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The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor
The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor
All hail Caylen-Tor, the Wolf of the North!
An ancient fortress besieged by a vast and unrelenting empire...
A mighty legion intent upon the conquest of the antediluvian world...
A tyrannical Serpent King ruling from his sinister black pyramid...
These are the chronicles of Caylen-Tor, the indomitable barbarian warrior whose cold steel carves a searing, bloody swath through the time-lost kingdoms of legend. A mercenary, a reaver, a king by his own hand... the saga of Caylen-Tor is one of pitiless carnage, dark sorcery, and epic battle!
Bleed for the gods of war!
An ancient fortress besieged by a vast and unrelenting empire...
A mighty legion intent upon the conquest of the antediluvian world...
A tyrannical Serpent King ruling from his sinister black pyramid...
These are the chronicles of Caylen-Tor, the indomitable barbarian warrior whose cold steel carves a searing, bloody swath through the time-lost kingdoms of legend. A mercenary, a reaver, a king by his own hand... the saga of Caylen-Tor is one of pitiless carnage, dark sorcery, and epic battle!
Bleed for the gods of war!
226 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2019
17 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 16, 2021
4.5 stars. What a great breath of fresh sword & sorcery air! The three interrelated stories here are brimming with exuberant, gory detail of Caylen's bloody battles against seemingly insurmountable foes, including witches, demons, ferocious beasts and endless waves of unsuspecting cannon fodder. The stories weave in elements of ancient eldritch lore and otherworldly horrors that cast a dark pall over settings and events. The pace is relentless, and the writing beautiful, gritty and packed with more five-dollar words than you can shake a stick at. Caylen makes for a fantastic barbarian sell-sword turned king turned pirate protagonist. Somewhat in the mold of Conan, though not as hot headed and lacking his conceit. He's also got scant time for womanizing between all those battles and the time it must take him to clean the viscera and brains from his boots and sharpen all his blades. For sword & sorcery fans, Byron A. Roberts is definitely an author to watch.
June 14, 2019
This.
I needed this. Those same old 26 letters, combined to make something so violent, so intriguing, and so enjoyable. Leaving me with an insatiable appetite for more. I've run down all of the anthologies with Mr. Roberts stories in them--building an expensive queue--hoping to recapture more of this.
The bio of Mr. Roberts states that he received an Honors Degree in English. It shows. Numerous terms I had to look up (I'm an avid reader, but a simple soul). Plus the editing of this particular work was spot on; no noticeable typos or general printing errors that seem more and more common place.
It also seems that all of Mr. Roberts literary creations began as songs performed by his band Bal-Sagoth. He seems to be a very talented individual. I'm just coming to the party fashionably late.
A big thanks to the folks at DMR books for continuing to put forth works just like this one.
It's certainly a home run in my book.
Very Recommended.
I needed this. Those same old 26 letters, combined to make something so violent, so intriguing, and so enjoyable. Leaving me with an insatiable appetite for more. I've run down all of the anthologies with Mr. Roberts stories in them--building an expensive queue--hoping to recapture more of this.
The bio of Mr. Roberts states that he received an Honors Degree in English. It shows. Numerous terms I had to look up (I'm an avid reader, but a simple soul). Plus the editing of this particular work was spot on; no noticeable typos or general printing errors that seem more and more common place.
It also seems that all of Mr. Roberts literary creations began as songs performed by his band Bal-Sagoth. He seems to be a very talented individual. I'm just coming to the party fashionably late.
A big thanks to the folks at DMR books for continuing to put forth works just like this one.
It's certainly a home run in my book.
Very Recommended.
August 28, 2021
Byron A. Roberts has built up a fan base not through his fiction but his tenure as the founder/singer/lyricist of symphonic black metal band, BAL-SAGOTH. Anyone who has listened to any of that band's back catalogue will know their output is steeped in fantasy lore.
The three novellas in Roberts' THE CHRONICLES OF CAYLEN-TOR take influence from the best of bloody pulp pagan fantasy.
