Scott OdenReseñas

***WHO SUCKED ME IN***
Don't Have a Degree in Reading on YouTube in their so many great books this month! | APRIL WRAP UP [CC] published on 2 mei 2020

ORCS!

Sword & Planet is Back!
Jason M. Waltz, champion of Rogue Blades Entertainment and the Rogue Blades Foundation, is well known for rounding up contemporary authors in themed anthologies (perhaps most well known for the 2008 Sword & Sorcery classic Return of the Sword .... and most currently known for Robert E. Howard Changed My Life releasing ~now, appropriately on June 11th, REH's anniversary of passing).

Fletcher Vredenburgh, well known in the adventure fiction community for outstanding reviews provides the "Foreword": he explains how discussions on Facebook with Scott Oden (adored author of historical fiction, Conan pastiche, and the Grimnir series) escalated into this collection. Also, to dimension the genre and set the stage for a revival is the esteemed John O’Neill (Black Gate Magazine editor) with “Sword & Planet is the Genre We Need.”

The Book Blurb Explains the Theme and Context:
Bold fonts, added by me, emphasize two key sentences. More on that below.

An exciting repository of the tales of an empire that pre-dates the solar system's recorded history. A spectacular homage of ten 'romantic tales of high adventure' written in the American pulp imagination style of breathless bravado. A return to an era when the exploration of time and the mystery of space travel held the attention of the reading world with heroes/heroines that faced dangerous unknowns with hopes and fists raised high!

20,000 years ago, the first Emperor of Sol ascended the Iridium Throne of Earth. A sorcerer who learned to extend his life through elixirs and potent demonic bargains, he ruled a thousand years, until deposed by a conspiracy among his wives. His youngest wife, the most cunning, became the first Empress of Sol and began the Imperial practice of tracing lineage through the female.

This anthology's "present" is 10,000 years after the Ruin of the Empire of Sol, an event immortalized by a cabal of poets who wove history with myth. Civil war erupted inside the Empire when warlords of another planet sought to seize the Iridium Throne of Earth. War rent the system, until finally a doomsday weapon was deployed. This weapon caused the Ruin; it shattered worlds and threw the citizens of the Empire into such a state of savagery that it has taken 10,000 years to make it to a current Dark Age. The worlds of the solar system have slowly emerged to reclaim only the most slender portion of the ancient splendor of the Empire. Through the combined efforts of sorcery and science, mankind and alienkind have returned to the stars in Aether ships, though even these are considered crude by the ancient Imperial standards.

Above them all looms a mysterious THREAT on the horizon. Augurs see bad omens, demon familiars speak of a coming cataclysm; a few ships have gone missing along the fringes of the system, only to be spotted and boarded later . . . ghost ships with missing crews. One had a cryptic note scrawled in blood: "They're coming!"

Missing Cool Context:
Strangely, the Ruin mentioned within the blurb is not referred to explicitly in the stories (they occur after that event). Also, the two introductions and blurb ignore the awesome premise of chapter/book design: There is one story per planet in the solar system, doled out in order from the center to the outer rim of pluto, with an additional "planet" called Tharsia replacing real life's asteroid belt. So you get to tour the ruins of the solar system (the Empire of Sol) planet by planet, as you drift away from the sun. The Interior Ancient Solar Map by M.D. Jackson (who also crafted the superb cover) actually lays out your journey as a reader, with some variant names offered for several planets.

Scott Oden cryptically, and beautifully, frames the book with two pieces. He introduces us to the Emissary and the living-ship Leviathan in the prologue which focuses on a female's imprisonment; her mind is tapped to reveal the subsequent stories you'll read. The epilogue hints that a nameless god is threatening the solar system's future; this cosmic horror vibe seeds a possible sequel anthology.

Stories Share Common Elements:
1) Portals and gateways enable travel to other planets, but many are lost or broken and some stream one-way. This lost infrastructure of the Empire is explored multiple times.

2) The red "dot" on Jupiter is given some spiritual and religious context that presents in two stories

3) Most stories have female leads, which the authors claimed on social media (Goodreads and Facebook) was not an intentional design strategy (not that it matters). I speculate that the context of the book blurb regarding the Empress of Sol (emboldened above) combined with Scott Oden's Prologue that focuses on a singular female representing "ape-kind" may be symptomatic of the creative discussions. Anyway, there are some male protagonists, and many male teammates, so there is gender diversity.

