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Erekosë #2
The Silver Warriors
The second novel in the History of John Daker, The Eternal Champion. Phoenix in Obsidian aka The Silver Warriors.
Erekose made his choice, and fought against humanity. With them destroyed, he has no choice but to find solace with the Eldren.
There is no rest for the Eternal Champion though, and again he changes, Urlik Skarsol is now Erekose and Erekose is Urlik, prince of the Southern Ice. He just wants to get back to his lover, but fate has other plans. He also now has the Black Sword, the stealer of souls, and it has much work to do before Erekose can rest.
Erekose made his choice, and fought against humanity. With them destroyed, he has no choice but to find solace with the Eldren.
There is no rest for the Eternal Champion though, and again he changes, Urlik Skarsol is now Erekose and Erekose is Urlik, prince of the Southern Ice. He just wants to get back to his lover, but fate has other plans. He also now has the Black Sword, the stealer of souls, and it has much work to do before Erekose can rest.
220 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
48 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,207 books3,744 followersMichael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.
During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
April 16, 2014
...And having slain my race, I was happy.He was John Daker and then he was Erekosë, he was Erekosë and then he was Ulrik Skarsol, he is the Eternal Champion, he moves through the dimensions of man when called. As Ulrik he goes to a world of ice, another Earth, an Earth at the end of its days, the sun hanging red and swollen and low in the sky. Here he is Lord of the Frozen Keep and off to Rowenarc the Obsidian City he goes, to meet the obese & evil Bishop Belphig the Lord Spiritual, to meet the ascetic & probably not-evil Shanosfane the Lord Temporal. He sleeps, he contemplates, he longs after his lost love Ermizhad and his lost world of the Eldren, he wonders why and wonders why and wonders why. He takes a strange schooner to travel the salty sea, to hunt, to befriend pirates, to finally meet the enemies of mankind, to use the ancients' old devices, to fly over seas to a fallen Moon, to solve mysteries and to protect the slowly dying cities of this sad counter-Earth. The writing is often lovely and evocative, the names are certainly striking, the ideas are striking as well. Too bad this novel drips like a faucet, drip drip drip, the pace is as glacial as the world itself, the hero is drippy as well, so much whining and mooning about and drip drip drip. I recommend this book to those lovers of literary fiction where the protagonist engages in tireless, tiresome hand-wringing and soul-searching from cover to cover. Oh the existential crisis of it all. Lovers of literary introspection, rejoice! Lovers of genre fiction, avoid! Still, the novel is a stylish one. For Moorcock completists.
July 5, 2020
In The Eternal Champion, John Daker, from our world, was summoned by the collective will of Humanity to a distant time when he became the champion Erekosë in the final war between Humanity and the Eldren.
Now, many years after the conclusion of that war, when he has found a certain kind of peace, he finds himself called again across Time and Space, this time directly into a Frank Frazetta painting.
No, really. He manifests in this world in the form of legendary hero Urlik Skarskol, and when he first appears he is riding his polar-bear-drawn chariot across the ice -- this particular world being mostly frozen and at the end of its run. The bears lead him to the decadent city of Rowernarc and its rulers, the decadent Belphig and the ascetic Shansofane. Again, Humanity is in trouble -- in this case, from the Silver Warriors who are reputed to come from a place called Moon somewhere on the far side of the world (according to legend, apparently this "Moon" place was once up in the sky?). And to fulfil his destiny, despite his reluctance, Urlik Skarskol will need to take up the Black Sword ...
Another relatively short & fast-reading novel -- I think I knocked it out in less than two hours -- but highly recommended to fans of old-school sword & sorcery.
Now, many years after the conclusion of that war, when he has found a certain kind of peace, he finds himself called again across Time and Space, this time directly into a Frank Frazetta painting.
No, really. He manifests in this world in the form of legendary hero Urlik Skarskol, and when he first appears he is riding his polar-bear-drawn chariot across the ice -- this particular world being mostly frozen and at the end of its run. The bears lead him to the decadent city of Rowernarc and its rulers, the decadent Belphig and the ascetic Shansofane. Again, Humanity is in trouble -- in this case, from the Silver Warriors who are reputed to come from a place called Moon somewhere on the far side of the world (according to legend, apparently this "Moon" place was once up in the sky?). And to fulfil his destiny, despite his reluctance, Urlik Skarskol will need to take up the Black Sword ...
Another relatively short & fast-reading novel -- I think I knocked it out in less than two hours -- but highly recommended to fans of old-school sword & sorcery.
July 23, 2021
A slight letdown after The Eternal Champion. It didn't contain any twists of the same caliber, nor nearly the same level of mental anguish or theatrical melodrama. Some of the same kind of moral quandaries were present, but they were far easier to solve, as it really was just one bad guy among a bunch of mostly good.
On the other hand, the frozen post-apocalyptic setting was much more inspiring and unique than the fairly generic medieval land of the first book.
On the other hand, the frozen post-apocalyptic setting was much more inspiring and unique than the fairly generic medieval land of the first book.
September 13, 2022
After abandoning his past identity as John Daker, Erekose made a choice to destroy humanity for the sake of preserving the last remaining Eldren. Suffering from severe guilt and depression from his unforgivable crime, he struggles to find comfort in the arms of his lover Ermizhad. Haunted by nightmares and the voices of other incarnations of the Eternal Champion, he struggles to stay sane and to remain in his current body.
Just when Erekose finally seems to have found peace at the cost of sacrificing his former comrades and loved ones, he is yet again summoned to another parallel dimension in the multiverse in another body where he is forced to wage yet another morally questionable battle against an unfamiliar force. He unwillingly takes on the mantle of Count Urlik Skarsol of the Frozen Keep. Against his will, he is once again forced to choose between one of two races to sacrifice for the benefit of the other.
This setting and incarnation of the Eternal Champion were much more interesting here than in the first Erekose book, but the characterization and the motives behind the conflict are even less developed. The world and society he finds himself in is strange and interesting, the lore behind the Silver Warriors who hatched from a fallen moon who supposedly threaten humanity is cool, but there was a large disconnect between the characters and their enemies this time around which made me not care too much about what happened to either side unlike the conflict between the humans and the Eldren from the first book. It doesn't have the same grandiose level of intrigue, complex world building and entertaining trippiness as other Eternal Champion series, but it's still good as a gloomy sword and sorcery romp. The pacing, action, eerie existentialism and philosophical monologuing are what I really enjoy about them and this one is no exception.