The first story, 'The siege of Gul-Azlaan', takes its cues from the great fantasy siege epics. David Gemmell springs readily to mind. I liked the characterizations in this most of all, particularly enjoying the bond between young Caylen and the older, much wiser Viseth. The tale had many fine moments.
The second story, 'The battle of Blackhelm Vale', sees Caylen a much older and wiser man; now a king unifying the tribes of his northern homeland rallying against the invading Imperium. It is no stretch to see a re-imagined struggle of Celts against the Roman Empire. Indeed, I felt the influence of Pat Mills' SLAINE heavily in this one. Probably my favourite story in this collection. Some good battle sequences and good attention to atmosphere. Talus Ebonfyre reminded me of Michael Moorcock's Gaynor the Damned. The mix of these influences was enough to elevate this story for me and Roberts pulls the whole thing off with conviction.
I admit I had problems with 'The king beneath the mountain of fire.' After denouncing his kingship, Caylen goes a-reiving with his clansmen in a long-ship. They find themselves on the shores of a strange land. Serpent men and magic figure largely in this one, which goes all out fantasy and eschews the more pagan grounded roots that I had enjoyed in the other stories.
Caylen-Tor is a hard character to pin down because the three stories take place many years apart with much hinted at happening in between. He feels at times less of a character and more of a sketch. You may be following him but you don't get to know him. What hinted promises were shown in the first story are largely glossed over by the time we meet him in the second. It is from there on in enough to know that he is tough, mean, a virulent lover, and a fighter to the death.
Anyone having listened to BAL-SAGOTH will know that Roberts embraces purple prose in all its unfettered glory. There are those who will point to his over abundance of adjectives. Indeed, with an editor who could impress upon him the importance of less is more, Roberts would make a fine writer of adventure tales. As it is, sometimes I have to hesitate over a sentence or paragraph. It is a fine line between high art and what can sometimes be seen as parody. However, if you have picked up BAL-SAGOTH's album, 'Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule' or his other co-written book, 'Karnov: Phantom-clad rider of the cosmic ice', and not blinked then you will heartily enjoy this book. It has lots of gore and battles, carnage and monsters, strange lands and mysterious women.
The three novellas in Roberts' THE CHRONICLES OF CAYLEN-TOR take influence from the best of bloody pulp pagan fantasy.
The first story, 'The siege of Gul-Azlaan', takes its cues from the great fantasy siege epics. David Gemmell springs readily to mind. I liked the characterizations in this most of all, particularly enjoying the bond between young Caylen and the older, much wiser Viseth. The tale had many fine moments.
The second story, 'The battle of Blackhelm Vale', sees Caylen a much older and wiser man; now a king unifying the tribes of his northern homeland rallying against the invading Imperium. It is no stretch to see a re-imagined struggle of Celts against the Roman Empire. Indeed, I felt the influence of Pat Mills' SLAINE heavily in this one. Probably my favourite story in this collection. Some good battle sequences and good attention to atmosphere. Talus Ebonfyre reminded me of Michael Moorcock's Gaynor the Damned. The mix of these influences was enough to elevate this story for me and Roberts pulls the whole thing off with conviction.
I admit I had problems with 'The king beneath the mountain of fire.' After denouncing his kingship, Caylen goes a-reiving with his clansmen in a long-ship. They find themselves on the shores of a strange land. Serpent men and magic figure largely in this one, which goes all out fantasy and eschews the more pagan grounded roots that I had enjoyed in the other stories.
Caylen-Tor is a hard character to pin down because the three stories take place many years apart with much hinted at happening in between. He feels at times less of a character and more of a sketch. You may be following him but you don't get to know him. What hinted promises were shown in the first story are largely glossed over by the time we meet him in the second. It is from there on in enough to know that he is tough, mean, a virulent lover, and a fighter to the death.
Anyone having listened to BAL-SAGOTH will know that Roberts embraces purple prose in all its unfettered glory. There are those who will point to his over abundance of adjectives. Indeed, with an editor who could impress upon him the importance of less is more, Roberts would make a fine writer of adventure tales. As it is, sometimes I have to hesitate over a sentence or paragraph. It is a fine line between high art and what can sometimes be seen as parody. However, if you have picked up BAL-SAGOTH's album, 'Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule' or his other co-written book, 'Karnov: Phantom-clad rider of the cosmic ice', and not blinked then you will heartily enjoy this book. It has lots of gore and battles, carnage and monsters, strange lands and mysterious women.
