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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Elric the Albino Emperor is one of the great fantasy characters. Check it out.
This book was forgettable at best. Elric is meant to be complex, philosophical, and morally grey, but he was just dull, flat, and boring. He seemed like a twelve-year-old’s idea of a cool badass hero. Yyrkoon could not have been a more obvious cardboard cutout of a villain if he’d had a literal mustache to twirl.
It had one whole entire female character, and she got to be a love interest AND a damsel in distress AND a one-dimensional character AND have her male partner ignore her wishes and mansplain her brother’s character. A coup for feminism!
It had one whole entire female character, and she got to be a love interest AND a damsel in distress AND a one-dimensional character AND have her male partner ignore her wishes and mansplain her brother’s character. A coup for feminism!
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Considering its influence on epic heavy metal, with countless awesome bands taking or at least drawing inspiration for their artwork from Michael Whelan's iconic illustrations, its quite an embarrassment that until now I hadn't read a single book in Michael Moorcock's Elric series. Now that I finally got around to at least get into the first novel (published in 1972) the fascination is easy to understand and share.
Each part of the book opens with an epic depiction of the events to come. You immediately find yourself in the mindset that you are reading about the stuff of legend. Our hero is Elric, the new emperor of the island kingdom of Melniboné (the Dragon Isle). The plot immediately takes off building towards the inevitable face-off between him and his cousin, Prince Yyrkoon, who challenges Elric's aptitude as the ruler.
Even the emperor himself worries that Yyrkoon might be right. He's an interesting protagonist because he broke with the traditions of his realm. He absolished the bloody rituals performed by his people to please the Lords of Chaos they serve. The Melnibonéans still prevail over the Young Kingdoms (the human races), but their dominance is weakening. Technically, Elric is their (428th) sorcerer-king, but he renounced sorcery and tends to show mercy against his enemies. There are many who think him weak and who would like to see his fierce cousin to seize the reign.
All the reader needs to know before the glorious action can begin is established in entertaining conversations that introduce us to the characters. There are descriptions of places – like the sea-maze of Imrryr (the Dreaming City) and the trade outpost, Tower of Monshanjik, at its center – but there are absolutely zero lengthy expositions. Through dialogs we mentioned the fantastic elements of their world, but we learn what they are when the Gods, Demons, Elementals, mythical weapons and objects, and parallel universes make their appearance in the story themselves.
I was completely drawn in by many of the descriptions. For instance, Elric when he goes into battle for the first time:
"Now he was in all his black gear: the massive breastplate, the padded jerkin, the long greaves, the mail gauntlets. At his side was a five-foot broadsword which, it was said, had belonged to a human hero called Aubec. Resting on the deck against the golden rail of the bridge was the great round war-board, his shield, bearing the sign of the swooping dragon. And a helm was on his head; a black helm, with a dragon’s head craning over the peak, and dragon’s wings flaring backward above it, and a dragon’s tail curling down the back. All the helm was black, but within the helm there was a white shadow from which glared two crimson orbs, and from the sides of the helm strayed wisps of milk-white hair, almost like smoke escaping from a burning building. And, as the helm turned in what little light came from the lantern hanging at the base of the mainmast, the white shadow sharpened to reveal features—fine, handsome features—a straight nose, curved lips, up-slanting eyes"
Or, to cite but one other example, the awe-inspiring arrival of the King of the Earth:
"And then, slowly, the heaving earth subsided and the ship was still and a huge, brown figure stood looking down at the ship. The figure was the colour of earth and looked like a vast, old oak. His hair and his beard were the colour of leaves and his eyes were the colour of gold ore and his teeth were the colour of granite and his feet were like roots and his skin seemed covered in tiny green shoots in place of hair and he smelled rich and musty and good and he was King Grome of the Earth Elementals."
The plot itself too is very stream-lined and a real pleasure to read. It's not so much about any big ideas or amazing places or spells, but about thrilling prose and cool situations that at least to my mind were just pure joy. The imagery of the seaside battle with the southlander barbarians, Elric and Cymoril's romantic date in the groves of nature interrupted by terrifying lightning and thunder, the arrival of the Ship Which Sails Over Land and Sea, the summoning of Straasha (Lord of the Water Elementals), the showdown of the Two Dark Blades – its thrilling all the way through!
