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The Elric Saga #1
Elric of Melniboné
Book #1 from the series: The Elric Saga
🎧Run Time = 24 hours and 12 minutes
✳Now, presented in the author's preferred story order.
When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and his sentient vampiric sword, Stormbringer, he set out to create a new kind of fantasy adventure, one that broke with tradition and reflected a more up-to-date sophistication of theme and style. The result was a bold and unique hero - weak in body, subtle in mind, dependent on drugs for the vitality to sustain himself - with great crimes behind him and a greater destiny ahead: a rock-and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the '60s into one enduring archetype.
🎧Run Time = 24 hours and 12 minutes
✳Now, presented in the author's preferred story order.
The Elric Saga, Volume 1: Elric of Melnibone, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf
A classic tale of sword and sorcery from an SFWA Grand Master dubbed “the greatest writer of post-Tolkien British fantasy” ( Michael Chabon ): The Kingdom of Melniboné is dying and its brooding emperor, Elric, must fight off fierce competition from a brutal cousin desperate to take the throne in this first-in-series fantasy with over 24 hours of action-packed listening!
When Michael Moorcock began chronicling the adventures of the albino sorcerer Elric, last king of decadent Melniboné, and his sentient vampiric sword, Stormbringer, he set out to create a new kind of fantasy adventure, one that broke with tradition and reflected a more up-to-date sophistication of theme and style. The result was a bold and unique hero - weak in body, subtle in mind, dependent on drugs for the vitality to sustain himself - with great crimes behind him and a greater destiny ahead: a rock-and-roll antihero who would channel all the violent excesses of the '60s into one enduring archetype.
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First published November 30, 2021
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About the author
Michael Moorcock
1,204 books3,687 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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August 15, 2021I must know more about this emperor who doesn't wear pants but does wear knee-high boots and long loin cloths that flow in the wind while posing sexily with his sword.
February 21, 2023
Thus far, through the first four books of the Elric Saga, I find myself constantly reminded of Conan by Robert E. Howard. The main difference being that Elric is far easier to read.
I feel like Elric is the perfect book to hand to a teen that is into Fantasy but wants something with a little bit of an edge. While certainly nothing beyond PG 13, these stories are an evolution of the Conan archetype, while still sharing much of its DNA.
The first two books in this collection were the strongest in my opinion. The first being the introduction to Elric, his rivalry with his cousin, and his high minded ideals that lead to really stupid decisions. But I have to admit, the first book is pretty Metal. There’s a certain kind of rock star swagger to Elric that’s compelling.
Unfortunately that swagger comes and goes. The second story was good just for it’s wildly imaginative setting, but the third and fourth books are fairly forgettable story wise.
However, even when the story and characters are only rising to YA level complexity, the sheer imagination and inventiveness of the world and magic is noteworthy, and still seems fresh to me.
No Tolkien clones going on here.
But like Tolkien, there are long boring stretches of nothing much that spoil the fun.
I’m enjoying these as light and mindless reading, as I’m determined to read the entire series. These are GOATs of the genre and apparently there are many callbacks in other writers works, so I’ll stay the course.
I sure hope they get better though. They’re fun, but they aren’t great.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I feel like Elric is the perfect book to hand to a teen that is into Fantasy but wants something with a little bit of an edge. While certainly nothing beyond PG 13, these stories are an evolution of the Conan archetype, while still sharing much of its DNA.
The first two books in this collection were the strongest in my opinion. The first being the introduction to Elric, his rivalry with his cousin, and his high minded ideals that lead to really stupid decisions. But I have to admit, the first book is pretty Metal. There’s a certain kind of rock star swagger to Elric that’s compelling.
Unfortunately that swagger comes and goes. The second story was good just for it’s wildly imaginative setting, but the third and fourth books are fairly forgettable story wise.
However, even when the story and characters are only rising to YA level complexity, the sheer imagination and inventiveness of the world and magic is noteworthy, and still seems fresh to me.
No Tolkien clones going on here.
But like Tolkien, there are long boring stretches of nothing much that spoil the fun.
I’m enjoying these as light and mindless reading, as I’m determined to read the entire series. These are GOATs of the genre and apparently there are many callbacks in other writers works, so I’ll stay the course.
I sure hope they get better though. They’re fun, but they aren’t great.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
December 15, 2024
Chaotyczna jak panowie, którym służy sam Elryk. Chociaż momentami teksty były tak dzikie, że nie dało się ich na trzeźwo zrozumieć, a momentami były tak suche, że aż zaczynało drapać w gardle, to ta książka to dla mnie przeciętniak. w kilku miejscach widać podobieństwa między białowłosym albinosem a naszym Geraltem, ale czasem to takie szukanie na siłę, nic tu nie jest kropka w kropkę identyko. jeśli wyjdą następne tomy to pewnie przeczytam, ale w żadnym razie nie będzie to mój ulubieniec...
February 17, 2025
Jestem naprawdę ciekaw innych tomów. Mam nadzieję, że będą wydane, ponieważ może historie nie są jakieś niesamowicie ciekawe, tak samo podążanie za Elrykiem mnie przyciągało do tej książki. No, Zysk... Nie odpindalaj mi tutej.
December 29, 2024
3.5 Stars
This is a book that I’d wanted to read for a really long time and had just never gotten round to. Elric is a legend of the genre, and I really wanted to have some experience of him in my repertoire. There are four shortish stories in this collection, and although they don’t necessarily follow on directly from each other, there is a nice arc so you can follow the overall story of Elric’s life through the adventures described.
