the dance-like gait of one moving in low gravity. Prescient? No, smart and observant.
“She was coming to know that death lay in wait for her if she bore this burden long, that it was a two-edged weapon which could strike at its wielder if the blow was delayed too long.”
Read
July 14, 2024I am on an eternal mission to find sword & sorcery books that I like because I really vibe with the concept of the genre, but they almost always have racist or misogynist stuff that sucks. So I was excited to learn about C.L. Moore and her stories of Jirel of Joiry, which are collected in this volume.
It's pretty good. The titular and opening story really sets things off with a bang. We meet Jirel taken prisoner in her own castle, escaping, and going down a handy portal to Hell in the basement of the castle. Rarely, if ever, have I read in literature a sentiment as badass as Jirel telling her priest that she has to go to Hell to find a weapon to take back her castle because the nastiest weapons can only be made outside God's domain. Moore's description of the underworld is very cool. This story reminded me in some ways of The Tower of the Elephant, the only Conan story that I've read and liked (because it doesn't feature any women characters for Howard to write awfully). I like the weirdness and quasi-sci-fi elements in that era of S&S (there are very clear Lovecraftian elements in BGK) which is missing from high fantasy like LOTR.
As others have commented, the Jirel stories were not really intended to be read as a collection, and reading them back to back does highlight the similarity of formula behind several of them. In addition to BGK itself, I agree with many other reviewers that Hellsgarde is another standout story. I may be in more of a minority in liking Quest of the Starstone, the final story in the volume, which is just kind of a contrivance to crossover Jirel with Moore's other famous character, the sci-fi buckaroo Northwest Smith. I found it fun, and I liked Jirel having a partner to work with (or two, counting NW's sidekick), as she's very much a lone wolf in the other stories.
It's pretty good. The titular and opening story really sets things off with a bang. We meet Jirel taken prisoner in her own castle, escaping, and going down a handy portal to Hell in the basement of the castle. Rarely, if ever, have I read in literature a sentiment as badass as Jirel telling her priest that she has to go to Hell to find a weapon to take back her castle because the nastiest weapons can only be made outside God's domain. Moore's description of the underworld is very cool. This story reminded me in some ways of The Tower of the Elephant, the only Conan story that I've read and liked (because it doesn't feature any women characters for Howard to write awfully). I like the weirdness and quasi-sci-fi elements in that era of S&S (there are very clear Lovecraftian elements in BGK) which is missing from high fantasy like LOTR.
As others have commented, the Jirel stories were not really intended to be read as a collection, and reading them back to back does highlight the similarity of formula behind several of them. In addition to BGK itself, I agree with many other reviewers that Hellsgarde is another standout story. I may be in more of a minority in liking Quest of the Starstone, the final story in the volume, which is just kind of a contrivance to crossover Jirel with Moore's other famous character, the sci-fi buckaroo Northwest Smith. I found it fun, and I liked Jirel having a partner to work with (or two, counting NW's sidekick), as she's very much a lone wolf in the other stories.
July 28, 2021
A series of stories connected only by their protagonist, the warrior queen Jirel of Joiry. She's from Medieval France and she travels to Hell and alternate dimensions, meeting spacemen from the future along the way, so there are a lot of genres packed into this blender.
The first 20% were as strong as any pulp fiction you'll find in any era. And the last story was quite good, bringing in Moore's other famous protagonist Northwest Smith, the fastest blaster in the Solar System. But this book sags somewhat in the middle, costing it a fifth star. I felt the purple prose failed in those stories where the metaphysics of the worldbuilding lacked detail, leading to hand-waving and empty promises of just how amazing and profound and strange and awesome things were.
C.L. Moore is the poster girl that proves the pulps were not the exclusive domain of male authors. She's good, but it remains true that my heart belongs to another. If you want the very pinnacle of pulp fiction, I urge you to seek Leigh Brackett. BRACKETT IS BEST!
The first 20% were as strong as any pulp fiction you'll find in any era. And the last story was quite good, bringing in Moore's other famous protagonist Northwest Smith, the fastest blaster in the Solar System. But this book sags somewhat in the middle, costing it a fifth star. I felt the purple prose failed in those stories where the metaphysics of the worldbuilding lacked detail, leading to hand-waving and empty promises of just how amazing and profound and strange and awesome things were.