Just when Erekose finally seems to have found peace at the cost of sacrificing his former comrades and loved ones, he is yet again summoned to another parallel dimension in the multiverse in another body where he is forced to wage yet another morally questionable battle against an unfamiliar force. He unwillingly takes on the mantle of Count Urlik Skarsol of the Frozen Keep. Against his will, he is once again forced to choose between one of two races to sacrifice for the benefit of the other.
This setting and incarnation of the Eternal Champion were much more interesting here than in the first Erekose book, but the characterization and the motives behind the conflict are even less developed. The world and society he finds himself in is strange and interesting, the lore behind the Silver Warriors who hatched from a fallen moon who supposedly threaten humanity is cool, but there was a large disconnect between the characters and their enemies this time around which made me not care too much about what happened to either side unlike the conflict between the humans and the Eldren from the first book. It doesn't have the same grandiose level of intrigue, complex world building and entertaining trippiness as other Eternal Champion series, but it's still good as a gloomy sword and sorcery romp. The pacing, action, eerie existentialism and philosophical monologuing are what I really enjoy about them and this one is no exception.
November 18, 2014
Another I read Back in the 1970s. I really liked the Eternal Champion Cycle of books when i came across them. I suppose the best known books in that "series of series" are the Elric books. However if you read the Erekosë books, (including this one where Erekosë becomes Count Urlik Skarsol), the Corum Jhaelen Irsei books, the Dorian Hawkmoon books and so on you get a sprawling story that reaches across multiple worlds and throughout, well....lots of times (as the title Eternal Champion might imply).
You get some more "introduction" here as the Black Sword comes into play. We also begin to see the loneliness of the Eternal Champion's life here. Quite often throughout the ages (whether the Champion is aware he is the Champion of not) he or she suffers through only wanting to get "back to" or "to" the one he or she loves.
The Champion often just wishes to live a life without conflict and death...but because of being the Champion, can't.
As noted I like most of the core books to this series and can recommend them highly. that same is true here. Lots of action and imagination. Enjoy.
By the way there is an alternate title for this book, it's Phoenix in Obsidian.
You get some more "introduction" here as the Black Sword comes into play. We also begin to see the loneliness of the Eternal Champion's life here. Quite often throughout the ages (whether the Champion is aware he is the Champion of not) he or she suffers through only wanting to get "back to" or "to" the one he or she loves.
The Champion often just wishes to live a life without conflict and death...but because of being the Champion, can't.
As noted I like most of the core books to this series and can recommend them highly. that same is true here. Lots of action and imagination. Enjoy.
By the way there is an alternate title for this book, it's Phoenix in Obsidian.
April 26, 2015
http://panopticonitalia.blogspot.it/2...
Silver Warriors is the second volume of the fantasy saga of The Eternal Champion, written by Michael Moorcock and published on the UK market in 1970. The book belongs to the subgenre of sword and sorcery, with some contamination clockpunk.
The Eternal Champion is a recurring figure in all the works of Michael Moorcock (Elric, Hawkmoon, Corum), probably derived from your Avatar Hindu. It is a supernatural, godlike destined to reincarnate incessantly in order to bring balance in the Multiverse.
But let's get to the story.
Having exterminated the human race and saved Eldren, Erekose enjoying a period of peace with his beloved Ermizhad. All this is due to finish quickly because our is evoked on a frozen world, to save men from the Silver Warriors (an alien race with magical powers), assuming the guise of Urlik Skarsol Lands Frosts. We are a dying planet, as the sun is dying out, resulting in the extinction of all life. What's more, these perennially frozen deserts and oceans these gloomy teeming with monsters like sea snakes, deer and herons sea covered with scales.
The company and the customs of the men who inhabit this planet are baroque and decadent. They live with indifference and resignation its end, giving vent to their vile instincts. The death prompted by some as mere liberation and torture is applied as a daily pastime.
Nevertheless, other people do not care about all this and indulge in perverse sexual practices.
In this episode of The Eternal Champion, a major role will be played by the Black Sword and the Fate, recurring elements in all the works of Michael Moorcock and introduced in order to connect all the sagas in one big cycle adventures.
Silver Warriors is a great book to read in one breath, light years away from most of today's fantasy novels.
Silver Warriors is the second volume of the fantasy saga of The Eternal Champion, written by Michael Moorcock and published on the UK market in 1970. The book belongs to the subgenre of sword and sorcery, with some contamination clockpunk.
The Eternal Champion is a recurring figure in all the works of Michael Moorcock (Elric, Hawkmoon, Corum), probably derived from your Avatar Hindu. It is a supernatural, godlike destined to reincarnate incessantly in order to bring balance in the Multiverse.
But let's get to the story.
Having exterminated the human race and saved Eldren, Erekose enjoying a period of peace with his beloved Ermizhad. All this is due to finish quickly because our is evoked on a frozen world, to save men from the Silver Warriors (an alien race with magical powers), assuming the guise of Urlik Skarsol Lands Frosts. We are a dying planet, as the sun is dying out, resulting in the extinction of all life. What's more, these perennially frozen deserts and oceans these gloomy teeming with monsters like sea snakes, deer and herons sea covered with scales.
The company and the customs of the men who inhabit this planet are baroque and decadent. They live with indifference and resignation its end, giving vent to their vile instincts. The death prompted by some as mere liberation and torture is applied as a daily pastime.
Nevertheless, other people do not care about all this and indulge in perverse sexual practices.
In this episode of The Eternal Champion, a major role will be played by the Black Sword and the Fate, recurring elements in all the works of Michael Moorcock and introduced in order to connect all the sagas in one big cycle adventures.
Silver Warriors is a great book to read in one breath, light years away from most of today's fantasy novels.
January 27, 2016
While John Darker is yet another of the eternal champion incarnations, he is finally one that knows whom is is and remembers his other lives. A key book in the Eternal Champion series by Moorcock. A very good story and you get some more insight to the black sword mystery. Very recommended
March 24, 2015
If The Eternal Champion was a bleak meditation on war, The Silver Warriors is a bleak meditation of destiny and the price of victory.
April 25, 2025
Μέσα από τον απλοϊκό τρόπο γραφής του ο Μούρκοκ πραγματεύεται πάρα πολύ σοβαρές κοινωνικές πτυχές
Εκφυλισμός την ανθρωπότητας
Σάπιες κοινωνίες
Σοβαρά θέματα που έχουν απασχολήσει την ανθρωπότητα ανά τους αιώνες (ποιοι είμαστε, που πάμε τι ανώτερο υπάρχει)
Μετενσαρκώσεις και άλλα πολλά σε ένα έργο που με μια απλή ματιά λες «εντάξει κάποιος σφάζει κοσμο» αλλά κρύβει πολλά
Εκφυλισμός την ανθρωπότητας
Σάπιες κοινωνίες
Σοβαρά θέματα που έχουν απασχολήσει την ανθρωπότητα ανά τους αιώνες (ποιοι είμαστε, που πάμε τι ανώτερο υπάρχει)
Μετενσαρκώσεις και άλλα πολλά σε ένα έργο που με μια απλή ματιά λες «εντάξει κάποιος σφάζει κοσμο» αλλά κρύβει πολλά
July 16, 2014
So, there's a bit of a personal story to this one. I got a copy of this one around 1991. I think my grandmother had picked it up for me at the Salvation Army - an old, battered, well-used copy. Well, I had read about Moorcock's "Eternal Champion" books somewhere (I think in Dragon Magazine), so I remember I was excited to try it.
It wasn't like the fantasy I was used to. I mean, I loved Tolkien - The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were already old favorites. And I had played some Basic D&D and a little AD&D (1st edition - though not enough to really know how much Moorcock had influenced those, particularly AD&D (I hadn't really realized the significance of "Appendix N" back then). But anyway, I *loved* the story, strange though it was. I wanted more. But Moorcock's stuff could be kind of hard to find, back then.
Anyway, I lost the book somehow - I've moved easily a dozen times since then, I think - but I never forgot it. In the mid-2000s when Moorcock's "Elric" books were being reprinted in collections, I read as many of them as I could. But I never saw this one again.
Until last week I was in Bookmans, a local used book exchange, and saw a copy - the same cover I had way back when! So I picked it up for $2, and got to re-live the magic a bit. Funny thing - the copy I picked up in Phoenix, AZ, had traveled almost as far and long as I have - it was published in 1973, 2 years before I was born, and has a stamp from a bookstore in Massachusetts!
It wasn't like the fantasy I was used to. I mean, I loved Tolkien - The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were already old favorites. And I had played some Basic D&D and a little AD&D (1st edition - though not enough to really know how much Moorcock had influenced those, particularly AD&D (I hadn't really realized the significance of "Appendix N" back then). But anyway, I *loved* the story, strange though it was. I wanted more. But Moorcock's stuff could be kind of hard to find, back then.
Anyway, I lost the book somehow - I've moved easily a dozen times since then, I think - but I never forgot it. In the mid-2000s when Moorcock's "Elric" books were being reprinted in collections, I read as many of them as I could. But I never saw this one again.
Until last week I was in Bookmans, a local used book exchange, and saw a copy - the same cover I had way back when! So I picked it up for $2, and got to re-live the magic a bit. Funny thing - the copy I picked up in Phoenix, AZ, had traveled almost as far and long as I have - it was published in 1973, 2 years before I was born, and has a stamp from a bookstore in Massachusetts!
May 11, 2018
In PHOENIX IN OBSIDIAN (aka THE SILVER WARRIORS ), the Eternal Champion, Erekose in a new guise, is called to an icy world, and a new quest.
This is the one where the Black Sword on which so much of his fate rests is introduced, a soul-sucking blade as dangerous to friend as it is to foe. And it is put to good use here, in some stirring set-piece battles and serving as a plot device to bring us all up to speed with the raising of stakes for our champion.
Once again Moorcock's eye for a visual is striking, not least right at the beginning, with our fur and mail clad hero riding a chariot drawn by polar bears -- an image that Frazetta fans, or owners of the Dell edition called THE SILVER WARRIORS in the USA, will recognize immediately.
There's a doomed race in a world under a dying sun, huge beasts engineered eons passed for strange purposes, decadent peoples, plucky salt of the earth types and, along with the sword, an early appearance of what will become a well-known and well-loved companion for our champion.
It's a short, fast, read that I blew through in a couple of hours. Again it's all blood-stirring stuff, even if Erekose is a bit of a moper between the epic battles, and it rolls along at breakneck pace for the most part, to an ending that gives Erekose a glimpse of the sort of powers he'll be dealing with in the books to follow.
Like our champion, I'm now hooked into the multiverse, and won't be able to let go until we reach Tanelorn and the conjunction of the spheres. It will be a while yet before that, but I intend to enjoy the ride.
This is the one where the Black Sword on which so much of his fate rests is introduced, a soul-sucking blade as dangerous to friend as it is to foe. And it is put to good use here, in some stirring set-piece battles and serving as a plot device to bring us all up to speed with the raising of stakes for our champion.
Once again Moorcock's eye for a visual is striking, not least right at the beginning, with our fur and mail clad hero riding a chariot drawn by polar bears -- an image that Frazetta fans, or owners of the Dell edition called THE SILVER WARRIORS in the USA, will recognize immediately.
There's a doomed race in a world under a dying sun, huge beasts engineered eons passed for strange purposes, decadent peoples, plucky salt of the earth types and, along with the sword, an early appearance of what will become a well-known and well-loved companion for our champion.
It's a short, fast, read that I blew through in a couple of hours. Again it's all blood-stirring stuff, even if Erekose is a bit of a moper between the epic battles, and it rolls along at breakneck pace for the most part, to an ending that gives Erekose a glimpse of the sort of powers he'll be dealing with in the books to follow.
Like our champion, I'm now hooked into the multiverse, and won't be able to let go until we reach Tanelorn and the conjunction of the spheres. It will be a while yet before that, but I intend to enjoy the ride.
April 23, 2020
This is vintage Moorcock heroic fantasy, an adventure story of swords and wizardry with cosmic consequence and engaging characters. It's a sequel to The Eternal Champion but stands well on its own, and I think it's a good starting place for the whole multiverse tapestry. Daker is enjoying his life after the events of the first volume, but is soon swept away to another world and identity and must undertake another apocalyptic quest. Moorcock explains the eternal champion concept well and many of the adjacent trappings like the magical city of Tanelorn and the personified swords and the cosmic games-masters who observe and direct it all. One must not judge a book by its cover, we all know, but... this one has one of my all time favorites, from the incomparable Frank Frazetta. A mighty armored warrior with a huge magical broadsword is depicted against a beautiful blue sky standing on a sled that's being pulled by a quartet of polar bears. No matter how you look at it, that's just -cool-!
August 10, 2015
On the one hand, this story is rife with science-fantasy tropes, connecting to many of Moorcock's writing of the '60s. On the other hand, it's the second, crucial link in his Eternal Champion stories of the '70s. Those two ideas work together surprisingly well, creating a story that's evocative and that continues to tell a great story about Erekosë. It's a pity it got largely derailed after this second outing.
July 26, 2010
My third favorite by Moorcock. I like this better than the Elric books.
August 8, 2018
This book had been sitting on my shelf for roughly two decades, and nostalgic longing for the sort of escapist reading experience I'd had with Moorcock's other titles (those detailing the lives of Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon, etc.) drove me to pick it up. A friend of mine expressed Moorcock's body of work quite well when he said there is no author like him. A beautiful, highly lyrical writer, his masterful use of language is matched only by his powerful imagination. Add to this the philosophical richness of his vision and you have a writer whose works will (and must) persevere. This particular book provided everything I'd hoped it would. It is "classic" Michael Moorcock.
May 2, 2017
Fun read
Fun read nothing complex or earth shattering. Just enjoyable word candy. I like the writers way of depicting the internal struggle of Urlik and that there is truly no good or evil just various shades of gray.
Fun read nothing complex or earth shattering. Just enjoyable word candy. I like the writers way of depicting the internal struggle of Urlik and that there is truly no good or evil just various shades of gray.
August 8, 2024
**Review of *Phoenix in Obsidian* by Michael Moorcock**
*Phoenix in Obsidian* is the second book in Michael Moorcock's "The Eternal Champion" series, a complex and compelling continuation of his exploration into the themes of destiny, heroism, and identity. Following the events of *The Eternal Champion*, we once again meet Erekosë, a man fated to be reborn across different times and realities as various incarnations of the Eternal Champion.
In this novel, Erekosë is summoned into a new world where he takes on the persona of Urlik Skarsol, a brooding, almost tragic figure, who is the last hope against the encroaching forces of entropy and cosmic despair. Moorcock paints a vividly bleak dying Earth where the sun has cooled, and the remnants of humanity cling to survival in a frozen wasteland. However this time around the setting is more than just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right, reflecting the inner turmoil and existential dread that Erekosë/Urlik faces.
Moorcock’s writing is rich in imagery and there is a dreamlike atmosphere where reality and myth blur, and time itself feels fluid. The story is fast-paced, but it doesn't sacrifice depth. The philosophical underpinnings of the Eternal Champion's burden are explored, delving into the nature of free will versus predestination, and the psychological cost of being a perpetual saviour condemned to an endless cycle of violence and sorrow.
Urlik Skarsol is a fascinating and complex character. Unlike the traditional heroic archetype, he is weary, haunted by the memories of his past lives and the endless battles he has fought. There is a poignant sense of loss and resignation in Urlik, who yearns for peace and finality but is denied both. This portrayal challenges the expectations of what it means to be a hero, making the novel as much an introspective journey as it is an adventure.
The book is not without its flaws, the narrative was disorienting at times, especially if you are not familiar with Moorcock’s multiverse and the concept of the Eternal Champion. The transitions between worlds and realities were jarring, and the abstract nature of some scenes left me puzzled and the ending felt very rushed.
However, Phoenix in Obsidian is a thought-provoking entry in Moorcock’s oeuvre creating a dark, and atmospheric tale.
*Phoenix in Obsidian* is the second book in Michael Moorcock's "The Eternal Champion" series, a complex and compelling continuation of his exploration into the themes of destiny, heroism, and identity. Following the events of *The Eternal Champion*, we once again meet Erekosë, a man fated to be reborn across different times and realities as various incarnations of the Eternal Champion.
In this novel, Erekosë is summoned into a new world where he takes on the persona of Urlik Skarsol, a brooding, almost tragic figure, who is the last hope against the encroaching forces of entropy and cosmic despair. Moorcock paints a vividly bleak dying Earth where the sun has cooled, and the remnants of humanity cling to survival in a frozen wasteland. However this time around the setting is more than just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right, reflecting the inner turmoil and existential dread that Erekosë/Urlik faces.
Moorcock’s writing is rich in imagery and there is a dreamlike atmosphere where reality and myth blur, and time itself feels fluid. The story is fast-paced, but it doesn't sacrifice depth. The philosophical underpinnings of the Eternal Champion's burden are explored, delving into the nature of free will versus predestination, and the psychological cost of being a perpetual saviour condemned to an endless cycle of violence and sorrow.
Urlik Skarsol is a fascinating and complex character. Unlike the traditional heroic archetype, he is weary, haunted by the memories of his past lives and the endless battles he has fought. There is a poignant sense of loss and resignation in Urlik, who yearns for peace and finality but is denied both. This portrayal challenges the expectations of what it means to be a hero, making the novel as much an introspective journey as it is an adventure.
The book is not without its flaws, the narrative was disorienting at times, especially if you are not familiar with Moorcock’s multiverse and the concept of the Eternal Champion. The transitions between worlds and realities were jarring, and the abstract nature of some scenes left me puzzled and the ending felt very rushed.
However, Phoenix in Obsidian is a thought-provoking entry in Moorcock’s oeuvre creating a dark, and atmospheric tale.
