When
it comes to writing heroic fantasy --- or sword and sorcery, if you will ---
nobody captures the drive and raw energy of the late, great Robert E. Howard
any better than Charles Gramlich. I dare anyone to read the opening passages of
MAGE, MAZE, DEMON (which you can do for free with the “Look Inside” feature on
the Amazon listing) and not feel compelled to keep reading.
You
will be swept up in the adventures of the barbarian Bryle as he is drawn into a
mysterious cavern, at first to escape a raging forest fire and then at the
summoning of a blind sorcerer. From there, in order to retrieve a powerful
talisman that will gain him his freedom, Bryle plunges into a series of challenges,
monstrous encounters, and narrow escapes as he is all the while negotiating the
threatening maze itself. And in addition to the twisting maze, there are also
some nifty plot twists.
Gramlich’s
writing style is intense and distinct, at times very stark, when need be very
richly detailed --- so much so that you’ll swear you can hear the ring of sword
steel and start to feel the dankness of the maze closing in on you.
If
your reading tastes run regularly toward heroic fantasy or if, like me, you
maybe haven’t sampled the genre lately, by all means check out this exciting
tale … and then go in search of the Gramlich byline for other fine work.
Strongly
recommended.
