Suffering Rancor by Andy Bunch is an old school fantasy sure to please those who demand the classic elements found in the genre.

There is the young hero going through his right of passage. There is the villain of ultimate evil hell bent on taking over the world. There is the headstrong, but capable, princess determined to prove herself in a man's world. Mix in quirky side kicks, colorful characters, intrigue, adventure, magic, demons, zombies, lusty barbarians, pirates, nubile women, exotic locales and you have a tale Robert E. Howard could appreciate.

In the tenable peace time between the lands of Kardoma and Restorloke, an ancient evil that had been imprisoned in a pit of flesh eating mud in the middle of a magic-sucking swamp, beats the odds and manages to escape.

The church that had purged the lands of magic-using people five hundred years earlier to starve the evil Rancor into submission, did too good a job. Now the lands have all but forgotten magic, leaving a politically powerful but magic-less church with no means and no one left to stand in Rancor's way.

No one, that is, except Princess Ambria of Kardoma on her way to Restorloke to be her nation's ambassador, and Greymar, a swamp dwelling warrior who has just come into manhood in time to see many of his loved ones destroyed by Rancor's pirates.

Neither of them know the true potential that lies inside them. Rancor, however does, for he throws every power natural and unnatural at them to bring their untimely demise.

It's only a matter of time before their paths and their destinies cross and that's when the real fun begins.

Bunch has created a vivid world, rich in it's own history that could pass for a real place in time despite the fantastical creatures walking through it. Lovers of fantasy will enjoy not only the requisite "map of the realms" that gives context to the story at the beginning of the book, but also the pictures beginning many chapters created by artist Corey Pennington. The hurried water color and inkblot nature of the artwork lend themselves well to the portions of the book that are done in journal format by one of the hapless henchman of the evil lord chronicling his brutal return to power.

Fantasy "purists," though, may not like so much the introduction of gunpowder and muskets to the story, but they are incorporated convincingly, especially in the ocean going scenes. Indeed, in just about every aspect Bunch demonstrates a rich vocabulary when expressing his knowledge of seamanship, combat at arms...and women's clothing.

If you like your fantasies with more action and less fluff, follow a traditional formula, are out to entertain rather than make you think too much, then Suffering Rancor will fit nicely in your reading list. The only drawback is that the end of the story is the beginning of a series, leaving you suffering for more Suffering.