5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A positively gripping read, Sep 4 2006
By Kurt A. Johnson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bloodstone (Paperback)
When a strange bloodstone ring is accidentally unearthed from where it has lain for countless centuries, it marks the reawakening of an evil of elder Earth. And when that ring falls into the hands of the mystic warrior Kane, it marks a dark day for all of mankind. Kane, with his vast experience, is playing a game, a game that only he sees the end of, and even he might just have miscalculated.
Karl Edward Wagner (1945-94) was an American author of some of the finest horror and fantasy literature to have been written, and one of his most interesting creations was the man Kane, an undying warrior and scholar. Overall, I found this book to be a positively gripping read. I found the setting to be quite interesting, and the characters to be absolutely fascinating. If you like such fantasy literature as Robert E. Howard's Conan, then you will love this book. I know I did. I highly recommend this book.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true example of "No good deed goes unpunished.", Feb 19 1998
By daniel.nimmo@wilcom.com - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Bloodstone (Paperback)
Bloodstones fills every need that a sword and sorcery reader has. The character,Kane, is truely the hero or un-hero, your choice, that we all seek to follow. Sporting the triple "B's", Big, Brutal, and Brilliant he shows the reader survival and success techniques that apply even in today's market arena. I am constantly amazed at the intricate flow of intrigue Wagner created. I have read the book three times and then lost my copy. I am now on my own quest for the "bloodstone" and the power of it's story.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorites, Dec 13 2009
By Jessica Niebylski - Published on Amazon.com
I came across this book at a used bookstore for $1 but I would gladly pay more for other Kane stories! Wagner created a dark and rather creepy setting for this novel that combines science fiction and sword and sorcery with even a bit of horror mixed with a dry humor. The characters are wonderfully drawn, from the enigmatic Kane to the tough Teres and the ambitious Dribeck and haughty Gerwein. Teres is probably the best female heroine I have come across in fantasy, she could kick Conan's butt easily. Kane is a very dark anti-hero, you're never quite sure WHAT his plans and ambitions are. This is a book I have read again and again and easily one of my favorites. Original, not predictable and suspenseful. Don't read after dark, especially the chapters that take place in the ruined city of Arellarti.