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Stormbringer

Stormbringer

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 6 of 6: The conclusion to the series maes it all worthwhile.
Review: Michael Moorcock, Stormbringer (DAW, 1977)

Moorcock, in his acknowledgements, calls Stormbringer the first novel he ever wrote. (Much of what has come before in this series, in truth, is collections of shorter works.) It makes sense, in that Stormbringer, the last of the classic Elric novels, is a more coherent piece of work than those that have come before it, and is thus an easier read despite its being forty to seventy pages long than the other books in the series.

As the novel opens, Elric, Moonglum, and Zarozinia, with some other old friends and a large delegation from the southern and eastern continents, are trying to figure out what to do about Jagreen Lern, the sorceror king of the island nation of Pan Tang. Lern has allied himself with Elric's old masters, the Lords of Chaos, and Lern and his army are taking over the planet, piece by piece, with Chaos reshaping the planet into formless mass wherever it goes. The Lords of Law are stuck behind barriers raised by Chaos, and unable to communicate with earthbound folk; is the fate of the world sealed?

Of course not, this is fantasy literature.

Much of the pleasure of reading Stormbringer comes from seeing all the elements of the previous five books wrapped up into one neat package. I have mentioned before Moorcock's inability to foreshadow without hitting one in the face with a week-old herring with "FORESHADOWING" writ large in purple gothic script, but the effect of that is lessened greatly when the payoff is so much fun.

There are, once again, two factors which keep Stormbringer from a leap from the world of good, solid fantasy into the world of immortal literature. The first is the final battle between Elric and Jagreen Lern, which takes place over, essentially, the whole novel. The ability to draw such a thing out to almost two hundred pages is a rare quality in itself, but one cannot read of war on such an epic scale in a fantasy setting and not compare it to the final battle in Tolkein's The Return of the King; whereas much writing in any genre would be found wanting when compared to that scene, it seems more so when the subject matter is so parallel. Second, after it's all over, there is the inevitable denouement (as there must be in any classic tragedy). Again, Moorcock has set it up well, and with slight modifications it would have stood up to the rest of the novel; in fact, the rest of the series (and one of the tests of a truly great series is whether its last scene is a fitting, and well-scripted, ending to the whole schlemiel). Unfortunately, the last line of dialogue in the novel is unforgivably cheesy. All the more so because it's followed up with a perfect last sentence.

But the series ends, all is right with the world, and the reader must sit back and marvel at how well executed the whole thing is. Astounding, to say the least. ****

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best heroic fantasy book I have ever read!!!
Review: Moorcock draws you into a world rich with color and texture . Some of the best narrative ever written take you on a journey filled with war, love, sorcery, trechery, and the ultimate quest for Justice. The Elric series features the most popular anti-hero of all time. Stormbringer, Elric's sword and nemesis/friend is at his side in this adventure which has the best ending in heroic fantasy history. A don't miss!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Real tragedy
Review: Moorcock says he wrote these because he was disappointed with Tolkien (who had been supportive of him in his boyhood) because Lord of the Rings didn't have the acceptance of death of the Eddas, Beowulf and so on. Stormbringer very closely echoes the Norse myths where heroes have to die in order to renew the world and while Moorcock lacks the sophisticated Anglo Saxon scholarship of Tolkien, he responds better to the raw subject matter of myth and legend. That is why Elric, while not as consistently written as Lord of the Rings, has its power and why all Moorcock's books have their power. He never avoids the fundamental realities of life. Indeed, they are his subject matter. As a result he can't provide the levels of escape Tolkien and his imitators offer. It is why Hamlet is at every level a superior work to Lord of the Rings. It is why Dickens was greater than his imitators and it is why Robert Louis Stevenson, H. Rider Haggard and Arthur Conan Doyle continue to last where there more favoured literary contemporaries have disappeared -- those writers rooted their adventure fiction in a solid acceptance of the real world, the harshness as well as the romance. Stormbringer is a fine, vivid read and it works, in spite of its origins almost. It is a significant book because it was Moorcock's first full-length novel and it contains most of the obsessions which he develops both through his Eternal Champion series and his mainstream literary novels like King of the City. In Moorcock there is no difference between fantasy and reality because his fantasy actually addresses the realities we all have to deal with and his realistic fiction frequently addresses our common fantasies. Above all, however, Stormbringer is a fast, furious, emotionally engaging and wildly exhilerating Good Read!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Review: Stormbringer (Elric Saga) (Michael Moorcock)
Review: Plot:
Elric, Crimson-Eyed Albino, Last Emperor of Melnibon?, Kinslayer (and many more unflattering titles), is still closely bound to his sword, Stormbringer. It being a product of Chaos, much like himself, makes it the perfect weapon against his former Masters.
In this book, the last of the Elric Saga, Elric will at long last learn his Fate. More yet, he will have to blow the Horn of Fate, thrice, before the World can be reborn. But of course, the Lords of Chaos aren't just going to let him destroy everything they own, everything they are.
It's an all out Battle against the Dukes of Hell themselves, and Elric is running out of Allies. The Sourcerer-Albino still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the Horn of Fate is able to help him rouse the Dragons of Melnibon? from their slumber on the Dragon Isle.
But it will take more than the Mighty Melnibonean Dragons to overcome these forces of Chaos.

