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 Reviewed by: The Rev 4th Apr 2003 
 


The Jewel in the Skull

Michael Moorcock

Dorian Hawkmoon, the last Duke of Koln, is another of Moorcock's instances of the Eternal Champion. Hawkmoon's tales are especially amusing, as the world on which Hawkmoon adventures is the nearest allegory to the world we know in Moorcock's sword-and-sorcery writing.

Count Brass, protector of the south-Provence country of Kamarg, is content to be left in peace in his castle as the Dark Empire sweeps down over Europe from the island nation of Granbretan. His neutrality is questioned by an emissary from Granbretan, Baron Meliadus. While Meliadus is at Brass' castle, he falls in love with Brass' daughter Yisselda, and attempts to kidnap her. Meliadus is forcibly ejected from the Kamarg, and begins to plot revenge.

That's where Hawkmoon enters the story, but to say how would be to spoil the fun. Read it for yourself.

The Hawkmoon novels are, of the “classic” Eternal Champion books (Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon, John Daker, and Erekose), those which best approach the brilliance of the Elric series. Where the problems lie in the DAW editions are in the pervasive and annoying typographical errors. Someone at DAW was asleep at the wheel the day The Jewel in the Skull landed on their desk. Hardly a page goes by without an ugly typo that, if the reader is skimming, will change the meaning of a sentence. Very sloppy work from the publisher. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law dictates that the better the book, the more likely this sort of thing is to happen. And make no mistake, The Jewel in the Skull is a very good book. Would that it had been treated as such by its publisher.



See also
Count Brass by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
Firing the Cathedral by Michael Moorcock reviewed by Ian D.
Kane of Old Mars by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
King of the City by Michael Moorcock reviewed by Ian D.
London Bone by Michael Moorcock reviewed by Ian D.
Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Bane of the Black Sword by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Blood Red Game by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Champion of Garathorm by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Chronicles of Corum by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Dreamthief's Daughter by Michael Moorcock reviewed by Ian D.
The Ice Schooner by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Mad God's Amulet by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Quest for Tanelorn by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Runestaff by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Skrayling Tree by Michael Moorcock reviewed by Ian D.
The Swords Trilogy by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The Vanishing Tower by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
The War Hound and the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock reviewed by Ee Lin
The Weird of the White Wolf by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev
Wizardry and Wild Romance by Michael Moorcock reviewed by The Rev