C.L. Moore is the poster girl that proves the pulps were not the exclusive domain of male authors. She's good, but it remains true that my heart belongs to another. If you want the very pinnacle of pulp fiction, I urge you to seek Leigh Brackett. BRACKETT IS BEST!
February 4, 2024
It was SO GOOD until the ending! The ending soured me so bad! SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENT READ.
Jirel is a kickass swordswoman who is as tall and vicious as any man. After a disgusting man forced himself upon her with a kiss, she journeys to a strange realm akin to an underworld in search of a weapon to take revenge upon the man who wronged her. Upon returning from her strange sojourn, she gives her assailant a grievous and slow death. When he dies, she begins to realize that her emotions were wrong and her hatred was actually lust for this disgusting worm of a man who doesn’t know what consent is. I wanted Jirel to revel in her revenge on this lowly excuse for a man and giving what he is rightly deserved. I guess it was not meant to be. Usually this kind of ending is written by a man but it was surprisingly written by a woman and not what I expected and it was not a pleasant surprise.
Jirel is a kickass swordswoman who is as tall and vicious as any man. After a disgusting man forced himself upon her with a kiss, she journeys to a strange realm akin to an underworld in search of a weapon to take revenge upon the man who wronged her. Upon returning from her strange sojourn, she gives her assailant a grievous and slow death. When he dies, she begins to realize that her emotions were wrong and her hatred was actually lust for this disgusting worm of a man who doesn’t know what consent is. I wanted Jirel to revel in her revenge on this lowly excuse for a man and giving what he is rightly deserved. I guess it was not meant to be. Usually this kind of ending is written by a man but it was surprisingly written by a woman and not what I expected and it was not a pleasant surprise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
I could not just find just this story on GoodReads. I did not read this whole book just this story. I'm not sure if this was a good one to start with because there wasn't a lot of action to speak off. It was mostly about her travel to the "underworld" and looking for a weapon. I want to find this book so I can read the other stories so maybe I can have a better understanding of the character. So once again this is not a review of all the stories in this book just the "Black God's Kiss" I feel like I was missing something as I read this.
December 29, 2024
I’ve only recently delved into 1920-40s speculative/horror/fantasy fiction and I’m literally obsessed. The imaginations of these early writers with their seminal pieces is so overlooked. Robert E. Howard has been a great read but C.L. Moore has easily outstripped his writing in my opinion. Women write women much better than men, obviously, so Jirel was a brilliant character and I felt much more connected to the story than I did with Bran Mak Morn.
April 28, 2019
O gênero de espada e feitiçaria é normalmente atribuído a personagens como Conan e Elric de Melniboné. Mas, muitos se esquecem de que houve uma pioneira no gênero que criou uma personagem fabulosa que, até hoje, é um marco: Jirel de Joiry. Aqui no Brasil não me recordo de O Beijo do Deus Sombrio chegar por qualquer outra editora que não esta publicação feita pela Arte & Letra. O que é lamentável porque parece que estamos provocando o esquecimento da personagem. Finalmente temos a oportunidade de conhecê-la e entender por que ela é tão representativa para a literatura fantástica.
A edição da Arte & Letra está muito simpática e com um acabamento luxuoso. A imagem de capa reproduz uma antiga ilustração de Jirel em preto e branco por trás do título. Só acho que o branco do título poderia ser um pouco mais esmaecido para dar ênfase na ilustração do fundo. Até porque ela é bem impactante. A folha de guarda é em um amarelo mostarda e o acabamento é em capa dura. O papel empregado é o pólen, ou seja, mais durabilidade para guardar na sua coleção. A tradução também está excelente: foi feita pela Ana Cristina Rodrigues, uma das melhores da área. No final, tem uma matéria dela sobre a importância da C.L. Moore para o cenário de literatura fantástica.
