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djwudi's review against another edition
3.0
I ended up enjoying these -- not the _best_ fantasy I've ever read (though, admittedly, I'm more of an SF person), but far from the worst, and Elric's struggles make for a more interesting lead character than most heroes. Someday I'll have to track down the final two books in the series (the used bookstore where I found these only had the first four).
riduidel's review against another edition
3.0
Elric défend le château des dieux de la Loi contre son ennemi personnel, infiltre la cour des mendiants dans un passage qui me rappelle furieusement Fafhrd et le souricier gris, et rejoint ensuite Corum et Ereckose pour combattre un puissant sorcier. Cette dernière histoire pourrait aujourd'hui se voir comme du fan-service :l'auteur montre à ses lecteurs leurs héros préférés et c'est cool, même si je dois avouer que c'est un peu inférieur aux histoires où Elric amène les jeunes royaumes seul ou avec Tristelune.
kimwedlock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
xterminal's review against another edition
4.0
Michael Moorcock, The Vanishing Tower (DAW, 1970)
Some wag is bound to notice the odd release dates on the DAW definitive editions of the six "classic" Elric novels and ask "what's up?" It only starts making sense when you pair the books with the events therein; Moorcock makes mention of the events in The Vanishing Tower, for example, in The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (q.v.). Those events hadn't yet taken place in Elric's time, as Elric notes in The Sailor on the Seas of Fate; however, they had already taken place in Corum's time. And so yes, it does make some semblance of sense that the definitive Vanishing Tower was released four years before the definitive Sailor on the Seas of Fate. If that sounds confusing, well, it is. Trust me when I tell you that Moorock makes the whole thing as clear as possible. And it does make sense, in the greater scheme of the story.
The Vanishing Tower is where the divergent pieces of Elric's saga are weaved into a single tale; the saga of Elric's dealings with Melnibonë, his homeland, related in books one and three, and the saga of his journeys through the Young Kingdoms (as Melnibonëans call the rest of the world), related in book two, come together in book four.
Elric and his surviving countrymen are stateless wanderers, mercenaries hated and feared by those in the Young Kingdoms whom they dominated for ten thousand years. Elric is apart from the others (a rogue mercenary band led by Elric's childhood friend, Dyvim Tvar); he and his companion Moonglum are occupied by their own problems, most of the time. One of those problems is the desire if the rest of the surviving Melnibonëans to see Elric's head on a spear. But aside from that, Elric's patron deity, Arioch, is becoming more and more loath to help Elric, his actorios ring, his last link to the ancient dynasty of Melnibonë, has been stolen by the king of Nadsokor, city of beggars, and Elric, unused to life as a regular wanderer, has no concept of fiduciary responsibility. (That one tends to be a minor worry, as Moonglum is quite an accomplished thief, and there are no lack of people willing to employ the most powerful sorceror on the planet as a mercenary.) All of these factors weave in and out of the fourth book in the novel, coupled with all the usual strengths and weaknesses of Moorcock's writing in this series, culminating in Elric finally getting to the tower of the title and discovering yet another piece of his fate. It is here that Moorcock throws the series' most intriguing twist into play, but to mention the nature of that twist would be quite the spoiler; you'll just have to read the series for yourself. ****
Some wag is bound to notice the odd release dates on the DAW definitive editions of the six "classic" Elric novels and ask "what's up?" It only starts making sense when you pair the books with the events therein; Moorcock makes mention of the events in The Vanishing Tower, for example, in The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (q.v.). Those events hadn't yet taken place in Elric's time, as Elric notes in The Sailor on the Seas of Fate; however, they had already taken place in Corum's time. And so yes, it does make some semblance of sense that the definitive Vanishing Tower was released four years before the definitive Sailor on the Seas of Fate. If that sounds confusing, well, it is. Trust me when I tell you that Moorock makes the whole thing as clear as possible. And it does make sense, in the greater scheme of the story.
The Vanishing Tower is where the divergent pieces of Elric's saga are weaved into a single tale; the saga of Elric's dealings with Melnibonë, his homeland, related in books one and three, and the saga of his journeys through the Young Kingdoms (as Melnibonëans call the rest of the world), related in book two, come together in book four.
Elric and his surviving countrymen are stateless wanderers, mercenaries hated and feared by those in the Young Kingdoms whom they dominated for ten thousand years. Elric is apart from the others (a rogue mercenary band led by Elric's childhood friend, Dyvim Tvar); he and his companion Moonglum are occupied by their own problems, most of the time. One of those problems is the desire if the rest of the surviving Melnibonëans to see Elric's head on a spear. But aside from that, Elric's patron deity, Arioch, is becoming more and more loath to help Elric, his actorios ring, his last link to the ancient dynasty of Melnibonë, has been stolen by the king of Nadsokor, city of beggars, and Elric, unused to life as a regular wanderer, has no concept of fiduciary responsibility. (That one tends to be a minor worry, as Moonglum is quite an accomplished thief, and there are no lack of people willing to employ the most powerful sorceror on the planet as a mercenary.) All of these factors weave in and out of the fourth book in the novel, coupled with all the usual strengths and weaknesses of Moorcock's writing in this series, culminating in Elric finally getting to the tower of the title and discovering yet another piece of his fate. It is here that Moorcock throws the series' most intriguing twist into play, but to mention the nature of that twist would be quite the spoiler; you'll just have to read the series for yourself. ****
brian's review against another edition
5.0
Elric, accompanied by Moonglum, heads off on a mission of revenge against Thelb K'aarna.
Along the way he fights denizens of Chaos, a god and beings from another plane of existence that are immune to his magic.
There's an appearance by other aspects of the Eternal Champion and the usual questioning of fate preventing Elric from living as he chooses.
Good, old school swords and sorcery featuring everyone's favourite albino champion of Chaos and his soul stealing sword Stormbringer.
Along the way he fights denizens of Chaos, a god and beings from another plane of existence that are immune to his magic.
There's an appearance by other aspects of the Eternal Champion and the usual questioning of fate preventing Elric from living as he chooses.
Good, old school swords and sorcery featuring everyone's favourite albino champion of Chaos and his soul stealing sword Stormbringer.
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