I started reading Savage Realms when the first issue came out in January 2021. I was struck by how inventive some of the stories were. They sat firmly within the domain of Sword and Sorcery but there were some surprisingly fresh takes on the genre. I decided to keep reading Savage Realms.

Stories continue to be sharp, distinctive, and action-oriented in the later issues. Savage Realms also seem to be carving a niche for shorter short-stories that are well-crafted and skilfully plotted, usually one to an issue.

The publisher and editor of Savage Realms is William Miller, who has just published Issue Four of SR and I wish him more power to his elbow.

Here are my reviews of the stories in the first four issues.

(Note: I have used “S&S” throughout as a shorthand for “Sword and Sorcery”).

Savage Realms Issue 1 January 2021 (click link to order)

In “God of the Mountain”, we meet Redgar the Hathor, a Northern Barbarian with a lust for life, ale, and the chopping of heads. He is hired by a rich but dubious character, Ivashek, who seeks the return of his daughter. She has been abducted by a savage tribe intent on sacrificing her to their bloodthirsty god.

Redgar is a well-written barbarian. Taciturn, with little book-learning, but inwardly clever. Author Willard Black understands his hero completely, and has subtle ways of introducing his hero’s skills to the reader. Redgar is instinctively smart and cunning but never lets thinking get in the way of action. And the action here is particularly exciting. There’s an economy of style that gives the reader some thrilling battles.

Redgar discovers that the young woman, Natali, is not Ivashek’s daughter. She is a keeper of occult secrets that Ivashek, a wizard, wants to obtain. Natali is an interesting character, young and naïve, yet with a mysterious quality about her. What does the wizard want with her? Natali won’t say. Cue lots of trouble. Old-school barbarian action, with a lot of heroic character baked in.

“The Festival of the Bull” is by Steve Dilks, a well-regarded veteran author of S&S. His mighty warrior Bohun finds himself stranded in a strange city, naked except for a loincloth and a scimitar. He stumbles into a robbery and this leads him into plots and subterfuges by people who would make use of his great strength and warrior skills. There are some original action scenes here and one superbly written evil character (no spoilers!). As the action unfolds we learn our hero’s history and discover there is much, much more to Bohun. Now Bohun’s history and intentions start to drive the story and Dilks writes the adventure with old-school S&S panache. I found the ending a little inconclusive, but I suspect that it is meant to lead us to another story of the burly Bohun.

“The Tomb of Orthun-Rah” by David Sims. Four mismatched mercenaries explore a jungle replete with danger. A dwarf, a Hillman, and a brother and sister team of killers are deserters from a nearby fortress on the remote edge of a fading empire. Their only bond is a lust for treasure.

These characters spring to life in the first sentence. One of their number has discovered the ruins of a hidden temple. However in trying to retrace his steps they have become lost in the jungle. They bicker and while they do so, they are attacked by deadly predators. Within the first three pages we have learnt who they are and by page three they are in action.

Their troubles don’t end when they find the temple. A staircase leads them below ground. As they explore we discover more about each of the party. Exploring the catacombs, they find riches. But riches are not the only thing in this tomb….

This story is a great example of how to stretch the bounds of Sword and Sorcery. It’s inventive, takes some old S&S tropes and tells them differently, with fresh imaginative takes. The characters are not stock, nor is the ending. A lively and satisfying read. For me this is the standout story in this issue.

“Serpent Lord of Bryson Metals” by Kell Myers is something different. In post-apocalypse Florida, Special Forces soldier Kara Black hunts Krun lizard-people who have invaded the earth. Modern culture survives in the form of ruined buildings, rusted cars and road signs. Magic works and the Krun hunt mysterious artefacts, slaughtering humans as they go. Armed only with medieval weapons, Kara heads into the swamp to fight them.

Several interesting concepts are packed into the story, though with so much going on I felt that they did not get the air time they needed. Different but a little overcomplicated.

Savage Realms Issue 2 February 2021 (click link to order)

Issue 2 opens with “In the Cove of the Apostates” by B. Harlan Crawford. A man with a past gets caught stealing wine from the camp of a warrior woman. After their initial meeting, the man, Hafgan, tells the warrior-woman, Seanai, what happened to destroy the people and cities of the land they now stand in.

A large part of this story is Hafgan’s retelling of history. It’s a cautionary Atlantean fable, with Seanai providing a pragmatic counterpoint to the supernatural dangers that Hafgan warns her of. This is a story with a great deal of atmosphere and descriptive narrative, though not much plot. To a degree it reminded me of the stories of Leigh Brackett, where atmosphere and mood drew the reader into an eldritch world.

The Gods do come for Seanai and she scrambles to escape their wrath. I liked this story but it was marred by the use of modern slang, which really broke the mood. One example is when Seanai tells of two men who got “handsy” with her. For a story so dependent on atmosphere, this and other modern usages spoil it.

“Titan’s Thrist” by Alexander Karcher is a straightforward story about a barbarian stalking a lion in the forest. The forest god has sent storms and Thedwyr the hunter seeks the lion in defiance of the god. Vividly told, literate and full of natural activity. There’s the storm in the trees, an evocative description of the lion, Thedwyr watching him from hiding. It’s simply the story of a hunt, well written, engaging throughout from beginning to culmination. Short but complete in every sense.

In “Eye of the Serpent” by Willard Black, we are deep in REH territory. Redgar the Hathor barbarian, now saddled with the mysterious Natali, is trying to escape their pursuers. They are in the city of Tehette which has a strange and not entirely savoury history. To win gold, Redgar enters a public bout with a strange and powerful opponent. Meanwhile Natali, heedless of Redgar’s advice, messes up. The interplay between these two is really well told. Natali’s presumption that Redgar is an ignorant barbarian is frequently punctured by his terse perceptive comments. This is not a comedic story but the back and forth between these two made me smile. It’s well done and rounds out both characters.

Redgar’s lusty appetites lead them into an aeons-old conflict between men and evil demons. At this point Redgar goes full IDGAF and the mayhem starts. Redgar and sinister occult creatures agree to disagree, with lashings of blood.

This is Redgar’s second outing, and I really enjoyed it. The characters have depth, there is mystery and struggle. The action sequences move fast, hit hard. This barbarian is growing on me.

Savage Realms Issue 3 March 2021 (click link to order)

Leads with “The Snake of Sharkam” by Brad Younie. Tamuk, The Snake of Sharkam, thief and assassin, is hired to rescue a kidnapped young woman from a cursed tower of occult evil. The tower stands within the city bounds of Sharkam but no one has ever entered the tower and returned alive.

There are some lovely touches of classic S&S that bring this story alive. The mysterious hire, the unknown nature of the evil in the tower, the stealth, skill and cunning required to enter without being discovered and killed. The fearful mood of the sinister quest envelops the reader from the outset. “Snake” then ratchets up the tension as Tamuk slinks deeper into the black tower and danger. One of the things I enjoyed most about this thief’s progression was his assured use of ingenious magical artefacts. Though not a sorcerer, Tamuk is a skilled user of magical items. He is a very well-crafted version of the archetypal S&S wily thief.

“Snake” is a great example of what Savage Realms does well, new inventive stories of heroes and sorcery. I really liked this story, it’s exciting, tricky, and evil. For me this was the standout story of this issue.

“Stygian Black” by David J. West is set in the long-lost deserts of ancient Arabia. Avi-Ben Kenaz is a feared bandit leader. He and his hard-bitten nomads fall upon a caravan and slaughter its guards. The caravan belongs to Abdul Alhazred, a sinister half-mad sorcerer. In return for his life, the sorcerer offers to share the location of the Nameless City. The Nameless City is legendary, both for its sinister occupants and its treasures. So a pact is agreed between two dishonourable men and off they go.

“Stygian” grabs you from the outset with its wonderfully drawn characters. Avi-Ben is ruthless, itching for an excuse to bury his scimitar in the sorcerer. Alhazred is a glorious example of the slimy, cunning and cowardly sorcerer. The story quickly builds a kind of spaghetti-western vibe, with the two of them watching each other to see who will betray who first.

“Stygian” moves into its middle scenes with horrible acts of black magic, bloodshed and killing and the discovery of the Nameless City’s secrets. But this story is beautifully plotted, and regardless of carnage being heaped on horror, the narrative never loses the reader. It only becomes a question of who does the betraying and how the story ends. You will have to read “Stygian” to find out. Larger-than-life characters and a story skilfully told.

“Iron Colossus” by Willard Black, sees Redgar the Hathor barbarian and Natali pursued across desert wastes by a team of twelve assassins hired by their nemesis Ivashek. They see a city in the desert and enter it hoping to find water and food. The city is seemingly deserted. There are some engaging scenes in which Redgar and Natali work together and show their determination to survive. As in previous episodes, we get character development by increments.

The assassins ride in and mayhem commences. Unfortunately the Battle Royale between Redgar and the assassins awakens a greater threat, a foe who has slept for centuries who the warriors cannot defeat. We learn more about Natali in this episode, what she is capable of. A twisty story, with all the action a Conan fan could want.

Savage Realms Issue 4 May 2021 (No issue published in April)

First is the “The Revenant King” by Willard Black. Our heroes, Redgar the barbarian and Natali, are forced to flee a caravan they have joined. Barely escaping with their lives, they journey into the black forests of the Vangols. Hungry, exhausted and lost, they come across a Vangol village and decide to seek shelter.

There’s some damn good writing here. Willard Black’s descriptions of the plight of the duo are very effective, you can feel their suffering. But he simultaneously continues the dialogue between the two, enriching our understanding of the characters and deepening the mystery of Natali.

They discover the village has problems of its own. It has been stricken by plague. The descriptions of the plague-struck victims are powerful and vivid and the story reeks of death and oppressive fear. Natali, being both brave and naïve, offers her help to try to save a plague-struck mother. Redgar finds an inn, where scared locals talk of the unnatural coming of the plague.

Now Natali and Redgar are targeted and Redgar becomes convinced that this is no ordinary plague. Vowing to get to the bottom of it all, he is soon beset by evil.

There are some superb moments in this story (small spoiler ahead). One is a fight in an inn, with Redgar joined by a veteran warrior, against multiple enemies. Willard Black again shows a wonderful economy of description that make his action sequences so good. Another colourful and exciting Redgar and Natali episode.

“Crawling in the Dark” by Chad Wilson opens with a scene of pity and compassion, where a mysterious man, Brock, offers help to a poor family driven from their home. Brock shares his campfire and his food and they tell him of the plight of their village, Tremestin. Plagued by a giant spider, the village children are being taken and eaten by the creature. As they talk, we learn some interesting facts about Brock.

There’s a convincing medieval European feel about this story. Brock decides to travel to Tremestin to see what is happening. When he arrives he finds that the town is in fact a small down-at-heel village. However, its town folk are celebrating. A visiting mercenary, Verin, has killed the spider.

There’s some interplay between Verin, who has a bit of a swagger, and Brock. This verges on black comedy but it’s also a dialogue that serves to advance the story. Brock is worried, could there be more evil to be visited on the town? Brock prepares for the worst and along it comes.

“Crawling” is a short, well-crafted story. I liked Chad Wilson’s ability to create believable, empathic characters who draw us into the story, to almost demand our support. Also the story beats are particularly nicely done, the story transitions from description to action seamlessly. This really was an enjoyable read. Savage Realms editor William Miller clearly has an eye for shorter stories that are tightly plotted and well-executed.

“Uncertain Treasure” by Victor H. Rodriguez has a professional thief breaking into an accursed tower, the domain of a powerful witch. But the thief is not alone, he is accompanied by another powerful witch, who wants to steal an artefact of great power. The thief works for the witch and together they evade or neutralise the ingenious tricks and traps of the tower. Some clever work here, both the traps themselves and the duo’s ability to escape them.

The story is told by the thief and through his telling we learn about the sorcerous world these people inhabit. “Uncertain” has a cynical fatalistic tone. This combined with the lethality of the tower gives the narrative an oppressive, scary edge. This fearful atmosphere grows, makes us expectant, eager for the culmination of the thief’s story. This is a story with subtleties, and it serves the reader to read it carefully. It’s a smart, surprising story and I found a second reading even more fun than the first. Dark, with a sour evil flavour, this story would not be out of place in Weird Tales.

Awaiting Issue 5

From my reading of it, Savage Realms gets better and better. Issue One had two standout stories, “God of the Mountain” and “The Tomb of Orthun-Rah”. I think it really hit its stride with Issue Three, with a trio of superb stories. For me Savage Realms goes from strength to strength and I look forward to Issue 5.