August 31, 2022
Druhý díl Moorcockovy trilogie o Věčném válečníkovi. A do dost zábavnější než ten první. Hlavně proto, že zatímco jednička byla čistě o tom, jak hrdina půl knihy masakruje jedny a druhou půlku druhé, tak tahle kniha přináší přece jen zajímavější situace a obrazy. Odehrává se to na zamrzající zemi, hrdina jezdí na povoze, který táhnou lední medvědi, vojáci útočí na bojových lachtanech… a pod hladinou moře řádí nebezpečný a obří mořský jelen. Zbytky lidstva se obvykle utápí v dekadenci a lhostejnosti, a hrdina ani netuší, kdo ho vlastně přivolal.
Jinak je to opět emo-pulp… a díky tomu pulpu je ta emo část snesitelná. Hrdina stále vzlyká, trpí a skrývá hlavu v dlaních, ale jak tomu není věnovaný velký prostor a je to vsazené do brakového heroického příběhu starého střihu, dá akceptovat. Stejně tak ten přebujelý patos.
Hrdina je stále štvanec osudu, což je pro něj sice těžké, autorovi to ohromně uvolňuje ruce. Pokud je všechno v životě postavy nalajnované a hrdina se může maximálně snažit plynutí děje trochu zbrzdit (třeba když nechce vzít do rukou proklatý Černý meč), může mu autor vždycky v potřebnou chvíli hodit do cesty někoho, kdo ho zachrání, nebo mu poskytne potřebné informace. Není to náhoda – je to osud.
Je fakt, že Moorcock jde trochu mimo můj styl, a co si pamatuju, má dost podobný mustr - je nucený s někým bojovat, všichni ho přesvědčují, aby použil své magické udělátko, on to odmítá, má problémy, použije magické udělátko, vyhraje... a nějak za to zaplatí. Ale v malých dávkách je to příjemné na ochutnání. Tak ještě dorazím poslední díl série.
Jinak je to opět emo-pulp… a díky tomu pulpu je ta emo část snesitelná. Hrdina stále vzlyká, trpí a skrývá hlavu v dlaních, ale jak tomu není věnovaný velký prostor a je to vsazené do brakového heroického příběhu starého střihu, dá akceptovat. Stejně tak ten přebujelý patos.
Hrdina je stále štvanec osudu, což je pro něj sice těžké, autorovi to ohromně uvolňuje ruce. Pokud je všechno v životě postavy nalajnované a hrdina se může maximálně snažit plynutí děje trochu zbrzdit (třeba když nechce vzít do rukou proklatý Černý meč), může mu autor vždycky v potřebnou chvíli hodit do cesty někoho, kdo ho zachrání, nebo mu poskytne potřebné informace. Není to náhoda – je to osud.
Je fakt, že Moorcock jde trochu mimo můj styl, a co si pamatuju, má dost podobný mustr - je nucený s někým bojovat, všichni ho přesvědčují, aby použil své magické udělátko, on to odmítá, má problémy, použije magické udělátko, vyhraje... a nějak za to zaplatí. Ale v malých dávkách je to příjemné na ochutnání. Tak ještě dorazím poslední díl série.
July 11, 2022
This story starts a few years after the last, when Erekose is once again pulled away from the life he knows to an unknown fight - this time on an Earth that is dying out as its sun burns out. There is treachery, intrigue and monsters to battle, as once again he realises that this world isn't what he first thought.
I did like this, but felt the ending was rushed, with the last few short chapters rattling through the action so fast, that it was hard to process what has happened. Maybe the author was reaching a deadline or maximum word limit, but I felt the story needed to be fleshed out more at the end. It didn't satisfy me, which meant the book as a whole got less stars than it maybe warranted.
For the rest of it, I really enjoyed it (although, once again, I question the need for the hunting scene and gory death of a creature that was largely just minding its own business!). You can feel our Hero's frustration - another name, another persona and another battle - while being cursed to remember what has come before.
I did like this, but felt the ending was rushed, with the last few short chapters rattling through the action so fast, that it was hard to process what has happened. Maybe the author was reaching a deadline or maximum word limit, but I felt the story needed to be fleshed out more at the end. It didn't satisfy me, which meant the book as a whole got less stars than it maybe warranted.
For the rest of it, I really enjoyed it (although, once again, I question the need for the hunting scene and gory death of a creature that was largely just minding its own business!). You can feel our Hero's frustration - another name, another persona and another battle - while being cursed to remember what has come before.
January 5, 2025
A re-read from my collection. This book is direct continuation of The Eternal Champion. My copy of this book has no cover and has 220 pages and has a 1973 copyright. As with the first book, it is a bit ponderous. Our champion gets yanked into another incarnation and takes a while to find his yanker's. The dying world he lands on is at least somewhat interesting. All the characters are fairly surface-y. The city he goes to first is basically decadent and our hero feels out of place. We do eventually meet the Black Sword and it is pretty much as nasty as I remember but without personality.
August 8, 2022
3,2 * Overall, it was ok. First person narative is still strong point. It helps with relating to the main character (now called Ulrik) and his desparation. Interesting plot, one semi-expected twist and same problem as with the first book: rushed ending.
July 30, 2023
Somehow the protagonist got whinier.
Interesting world though and a bit more lore of the whole thing. I can see the thread of an interesting overarching plot but we’re stuck in a weird prophecy fulfillment arc instead. I’m reading one more of these
Interesting world though and a bit more lore of the whole thing. I can see the thread of an interesting overarching plot but we’re stuck in a weird prophecy fulfillment arc instead. I’m reading one more of these
June 30, 2022
4 stars - English paperback
August 29, 2023
BLACK SWORD BLACK SWORD BLACK SWORD
January 15, 2025
Fast-paced, quick read and very much like other Moorcock's other sword & sorceries. We have a reluctant hero, a quest, questions of self-discovery & destiny, and themes of chaos vs order. Without any indication on the cover, this is 2nd book. Despite that, this story can be enjoyed without the first book in this series and I still feel satisfied by the end. It also reminds that it exists in his Multiverse, without too much cause or effect on this story. I chose to read this on a particularly snowy weekend, and I loved the trek across the cold landscapes.
May 2, 2025
Solid sword and sorcery.
January 14, 2015
As Erekosë he slew the remainder of humanity so that through genocide the world would know peace. He spent a century in tranquility with the gentle Eldren people and found peace in the arms of his beloved Ermizhad. But as the Eternal Champion, he could not hide from his destiny. Before long Erekosë is taken again through time to the very end of the world where he is Count Urlik Skarsol, the Lord of the Frozen Keep. In this form Urlik spends a good deal of time among a people who did not call him. Humanity relishes in the perverse and laziness reigns above all pursuits. Humanity has no drive and all Urlik wants is to find a way to return to the arms of his beloved Eldren. Before long though Urlik is marooned on an island and the peoples whom called upon him find him stranded. The Lady of Chalice needs him to slay the people who first took him in and the Champion again must bring death to the world. The plot had quite a few twists that were ultimately unexpected and I found it to be original and interesting in its premise, though quite a different tale than the first novel in the series.
Urlik’s internal struggle with morality and fate once again drove the story for me. His character is so torn between a self pity, the feeling of pride when his hands are on the Black Sword, and the struggle with morality as he slays his enemies alongside his friends. The character of the Eternal Champion is super fascinating as he tries to discern his own identity in a place where destiny seems to rule his fate and leaves him with little free will. He is a pawn in a larger game, a game which he does not yet understand. The other characters in the story hold little sway over him, unlike they did in the first novel. The characters seem now to be tools for information and catalysts for moral decision. Once would think that using characters instead of giving them the depth they had in the first novel would be a deterrent for this story. but I found it to be a brilliant tool to help the internal struggle of The Eternal Champion. He no longer invests in relationships as he did in the previous novel, he is only hell-bent on returning into the arms of Ermizhad. I thought that the Eternal Champion alone was enough to satisfy the character requirements for the story and that it alone was well done.
The writing is once again stellar in this tale. The sentences are written in a very simplistic and to the point matter. The writing is clean and holds only enough description for the reader to understand what the POV is seeing but allows the imagination to do the heavy lifting. It seems this novel is filled with quotable lines of morality, life and death. As I read I found myself reading line after line of deeply philosophical statements of the human and moral condition, a facet I loved about the first story that is found again here. It is brilliantly written, at least for my tastes.
I love The Eternal Champion sequence thus far. It is a deep and intriguing series that plays on my love for philosophy as well as satisfying my love for GrimDark fantasy. This second novel didn’t quite touch me the same way the first did and I believe that is partly because there was not a massive genocide like the ending of the first novel. But, nevertheless, I found this to be a well written and thought out story about an immortal man who cannot escape the threads of eternal destiny. If you haven’t read the first in the sequence, I highly recommend them!
Rating: 9/10
Urlik’s internal struggle with morality and fate once again drove the story for me. His character is so torn between a self pity, the feeling of pride when his hands are on the Black Sword, and the struggle with morality as he slays his enemies alongside his friends. The character of the Eternal Champion is super fascinating as he tries to discern his own identity in a place where destiny seems to rule his fate and leaves him with little free will. He is a pawn in a larger game, a game which he does not yet understand. The other characters in the story hold little sway over him, unlike they did in the first novel. The characters seem now to be tools for information and catalysts for moral decision. Once would think that using characters instead of giving them the depth they had in the first novel would be a deterrent for this story. but I found it to be a brilliant tool to help the internal struggle of The Eternal Champion. He no longer invests in relationships as he did in the previous novel, he is only hell-bent on returning into the arms of Ermizhad. I thought that the Eternal Champion alone was enough to satisfy the character requirements for the story and that it alone was well done.
The writing is once again stellar in this tale. The sentences are written in a very simplistic and to the point matter. The writing is clean and holds only enough description for the reader to understand what the POV is seeing but allows the imagination to do the heavy lifting. It seems this novel is filled with quotable lines of morality, life and death. As I read I found myself reading line after line of deeply philosophical statements of the human and moral condition, a facet I loved about the first story that is found again here. It is brilliantly written, at least for my tastes.
I love The Eternal Champion sequence thus far. It is a deep and intriguing series that plays on my love for philosophy as well as satisfying my love for GrimDark fantasy. This second novel didn’t quite touch me the same way the first did and I believe that is partly because there was not a massive genocide like the ending of the first novel. But, nevertheless, I found this to be a well written and thought out story about an immortal man who cannot escape the threads of eternal destiny. If you haven’t read the first in the sequence, I highly recommend them!
Rating: 9/10
September 1, 2020
So I end my Eternal Champion tales with Erekosë, who often gets the worst ratings from reviewers. And after reading “The Eternal Champion” I understand why.
This probably has spoilery stuff in it, though knowing there are three books and this is only the second it is quite obvious Daker-Whoever survives, right? Regardless, you are forewarned.
So “The Silver Warriors” begins and I already hate it. Prologue bit: Isarda of Tanelorn and The Woman. Huh? No name for the female? Seriously, Moorcock? Lame. Ooh, then there’s a poem from Coleridge, to prove I am an author who reads poetry! Yeesh.
Erekosë is back, lamenting his existence. Having killed millions of humans and Eldrens, he now resides with Ermizhad, her brother, Arjavh, and the rest of the Eldrens he did not slaughter. But the Ghost Worlds are again in conjunction with (this, now) Earth and Erekosë feels a tug in his (lame, selfish, shallow, sexist, boring, whingeing) spirit.
So Erekosë “becomes” Ulrik Skarsol - Lord of the “fill-in-the-stupid-moniker-here”, savior of some people, somewhere, eventually. And so we arrive on the icy wastes of wherever, with Ulrik in a chariot pulled by polar bears (with names, don’t even ask…), burdened with a wooden chest, a 7-foot lance, a broad-bladed axe, and a key (it’s just for the chest…).
Why am I here?!?! Yep, lots of moaning and groaning and whiny shite. Seems Daker has yet to actually accept the Eternal Champion mantle, huh?
Soon he arrives at Rowenarc and meets Bishop Belphig, the Lord Spiritual, and Shanosfane, the Lord Temporal. And hears of the Silver Warriors. How foreboding, how titular…
Ulrik does some stuff, dreams, (likely) rapes a female slave (ugh, really?!?), goes on a sea hunt, learns the Silver Warriors are believed to be from the Moon (now on the other side of the Ice World, grounded; not orbiting the Earth, maintaining the tides, and all that science-y fact stuff...), sees then hears a chalice (Holy Grail, anyone?!?) speak to him of reclaiming the Black Sword to “save this world” (from what? whom? when?), encounters the Sea Stag (Moby Dick, anyone?!?), meets Jermays the Crooked (Eternal Companion…), learns more of the Sword and a smidgen about Law and Chaos, and is rescued from his whining and woe-is-me crap.
Enter Bladrak Morningspear, Hound of the Scarlet Fjord. A pirate, basically. Seems BM rang the bell for Ulrik’s aid.
Some skirmishing and truths learned, and Ulrik meets the Lady of the Chalice (yep, that chalice…) who tells him what we already know: take up the Sword and meet your destiny! Whatever that is! Yeah, there are a lot of !!! in this tale. Poor writing.
So we enter into the ending stanzas of this tale, and little is surprising or intriguing, just standard fare. Fight, kill, rescue, kill, learn stuff, kill, rescue again, kill, etc. and another vague prophecy and mini-quest to bring it all to the close. For now, anyway. And then there is that pesky Tanelorn...
Moorcock throws in some personal info on Daker, pre-Erekosë, but it feels ex post facto and rather weak. Trying to create a personality and life a smidgen too late, as impressions from Book#1 won’t be set aside with a few sentences of “introspection” and “reminiscing”.
This book has more of the sword-and-sorcery feel to it than Book#1, which made it slightly less horrible. Daker/Erekosë/Ulrik is still the worst Eternal Champion iteration for me, and with only one book left to right that rating, he/he/he is likely to remain so.
This probably has spoilery stuff in it, though knowing there are three books and this is only the second it is quite obvious Daker-Whoever survives, right? Regardless, you are forewarned.
So “The Silver Warriors” begins and I already hate it. Prologue bit: Isarda of Tanelorn and The Woman. Huh? No name for the female? Seriously, Moorcock? Lame. Ooh, then there’s a poem from Coleridge, to prove I am an author who reads poetry! Yeesh.
Erekosë is back, lamenting his existence. Having killed millions of humans and Eldrens, he now resides with Ermizhad, her brother, Arjavh, and the rest of the Eldrens he did not slaughter. But the Ghost Worlds are again in conjunction with (this, now) Earth and Erekosë feels a tug in his (lame, selfish, shallow, sexist, boring, whingeing) spirit.
So Erekosë “becomes” Ulrik Skarsol - Lord of the “fill-in-the-stupid-moniker-here”, savior of some people, somewhere, eventually. And so we arrive on the icy wastes of wherever, with Ulrik in a chariot pulled by polar bears (with names, don’t even ask…), burdened with a wooden chest, a 7-foot lance, a broad-bladed axe, and a key (it’s just for the chest…).
Why am I here?!?! Yep, lots of moaning and groaning and whiny shite. Seems Daker has yet to actually accept the Eternal Champion mantle, huh?
Soon he arrives at Rowenarc and meets Bishop Belphig, the Lord Spiritual, and Shanosfane, the Lord Temporal. And hears of the Silver Warriors. How foreboding, how titular…
Ulrik does some stuff, dreams, (likely) rapes a female slave (ugh, really?!?), goes on a sea hunt, learns the Silver Warriors are believed to be from the Moon (now on the other side of the Ice World, grounded; not orbiting the Earth, maintaining the tides, and all that science-y fact stuff...), sees then hears a chalice (Holy Grail, anyone?!?) speak to him of reclaiming the Black Sword to “save this world” (from what? whom? when?), encounters the Sea Stag (Moby Dick, anyone?!?), meets Jermays the Crooked (Eternal Companion…), learns more of the Sword and a smidgen about Law and Chaos, and is rescued from his whining and woe-is-me crap.
Enter Bladrak Morningspear, Hound of the Scarlet Fjord. A pirate, basically. Seems BM rang the bell for Ulrik’s aid.
Some skirmishing and truths learned, and Ulrik meets the Lady of the Chalice (yep, that chalice…) who tells him what we already know: take up the Sword and meet your destiny! Whatever that is! Yeah, there are a lot of !!! in this tale. Poor writing.
So we enter into the ending stanzas of this tale, and little is surprising or intriguing, just standard fare. Fight, kill, rescue, kill, learn stuff, kill, rescue again, kill, etc. and another vague prophecy and mini-quest to bring it all to the close. For now, anyway. And then there is that pesky Tanelorn...
Moorcock throws in some personal info on Daker, pre-Erekosë, but it feels ex post facto and rather weak. Trying to create a personality and life a smidgen too late, as impressions from Book#1 won’t be set aside with a few sentences of “introspection” and “reminiscing”.
This book has more of the sword-and-sorcery feel to it than Book#1, which made it slightly less horrible. Daker/Erekosë/Ulrik is still the worst Eternal Champion iteration for me, and with only one book left to right that rating, he/he/he is likely to remain so.
January 25, 2013
Originally published on my blog here in October 2002.
It took a long time before Michael Moorcock wrote a novel which was in the strict sense a sequel to The Eternal Champion. In between, he had firmed up the concept suggested by that novel, the idea that fantasy heroes were aspects of the same individual, and had begun several of the other series which use it. A long wait for a sequel is often a bad sign, but here Moorcock has been spending his time refining the concept.
In retirement with his beloved Ermizhad, John Daker is called once more to travel between worlds and take up the mantle of Eternal Champion. He becomes another ancient hero returned to save his people, yet no one seems to know who summoned him, or to what purpose. The city of Rowenarc is doomed by an approaching Ice Age, and its inhabitants have given themselves over to despair and sado-masochistic orgies, a darker equivalent to The Dancers at the End of Time, who would have been in Moorcock's mind soon after he wrote Phoenix in Obsidian. Many of Moorcock's novels contain pictures of decadent cultures, and he is superlatively good at delineating them (here, for example, the description is remarkably sparse, but conveys a lot by focusing on Daker's feelings of disgust).
The other major feature of Phoenix in Obsidian is the reluctance of Daker to get involved, to become a hero once again. This is a something of a rarity outside Moorcock, but in his fantasy it is a theme on which many variations are played. Here, there are two aspects: Daker's longing to return to Ermizhad, which gives poignancy to the story, and his distaste for the weapon of the Eternal Champion, the Black Sword that he is sure that he has abjured in the past, even if he can't specifically remember doing so or even precisely why he has done so.
Many of the middle books in Moorcock's large number of fantasy series tend to be lacking in interest compared to the first and last instalments; the first volume introduces the ideas, setting and character, and the third provides the resolution while in between there is frequently only an unwinding of the plot. This is not the case here, though, as the combination of maturing ideas and a new setting have produced an enjoyable novel which is more than the equal of the early Eternal Champion.
It took a long time before Michael Moorcock wrote a novel which was in the strict sense a sequel to The Eternal Champion. In between, he had firmed up the concept suggested by that novel, the idea that fantasy heroes were aspects of the same individual, and had begun several of the other series which use it. A long wait for a sequel is often a bad sign, but here Moorcock has been spending his time refining the concept.
In retirement with his beloved Ermizhad, John Daker is called once more to travel between worlds and take up the mantle of Eternal Champion. He becomes another ancient hero returned to save his people, yet no one seems to know who summoned him, or to what purpose. The city of Rowenarc is doomed by an approaching Ice Age, and its inhabitants have given themselves over to despair and sado-masochistic orgies, a darker equivalent to The Dancers at the End of Time, who would have been in Moorcock's mind soon after he wrote Phoenix in Obsidian. Many of Moorcock's novels contain pictures of decadent cultures, and he is superlatively good at delineating them (here, for example, the description is remarkably sparse, but conveys a lot by focusing on Daker's feelings of disgust).
The other major feature of Phoenix in Obsidian is the reluctance of Daker to get involved, to become a hero once again. This is a something of a rarity outside Moorcock, but in his fantasy it is a theme on which many variations are played. Here, there are two aspects: Daker's longing to return to Ermizhad, which gives poignancy to the story, and his distaste for the weapon of the Eternal Champion, the Black Sword that he is sure that he has abjured in the past, even if he can't specifically remember doing so or even precisely why he has done so.
Many of the middle books in Moorcock's large number of fantasy series tend to be lacking in interest compared to the first and last instalments; the first volume introduces the ideas, setting and character, and the third provides the resolution while in between there is frequently only an unwinding of the plot. This is not the case here, though, as the combination of maturing ideas and a new setting have produced an enjoyable novel which is more than the equal of the early Eternal Champion.
April 15, 2018
The second book in Michael Moorcock’s “Eternal Champion Sequence,” “Phoenix in Obsidian,” isn’t as good as its predecessor, but still adds to the mythology of the Eternal Champion. This is particularly true with the reemergence of the black sword Stormbringer. Without a doubt, it was the best part of this novel.
The story picks up right where “The Eternal Champion” ended with Erekosë happily living out his immortal existence with the Eldren princess Ermizhad. That ends, however, when the Ghost Worlds, which shift through time and space, come in conjunction with earth. From there, Erekosë finds himself transported to a frozen world beneath a dying sun.
In this incarnation, Erekosë is known as Urlik Skarsol of the South Ice. One of the book’s first mysteries surrounds who has summoned Erekosë, and for what purpose? The people of this dying earth live a hedonistic existence in a mountain fortress called the Obsidian City. Their leader is the most hedonistic of them all, known as the Lord Spiritual. Though as Erekosë soon discovers, there is no faith in this world. Just people seeking pleasure while awaiting their inevitable doom.
A betrayal propels Erekosë to the meat of the story. There, he encounters a red-haired adventurer named Bladrak of the Scarlet Ford. Fans of Moorcock's Elric novels will quickly recognize Bladrak as an incarnation of Elric's sidekick, Moonglum. Even more, Bladrak has brought Erekosë the Black Sword. At first, Erekosë does not want to touch the weapon. For he knows how dangerous it is from his memories of other incarnations of the Eternal Champion. But that changes when he becomes convinced that only by using the Black Sword will he ever be able to return to Ermizhad.
The return of Stormbringer felt nostalgic for an old fan of Elric of Melniboné. Though Phoenix in Obsidian lacked most of the narrative elements that made Elric's tales so fun to read. Still, there was enough to keep the story going, including a mysterious Lady of the Chalice who holds the secret to why Erekosë is in this world.
The book’s ending was a bit confusing, and a tad unsatisfying. Yet I understand from reading about the series that the ending is explained in a later book. It also supposedly plays an important role in the mythology of the Eternal Champion. But it appears one must wait until book three, “The Dragon In The Sword,” to understand why.
The story picks up right where “The Eternal Champion” ended with Erekosë happily living out his immortal existence with the Eldren princess Ermizhad. That ends, however, when the Ghost Worlds, which shift through time and space, come in conjunction with earth. From there, Erekosë finds himself transported to a frozen world beneath a dying sun.
In this incarnation, Erekosë is known as Urlik Skarsol of the South Ice. One of the book’s first mysteries surrounds who has summoned Erekosë, and for what purpose? The people of this dying earth live a hedonistic existence in a mountain fortress called the Obsidian City. Their leader is the most hedonistic of them all, known as the Lord Spiritual. Though as Erekosë soon discovers, there is no faith in this world. Just people seeking pleasure while awaiting their inevitable doom.
A betrayal propels Erekosë to the meat of the story. There, he encounters a red-haired adventurer named Bladrak of the Scarlet Ford. Fans of Moorcock's Elric novels will quickly recognize Bladrak as an incarnation of Elric's sidekick, Moonglum. Even more, Bladrak has brought Erekosë the Black Sword. At first, Erekosë does not want to touch the weapon. For he knows how dangerous it is from his memories of other incarnations of the Eternal Champion. But that changes when he becomes convinced that only by using the Black Sword will he ever be able to return to Ermizhad.
The return of Stormbringer felt nostalgic for an old fan of Elric of Melniboné. Though Phoenix in Obsidian lacked most of the narrative elements that made Elric's tales so fun to read. Still, there was enough to keep the story going, including a mysterious Lady of the Chalice who holds the secret to why Erekosë is in this world.
The book’s ending was a bit confusing, and a tad unsatisfying. Yet I understand from reading about the series that the ending is explained in a later book. It also supposedly plays an important role in the mythology of the Eternal Champion. But it appears one must wait until book three, “The Dragon In The Sword,” to understand why.
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