CCamfield
First Post
I just finished re-reading these two books by Roger Zelazny after Piratecat mentioned Dilvish in another thread.
They are not by any means Zelazny's great works, or Great Works of Fiction. But they are a lot of fun.
The first book is a collection of connected short stories that Zelazny started writing back in the 60s, thus near the start of his career. He went back to the character in the late 70s, and then wrote the sequel novel, The Changing Land, shortly after that.
What makes the books notable is that Zelazny draws on the flavour of pre-Tolkienien fantasy authors like Robert Howard, Clark Ashton Smith (I think), and William Hope Hodgson. History and lost gods populate the stories.
This is exemplified in one of the first stories, The Bells of Shoredan in which our hero seeks the bells of an ancient and ruined city which, rung by one of his blood, will bring forth a legion doomed in a bygone age to fight for him in a war. While there, again become of his ancestry and his presence, the ghosts of the murdered last ruler and his assassin will play out their actions all over again.
The basic premise of the series is quite simple: Dilvish, a human with elven blood (I don't think he's a full half-elf) was a hero in some minor wars affecting a town called Portaroy. While patrolling the hills at night he came across an evil sorcerer about to perform a human sacrifice, who he tried to stop. For interfering, the sorcerer Jelerak cast a spell that turned him to a statue... and sent his soul to hell.
Two hundred years later, Portaroy is again threatened by war. Dilvish's "statue" stands in the town square. The need of the people is so great that Dilvish is summoned back to the land of the living. I'm not clear on this, actually; it also may have to do with a pact between himself and the demonic metal steed he acquired, Black.
Anyhow, once Portaroy is saved, Dilvish sets out on a quest for vengeance. Although two centuries are past, Jelerak - probably the most powerful and evil sorcerer in the world - is still very much alive. But Dilvish brought back from hell some of the darkest magic known - and he's willing to use it to bring down Jelerak, even if he dies in the process. And so, as they say, the adventure begins...
Unfortunately the books are now out of print, but if you can find them in a used bookstore, they're definitely worth picking up.
They are not by any means Zelazny's great works, or Great Works of Fiction. But they are a lot of fun.
The first book is a collection of connected short stories that Zelazny started writing back in the 60s, thus near the start of his career. He went back to the character in the late 70s, and then wrote the sequel novel, The Changing Land, shortly after that.
What makes the books notable is that Zelazny draws on the flavour of pre-Tolkienien fantasy authors like Robert Howard, Clark Ashton Smith (I think), and William Hope Hodgson. History and lost gods populate the stories.
This is exemplified in one of the first stories, The Bells of Shoredan in which our hero seeks the bells of an ancient and ruined city which, rung by one of his blood, will bring forth a legion doomed in a bygone age to fight for him in a war. While there, again become of his ancestry and his presence, the ghosts of the murdered last ruler and his assassin will play out their actions all over again.
The basic premise of the series is quite simple: Dilvish, a human with elven blood (I don't think he's a full half-elf) was a hero in some minor wars affecting a town called Portaroy. While patrolling the hills at night he came across an evil sorcerer about to perform a human sacrifice, who he tried to stop. For interfering, the sorcerer Jelerak cast a spell that turned him to a statue... and sent his soul to hell.
Two hundred years later, Portaroy is again threatened by war. Dilvish's "statue" stands in the town square. The need of the people is so great that Dilvish is summoned back to the land of the living. I'm not clear on this, actually; it also may have to do with a pact between himself and the demonic metal steed he acquired, Black.
Anyhow, once Portaroy is saved, Dilvish sets out on a quest for vengeance. Although two centuries are past, Jelerak - probably the most powerful and evil sorcerer in the world - is still very much alive. But Dilvish brought back from hell some of the darkest magic known - and he's willing to use it to bring down Jelerak, even if he dies in the process. And so, as they say, the adventure begins...
Unfortunately the books are now out of print, but if you can find them in a used bookstore, they're definitely worth picking up.
