Shadow of the Barbarian: A Legend Will Rise

by John Thane

KUDA


More than a barbarian, less than a hero.


From wild and wintry steppes to exotic cities. Amidst the flashing eyes and flowing hair of beautiful women Kuda the barbarian must draw steel against foul sorcery, savage tribesmen and treacherous


In two titanic tales from a lost age.


SHADOW OF THE BARBARIAN

TEARS OF THE GODS


Kick-Ass sword sorcery re-booted for the twenty-first century.


“A legend will rise.”

Genres: Sword and Sorcery

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2017

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thane certainly knows how to write entertaining, crisp sword and sorcery. There are two stories in this book each around 100 pages in length. Thane ‘s northern barbarian starts off as a pirate captain in the first story. He quickly finds himself enamored in a sorcerer’s plot to overthrow an empire. The second story finds our mighty protagonist battling horseclans on the great steppes. A little extraterrestrial intrigue toward the end really works well. Any fan of Howard’s Conan or 60’s and 70s sword and sorcery should like this. Both stories were well written and kept me entertained throughout.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHADOW OF THE BARBARIAN by Jon Thane is a Sword & Sorcery romp that harks back to the golden age of Heroic Fantasy. But it is far from just another tired reworking of all the old cliché's. These two short stories are populated with well-written characters woven into exciting plots of immense, epic scope. Bursting with an imaginative flood of action, cliff-hangers and malevolent villains. MORE PLEASE !

Merged review:

SHADOW OF THE BARBARIAN. Haven't read anything as good as this in a long time. Two sword and sorcery tales told with vigour and enthusiasm. Colourful characters woven into a maelstrom of convincing action, backstabbing villains, and smouldering heroines. Its a romp of a read.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sword & sorcery novellas with outstanding pacing and action scenes--vivid and brilliant descriptions. Fans of Robert E. Howard's Conan and Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser will love this. I liked Kuda and most of the characters, but villains are a little thin and some typos an editor should have caught.

[KEVIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHADOW OF THE BARBARIAN contains two supercharged Sword & Sorcery stories both chock full of nail-biting action, rich characters and humour. So much so that I felt I'd had my money's worth by the end of the first story. This is what pulpy guilty-pleasure reading is all about. Keep 'em coming!!

[Marcel Sk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brooding barbarian, where women are just throwing their jingly parts at him, trans-dimensional monsters and weak empires. The Northerner myth. I mean, this book is a waking cliche, to be appreciated as a parody, nothing else.

[Dantegideon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this quite clunky and unconvincing.