Publication History |
"The Vanishing Tower" is the fourth in Michael Moorcock's six-book Elric
Saga, a classic of high fantasy, dark fantasy, and sword & sorcery. Like many
other of Elric stories, these were originally written as pulp serials. Readers who
like tight continuity should be warned that some of these adventures are more
closely connected than others.
The first section, "The Torment of the Last Lord," finds Elric and side-kick
Moonglum continuing their pursuit of the treacherous sorcerer, Theleb
K'aarna of Pan Tang. They must ally with and help Myshella, referenced in
"The Weird of the White Wolf" (Book 3 of the Elric Saga). Myshella has been
forced into an enchanted sleep. Meanwhile, Theleb K'aarna has a new ally of his
own.
In "To Snare the Pale Prince", Elric and Moonglum are tricked into traveling to
Nadsokor, the city of beggars, by the combined efforts of King Urish and
Theleb K'aarna, each of whom wants revenge against Elric for reasons of his
own. As with the other Elric stories, "To Snare a Pale Prince" is full of
conundrums, capricious gods, bizarre landscapes, unique and memorable
villains, believable supporting characters, a complete and philosophical world
view, and rushing action.
"Three Heroes with a Single Aim" returns to the theme of the Eternal
Champion. Restless, Elric strikes out into the Sighing Desert hoping to die in
peace. Instead, he learns that his arch-enemy Theleb K'aarna has gained a
device that he hopes can destroy the utopia Tanelorn. Elric again teams with
fellow incarnations of the Eternal Champion, Corum and Erekosë. In this tale,
the legends of Tanelorn and the Eternal Champion are flushed out, and there is
new insight into Elric's relationship with the ever-present Moonglum. Elric is at
his most loyal in the presence of such camaraderie, although his melancholia is
always just around the corner.
Critics of Elric will find all the usual faults: Moorcock glosses over some of the
more interesting features of his world, Elric too often relies on others to
extricate him from danger, and the multiverse theory leads to unnecessary
complications. More, with this volume, the reader will start to notice
repetitiveness in both plots and devices, as well as unevenness in Moorcock's
detail. Still, for its importance in the genre and sheer creativity, I rate it a 8 out
of 10.
Saga, a classic of high fantasy, dark fantasy, and sword & sorcery. Like many
other of Elric stories, these were originally written as pulp serials. Readers who
like tight continuity should be warned that some of these adventures are more
closely connected than others.
The first section, "The Torment of the Last Lord," finds Elric and side-kick
Moonglum continuing their pursuit of the treacherous sorcerer, Theleb
K'aarna of Pan Tang. They must ally with and help Myshella, referenced in
"The Weird of the White Wolf" (Book 3 of the Elric Saga). Myshella has been
forced into an enchanted sleep. Meanwhile, Theleb K'aarna has a new ally of his
own.
In "To Snare the Pale Prince", Elric and Moonglum are tricked into traveling to
Nadsokor, the city of beggars, by the combined efforts of King Urish and
Theleb K'aarna, each of whom wants revenge against Elric for reasons of his
own. As with the other Elric stories, "To Snare a Pale Prince" is full of
conundrums, capricious gods, bizarre landscapes, unique and memorable
villains, believable supporting characters, a complete and philosophical world
view, and rushing action.
"Three Heroes with a Single Aim" returns to the theme of the Eternal
Champion. Restless, Elric strikes out into the Sighing Desert hoping to die in
peace. Instead, he learns that his arch-enemy Theleb K'aarna has gained a
device that he hopes can destroy the utopia Tanelorn. Elric again teams with
fellow incarnations of the Eternal Champion, Corum and Erekosë. In this tale,
the legends of Tanelorn and the Eternal Champion are flushed out, and there is
new insight into Elric's relationship with the ever-present Moonglum. Elric is at
his most loyal in the presence of such camaraderie, although his melancholia is
always just around the corner.
Critics of Elric will find all the usual faults: Moorcock glosses over some of the
more interesting features of his world, Elric too often relies on others to
extricate him from danger, and the multiverse theory leads to unnecessary
complications. More, with this volume, the reader will start to notice
repetitiveness in both plots and devices, as well as unevenness in Moorcock's
detail. Still, for its importance in the genre and sheer creativity, I rate it a 8 out
of 10.
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| The Vanishing Tower (Michael Moorcock) By SC Bryce |
First Printing:
SFReader.com (Jan. 2, 2006).
SFReader.com (Jan. 2, 2006).
Second Printing:
SCBryce.com (Dec. 23, 2006).
SCBryce.com (Dec. 23, 2006).
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