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Cormac Mac Art #7
The Sign of the Moonbow
In pursuit of the wizard Thulsa Doom, Cormac mac Art and his giant red-beared companion Wulfhere Hausakluifr have traveled far and suffered much. At last, the sorcerer is theirs, imprisoned in the only way his magic cannot overcome: impaled with two long swords on the mast of Cormac's ship.
Bas the Druid reads the prophecy:
"The skull of the undying wizard severed and wrapped in good leather must be put into the hands of a crowned woman. She must pound the skull into dust with an iron hammer..."
But even as the Druid speaks, Cormac's ship seems to shudder- and suddenly the familiar shores of Eirrin are no more. For the wizard, unable to escape his fate, has vanished into another dimension - and taken his captors with him!
Bas the Druid reads the prophecy:
"The skull of the undying wizard severed and wrapped in good leather must be put into the hands of a crowned woman. She must pound the skull into dust with an iron hammer..."
But even as the Druid speaks, Cormac's ship seems to shudder- and suddenly the familiar shores of Eirrin are no more. For the wizard, unable to escape his fate, has vanished into another dimension - and taken his captors with him!
255 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
29 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Andrew J. Offutt
209 books72 followersAndrew Jefferson Offutt was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A.J. Offutt, and Andy Offut. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, had his name in all lower-case letters. His son is the author Chris Offutt.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 3, 2020
This is the fourth novel that offutt wrote about Robert E. Howard's character Cormac Mac Art that Zebra published in the 1970's. It was the last one to appear from the publisher, and the last one to appear with offutt's byline alone. It's a continuation of The Undying Wizard, and sees Cormac and Wulfhere returning to Ireland with the evil wizard Thulsa Doom as their captive. (The producers of the first Conan movie secured offutt's permission to use the name of offutt's sorcerer for the name of their evil magician that Arnold faced off against, a fact that in which he took much delight.) Cormac and Wulfhere quickly become involved with Vikings and fairies and more magical hijinks, and it's altogether a good adventure, infused with Irish mythology and interesting historical facts and speculation.
December 12, 2016
It's hard to say which pet peeve pokes me the worst.
In fact the entire prologue and about the first chapter forms a recap of the series to this point, including all background material on the important characters. And while the styling of this is rather clever--they are returning to Ireland from the stronghold-island of Thulsa Doom and are reminded of prior adventures as they pass the locations of such--it certainly violates the idea that you should write about the most interesting parts of the characters' lives. And by definition sitting around remembering other stuff can't be the most interesting.
Of which this adventure takes place in one. Not sure why. Offutt sort of drops the idea for half the book, and even when picked up again it never makes an impact other than the characters' vague worrying. Which is sort of a shame because there was something pretty metal about having an undead sorcerer stapled to your ship's mast and thrashing you from world to world as he struggles to be free. I can excuse shotgunning the original Robert E Howard concepts if you replace them with something worthwhile, and Offutt never does.
The other idea that Offutt wanders about with is that, for reasons too banal to explain, Cormac requires the assistance of a crowned queen in order to finally destroy Thulsa Doom, and that the only such monarch within travel distance had been deposed by her cousin. It is eventually revealed, unfortunately without sufficient development, that she is at least as unworthy as the other: vindictive, petulant, and immature. Returning her to the throne is either a matter of strict law or strict necessity. Cormac, in fact, must drag her the metaphorical finish line in order to get his task complete. That Offutt only comes to this idea so late in the game is a real shame.
They went swiftly then, the youths in soft buskins and he bare above the waist — aye, and reeling a bit from the wound in his head.Is it the overly-affected narration that took on the characters' speech patterns for no good reason? Also intermittently reversing word order?
It was not from lips those snarls emerged, for the doubly impaled man had no lips. Nor mouth, nor face he had; there was neither cartilage nor skin nor hair on the shining, grey-white skull that was his head.Is it the redundant wordiness?
He asked; no, there were no animals on this island, save those brought with them here by the Daneirans long and long ago; pigs and goats and sheep, for meat and milk, fleece and silky hair, and hides.Is it the proliferation of semicolons stringing sentences like bad Christmas lights?
[Quote omitted]Is it the relentless male gaze? Okay, I can sort of see Offutt catering to his audience. But do they have to be so _young_? He throws the word "nubile" around rather liberally.
He was neither alive nor dead. Dead, he lived. Yet he could not be slain, for he was not truly alive. Un-dead he had been for eighteen thousand yearsNo, I mean, _serious_ prolix. Offutt either endeavors to pad the page count or is desperate to ensure that not a single reader misunderstands.