But I also have to acknowledge that there are shortcomings that might bother some readers more than they did bother me. For once thing, Yyrkoon is far from being the intimidating villain he's set out to be. To be honest, I was surprised by how much of an incapable fool he turned out to be. There is also the later plot point of the Mirror of Memory that somehow just comes into Yyrkoon's possession almost purely out of convenience for the narrative. It's pulpy but didn't diminish my enjoyment of this classic.
The story established many staples I'm sure will be of bigger importance in the series – not the least the multiverse and the soul-draining sword – and I cannot wait to read more tales on the adventures of Elric!
Rating: 3.5/5
Each part of the book opens with an epic depiction of the events to come. You immediately find yourself in the mindset that you are reading about the stuff of legend. Our hero is Elric, the new emperor of the island kingdom of Melniboné (the Dragon Isle). The plot immediately takes off building towards the inevitable face-off between him and his cousin, Prince Yyrkoon, who challenges Elric's aptitude as the ruler.
Even the emperor himself worries that Yyrkoon might be right. He's an interesting protagonist because he broke with the traditions of his realm. He absolished the bloody rituals performed by his people to please the Lords of Chaos they serve. The Melnibonéans still prevail over the Young Kingdoms (the human races), but their dominance is weakening. Technically, Elric is their (428th) sorcerer-king, but he renounced sorcery and tends to show mercy against his enemies. There are many who think him weak and who would like to see his fierce cousin to seize the reign.
All the reader needs to know before the glorious action can begin is established in entertaining conversations that introduce us to the characters. There are descriptions of places – like the sea-maze of Imrryr (the Dreaming City) and the trade outpost, Tower of Monshanjik, at its center – but there are absolutely zero lengthy expositions. Through dialogs we mentioned the fantastic elements of their world, but we learn what they are when the Gods, Demons, Elementals, mythical weapons and objects, and parallel universes make their appearance in the story themselves.
I was completely drawn in by many of the descriptions. For instance, Elric when he goes into battle for the first time:
"Now he was in all his black gear: the massive breastplate, the padded jerkin, the long greaves, the mail gauntlets. At his side was a five-foot broadsword which, it was said, had belonged to a human hero called Aubec. Resting on the deck against the golden rail of the bridge was the great round war-board, his shield, bearing the sign of the swooping dragon. And a helm was on his head; a black helm, with a dragon’s head craning over the peak, and dragon’s wings flaring backward above it, and a dragon’s tail curling down the back. All the helm was black, but within the helm there was a white shadow from which glared two crimson orbs, and from the sides of the helm strayed wisps of milk-white hair, almost like smoke escaping from a burning building. And, as the helm turned in what little light came from the lantern hanging at the base of the mainmast, the white shadow sharpened to reveal features—fine, handsome features—a straight nose, curved lips, up-slanting eyes"
Or, to cite but one other example, the awe-inspiring arrival of the King of the Earth:
"And then, slowly, the heaving earth subsided and the ship was still and a huge, brown figure stood looking down at the ship. The figure was the colour of earth and looked like a vast, old oak. His hair and his beard were the colour of leaves and his eyes were the colour of gold ore and his teeth were the colour of granite and his feet were like roots and his skin seemed covered in tiny green shoots in place of hair and he smelled rich and musty and good and he was King Grome of the Earth Elementals."
The plot itself too is very stream-lined and a real pleasure to read. It's not so much about any big ideas or amazing places or spells, but about thrilling prose and cool situations that at least to my mind were just pure joy. The imagery of the seaside battle with the southlander barbarians, Elric and Cymoril's romantic date in the groves of nature interrupted by terrifying lightning and thunder, the arrival of the Ship Which Sails Over Land and Sea, the summoning of Straasha (Lord of the Water Elementals), the showdown of the Two Dark Blades – its thrilling all the way through!
But I also have to acknowledge that there are shortcomings that might bother some readers more than they did bother me. For once thing, Yyrkoon is far from being the intimidating villain he's set out to be. To be honest, I was surprised by how much of an incapable fool he turned out to be. There is also the later plot point of the Mirror of Memory that somehow just comes into Yyrkoon's possession almost purely out of convenience for the narrative. It's pulpy but didn't diminish my enjoyment of this classic.
The story established many staples I'm sure will be of bigger importance in the series – not the least the multiverse and the soul-draining sword – and I cannot wait to read more tales on the adventures of Elric!
Rating: 3.5/5
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Brilliant, completely brilliant. One of the best fantasy novels I've ever read
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes