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A review by aldoojeda
Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore
4.0
Ever since I found out about C.L. Moore, I wanted to read Jirel of Joiry; a female writer with a female protagonist in the pulp era? I'm in!
This book gathers all the stories from the titular character. The first three (Black God's Kiss, Black God's Shadow, Jirel Meets Magic) that present us Jirel, the indomitable, fierce warrior, are actually very weak. Moore adds obstacle after obstacle for the sake of it, but doesn't adds up well. I was starting to believe that maybe it was too much hype for Jirel, but then the other two tales (The Dark Land, Hellsgarde) told me differently. These are great stories and actually made me wonder at every paragraph what will happen next. The last story (Quest of the Starstone, written along with Henry Kuttner, his husband) is a funny tale that introduces us to Northwest Smith. Also a very compelling story, although I believe it takes away a little protagonism from Jirel, who sometimes just stands there watching what Smith will do next.
What makes this book interesting, is that it let us see the evolution of Moore, from an inexperienced writer to a narrator capable of conveying powerful stories. And, in a genre dominated by the likes of Robert E. Howard and his Conan the Barbarian, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
This book gathers all the stories from the titular character. The first three (Black God's Kiss, Black God's Shadow, Jirel Meets Magic) that present us Jirel, the indomitable, fierce warrior, are actually very weak. Moore adds obstacle after obstacle for the sake of it, but doesn't adds up well. I was starting to believe that maybe it was too much hype for Jirel, but then the other two tales (The Dark Land, Hellsgarde) told me differently. These are great stories and actually made me wonder at every paragraph what will happen next. The last story (Quest of the Starstone, written along with Henry Kuttner, his husband) is a funny tale that introduces us to Northwest Smith. Also a very compelling story, although I believe it takes away a little protagonism from Jirel, who sometimes just stands there watching what Smith will do next.
What makes this book interesting, is that it let us see the evolution of Moore, from an inexperienced writer to a narrator capable of conveying powerful stories. And, in a genre dominated by the likes of Robert E. Howard and his Conan the Barbarian, it feels like a breath of fresh air.