Helma

Tros of Samothrace #2

by Talbot Mundy

Tros, mighty commander of ships and men, continues his struggle against the power of Caesar's Rome

reprints the original Prisoner of War an dHostages of Luck

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Talbot Mundy (born William Lancaster Gribbon) was an English-born American writer of adventure fiction. Based for most of his life in the United States, he also wrote under the pseudonym of Walter Galt. Best known as the author of King of the Khyber Rifles and the Jimgrim series, much of his work was published in pulp magazines.

Reviews

[David Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize when I read the first volume that Tros of Samothrace was originally one whole, very long book, now divided into 4 segments. So, while there is a story arc, and the book can be enjoyed on its own, there is clearly a lot more to come. In this book Tros encounters Norsemen, takes a wife from them, starts building his dream-project--a huge ship, and meets the druids in person. Underlying all this is the undercurrent of revenge against Caesar and happily the two do engage again in this book. I found the narrative here even more captivating than that of the first volume.

Mundy's writing is not pulpy. There is a definite historical ring to it, though not without some anachronisms in language. Written in the 1920s, he must have influenced later fantasy writers from Robert E. Howard right up to George RR Martin. But there is a grit and realism to the writing that is unique to him. His characters are well-drawn, very human, and quite flawed at times. The action centers in ancient Britain, and I can't think of a better depiction of what it might have been like back then.

I bought these old Avon paperbacks when they were new, back in the 1960s, and have just gotten around to reading them. Better late than never!