May 17, 2019
Take equal parts Zach Snyder's movie 300 and Michael Hirst's television program Vikings and then add many more dashes of blood-drenched combat and you're close to the tone and action of Byron Roberts' The Chronicle of Caylen-Tor, a new collection of linked sword and sorcery novellas from DMR books. Sometimes Roberts' language is just a bit too precious for such dynamic action, but, overall, this is solid S&S that harks back to the traditions of Frazetta and Boris-covered mass market paperbacks of the 1970s and 1980s and the even-older Margaret Brundage-covered pulp magazines.
October 28, 2025
It's poetic and ironic that while I enjoy reading "of the Wolf-King's myriad adventures", Caylen wearily sighs within himself at having to hear such things done in his honor. A wolf in guerilla warfare like the Carolina swamp fox, Caylen thrives either as mercenary, a high king, or a marooned reaver. Thriving does not equate prosperity though and good characters are just as likely to meet their demise in Caylen's presence as they are to find a big payday. Even a good sword or axe is at risk of a shattering outcome or a blaze of glory. Roberts put effort in to giving a current tribal/political landscape and an ancient history of a nefarious race. I look forward to volumes II and III.
Book One: The Siege of Gul-Azlaan
"Heavy is the burden of sovereignty, for it robs a man of compassion and replaces it with hubris." - Chiyome
Book Two: The Battle of Blackhelm Vale
"Steel is wondrous in its disregard for rank and birthright. It so readily spills the blood of thrall and king alike." - Ebonfyre
This would be a great graphic novel in the style of Valentin Sécher's art from The Cimmerian: Hour of the Dragon.
Book Three: The King Beneath the Mountains of Fire
"Enlightenment can be a heavy burden." - Akamai
Book One: The Siege of Gul-Azlaan
"Heavy is the burden of sovereignty, for it robs a man of compassion and replaces it with hubris." - Chiyome
Book Two: The Battle of Blackhelm Vale
"Steel is wondrous in its disregard for rank and birthright. It so readily spills the blood of thrall and king alike." - Ebonfyre
This would be a great graphic novel in the style of Valentin Sécher's art from The Cimmerian: Hour of the Dragon.
Book Three: The King Beneath the Mountains of Fire
"Enlightenment can be a heavy burden." - Akamai
May 5, 2021
Likeable but Predictable Swords and Sorcery
Post pulp era swords and sorcery seems to either follow the path of Robert E Howard, fast paced adventure with a dose of supernatural, or the path of Clark Ashton Smith, laconic action with a verbose dose of poetic prose bordering the purple.
I am a fan of the former. I do not dislike CAS, but his stories just do not strike me like the vivid red of a vintage REH.
Roberts seems to want to emulate both authors with his tales. On a commendable level, he does succeed; however, I found myself stumbling across too many "darkling" this or that. His repetition of esoteric words became a bother. Too much so. I hold back one star for this fault.
I wanted more characterization of Caylen. I never got the gist of who he is. I hold back one more star for that.
But, Roberts does deliver grand battles and sorcery in abundance.
Recommended for fans of quick swords, sorcerous entities and fast action.
Post pulp era swords and sorcery seems to either follow the path of Robert E Howard, fast paced adventure with a dose of supernatural, or the path of Clark Ashton Smith, laconic action with a verbose dose of poetic prose bordering the purple.
I am a fan of the former. I do not dislike CAS, but his stories just do not strike me like the vivid red of a vintage REH.
Roberts seems to want to emulate both authors with his tales. On a commendable level, he does succeed; however, I found myself stumbling across too many "darkling" this or that. His repetition of esoteric words became a bother. Too much so. I hold back one star for this fault.
I wanted more characterization of Caylen. I never got the gist of who he is. I hold back one more star for that.
But, Roberts does deliver grand battles and sorcery in abundance.
