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The History of the Runestaff #1-2
Jewel and Amulet: The Jewel in the Skull and The Mad God's Amulet
Fantasy legend Michael Moorcock's heroes of the multiverse have been lauded as some of the most iconic characters of fantasy. Among them, Dorian Hawkmoon is one of the most loved. In an alternate far future, Hawkmoon is pulled unwillingly into a war against the armies of the Dark Empire. Antique cities, scientific sorcery, and crystalline machines serve as a backdrop to this high adventure.
This omnibus collects the first two novels in Moorcock's acclaimed Hawkmoon series.
The Jewel in the Skull
Dorian Hawkmoon becomes a puppet co-opted by his arch nemesis. He's been implanted with the Black Jewel, whose power can control his every decision. But in the city of Kamarang, Hawkmoon discovers the power inside him to overcome any control, and his vengeance against the Dark Empire is filled with a fury that knows no relent.
The Mad God's Amulet
After withstanding the power of the Black Jewel and saving the city of Hamadan, Hawkmoon set off for Kamarang. But the journey is beyond treacherous. Hawkmoon seeks out the peaceful city of Soryandum, which holds the power to transcend the confines of time and space. This power now rests in the hands of the Mad God. Hawkmoon must rip this amulet from the neck of the Mad God if he hopes to save the city of Kamarang and free his friends and his one true love from the Dark Empire's relentless wrath.
This omnibus collects the first two novels in Moorcock's acclaimed Hawkmoon series.
The Jewel in the Skull
Dorian Hawkmoon becomes a puppet co-opted by his arch nemesis. He's been implanted with the Black Jewel, whose power can control his every decision. But in the city of Kamarang, Hawkmoon discovers the power inside him to overcome any control, and his vengeance against the Dark Empire is filled with a fury that knows no relent.
The Mad God's Amulet
After withstanding the power of the Black Jewel and saving the city of Hamadan, Hawkmoon set off for Kamarang. But the journey is beyond treacherous. Hawkmoon seeks out the peaceful city of Soryandum, which holds the power to transcend the confines of time and space. This power now rests in the hands of the Mad God. Hawkmoon must rip this amulet from the neck of the Mad God if he hopes to save the city of Kamarang and free his friends and his one true love from the Dark Empire's relentless wrath.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
4 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,205 books3,743 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 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 8, 2018
As with anything moorcock, there are great heroes and villains whose lives and actions are overseen by even greater forces. I loved it!
August 11, 2018
Didn't think I'd enjoy this, but it turned out to be a good read. My first Hawkmoon books, the were short and fun to read. Moorcock is a great storyteller, and he had an uncanny talent to weave a story with few words. Fantasy readers should check this out
June 5, 2015
This is the first set of "Hawkmoon" stories by Moorcock that I have read. At first I was not sure I was going to like the setting, but it is FAR better than I expected - what seems to be a far-future world, long after some kind of apocalypse ended the world as we know it, in which the Dark Empire of Granbretan (Great Britain) is conquering all Europe in much the fashion of the fascist Axis of the mid 20th century . . .
January 23, 2024
The Hawkmoon series is probably somewhere between fantasy and science-fantasy, with some dystopian elements added to it. This title is the first of the series about the Runestaff. For the biggest part it deals with Dorian Hawkmoon’s fight against the powerful but mad lords of Granbretan that try to subjugate different territories of former Europe. Hawkmoon, after falling into the hands of them, receives the jewel in the skull that transmits all he sees to the lords, and in case he does not do their bidding has the power to kill him. This first book of the series primarily deals with Hawkmoon trying to find a way to get rid of it. The book’s plot is quite fascinating with some twists that are maybe not too surprising, but also some that come unexpected. For readers who enjoy fantasy this is definitely a book I can recommend. 5 out of 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews