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4.0 out of 5 stars
Pulp Adventure set in HPL's Dreamlands, Mar 1 2001
This novel is a series of action-oriented stories set in H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands (which themselves are largely inspired by the work of Dunsany).The characters, adventures and pacing are very reminiscent of the sort of thing you'll find in Burroughs novels, Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories, or some of the less gloomy fantasy books by Moorcock. The protaganists are out of the "loveable rogue" mold, guys who are selfish and a bit shifty, but with good hearts, who wind up doing the right thing when their backs are to the wall. Lovecraft's Dreamlands provide an interesting setting for all the action. HPL's own stories in the setting are usually more about exploration, with nary a fight scene to be found. However, the setting suits an action story well. So, overall, it's entertaining in the same sort of fun mindless way that a Sinbad movie is. Fans of the kinds of fantasy stories I mentioned above will enjoy the novel, and may find the setting interesting enough to interest them in HPL's dreamlands stories. Or, if you're an open-minded Lovecraft fanatic, you'll be fascinated by the little extensions and additions to the original Lovecraft setting. Yes, it's self-indulgent; yes, it's not terribly original; yes, it's somewhat shallow. But, if you're willing to accept all that, it's great fun.
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