Different fantasy posts

This is not a review or a detailed opinion. I tried to briefly tell about the features of a particular cycle, and about what they could be of interest.

Genre Fantasy is now more popular than ever. And this, largely, the merit of the writer J. Martina, and his cycle of books “The Song of Ice and Fire”. The first book of the cycle, and the subsequent ones, were the gloomy history of the struggle for power in the invented world. There were rivers of blood, an abundance of sex, sometimes in, quite not traditional forms, and everything happened in the surroundings of the Middle Ages, the countries of the European Way of Development. “Song of Ice and Fire” has both numerous advantages and disadvantages. Genre Fantasy for me for a long time remained dense forest. Then I decided to read the “Game of Thrones”, did not go and I switched to other books and discovered a huge number of wonderful authors. Not so long ago, the 3rd season of “Game of Thrones” ended and the sixth book has not yet been released. And the most impatient fans will surely want to pass the time for worthy representatives of the genre. Yes, and everyone else who is not indifferent to good literature will not opposed to plunge into a series of adventures of various heroes.
And here I will give a list of the most beloved series. Since the trend is now in the trend of gloomy fantasy, then it will talk more about it.

Solomon Kane, Robert Howard

Robert Irwin Howard – He is known to everyone as the creator of Konan, but not only he wrote about him. This is a parasitic productivity by the author, who invented several genres, a dozen charismatic and worked out the main characters, and countless stories (it was printed only in magazines, and the release of weighty novels did not fit).What he wrote in the fantasy genre was the brightest example of heroic fantasy, he was one of the ancestors of the genre.

I especially fell in love with a cycle of stories about Solomon Kane.
Solomon Kane is a cycle of stories about an immaculate wanderer from Devonshire (England), who, in his views, is a true puritan. And also, stubborn, to the impossibility, a religious fanatic with a hypertrophied sense of justice. Who tracks the villains and exists justice with his own hands, sincerely considering himself a sword of the Lord. The action takes place in the era of Francis Drake (XVI century). Solomon is a veteran of all wars, the entrance of which pumped his skills for 100. He is an unsurpassed fencer (Francis Drake himself called him the “Devonshire King of the Blade”), an excellent shooter, boxer Skalolaz, fighter, survivor, speaks in many languages, fearless, and retains composure in any situation. And this, in my opinion, may be a serious drawback for those who cannot stand over cool characters, but this is also its advantage. For some reason, you believe this alloy, and you always follow his adventures with interest. And his adventures are more occurred in the territory of the “black continent”. I, immediately, except for the “heart of darkness”, and I do not remember the novels or stories, whose action was unfolded on the territory of Africa (we do not take Barmaleya). During his vindictures, Solomon will find, even the remnants of Atlantis. As well as many mythical creatures will exterminate. The strongest side is the description of the path and duel. The style of writing is simple, without abstruse metaphors, but by no means primitive. Everything is good in the stories.There is definitely nothing to complain about, except for the hero already noted over the coolness of the hero. And you need to read only the original stories of Howard about Kane. They tried to continue the cycle with a clear result.

Cane Cycle, Karl Wagner

Wagner, like many American authors, was noted by writing a https://ltccasino.co.uk/ continuation about Konan (“Road of Kings”). But his best work is the cycle about the warrior and the sorcerer – Kane.
3 novels and 2 collections of stories were released that tell about the life of one person.
Kane is not an aging monastery who was cursed by the gods for the rebellion. The centuries of wanderings killed all feelings in it, and he looks at people with prosperity, and is a colorful antihero. Kane, although it is heroic fantasy, there is a place for intrigues and cunning political games. And where else can you find a hero for whom the capture of the world will be a fleeting hobby, and not the purpose of all life. The writing style resembles Sapkovsky or Howard. All novels and stories retain the equally high level of quality. Over the centuries of wandering, he managed to visit the role of a bandit, archaeologist, evil Lord, Army General, Magor and much more. Kane not only wars but also a sorcerer. Magic did not bypass him like most fantasy, but here it is strictly dosed and no one shoots with fireballs once again. Kane universe
Inhabited by many monsters and ancient races. The universe is well spelled out and the impression of the whole world is created with its political system and culture. But the adventures of Kane can share centuries (he will even visit the 80s of the 20th century), and then, in appearance, the holistic world is scattered into parts, which are not clear how to connect. The Cane Cycle remains the pearl of the “heroic Dark” genre, which should be familiar with every fan of the genre.

“Black detachment”, Glen Cook

A series of ten novels, divided into books of the North (4)/south (2) and quadratology – a sparkling stone, as well as the story “Tideselba”. At the beginning of the first novel, the Black detachment enters the service of evil forces, in the person of the mistress (yes, the names of the characters are not mentioned – only nicknames) to restrain civil unrest in the kingdom. This series is unique in that the narrative is conducted in the first person, and are the chronicle of the “black detachment” – an elite detachment of mercenaries. And the chronicler, he is the main character leads a story on his own behalf. “Black detachment” is a great example of how to create history and a new, original, fantasy world. There is a place of magic and ancient sorcerers, prophecies and monsters, by the way the latter are described very skillfully. The author can show the next creature both naturally in detail, and a mysterious shadow, or steeply – through rumors and traditions.

