Dilvish the Damned by Roger Zelazny

Dilvish the Damned by Roger Zelazny

Dilvish remains one of Zelazny’s best characters. A hero who has the misfortune of stumbling across an evil wizard preparing to sacrifice a woman to some dark god, Dilvish is banished to hell where he spends a couple of centuries before managing to escape again. He returns determined to gain vengeance and in the possession of a handful of devastating offensive spells (but no little magics like unlocking a door). He also has a companion, a steel demon horse named Black who is by far the best character in the series.

 

Each “chapter” is a short story published over the length of Zelazny’s career and they get better as Zelazny developed his talent. The first I read was Tower of Ice and it remains my favorite, but frankly all are quite enjoyable. Ultimately this is a story of a man consumed with the need for vengeance who never quite loses the hero within him.