What do you think?
Rate this book
Blood on the Blade: Ten Tales of Slashing Swords and Sinister Sorcery
Cold Steel Meets Dark Magic
They are mercenaries, wanderers, soldiers, and oftentimes barbarians. They are usually for hire, though some simply seek justice for its own sake. They wield swords, axes and other weapons forged from cold steel and honed to a deadly edge that will inevitably bear the stain of their enemies, some earthly and others beyond mortal ken.
And above all, they loathe sorcery.
BLOOD ON THE BLADE chronicles the adventures of these savage yet noble warriors as they stand against conjurers and spellcasters who practice dark magic in their pursuit of power, their lust for fortune, and their demonic desire to watch the world burn. And when it all unfolds, you have a front-row seat for the mayhem and carnage.
Herein you will find stories by ten luminaries of fantasy fiction: Cliff Biggers, Adrian Cole, Anne Marie Lutz, Paul R. McNamee, James A. Moore, D.M. Ritzlin, Charles R. Rutledge, Frank Schildiner, Steven L. Shrewsbury, and James R. Tuck. Each of these scribes reaches back to long-ago times and distant lands to weave visceral tales of epic adventure.
Join them on their quest to bring you the very best in sword and sorcery.
Edited by Jim Beard and John C. Bruening
Cover illustration and design by Mark Wheatley
Interior design and formatting by Maggie Ryel
They are mercenaries, wanderers, soldiers, and oftentimes barbarians. They are usually for hire, though some simply seek justice for its own sake. They wield swords, axes and other weapons forged from cold steel and honed to a deadly edge that will inevitably bear the stain of their enemies, some earthly and others beyond mortal ken.
And above all, they loathe sorcery.
BLOOD ON THE BLADE chronicles the adventures of these savage yet noble warriors as they stand against conjurers and spellcasters who practice dark magic in their pursuit of power, their lust for fortune, and their demonic desire to watch the world burn. And when it all unfolds, you have a front-row seat for the mayhem and carnage.
Herein you will find stories by ten luminaries of fantasy fiction: Cliff Biggers, Adrian Cole, Anne Marie Lutz, Paul R. McNamee, James A. Moore, D.M. Ritzlin, Charles R. Rutledge, Frank Schildiner, Steven L. Shrewsbury, and James R. Tuck. Each of these scribes reaches back to long-ago times and distant lands to weave visceral tales of epic adventure.
Join them on their quest to bring you the very best in sword and sorcery.
Edited by Jim Beard and John C. Bruening
Cover illustration and design by Mark Wheatley
Interior design and formatting by Maggie Ryel
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2021
16 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 17, 2022
Blood on the Blade is a fun new sword and sorcery anthology that tells a series of bloody action fantasy tales at a break-neck speed. Grim barbarians, flashing blades, terrible monsters, evil cults and other deadly abominations galore. It explores some familiar territory for long term fans of the genre by placing new characters in old settings like Atlantis, Lemuria and Hyboria. It gives us a chance to revisit famous sword and sorcery worlds from fresh new perspectives. Fans of Robert E. Howard especially will feel right at home with this one.
***
If you're looking for dark ambient music that's perfect for reading horror, thrillers, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
***
If you're looking for dark ambient music that's perfect for reading horror, thrillers, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
February 14, 2022
Blood On the Blade, Edited by Jim Beard and John C. Bruening. 2021. Flinch! Books, 180 pages. This is a collection of ten Sword & Sorcery tales, with an introduction “There Will Be Blood” by John C. Bruening. Several of the authors were new to me, although I had heard of most of them. However, I’d previously only read tales by four of the writers. The book ends with a short bit about each of the writers, which is always something I enjoy in any collection. Below are the tales, with brief comments from me on each.
“Godkiller” by Cliff Biggers: Godkiller is a term not unfamiliar to sword and sorcery fans, but it fit this tale as a title. The hero of the story, “Gondar” indeed goes after a god. I’ve read a few things by Biggers before but this is the longest piece. Good characters, good setting and excellent pacing.
“The Unlidded Eye” by James R. Tuck: The main character, Theok, has quite a Conanesque feel to him, including in his taste and interaction with women. The setting also has a number of Hyborian Age references drawn from REH’s work. These actually felt a bit weird to me but the story itself captured the feel and action of Sword & Sorcery quite well. S & S is supposed to be fun, I think, and this one is.
“The Island of Shadows” by Paul R. McNamee: A unique Polynesian kind of setting with a pair of friends as heroes—Makani and Lono. A touch of wry humor lightens the grimness. One of my favorites in the collection. I’d definitely enjoy reading more about this pair’s adventures
"More Blood" by D.M. Ritzlin: The strangest tale in the collection. A warrior finds himself in the midst of battle after battle with no understanding of how he came to be there. Although the writing was good, I was beginning to wonder what the point was...until the ending. Which explained it all. Nicely done.
"Hounds of Morhullem" by James A. Moore: Another pair of heroes, though not such close friends as Makani and Lono. Berek and Valen face undying monsters. Or nearly so. The “hounds” were indeed quite well described and nasty to the extreme.
"The Sorceress Maiz" by Anne Marie Lutz: A mother and son relationship like few you’ve seen, and not exactly a loving relationship. Maiz is the mother, a sorceress, and Vintin is the son, a warrior. They have to find a way to work together to save another son/brother of the family. Good story.
"The Bloody Crooked One" by Charles R. Rutledge: I know there have been other tales published about Kharrn but this is the first I’ve read. The writing here is quite good so I’ll no doubt seek out more. The setting is Roman and Druid. Excellent fight scenes. The story is almost a vignette rather than a complete tale, but it works.
“Knock the Hell Out of You” by Steven L. Shrewsbury: I’ve read some of Shrewsbury’s work before. Tough guy stories with real bad asses for characters. Gorias is no exception. Lots of fightin’ and killin’ in this one, with a foe who proves very difficult to defeat.
"Dishonor Among Thieves" by Adrian Cole: I’d say that Cole is the biggest name in this collection. I remember really loving his Dream Lord stories from the 1970s. This tale was much more light-hearted than those old stories. I generally prefer the darker stuff but this was a fun piece and a necessary addition to the atmosphere of this collection.
"Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad" by Frank Schildiner: Another unique setting. Mesoamerica. Which hasn’t been explored as much as it should be for heroic fantasy tales. The main character is Obsidian Jaguar, an almost indestructible warrior, who teams up in this piece with a sorceress. Most of the tales in this collection wrack up a pretty good body count but I’m guessing this one had the most. O. Jaguar is a killing machine. Although perhaps a little longer than necessary, this one ended up in my top two tales for the anthology, and it wins for best title.
So, there you have it, my capsule views on the stories here. Well worth the read.
“Godkiller” by Cliff Biggers: Godkiller is a term not unfamiliar to sword and sorcery fans, but it fit this tale as a title. The hero of the story, “Gondar” indeed goes after a god. I’ve read a few things by Biggers before but this is the longest piece. Good characters, good setting and excellent pacing.
“The Unlidded Eye” by James R. Tuck: The main character, Theok, has quite a Conanesque feel to him, including in his taste and interaction with women. The setting also has a number of Hyborian Age references drawn from REH’s work. These actually felt a bit weird to me but the story itself captured the feel and action of Sword & Sorcery quite well. S & S is supposed to be fun, I think, and this one is.
“The Island of Shadows” by Paul R. McNamee: A unique Polynesian kind of setting with a pair of friends as heroes—Makani and Lono. A touch of wry humor lightens the grimness. One of my favorites in the collection. I’d definitely enjoy reading more about this pair’s adventures
"More Blood" by D.M. Ritzlin: The strangest tale in the collection. A warrior finds himself in the midst of battle after battle with no understanding of how he came to be there. Although the writing was good, I was beginning to wonder what the point was...until the ending. Which explained it all. Nicely done.
"Hounds of Morhullem" by James A. Moore: Another pair of heroes, though not such close friends as Makani and Lono. Berek and Valen face undying monsters. Or nearly so. The “hounds” were indeed quite well described and nasty to the extreme.
"The Sorceress Maiz" by Anne Marie Lutz: A mother and son relationship like few you’ve seen, and not exactly a loving relationship. Maiz is the mother, a sorceress, and Vintin is the son, a warrior. They have to find a way to work together to save another son/brother of the family. Good story.
"The Bloody Crooked One" by Charles R. Rutledge: I know there have been other tales published about Kharrn but this is the first I’ve read. The writing here is quite good so I’ll no doubt seek out more. The setting is Roman and Druid. Excellent fight scenes. The story is almost a vignette rather than a complete tale, but it works.
“Knock the Hell Out of You” by Steven L. Shrewsbury: I’ve read some of Shrewsbury’s work before. Tough guy stories with real bad asses for characters. Gorias is no exception. Lots of fightin’ and killin’ in this one, with a foe who proves very difficult to defeat.
"Dishonor Among Thieves" by Adrian Cole: I’d say that Cole is the biggest name in this collection. I remember really loving his Dream Lord stories from the 1970s. This tale was much more light-hearted than those old stories. I generally prefer the darker stuff but this was a fun piece and a necessary addition to the atmosphere of this collection.
"Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad" by Frank Schildiner: Another unique setting. Mesoamerica. Which hasn’t been explored as much as it should be for heroic fantasy tales. The main character is Obsidian Jaguar, an almost indestructible warrior, who teams up in this piece with a sorceress. Most of the tales in this collection wrack up a pretty good body count but I’m guessing this one had the most. O. Jaguar is a killing machine. Although perhaps a little longer than necessary, this one ended up in my top two tales for the anthology, and it wins for best title.
So, there you have it, my capsule views on the stories here. Well worth the read.
December 30, 2021
Sword and Sorcery is alive and well today, just take a look at the new release from Flinch Books, Blood on the Blade. Ten stories of monsters, swinging swords, and sorcery. The table of contents is a who's who of talented individuals working in the genre today. See for yourself:
Godkiller by Cliff Biggers
Very traditional in set up and execution. The dauntless warrior mounts the tower of a god. An awful secret lies at the heart of the power of this god. A blade will not end this threat.
While his motivation is unclear, Gondar is a man on a mission. Armed with knowledge no other mortal owns, he is hell bent to end the threat of Er'esh once and for all.
The Unlidded Eye by James R. Tuck
Another traditional story. A sell sword fallen upon hard times because of an outbreak of peace is approached by a beautiful stranger. Events move apace and the warrior finds himself at odds with the cult of Set.
The setting sounds like the Hyborian age. Although Theok swears by Yahweh. This story made me eager to seek out a copy of Theok the Indomitable: A Spill of Sorcerer's Blood.
The Island of Shadows by Paul R. McNamee
A Polynesian setting. Two comrades battle a storm, a whirlpool, and a giant tentacled sea monster (wheke) all within the opening of the story. Shipwrecked both men find succor in a lonely village. The village holds an ugly secret that may spell the doom of both men.
More Blood by D.M. Ritzlin
Inventive and novel. An amnesiac finds himself in a battle for survival in the arena. The crowd will not be sated, they cry for more blood, more! Driven to know the truth our protagonist vanquishes every single foe he encounters. Talk about rude awakenings.
Hounds of Morhullem by James A. Moore
The dead do not rest easily in Herola.
Valen and Berek, his bodyguard and friend, seek out Danael on secret business for the king. As the sun sets, the town of Herola is plagued by an undead menace. Brazenly Berek seeks to slay these abominations inadvertently dragging Valen and Danael along. This unlikely trio will uncover the truth behind these nightly visitations.
The Sorceress Maiz by Anne Marie Lutz
Talk about a dysfunctional family.
Vintin, more swordsman than sorcerer, seeks the aid of his mother Maiz Arrasin, Master of the Soben Tradition. Vintin's father, Broj, seeks to make his other son his direct successor. Both Maiz and Vintin race against time to save the life of the unsuspecting Moreth.
The Bloody Crooked One by Charles R. Rutledge
A group of Roman soldiers are ambushed and massacred. Three are saved by the timely intervention of Kharrn, a warrior of unusual prowess. Kharrn has something the Arch-Druid Amergin desires and he will call up something from the outer dark to retrieve it. These things hunger for blood...
Knock the Hell Out of You by Steven L. Shrewsbury
One helluva bar fight.
Hunting a wizard possessed by a demon is unthinkable. Attacking him and his posse head on is suicidal, right? How do you kill something that can change bodies like clothes?
Dishonor Among Thieves by Adrian Cole
A direct sequel to The Eater of Gods, found in Swords and Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume Two. Does anyone know if Cole will be collecting these stories in one place in the near future?
Elfloq returns. He is still seeking his prospective master, The Voidal. Elfloq attempts to direct two unscrupulous parties to exchange supposed artifacts. When the prisoner of one of the artifacts is released, everyone loses.
Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad by Frank Schildiner
The anthology closes with a Mesoamerican setting. Obsidian Jaguar, a warrior of unsurpassed ability, and the sorceress Clawed Butterfly stand in defiance of the toad god, Gol-goroth. An army of Caiman warriors lie between them and The Speaker of the Gods.
Ten stories, each showcasing a particular author's style. I discovered many new favorites, and the added treat is that each author has other published works to seek out and peruse. Blood on the Blade is available on Amazon in digital and print formats.
It's wonderful to see yet another small press venture into publishing S&S. Bravo!
Godkiller by Cliff Biggers
Very traditional in set up and execution. The dauntless warrior mounts the tower of a god. An awful secret lies at the heart of the power of this god. A blade will not end this threat.
While his motivation is unclear, Gondar is a man on a mission. Armed with knowledge no other mortal owns, he is hell bent to end the threat of Er'esh once and for all.
The Unlidded Eye by James R. Tuck
Another traditional story. A sell sword fallen upon hard times because of an outbreak of peace is approached by a beautiful stranger. Events move apace and the warrior finds himself at odds with the cult of Set.
The setting sounds like the Hyborian age. Although Theok swears by Yahweh. This story made me eager to seek out a copy of Theok the Indomitable: A Spill of Sorcerer's Blood.
The Island of Shadows by Paul R. McNamee
A Polynesian setting. Two comrades battle a storm, a whirlpool, and a giant tentacled sea monster (wheke) all within the opening of the story. Shipwrecked both men find succor in a lonely village. The village holds an ugly secret that may spell the doom of both men.
More Blood by D.M. Ritzlin
Inventive and novel. An amnesiac finds himself in a battle for survival in the arena. The crowd will not be sated, they cry for more blood, more! Driven to know the truth our protagonist vanquishes every single foe he encounters. Talk about rude awakenings.
Hounds of Morhullem by James A. Moore
The dead do not rest easily in Herola.
Valen and Berek, his bodyguard and friend, seek out Danael on secret business for the king. As the sun sets, the town of Herola is plagued by an undead menace. Brazenly Berek seeks to slay these abominations inadvertently dragging Valen and Danael along. This unlikely trio will uncover the truth behind these nightly visitations.
The Sorceress Maiz by Anne Marie Lutz
Talk about a dysfunctional family.
Vintin, more swordsman than sorcerer, seeks the aid of his mother Maiz Arrasin, Master of the Soben Tradition. Vintin's father, Broj, seeks to make his other son his direct successor. Both Maiz and Vintin race against time to save the life of the unsuspecting Moreth.
The Bloody Crooked One by Charles R. Rutledge
A group of Roman soldiers are ambushed and massacred. Three are saved by the timely intervention of Kharrn, a warrior of unusual prowess. Kharrn has something the Arch-Druid Amergin desires and he will call up something from the outer dark to retrieve it. These things hunger for blood...
Knock the Hell Out of You by Steven L. Shrewsbury
One helluva bar fight.
Hunting a wizard possessed by a demon is unthinkable. Attacking him and his posse head on is suicidal, right? How do you kill something that can change bodies like clothes?
Dishonor Among Thieves by Adrian Cole
A direct sequel to The Eater of Gods, found in Swords and Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume Two. Does anyone know if Cole will be collecting these stories in one place in the near future?
Elfloq returns. He is still seeking his prospective master, The Voidal. Elfloq attempts to direct two unscrupulous parties to exchange supposed artifacts. When the prisoner of one of the artifacts is released, everyone loses.
Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad by Frank Schildiner
The anthology closes with a Mesoamerican setting. Obsidian Jaguar, a warrior of unsurpassed ability, and the sorceress Clawed Butterfly stand in defiance of the toad god, Gol-goroth. An army of Caiman warriors lie between them and The Speaker of the Gods.
Ten stories, each showcasing a particular author's style. I discovered many new favorites, and the added treat is that each author has other published works to seek out and peruse. Blood on the Blade is available on Amazon in digital and print formats.
It's wonderful to see yet another small press venture into publishing S&S. Bravo!
January 3, 2022
Overview: Blood on the Blade (Edited by Jim Beard, John C. Bruening) offers 10 varied S&S tales, several that stick to the tropes (super-charged male hereos take on evil sorcerers), and several that showcase non-standard milieus (such as Polynesian and meso-American settings). The subgenre/tones range too, from violent-Grimdark, to light-adventure, YA-fantasy, to humor. I star the ones that I most enjoyed.
The “Scroll of Scribes & Artisans” Afterword offers nice biographies of all the contributors. It’s a great way to amplify a key purpose of anthologies: explore a variety of authors, discover a new one; let it guide you to more of their work.
I learned of this book by following DMR’s blog and publications (https://dmrbooks.com/); he has a nice contribution here. Also, the cover art by Mark Wheatley resonates with the title (and I believe the “GodKiller” opening story).
Some spoilers are below, but I attempt to obscure them
“Godkiller” by Cliff Biggers
Hero vs. sorcerer mayhem. Fast-paced to the point I would have enjoyed the story being longer (i.e., when certain enslaved warriors re-awaken). It’s solid S&S fare with a few memorable writing moments: (1) the hero butchering a priest and (2) learning that the body can be fashioned into weapons.
“The Unlidded Eye” by James R. Tuck
Reads like a Conan pastiche with all its Hyborian Age references. Threok the barbarian is our hero, and the slow-start has a drawn-out, weird-romance with a Prince. Suddenly, the story ramps up so fast it almost stumbles. Uneven pacing, but a satisfying conflict with the god Set. Apparently, Tuck has a book out on this dude: Theok the Indomitable: A Spill of Sorcerer's Blood.
* “The Island of Shadows” by Paul R. McNamee
Starts in media res with two protagonsits on a boat (an outrigger actually) so the conflict is not clear. A magical storm get forces them onto a haunted island, so the conflict is not clear at first. The Polynesian milieu was great to be immersed in (ka magic and patu clubs, tiki statues, and puipui skirts). Fun stuff.
* "More Blood" by D.M. Ritzlin
An extended gladiator battle with an overpowered hero (without memory of who is) almost feels like a juvenile attempt at writing fiction, but then the setting clarifies, and the denouement rocked. A fun read brought to you by the champion of DMR books.
"Hounds of Morhullem" by James A. Moore
I’ve had James A Moore’s Seven Forges/Godless books in my TBR for too long. Here we have another duo of protagnists. Valen and the mercenary Berek make a fine pair as they experience an extended battle with undead hounds. It’s fun, but the setup appeared for a goal outside the story; the initial goal is discarded for a battle. Fun, but a sucker-punch for expectations. This must serve as a chapter for a larger series (or the Worthy of King book mentioned in the Afterward).
"The Sorceress Maiz" by Anne Marie Lutz
Vinton and his mother are spellcasters (with royal ties) out to save brother prince from the evil dad-king-sorcerer. There is a ton of sorcery here (paralysis, invisibility, body-switching). The pacing and delivery felt YA-fantasy-ish; the variety complements the other stories. Wish more female writers were out there!
"The Bloody Crooked One" by Charles R. Rutledge
The next overpowered hero is Kharrn. He’s got a big ax and is nigh indestructible. He teams up with some stray Roman getting slaughtered by a dark-druid, a druid he had dealings with. The plot was supported by ample exposition.
* “Knock the Hell Out of You” by Steven L. Shrewsbury
I tend to roll my eyes anytime heroes enter a tavern, and I tend to like my heroes challenged a lot. In this case, despite the tavern scene and lack of a challenge, it felt fun because it was an over-the-top gorefest. The body-hopping demon fights our protagonists Gorias La Gaul and his daughter, Roan. They make for an interesting pair (there are a bunch of Gorias La Gaul stories elsewhere according to the Afterward). I'm leaning toward tracking these down.
"Dishonor Among Thieves" by Adrian Cole
I’ve enjoyed Adrian Coles works (i.e. the Dream Lords, and his Elak of Atlantis pastiche), but this was my first exposure to Elfloq, the batrachian familiar. He’s seeking to connect with a bad-arse Voidal sorcerer. Cole already has two short stories about Elfloq in Parallel Universe Publication’s S&S anthologies). This was not classic S&S; it featured our fairy-like familiar Elfloq messing with idiotic mages and barbarians. The humor and tone were a pleasant variation from the others.
"Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad" by Frank Schildiner
The setting shines here, being a Meso-American backdrop. Obsidian Jaguar, a way-overpowered hero, kicks tons of arse. His primary enemies are Caiman (reptile) tribal folk who also have lots of societal issues, including an authoritarian theocracy with a penchant for gladiator fights. I enjoyed the potential here, especially with Clawed Butterfly, a sorceress frenemy. Overall, this felt longer than it had to be, and the plot felt a bit forced.
The “Scroll of Scribes & Artisans” Afterword offers nice biographies of all the contributors. It’s a great way to amplify a key purpose of anthologies: explore a variety of authors, discover a new one; let it guide you to more of their work.
I learned of this book by following DMR’s blog and publications (https://dmrbooks.com/); he has a nice contribution here. Also, the cover art by Mark Wheatley resonates with the title (and I believe the “GodKiller” opening story).
Some spoilers are below, but I attempt to obscure them
“Godkiller” by Cliff Biggers
Hero vs. sorcerer mayhem. Fast-paced to the point I would have enjoyed the story being longer (i.e., when certain enslaved warriors re-awaken). It’s solid S&S fare with a few memorable writing moments: (1) the hero butchering a priest and (2) learning that the body can be fashioned into weapons.
“The Unlidded Eye” by James R. Tuck
Reads like a Conan pastiche with all its Hyborian Age references. Threok the barbarian is our hero, and the slow-start has a drawn-out, weird-romance with a Prince. Suddenly, the story ramps up so fast it almost stumbles. Uneven pacing, but a satisfying conflict with the god Set. Apparently, Tuck has a book out on this dude: Theok the Indomitable: A Spill of Sorcerer's Blood.
* “The Island of Shadows” by Paul R. McNamee
Starts in media res with two protagonsits on a boat (an outrigger actually) so the conflict is not clear. A magical storm get forces them onto a haunted island, so the conflict is not clear at first. The Polynesian milieu was great to be immersed in (ka magic and patu clubs, tiki statues, and puipui skirts). Fun stuff.
* "More Blood" by D.M. Ritzlin
An extended gladiator battle with an overpowered hero (without memory of who is) almost feels like a juvenile attempt at writing fiction, but then the setting clarifies, and the denouement rocked. A fun read brought to you by the champion of DMR books.
"Hounds of Morhullem" by James A. Moore
I’ve had James A Moore’s Seven Forges/Godless books in my TBR for too long. Here we have another duo of protagnists. Valen and the mercenary Berek make a fine pair as they experience an extended battle with undead hounds. It’s fun, but the setup appeared for a goal outside the story; the initial goal is discarded for a battle. Fun, but a sucker-punch for expectations. This must serve as a chapter for a larger series (or the Worthy of King book mentioned in the Afterward).
"The Sorceress Maiz" by Anne Marie Lutz
Vinton and his mother are spellcasters (with royal ties) out to save brother prince from the evil dad-king-sorcerer. There is a ton of sorcery here (paralysis, invisibility, body-switching). The pacing and delivery felt YA-fantasy-ish; the variety complements the other stories. Wish more female writers were out there!
"The Bloody Crooked One" by Charles R. Rutledge
The next overpowered hero is Kharrn. He’s got a big ax and is nigh indestructible. He teams up with some stray Roman getting slaughtered by a dark-druid, a druid he had dealings with. The plot was supported by ample exposition.
* “Knock the Hell Out of You” by Steven L. Shrewsbury
I tend to roll my eyes anytime heroes enter a tavern, and I tend to like my heroes challenged a lot. In this case, despite the tavern scene and lack of a challenge, it felt fun because it was an over-the-top gorefest. The body-hopping demon fights our protagonists Gorias La Gaul and his daughter, Roan. They make for an interesting pair (there are a bunch of Gorias La Gaul stories elsewhere according to the Afterward). I'm leaning toward tracking these down.
"Dishonor Among Thieves" by Adrian Cole
I’ve enjoyed Adrian Coles works (i.e. the Dream Lords, and his Elak of Atlantis pastiche), but this was my first exposure to Elfloq, the batrachian familiar. He’s seeking to connect with a bad-arse Voidal sorcerer. Cole already has two short stories about Elfloq in Parallel Universe Publication’s S&S anthologies). This was not classic S&S; it featured our fairy-like familiar Elfloq messing with idiotic mages and barbarians. The humor and tone were a pleasant variation from the others.
"Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad" by Frank Schildiner
The setting shines here, being a Meso-American backdrop. Obsidian Jaguar, a way-overpowered hero, kicks tons of arse. His primary enemies are Caiman (reptile) tribal folk who also have lots of societal issues, including an authoritarian theocracy with a penchant for gladiator fights. I enjoyed the potential here, especially with Clawed Butterfly, a sorceress frenemy. Overall, this felt longer than it had to be, and the plot felt a bit forced.
February 16, 2022
The middle rocks!
More ups than downs, overall a fun (mostly) S&S collection of tales. Pretty good storytelling, a bit of editing lacking, and lots and lots of bloody mayhem. The middle 3 stories really rock, with Rutledge's adventure being hands down my favorite and the best of the book.
More ups than downs, overall a fun (mostly) S&S collection of tales. Pretty good storytelling, a bit of editing lacking, and lots and lots of bloody mayhem. The middle 3 stories really rock, with Rutledge's adventure being hands down my favorite and the best of the book.
August 19, 2022
This is an intriguing anthology of contemporary sword and sorcery that tends toward the visceral, violent, and frenetic side of the genre. There are several memorable stories: "Godkiller" by Cliff Biggers features a classic sword and sorcery standoff between a barbarian and a sorcerer; it strikes a fine balance between giving the genre-lover what they expect while also surprising them. "More Blood" by D.M. Ritzlin is an acid trip. It evokes the reality-warping narratives of Philip K. Dick and early Twilight Zone but still wraps these elements in an S&S skin. "The Sorceress Maiz" by Anne Marie Lutz wasn't conventional S&S to start but evolves cleverly to reveal a bizarre world of diabolical sorcery and becomes evocative of Jack Vance's *Dying Earth* stories. "The Bloody Crooked One" by Charles R. Rutledge brings in historical fiction elements and horror and so provides something wholly unique to the anthology. Adrian Cole's "Dishonor Among Thieves" features a bit of quirky humor and S&S strangeness (it is part of a series of "Voidal" stories that features the same mischievious protagonist, an imp familiar). Finally, Frank Schildiner's "Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad" is a novelette of unapologetic sword and sorcery brutality. It's length makes it reminiscent of some of Robert E. Howard's longer, episodic works like "People of the Black Circle." In summary: this is great anthology of new sword and sorcery that will satisfy expectations and surprise with novelty.
March 3, 2022
A new S&S anthology in the ever growing indie genre revival. The stories here very much match the title Blood on the Blade and the awesome cover. The editors have selected for very high action and digestible prose. It’s an enjoyable collection, admittedly I more partial to elevated prose than the style here.
Some standouts include DMR and Adrian Cole’s stories. If you’ve been reading some recent indie S&S anthologies you’ll recognize Adrian Cole characters. DMR’s story was clever and had a fun twist.
Two others that stood out to me were The Island of Shadows, which added a Polynesian cultural flare to genre. Apparently this duo has appeared in some other collections, I’ll have to track them down. The final story, Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad God has a pre-Colombian flare to it.
Overall, I thought this collection was fun. There’s a lot more indie S&S out there than a few years back, so it’s hard to stand out then it used to be. I would say for genre fans check this out. There’s definitely some contemporary anthologies I would check out first, but if you’re looking for some quick digestible S&S tales you won’t regret it. It’s solid, if unremarkable. It’s got a heck of an arresting cover, which is from the first story, which is a fun one. Hope to see a Blood on the Blade #2.
Some standouts include DMR and Adrian Cole’s stories. If you’ve been reading some recent indie S&S anthologies you’ll recognize Adrian Cole characters. DMR’s story was clever and had a fun twist.
Two others that stood out to me were The Island of Shadows, which added a Polynesian cultural flare to genre. Apparently this duo has appeared in some other collections, I’ll have to track them down. The final story, Blood Games in the Temple of the Toad God has a pre-Colombian flare to it.
Overall, I thought this collection was fun. There’s a lot more indie S&S out there than a few years back, so it’s hard to stand out then it used to be. I would say for genre fans check this out. There’s definitely some contemporary anthologies I would check out first, but if you’re looking for some quick digestible S&S tales you won’t regret it. It’s solid, if unremarkable. It’s got a heck of an arresting cover, which is from the first story, which is a fun one. Hope to see a Blood on the Blade #2.
January 27, 2022
Excellent blood and guts sword and sorcery
This excellent anthology lives up to the giants of the pulp genre. Most of the stories here in are worthy successors to the works of Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock. Undead sorcerer's, gods, angry mobs, summoned demons and the hounds of hell are not enough to keep tough and cunning warrior's from their red handed deeds of heroism. There is indeed blood on the blades found within this excellent time. Highly recommend.
This excellent anthology lives up to the giants of the pulp genre. Most of the stories here in are worthy successors to the works of Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock. Undead sorcerer's, gods, angry mobs, summoned demons and the hounds of hell are not enough to keep tough and cunning warrior's from their red handed deeds of heroism. There is indeed blood on the blades found within this excellent time. Highly recommend.
January 22, 2022
This anthology has given me a lot more authors to check out. I loved the heroes in the stories in the worlds that were created.
August 3, 2022
A collection of short sword and sorcery tales. They're different enough that the theme doesn't pall by the end.
My favorite was the one set in Polynesia.
My favorite was the one set in Polynesia.
March 26, 2022
Good pulp inspired tales of S&S. My favorites include The Hounds of Morhullem, Dishonor Among Thieves The Bloody Crooked One
September 27, 2024
Uniformly quite good. It doesn't experiment and doesn't stretch the concept of the genre but not every collection needs that kind of navel-gazing. It does traverse setting, plot, and character and that means that it really feels like ten different stories instead of shallow variations on a theme.
The ones that stuck with me includes: "The Unlidded Eye", whose sudden change of direction was genre-obvious but I got fooled, "Hounds of Morhullen", which switches to what feels like a side quest that becomes the actual story but skillfully makes it work, "The Sorceress Maiz", whose mother-son combination is something you don't see, and particularly "Dishonor Among Thieves" because The Voidal has been on my list for ages and the collections are finally available again.
The ones that stuck with me includes: "The Unlidded Eye", whose sudden change of direction was genre-obvious but I got fooled, "Hounds of Morhullen", which switches to what feels like a side quest that becomes the actual story but skillfully makes it work, "The Sorceress Maiz", whose mother-son combination is something you don't see, and particularly "Dishonor Among Thieves" because The Voidal has been on my list for ages and the collections are finally available again.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews