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Corum #1-3
Corum: "Knight of the Swords", "Queen of the Swords", "King of the Swords"
Contents:
The knight of the swords --
The queen of the swords --
The king of the swords.
The knight of the swords --
The queen of the swords --
The king of the swords.
393 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1971
47 people are currently reading
1767 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,217 books3,772 followersMichael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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September 24, 2015
Moorcock has a reputation among fantasy editors for the speed with which he can turn out a story--call him and tell him you have a slot in an upcoming anthology that need filling, and he'll send you something the next day. It reminds me of an old truism in writing: if you never seem to be able to finish anything, then you're too critical of yourself, but if you are finishing things constantly, then you probably aren't critical enough.
That isn't to suggest that Moorcock has a swell head--from everything I've heard, he's a pleasant, self-effacing fellow--but that perhaps sometimes, his pen ends up working faster than his brain. I'd heard that the ideas he begins to touch upon in early works like Elric don't start coming into their own until later pieces, like Corum or Von Bek--which was why I was surprised that a number of elements in Corum felt less sophisticated than their treatment in Elric.
Unlike Elric, Corum doesn’t maintain his internal conflict throughout. Though he comes from an artistic, intellectual, peaceful background originally, this doesn’t really color his later actions or thoughts. Once the ‘badass warrior switch’ is flipped, that seems to be it, and he’s onto his new life. Certainly, there is a sense that he wants this to be over with, so he can return to a state of peace, but one would expect that his former life would change the way he approaches being a sword-weilding demon fighter, but it simply doesn’t seem to.
Doubtless, there was plenty of reason for the character to change--his whole life, everything he knew was ripped away from him--but I still would have liked to see that transformation play out, to see the contradiction between how his expectations and assumptions just don’t match the world around him, and the life he is forced into living. The whole story of his race is that they are ancient, wise, but naive and out of touch, and it would have worked better to see more of that in Corum, instead of the ‘take it as it comes’ style of the average sword and sorcery hero.
Likewise, the romance, while a central part of the story, is dealt with in a rather perfunctory fashion. We don't really see how the characters fell in love, or why this particular relationship formed, and so it ends up feeling less personal and more like a plot point--especially when compared to something like Dancers at the End of Time--but then, that was an occasion where Moorcock really took the time to get into the characters heads, to let the romance develop over the course of several books, and to explore the conflicting feelings at its heart.
Of course, it's not quite a fair comparison to make, since in that series, the romance really is the central plot, while here, as important as it might be to Corum's character, it's still secondary to the massive multi-dimensional conflict that takes center stage. It's unfortunate, because by focusing on that, he really could have separated Corum from Elric, who hardly has much time for sentiment.
The introduction of the dimension-hopping heroes' companion in book two didn't work especially well, either--like in Leiber's Swords of Lankhmar , the series suddenly takes an odd left turn, introducing this silly dimensional traveller who suddenly starts explaining the makeup of the universe and other such dull exposition.
We were reading a story about a man embroiled in a great conflict, but also a personal one--trying to avenge the death of his family, the only life he’d ever known, who has since become bitter and broken through struggle, but who has also found love, and keeps fighting for the sake of that love. To have this secondary character burst in with a completely different voice and tone, insisting that Corum is just one of many distracts from his story, cheapens his struggle, and makes the whole thing feel oddly goofy, especially compared to the opening book.
From there on, especially as we go into the third book and near the climax proper, the story becomes more piecemeal, where each scene begins to feel more like a self-enclosed event. It’s very much the cliche pulp approach, where this happens, then this happens, and we’re technically moving forward toward the final conflict, but the individual episodes aren’t placed in a meaningful order. It brings to mind the old writing adage that every scene should be followed by a ‘but’ or ‘therefore’ which connects it directly to the next scene. It’s not enough that they’re simply given to us in a certain order, they must be reliant on each other, there must be a sense of build, of inevitability, of meaningful connection from moment to moment.
The writing likewise vacillates in quality, from the flat exposition of the prologue to the quite visceral and imaginative scenes in the palace of the horrid chaos god Arioch at the end of book one--which indeed, are much more effective than the climaxes of the next two books, making them feel rather underwhelming in comparison.
But for all that, I can see why people find Corum to be an expansion on Elric, because there is one very real way that Moorcock is pushing the envelope here: the shifting dimensions, the alternate realities and identities, and layers of contradictory worlds are a great way to push the boundaries of what fantasy is, and how it operates--and yet, I'm reluctant to give Moorcock his due here as the self-defined 'bad writer with big ideas', because these aren't quite ideas.
What he's doing here is playing with form and structure, with the symbols that authors use to explore their ideas--but he's not creating themes and concepts beneath these symbols to hold them up and give them meaning. Magic is a symbol, and there are many different ways magic can be presented, and many ideas we can explore through our magic. However, far too many authors are content to simply produce complex magic systems without ever bothering to connect them to meaningful themes and ideas.
As other authors have proven in later books, like Viriconium and Bas-Lag--or even games like Planescape-Moorcock's symbolic innovation provides an exceedingly rich field of play for any writer to explore and represent a plurality of ideas--but unfortunately, Moorcock himself does not do much with them here.
Likewise, his focus on law vs. chaos instead of good vs. evil presents a number of interesting opportunities, from entropy and the Social Contract to the nature of the creative spirit, itself--but again, he's not pushing these representations very far.
It's the same problem he has in Dancers at the End of Time: he's given us a very strange and complex world, but the characters and themes in the book just aren't strange enough to match it. The structure Moorcock presents, wherein different individuals from various times and dimensions might come together, and that some of those individuals are really the same person, expressed in a different age--that’s quite interesting, but it’s also disappointing that he doesn’t do more with it. What does it mean for one person to meet a different version of himself? How does that feel, how does it affect him, moving forward? It should certainly offer some profound insights, or at least force us to confront some common preconceptions.
Likewise, it’s a great opportunity to explore the nature of storytelling, itself--the fact that we authors do keep writing about these similar kinds of figures, who really do feel like ‘versions’ of the same hero, or love interest, or villain--one begins to imagine the way that Gaiman would approach it. Once again, it’s something that Harrison spends a great deal of time exploring in Viriconium, where the same plot and characters are destined to recur, over and over again, but with such different pacing, voice, and tone that it becomes clear that these standard forms and types are really not the heart of the story--that indeed, they become almost superfluous.
After all, think of all the various stories in any medium, books, movies, comics, that play out pretty much exactly the same, whether they take on the form of the monomyth or the murder mystery or any other, with the same standard character types (hero, sidekick, wise man, love interest, villain, henchmen)--and then realize that this has nothing to do with the quality of the work. It’s all the other stuff that makes it good, that makes it feel original--or fails to.
The fact that, to combine their powers together, the characters are compelled to link arms and form a sort of cosmic kickline certainly does not help to make the experience feel as profound and strange as meeting an amoral albino version of yourself ought to--and really, what else is a good fantasy book but an opportunity to meet a version of yourself you'd never previously imagined could exist?
In the end, Moorcock gives us a blueprint for what the curious future of fantasy might look light, but sadly, it's largely inspirational because it invites other writers to fill in the holes he's left in his story, to take that huge, complex symbolic structure and really make it do some of the heavy lifting--and happily, they best fantasists of the modern era have done precisely that--but it's still a bit disappointing that Moorcock himself didn't sit down and take the time to give us his version of it.
My List of Suggested Readings in Fantasy
That isn't to suggest that Moorcock has a swell head--from everything I've heard, he's a pleasant, self-effacing fellow--but that perhaps sometimes, his pen ends up working faster than his brain. I'd heard that the ideas he begins to touch upon in early works like Elric don't start coming into their own until later pieces, like Corum or Von Bek--which was why I was surprised that a number of elements in Corum felt less sophisticated than their treatment in Elric.
Unlike Elric, Corum doesn’t maintain his internal conflict throughout. Though he comes from an artistic, intellectual, peaceful background originally, this doesn’t really color his later actions or thoughts. Once the ‘badass warrior switch’ is flipped, that seems to be it, and he’s onto his new life. Certainly, there is a sense that he wants this to be over with, so he can return to a state of peace, but one would expect that his former life would change the way he approaches being a sword-weilding demon fighter, but it simply doesn’t seem to.
Doubtless, there was plenty of reason for the character to change--his whole life, everything he knew was ripped away from him--but I still would have liked to see that transformation play out, to see the contradiction between how his expectations and assumptions just don’t match the world around him, and the life he is forced into living. The whole story of his race is that they are ancient, wise, but naive and out of touch, and it would have worked better to see more of that in Corum, instead of the ‘take it as it comes’ style of the average sword and sorcery hero.
Likewise, the romance, while a central part of the story, is dealt with in a rather perfunctory fashion. We don't really see how the characters fell in love, or why this particular relationship formed, and so it ends up feeling less personal and more like a plot point--especially when compared to something like Dancers at the End of Time--but then, that was an occasion where Moorcock really took the time to get into the characters heads, to let the romance develop over the course of several books, and to explore the conflicting feelings at its heart.
Of course, it's not quite a fair comparison to make, since in that series, the romance really is the central plot, while here, as important as it might be to Corum's character, it's still secondary to the massive multi-dimensional conflict that takes center stage. It's unfortunate, because by focusing on that, he really could have separated Corum from Elric, who hardly has much time for sentiment.
The introduction of the dimension-hopping heroes' companion in book two didn't work especially well, either--like in Leiber's Swords of Lankhmar , the series suddenly takes an odd left turn, introducing this silly dimensional traveller who suddenly starts explaining the makeup of the universe and other such dull exposition.
We were reading a story about a man embroiled in a great conflict, but also a personal one--trying to avenge the death of his family, the only life he’d ever known, who has since become bitter and broken through struggle, but who has also found love, and keeps fighting for the sake of that love. To have this secondary character burst in with a completely different voice and tone, insisting that Corum is just one of many distracts from his story, cheapens his struggle, and makes the whole thing feel oddly goofy, especially compared to the opening book.
From there on, especially as we go into the third book and near the climax proper, the story becomes more piecemeal, where each scene begins to feel more like a self-enclosed event. It’s very much the cliche pulp approach, where this happens, then this happens, and we’re technically moving forward toward the final conflict, but the individual episodes aren’t placed in a meaningful order. It brings to mind the old writing adage that every scene should be followed by a ‘but’ or ‘therefore’ which connects it directly to the next scene. It’s not enough that they’re simply given to us in a certain order, they must be reliant on each other, there must be a sense of build, of inevitability, of meaningful connection from moment to moment.
The writing likewise vacillates in quality, from the flat exposition of the prologue to the quite visceral and imaginative scenes in the palace of the horrid chaos god Arioch at the end of book one--which indeed, are much more effective than the climaxes of the next two books, making them feel rather underwhelming in comparison.
But for all that, I can see why people find Corum to be an expansion on Elric, because there is one very real way that Moorcock is pushing the envelope here: the shifting dimensions, the alternate realities and identities, and layers of contradictory worlds are a great way to push the boundaries of what fantasy is, and how it operates--and yet, I'm reluctant to give Moorcock his due here as the self-defined 'bad writer with big ideas', because these aren't quite ideas.
What he's doing here is playing with form and structure, with the symbols that authors use to explore their ideas--but he's not creating themes and concepts beneath these symbols to hold them up and give them meaning. Magic is a symbol, and there are many different ways magic can be presented, and many ideas we can explore through our magic. However, far too many authors are content to simply produce complex magic systems without ever bothering to connect them to meaningful themes and ideas.
As other authors have proven in later books, like Viriconium and Bas-Lag--or even games like Planescape-Moorcock's symbolic innovation provides an exceedingly rich field of play for any writer to explore and represent a plurality of ideas--but unfortunately, Moorcock himself does not do much with them here.
Likewise, his focus on law vs. chaos instead of good vs. evil presents a number of interesting opportunities, from entropy and the Social Contract to the nature of the creative spirit, itself--but again, he's not pushing these representations very far.
It's the same problem he has in Dancers at the End of Time: he's given us a very strange and complex world, but the characters and themes in the book just aren't strange enough to match it. The structure Moorcock presents, wherein different individuals from various times and dimensions might come together, and that some of those individuals are really the same person, expressed in a different age--that’s quite interesting, but it’s also disappointing that he doesn’t do more with it. What does it mean for one person to meet a different version of himself? How does that feel, how does it affect him, moving forward? It should certainly offer some profound insights, or at least force us to confront some common preconceptions.
Likewise, it’s a great opportunity to explore the nature of storytelling, itself--the fact that we authors do keep writing about these similar kinds of figures, who really do feel like ‘versions’ of the same hero, or love interest, or villain--one begins to imagine the way that Gaiman would approach it. Once again, it’s something that Harrison spends a great deal of time exploring in Viriconium, where the same plot and characters are destined to recur, over and over again, but with such different pacing, voice, and tone that it becomes clear that these standard forms and types are really not the heart of the story--that indeed, they become almost superfluous.
After all, think of all the various stories in any medium, books, movies, comics, that play out pretty much exactly the same, whether they take on the form of the monomyth or the murder mystery or any other, with the same standard character types (hero, sidekick, wise man, love interest, villain, henchmen)--and then realize that this has nothing to do with the quality of the work. It’s all the other stuff that makes it good, that makes it feel original--or fails to.
The fact that, to combine their powers together, the characters are compelled to link arms and form a sort of cosmic kickline certainly does not help to make the experience feel as profound and strange as meeting an amoral albino version of yourself ought to--and really, what else is a good fantasy book but an opportunity to meet a version of yourself you'd never previously imagined could exist?
In the end, Moorcock gives us a blueprint for what the curious future of fantasy might look light, but sadly, it's largely inspirational because it invites other writers to fill in the holes he's left in his story, to take that huge, complex symbolic structure and really make it do some of the heavy lifting--and happily, they best fantasists of the modern era have done precisely that--but it's still a bit disappointing that Moorcock himself didn't sit down and take the time to give us his version of it.
My List of Suggested Readings in Fantasy
February 5, 2010
4.5 stars. This is an omnibus edition of the first three books in the Corum series including The Knight of the Swords, The Queen of the Swords and The King of the Swords. This series is part of the larger Eternal Champion cycle.
These stories are excellent and just barely short of 5 stars for me as a group. Great multi-verse world-building that reminds me of a cross between the Kane stories by Karl Wagner and the Amber series by Roger Zelazny. This is extremely well-done, action-orientated, sword and sorcery fantasy that is a pleasure to read due to Moorcock's descriptive writing and imaginative settings. What places this trilogy a cut above other well written books is the "epic fantasy" aspect of the story that places it within the context of a much larger battle between the Lords of War and Chaos being waged across multiple planes of existence (i.e., part of the Eternal Champion sotryline).
Fast paced, fun to read, larger than life heroes and villians, imaginative settings and a well thought out plot that never got convoluted despite the "plane" jumping nature of the story. I really liked it!! Highly Recommended!!
These stories are excellent and just barely short of 5 stars for me as a group. Great multi-verse world-building that reminds me of a cross between the Kane stories by Karl Wagner and the Amber series by Roger Zelazny. This is extremely well-done, action-orientated, sword and sorcery fantasy that is a pleasure to read due to Moorcock's descriptive writing and imaginative settings. What places this trilogy a cut above other well written books is the "epic fantasy" aspect of the story that places it within the context of a much larger battle between the Lords of War and Chaos being waged across multiple planes of existence (i.e., part of the Eternal Champion sotryline).
Fast paced, fun to read, larger than life heroes and villians, imaginative settings and a well thought out plot that never got convoluted despite the "plane" jumping nature of the story. I really liked it!! Highly Recommended!!
Read
December 31, 2019Originally these books were only available as three individual volumes and for many years I had the first one of this series and the last one of the second series and had to work out (or guess) with some imagination what had happened in between. This was because in the olden days we had no Wikipedia with detailed entries on fantasy book series'. However the greed or kindness of some publisher or other later gave me the chance to read in the blanks and find out what happened after the beginning of the story.
In the way of fantasy books, the hero having lost a hand and an eye through carelessness while being tortured, magically acquires new ones as part of a deal, as one knows there is a need to be careful of gifts which look too good to be true, in this case the new hand and eye are at times still under the control of their previous (divine) owners whose interests remain hidden from the hero until late in the series. This frequently results in the divine hand apparently randomly murdering people while around him the survivors react as you may well expect when you say ' it wasn't me who killed him, it was my hand!'
In the way of fantasy books, the hero having lost a hand and an eye through carelessness while being tortured, magically acquires new ones as part of a deal, as one knows there is a need to be careful of gifts which look too good to be true, in this case the new hand and eye are at times still under the control of their previous (divine) owners whose interests remain hidden from the hero until late in the series. This frequently results in the divine hand apparently randomly murdering people while around him the survivors react as you may well expect when you say ' it wasn't me who killed him, it was my hand!'
April 18, 2012
Another of my favorite books (or set of books I should say). So much "the whole idea" of Corum that I can honestly say I have never finished the book that contains the last three stories in the Corum series (Oak and the Ram, Bull and the Spear, one other, something like that).
Written again in typical Moorcock style with a really encompassing welcoming quality that puts you into the world. Wide variety between experiences on each of the three sets of five planes run by the Sword Rulers. I'd have to say my favorite of the three books within this one is The Queen of the Swords, since I decided to be inspired by Xiombarg aka "the most beautiful woman who had ever existed" pretty much right after that and it led to a really hilarious time in Jr. High School. But all three books are awesome here.
Corum is an interesting guy in his own right. He's not as layered and deep as Elric. Definitely not an antihero like Elric either. More understandable, touchable, and yes, even likeable than Elric based on character alone. But also his crutch/oddity is as weird, if not weirder than Elric's, and it is tied up very nicely at the end.
I think anyone who is a fan of Moorcock who somehow has not read the Corum series yet could do with reading it through. It's another winner.
Written again in typical Moorcock style with a really encompassing welcoming quality that puts you into the world. Wide variety between experiences on each of the three sets of five planes run by the Sword Rulers. I'd have to say my favorite of the three books within this one is The Queen of the Swords, since I decided to be inspired by Xiombarg aka "the most beautiful woman who had ever existed" pretty much right after that and it led to a really hilarious time in Jr. High School. But all three books are awesome here.
Corum is an interesting guy in his own right. He's not as layered and deep as Elric. Definitely not an antihero like Elric either. More understandable, touchable, and yes, even likeable than Elric based on character alone. But also his crutch/oddity is as weird, if not weirder than Elric's, and it is tied up very nicely at the end.
I think anyone who is a fan of Moorcock who somehow has not read the Corum series yet could do with reading it through. It's another winner.
September 13, 2022
Knight of the Swords - 3.5/5
The feuds between the old races known as the Vadhagh and the Nadragh are dying as each of their races are close to extinction. With the deaths of the old age at hand, the new era of humans known as the Mabden are quick to take over the world by aiding in the slaughter and destruction of the world's old life. Prince Corum was a loving and honorable Vadragh who sought nothing more than to spend his time in the company of his dear family, writing symphonies and appreciating the arts. That changes after the Mabden invade his land and he's driven mad with a lust for revenge. The old races are dying, but the last of them will not die standing down. Corum's vendetta against the Mabden draws him into a reality-warping battle that defies time, space and the gods of chaos.
Another fantastical, acid trip adventure by Moorcock. This is the third iteration of the Eternal Champion that I've read so far and I'm really catching on to the formula and themes that keep every series tied together. It offers more of the same and that's not such a bad thing. There are some things I don't like here such as insta-romance and some wooden dialogue devoid of emotion, but the joy of reading comes from the fascinating lore and immersion of the multiverse itself.
There are rich and imaginative landscapes, epic magical battles and dangerous adventures across gloomy, apocalyptic landscapes. The mind twisting moments of metaphysical wackiness are a joy to experience. Not quite as intriguing as the Elric series so far, but a very close second in my opinion. It was also nice to see more of Arioch who was featured quite a bit in the Elric series. The sassy Duke of Hell who creates world-destroying phenomena for the sake of appeasing his own boredom is always pleasant.
***
Queen of the Swords - 3/5
Prince Corum sought to slay the Prince of Swords known as the Chaos Lord Arioch for orchestrating the events that led to the deaths of his beloved family, the creation of the wicked Mabden race and the destruction of his beautiful home. Armed with cursed weapons that defied the laws of mortal powers, Corum managed to defeat the dark harbinger of doom, but his quest for revenge was far from over. The destruction of Arioch provoked the anger of Xiombarg, sister of the Chaos Lord and Queen of Swords. The Mabden that took the lives of Corum's family is also still on the loose. So, armed once more with cursed weapons and a lust for vengeance, Corum challenges Xiombarg to a battle of law against chaos along with his beloved Rhalina and a new mysterious companion named Jhary who has worn many names over countless centuries.
The second book of the Corum saga reminds me much of the second book in the Elric Saga, Sailor on the Seas of Fate. The reason for this is because it begins to go deep into the metaphysical elements of the multiverse, acknowledging all alternate forms of the Eternal Champion and reintroducing the eternal sidekick of heroes Jhary who will be a familiar face to those who have read other tales set in this universe. While Moorcock often falls short when it comes to solid prose and deep characters with realistic emotions, his imagination, philosophical musings and the wondrous lore of the bizarre and fascinating universe he's created is what always keeps me coming back. Especially being the fan of Dark Souls and other games of the sort I am.
His plots often feel like simple D&D adventures with lots of monster fights and side questing adventures, but the things going on in the background is what truly makes this universe feel captivating. Though I don't think the story in this one is quite as good as the first, I really enjoyed seeing Jhary back because he always adds a lot of much-needed humor and fun to an otherwise bleak and nihilistic universe. The battles, magic, dimension-hopping and monsters are always a treat as well.
***
King of the Swords - 4/5
After striking down the Prince of Swords Arioch and the Queen of Swords Xiombarg, Corum has severed 10 of the 15 planes of reality that make up his universe from the chains of chaos. All is not well, however. The gods of chaos are growing weaker, but the gods of law have a few nasty tricks up their sleeves as well. Corum's old feud with his arch-nemesis Glandyth incites the wrath of the strongest of the chaos gods Mabelrode, revives old legends about the lawless gods Kwyll and Rhynn, inflicts a plague of the mind on the last inhabitants of his world, and summons multiple incarnations of the Eternal Champion to aid Corum in a climactic cosmic battle that defies the laws of time, order and space.
An epic finish to the original Corum trilogy. As is tradition, I normally enjoy the final books in all of his multiverse stories the most. I loved the Stormbringer finale of Elric's tale and I loved The Dragon in the Sword finale of Erekose's tale. King of the Swords ties things up nicely in a crazy reality-warping journey with tons of insane imagery, flashy battles and mind-breaking philosophical musings of nihilism.
Speaking of Elric and Erekose, there were quite a few connections to their stories that were introduced into this book as characters from both of their series enter Corum's battle through the planes of reality. Jhary is also a likable reoccurring character in nearly every series in the Eternal Champion multiverse, so there was a hell of a lot going on here. I'm glad I read Elric and Erekose before this one, or else I would've found myself a bit overwhelmed.
I enjoyed the roles Kwyll and Rhynn ended up playing here, they're by far my favorite gods introduced in this universe. I liked seeing some of my favorites characters interact with each other and fight alongside each other. The final battle in this trilogy was pretty damn awesome.
I'm definitely curious to see where the sequel trilogy takes things from here as this book tied up all loose ends and had a very satisfying finale. I'll make sure to read the next trilogy at a later date.
The feuds between the old races known as the Vadhagh and the Nadragh are dying as each of their races are close to extinction. With the deaths of the old age at hand, the new era of humans known as the Mabden are quick to take over the world by aiding in the slaughter and destruction of the world's old life. Prince Corum was a loving and honorable Vadragh who sought nothing more than to spend his time in the company of his dear family, writing symphonies and appreciating the arts. That changes after the Mabden invade his land and he's driven mad with a lust for revenge. The old races are dying, but the last of them will not die standing down. Corum's vendetta against the Mabden draws him into a reality-warping battle that defies time, space and the gods of chaos.
Another fantastical, acid trip adventure by Moorcock. This is the third iteration of the Eternal Champion that I've read so far and I'm really catching on to the formula and themes that keep every series tied together. It offers more of the same and that's not such a bad thing. There are some things I don't like here such as insta-romance and some wooden dialogue devoid of emotion, but the joy of reading comes from the fascinating lore and immersion of the multiverse itself.
There are rich and imaginative landscapes, epic magical battles and dangerous adventures across gloomy, apocalyptic landscapes. The mind twisting moments of metaphysical wackiness are a joy to experience. Not quite as intriguing as the Elric series so far, but a very close second in my opinion. It was also nice to see more of Arioch who was featured quite a bit in the Elric series. The sassy Duke of Hell who creates world-destroying phenomena for the sake of appeasing his own boredom is always pleasant.
