Darkness Weaves in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Sep 02, 2018 Joseph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Glorious, grim sword & sorcery of the 1970s (as published in Wagner's preferred 1978 revision, after Powell Press mangled the original in 1970).

Efrel, done wrong by, and horribly disfigured by, Emperor Netisten Maril, recruits the legendary warrior Kane (red haired, left-handed, possibly immortal, well-versed in both swordplay and sorcerous arts) to command her armies as she seeks vengeance against the Emperor, his daughter M'Cori, and the Thovnostian Empire as a whole. (And she may also have ma ...more

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Dec 02, 2013 Jason Waltz rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, keeper, heroic, fantastical, favorite-authors, favorite, awesome-characters

Enjoyed another tale of Kane, learned a bit more of the man, and found myself readily enthralled by his plots and machinations. It was nice to see him interact with a friend of sorts throughout the entire story. Definitely good to see him triumph once more, but I experience mixed emotions when he yet again stumbles at the moment of his own personal triumph. As he says, "It's a game I play. An old game with an old enemy." While he's a scoundrel with black heart as black as any and blacker than so ...more

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Nov 26, 2023 Jim Kuenzli rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, horror-macabre-dark

Another really good, very dark sword and sorcery meets the macabre. Kane once again has visions for empire as a demonic, vengeful sorceress enlists his aid. Both have treacherous plans of their own, which ultimately leaves everyone involved in a state of loss. Epic land and sea battles, sorcery, eldritch sea beings with advanced technology, a vile sorceress with a mutilated body as hideous as her blackened vengeful heart- and of course the destructive force known as the immortal Kane. Any fan of ...more

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Jul 17, 2008 Charles rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Karl Edward Wagner's "Kane" is a great character in Heroic fantasy. Personally, I think he's the best character ever. This is one of the very early Kane novels, orginally published as "Darkness Weaves With Many Shades." It's a very good introduction to the character. ...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Derek rated it really liked it

Shelves: sword-and-sorcery

Before the involvement of the Scylredi, this it is a well-crafted but otherwise typical sword and sorcery story of human-scale treachery and trickery: everyone involved seems to be sharpening a knife for the inevitable plunge into an ally's back. There is the standard dark magic by the vengeance-obsessed evil queen (though 'evil' here is an entirely relative concept), and the bloody battles, the assorted cast of unsavory characters, and an empire to be forged.

Wagner dips into Lovecraftian oeuvre ...more

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Dec 26, 2015 Karl marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: centipede-milipede-own, 2015-12-books-bought

This is copy 40 of 300 signed and numbered copies. Facsimile signed by Karl Edward Wagner and signed by Bram Sels.

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Jan 17, 2012 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, sword-sorcery, all-time-favorites

An absolutely perfect novel. Could not ask for any more in a Sword and Sorcery tale. I can see why this is such a cult classic. If you are interested in Fantasy, you have to read this one.

What I don't understand is why it is out of print. Shameful. ...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Chompa rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2015, sword-sorcery

A while back I read that Karl Edward Wagner was the spiritual successor to Robert E. Howard. Kane is Wagner's most famous character as Conan is Howard's. I can certainly see where the comparison comes from and can even agree.

Is Kane as good as Conan? Well, not for reading purposes in my humble opinion, but this book wasn't bad. In Darkness Weaves, we find Kane hired to be a general for an attempt to overthrown a distant Empire based in some islands. The person who hires him was horrifically cri ...more

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