Recommended for fans of quick swords, sorcerous entities and fast action.
February 14, 2025
In Caylen-Tor Byron Roberts has created a vividly realised sword & sorcery protagonist. Strong like Conan, and noble like Kull, Caylen is unabashedly violent, yet troubled by hubris. Three of his memorable adventures have been collected in this well-produced, illustrated book. They are~
Book 1: The Siege of Gul-Azlaan;
Book 2: The Battle of Blackhelm Vale;
Book 3: The King Beneath the Mountain of Fire.
First one was very good. Second one was absolutely stunning. Third one, with a different setting and focus, was a little inferior.
Nevertheless, the tales were very-very good. I would definitely look for more tales of Caylen-Tor.
Highly recommended.
Book 1: The Siege of Gul-Azlaan;
Book 2: The Battle of Blackhelm Vale;
Book 3: The King Beneath the Mountain of Fire.
First one was very good. Second one was absolutely stunning. Third one, with a different setting and focus, was a little inferior.
Nevertheless, the tales were very-very good. I would definitely look for more tales of Caylen-Tor.
Highly recommended.
June 24, 2019
In an era of bloated, multi-book epics or endless series fantasies, The Chronicles of Caylen-Tor is in many ways a breath mint: a complete, unabashed throw-back to the sword & sorcery of the 70s and 80s. If you miss the quick-paced, bloody, often morally ambiguous (but not so "GRIMDARK -- SEE HOW DARK we ARE") days of writers like Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Karl Edward Wagner, Lin Carter and Michael Moorcock, Byron Roberts has you covered.
Caylen-Tor read something like Helm's Deep, if the defenders were out of Robert E. Howard, and Saruman was one of his and Lovecraft's Valusian serpent folk, being sung as a ballad by a metal band. (Which makes sense, since the author IS indeed the front man for a metal band: Bal-Sagoth, whose music features a lot of sword & sorcery lyrics, and is the front-runner for Caylen-Tor's world.) It is a tight little story with a fine and evocative treatment of magic, written in an over-the-topic style. At it's root, it's escapist fun that is also trying to show that this sort of fast-paced fantasy still has a place in the world. (I heartily agree.)
In reality this is three novelettes/short novellas, linking different phases of this siege and aftermath, and Caylen-Tor's role in them. They form a coherent single narrative, but read more episodically. That isn't a bad thing, just something to note.
Unfortunately, sometime the author oversells his case: succumbing to Clark Ashton Smith vocabulary without CAS styling, creating a feeling of the novel being over-written, or trying too hard to fit the prose-styling of 30s pulps, rather than the leaner fiction that a Wagner, Richard Tierney or David Gemmell used to good effect. Clearly, this does not prevent the book from being enjoyable - see the 4 star review -- but I think if Roberts were to make less use of the thesaurus and just let his roller-coaster imagination have its way, follow-on volumes will shine.
Full disclosure: I was given an advance reading copy in return for an honest review.
Caylen-Tor read something like Helm's Deep, if the defenders were out of Robert E. Howard, and Saruman was one of his and Lovecraft's Valusian serpent folk, being sung as a ballad by a metal band. (Which makes sense, since the author IS indeed the front man for a metal band: Bal-Sagoth, whose music features a lot of sword & sorcery lyrics, and is the front-runner for Caylen-Tor's world.) It is a tight little story with a fine and evocative treatment of magic, written in an over-the-topic style. At it's root, it's escapist fun that is also trying to show that this sort of fast-paced fantasy still has a place in the world. (I heartily agree.)
In reality this is three novelettes/short novellas, linking different phases of this siege and aftermath, and Caylen-Tor's role in them. They form a coherent single narrative, but read more episodically. That isn't a bad thing, just something to note.
Unfortunately, sometime the author oversells his case: succumbing to Clark Ashton Smith vocabulary without CAS styling, creating a feeling of the novel being over-written, or trying too hard to fit the prose-styling of 30s pulps, rather than the leaner fiction that a Wagner, Richard Tierney or David Gemmell used to good effect. Clearly, this does not prevent the book from being enjoyable - see the 4 star review -- but I think if Roberts were to make less use of the thesaurus and just let his roller-coaster imagination have its way, follow-on volumes will shine.