I quite liked the introduction we got to the character here, it gave me a lot of information about the adventures he had been on, and also a lot about his equally legendary sword. With reading this as one book rather than the stories as individual ones, I do think that some were a little lost. The first story in particular, being quite short as well, felt a bit forgettable when moving straight into the remaining stories. It felt like an introduction to the character, but without too much substance to the actual story itself.
Books two and three of the omnibus I did enjoy more though, they had a bit more meat to them with some good action and a good storyline. I did find that a couple of the antagonists would take me out of the story a little when they were mentioned however, as they were named Agak and Gagak, and hearing the two names repeated (almost always as the pair) became a bit of a mini mouthful and I ended up tripping on my virtual tongue a bit!
Overall, I felt that the four stories here gave me a pretty good grounding of Elric, I have now met him and know more about one of the legends of the fantasy genre. In terms of enjoyment, although I had a pretty good time with this omnibus, I do feel it was just a little bit lacking and left me wanting more. I think with the level of detail you get in fantasy books today, it shows that we’ve moved on a bit, times have changed and styles have changed, and I feel with some of these classics they are missing that extra detail in the writing and that extra depth to the story as a result.
This is a book that I’d wanted to read for a really long time and had just never gotten round to. Elric is a legend of the genre, and I really wanted to have some experience of him in my repertoire. There are four shortish stories in this collection, and although they don’t necessarily follow on directly from each other, there is a nice arc so you can follow the overall story of Elric’s life through the adventures described.
I quite liked the introduction we got to the character here, it gave me a lot of information about the adventures he had been on, and also a lot about his equally legendary sword. With reading this as one book rather than the stories as individual ones, I do think that some were a little lost. The first story in particular, being quite short as well, felt a bit forgettable when moving straight into the remaining stories. It felt like an introduction to the character, but without too much substance to the actual story itself.
Books two and three of the omnibus I did enjoy more though, they had a bit more meat to them with some good action and a good storyline. I did find that a couple of the antagonists would take me out of the story a little when they were mentioned however, as they were named Agak and Gagak, and hearing the two names repeated (almost always as the pair) became a bit of a mini mouthful and I ended up tripping on my virtual tongue a bit!
Overall, I felt that the four stories here gave me a pretty good grounding of Elric, I have now met him and know more about one of the legends of the fantasy genre. In terms of enjoyment, although I had a pretty good time with this omnibus, I do feel it was just a little bit lacking and left me wanting more. I think with the level of detail you get in fantasy books today, it shows that we’ve moved on a bit, times have changed and styles have changed, and I feel with some of these classics they are missing that extra detail in the writing and that extra depth to the story as a result.
February 23, 2022
I ordered the Kindle edition last August. Needless to say my anticipation was running high and on February 15th was wondering when it would come in. It did and I am very happy! I have only been waiting for 35+ years for the omnibus editions.
The Elric books that are contained within volume 1 are: “Elric of Melniboné, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf. There is a short story by Neil Gaiman instead of a traditional forward, and the end of the book covers the various releases of the original material. The only thing that was somewhat disappointing was the lack of artwork described in the hardcover edition. All-in-all packed full of Elric.
The albinos entry into the digital book world is put together flawlessly and was indeed worth the wait. For those of you who don’t know Elric of Melniboné, now is the time to check him and his dark blade Stormbringer out!
The Elric books that are contained within volume 1 are: “Elric of Melniboné, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf. There is a short story by Neil Gaiman instead of a traditional forward, and the end of the book covers the various releases of the original material. The only thing that was somewhat disappointing was the lack of artwork described in the hardcover edition. All-in-all packed full of Elric.
The albinos entry into the digital book world is put together flawlessly and was indeed worth the wait. For those of you who don’t know Elric of Melniboné, now is the time to check him and his dark blade Stormbringer out!
April 21, 2025
Elriku, Elriku, tak jsme si sedli jak prdel na hrnec!
April 21, 2023
Elric of Melniboné - 2/5
The Fortress of the Pearl - 4/5
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate - 4/5
The Weird of the White Wolf - 2/5
Two great novels and two week ones. Therefore I don't know what to think about this series. After reading first three I was excited that the quality has stepped up only to finish with the weakest novel of them all...
The Fortress of the Pearl - 4/5
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate - 4/5
The Weird of the White Wolf - 2/5
Two great novels and two week ones. Therefore I don't know what to think about this series. After reading first three I was excited that the quality has stepped up only to finish with the weakest novel of them all...
August 10, 2023
I hadn't read these since high school over 40 yrs ago. Moorcock's Elric Saga is still a memorable and enjoyable read all these years later. That can't always be said about the books I read when I was a young teen. Such great high fantasy within the pages that take us away to worlds unimagined.
July 30, 2023
Overall: 77/100
Elric of Melnibone - 80/100
The Fortress of the Pearl - 63/100
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate - 90/100
The Weird of the White Wolf - 74/100
Elric of Melnibone - 80/100
The Fortress of the Pearl - 63/100
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate - 90/100
The Weird of the White Wolf - 74/100
June 5, 2022
I won a copy of Elric of Melnibone through a goodreads giveaway.
I grew up seeing paintings of Elric and hearing of the stories about him but I never got around to reading them for myself, until now. I wish I’d not waited so long. These were fantastic, and of the sort I often crave, that old school fantasy tale that has a similar feel to those told of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and of Geralt of Rivia. I love this style of fiction and I’m glad I’m finally adding Elric to that list.
This volume is a compilation of four books, or novellas: Elric of Melnibone, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf. From what I’ve read there have been different versions of these written over the years as Moorcock wrote more in the world and tried to re-craft some stories to better fit the flow of the growing narrative. Over the course of the four we’re introduced to Elric, the ruler of the powerful but fading land of Melnibone, a race of beings capable of great magic though nothing like their ancestors. They can be a very selfish and cruel people and Elric seems to think this is slowly causing their dwindling relevance to the world, so he decides to travel to the Young Kingdoms, leaving his love Cymoril and his people under the charge of his jealous cousin, Yyrkoon. He travels in search of something, some bit of knowledge or wisdom he hopes can help him and his people. We learn how we came to travel with the great runesword, Stormbringer, and the difficulties this creates for him even while saving his life countless times. And each of his travels takes him to a new land so we slowly get to explore most of the locations on the world map.
Elric is a powerful person capable of wielding great magic and calling other beings to assist him, but he is not all-powerful. He has weaknesses that others are sometimes able to exploit, both physical and in character. He makes mistakes that sometimes result in hardship or death for those he cares about. The longer he travels the more weight of loss he carries, and yet he continues on. One of his strengths is finding allies, even amongst a field of enemies, and his allies often become very loyal friends, or at least as close to friends as Elric will allow, sometimes saving his life when he’s at a weak point or helping him accomplish some task he might not have been able to otherwise. I can’t help but think some of what he’s seeking can be found in the characters of all these allies he meets, though he’s not yet realized this.
Not all the stories were as strong as the others, though I enjoyed them all. Some had that classic fantasy feel I enjoy. Some had a more Lovecraftian feel with strange creatures or beings. Others had a more dreamlike quality with shifting and swirling realities blending from scene to scene. The first book, Elric of Melnibone, was likely one of my favorites and was a fantastic introduction to the characters and the world. I will seek out the rest of the volumes in this series and look forward to continuing to learn more of Elric of Melnibone.
I grew up seeing paintings of Elric and hearing of the stories about him but I never got around to reading them for myself, until now. I wish I’d not waited so long. These were fantastic, and of the sort I often crave, that old school fantasy tale that has a similar feel to those told of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and of Geralt of Rivia. I love this style of fiction and I’m glad I’m finally adding Elric to that list.
This volume is a compilation of four books, or novellas: Elric of Melnibone, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and The Weird of the White Wolf. From what I’ve read there have been different versions of these written over the years as Moorcock wrote more in the world and tried to re-craft some stories to better fit the flow of the growing narrative. Over the course of the four we’re introduced to Elric, the ruler of the powerful but fading land of Melnibone, a race of beings capable of great magic though nothing like their ancestors. They can be a very selfish and cruel people and Elric seems to think this is slowly causing their dwindling relevance to the world, so he decides to travel to the Young Kingdoms, leaving his love Cymoril and his people under the charge of his jealous cousin, Yyrkoon. He travels in search of something, some bit of knowledge or wisdom he hopes can help him and his people. We learn how we came to travel with the great runesword, Stormbringer, and the difficulties this creates for him even while saving his life countless times. And each of his travels takes him to a new land so we slowly get to explore most of the locations on the world map.
Elric is a powerful person capable of wielding great magic and calling other beings to assist him, but he is not all-powerful. He has weaknesses that others are sometimes able to exploit, both physical and in character. He makes mistakes that sometimes result in hardship or death for those he cares about. The longer he travels the more weight of loss he carries, and yet he continues on. One of his strengths is finding allies, even amongst a field of enemies, and his allies often become very loyal friends, or at least as close to friends as Elric will allow, sometimes saving his life when he’s at a weak point or helping him accomplish some task he might not have been able to otherwise. I can’t help but think some of what he’s seeking can be found in the characters of all these allies he meets, though he’s not yet realized this.
Not all the stories were as strong as the others, though I enjoyed them all. Some had that classic fantasy feel I enjoy. Some had a more Lovecraftian feel with strange creatures or beings. Others had a more dreamlike quality with shifting and swirling realities blending from scene to scene. The first book, Elric of Melnibone, was likely one of my favorites and was a fantastic introduction to the characters and the world. I will seek out the rest of the volumes in this series and look forward to continuing to learn more of Elric of Melnibone.
December 8, 2022
Wow, it's been 40 years since I first read this classic and even after all those years it's just as good as
I remember it. Usually with most old classics this is not the case and maybe it's because Moorcock was considered one of the leaders of the 'new age' of Science Fiction and ahead of his time. There are obviously the hallmarks of Sword and Sorcery in this book, but there are some deeper overtones that eventually went on to become grimdark. Not necessarily in this book, but things got darker as the series progressed.
A great re-read an I will probably continue on with some of the others in the series. As I have read some 40+ Moorcock's it certainly won't be all of them:)
I remember it. Usually with most old classics this is not the case and maybe it's because Moorcock was considered one of the leaders of the 'new age' of Science Fiction and ahead of his time. There are obviously the hallmarks of Sword and Sorcery in this book, but there are some deeper overtones that eventually went on to become grimdark. Not necessarily in this book, but things got darker as the series progressed.
A great re-read an I will probably continue on with some of the others in the series. As I have read some 40+ Moorcock's it certainly won't be all of them:)
September 2, 2023
Elric of Melniboné is a complex hero, with a complex publication history, and this book matches that complexity. It's actually a collection of 4 volumes - the original novel Elric of Melniboné, written in the middle of Elric's publishing career as a prequel to most of the Elric stories, then The Fortress of the Pearl, another original novel, followed by The Sailor on the Seas of Fate and finally The Weird of the White Wolf, where the last two are stitch-ups of (mostly) previously independently published stories. All but the second of these volumes are subdivided into "books", and the books into chapters. For some reason, The Fortress of the Pearl has "parts", which again are subdivided into chapters. There is a separate "Readers Guide" at the end of the novel, trying to clarify the complex publication history of Elric, but leaving me nearly as confused as I was to begin with.
Anyways, the material presented here seems to have been written between 1961 and 1989, and revised as late as 2013. And it shows - the stories and novels vary quite a bit in style, characterisation, settings, and so on. It's all interesting, and much of it is good. The stories are arranged in order of internal chronology, which helps to give the reader some orientation.
Elric is sometimes compared to Conan. There are some superficial similarities, but there also are very big differences. Conan is vitality impersonated. Elric is the last member of a decadent, dying race, who only maintains his strength with the help of drugs and magic. While Conan laughs at fate, Elric is is a doomed hero and knows it. His fate is largely unavoidable and foreshadowed. And he plays on a much larger canvas than Conan. Howard's Hyborean Age presents one small, if colourful, part of one world. Elric travels to different planes and different Earths in the multiverse. He confronts higher beings and at least sometimes manages to discomfit them. Moorcock uses this wider canvass to present very different settings - from the hyper-refined and decadent city of Imrryr to the fairly conventional fantasy setting of the Young Kingdoms to bleak magical oceans and endless cave systems connecting different worlds.
For me, highlights include "Sailing to the Future" (which introduces us to Moorcocks "Eternal Champion" concept) and "Sailing to the Past" (both from Sailor on the Seas of Fate, probably one of the best book titles ever). I also enjoyed The Singing Citadel, in particular for its brilliant ending. Elric sadly leaves Queen Yishana. And "In Dhakos that morning, other eyes held misery, but not for too long. Yishana was a pragmatic queen."
Anyways, it's a collection well-worth reading - maybe not in one go (the paper edition has 784 pages). And given Moorcocks role in defining the landscape of sword-and-sorcery fantasy, it's probably a must-read for people interested in the development of the genre.
Anyways, the material presented here seems to have been written between 1961 and 1989, and revised as late as 2013. And it shows - the stories and novels vary quite a bit in style, characterisation, settings, and so on. It's all interesting, and much of it is good. The stories are arranged in order of internal chronology, which helps to give the reader some orientation.
Elric is sometimes compared to Conan. There are some superficial similarities, but there also are very big differences. Conan is vitality impersonated. Elric is the last member of a decadent, dying race, who only maintains his strength with the help of drugs and magic. While Conan laughs at fate, Elric is is a doomed hero and knows it. His fate is largely unavoidable and foreshadowed. And he plays on a much larger canvas than Conan. Howard's Hyborean Age presents one small, if colourful, part of one world. Elric travels to different planes and different Earths in the multiverse. He confronts higher beings and at least sometimes manages to discomfit them. Moorcock uses this wider canvass to present very different settings - from the hyper-refined and decadent city of Imrryr to the fairly conventional fantasy setting of the Young Kingdoms to bleak magical oceans and endless cave systems connecting different worlds.
For me, highlights include "Sailing to the Future" (which introduces us to Moorcocks "Eternal Champion" concept) and "Sailing to the Past" (both from Sailor on the Seas of Fate, probably one of the best book titles ever). I also enjoyed The Singing Citadel, in particular for its brilliant ending. Elric sadly leaves Queen Yishana. And "In Dhakos that morning, other eyes held misery, but not for too long. Yishana was a pragmatic queen."
Anyways, it's a collection well-worth reading - maybe not in one go (the paper edition has 784 pages). And given Moorcocks role in defining the landscape of sword-and-sorcery fantasy, it's probably a must-read for people interested in the development of the genre.
October 2, 2022
I know i should've started the elric saga long ago, but shamefully this is not so easy to find in physical form and what adds to the difficulty is the highly confusing reading order which is not at all the release order.
In my honest opinion it belongs up there with the all time greats in fantasy so the fact that this isn't in print more often is a crime.. so get a hold of it as long as you can, especially the omnibus version of it!
I absolutely love it!
In my honest opinion it belongs up there with the all time greats in fantasy so the fact that this isn't in print more often is a crime.. so get a hold of it as long as you can, especially the omnibus version of it!
I absolutely love it!
March 1, 2022
Re-read (not for the first time). Still stands up well. It's great to have a complete new edition coming out. Looking forward to volume two in a couple of months.
August 30, 2023
Elric is arguably a cornerstone of medieval fantasy though much less popular than LOTR or Conan it seems.
Somewhat the anti-Conan, white-faced Elric is frail and weak if not sustained by his malevolent sword, the infamous Stormbringer. Descending from a haughty race who pacted with the Lords of Chaos he is the philosopher warrior, doomed at birth but still looking for answers justfying his very existence in the cosmic battle between Law and Chaos.
With this absolute anti-hero Michael Moorcock developed a new type of character and even new concepts such as the multiverse. I wouldn’t know if he invented it but he clearly popularized the idea through his fiction.
Here are regrouped 4 volumes of the series. The overall tone is grim indeed and most of Elric victories have the bitter tang of failure. Dark omens are everywhere and the balance of power is at stake. But the lonely depressed albino is fighting still, riding resolutely toward the fate he desperately wishes to control.
Moorcock’s prose aged quite well. The battle scenes are not his forte and most creatures described have an outdated feel but between the sorcery at play, the multiverse concept and the philosophical ideas debated there is more than enough to satisfy the curious reader avid to discover yet another aspect of the medieval fantasy genre.
Somewhat the anti-Conan, white-faced Elric is frail and weak if not sustained by his malevolent sword, the infamous Stormbringer. Descending from a haughty race who pacted with the Lords of Chaos he is the philosopher warrior, doomed at birth but still looking for answers justfying his very existence in the cosmic battle between Law and Chaos.
With this absolute anti-hero Michael Moorcock developed a new type of character and even new concepts such as the multiverse. I wouldn’t know if he invented it but he clearly popularized the idea through his fiction.
Here are regrouped 4 volumes of the series. The overall tone is grim indeed and most of Elric victories have the bitter tang of failure. Dark omens are everywhere and the balance of power is at stake. But the lonely depressed albino is fighting still, riding resolutely toward the fate he desperately wishes to control.
Moorcock’s prose aged quite well. The battle scenes are not his forte and most creatures described have an outdated feel but between the sorcery at play, the multiverse concept and the philosophical ideas debated there is more than enough to satisfy the curious reader avid to discover yet another aspect of the medieval fantasy genre.
November 10, 2021
Great beginning for an adult fantasy!
February 22, 2022
Little disappointed
Kindle finally has this classic tale of the last emperor of Melnibone. So eager I was to read about the great Elric. Well, I've read it and came to this question. Would I read this again? I would not. The writing was flawless, the imagination is very inventive And Elric was a very interesting character to start with. Turns out Eric is a downer who continues to make bad decisions and gives up to death way to much. As for the plot, after the first two adventures, feels like the author just gave up. Glad I can check this off my to read list, but I won't be in a hurry to read the other installments.
Kindle finally has this classic tale of the last emperor of Melnibone. So eager I was to read about the great Elric. Well, I've read it and came to this question. Would I read this again? I would not. The writing was flawless, the imagination is very inventive And Elric was a very interesting character to start with. Turns out Eric is a downer who continues to make bad decisions and gives up to death way to much. As for the plot, after the first two adventures, feels like the author just gave up. Glad I can check this off my to read list, but I won't be in a hurry to read the other installments.
January 31, 2023
DNF. 174 pages in, just finished the first book out of four.
I have a hard time reading a book with a main character that seems so irredeemably stupid. Elric’s cousin Yyrkoon is laughably evil, and, with zero subtlety, constantly and publicly undermines Elric. Elric lets this pass, which was painful to observe. However, after Yyrkoon’s attempted murder, it should be obvious to everyone that he should be permanently imprisoned and/or executed (especially given the culture of Melbibone). Instead he is treated too lightly whereby he kidnaps Elric’s love interest, puts her under a permanent sleeping spell, and then attempts to bargain with literal demons to acquire the most powerful weapons in their plane of existence. And after ALL THAT Elric decides to leave Yyrkoon in charge of the kingdom instead of executing him. Unreal. This man is a complete idiot and I would rather spend my time having fun reading something else.
I have a hard time reading a book with a main character that seems so irredeemably stupid. Elric’s cousin Yyrkoon is laughably evil, and, with zero subtlety, constantly and publicly undermines Elric. Elric lets this pass, which was painful to observe. However, after Yyrkoon’s attempted murder, it should be obvious to everyone that he should be permanently imprisoned and/or executed (especially given the culture of Melbibone). Instead he is treated too lightly whereby he kidnaps Elric’s love interest, puts her under a permanent sleeping spell, and then attempts to bargain with literal demons to acquire the most powerful weapons in their plane of existence. And after ALL THAT Elric decides to leave Yyrkoon in charge of the kingdom instead of executing him. Unreal. This man is a complete idiot and I would rather spend my time having fun reading something else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2022
Back in print after far too long, Saga Press's new collection of the Elric series delivers the goods.
Starting with a beautiful color rendition of Cawthorn's map of the young kingdon, and embellished with classic illustrations the book covers the the first four books (chronological Eric of Melniboné, Fortress of the Pearl, Sailor on the Seas of Fate and Weird of the White Wolf), with Gaiman's classic short story "One Life Furnished in Early Moorcock" at the front, and finishing with a reader's guide to Elric by John Davey.
An epic tome worthy of the epic material contained within. One of the greatest and most influential fantasy heroes ever written deserves to be required reading for anyone who has an interest in the genre.
Starting with a beautiful color rendition of Cawthorn's map of the young kingdon, and embellished with classic illustrations the book covers the the first four books (chronological Eric of Melniboné, Fortress of the Pearl, Sailor on the Seas of Fate and Weird of the White Wolf), with Gaiman's classic short story "One Life Furnished in Early Moorcock" at the front, and finishing with a reader's guide to Elric by John Davey.
An epic tome worthy of the epic material contained within. One of the greatest and most influential fantasy heroes ever written deserves to be required reading for anyone who has an interest in the genre.
April 8, 2022
I came late in life to Moorcock fandom, having heard of him through my love of D&D and Appendix N, but being unable to locate any of his writings in my youth. Now I have a library of his stuff, mostly in reprints and some Kindle, but this may be the best collection I've seen. This new omnibus puts many of the stories of Elric in the chronological order (as best as can be determined, given his many adventures that make mockery of conventions of space and time), and how excellent and coherent the story is, when actually presented in an order that makes sense! I'm very much looking forward to the next volume, which I have pre-ordered from Amazon and expect to arrive at my door in 5 days, as I write this!
November 21, 2022
Image Friendly Version
Poor Cymoril. A practical noblewoman with the misfortune to fall in love with Eric - a skinny, asthmatic philosophy major addicted to a paranormal blend of meth and dark magic. An albino prince completely unwilling to listen to reason.
The stories are Eric getting into trouble for not listening to Cymoril. Eric running away and proclaiming he misses and loves Cymoril - while impregnating Oone the Dream Thief. Eric accidentally killing Cymoril, like she told him he would. Eric destroying everything in sadness and then sleeping around some more.
Sometimes classics let you down :(
Poor Cymoril. A practical noblewoman with the misfortune to fall in love with Eric - a skinny, asthmatic philosophy major addicted to a paranormal blend of meth and dark magic. An albino prince completely unwilling to listen to reason.
The stories are Eric getting into trouble for not listening to Cymoril. Eric running away and proclaiming he misses and loves Cymoril - while impregnating Oone the Dream Thief. Eric accidentally killing Cymoril, like she told him he would. Eric destroying everything in sadness and then sleeping around some more.
Sometimes classics let you down :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2024
This collection gathers the first three books of the original six (Elric of Melniboné, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate and The Weird Of The White Wolf) and the later novel The Fortress of the Pearl, which is inserted chronologically between Elric and Sailor. (Though, space and time are quite flexible in the world of the Young Kingsdoms, esp. when dealing with Chaos Lords.)
Samuel Roukin is a good narrator. He has a wide range of voices that makes the characters distinctive. He does have some odd pronunciations: I could swear he calls "Elric" "Eric" in several places and he pronounces "Arioch" as "Aree-eck" rather than the one I grew up with, "Aree-ock." Minor quibbles that didn't otherwise spoil my enjoyment of the reading.
I was reading Elric only a few years after discovering Tolkien and while I was getting into 1st Edition D&D so he rapidly became a favorite & it's always fun to return on occasion and relive his tragic fate.
Recommended (of course).
Samuel Roukin is a good narrator. He has a wide range of voices that makes the characters distinctive. He does have some odd pronunciations: I could swear he calls "Elric" "Eric" in several places and he pronounces "Arioch" as "Aree-eck" rather than the one I grew up with, "Aree-ock." Minor quibbles that didn't otherwise spoil my enjoyment of the reading.
I was reading Elric only a few years after discovering Tolkien and while I was getting into 1st Edition D&D so he rapidly became a favorite & it's always fun to return on occasion and relive his tragic fate.
Recommended (of course).
February 12, 2025
Stalo se vám někdy, že jste se těšili na setkání s někým, kdo by vám dle vyprávění známých mohl být něčím blízký?
Ovšem po pár společně strávených hodinách a odvyprávěných historkách dojdete k závěru, že se vaše životní cesty pouze protnuly, aby mohly záhy každá pokračovat vlastním směrem.
To se mi bohužel stalo s Elrikem, jehož autor opovrhoval Tolkienem (!). Stylisticky a příběhově se mělo jednat o trefu na solar. A přesto odcházím spokojen jen z polovic.
Možná se s Elrikem naše cesta v budoucnu znovu protne a tentokrát to budou hodiny spokojeného vyprávění bez sebemenšího zaváhání.
Ovšem po pár společně strávených hodinách a odvyprávěných historkách dojdete k závěru, že se vaše životní cesty pouze protnuly, aby mohly záhy každá pokračovat vlastním směrem.
To se mi bohužel stalo s Elrikem, jehož autor opovrhoval Tolkienem (!). Stylisticky a příběhově se mělo jednat o trefu na solar. A přesto odcházím spokojen jen z polovic.
Možná se s Elrikem naše cesta v budoucnu znovu protne a tentokrát to budou hodiny spokojeného vyprávění bez sebemenšího zaváhání.
August 6, 2024
I’ve read an earlier edition of this book, so I’ve not yet read Neil Gaiman’s introduction and any updated or revised material from the author, but Elric is one of my single most favorite characters from fantasy, be it epic fantasy or sword & sorcery style. The tragic life and adventures of Elric is a masterpiece of fiction. I can’t wait to get my hands on this new edition. I own multiple editions of other favorites works of literature, 3 editions of The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, 3 editions of The Lord of the Rings, 2 copies of The Stand, 2 versions of The Gunslinger, a pair of copies each of Fahrenheit 451 and Lord of the Flies, 2 editions of Vampire Junction, and 3 copies each of both Frankenstein and Dracula, at least 3 copies of The War of the Worlds, and 2 sets of the first three books in The Earthsea Trilogy series, and 3 (or is it 4?) copies of Dune, so I think it’s long past time I got some new editions of the Elric books and not feel guilty about it.
Update: It turns out I had read Gaiman’s introduction. After being asked to supply an introduction he either could not meet the deadline or just decided his story One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock was more than good enough to function as an introduction.
Update: It turns out I had read Gaiman’s introduction. After being asked to supply an introduction he either could not meet the deadline or just decided his story One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock was more than good enough to function as an introduction.
September 12, 2023
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
Probably the third time/ format for this material. I like this particular order for the stories that are included. While the description made much of this being an "illustrated" edition. I didn't notice an increase of illustrations that typically you find with this material.
Update 9/12: I've been listening to this book in the car. I've listened to half (Elric of Melnibone and The Fortress of the Pearl) but I'm putting it to the side because I want to listen to Holly.
Probably the third time/ format for this material. I like this particular order for the stories that are included. While the description made much of this being an "illustrated" edition. I didn't notice an increase of illustrations that typically you find with this material.
Update 9/12: I've been listening to this book in the car. I've listened to half (Elric of Melnibone and The Fortress of the Pearl) but I'm putting it to the side because I want to listen to Holly.
November 24, 2021
This entire series is fascinating. It is an epic tragic tale, full of high fantasy and an anti-hero protagonist.
While I have read this edition, just seeing the cover sweeps me back to various moments in the novels that ring with the sound of battle or the existential brooding of Elric.
While I have read this edition, just seeing the cover sweeps me back to various moments in the novels that ring with the sound of battle or the existential brooding of Elric.
April 20, 2023
Elric is back. I don't remember reading these Elric stories when I was a kid. Michael Moorcock is one of my favorite authors. I read everything I could get my hands on back when I was in my twenties.
July 11, 2025
"Arioch! Arioch! Blood and souls for my lord Arioch!"
Wow. I've had a touch of Moorcock from reading the first two books of the Dancers at the End of Time series, but this...this is something else. The Elric saga is what I know the name Michael Moorcock from originally, and I've been eager to read through it. This book is actually the first FOUR Elric books in chronological order (I was very torn as to whether or not I should read them that way when normally I am a die-hard "publishing order" person. I was also torn whether or not to cancel this book and select the 4 individual books it collects, but whatever, I'll make it work and get the covers in the review so you can have the full experience). This is fantasy in the tradition of old Sword and Sorcery that traces back to Robert E. Howard's Conan, and in fact, I found a review where someone likened it very much to the stories of Conan and I can totally see that.
We'll start at the beginning (a fine place to start).
Elric of Melnibone
This is a dark, fast-moving fever dream of a fantasy. Elric, the sickly albino emperor of a crumbling, cruel empire, is too thoughtful for the throne—and too bound by fate to escape it. Betrayed by his cousin Yyrkoon and desperate to protect Cymoril, Elric strikes a deal with chaotic forces and claims Stormbringer, a soul-drinking sword that seals his doom.
Moorcock’s world is decadent, alien, and collapsing under its own weight. The prose is lean but mythic, the action relentless, and the tone pure melancholic grandeur. A grim, hypnotic ride into the heart of doomed heroism.
The Fortress of the Pearl
In The Fortress of the Pearl, Elric is blackmailed into a soul-quest through the dreamlands to rescue a comatose princess, crossing surreal psychic landscapes where identity and reality blur. It’s weirder, more introspective than Elric of Melnibone, but still full of sorcery, duels, and moral rot.
Moorcock leans into dream-logic and cosmic horror, with Stormbringer ever whispering at Elric’s side. Not as tight as the first book, but rich in imagery, strange philosophy, and that delicious sense of doomed grandeur.
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
This entry tosses Elric into a series of surreal, loosely linked adventures across time, space, and reality. He joins forces with alternate versions of himself, (Moorcock's Eternal Champion) battles insectoid gods, and sails through dreamlike, crumbling dimensions where fate plays puppet master.
It’s fragmented but deliberately so—more myth than narrative. Moorcock dives deeper into his multiverse, and Elric drifts ever further from control, clutching Stormbringer as both weapon and curse. Bleak, cosmic, and beautifully strange. This one especially made me eager to read more of the Eternal Champion, as I believe he wrote a few books for each iteration (Hawkmoon, Corum, Erekosë, etc.), which is...wild.
The Weird of the White Wolf
Ooof. This book marks a turning point—Elric returns to Melniboné, in a fit of apocalyptic revenge, and begins wandering a world that increasingly feels like ash. The stories here are fragmented, tragic, and full of bitter consequences.
Stormbringer grows hungrier, and Elric more lost—haunted by those he’s doomed and the inevitability of his fate. Moorcock leans hard into fatalism and decay. Bleak, brutal, and absolutely riveting.
In short, I was just a tiny bit blown away by this book. Like the ravenous Stormbringer, the more I consumed, the more I hungered for more. Luckily, there are two or more volumes of collected works for me to sink my teeth into, as well as a plethora of related stories concerning the Eternal Champion. It's so exciting to have such a massive amount of things I'm absolutely looking forward to reading.
“Death is the promise we're all born with, sir. A good
death is better than a poor one.”
Wow. I've had a touch of Moorcock from reading the first two books of the Dancers at the End of Time series, but this...this is something else. The Elric saga is what I know the name Michael Moorcock from originally, and I've been eager to read through it. This book is actually the first FOUR Elric books in chronological order (I was very torn as to whether or not I should read them that way when normally I am a die-hard "publishing order" person. I was also torn whether or not to cancel this book and select the 4 individual books it collects, but whatever, I'll make it work and get the covers in the review so you can have the full experience). This is fantasy in the tradition of old Sword and Sorcery that traces back to Robert E. Howard's Conan, and in fact, I found a review where someone likened it very much to the stories of Conan and I can totally see that.
We'll start at the beginning (a fine place to start).
Elric of Melnibone
This is a dark, fast-moving fever dream of a fantasy. Elric, the sickly albino emperor of a crumbling, cruel empire, is too thoughtful for the throne—and too bound by fate to escape it. Betrayed by his cousin Yyrkoon and desperate to protect Cymoril, Elric strikes a deal with chaotic forces and claims Stormbringer, a soul-drinking sword that seals his doom.
Moorcock’s world is decadent, alien, and collapsing under its own weight. The prose is lean but mythic, the action relentless, and the tone pure melancholic grandeur. A grim, hypnotic ride into the heart of doomed heroism.
The Fortress of the Pearl
In The Fortress of the Pearl, Elric is blackmailed into a soul-quest through the dreamlands to rescue a comatose princess, crossing surreal psychic landscapes where identity and reality blur. It’s weirder, more introspective than Elric of Melnibone, but still full of sorcery, duels, and moral rot.
Moorcock leans into dream-logic and cosmic horror, with Stormbringer ever whispering at Elric’s side. Not as tight as the first book, but rich in imagery, strange philosophy, and that delicious sense of doomed grandeur.
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
This entry tosses Elric into a series of surreal, loosely linked adventures across time, space, and reality. He joins forces with alternate versions of himself, (Moorcock's Eternal Champion) battles insectoid gods, and sails through dreamlike, crumbling dimensions where fate plays puppet master.
It’s fragmented but deliberately so—more myth than narrative. Moorcock dives deeper into his multiverse, and Elric drifts ever further from control, clutching Stormbringer as both weapon and curse. Bleak, cosmic, and beautifully strange. This one especially made me eager to read more of the Eternal Champion, as I believe he wrote a few books for each iteration (Hawkmoon, Corum, Erekosë, etc.), which is...wild.
The Weird of the White Wolf
Ooof. This book marks a turning point—Elric returns to Melniboné, in a fit of apocalyptic revenge, and begins wandering a world that increasingly feels like ash. The stories here are fragmented, tragic, and full of bitter consequences.
Stormbringer grows hungrier, and Elric more lost—haunted by those he’s doomed and the inevitability of his fate. Moorcock leans hard into fatalism and decay. Bleak, brutal, and absolutely riveting.
In short, I was just a tiny bit blown away by this book. Like the ravenous Stormbringer, the more I consumed, the more I hungered for more. Luckily, there are two or more volumes of collected works for me to sink my teeth into, as well as a plethora of related stories concerning the Eternal Champion. It's so exciting to have such a massive amount of things I'm absolutely looking forward to reading.
“Death is the promise we're all born with, sir. A good
death is better than a poor one.”
September 1, 2025
I once followed a silly prompt to see “what fantasy character are you” and Elric of Melniboné was the result of my query. This name was unfamiliar to me and after a very small bit of sleuthing decided this did indeed sound like a saga to interest me, so I scooped up the first of the three tomes with Moorcock’s collected tales of Elric. While I don’t quite agree that he and I have much in common, I was absolutely enthralled by the tales.
The writing style is a bit dated, though I find that quite fitting and refreshing, particularly after reading so many modern authors of late. The prose is almost nonexistent and keeps the pace of the stories clipping along well. This is not to say that there are no descriptions or philosophical musings, as there are aplenty, they are simply not extraneous and I find this aids in keeping focus and import on the subject(s) at hand. Of the four tales on offer in this volume, I kept marveling at the amount of things taking place and thus expecting the next to fall short of the high expectation of the previous tale, yet I was pleasantly surprised to find myself equally gripped by all herein. With that in mind, I will say that the conclusion of The Fortress of the Pearl was as satisfying as it was ominous and I had to read a page or two twice because it was gloriously rewarding after the hardships of our main character.
The magics here are also quite fun and archaic, though not fully fleshed out thus far and perhaps never to be. This is partly due to the viewpoint and limited knowledge of the main character; a mortal man with innate abilities to summon deities and elementals, though not an innate understanding of the creatures, forces or magics themselves. In his search for knowledge both mundane and arcane, we learn much in time with Elric and can share in his delights and horrors as the revelations come to both character and reader alike.
Many elements are encountered here that feel familiar, as they rightfully should; these tales have clearly inspired a great many works since (looking at you, Witcher) and it is easy to see why with so many spectacular things taking place.
Overall I feel like 5 stars may be a bit much, though 4 feels lacking.
The writing style is a bit dated, though I find that quite fitting and refreshing, particularly after reading so many modern authors of late. The prose is almost nonexistent and keeps the pace of the stories clipping along well. This is not to say that there are no descriptions or philosophical musings, as there are aplenty, they are simply not extraneous and I find this aids in keeping focus and import on the subject(s) at hand. Of the four tales on offer in this volume, I kept marveling at the amount of things taking place and thus expecting the next to fall short of the high expectation of the previous tale, yet I was pleasantly surprised to find myself equally gripped by all herein. With that in mind, I will say that the conclusion of The Fortress of the Pearl was as satisfying as it was ominous and I had to read a page or two twice because it was gloriously rewarding after the hardships of our main character.
The magics here are also quite fun and archaic, though not fully fleshed out thus far and perhaps never to be. This is partly due to the viewpoint and limited knowledge of the main character; a mortal man with innate abilities to summon deities and elementals, though not an innate understanding of the creatures, forces or magics themselves. In his search for knowledge both mundane and arcane, we learn much in time with Elric and can share in his delights and horrors as the revelations come to both character and reader alike.
Many elements are encountered here that feel familiar, as they rightfully should; these tales have clearly inspired a great many works since (looking at you, Witcher) and it is easy to see why with so many spectacular things taking place.
Overall I feel like 5 stars may be a bit much, though 4 feels lacking.
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