In fact the entire prologue and about the first chapter forms a recap of the series to this point, including all background material on the important characters. And while the styling of this is rather clever--they are returning to Ireland from the stronghold-island of Thulsa Doom and are reminded of prior adventures as they pass the locations of such--it certainly violates the idea that you should write about the most interesting parts of the characters' lives. And by definition sitting around remembering other stuff can't be the most interesting.
Thulsa Doom effected escape into another dimension, a sort of world parallel to ours and not unlike it — and yet different.I would need to read the rest of the series and especially the Robert E Howard originals in order to see how this all hangs together. Offutt ingested Howard and got out of it the ideas of reincarnation--Cormac mac Art is the reincarnation of Kull and Conan--as well as alternate-history dimensions.
Of which this adventure takes place in one. Not sure why. Offutt sort of drops the idea for half the book, and even when picked up again it never makes an impact other than the characters' vague worrying. Which is sort of a shame because there was something pretty metal about having an undead sorcerer stapled to your ship's mast and thrashing you from world to world as he struggles to be free. I can excuse shotgunning the original Robert E Howard concepts if you replace them with something worthwhile, and Offutt never does.
The other idea that Offutt wanders about with is that, for reasons too banal to explain, Cormac requires the assistance of a crowned queen in order to finally destroy Thulsa Doom, and that the only such monarch within travel distance had been deposed by her cousin. It is eventually revealed, unfortunately without sufficient development, that she is at least as unworthy as the other: vindictive, petulant, and immature. Returning her to the throne is either a matter of strict law or strict necessity. Cormac, in fact, must drag her the metaphorical finish line in order to get his task complete. That Offutt only comes to this idea so late in the game is a real shame.
March 27, 2023
The Offutt Cormac mac Art series has a somewhat interesting development history considering the timeline I have reconstructed of its hero's career. Cormac mac Art is one of Robert E. Howard's lesser-known sword and sorcery heroes and overtly connected by blood and spirit to Kull the Conqueror, Conan the Barbarian, and Solomon Kane. Since Howard passed young (tragic story), he developed many more stories about Conan and Kull than Cormac, who in my opinion has a little more possibility in him, as he is not only a skilled and trained warrior but also a crafty tactician and thinker. What we have of Howard's Cormac mac Art consists of a handful of tales, an outline, and a fragment from that outline. What Offutt offers in this series is pastiche using Howard's character, expanding his story and fleshing out the backdrop upon which he strode.
Offutt wrote his tales in the 1970s in the following order:
Sword of the Gael
The Undying Wizard
Sign of the Moonbow
The Mists of Doom
The Tower of Death
When Death Birds Fly
However, Cormac's career spans this order, including Howard's stories, compiled in the paperback Cormac mac Art:
The Mists of Doom
The Tower of Death
When Death Birds Fly
Sword of the Gael
The Undying Wizard
Sign of the Moonbow
Sign of the Moonbow is my least favorite of this series, and though I have read worse, I was disappointed by the loose ends that Offutt left. Perhaps he had hoped another author would pick up these loose ends in their own treatments and tie them up.
First: On the Island of the Danans, the druid Cathbadh arranges for a male Danan to disguise himself as Cormac to sleep with his lover Samaire and a female Danan to disguise herself as Samaire to sleep with Cormac. Only Samaire used protection. The Danans were desperate to introduce new DNA into their race, as they were dying from all the inbreeding. That means that Cormac left a child behind. Could this be another Robert E. Howard Conan reincarnation?
Second, they are left stuck in the parallel dimension where Thulsa Doom pulled them. Did he hope to write more adventures to get Cormac, Wulfhere, and the crew of their pirate ship back to their home dimension? Because as it stood, we were told that while Wulfhere and two of Cormac's crew had no parallel in this dimension, Cormac and Samaire both had parallel doubles. They could meet these characters in their adventures to find their way home. Or they could accept their lives in their new parallel earth.
I make these complaints hoping that there have been some stories out there somewhere, not really to crap on the book. I still gave it four stars. There was a lot of interesting prose, IMO, somewhat stylized with older linguistic constructs, perhaps in the style used by the early pulp fantasy authors who were contemporary with REH. And the action scenes were exciting and inspiring. I am critical on a literary level because I was educated in literary analysis. It doesn't prevent me from enjoying some pulp fantasy for what it is.
Offutt wrote his tales in the 1970s in the following order:
Sword of the Gael
The Undying Wizard
Sign of the Moonbow
The Mists of Doom
The Tower of Death
When Death Birds Fly
However, Cormac's career spans this order, including Howard's stories, compiled in the paperback Cormac mac Art:
The Mists of Doom
The Tower of Death
When Death Birds Fly
Sword of the Gael
The Undying Wizard
Sign of the Moonbow
Sign of the Moonbow is my least favorite of this series, and though I have read worse, I was disappointed by the loose ends that Offutt left. Perhaps he had hoped another author would pick up these loose ends in their own treatments and tie them up.
