Reviews

The Runestaff by Michael Moorcock

will_cherico's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the best entry in the Runestaff series by far. It's incredibly emotional and it's so lean - the plot stays super interesting and never lets up. All the major characters, good and evil, get time to shine in a super fun way. There are what I understand to be references to other works in Moorcock's multiverse that made me really interested to read his other stuff. I really like Moorcock's depiction of "balance" not as perfect order, because I agree with him - that's a bit of a fascist idea. The Runestaff as an instrument of balance between that order and "chaos," which doesn't necessarily need to be a bad thing. It's a beautiful story that doesn't shy away from the death and destruction that comes with imperialism, and it's a series like nothing I've read before.

cookiedoof's review

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

hauteclere's review against another edition

5.0

Oldie but goodie!!

weng's review against another edition

5.0

The end comes quickly. Something about the structure of this book made me think of some ancient song or epic poem.

smiorganbaldhead's review against another edition

4.0

3.5/5. A fun adventure as always for Moorcock's Eternal Champion stories, and a mostly satisfying conclusion to Hawkmoon's first quartet. Some parts felt a bit rushed, and as in the previous book, I felt Oladahn was underused. Still, I've greatly enjoyed reading the Eternal Champion, and feel like the connections and mysteries that only unfold across multiple incarnations' stories make for a reading experience greater than the sum of its parts. After reading Hawkmoon, Elric, Corum, and Erekosë, I'm really looking forward reading the culmination in the Castle Brass trilogy.

mallorn's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

3.0

arthurbdd's review against another edition

2.0

Underwhelming conclusion to a mediocre series. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/the-runestaff-and-the-empires-end/

angrywombat's review against another edition

4.0

A pretty darned satisfying conclusion to the runestaff series, with Dorian Hawkmoon trying to battle against his fate and return home to castle Brass and his wife, but ending up taking down the Dark Empire.

I love that these 4 short novels tell a more epic tale than many modern doorstop series. Hawkmoon is a true hero who constantly rises to the occasion and overcomes terrible foes at the risk of terrible personal losses.

I'm still a bit miffed that we never know exactly what the runestaff is/does, and there are a lot of 'things behind the curtain' helping out Hawkmoon for reasons that are never quite clear - but it does add a nice sense of mystery.

I'm certainly going to consider more books by moorcock in the future.

ianbanks's review against another edition

3.0

I would have given this concluding volume four stars except for the gaping plot hole of Elvereza Tozer giving D'Averc and Hawkmoon both of his magic rings in the third book and then managing to steal them back while they were several dimensions away... Great conclusion otherwise and a kickarse speech from Yisselda about why women should fight if they want to.

kateofmind's review

4.0

Moorcock's demented imagination for baroque insanity, rather than his hand with theme or character, makes these Hawkmoon books stand out.