4) Soul & psionics: Sorcery here manifests in psionics and mental powers (i.e., influencers of the mind), and there are several stories involving the separation of mind and body

4) Typical threats include space pirates and humanoid aliens (reptilian, insectan, or ape-like)

5) Spaceship mayhem: crash landings and appropriation of space ships are plentiful

The Lost Empire of Sol Contents
[Sol/Sun] “Prologue” by Scott Oden
[Mercury] “To Save Hermesia” Joe Bonadonna and David C. Smith
[Venus] “The Lost Princess of Themos” Tom Doolan
[Earth] “What Really Happened at the Center of the Earth” by Christopher M. Blanchard
[Mars] “A Sand-Ship of Mars” by Charles Allen Gramlich
[asteroid belt, Tharsia] “Whispers of the Serpent” by Howard Andrew Jones
[Jupiter] “Outcasts of Jov” by Mark Finn
[Saturn, Cronesh] “Written in Lightning” by Keith J. Taylor
[Uranus] “Survivors of Ulthula” by E.E. Knight
[Neptune] “Hunters of Ice and Sky” by David A. Hardy
[Pluto] “A Gate in Darkness” by Paul R. McNamee
[Sol/Sun] “Epilogue” by Scott Oden
As expected in a collection, the styles vary by author. Gramlich is the only one I know who routinely writes Sword & Planet (his Talera series); however, Bonadonna has dabbled in space-adventure as much as he has Sword & Sorcery. Otherwise, the contributor list reads like a contemporary who's-who of S&S authors and Robert E. Howard content editors. That said, all stories felt like S&P adventure to me, with the possible exception of the Earth piece which was appropriately a "lost world" tale (reminiscent of Burrough's Pellucidar adventures in the Earth's Core; that makes sense...if you are tasked with creating an S&P adventure on planet earth, one might as well emulate the creator of John Carter and go deep). Most were a blast to read. A few stories were too melodramatic for my taste, and one felt like a chapter from a novel (it did not stand alone as a short story).

In summary, this is a fine collection that certainly achieved its mission of inserting a jolt into Sword & Planet offerings. The Lost Empire of Sol is destined to become a historic Sword & Planet anthology, a classic akin to how Return of the Sword is perceived for the Sword & Sorcery genre. If a sequel emerges, I would purchase and read it in a heartbeat.

With Grimnir #2 Twilight of the Gods (TotG), Scott Oden presents a novel take on Ragnarök, the apocalypse in Norse mythology. He masterfully integrates his historical fiction expertise (i.e., from Memnon, Men of Bronze) with gritty battles reminiscent of Robert E. Howard (i.e., the creator of Conan the Barbarian; Oden recently published a serialized, pastiche novella across the Savage Sword of Conan Marvel Comic series). Few can merge the intensity of low-fantasy Sword & Sorcery with high-fantasy Epics, but Oden does here. TotG is second in the Griminr series (#1 being A Gathering of Ravens (AGoR)). This reviews the story, the style, and the lore. Read on to learn about the series’ namesake, the apocalypse in this second volume, and get teasers for the third book, The Doom of Odin.

Odin Fades and the Cross Emerges:
TotG blurs the line between fantasy and history.” With Odin losing power, the hymn-singers are stepping up to rule the world. The Christian commandment “Thou shalt not have strange gods before me” gave rise to much strife in real history, which even had converted Danes and Norsemen crusade for the Cross. The book opens with this conflict fueling Ragnarök. Oden’s style mixes Grimdark scenery, with RE-Howardian battle scenes, and… poetic horror. Read excerpts via the Kindle sampler or the author’s blog.

Who/What is Grimnir?:
In the Beowulf saga, the titular hero hints down the monstrous Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, then a dragon; the hero even becomes King of the Geats (the Geats of Scandinavia hailing from modern-day Sweden). TotG presents Grimnir as a demi-god hybrid of Beowulf & Grendel: half monster, half savior-to-be-worshipped) and king over the Raven-Geats no less! He has one working eye, but so do many suspicious characters ranging from Odin, a great wyrm, Nila, Grimnir, and the Grey Wanderer. So, you should not trust any one-eye, let alone Grimnr: he is a brutal bastard who is more out for self-preservation than for defending his human worshippers. He cares less about the threats of cross-bearing crusaders than he begrudges an ancient dragon—but more on wyrms below. TotG’s cursed crusader introduces us to Grimnir, emphasizing the various perspectives and clashes of cultures:
“Grimnir son of Bálegyr,” Konraðr said. “What a rough beast you are. You go by many names, I am told. Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night. Some claim you are the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. The Irish called your kind fomoraig, did they not? They cursed your sire, Bálegyr, and the wolf ships that brought him to their fair isle. What did the English name you? Orcnéas? But to the Danes and the Norse your kind were always skrælingar. Accursed sons of Cain, you are …

Oden followers will note the “Orcneas” reference. The author has said: “Since young adulthood, I’ve wanted to write a book about Orcs—those foot soldiers of evil first revealed to us in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. I wanted to write it from the Orcs’ point of view. And I wanted to redeem them.” Inspect the Russian cover to A Gathering of Ravens (inset) depicting Grimnir, albeit with a gratuitous beard. Oden concurs of his appearance on his blog while explicitly developing the lore: “I’ve seen that gets his hair right. Really, give him a sharper nose and there you have the last of the fabled kaunar, that blighted race of monsters who would enter popular culture centuries later as Tolkien’s Orcs.”

Grimnir’s Partner, Dísa Dagrúnsdottir:
Étaín was the young female protagonist in A Gathering of Ravens. This round, Grimnir’s partner is young Dísa (a.k.a. “Little Bird”, a Raven-Geat). Whereas Étaín was a Christian, Dísa is a barbaric, maiden of war—or she dreams to become one, anyway. Motherless, her clan selects her to confer with their godly protector the “Hooded One” (Grimnir). This book is really about her coming of age while the world ends; her priestess role puts her smack-dab on the intersection of the corporeal and the supernatural. Disa is a likable, spirited character that you will be rooting for from the instant she is presented in chapter two. A contemporary similar character would be Sensua from the acclaimed Ninja Theory video game series Hellblade (Sensua’s Sacrifice (2017) followed by Sensu’s Saga due out 2020). In short, if you like Sensua or Heilung, then you must experience Disa’s saga. The trailer for the game could easily be repurposed as a trailer for Dísa in TotG.

Serpents & Dragons:
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is triggered by the world (Midgard)-wrapping serpent Jörmungandr releasing the tail from its mouth, and uncoiling. So, readers should expect some form of dragon and we are gifted the spawn of the legendary Jormungandr’s (Midgard Serpent): Malice-Striker. The combination of lore and prose reinforcing Malice-Striker’s presence evokes classic dragons, such as Beowulf’s foe or J.R.R.’s Glaurung (the Worm of Morgoth/Angband from the Children of Hurin). Malice-Striker’s character and past are revealed, and [minor spoiler] he is set up for a key role in the next installment.

The Doom of Odin (Grimnir series #3):
Twilight of the Gods delivered an apocalyptic nail-biter. It can be read completely stand-alone, but certainly builds on A Gathering of Ravens. Still the battle rages on for Grimnir. Oden plans to finish the third installment, The Doom of Odin, by the end of summer 2020 (publication at St. Martin’s discretion). From the author’s website, we find the likely book blurb:
“As the Black Death rampages across Europe, two creatures of the Elder World clash over the rotting corpse of Christendom …
Sicily, 1347 AD. A ghost ship from the east washes ashore at Messina. A ship of dead men, and hidden in its belly is a doom like no other: the dragon Niðhöggr, the Malice-Striker, an ancient vessel of destruction from the Elder Days. And while it is no longer the mighty wyrm of Ragnarök, the beast’s breath still bears upon it a pestilence, a plague that will echo through the ages as the Black Death.
But the world of Men has a strange champion – another creature of the Elder World: a snarling, spitting knot of hatred, profane and blasphemous, whose ancestors were the goblins of myth and legend; he is a monster in truth, though nevertheless he stands as the last bastion between humanity and the cold silence of oblivion. He is Grimnir, and he has hunted the Malice-Striker for more than a century, from the cold wastes of the Baltic to the dank cisterns beneath Constantinople.
Now, as the plague stalks through Western Europe – and as the dread wyrm slithers through Italy, bound for Rome on its mission to devour the head of Christendom – Grimnir must contend not only with the beast’s insidious cunning, but with the iron fist of the Papal Inquisition, and the army of a vengeful Italian condottiere. Grimnir, however, is not without allies of his own. Accompanied by a Jewish witch and mystic, and aided by the fey King of the Mongrel Court, a troupe of half-blooded creatures bound for Finisterre and the World’s End, Grimnir sets the stage for a final showdown.
For at Avignon, the papal enclave on the River Rhone, the Doom of Odin will fall, and the Elder World will finally meet its bloody end. The only question that remains is: will Miðgarðr and the world of Men survive this deadly clash of titans?”

Grimnir is the last of his species. His kind has tormented the human race since time immemorial. Their reputation has meant that people have given them the chilling names of Corpse-makers and Life-quenchers. His great age had forced him to stay deep in the shadows, but now he has emerged for one thing only; vengeance. The world has changed since he last saw the sun, the Old Ways have retreated and a new religion has gained traction and support in the world, but Grimnir will not be swayed from his destiny. He kidnaps a follower of the Nailed God to use as a guide on his journey from Denmark through war-torn southern England and across the sea to the city of Dubhlinn where his enemy and foe awaits.

Scott Oden has deftly woven a story set in the Dark Ages with elements of mythology and fantasy permeating the plot, without feeling like that one has been bolted onto the other. The plot pace varies throughout, with the battle scenes feeling suitably realistic whilst managing not to glorify the gore. The pace did twist and turn reasonably well as well as Grimnir turbulent relationship with Étaín, his captive, adding much-needed depth to the plot, however, I felt that there were the odd time when it dragged unnecessarily. There is excellent detail on the landscape that they travel through in the time set, with only the odd minor discrepancy as far as I could see. What was refreshing for a fantasy book is this is a standalone volume with no sequels; there will be others set in the same world with the Grimnir character supposedly, which I will defiantly be reading. 3.5 stars.

I haven’t read anything by Homer and while I know the basics of Odyssey and his journey, there is much to learn. Mostly I know Circe, Calypso etc by name but that’s about it. In a way, it’s a good thing since I don’t have anything to compare these characters to.

My favorite chapters were with Penelope. I loved seeing how she manages to keep the throne during all those years her husband was away. She had to be clever to do that since the majority of Ithaca’s men were gone to war or died on the journey. And she was realistic enough to wonder how he would explain his absence during all those years away.

Another awesome collaboration from the authors. David Blixt, Scott Oden, and Amalia Carosella were new authors for me. Another great book by The H Team and I’ve really come to look forward to these books.

We have all heard of Odysseus' journey and the fanciful tales he brought back while being away for 20 years after the War of Troy. We have heard the stories from Odysseus' point of view, now the H Team brings us the stories from the point of view of those that he told the tales about. Through Penelope, we find out how she ruled singularly as a Queen, through Telemachus, we learn what it was like to grow up without a father and King, we learn the stories behind the Kyklops and Sirens and the witch Circes as well as Calypso.

I have loved reading the past stories that the H Team has cooked up and couldn't wait to read what they have developed for Odysseus. Seven different stories and points of view woven seamlessly together to tell of Odysseus from the other side. To me, this was an ingenious way of getting to know the real Odysseus, as he was known as a trickster. In this context, the gods and goddesses still existed, however, some of the mythology was dispelled. I enjoyed reading every different story on their own and couldn't wait to see who would give me insight into Odysseus next. The themes of Odysseus' tales stayed true, pride, oath, service, gratitude, survival and perseverance are still strong subjects throughout each tale. While I appreciated each story, there were several that stuck out for me. Penelope and Telemachus' tales were those of survival. I was impressed with Penelope's cunning and skill to stop her people from attacking her home in the absence of a king and her ingenuity to make money for her land. Telemachus was an interesting character for me, I felt his pain at his father's departure and wanted him to grow into a leader as much as Penelope did. Circe's tale also entranced me. Instead of a witch who trapped Odysseus on an island, Circe has been banished to the island with her handmaids and has been making do on her women-led island. When Odysseus arrives, he is a problematic for the women and uses them at his will. Overall, I was amazed at how Odysseus' story changed from the point of view of the other characters and how I was still entranced by the amazing journey and stories that have been created.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I first read The Iliad and The Odyssey when I was in high school. It’s been a while since I’ve revisited either tale but they will be there for me whenever I decide to. I do remember being enthralled with Odysseus’s travels while my friends looked at me like I had two heads. High school….

A Sea of Sorrow brings the tales of Odysseus to life but in a very different way than our old friend Homer. There are six short stories in the book each one taking a piece of the legend and telling it from the opposite point of view. Instead of reliving the tale through the acts and deeds of Odysseus we see rather the impacts of them.

What makes this book special is that since each story is written by a different author it does have a different voice so that even though the book carries through the story of Odysseus the various characters are there to tell it their own way. It brings the familiar story to life in a whole new way. And don’t worry if you haven’t read Homer – you will still enjoy this book. It might even spur you on to read the original.

A Sea of Sorrow is an enthralling collection of stories that I will keep to revisit. What is so nice about a book like this is that you can pick it up to read one of the tales and be satisfied. But trust me, you will want more.½

A great blend of Myth and Fantasy. Filled with strong characters that I really liked and one that I am not sure if I love or hate. I will try to get a review on my blog soon but I have been saying that a lot lately. But for now I would actually rate this 4.25 stars

I am finally making a dent in my TBR but my TB Reviewed is getting longer than ever. Oh and Scott gave me a copy of the book but that in no way changes my review

A Gathering of Ravens delivers an Orc with serious depth, and he carries a bloody seax too.
“Since young adulthood, I’ve wanted to write a book about Orcs—those foot soldiers of evil first revealed to us in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. I wanted to write it from the Orcs’ point of view. And I wanted to redeem them.” – Scott Oden, Author’s Note from A Gathering of Ravens

Scott Oden did not want to “write about a redeeming orc,” or the “redemption of an orc.” Rather, the author set out to present an orc that was not shallow, zombie-like drone (ala Tolkien, and most of high fantasy novels stereotype).

The milieu in A Gathering of Ravens is reminiscent of Poul Anderson’s Viking Age The Broken Sword, being full of Dane’s and Celtic faeries and Norse myths. The style is more readable than that classic, but is still saturated with just the right amount of call-outs to geographies and history to blur the lines between fantasy and history. This is no historical fantasy, but the foundation of history is so well played the fantasy feels “real.”

Equally balanced are the sorceries of Celtic witches, Norse deities, and Christian beliefs. All supernatural “sides” of faiths conflict here. All are presented as real, though some are being superseded.

So who is the orc protagonist employed by Scott Oden to redeem the orc culture? He is Grendel’s brother, as named by some. The lady Étaín, a servant of the Christian God, the Nailed One, and unlikely companion of him describes him:
“He is called Grimnir… the last of his kind, one of the kaunar—known to your people as fomóraig, to mine as orcnéas, and to the Northmen as skrælingar. In the time I’ve known him, he has been ever a fomenter of trouble, a murderer, and as cruel a bastard… I can vouch neither for his honesty nor his morals, as he is bereft of both. And while he did kidnap me, threaten me with death, mock my faith, and expose me to the hates of a forgotten world, he also saved my life …”

Grimnir is a brutal bastard. His name suits him, since he might as well be caring a flagstaff with the contemporary “Grimdark subgenre” splayed upon it. Yet his predicament and motivations are compelling as any vigilante hero. Way to deliver on your muse, Scott Oden!

The story in Scott Oden's, A Gathering of Ravens. takes place a thousand years in the past. It is a mix of legend, history, myth, magick, and the growing influence of Christianity. It's not the kind of fare I would usually read or review, but I'm so glad I picked this up.

An epic tale from an orc's point of view. From the synopsis of A Gathering of Ravens...

"To the Danes, he is skraelingr; to the English, he is orcnéas; to the Irish, he is fomoraig. He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind—the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days."

At its root, the story is about Grimnir's quest for revenge against the Half-Dane Bjarki. A Gathering of Ravens is filled with wonderful characters, even secondary players like Blind Maeve are imbued with life in this wonderfully layered tale.

"With sudden vehemence, Grimnir carved his seax through the Saxon's throat. He slashed once. Twice. And on the third blow vertebrae crunched as the dead man's head came free. Grimnir straightened, holding his prize by its long hair."

If you like stuff like that, A Gathering of Ravens is definitely a tale worth your time. Treachery, double-crosses, epic battles, and unexpected compassion. All leading to the climatic Battle on the Plain of Tarbh.

"...carved the blade across (his) belly and ripped him open from right to left, viscera tumbled out, loops of red and purple intestine, sacks of organs; blood splashed the roots of the tree, and the stench of bowel rose from the cavernous wound."

Recommended.

A Gathering of Ravens: A Novel is available in both hardcover and e-book formats from Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press.

From the author's bio - Scott Oden was born in Indiana but has spent most of his life shuffling between his home in rural North Alabama. a hobbit hole in Middle-earth, and some sketchy tavern in the Hyborian Age. When not writing he can be found walking his two dogs or doting on his lovely wife, Shannon.

I've always liked short stories, and this one is very enjoyable. I haven't read much Orc fiction (outside of Tolkien)... actually, outside of Tolkien, this is the only Orc fiction I think I've ever read. Anyway, I really liked it.

Wow! I can't believe I haven't been reading Harold Lamb already. These stories were uniformly good.

I was really impressed with Scott Oden's "Memnon." First, his combat scenes are incredible. I felt like I was there. I have never said this about another author before, and it feels weird writing it, but it's true: Scott Oden writes mass battle scenes better than Robert E. Howard. He engages all the senses in his writing in a magnificent and realistic manner. I didn't so much as read this novel as experience it. I really felt like I was there, side-by-side with Memnon.

It was written with an epic scope, spanning much of Memnon's life, with left the reader with large gaps in his history, but that only added to the realism - as though Memnon and I had seperated for a while to do other things, then got back together later. I have only had a couple of writers able to create that kind of experience for me, so Scott Oden is rare company as far as I am concerned.

That the author was able to do so much with so little historical information is a testament to his skill at both history and fiction.

This is one of my new favorites, a category that includes "Frankenstein," "Gone with the Wind," "Dracula," "The Hour of the Dragon," and "Lord of the Rings." This novel had the right strokes of adventure, history, and magic. As an homage to REH, the novel also works. I hope there is a sequel in the works, not only because of the strings left untended at the end, but because I want to read more adventures of Assad.

Do yourself a favor, if you are reading this review... read this novel. It takes a lot to impress me, and this novel impressed me. His writing was evocative, and drew me into the culture and world of Cairo at that time.

This was entertaining. I'm pretty sure he is trying to set up a series. Bernard Cornwall fans would enjoy this adventure. (Although this is lassified as historical fiction, I think that's a stretch.)

This was much better than Lion of Cairo. Interesting and well-written.

bought this book in 2010, I think. I started reading it but abandoned it. I always intended to get back to it, one day. It took awhile, though. What spurred me was the fact that I decided to rebuy it in epub, to replace the pdf copy I bought in 2010. And I am glad I did.
One word can describe this book: Epic. At times, it felt almost like I was reading fantasy novel, with minium of magic. This isn't fantasy, but Historical fiction. This isn't my favorite genre, since it often involves bloody, gorefilled battles.. ( I know, I have probably read the wrong books). But this book were different. Oh, there were battles in it. What made me love this were the vivid settings, and the human characters.
The settings made me feel as if I were walking through Memphis, standing on the ship on the way to Gaza, feeling the wind tussling my hair. My heart ached everytime Barca lost one of his friends. The ache tenfolded when I realised the source of The Beast. At the start of the book he was almost a murdering machine. He live for battle. Yet through the book, he change. He starts to feel compassion. That change stems from Jauharah and her patience.
Jauharah... I wept for her. For her loss, for the pain she had suffered, and for the choices she had to make.
And Callianestes...I admired him for daring to what was right. Heck, I admired all the characters for their honor and courage.

The combination of the characters and the setting created a riveting tale, that I just couldn't put down. But, as I read it, I was reminded that history goes in circles, and that no civilisation last forever.

What I didn't like. I'll admit it. I wish there was a happy ending, since is Hasdrabal Barca and Jauharah had earned it. Yet, that would make it a romance, which this isn't.
Still, I'll definitely read more by Scott Oden in the future.

The title alone is pretty generic and off-putting, but Oden writes well, and if you're into stories that sound like Robert E. Howard, you'll enjoy this one of an Orc warrior battling against a witch-woman amidst a destroyed city. Nice atmosphere--but would mean more to me if I had more context.½

This book quickly grabbed me and pulled me in. I loved Oden's description of Barca's rage and Barca's relationship with Jauharah. The final battle in the book was thrilling and very emotional.

Unfortunately I gave up on this. I like historical fiction normally

Good read. The creation of a new Hero in Hasdrabal Barca. The taming of the beast and the end of an empire collide to create a splendid tale.

This was a disappointment.

Although Oden seems to have a grasp of the era, the book simply did not grap me. Perhaps because the author seemed never able to leave his own era behind (ahead?) and truly embrace the era in which his characters supposedly lived, breathed, fought, loved and died.

More Memphis on the Mississippi than Memphis on the Nile.

I will give his work another chance, however. There is a lot of ability, just not yet marshalled.

I couldn't finish it. It wasn't really all that interesting.