Gods in Darkness: The Complete Novels of Kane

The three Kane books in my opinion are some of the best old style sc-fi/fantasy/horror written. It is not a Robert Jordon that sends you to sleep, it is that old fashion - torch under a blanket/can't put it down fantasy. I have read the three as separate novels and each one is awesome. Rather than some of the previous reviewers, I don't think that Bloodstone is a weaker novel - it is better seen as a faster, rollicking read not as layered or dark as the other novels. I love the "Who won this war, that killed so many" attitude that Kane invaringly answers "I did" - "but why", "because I lived and they died.". It is so refreshing to see what is called an anti-hero, but is probably more acurately called a realist in todays terms. Not quite an opportunist, as Kane will often sacrifice self needs for cold or hot revenge or dark justice. To me this is how more of our heros should be written - all of the care but for darker reasons :-) If you have not read these novels please do yourself a favour and do so. For Conan, Deathstalker, Corwin of Amber fans I belive you will be the richer. For Robert Jordon, Stephan Donaldson and those who want to read 1000 pages before the hero gets the fortitude to leave his town and love it - steer clear.

It doesn't get much better than this... Wagner's horror writing was in some ways superior, but his 'Kane' fantasy series was simply an outstanding contribution to the genre. Gritty, grim, & bloody with Lovecraft-like overtones, it will appeal to modern readers of George R.R. Martin and the like. If you like this, you will LOVE his 'Kane' short stories collected in 'The Midnight Sun'.

What I'm Reading: GODS IN DARKNESS - Karl Edward Wagner When Karl Edward Wagner began writing his Kane stories in 1970 he inherited the legacy of the barbarian hero from Robert E. Howard. Howard had almost single-handedly created sword-and-sorcery with his works, but Wagner - in creating his character of Kane - not only went back to the roots which had been planted by Conan and Kull (as so many other pale imitators had done), but also infused those roots with the rich traditions of fantasy and horror which had blossomed in the forty years since Howard had died. Kane is one part Elric, one part Conan, but a creation all his own. His tales inherit the purity of Howard's barbarism, but also reach back into Howard's own influences to crank up the elements of Lovecraftian horror. You can feel the influences of Moorcock, Leiber, Moore, and Tolkien bubbling beneath the surface. To this rich tradition, Wagner brought his own natural talent for the fantastical and the horrific, telling his stories with a brutal, beautiful prose. GODS IN DARKNESS, from Night Shade Books, is a collection of all three of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane novels: BLOODSTONE, DARK CRUSADE, and DARKNESS WEAVES. It has a sister volume, THE MIDNIGHT SUN, which collects all of the Kane short stories. BLOODSTONE Unfortunately, the first novel in this collection is almost certainly the weakest. Perhaps the most persistent and grating problem here is Wagner's infatuation with the thesaurus, coupled with an inordinate amount of obvious pleasure taken in finding the most obscure terms possible. The intention appears to an evocation of Lovecraftian prose, but the effect which Lovecraft so expertly crafts is rendered impotent through the sheer tenacity with which Wagner pursues it. The plot, while strong in many regards, is conveyed in an episodic fashion - with many events relegated off-stage with description or narration. The effect, in later works, is to keep the action focused on the primary cast of characters - seeing their place and their reactions within a large world. In BLOODSTONE, however, the effect is disjointed and further weakened by the fact that most of the characters (with the exception of Kane himself) have strong taints of the cliché about them. Coming to BLOODSTONE I had heard that Wagner was something of a hidden gem in the sword-and-sorcery genre: A writer whose talents compared favorably to Howard, Leiber, and Moorcock - but whose career had been cut tragically short by an early death. Reading BLOODSTONE, I was disappointed to discover an author of only mediocre skill. DARK CRUSADE Fortunately, the second novel in the collection is DARK CRUSADE, which should be on the reading list for any fan of sword-and-sorcery. I don't know if BLOODSTONE was just an early work which took its time getting into print, if Wagner was simply rushed or off his rhythm while writing it, or if Wagner had a major breakthrough between '75 and '76: Whatever the case may be, everything whi

Wagner's stories about Kane are not simply dark fantasy at it's best. It shows the influence of immortality on a human being. From our (mortal) point of view Kane looks quite evil until you understand that for Kane reality is totally different. He is the only constant thing in a world of change. Empires rise and fall but he stays the same. It's Wagner's greatest achievement to give us a look into the workings of a mind you can no longer consider simply human.

Gods in darkness is stunning dark fantasy containing three novels about unforgettable anti-hero named Kane.Kane is cursed to wander the world immoral until he is destroyed by the violence that he himself has created!the first book:Bloodstone, Kane has found a ring that part of ancient alien empire that will give him incredible power which he will use for conquest not knowing that he himself is being used by the Ring's sinsister masters in the bid to enslaving the planet! This story itself has terrifying scenes of monsters, magic and battles as Kane uses his army of froglike beasts in pursue of his goal!Second Book: Dark Crusade finds Kane joining forces with fanatical cult leader who seeks to conquer kingdom with the use of dark magic and finally in Darkness Weaves: Kane aids a depraved and hideous sorecress who wants to reclaim her empireby using a ancient race of aquatic demons and their advance technology! This book is brilliant marriage of horror of Lovecraft with violent swashbuckling of Robert Howard. Wagner's world-building skills are awesome and lyrical prose which heigtens the atmosphere of his dark world!Wagner's descriptions of gruesome and bloody battle scenes and intrigue and betrayal will have you turning pages all through the night! You may not like Kane, who acts more of a villian than hero but you can't stop reading about him and his dark adventures as his hunger for power almost consumes him and his world!