Tales of Attluma by David C. Smith (Pulp Hero Press, 2020)
Sixteen sword & sorcery tales about sorcerers, warriors, lost loves, demons, and gods on the doomed island continent of Attluma. In his introduction the author mentions that he was initially influenced by the works of Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard. I felt that clearly as I was reading. Although I enjoyed some stories more than others, as a whole this was a fantastic read. While some of the stories are standard if excellent dark sword & sorcery fare, there are others that have themes that go beyond that.
The stories:
Descales’ Skull (4/5)
Three men bring together pieces of a sorcerer’s skull in hopes of being rewarded for their efforts.
The Generosity of the Gods (4/5)
Two bumbling fishermen enter a temple in order to test the power of the gods.
Feasting in Shadows (4/5)
Two people exploring a cave looking for ancient temples run into more than they bargained for.
Dark of Heart (5/5)
A soldier in prison for murder gets a second chance by leading a rescue party into a dangerous land. Absolutely thrilling. This story reminded me of the best of Robert E. Howard.
The Last Words of Imatus Istum (5/5)
A poet recounts the brutal tale of how his city was invaded by nomadic warriors on horseback. This story brought to mind the warriors of the Mongol empire and the devastation they brought when attacking cities.
Aliastra the Sorceress (5/5)
A count who has fallen on hard times gets involved with a sorceress longing for her long dead lover. I really enjoyed the theme of choices that this story explores.
Ithtidzik (4/5)
A student of sorcery who thinks he knows better than his master uses a demon to seek out an ancient tome.
Rhasjud’s Destiny (4/5)
Warriors grow concerned when they reach a city but their leader hides in his tent instead of giving the order to attack.
Blood Ransom (4/5)
A young man gets caught up in a plot to kidnap a princess.
Dark Goddess (5/5)
After raiding a city, the raiders find themselves attacked and haunted by something dark and deadly. Another story that reminded me of the warriors of the Mongol Empire.
Coome, Death (4/4)
A mysterious man named Akram enters a plague-ridden village and encounters a dying woman.
The Return to Hell (4/4)
Akram sets into motion his plan to lift the curse that he has been living with.
The Passing of the Sorcerer (5/5)
After a sorcerer and a princess become lovers, the city they reside in is attacked by demons. Smith packs a lot into this story as it touches on love, sacrifice, reincarnation, and how doing something small in the present can effect change in the future.
Patience Serves (4/5)
A lady visits a dying lord. A dark tale of vengeance.
The Sounding of the Gong (3/5)
Thieves attempt to steal from an old sorcerer and a young sorceress. An interesting story set during the end days of Attluma, but this one didn’t grab me as much as the others.
The End of Days (5/5)
The last survivors of Attluma race to escape the island continent as monsters and demons give chase. An epic final tale.
In Conclusion
My one criticism is regarding the Kindle version. While there’s a contents page at the beginning (that you have to swipe a few pages to get to) that allows the reader to navigate between stories, the contents menu at the top of the screen is limited and does not allow one to navigate between the stories.
Other sword & sorcery works by the author include a five-book series about a barbarian named Oron, a six book Red Sonja series based on the character from Marvel Comics, and the novel Sometime Lofty Towers. I have a paperback copy of the first Oron book and it’s available on Kindle. Here’s hoping the other books become available as eBooks in the future as I’ve never encountered them in the wild and online prices are pretty high. I’ve come across the Red Sonja books at one of the used bookstores I frequent but those books are pretty pricey as well. Sometime Lofty Towers was recently made available again as both a paperback and eBook from Brackenbury Books. One way or another, I’ll definitely be reading more from David C. Smith.