While his enemies are numerous and the most powerful forces in all of the Multiverse, Elric is aided by The Servants of Fate. And that is help one cannot overlook.

Of course, that's all I can say, I can't spoil the entire book for you, wouldn't be nice.

Characters:
Michael Moorcock's characters are somewhat unique. Elric most of all. He is in some ways a typical anti-hero, though so much more. The characters, and particularly Elric, are very well thought out, and as Moorcock would say "They're everything Tolkien's characters aren't".
Moonglum is in many ways (still) the exact opposite of Elric. Though they are both part of a greater being, and serve a common purpose, they are entirely different.

Dyvim Slorm again is completely different. Whereas Elric lacked certain Melnibon?an traits (among other things due his albinism), he is the perfect example of a True Melnibon?an. What that means, you will have see for yourself.

Still, you will have to read the book to get better acquainted with all the characters. Who knows, you might just like some of them .


Book's Cons:
The only downside to this book is that it is the last one in the Saga. After this there is nothing more for Elric. Once you read the Final Chapter you know that it's time to let go of what is in my opinion the most amazing character in the history of Fantasy! You might just shed a tear, though that's not really a bad thing.

Book's Pros:
The best part of the book is that despite its being Fantasy, very dark and gloomy Fantasy, you can still relate to it. Of course, you can't relate to going up against the Lords of Chaos, but Elric is a very emotional character in some ways, and that is something everyone can relate to.
I'm not going to lie to you, not many people will like this book. Fantasy is already a somewhat 'despised' genre among many, and Moorcock is possibly one of the more despised writers ever, but that alone is a great proof of his awesome talent.

If you like a very exciting book, of which you know the end will be sad; if you like Moorcock's Multiverse, his Champion Eternal, his struggle for the Balance; then you will love this book. If not, then you won't.

The best 'pro' however is this one: Elric can kick some serious ass with that bad ass sword of his! Go Stormbringer!


Other Comments:
To put in the word those silly kids nowadays use "OMFG IT PWNZ!11!!".
Erhm, I mean, yes, the book rocks.
In all seriousness, this is my favourite book in my favourite Saga by my favourite author. Before I read Moorcock's books I thought nothing could get better than The Lord of the Rings, boy, was I wrong.



Rating: 5 stars
Summary: absolutely delightful.
Review: Probably the funnest read of my life. I read the Elric series as a young boy growing up in the seventies and enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed the Star Wars saga. Stormbringer was the best, followed by The Sailor on the Seas of Fate. This is escapism which unxepectedly raises very immediate and philosophical contemplation. After years of reading (culminating in a useless degree in literature), I still feel that this book has the best ending of any I have ever read. Brilliant.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring
Review: Stormbringer is analagous to expecting a 300 gram fillet steak with all the trimmings and getting a 50 gram beef patty from your local takeout joint instead - all promise with no delivery. The author takes us on a long meandering journey through the life of Elric while attempting to weave a profound commentary on the human state. I found the book to be boring and repetitive - after the first few chapters you get a bit tired of being reminded that the sword "drinks souls" and is an evil twisted object of power with its own dark agenda. The book is superficial while maintaining a facade of depth through the use of obscure words found in the English language. My recommendation is not to bother.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: In Billion Spheres I'll knee to Michael Moorcock
Review: The all books what i read took a 'food' for my own imagination. Before reading next book of Michael Moorcock I know that it will be very useful for my vision of life. I like all his histories because they different each other and all realities might be!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fantastic ending to an amazing series
Review: The Elric books had everything: an original plot, one of the most fascinating characters in all of fiction, disturbing ideas about how much anything really matters, and a rich, dark atmosphere that instantly pulled you in. In Stormbringer, Moorcock brings this epic to a close in typically grandly tragic style. The end of the world, triumph through defeat(or the other way around?), the systematic isolation of Elric from all he cares about, and Elric's final quest to be forgotten all come together to make this series go out in a bang fitting to how quickly and strongly it gripped us all in the first book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must read for the Elric fan
Review: The last book of the series, the end of the Elric Saga, and quite a surprising finish. For those who think it boring, Elric and his story are not for you. Read the other books first, then finish with this one to find out what happens to the white-haired prince who is a pawn of chaos, but turns to be a servant of law in order to break his slavery. Unfortunately, neither law nor chaos can control this man of great power. Great, great series. Very dark, very somber, but at least it's not picking-flowers-fantasy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Vic Pompa
Review: The whole Stormbringer series was good.I could NOT I could not put the books down until I finished the series.


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