A escrita da autora lembra muito outros contemporâneos dela como Lovecraft e Tolkien. Moore tem uma escrita bastante descritiva e ela consegue criar descrições muito boas que acabam ficando com o leitor. Ela é capaz de fazer com que imaginemos o que está acontecendo naquele momento. Seus cenários são sempre muito sombrios. Para aqueles que não gostam do estilo descritivo do Tolkien, vão encontrar uma reação semelhante aqui. Porém, preciso pontuar que achei a forma da Moore de mexer com o cenário e nossas sensações melhor do que a do Tolkien. Claro, Senhor dos Anéis é uma obra maior em escopo, e O Beijo do Deus Sombrio é uma novella, quando muito. Mesmo assim, achei-a mais efetiva nesse sentido. Alguns momentos de narrativa são bizarros como os cavalos em disparada fazendo ruídos semelhantes ao nome de uma pessoa. Uma imagem assustadora e poderosa e que só teria esse efeito no leitor se a autora não tivesse sido capaz de criar essa atmosfera.
Jirel é uma personagem muito bem desenvolvida por Moore. Uma personagem forte e decidida, mas que possui suas fragilidades como mulher. Sua fúria selvagem vista ao longo da narrativa se deve ao fato de ter tido o seu orgulho ferido por Guillaume. Ela deseja retomar suas terras e se vingar da humilhação que sofreu. Há de lembrarmos que o fato de o antagonista ter revelado sua real aparência é um dos principais motivos para que a personagem passasse a "enxergar vermelho". Provavelmente (isso não é dito na narrativa), Jirel escondia seu gênero por trás da armadura de cavaleiro. Ter sido revelada foi um ato de desonra extremo que ela não podia aceitar. Claro que vamos ver depois que seus sentimentos não eram tão claros a respeito do que ela iria fazer a seguir. E isso se liga muito à escolha que ela fez.
E aí vamos ao detalhe sobrenatural da narrativa. Porque, ao ter seus domínios controlados pelo exército de Guillaume, ela precisa encontrar outra fonte de força para poder retomar o que é seu e exercer sua vingança. Mas, o preço a ser pago pode ser alto demais para a personagem. Em sua jornada nos subterrâneos de Joiry, ela vai se deparar com horrores inimagináveis. Esse é um trecho que lembra bastante as narrativas horripilantes de Lovecraft, com seus mundos repletos de terrores que assolam a alma. Temos um pouco de fé cristã sendo debatida aqui a partir do momento em que Jirel precisa deixar de lado parte de seu espírito para obter uma força nefasta para derrotar seus adversários. Digamos que ela troca sua salvação após a morte por isso. A fé dela é testada durante a jornada e o que ela visualiza são testes necessários para ver até onde ela é capaz de ir.
Achei que a autora poderia ter comentado alguma coisa a mais sobre a ligação entre Jirel e Joiry. Fica muito subentendido isso. O foco maior da narrativa é na vingança de Jirel e em como ela vai entrar em decadência para conseguir aquilo que deseja. A própria Jirel é o núcleo narrativo e o que ela vai ou não fazer é o que fica em evidência. Por essa razão eu senti que a narrativa perdeu um pouco de sua força, apesar de o ponto alto de O Beijo do Deus Sombrio é Jirel (curioso e contraditória a minha fala). Pensar que Jirel, uma personagem tão empoderada e decidida, foi criada na época das narrativas pulp, de personagens como Conan, John Carter e Tarzan, é um atestado à força da escrita de Moore. Convido a todos a conhecerem essa personagem. O Beijo do Deus Sombrio é obrigatório a todos os fãs de espada e feitiçaria.
A edição da Arte & Letra está muito simpática e com um acabamento luxuoso. A imagem de capa reproduz uma antiga ilustração de Jirel em preto e branco por trás do título. Só acho que o branco do título poderia ser um pouco mais esmaecido para dar ênfase na ilustração do fundo. Até porque ela é bem impactante. A folha de guarda é em um amarelo mostarda e o acabamento é em capa dura. O papel empregado é o pólen, ou seja, mais durabilidade para guardar na sua coleção. A tradução também está excelente: foi feita pela Ana Cristina Rodrigues, uma das melhores da área. No final, tem uma matéria dela sobre a importância da C.L. Moore para o cenário de literatura fantástica.
