Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.
The Saga of Solomon Kane Written by Writer: Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, Don Glut, et al Art by David Wenzel, Howard Chaykin, Steve Carr, Neal Adams, Al Williamson, Bill Wray, et al
Promo copy:
From his pulp-fiction origins in Weird Tales to his latest Dark Horse incarnation, Robert E. Howard’s sixteenth-century Puritan adventurer has captured the imaginations of readers for decades. Now all of the Savage Sword of Conan short stories from the 1970s are collected for the first time: equal parts comics adaptations of Howard’s formative tales and inspired new chapters from venerable scribes Roy Thomas (Conan the Barbarian) and Don Glut (Kull the Destroyer)! Follow along Kane’s restless travels with pistol and rapier as he is compelled to be a weapon of God, ridding the world of evil wherever it may be found — from the jungles of Africa to the high seas, and whether cannibal, demon, vampire, or pirate!
* A fantastic companion volume to Dark Horse’s best-selling Savage Sword of Conan omnibus series!
* Contains short stories from various Savage Sword of Conan and Conan Saga issues, and from Kull and the Barbarians #2 and #3, Marvel Preview #19, Monsters Unleashed, and Dracula Lives.
Sasha by Joel Shepherd
Promo copy:
Spurning her royal heritage to be raised by the great warrior, Kessligh, her exquisite swordplay astonishes all who witness it. But Sasha is still young, untested in battle and often led by her rash temper. In the complex world of Lenayin loyalties, her defiant wilfulness is attracting the wrong kind of attention.
Lenayin is a land almost divided by its two faiths: the Verenthane of the ruling classes and the pagan Goeren-yai, amongst whom Sasha now lives. The Goeren-yai worship swordplay and honour and begin to see Sasha as the great spirit—the Synnich—who will unite them. But Sasha is still searching for what she believes and must choose her side carefully.
When the Udalyn people—the symbol of Goeren-yai pride and courage—are attacked, Sasha will face her moment of testing. How will she act? Is she ready to lead? Can she be the saviour they need her to be?
The Prodigal Mage (Fisherman’s Children Book One) by Karen Miller
Promo copy:
Many years have passed since the last great Mage War. It has been a time of great change. But not all changes are for the best, and Asher’s world is in peril once more.
The weather magic that holds Lur safe is failing, and the earth feels broken to those with the power to see. Among Lur’s sorcerers, only Asher has the skill to mend the antique weather map that governs the seasons, keeping the land from being crushed by natural forces. Yet, when Asher risks his life to meddle with these dangerous magics, the crisis is merely delayed, not averted.
Asher’s son Rafel has inherited the father’s talents, but has been forbidden to use them. Many died in the last Mage War and these abilities aren’t to be loosed lightly into the world. But when Asher’s last desperate attempt to repair the damage leaves him on his deathbed, Rafel’s powers may not be denied. For his countrymen are facing famine, devastation, and a rift in the very fabric of their land.
Stalking the Dragon by Mike Resnick
Promo copy:
It’s Valentine’s Day and private detective John Justin Mallory is planning on closing up the office early and taking his partner, Col. Winnifred Carruthers, out to dinner, since he’s sure no one else will do so. But before he can turn off the lights and lock the door, a panic-stricken Buffalo Bill Brody visits them. It seems that the Eastminster pet show is being held the next day, and his dragon, Fluffy, the heavy favorite, has been kidnapped.
Mallory’s nocturnal hunt for the miniature dragon takes him to some of the stranger sections of this Manhattan—Greenwitch Village (which is right around the corner from Greenwich Village and is populated by witches and covens); a wax museum where figures of Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre come alive; Gracie Mansion (which is haunted by the ghosts of former mayors); and the Bureau of Missing Creatures, a movie set where they’re filming a PBS documentary on zombies and various other denizens of the Manhattan night. As Mallory follows the leads and hunts for clues, he comes up against one dead end after another.
Along the way he meets a few old friends and enemies, and a host of strange new inhabitants of this otherworldly Manhattan. Aided by a strange goblin named Jeeves, Mallory has only one night to find a tiny dragon that’s hidden somewhere in a city of seven million.
More in Part I.