They fulfill the tasks of the mistress and inevitably encounter fighters for independence. And, quite, it quickly turns out that the only significant claim to the totalitarian regime of the lady is that they are not allowed to freely kill and rob. And this is another feature characteristic of dark fantasy – the blur of the border between good and evil. There is not a single classic hero here.The death of civilian and the ruin of settlements here is a common thing, and most characters relate to this indifferent and as everyday life. Mercenaries are in no hurry to take risks for the sake of the highest good. And the main character is at all a doctor and not a soldier. The heroes turned out to be deep and diverse, and the nicknames only give them color (although the brine and lollipop are not very menacing).
A black detachment is not a heroic fantasy, but a very naturalistic description of the war and how it is not easy to make the right choice and on which side to stand up. Here, both conspiracies and intrigues and the life of ordinary soldiers are fully reflected here. Of the shortcomings, some steepness of the narrative can be noted. And the seventh book is already weaker than the previous ones, but still good. The translators also marked with their craving for gag, so the main character “Croaker” becomes either a bone -right, then a karkun, then grumbler.

“Saga about Reinevan”, Andrzej Sapkovsky

Trilogy from the author of the witcher. Fantasy is not quite classic. In the presence of a real world of the 15th century, and more specifically 1422-1434. This is the era of “Hussite wars” and revolutions in Germany, Poland, Austria and other European countries. And this imposed its restrictions on dragons and other fairy -tale living creatures. There are enough historical personalities in the novels with excess, and no less real events. These are practically historical novels – the chronology of most events of this era has been preserved, many real events of those years are reflected, but with a fair mystical element. And to the sorcerers and sabbaths of the parties to the conflict, as that of the Inquisition, well, or like Varis. The main character is not a knight, not a magician, but a simple doctor. Because of which he regularly receives a lulier, but it cannot directly punish the offenders. The first novel – The Judges Tower is more reminiscent of an adventure romance with elements of mysticism and detective. The scale of events in it is not very great, but saturation is beyond praise. Reinevan (Reinmar von Belyau) will visit the witches shabash, meets the Inquisition, get into the madhouse and much more. The cycle is read more complicated than the famous witcher. In pursuit of historicity, it was sacrificed by the dynamics and simplicity of the narrative. Compared to the “Witcher” (which, by the way, it is worth reading without fail to all fans of the genre and game) the number of names, titles per page of the text, as well as a detailed description of historical events.

“Dark Tower”, Stephen King

Epic eight -volume, work on which has taken over 30 years. It is a mixture of horrors, western, post-apocalypse, science fiction and fantasy. Everything is spinning around the “Dark Tower” and the last representative of the Order of the “shooters” Roland Disreyn. Whose mission to get and the tops of the tower on which all existing worlds are fixed, and to recapture it at the powers of evil in the person of fiery revolutionaries anarchists. The action takes place in a parallel world, which represents a mixture of the Wild West, post-apocalypse from the film “Road”, but populated by mutants and various bandits. There are several parallel worlds including New York in the 1987 model (from where one of the characters was forcibly pulled out).

The main character is by no means a knight, like all the characters – he has many shortcomings, or rather he is a killer and psychopath, and his companions and incurred characters have disadvantages (including talking monorail engaged in serial murders, this is normal for Stephen King). The whole series is very thought out, and in most cases causal relationships are observed, as well as the gloomy world, the liveliness of the characters, an interesting plot and the situations that heroes fall into, only add glasses. But not everything is so rosy. Due to a huge volume, many storylines remained undercomed. But this is a trifle against the backdrop of the tonality of the first and last two books. King for the sake of a fee, spreads potentially 10 countries three times, beating it with completely unnecessary details. Well, the finale is typical for King (ends with nothing), but for someone this reason will hit in search of deep meaning. But, the fact that this novel is unique to read can be a stimulus for reading, before only individual elements were found from what Stephen King proposes. And all together can only be found on the pages of the “dark tower”.

“Chronicles of the missing Legion”, Harry Terdlav

A series of novels in the genre of alternative history with druids and other magicians.
According to the plot, the Roman Legion, led by Mark Skavr during the war with the Galls, due to the intervention of the druids, falls into the parallel world (the Videssos empire torn by rebellious troops).

The Videssos empire is written off from Byzantium, and I take into account that the author is a professional historian and a specialist in Byzantium, there are no questions about the thoughtfulness of the world. The realism of the created world is the strongest feature of the series, and leaves behind most competitors. All the little things are very scrupulous, great attention is paid to everyday life of both the Romans and the “Byzantines”. Great attention is paid to uniforms, architecture, battles, dialogues and many other practical things. Reading the novel, you feel that the author writes with knowledge and love for details, and the present magicians and witchcraft rites seem completely optional. Unfortunately, the rest of Tordlav is not so strong. Plot, characters, intrigues, love affairs – everything is done at a fairly high level. The heroes turned out to be voluminous, and the villains are colorful with their cockroaches in their heads, the plot moves are not brilliant, although there are pleasant surprises. And so in everything – the series does not have a highlight that would make he love. It is interesting to follow this world, as is the characters, but you are not immersed in it. It is strongly felt what the author gave preferences.
“Chronicles of the missing legion” Mono put as the complete opposite of PLI. There is no Tyrion and Taiwin, cunningly built by intrigues (but the characters will not dull in obvious places like Stark and Jaime (cavalry attack through a night, unfamiliar forest). But then there are a logical and plausible world without golden swords, armies from … eunuchs (!), Nomads from the Bronze Age, who capture medieval kingdoms, children of super-killer, insane numbers of 8000 years old, stupid climate, Martin medicine (boiling wine … pour into the wound (pour (!)), walls 200 meters in height and much more. Here everyone chooses what is more important to him.