First: On the Island of the Danans, the druid Cathbadh arranges for a male Danan to disguise himself as Cormac to sleep with his lover Samaire and a female Danan to disguise herself as Samaire to sleep with Cormac. Only Samaire used protection. The Danans were desperate to introduce new DNA into their race, as they were dying from all the inbreeding. That means that Cormac left a child behind. Could this be another Robert E. Howard Conan reincarnation?
Second, they are left stuck in the parallel dimension where Thulsa Doom pulled them. Did he hope to write more adventures to get Cormac, Wulfhere, and the crew of their pirate ship back to their home dimension? Because as it stood, we were told that while Wulfhere and two of Cormac's crew had no parallel in this dimension, Cormac and Samaire both had parallel doubles. They could meet these characters in their adventures to find their way home. Or they could accept their lives in their new parallel earth.
I make these complaints hoping that there have been some stories out there somewhere, not really to crap on the book. I still gave it four stars. There was a lot of interesting prose, IMO, somewhat stylized with older linguistic constructs, perhaps in the style used by the early pulp fantasy authors who were contemporary with REH. And the action scenes were exciting and inspiring. I am critical on a literary level because I was educated in literary analysis. It doesn't prevent me from enjoying some pulp fantasy for what it is.
December 19, 2019
Continuation of The Undying Wizard. Cormac and Wulfhere take Thulsa Doom, spitted to a ship's mast, back to Eire. On the way they stop for water and find an island full of people who claim to be the first people of Eire. Basically they're the fairy folk. After an encounter with some Vikings they tell Cormac that there is a queen of the fairies under Eire who can help them get rid of Thulsa Doom.
After they get to Eire and unceremoniously dump the extra cast members, Cormac and Wulfhere and Thulsa Doom go find the fairy mound. They find the queen is fighting a rebellion and they help out. Much slaying ensues.
Offutt said he wanted to write a story about ancient Ireland and the fairy folk and this is it. The overall story isn't bad, but some of it rather poor. Much time is spent explaining how these fairy people diverged from the other Eire, and much prehistory of Ireland is explored. Samaire and the Druid and the other guy are just removed from the plot half way through the book. Many of the women Cormac meets are nude the first time he sees them for no good reason. Actually there is a reason, and that is that every one of them is about to be raped. There is underaged rape, gang rape, and torture followed by rape. And apparently this just makes the women involved that much more lustful. All that violation just put me off of my normal enjoyment of disembowlment and beheadings.
After they get to Eire and unceremoniously dump the extra cast members, Cormac and Wulfhere and Thulsa Doom go find the fairy mound. They find the queen is fighting a rebellion and they help out. Much slaying ensues.
Offutt said he wanted to write a story about ancient Ireland and the fairy folk and this is it. The overall story isn't bad, but some of it rather poor. Much time is spent explaining how these fairy people diverged from the other Eire, and much prehistory of Ireland is explored. Samaire and the Druid and the other guy are just removed from the plot half way through the book. Many of the women Cormac meets are nude the first time he sees them for no good reason. Actually there is a reason, and that is that every one of them is about to be raped. There is underaged rape, gang rape, and torture followed by rape. And apparently this just makes the women involved that much more lustful. All that violation just put me off of my normal enjoyment of disembowlment and beheadings.
June 3, 2020
Opening with Thulsa Doom, the undying wizard, pinned to the mast of their ship with swords driven through him, Cormac, Wulfhere, and company stumble upon a lost tribe of the Tuatha De Danaan, an ancient race driven from Eirrin and now living in seeming peace on an uncharted island.
After aiding the disciples of Danu from a band of Vikings, they are told of a way to defeat Thulsa Doom once and for all, but it entails a journey under the hills of Eirrin and the restoration of a queen to her throne.
I had to skip a number of books in this series as I only own a handful, and they are all now out-of-print, but I do own enough of them to follow the action from one to the other despite the gaps in the storyline.
Another rollicking adventure with the oft reincarnated hero: Cormac Mac Art.
After aiding the disciples of Danu from a band of Vikings, they are told of a way to defeat Thulsa Doom once and for all, but it entails a journey under the hills of Eirrin and the restoration of a queen to her throne.
I had to skip a number of books in this series as I only own a handful, and they are all now out-of-print, but I do own enough of them to follow the action from one to the other despite the gaps in the storyline.
Another rollicking adventure with the oft reincarnated hero: Cormac Mac Art.
September 18, 2019
Interesting characters. I was disappointed that this was not part of a series.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews