King of the Bastards in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Dec 12, 2014 Karl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-12-books-bought, thunderstorm-own

Rip snorting and swash buckling rousing adventure in the vane of Conan, Kane, or John Carter of Mars. There are sword fights, Pirates, sea monsters and unlimited bad guys to keep our hero and his nephew busy through out this book.

To off set the thrilling action, there are lovely one breasted amazon women, demons, and shaman sprinkled into the mix, along with the really evil 13 who would rule the universe.

If you like sword and sorcery then this is just made for you,if you like knitting while sipp ...more

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May 06, 2015 Greg (adds 2 TBR list daily) Hersom rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Some close friends of mine have been trying to get me to read some of Brian Keene's work for a while. So when I saw he had a sword&sorcery book out, I had to give it a shot. Besides, I couldn't have resisted it with that title.

I will admit when I first started reading King of the Bastards, I thought it might be just a little too cheesy for me, but the third chapter I was digging it.

If you can't appreciate some chest-beating, hairy knuckle-dragging, macho male badassery; this book is not for you ...more

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Jun 08, 2017 Bookwyrm Speaks rated it it was amazing

I picked this up on a whim, liking the idea that someone wrote an unabashed old school pulp fantasy. I wasn't disappointed! This reads like an old RE Howard Conan book, only one where Conan had his kingdom, tired of the throne and passed his kingdom on to his heir to rule while he want back out and had more adventures. All this takes place in a pre Hyperborea Eath, so some of the countries and places will sound similar. If that sounds intriguing, this is the book for you. While on a fishing trip I picked this up on a whim, liking the idea that someone wrote an unabashed old school pulp fantasy. I wasn't disappointed! This reads like an old RE Howard Conan book, only one where Conan had his kingdom, tired of the throne and passed his kingdom on to his heir to rule while he want back out and had more adventures. All this takes place in a pre Hyperborea Eath, so some of the countries and places will sound similar. If that sounds intriguing, this is the book for you. While on a fishing trip off one of his old ally states, in a bireme of all things, his ship is attacked by a tentacled horror, Pirates, and then zombies after the ship is destroyed. Before the ship sank, though, Rogan is told by the lead pirate he was sent by Logan's unknown bastard son, and he has conquered his kingdon and imprisoned the rightful king, and are raping and pillaging across his kingdom. They end up on a beach in unfamiliar territoy and discovver a tribe of natives. The native, and a group of Amazons who happen to be staying with the natives, agree to help them get home if they get rid of the evil necromancer and his demon on the top of the local mountain. Well, needs must, so if off to slay the wizard. What follows is a wild trip to the mountain, with the inevetible comingling with the Amazons, with hilarious results.The climb up the mountain is crazy, and the fight after involving magic, strange science and even a dash of time travel is just gonzo fun. This being pulp fiction, you can probably figure out how it ends. It is a lot of fun right through to the end.

The characters are all larger than life Conan archetypes. Rogan is big, powerful and an epic warrior, even pushing 60. His nephew and aide is also an epic warrior. The Amazons are all beautiful, even with the one breast missing (traditional Amazons) and great warriors, all while being wildcats in bed. This is certainly not a PC kind of title. Its much more old school, and I think it is an underserved market in the current marketplace. While they may be over the top, they are entertaining. The settings are well thought out and described, and fit the story well. The plot is fast paced, and relies on a lot of action to keep things moving.You just dont see this kind of book written too much anymore, sadly.

Doug Greene's narration was solid, keeping the story moving and giving the characters their own voices. Very good effort on his part.

If you are into the kind of fantasy RE Howard was writing, this is something you may want to check out. I know I am looking forward to any sequels. ...more

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Aug 16, 2015 Horror Underground rated it it was amazing

Review from horrorunderground.org

King of the Bastards

Apex Publishing

Authors: Brian Keene, Steven Shrewsbury

In this novella, Brian Keene uses his horror chops combined with the sword and sworcery talents of Steven Shrewsbury that harkens to the days of pulp fiction. King of the Bastards is a quick read that never sets out to be anything more than what it is, a pulpy good time.

Rogan, accompanied by the assistance of his nephew, Javan, set out on a conquest of adventure after Rogan abdicates himsel Review from horrorunderground.org

King of the Bastards

Apex Publishing

Authors: Brian Keene, Steven Shrewsbury

In this novella, Brian Keene uses his horror chops combined with the sword and sworcery talents of Steven Shrewsbury that harkens to the days of pulp fiction. King of the Bastards is a quick read that never sets out to be anything more than what it is, a pulpy good time.

Rogan, accompanied by the assistance of his nephew, Javan, set out on a conquest of adventure after Rogan abdicates himself from the throne in search of a more honorable death. While sailing the seas, Rogan and crew stumble upon chance encounters with drones of Dagon and other lurking monstrosities. After a battle with a group of savages, Rogan and Javan find themselves to be the sole survivors on an island of unknown origin. Quickly, they discover that the island is teeming with life as well as the unspeakable evil of Meeble, a recurring character in Keene’s Labyrinth Mythos.

Much like the work of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, to which the book is a direct homage of, the use of H.P. Lovecraft’s work is teeming throughout. Keene’s very own Labyrinth Mythos shares many nods and similarities having been influenced by Lovecraft. The references to Dagon and the origin story to Meeble are just the tip of the fun nods to the mythology.

The character of Rogan is a cross between the barbaric onslaught of Conan and the “I’m getting too old for this shit” feel of Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon. Rogan is a misogynist, racist, and xenophobic. It only adds to his charm. Rogan is a gruff barbarian modeled from a time when there was seemingly nothing wrong with having these attributes in a character. It certainly gives the character more warts than is typically found in novels these days and adds to a level of confliction that the reader will have as the story progresses. With his heroic antics, it is certainly easy to like the character and even easier to hate him at times.

As the story progresses, Keene and Shrewsbury offer what appears to be a climactic showdown between the barbarian and the alien god...let’s just say they deliver. The action sequences are fleshed out in a storyboard like pacing. Everything flows wonderfully and is easy to follow. No battle is small and the writing aids the epicness of each battle in fantastic ways.

Drenched in Keene’s and Lovecraft’s mythos, King of the Bastards is a great time for any horror or fantasy fan. The violence and action will draw your attention to page after page. The world established in this novella is one that I would relish in the opportunity to revisit time and time again. This is the perfect book for a quick Fall weekend read. Bloody, sexy, and fun.
...more

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Jun 18, 2015 Greg (adds 2 TBR list daily) Hersom marked it as to-read

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