Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Jun 04, 2014 S.E. Lindberg rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-by-se, sword-sorcery-group-authors

Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology is an aptly named milestone in speculative fiction. Named after African storytellers who relied on the oral tradition (griots), this anthology marks the initial growth of the sub-genre “Sword & Soul.” Charles R. Saunders is credited with starting the sub-genre with his Imaro tale (Imaro Series). Imaro broke the mold of adventure fantasy with Saunders being the primary champion. With Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology, Milton J. Davis leads a troop of authors to ...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Andrew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, favorites, sword-and-soul

“Griots: A Soul and Soul Anthology" is an intriguing collection of fantasy stories from some talented writers.

You will find tales of exotic magic, evil sorcery, incredible beasts and great warriors all in the context of an Africa both familiar and unfamiliar. I was particularly pleased to find two of my fantasy favourites, Changa and Imaro, making an appearance in the book.

If you like the Sword and Soul genre, you are certain to enjoy Griots which is well presented with great cover art and illu ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Robin rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

“Griots” is an anthology of African-inspired sword & sorcery, or “Sword & Soul” as dubbed by the sub-genre’s first proponent, Charles Saunders. The anthology sets out to provide fantasy stories in a neglected milieu (nearly all the stories take place in Africa or an Africa-like fantasy setting), with Black heroes and heroines in a genre that has long had a tendency to put dark-skinned characters in the roles of supporting characters or antagonists.

The anthology gets off to a strong start with “M “Griots” is an anthology of African-inspired sword & sorcery, or “Sword & Soul” as dubbed by the sub-genre’s first proponent, Charles Saunders. The anthology sets out to provide fantasy stories in a neglected milieu (nearly all the stories take place in Africa or an Africa-like fantasy setting), with Black heroes and heroines in a genre that has long had a tendency to put dark-skinned characters in the roles of supporting characters or antagonists.

The anthology gets off to a strong start with “Mrembo Aliyenaswa,” an adventure by active sword & soul promoter Milton Davis. Much like many Robert E. Howard stories, it’s set in a historical African setting with a light touch of magic. I’d never read any of Davis’ other stories featuring his hero Changa, but this story encourages me to check them out.

“Awakening” by Valjeanne Jeffers is less testosterone-drenched than the bulk of the stories in this anthology, but it serves up an interesting blend of action and mythology.

“The Demon in the Wall” is a fun adventure involving a young warrior and his spry, alluring grandmother(!) fending off a supernatural invasion. The characters in this story are particularly fun, including one antagonist who isn’t fully committed to evil.

Other standout stories included “The General’s Daughter” (by Anthony Nana Kwamu), “The Queen, the Demon, and the Mercenary” (by Ronald T. Jones), and “Icewitch” (by Rebecca McFarland Kyle). The latter is notable for being the only story NOT taking place in an African setting, involving a Black character among a tribe of white people in the frozen north.

The best story by far is “The Three-Faced One,” an Imaro tale by Charles Saunders. I imagine it must have been intimidating for the newer writers appearing in the same anthology as the genre’s founder, and Saunders really delivers. Imaro remains an appealing hero, and the supernatural threat he faces is an intriguing one.

While it’s nice that this anthology collects and spotlights African fantasy and Black heroes, nearly any of these stories would just as easily be at home in any sword & sorcery anthology. So if you enjoy sword & sorcery but aren’t familiar with sword & soul, give it a try! ...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Fletcher Vredenburgh rated it really liked it

Of fourteen stories six are of the first rank. Of these, Carole McDonnells' "Changeling", a folklore style story of daughterly duty and sibling jealousy, and Minister Faust's take on Egyptian myth in "The Belly of the Crocodile" are my favorites. Next is "The General's Daughter" by Anthony Nana Kwamu, in which a victorious Ethiopian general travels the land of the dead to face a terrible sacrifice. The other three are all very good straight up S&S. For those who've read Davis's Changa novels, "M ...more

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Jun 25, 2019 Christopher rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

Though I am often disappointed with extremely uneven multi author amalgamations, I read them anyway in the hope of discovering new writers in niche genres. Outside of 'the new weird' in horror I usually regret it more than I discover cool new things. Fortunately, that was not the case here. This has got to be the first multi-author anthology in the fantasy genre that I have ever found to be of a consistently high quality. I was familiar with Saunders of course, as I am a big Imaro fan and that d ...more

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