Review: Awesome
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 10, 2011
Set 60 years before the events in Elegy, The Corpse King finds young apprentice Arbiter D'Arden,along with his mentor Havox, investigating the events at the court of a mad king.This is an excellent introduction to the world of Eisengoth and provides some background into the Arbiters. Here we see D'Arden as a brash youth, far different than the cool, unflappable man he is in Elegy.I loved the atmosphere in Elegy but this short story ratchets it up to 11. The settings have as much weight and importance as the characters themselves, you can almost smell the rot and age of the Corpse King's castle seeping through your Kindle. Kellen is becoming a master of gloom, I love the way he describes his universe. And in Eisengoth nothing is particularly happy and cheerful to say the least lol. This is a dark, almost hopeless world.If you enjoy dark, pulp fantasy do yourself a favor and pick up both this and Elegy, turn down the lights and ignite some sputtering, smokey candles to induce the proper atmosphere and enjoy. This is fantasy that one can picture being read out of a hardbound, mouldering tome by firelight, surrounded by companions with the wind and unknown noises coming from the forest around you.