***
Queen of the Swords - 3/5
Prince Corum sought to slay the Prince of Swords known as the Chaos Lord Arioch for orchestrating the events that led to the deaths of his beloved family, the creation of the wicked Mabden race and the destruction of his beautiful home. Armed with cursed weapons that defied the laws of mortal powers, Corum managed to defeat the dark harbinger of doom, but his quest for revenge was far from over. The destruction of Arioch provoked the anger of Xiombarg, sister of the Chaos Lord and Queen of Swords. The Mabden that took the lives of Corum's family is also still on the loose. So, armed once more with cursed weapons and a lust for vengeance, Corum challenges Xiombarg to a battle of law against chaos along with his beloved Rhalina and a new mysterious companion named Jhary who has worn many names over countless centuries.
The second book of the Corum saga reminds me much of the second book in the Elric Saga, Sailor on the Seas of Fate. The reason for this is because it begins to go deep into the metaphysical elements of the multiverse, acknowledging all alternate forms of the Eternal Champion and reintroducing the eternal sidekick of heroes Jhary who will be a familiar face to those who have read other tales set in this universe. While Moorcock often falls short when it comes to solid prose and deep characters with realistic emotions, his imagination, philosophical musings and the wondrous lore of the bizarre and fascinating universe he's created is what always keeps me coming back. Especially being the fan of Dark Souls and other games of the sort I am.
His plots often feel like simple D&D adventures with lots of monster fights and side questing adventures, but the things going on in the background is what truly makes this universe feel captivating. Though I don't think the story in this one is quite as good as the first, I really enjoyed seeing Jhary back because he always adds a lot of much-needed humor and fun to an otherwise bleak and nihilistic universe. The battles, magic, dimension-hopping and monsters are always a treat as well.
***
King of the Swords - 4/5
After striking down the Prince of Swords Arioch and the Queen of Swords Xiombarg, Corum has severed 10 of the 15 planes of reality that make up his universe from the chains of chaos. All is not well, however. The gods of chaos are growing weaker, but the gods of law have a few nasty tricks up their sleeves as well. Corum's old feud with his arch-nemesis Glandyth incites the wrath of the strongest of the chaos gods Mabelrode, revives old legends about the lawless gods Kwyll and Rhynn, inflicts a plague of the mind on the last inhabitants of his world, and summons multiple incarnations of the Eternal Champion to aid Corum in a climactic cosmic battle that defies the laws of time, order and space.
An epic finish to the original Corum trilogy. As is tradition, I normally enjoy the final books in all of his multiverse stories the most. I loved the Stormbringer finale of Elric's tale and I loved The Dragon in the Sword finale of Erekose's tale. King of the Swords ties things up nicely in a crazy reality-warping journey with tons of insane imagery, flashy battles and mind-breaking philosophical musings of nihilism.
Speaking of Elric and Erekose, there were quite a few connections to their stories that were introduced into this book as characters from both of their series enter Corum's battle through the planes of reality. Jhary is also a likable reoccurring character in nearly every series in the Eternal Champion multiverse, so there was a hell of a lot going on here. I'm glad I read Elric and Erekose before this one, or else I would've found myself a bit overwhelmed.
I enjoyed the roles Kwyll and Rhynn ended up playing here, they're by far my favorite gods introduced in this universe. I liked seeing some of my favorites characters interact with each other and fight alongside each other. The final battle in this trilogy was pretty damn awesome.
I'm definitely curious to see where the sequel trilogy takes things from here as this book tied up all loose ends and had a very satisfying finale. I'll make sure to read the next trilogy at a later date.
November 23, 2008
Good stuff. However, if I had it to do over again, I would space out the reading of each short novel. Moorcock wrote these things quickly, and after the first novel, it shows(which is exactly how the Elric novels unfolded for me). Characters flatten out, action scenes are by the numbers, etc. On the good side is Moorcock's amazing imagination: a flying cat, a flying shark, a magical kite that can carry people, zombie slaves used (a bit too often) by the hero (Corum) whenever things get tight, multiple dimensions, tantrum throwing and shape shifting gods, and so on. One thing to pay attention to is Moorcock's use of settings. He actually devotes a chapter (the best in the book) to the geography of Fantasy in his study (and I use the word loosely -- since the book is more a collection of essays and reviews) Wizardy and Wild Romance. I've read that some consider Corum a step down from Elric. I'm not really getting that. Corum serves Law, and Elric serves Chaos. However, Corum's shift from ivory tower thinker of abstractions to seeker of revenge seems more rushed than the more ready-made Elric as an amoral (not really) Byronic brooder. But I'm OK with Corum, though it's hard to follow how he became so able with a sword, and so quickly. When the action starts, I didn't seem to care.
October 31, 2023
Way back in 1989 I had read The Lord of the Rings and eagerly sought out more Fantasy and chanced upon The Chronicles of Corum in my older brother's room. I made a start but unfortunately never finished as he moved out for university and took it with him. 34 years later and I have finally returned...
What do I remember as an 11 year old reading it all that time ago? I still had a strong recollection of a distinctive castle overlooking cliffs, Corum's distinctive outfit and an enemy warrior with a war axe. Beyond that, I didn't remember much and possibly I only read a few chapters..
Reading it now with hundreds of other books under my belt I was nervous about how well I would enjoy it, especially as it is now so old. Sure, it's not a 1000 page brick crammed full of gritty realism detailing the contents of someone's bowels as they are struck through in combat, nor do we spend countless hours sitting around without much happening just so fifty side characters can have a back story. This is a traditional, fast paced pulpy fantasy where things can escalate quickly. What was surprising however was how gritty and visceral the action was and how contrasting it must have been when published to readers who had only experienced Tolkien or a slew of Tolkien adjacent authors. The magical artifacts were highly innovative and we have a multiverse with connected characters way before the likes of Sanderson and even Stephen King. I'll be finally picking up on Elric next year and this seemed like a good introduction to The Eternal Champion series.
Overall, this was great fun and packed full multi-dimension goodness, glad that I finally got around to finishing something that I started so long ago.
What do I remember as an 11 year old reading it all that time ago? I still had a strong recollection of a distinctive castle overlooking cliffs, Corum's distinctive outfit and an enemy warrior with a war axe. Beyond that, I didn't remember much and possibly I only read a few chapters..
Reading it now with hundreds of other books under my belt I was nervous about how well I would enjoy it, especially as it is now so old. Sure, it's not a 1000 page brick crammed full of gritty realism detailing the contents of someone's bowels as they are struck through in combat, nor do we spend countless hours sitting around without much happening just so fifty side characters can have a back story. This is a traditional, fast paced pulpy fantasy where things can escalate quickly. What was surprising however was how gritty and visceral the action was and how contrasting it must have been when published to readers who had only experienced Tolkien or a slew of Tolkien adjacent authors. The magical artifacts were highly innovative and we have a multiverse with connected characters way before the likes of Sanderson and even Stephen King. I'll be finally picking up on Elric next year and this seemed like a good introduction to The Eternal Champion series.
Overall, this was great fun and packed full multi-dimension goodness, glad that I finally got around to finishing something that I started so long ago.
October 26, 2014
¿Quiere saber más de esta trilogía, sin spoilers? Visite:
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August 2, 2025
Michael Moorcock’s Corum stories can very easily be characterised as sword-and-sorcery fluff. Just a bunch of basic fantasy stuff about people running around with swords, nasty magic and some stuff about gods. And all written in very pedestrian prose. And famously, Moorcock wrote these kind of novels in very short timeframes; just rushing them out in a matter of days with hardly any editing. And yet… and yet there is a reason why his Corum novels were taken up in the Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks series. Because these stories are just plain fun.
Considering that Moorcock wrote these tales almost at the same speed as me reading them, I am actually immensely impressed with the imagination and energy on display. The feverish energy in the writing shines through in the text as the plot of these novels moves rapidly from one thing to the next. And the story is surprisingly not a mess. It is engaging enough that it never feels like Moorcock was forgetting the reader in his speed. I am engaged; I am interested and want to keep reading. Especially for anyone weary of bloated fantasy novels with endless unnecessary stuffing, Corum is a pick-me-up like drinking a cider on a hot day.
The start of Corum’s story is brutal. He was a gentle young man of an elf-like race, with an interest in music and art. Within a very short time, his whole family is murdered, he is tortured, loses a hand and an eye and becomes the last living member of his race. That tends to bring one’s spirit down. He learns grief, he learns hatred and he learns to fight. He vows vengeance. A sorcerer gives Corum a magical new eye that allows him to see into other dimensions, and a magical new hand that used to belong to a god and has a will of its own. Like Elric’s sword Stormbringer, the Hand of Kwll is a cursed gift. It gives Corum powers, but occasionally pulls him along for a surprise kill.
The ultimate architect of Corum’s loss is none other than Duke Arioch, a god of Chaos. The same Arioch who is also Elric’s patron. There are many cross-connections between this series and Moorcock’s more popular Elric tales, but can be read on its own. On Corum’s world, humans are an ascendant race. They are Arioch's favourites, and Corum and all of his kind have been marked for destruction, just like on Elric’s planet. The balance between Law and Chaos is played out through Corum’s actions, making him one of the Eternal Champions. The second and third books dive deeper into this concept of Law versus Chaos.
I found Corum a more sympathetic character than Elric. He doesn’t moan in self-pity all the time, but takes action. The first novel I found a genuinely solid fantasy story with a memorable conclusion, but in the second and third stories Moorcock begins to repeat Corum’s basic journey. Each time, a Chaos god becomes the main adversary that has to be slain. Corum’s emotional development has also plateaued to that of a basic fantasy champion with magic powers. There were elements that still made his story worthwhile, though. Such as the weird magic that seems inspired by writers such as Clark Ashton Smith and William Hope Hodgson. Corum’s dimension-hopping introduces some stirring fantasy ideas.
One thing that intrigues me are repeating motifs throughout Moorcock’s Multiverse series. For instance, Corum is given a companion, a guy named Jhary-a-Conel who is a flamboyant dandy and is reincarnated as a companion-to-champions across the dimensions. Other variations of his name pop up in other Moorcock series, like Jerry Cornelius who is also a flamboyant Austin Powers-like figure. And in the Dancers at the End of Time series, the story revolves around Jherek Carnelian, also a dandy. Also, Corum’s full name (Corum Jhaelen Irsei) is an anagram of Jeremiah Cornelius.
All in all, this is far from literary writing, but fun enough to pick up. Onwards into the Multiverse!
Considering that Moorcock wrote these tales almost at the same speed as me reading them, I am actually immensely impressed with the imagination and energy on display. The feverish energy in the writing shines through in the text as the plot of these novels moves rapidly from one thing to the next. And the story is surprisingly not a mess. It is engaging enough that it never feels like Moorcock was forgetting the reader in his speed. I am engaged; I am interested and want to keep reading. Especially for anyone weary of bloated fantasy novels with endless unnecessary stuffing, Corum is a pick-me-up like drinking a cider on a hot day.
The start of Corum’s story is brutal. He was a gentle young man of an elf-like race, with an interest in music and art. Within a very short time, his whole family is murdered, he is tortured, loses a hand and an eye and becomes the last living member of his race. That tends to bring one’s spirit down. He learns grief, he learns hatred and he learns to fight. He vows vengeance. A sorcerer gives Corum a magical new eye that allows him to see into other dimensions, and a magical new hand that used to belong to a god and has a will of its own. Like Elric’s sword Stormbringer, the Hand of Kwll is a cursed gift. It gives Corum powers, but occasionally pulls him along for a surprise kill.
The ultimate architect of Corum’s loss is none other than Duke Arioch, a god of Chaos. The same Arioch who is also Elric’s patron. There are many cross-connections between this series and Moorcock’s more popular Elric tales, but can be read on its own. On Corum’s world, humans are an ascendant race. They are Arioch's favourites, and Corum and all of his kind have been marked for destruction, just like on Elric’s planet. The balance between Law and Chaos is played out through Corum’s actions, making him one of the Eternal Champions. The second and third books dive deeper into this concept of Law versus Chaos.
I found Corum a more sympathetic character than Elric. He doesn’t moan in self-pity all the time, but takes action. The first novel I found a genuinely solid fantasy story with a memorable conclusion, but in the second and third stories Moorcock begins to repeat Corum’s basic journey. Each time, a Chaos god becomes the main adversary that has to be slain. Corum’s emotional development has also plateaued to that of a basic fantasy champion with magic powers. There were elements that still made his story worthwhile, though. Such as the weird magic that seems inspired by writers such as Clark Ashton Smith and William Hope Hodgson. Corum’s dimension-hopping introduces some stirring fantasy ideas.
One thing that intrigues me are repeating motifs throughout Moorcock’s Multiverse series. For instance, Corum is given a companion, a guy named Jhary-a-Conel who is a flamboyant dandy and is reincarnated as a companion-to-champions across the dimensions. Other variations of his name pop up in other Moorcock series, like Jerry Cornelius who is also a flamboyant Austin Powers-like figure. And in the Dancers at the End of Time series, the story revolves around Jherek Carnelian, also a dandy. Also, Corum’s full name (Corum Jhaelen Irsei) is an anagram of Jeremiah Cornelius.
All in all, this is far from literary writing, but fun enough to pick up. Onwards into the Multiverse!
April 28, 2010
A good book to be sick while reading. Corum, a Vadhagh prince, is put on the path of vengeance, but is given a lesson in the BIG picture. And by big picture I'm talk 15 planes of existence, the Lords of Order & Chaos, and a cycle of history which is indifferent to the suffering of individuals (the Lords got tired of his race or like a film studio there was a change at the top and Corum's race was dropped (sorry! nothing personal!))
The Knight of Swords is very archetypal, with a basic hero cycle (will the hero stay good or will he get sucked into evil) but there is also a long view highlighted in the book (is there such thing as good and evil as far as the universe is concerned?) Luckily Corum quickly goes from being an airy elf to being contaminated by the anger, love and lust of a lowly Mabdem (human) so it is possible to root for him. He is given magical help, which does take some of the agency away from him. Hopefully he doesn't just turn into a tool of fate in the following books.
Moorcock writes very smoothly, that and the short chapters make the story move along quickly enough so I didn't get bored. (Luckily this isn't a 2010 fantasy series or each book would probably have to be 350 pages long and that would be too much.)
Queen of Swords benifits greatly from the addition of Jhary-a-Conel (Jerry Cornelius? in other Moorcock tales) a self-conscious companion to the hero, who sometimes is the hero himself, he brings a more modern sardonic, ironic, world weary laughter to the proceedings. He's aware that he is a cyclical figure and has a certain humour about the situation. It is interesting to contrasts him to the figure of Prince Gaynor, a former hero himself who betrayed Order and now is doomed to live forever serving Chaos. Are the two flip sides of the same coin? The scene with Prince Gaynor's face really seems to sum up Moorcock's view of the hero cycle for the modern audience.
But... Corum, as a character, is the hero played straight, which may be why a-Conel so easily upstages him. I think I may have a Jerry Cornelius novel kicking around -- that might be my next Moorcock.
By King of Swords things have thicken up enough around Corum that his relative thinness isn't as much of a bother. Though in the later parts of the book there are so many guest-stars that I almost felt sorry for the poor bastard as he was pushed further and further out of the picture. In some way it feels like this cycle is a witty joke from Moorcock. Corum complains: "we shall never understand why [the struggle between the Lords of the Higher Worlds:] takes place, why it is eternal. We fight, we suffer agonies of mind and soul, but we are never sure that our suffering is worthwhile." (365) Yeah man, I have the same problem getting up in the morning too.
But there is plenty of fun stuff here too. Castles of Blood, more of the flying cat, re-conceptions of time, and Lady Jane was pretty awesome and undoubtedly shows up somewhere else in the Moorcock universes. Corum even cracks a smile when he links arms with his bros. As a first timer to the show I like that Moorcock does include his other stories into this book without shutting me out as a reader. It's more of a tease to come-hither, than a screw-off-you-aren't-one-of-the-initiated (that would sound smarter in German I'm sure).
As with the other two books I don't know if Corum really gets to be anything BUT a tool. There is that tension of reading a 'hero' book wanting Corum to be the one (but actually one of the many), and the overarching mythos where the forces at work are really cosmological and it is ridiculous to portray them as being affect by one dude, no matter how kick ass his sword swing. However I did enjoy how Mr. Six-fingers left the set-up at the end. Again, I think I could hear Mr. M chuckling at that one.
So Moorcock's Eternal Heroes are doomed to struggle forever and ever, and Jhary-a-Conel has never found a world free from strife and suffering and conflict. That's life, I think the message is, and anything else is just sipping pennyroyale tea and sighing...
The Knight of Swords is very archetypal, with a basic hero cycle (will the hero stay good or will he get sucked into evil) but there is also a long view highlighted in the book (is there such thing as good and evil as far as the universe is concerned?) Luckily Corum quickly goes from being an airy elf to being contaminated by the anger, love and lust of a lowly Mabdem (human) so it is possible to root for him. He is given magical help, which does take some of the agency away from him. Hopefully he doesn't just turn into a tool of fate in the following books.
Moorcock writes very smoothly, that and the short chapters make the story move along quickly enough so I didn't get bored. (Luckily this isn't a 2010 fantasy series or each book would probably have to be 350 pages long and that would be too much.)
Queen of Swords benifits greatly from the addition of Jhary-a-Conel (Jerry Cornelius? in other Moorcock tales) a self-conscious companion to the hero, who sometimes is the hero himself, he brings a more modern sardonic, ironic, world weary laughter to the proceedings. He's aware that he is a cyclical figure and has a certain humour about the situation. It is interesting to contrasts him to the figure of Prince Gaynor, a former hero himself who betrayed Order and now is doomed to live forever serving Chaos. Are the two flip sides of the same coin? The scene with Prince Gaynor's face really seems to sum up Moorcock's view of the hero cycle for the modern audience.
But... Corum, as a character, is the hero played straight, which may be why a-Conel so easily upstages him. I think I may have a Jerry Cornelius novel kicking around -- that might be my next Moorcock.
By King of Swords things have thicken up enough around Corum that his relative thinness isn't as much of a bother. Though in the later parts of the book there are so many guest-stars that I almost felt sorry for the poor bastard as he was pushed further and further out of the picture. In some way it feels like this cycle is a witty joke from Moorcock. Corum complains: "we shall never understand why [the struggle between the Lords of the Higher Worlds:] takes place, why it is eternal. We fight, we suffer agonies of mind and soul, but we are never sure that our suffering is worthwhile." (365) Yeah man, I have the same problem getting up in the morning too.
But there is plenty of fun stuff here too. Castles of Blood, more of the flying cat, re-conceptions of time, and Lady Jane was pretty awesome and undoubtedly shows up somewhere else in the Moorcock universes. Corum even cracks a smile when he links arms with his bros. As a first timer to the show I like that Moorcock does include his other stories into this book without shutting me out as a reader. It's more of a tease to come-hither, than a screw-off-you-aren't-one-of-the-initiated (that would sound smarter in German I'm sure).
As with the other two books I don't know if Corum really gets to be anything BUT a tool. There is that tension of reading a 'hero' book wanting Corum to be the one (but actually one of the many), and the overarching mythos where the forces at work are really cosmological and it is ridiculous to portray them as being affect by one dude, no matter how kick ass his sword swing. However I did enjoy how Mr. Six-fingers left the set-up at the end. Again, I think I could hear Mr. M chuckling at that one.
So Moorcock's Eternal Heroes are doomed to struggle forever and ever, and Jhary-a-Conel has never found a world free from strife and suffering and conflict. That's life, I think the message is, and anything else is just sipping pennyroyale tea and sighing...
January 6, 2018
Bastante inferior a Elric, a pesar de que en el final el autor lo meta como personaje para intentar remontar esta aventura brusca, rápida y caótica
Es la clásica aventura de capa y brujería, sin complicaciones ni profundizar en los personajes. Esto lo cumple, pero lo que debería hacer bien, que es la aventura, peleas y malvados. No lo hace.
Aun deseando una historia rápida, esta me ha parecido excesiva, todo pasaba como si faltaran frases. Una locura…
Es la clásica aventura de capa y brujería, sin complicaciones ni profundizar en los personajes. Esto lo cumple, pero lo que debería hacer bien, que es la aventura, peleas y malvados. No lo hace.
Aun deseando una historia rápida, esta me ha parecido excesiva, todo pasaba como si faltaran frases. Una locura…
July 28, 2019
I wrote individual reviews of all three books in this Omnibus. The first two were 4 Star reads, the third a 3 Star.
Overall, I enjoyed this more than the Elric books I have, but I have only read the first three of those.
Overall, I enjoyed this more than the Elric books I have, but I have only read the first three of those.
February 2, 2015
Halfway between Hyperborea and the Haight - Michael Moorcock's Corum
Michael Moorcock's early swords and sorcery novels - like the Swords Of Corum trilogy - were written quickly and with a market in mind. But they were also the output of a polymath - a writer, editor, musician and critic - with a restless and prolific muse.
It's no surprise then that the Corum stories are a strange and uneven mix of fantasy formula and genre transgression. Or that the reader's own engagement and interest will vary from chapter to chapter, as Moorcock spins the tale this way and that.
Swords.. compiles the first three slim-line Corum novels - The Knight, Queen and King Of The Swords - into a 500 page epic better suited to contemporary tastes. It chronicles the quest of the maimed, orphaned and inhuman Prince Corum for revenge against the human barbarians who cast him out of his kingdom and the gods of Chaos who drove them to war.
Corum's tragic backstory is par for the course for a Moorcock protagonist, as is his tour of multiple planes of existence and the strange and troubling powers at his command. In this case, it's an artificial eye and hand belonging to lost gods, which can summon vanquished adversaries to fight his opponents (this has to stop to this by book three, as it all too readily becomes the solution to every problem).
He's not a particularly cheerful character, but he lacks the excessive grimness of Elric, Moorcock's best remembered protagonist, and his motivations (revenge and love) offer simple points of identification.
Corum, ah um...
For me, it's the cosmic plane-hopping and underlying struggle between Law and Chaos that provide the Corum books with both their strengths and shortcomings.
On the one hand (six fingered, jeweled, taken from a forgotten deity) it allows Moorcock to give his Conan meets Dali riffing full reign. Deserts of blood, lakes of souls, fields of fire, damned princes and egotistical arch-demons abound. And against this psychedelic backdrop, his characters are always happy to take five from peril to briefly ponder the nature of reality, creativity and free will.
Let's remind ourselves that this mash-up of old school weird fiction with 60's counter-culture helped to extend the possibilities of fantasy fiction and maintain a space beyond the shadow of Tolkien. It's hugely significant that alternative voices didn't just survive beyond the reach of Middle Earth, but thrived in parallel with it.
And Corum, Elric et al have had an equally interesting second legacy in their influence on role-playing and war-gaming - see the alignment system and multi-dimensional cosmology of Dungeons & Dragons, for instance. Or the Moorcock-lite ontology that underpins pretty much anything Games Workshop have ever done.
Corum vs The Blue Meanies
On the other hand, this protean backdrop promotes inconsistency of tone and enables a lack of quality control. While one-note realist fantasy frequently bores, a surrealist approach relies on every new rabbit taken from the hat having the desired effect. Compared to most genre work, Moorcock is trying to do something fundamentally more difficult, at speed, while still working within the same pulp constraints.
More often than not he manages it - and kudos to him - but occasionally the scenes are a bit melting-clock, a trifle animated Yellow Submarine. Especially from the vantage point of almost fifty years of cock-snooking at the hippy aesthetic. And in a universe where anything goes, it's hard to make the resolution of any plot point wholly convincing.
The Corum novels are not Moorcock's best, then. But they do make for an interesting, occasionally dazzling read halfway between Hyperborea and the Haight. And you can feel the rules of the genre being re-written under your feet as you turn the pages.
Michael Moorcock's early swords and sorcery novels - like the Swords Of Corum trilogy - were written quickly and with a market in mind. But they were also the output of a polymath - a writer, editor, musician and critic - with a restless and prolific muse.
It's no surprise then that the Corum stories are a strange and uneven mix of fantasy formula and genre transgression. Or that the reader's own engagement and interest will vary from chapter to chapter, as Moorcock spins the tale this way and that.
Swords.. compiles the first three slim-line Corum novels - The Knight, Queen and King Of The Swords - into a 500 page epic better suited to contemporary tastes. It chronicles the quest of the maimed, orphaned and inhuman Prince Corum for revenge against the human barbarians who cast him out of his kingdom and the gods of Chaos who drove them to war.
Corum's tragic backstory is par for the course for a Moorcock protagonist, as is his tour of multiple planes of existence and the strange and troubling powers at his command. In this case, it's an artificial eye and hand belonging to lost gods, which can summon vanquished adversaries to fight his opponents (this has to stop to this by book three, as it all too readily becomes the solution to every problem).
He's not a particularly cheerful character, but he lacks the excessive grimness of Elric, Moorcock's best remembered protagonist, and his motivations (revenge and love) offer simple points of identification.
Corum, ah um...
For me, it's the cosmic plane-hopping and underlying struggle between Law and Chaos that provide the Corum books with both their strengths and shortcomings.
On the one hand (six fingered, jeweled, taken from a forgotten deity) it allows Moorcock to give his Conan meets Dali riffing full reign. Deserts of blood, lakes of souls, fields of fire, damned princes and egotistical arch-demons abound. And against this psychedelic backdrop, his characters are always happy to take five from peril to briefly ponder the nature of reality, creativity and free will.
Let's remind ourselves that this mash-up of old school weird fiction with 60's counter-culture helped to extend the possibilities of fantasy fiction and maintain a space beyond the shadow of Tolkien. It's hugely significant that alternative voices didn't just survive beyond the reach of Middle Earth, but thrived in parallel with it.
And Corum, Elric et al have had an equally interesting second legacy in their influence on role-playing and war-gaming - see the alignment system and multi-dimensional cosmology of Dungeons & Dragons, for instance. Or the Moorcock-lite ontology that underpins pretty much anything Games Workshop have ever done.
Corum vs The Blue Meanies
On the other hand, this protean backdrop promotes inconsistency of tone and enables a lack of quality control. While one-note realist fantasy frequently bores, a surrealist approach relies on every new rabbit taken from the hat having the desired effect. Compared to most genre work, Moorcock is trying to do something fundamentally more difficult, at speed, while still working within the same pulp constraints.
More often than not he manages it - and kudos to him - but occasionally the scenes are a bit melting-clock, a trifle animated Yellow Submarine. Especially from the vantage point of almost fifty years of cock-snooking at the hippy aesthetic. And in a universe where anything goes, it's hard to make the resolution of any plot point wholly convincing.
The Corum novels are not Moorcock's best, then. But they do make for an interesting, occasionally dazzling read halfway between Hyperborea and the Haight. And you can feel the rules of the genre being re-written under your feet as you turn the pages.
February 13, 2016
The trouble with dipping into Moorcock's vast interlinked oeuvre is not knowing where the hell to begin. I did try to read one of the Jerry Cornelius short story collections many years ago, but going into that straight from Eddings & Feist wasn't such a good idea - Moorcock bounced straight off me.
Now, I like my epic fantasies, and from what I could gather this particular volume, the first of two Corum collections, seemed to be a good place to try again. And it works both as an introduction to Moorcock's simultaneously blunt and poetic style, Corum as a character and as a facet of the Eternal Champion, and to the concept of Moorcock's multiverse itself.
Corum himself is a bit of an archetypal questing hero, just as the stories themselves are archetypal quests replete with increasingly powerful "end-of-level" bosses which must be defeated for him to achieve some degree of peace (the final boss is defeated by a literal deus ex machina, albeit one flagged up as early as the grafting-on of Corum's new hand). He dooms and glooms across the unpronounceable lands of the world in search of his plot coupons as all heroes must, but the quests themselves are secondary to Corum's internal struggles and - from the second book in - the construction and introduction of the multiverse.
The conflicts become ever more existential and philosophical after the arrival of "Jhary a-Conel", flying across dimensions and ages, and Moorcock even introduces Elric and Erekose for cameos, but his literary style - here at least - is blunt enough to absorb all this without bogging down the pace of the story.
Definitely a good place to start if you're considering exploring Moorcock's worlds - and these Gollancz editions are very handsome indeed.
Now, I like my epic fantasies, and from what I could gather this particular volume, the first of two Corum collections, seemed to be a good place to try again. And it works both as an introduction to Moorcock's simultaneously blunt and poetic style, Corum as a character and as a facet of the Eternal Champion, and to the concept of Moorcock's multiverse itself.
Corum himself is a bit of an archetypal questing hero, just as the stories themselves are archetypal quests replete with increasingly powerful "end-of-level" bosses which must be defeated for him to achieve some degree of peace (the final boss is defeated by a literal deus ex machina, albeit one flagged up as early as the grafting-on of Corum's new hand). He dooms and glooms across the unpronounceable lands of the world in search of his plot coupons as all heroes must, but the quests themselves are secondary to Corum's internal struggles and - from the second book in - the construction and introduction of the multiverse.
The conflicts become ever more existential and philosophical after the arrival of "Jhary a-Conel", flying across dimensions and ages, and Moorcock even introduces Elric and Erekose for cameos, but his literary style - here at least - is blunt enough to absorb all this without bogging down the pace of the story.
Definitely a good place to start if you're considering exploring Moorcock's worlds - and these Gollancz editions are very handsome indeed.
August 22, 2016
A classic Moorcock fantasy composed of three parts. The first part (The Knight of the Swords) is definitely the best one has it includes a wonderful demonstration of Moorcock's imagination combined with a poetic topography. It literally reads as a classic fairy tale even though gruesome at times. The other two parts (The Queen of the Swords and The King of the Swords) are definitely imaginative, but lack the poetic flavor of the first part. The story is a tug of war between Law and Chaos which tosses the reader back and forth as we follow the hardships of the hero Prince Corum. However, the book is definitely entertaining and should be on the shelves of any fan of high fantasy.
August 13, 2012
This was one of my favorite books from my early teen years. It is probably not a technically perfect book, and I really can't remember all the details of the story, but I love Moorcock's storytelling, and Corum is perhaps my favorite character of his, even more so than Elric. I love how these stories languish in the settings they portray. This series has probably been the strongest foundation for my tastes in fantasy fiction of any other book besides the Shannara books.
June 10, 2015
I expected a level of pulp with these and, with the pulp, a certain amount of sameness in the plots. I got that, certainly, but what I didn't expect was the subtleties in the plot of each story that raised each above mere pulp. These are good and well worth your time to read.
June 2, 2022
¿La vida en el castillo era plácida y sosegada? Jah.
March 21, 2016
"My name is Inigo Montoya Corum Jhaelen Irsei. You've killed my father (And Mother. And all my close relatives. And the distant ones. In fact, you've wiped out my entire species). Prepare to die!"
"Corum" as a volume contains the first trilogy about Corum, yet another incarnation of the Eternal Champion. Like Hawkmoon, Corum fights Chaos. Unlike Hawkmoon, Corum isn't perfect. In fact, Corum is a deeply flawed and damaged individual. His race the Vadhagh (one thing about this series--if you're the kind of person that needs to sound out all the proper names in your head--you might be best off walking away. In this one Moorcock took quite a fascination to what I can only assume are Celtic-style names, and they are tongue-breakingly difficult. and there's LOTS of them), a proto-elf type peoples were so advanced and superior that they grew apathetic, self-indulgent and ignorant of their surroundings. And, naturally, eventually there came the barbarians (humans, or "Mabden") to give them a harsh reality check. Corum, accidentally away when his home is sacked and his family slaughtered, quickly learns, fear, horror, fury, murder, hate. He manages to escape his would-be nemesis, and his quest for revenge begins. In the process, he makes a bargain he shouldn't have and is set on a path that will have him confronting the Sword Rulers--gods of Chaos which wrestled the Fifteen planes from Law.
In itself, none of the 3 stories are anything special. The first especially is as vanilla as heroic fantasy turned revenge story can get. The fun starts later. In Part 2, and more so in Part 3, Corum's journey involves an upbeat companion who is much-better informed of Corum's nature as the Eternal Champion, and Part 3 has Corum step outside his own Fifteen Planes and encounter several more versions of himself!. It really does wonders for the cosmology of the Multiverse, and helps to keep teh books fresh, as compared to the rote adventures of Hawkmoon.
And yes, going back to the main point: Corum is MUCH more interesting than Hawkmoon. Corum is scarred. Corum dislikes gods. Corum questions his role, and wants to abandon it at several points. Corum doesn't pine for his love all the time (only about 30% of his free time).
Given these books aren't all that long, it's difficult to expect deep characterization. The books are primarily action and the make no qualms about it. There are several pretty epic battles, though none as good as that one in the Hawkmmon book. But aside from that, "Corum"'s characters aren't completely one-dimensional, and that's enough to make them sufficiently interesting.
"Corum" as a volume contains the first trilogy about Corum, yet another incarnation of the Eternal Champion. Like Hawkmoon, Corum fights Chaos. Unlike Hawkmoon, Corum isn't perfect. In fact, Corum is a deeply flawed and damaged individual. His race the Vadhagh (one thing about this series--if you're the kind of person that needs to sound out all the proper names in your head--you might be best off walking away. In this one Moorcock took quite a fascination to what I can only assume are Celtic-style names, and they are tongue-breakingly difficult. and there's LOTS of them), a proto-elf type peoples were so advanced and superior that they grew apathetic, self-indulgent and ignorant of their surroundings. And, naturally, eventually there came the barbarians (humans, or "Mabden") to give them a harsh reality check. Corum, accidentally away when his home is sacked and his family slaughtered, quickly learns, fear, horror, fury, murder, hate. He manages to escape his would-be nemesis, and his quest for revenge begins. In the process, he makes a bargain he shouldn't have and is set on a path that will have him confronting the Sword Rulers--gods of Chaos which wrestled the Fifteen planes from Law.
In itself, none of the 3 stories are anything special. The first especially is as vanilla as heroic fantasy turned revenge story can get. The fun starts later. In Part 2, and more so in Part 3, Corum's journey involves an upbeat companion who is much-better informed of Corum's nature as the Eternal Champion, and Part 3 has Corum step outside his own Fifteen Planes and encounter several more versions of himself!. It really does wonders for the cosmology of the Multiverse, and helps to keep teh books fresh, as compared to the rote adventures of Hawkmoon.
And yes, going back to the main point: Corum is MUCH more interesting than Hawkmoon. Corum is scarred. Corum dislikes gods. Corum questions his role, and wants to abandon it at several points. Corum doesn't pine for his love all the time (only about 30% of his free time).
Given these books aren't all that long, it's difficult to expect deep characterization. The books are primarily action and the make no qualms about it. There are several pretty epic battles, though none as good as that one in the Hawkmmon book. But aside from that, "Corum"'s characters aren't completely one-dimensional, and that's enough to make them sufficiently interesting.
March 12, 2019
This trilogy has all the elements of a classic fantasy gem. It seems a little dated sometimes (it was written in the early 70s I believe) but retains its mastery of images and storytelling. I hadn't been into fantasy books long before Moorcock was recommended to me, and I picked up a rather old edition of this in battered paperback. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did but in the end I had a hard time putting it down. It's very imaginative, even for a fantasy, and everyone loves a good old fashioned tale about vengeance.
I liked the characters more than expected, to be honest. Corum is your cut-and-paste archetypal hero, with both serious handicaps and magic powers, a sense of righteous justice, the soul of a poet, and nifty blade skills. He's out to right wrong, he's on a quest. He's pretty pissy but generally a good guy. But he's not dull, though we've seen his type before. And the idea of an Eternal Champion intrigued me enough to pick up the other books too.
But it was Jhary-a-Conel, the sidekick to heroes, who was my favourite. He's very sardonic, a great contrast to Corum's stern faced tenacity and boiling need for revenge.
The story moves along well through short, easily digested chapters, with a host of evil baddies and bizarre creatures, set in a bunch of changing parallel worlds that are varied and beautiful. I will recommend this to any staunch reader of fantasy, especially someone who wants an old classic with a twist, and recommend also the others in the Eternal Champions series. They have episodes of hilarity and weirdness.
I won't say much about particular plot points to avoid spoilers, but its got everything you want, magic lakes, evil monsters, barbarians, demons, beautiful women, scary gods, and a cat with wings.
I liked the characters more than expected, to be honest. Corum is your cut-and-paste archetypal hero, with both serious handicaps and magic powers, a sense of righteous justice, the soul of a poet, and nifty blade skills. He's out to right wrong, he's on a quest. He's pretty pissy but generally a good guy. But he's not dull, though we've seen his type before. And the idea of an Eternal Champion intrigued me enough to pick up the other books too.
But it was Jhary-a-Conel, the sidekick to heroes, who was my favourite. He's very sardonic, a great contrast to Corum's stern faced tenacity and boiling need for revenge.
The story moves along well through short, easily digested chapters, with a host of evil baddies and bizarre creatures, set in a bunch of changing parallel worlds that are varied and beautiful. I will recommend this to any staunch reader of fantasy, especially someone who wants an old classic with a twist, and recommend also the others in the Eternal Champions series. They have episodes of hilarity and weirdness.
I won't say much about particular plot points to avoid spoilers, but its got everything you want, magic lakes, evil monsters, barbarians, demons, beautiful women, scary gods, and a cat with wings.
December 14, 2017
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2921219.html
This trilogy, first published in 1971, is the first of two trilogies featuring Corum Jhaelen Irsei, one of the incarnations of Moorcock's Eternal Champion; the first and third volumes won the first two August Derleth Awards. I'm not super familiar with Moorcock's heroic fantasies; I did find it striking that he successfully takes the traditional storyline of chivalry, questing and manly derring-do, and underpins it with lashings of melancholy, destiny, and cosmic balance. Corum's own hand and eye are replaced by magical substitutes belonging to supernatural beings at an early stage, and this physical change also resonates through the three books. Also, unusually for Moorcock, he rooted a lot of the vocabulary in a real language, Cornish, which I felt gave it a bit more sub-surface coherence. I can't argue that it's terribly profound, but I did think it was well done.
This trilogy, first published in 1971, is the first of two trilogies featuring Corum Jhaelen Irsei, one of the incarnations of Moorcock's Eternal Champion; the first and third volumes won the first two August Derleth Awards. I'm not super familiar with Moorcock's heroic fantasies; I did find it striking that he successfully takes the traditional storyline of chivalry, questing and manly derring-do, and underpins it with lashings of melancholy, destiny, and cosmic balance. Corum's own hand and eye are replaced by magical substitutes belonging to supernatural beings at an early stage, and this physical change also resonates through the three books. Also, unusually for Moorcock, he rooted a lot of the vocabulary in a real language, Cornish, which I felt gave it a bit more sub-surface coherence. I can't argue that it's terribly profound, but I did think it was well done.
January 29, 2014
Unique and exciting. A true fantasy classic. The first trilogy quickly became one of my all time favorite fantasy novel. I barely closed the book. I was always excited about the next chapters, the next pages. I read it on bus, in bed, in armchair, before sleep, after lunch, every time I had the chance to move forward in the story.
I guess I still cannot find another novel in this scene which is so unique and atmospheric. The imaginary of the parallel worlds, the colorful but so different planes of the sword rulers were unforgettable.
I guess I still cannot find another novel in this scene which is so unique and atmospheric. The imaginary of the parallel worlds, the colorful but so different planes of the sword rulers were unforgettable.
April 2, 2019
I've just re-read these after 40 years (. I have to say that my teenage brain was far more capable of living the world in which Corum moves. Despite my aged cynical outlook I still enjoyed the trip. Back then I read 5 of the six Corum books but never was able to get hold of the last one "Sword and the Stallion". I've now read the first five for a second time and am ready to read the last book that eluded me all those years ago.
I think this is testament enough.
If you do not like the first book after reading 10 pages, then stop. and read some Asimov
I think this is testament enough.
If you do not like the first book after reading 10 pages, then stop. and read some Asimov
July 24, 2009
Obviously a by-the-numbers effort, but I love the concepts of chaos and order and all that. Some of the images are nothing short of brilliant even if it doesn't always move along at a brisk enough clip. I've now read this trilogy three time.s Very influential on my early life.
By the way, avoid the second Corum trilogy -- it's horrible. It is entirely by-the-numbers, with none of the bigger concepts coming through.
By the way, avoid the second Corum trilogy -- it's horrible. It is entirely by-the-numbers, with none of the bigger concepts coming through.
September 7, 2014
Imagination as large as galaxies. No-nonsense clashes between good and evil, wonderful monsters, and a modest and brave hero. Enjoyable quest writing and a pleasure to read. Thanks to Ben M for lending this to me, I will look out for an Elric book for the future.
More review to follow if I can get time.
Also, Michael Moorcock was in Hawkwind?! Wha?
More review to follow if I can get time.
Also, Michael Moorcock was in Hawkwind?! Wha?
February 23, 2010
Despite the *godawful* Frazetta ripoff cover, this is one of my favorite Eternal Champion incarnations. The "all gods are bastards!" schtick is always fun, and the world is suitably tragic for Moorcock.
May 9, 2019
Elric is ever the iconic Moorcock hero, but I think I like Corum better. I'd actually go out for drinks with him, and might be able to hold up a conversation with him without the cloud of gloom and brood hanging over our heads like cheap cigarettes.
March 18, 2009
A good tale of another eternal champion although not as engaging as other characters Moorcock has created.
November 16, 2013
Corum is an easy entry into Moorcock's Eternal Champion, since he's an actual hero compared to Elric, the anti-hero. After Corum, I was able to enjoy Elric all the more.
June 24, 2022
I discovered Michael Moorcock about 3-4 years back and have been enjoying going down the impressive rabbit hole of his bibliography. This book features the first three out of six Corum books, which I almost like to think of as a thinking man's sword and sorcery. While keeping some of the pulpy tropes associated with the S&S genre, Moorcock writes through a more literary lens and the end result is something much weightier, in a better way, than, for example Robert E. Howard. At its core the Corum tales are about the battle between chaos and law - a theme unfortunately quite relevant in 2022.
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