A escrita da autora lembra muito outros contemporâneos dela como Lovecraft e Tolkien. Moore tem uma escrita bastante descritiva e ela consegue criar descrições muito boas que acabam ficando com o leitor. Ela é capaz de fazer com que imaginemos o que está acontecendo naquele momento. Seus cenários são sempre muito sombrios. Para aqueles que não gostam do estilo descritivo do Tolkien, vão encontrar uma reação semelhante aqui. Porém, preciso pontuar que achei a forma da Moore de mexer com o cenário e nossas sensações melhor do que a do Tolkien. Claro, Senhor dos Anéis é uma obra maior em escopo, e O Beijo do Deus Sombrio é uma novella, quando muito. Mesmo assim, achei-a mais efetiva nesse sentido. Alguns momentos de narrativa são bizarros como os cavalos em disparada fazendo ruídos semelhantes ao nome de uma pessoa. Uma imagem assustadora e poderosa e que só teria esse efeito no leitor se a autora não tivesse sido capaz de criar essa atmosfera.
Jirel é uma personagem muito bem desenvolvida por Moore. Uma personagem forte e decidida, mas que possui suas fragilidades como mulher. Sua fúria selvagem vista ao longo da narrativa se deve ao fato de ter tido o seu orgulho ferido por Guillaume. Ela deseja retomar suas terras e se vingar da humilhação que sofreu. Há de lembrarmos que o fato de o antagonista ter revelado sua real aparência é um dos principais motivos para que a personagem passasse a "enxergar vermelho". Provavelmente (isso não é dito na narrativa), Jirel escondia seu gênero por trás da armadura de cavaleiro. Ter sido revelada foi um ato de desonra extremo que ela não podia aceitar. Claro que vamos ver depois que seus sentimentos não eram tão claros a respeito do que ela iria fazer a seguir. E isso se liga muito à escolha que ela fez.
E aí vamos ao detalhe sobrenatural da narrativa. Porque, ao ter seus domínios controlados pelo exército de Guillaume, ela precisa encontrar outra fonte de força para poder retomar o que é seu e exercer sua vingança. Mas, o preço a ser pago pode ser alto demais para a personagem. Em sua jornada nos subterrâneos de Joiry, ela vai se deparar com horrores inimagináveis. Esse é um trecho que lembra bastante as narrativas horripilantes de Lovecraft, com seus mundos repletos de terrores que assolam a alma. Temos um pouco de fé cristã sendo debatida aqui a partir do momento em que Jirel precisa deixar de lado parte de seu espírito para obter uma força nefasta para derrotar seus adversários. Digamos que ela troca sua salvação após a morte por isso. A fé dela é testada durante a jornada e o que ela visualiza são testes necessários para ver até onde ela é capaz de ir.
Achei que a autora poderia ter comentado alguma coisa a mais sobre a ligação entre Jirel e Joiry. Fica muito subentendido isso. O foco maior da narrativa é na vingança de Jirel e em como ela vai entrar em decadência para conseguir aquilo que deseja. A própria Jirel é o núcleo narrativo e o que ela vai ou não fazer é o que fica em evidência. Por essa razão eu senti que a narrativa perdeu um pouco de sua força, apesar de o ponto alto de O Beijo do Deus Sombrio é Jirel (curioso e contraditória a minha fala). Pensar que Jirel, uma personagem tão empoderada e decidida, foi criada na época das narrativas pulp, de personagens como Conan, John Carter e Tarzan, é um atestado à força da escrita de Moore. Convido a todos a conhecerem essa personagem. O Beijo do Deus Sombrio é obrigatório a todos os fãs de espada e feitiçaria.
Read
February 19, 2012This volume from Paizo's Planet Library (which is a great and praiseworthy undertaking, although I’ll have to frown at the very sloppy copy editing for this volume which is full of typos) collects all of C.L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry stories. It fulfills all the usual conditions for a true classic: It is old (all the stories in here were published in the period from 1934 to 1939), it was innovative back in its day (presenting the first ever female Sword & Sorcery protagonist, and – although that was not common knowledge at the time – written by a woman, too), and it had a significant impact on what came afterwards (it was a huge influence on female fantasy authors in the 70′s and 80′s, like C.J. Cherryh, Tanith Lee etc.). The stories are also very good and remain compelling and readable to this day.[return][return]They are not quite what one might expect from pulp magazine stories, though – while they undoubtedly belong to the Sword & Sorcery genre (which in itself, it should be noted, had one leg still firmly planted in the horror genre at this stage), there is not a lot of sword-swinging going on here, not even (with the exception of the final story which Moore co-wrote with her later husband Henry Kuttner) a lot of action – what you get instead are long and vivid descriptions of fantastic dreamscapes. Suzy McKee Charnas, in her excellent, enthusiastic introduction to this edition, points towards a possible reason why people might have looked for different things in the pulp literature during the 1930s than they do today – namely the scarcity of visual media back then (at least compared to today’s proliferation of images). She argues that today’s genre writers tend towards a sparser style because they rely on the diverse media to provide a visualization; and complementary to that, I think that in the first half of the twentieth century – in the absence of TV and video, internet and DVD – it fell to writers to supply their readers with pictures to feed their imaginations, leading to a more vivid style in their writings in order to conjure up weird and exotic images in their readers’ minds.[return][return]As for the style of the Jirel stories in particular, what it lacks in polish (the stories were all written early in her career), it more than makes up for in passion. McKee Charnas remarks in her introduction that Moore did not have much interest in small historical details but that her Middle Ages were a grand canvas, and the same can be said for her writing – it has an almost expressionist quality, she paints in raw, bold strokes, and her language has a distinct, driven rhythm to it that thrusts her vibrant images into the reader’s mind where they won’t get easily dislodged again.[return][return]“Passionate” seems to me to not only best describe Moore’s prose in these stories, but it is also what characterises their protagonist most concisely. While she is described as a strong and competent warrior, we do not see Jirel do much fighting here – instead, it is mostly by the force of her personality that she vanquishes her opponents, the fierceness of her temper and the strength of her determination. (And it might be interesting to compare Jirel with that other famous medieval warrior-woman as she appears in Dreyer’s La passion de Jeanne d’Arc and discuss the various meanings of passion involved here.) As is probably obvious from what I wrote earlier, this is yet another book where plot is not central to the enjoyment, in fact all of the stories in this collection have much the same basic plot (Jirel wanders / is snatched away into a fantastical realm where she faces and finally overcomes an opponent) and like most pulp tales of the period are best read and savoured one at a time rather than in quick succession.
Read
September 10, 2020Good but strange. I feel like there’s a lot to dissect in here.
It’s neat to see a feminine protagonist in the genre but there’s some weird stuff in there. The requirement to make Jirel an admirable hero seems to be that she be fierce but there is also some effort to show that she is “good”. However “good” doesn’t take the form we are used to I guess. She speaks with relish of the torture instruments in her dungeons, and she swears oaths to kill people without there ever really being any explanation to the reader as to WHY the person might deserve to die. She lays siege to a wizard to get the Star Stone and it’s kind of just assumed he’s evil without really ever telling is why she knows he’s evil.
During the first story Jirel is introduced being thrown before her enemy who forces a kiss from her. But later on in the story there is a line where he is referred to as her lover? What’s that about?
It’s always weird that although Jirel is supposed to be a great warrior the stories don’t have her fighting “onscreen” very much... and most of the victories we see her win are not won with her sword either.
And what is up with the way she treats her soldiers/guards? She’s always talking down to them (calling them womanly like that’s an insult - but I know it was back in the 1930s) and I don’t know why they’d be so loyal to her when she’s so mean to them. It reminds me of Hell’s Kitchen a bit. Not the employer I would want. I’ll do my job without verbal abuse thank you very much.
I walked away from this thinking it’s cool I’ve listened to something sort of historical in the genre, but not loving Jirel exactly.
It’s neat to see a feminine protagonist in the genre but there’s some weird stuff in there. The requirement to make Jirel an admirable hero seems to be that she be fierce but there is also some effort to show that she is “good”. However “good” doesn’t take the form we are used to I guess. She speaks with relish of the torture instruments in her dungeons, and she swears oaths to kill people without there ever really being any explanation to the reader as to WHY the person might deserve to die. She lays siege to a wizard to get the Star Stone and it’s kind of just assumed he’s evil without really ever telling is why she knows he’s evil.
During the first story Jirel is introduced being thrown before her enemy who forces a kiss from her. But later on in the story there is a line where he is referred to as her lover? What’s that about?
It’s always weird that although Jirel is supposed to be a great warrior the stories don’t have her fighting “onscreen” very much... and most of the victories we see her win are not won with her sword either.
And what is up with the way she treats her soldiers/guards? She’s always talking down to them (calling them womanly like that’s an insult - but I know it was back in the 1930s) and I don’t know why they’d be so loyal to her when she’s so mean to them. It reminds me of Hell’s Kitchen a bit. Not the employer I would want. I’ll do my job without verbal abuse thank you very much.
I walked away from this thinking it’s cool I’ve listened to something sort of historical in the genre, but not loving Jirel exactly.
March 19, 2014
Wonderful story, wonderful heroine, wonderful conclusion conclusion. You can tell Ms. Moore is still learning her voice, but the vision is so compelling and eerie that hardly matters.
In an era of Feminazi joke heroines Jirl of Joiry stands out as *not* being a hyper-defensive misandrist snark fest, but instead a wild woman in wild times - much like the also bloody-maned Sonya of Rogatino. The conclusion is quite surprising and feminine, as well as all-too-human.
In an era of Feminazi joke heroines Jirl of Joiry stands out as *not* being a hyper-defensive misandrist snark fest, but instead a wild woman in wild times - much like the also bloody-maned Sonya of Rogatino. The conclusion is quite surprising and feminine, as well as all-too-human.
January 18, 2021
First: Ignore the cover. I have no idea why they chose to draw the main character like that, but in-story she's usually wearing full armor.
Jirel of Joiry was the first female protagonist for sword and sorcery fiction, and Moore's writing brings a lot of energy and fun to the stories. The problem is that they get somewhat repetitive, with the first four stories being nearly identical in structure.
Jirel of Joiry was the first female protagonist for sword and sorcery fiction, and Moore's writing brings a lot of energy and fun to the stories. The problem is that they get somewhat repetitive, with the first four stories being nearly identical in structure.
August 21, 2015
2.5 stars
May 2, 2015
Jirel of Joiry is allowed to be strong and tough. However, her character is also written as too silly to tell the difference between homicidal hatred and love until it is too late.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2025
This short-story collection proves why C.L. Moore is rightly regarded as the First Lady of fantasy. Her prose is lurid, sensuous without being prurient. And her heroine is irresistible: the rageful, driven Jirel of Joiry (go ahead and zhush that up as much as you want), whose skill as a swordmistress pales against the fierceness of her resolve.
Moore wrote all these stories for Weird Tales in the 30s, and they simmer with a lovely combination of suspense and strangeness. The stories all follow the same basic arc. While notionally in medieval France, Jirel is driven or drawn to some phantasmagorical plane to battle her antagonist (dark gods, simpering wizards, and the like). But the battle isn't sword and steel; it's psychological, the contest of wills. No matter what sexual subtext readers might assign to the struggle---and by the bowdlerized standards of the 30s, it's subtle---Jirel prevails.
Of the six stories in the collection, four are excellent: "Black God's Kiss," "Jirel Meets Magic," "The Dark Land," and "Hellsgarde." Of those, "Magic" and "Hellsgarde" are probably classics in their own right. The weakest entry, "Black God's Shadow," strangely rests on romantic tension between Jirel and the regrettably deceased Guillaume, the sexist pig she dispatched in "Kiss." The remaining tale, "Quest of the Starstone," is coauthored by Moore's spouse and collaborator Henry Kuttner, and it's a tongue-in-cheek crossover with her zap-gun spaceship hero Northwest Smith.
The writing stands the test of time. With her unique brand of psychological suspense, Moore distinguishes herself from Robert Howard's Conan, and you can easily see how her work influenced writers like Vance and Lieber. An excellent collection, and essential for fans of low fantasy.
Moore wrote all these stories for Weird Tales in the 30s, and they simmer with a lovely combination of suspense and strangeness. The stories all follow the same basic arc. While notionally in medieval France, Jirel is driven or drawn to some phantasmagorical plane to battle her antagonist (dark gods, simpering wizards, and the like). But the battle isn't sword and steel; it's psychological, the contest of wills. No matter what sexual subtext readers might assign to the struggle---and by the bowdlerized standards of the 30s, it's subtle---Jirel prevails.
Of the six stories in the collection, four are excellent: "Black God's Kiss," "Jirel Meets Magic," "The Dark Land," and "Hellsgarde." Of those, "Magic" and "Hellsgarde" are probably classics in their own right. The weakest entry, "Black God's Shadow," strangely rests on romantic tension between Jirel and the regrettably deceased Guillaume, the sexist pig she dispatched in "Kiss." The remaining tale, "Quest of the Starstone," is coauthored by Moore's spouse and collaborator Henry Kuttner, and it's a tongue-in-cheek crossover with her zap-gun spaceship hero Northwest Smith.
The writing stands the test of time. With her unique brand of psychological suspense, Moore distinguishes herself from Robert Howard's Conan, and you can easily see how her work influenced writers like Vance and Lieber. An excellent collection, and essential for fans of low fantasy.
February 17, 2020
I almost gave this book 5 stars. I would say it is a must for any fan of Sword and Sorcery.
It excels in two ways. First and foremost, Jirel of Joiry is such a likable protagonists. She is blood and thunder in all the best ways. She also is surprisingly human despite her more archetypal personality. Secondly, the environments are deeply imagine and have a great other worldly quality that captures your sense of wonder.
I think the thing that kept me from 5 is the second half. The first 3 stories are tremendously good. The 4 & 5th aren’t quite on par. Some of the writing is a bit repetitive both thematically and technically. Though, nowhere near as much as the NW Smith stories. Which are good but man she beats the themes like a dead horse in them.
Which brings us to the NW Smith crossover. It’s just kinda silly and dumb. It’s fun but idk underwhelming. Though the ending paragraph is incredible but its tasted onto a mediocre crossover.
Finally, for me I would praise this book because it’s just plain fun but, it does have the deeper feminist themes but carries them in a way where they are subtle. It tells a good story first and then has the subtext. Instead of most modern, and some golden age authors who bludgeon you with there propaganda and forget to tell a fun or good story, first and foremost.
I really did love it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys S&S just know the first half is better than the second half.
It excels in two ways. First and foremost, Jirel of Joiry is such a likable protagonists. She is blood and thunder in all the best ways. She also is surprisingly human despite her more archetypal personality. Secondly, the environments are deeply imagine and have a great other worldly quality that captures your sense of wonder.
I think the thing that kept me from 5 is the second half. The first 3 stories are tremendously good. The 4 & 5th aren’t quite on par. Some of the writing is a bit repetitive both thematically and technically. Though, nowhere near as much as the NW Smith stories. Which are good but man she beats the themes like a dead horse in them.
Which brings us to the NW Smith crossover. It’s just kinda silly and dumb. It’s fun but idk underwhelming. Though the ending paragraph is incredible but its tasted onto a mediocre crossover.
Finally, for me I would praise this book because it’s just plain fun but, it does have the deeper feminist themes but carries them in a way where they are subtle. It tells a good story first and then has the subtext. Instead of most modern, and some golden age authors who bludgeon you with there propaganda and forget to tell a fun or good story, first and foremost.
I really did love it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys S&S just know the first half is better than the second half.
June 29, 2021
The rating reflects a overall rating of the collection of the stories. The first and titular story is very good, the three that follow it are nearly identical to the first...probably a symptom of the time and format they were written for. First story plays well, editor tells the author to do it again...and again. And again.
However, the first story is very evocative in its description of her descent into a strange and terrible realm, drawing heavily from Lovecraftian tropes. It’s a mysterious and suspenseful adventure with creeping horror undertones.
The fifth story breaks from the mold and is an enjoyable read. Last story is a weird mashup and was fine but I’m not really into the whole cross-over thing.
The main thing I liked about all the stories was that despite her being a clear bad ass, she nearly always wins the day through other means. Her willpower, emotional vitality, and bravery are all more important than her sword arm. She is also written as a complex and nuanced person.
The only real negatives were how repetitive the first several stories were. Granted, they were never really meant to be red sequentially, but they also do suffer in quality loss like repeated photocopies.
However, the first story is very evocative in its description of her descent into a strange and terrible realm, drawing heavily from Lovecraftian tropes. It’s a mysterious and suspenseful adventure with creeping horror undertones.
The fifth story breaks from the mold and is an enjoyable read. Last story is a weird mashup and was fine but I’m not really into the whole cross-over thing.
The main thing I liked about all the stories was that despite her being a clear bad ass, she nearly always wins the day through other means. Her willpower, emotional vitality, and bravery are all more important than her sword arm. She is also written as a complex and nuanced person.
The only real negatives were how repetitive the first several stories were. Granted, they were never really meant to be red sequentially, but they also do suffer in quality loss like repeated photocopies.
October 30, 2022
As someone who grew up reading the Roy Thomas/Frank Thorne Red Sonja books, CL Moore’s Jirel of Joiry stories are a revelation.
Moore is an incredibly gifted writer, writing beautiful and horrifying stories that rely on atmosphere as much as violent action.
And her main character, while she’s been compared to Red Sonja, is much more complicated. A warlord who is proud of her knowledge of torture, a medieval French Catholic, and someone with no illusions about being a good or noble person.
It’s also clear that it’s a woman writing these books, instead of the sometimes leering takes of female fantasy heroes by male writers. In two of the six stories included, Jirel’s motivations included murdering people who thought they could kiss her without permission. And we never hear the detailed descriptions of her body male writers so often include.
The title story is by far the best of the six enclosed here, threading a line between cosmic horror, sword & sorcery fantasy and science fiction. But all six are solid tales that deserve to be read and to be better known by fans of classic fantasy.
Moore is an incredibly gifted writer, writing beautiful and horrifying stories that rely on atmosphere as much as violent action.
And her main character, while she’s been compared to Red Sonja, is much more complicated. A warlord who is proud of her knowledge of torture, a medieval French Catholic, and someone with no illusions about being a good or noble person.
It’s also clear that it’s a woman writing these books, instead of the sometimes leering takes of female fantasy heroes by male writers. In two of the six stories included, Jirel’s motivations included murdering people who thought they could kiss her without permission. And we never hear the detailed descriptions of her body male writers so often include.
The title story is by far the best of the six enclosed here, threading a line between cosmic horror, sword & sorcery fantasy and science fiction. But all six are solid tales that deserve to be read and to be better known by fans of classic fantasy.
March 29, 2025
I read this because I grew up hearing the filk song "Jirel of Joiry" and wanted to read the stories it's based on. It's also worth mentioning that this is among the first notable sword and sorcery books with a female protagonist.
The first 4 stories seem to focus more on crafting a strange setting a'la H.P. Lovecraft than they do on their plot. "Hellsgarde" was by far my favorite of the tales, giving us a high fantasy ghost story. The final adventure of the collection left momentarily thrown off balance, as I was not anticipating a crossover with Moore's futuristic Sci-Fi characters from other works, which I have not read.
I am reluctant to give the book a higher rating for two main reasons: It was written for an audience of its time, and in a way that will severely limit its appeal to modern readers. Secondly, by the end, I did not find Jirel to be entirely likeable. As a warlord of the 15th/16th century, I suppose that makes sense, but I found her unnecessarily harsh tone with her own men to be mildly off-puting.
If, like me, you want to read the source material for the filk song, you won't need to read the final story, as it does not appear in the song.
The first 4 stories seem to focus more on crafting a strange setting a'la H.P. Lovecraft than they do on their plot. "Hellsgarde" was by far my favorite of the tales, giving us a high fantasy ghost story. The final adventure of the collection left momentarily thrown off balance, as I was not anticipating a crossover with Moore's futuristic Sci-Fi characters from other works, which I have not read.
I am reluctant to give the book a higher rating for two main reasons: It was written for an audience of its time, and in a way that will severely limit its appeal to modern readers. Secondly, by the end, I did not find Jirel to be entirely likeable. As a warlord of the 15th/16th century, I suppose that makes sense, but I found her unnecessarily harsh tone with her own men to be mildly off-puting.
If, like me, you want to read the source material for the filk song, you won't need to read the final story, as it does not appear in the song.
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