Full disclosure: I was given an advance reading copy in return for an honest review.
July 25, 2019
I thought Byron A Robert Caleb Blackthorne trilogy in the Sword and Steel anthologies was the stand out of those collections. So when I saw he wrote a full novel for DMR I was extremely excited. Unfortunately, I found it over all disappointing. It feels very much like Kirkland signature Conan. The first two stories have a bit of an “edgy” war porn feel to them. Sometimes the descriptions feel like he is throwing the thesaurus at you. It’s not bad. I just thought it lacked the sense of swashbuckled the Blackthorne stories had and the writing drifted a bit too much into the pretencious. It leaves an opening for a follow up exploring a hollow earth. I would probably get that! This review is more negative than others but my expectations were really high. It’s still worth getting if you enjoy Sword and Sorcery. Just don’t expect to be blown away.
March 9, 2022
Told in three parts this is the saga of Caylen-tor, at least in part; it seems a metal themed sword and sorcery tale with some old Norse motifs and tonality. Overall, the writing was strong, with imagery somewhere between Howard and Smith-he has an impressive vocabulary that paints vivid images that can be powerful. I will concede that some of the longer passages tended to make me loose focus; ironically enough these were often the battle scenes. The characters were often interesting and gripping, creating a colorful backdrop. However, regrettably, many of the characters are just that-they appear, are described well, do one or two things, and then vanish from the story. In conclusion, if you’re looking for strong S&S, yes, this is a good selection. I won’t say it was the best ever and that I was riveted the whole way through, but it does the job of telling an epic saga full of scenes of sword play with an epic, grim tone.
February 14, 2025
This definitely a sword and sorcery book that doesn't try to be anything other than that. It's entertaining, that much I will say, the equivalent of a really good popcorn cinema movie type. It's got a lot of lengthy descriptions of epic armaments, bloody battles, and regal/archaic sounding dialog with plenty of fancy vocabulary.
There isn't much to be said beyond that, Caylen is a generic barbarian warrior type of character that is stronger than all of his foes and overcomes them through strength and honor. This one is the main focus of the stories being told, but then there's other characters that equally generic and tropey, but it's like I said, this is definitely a sword and sorcery book, and it very clearly doesn't try to innovate. It's just a fun book for people who really like sword and sorcery, that's all it is, and it services that crows appropriately and inoxerably.
There isn't much to be said beyond that, Caylen is a generic barbarian warrior type of character that is stronger than all of his foes and overcomes them through strength and honor. This one is the main focus of the stories being told, but then there's other characters that equally generic and tropey, but it's like I said, this is definitely a sword and sorcery book, and it very clearly doesn't try to innovate. It's just a fun book for people who really like sword and sorcery, that's all it is, and it services that crows appropriately and inoxerably.
May 11, 2020
If I could describe the "Chronicles of Caylen-Tor" in three words, I would say: visceral, brutal, and punchy. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is into Sword and Sorcery (especially Robert E Howard and Clark Ashton Smith). The entire narrative is an enthralling experience. The way Mr. Roberts described the weaponry and armors is precise and very knowledgeable, perfect for anyone interested in medieval armaments. Both the world and the characters feel real and fleshy, and ambient and imagery are very evocative.
Mr. Byron A Roberts - the man, the myth, the legend, has blessed us with this Sword and Sorcery Classic. Which gives it far greater value! Get the book, and allow it to completely overtake you. This is not the book you read once and put away on a shelf.
Blodu ok Jarna!
Mr. Byron A Roberts - the man, the myth, the legend, has blessed us with this Sword and Sorcery Classic. Which gives it far greater value! Get the book, and allow it to completely overtake you. This is not the book you read once and put away on a shelf.
Blodu ok Jarna!
September 15, 2022
This book was a lot of fun! All three short novellas were full of great, pulpy imagery and language, and I loved the quasi-Viking society Caylen is part of. I’m looking forward to reading about Caylen-Tor, Wolf of the North!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews