Looking For a Good Book

This book collects two von Bek novels. The first is The Warhound and the World’s Pain.

Ulrich von Bek, one incarnation of the Eternal Champion, is operating as a mercenary, selling his soldiering skills in the wars in 17th century Europe. He decides to take a break after one extremely ugly city destruction and wanders alone to reflect. Choosing to take refuge in a castle he encounters on his wandering, von Bek falls in love with the beautiful Sabrina, keeper of the castle. It also in the castle, however, that von Bek meets Lucifer. Yes, THAT Lucifer.

Von Bek, it turns out, is already destined to spend his eternity in Hell (Was he really surprised by this?) Lucifer is willing to cut him a deal.  Lucifer is, let’s remember, an angel.  A fallen angel, but an angel nonetheless. Lucifer can get in God’s good graces if he, or someone he selects, can cure for the world’s pain (by finding the Holy Grail).

Von Bek travels through both earthly and magical lands, following up on possible leads to the grail. He picks up a couple of sidekicks (including one named Groot – Philander Groot) and battles all sorts of evil – again earthly and other-worldly along the way.  But is it ever possible to cure the world’s pain?

The second novel is The City in the Autumn Stars. This one features Manfred von Bek, descendant of Ulrich, who is also a skilled soldier. Though Manfred doesn’t like to discuss the stories of his ancestors, he winds up on a grail quest, just Ulrich did. Manfred takes on the quest not for noble reasons (to stay out of hell or get in the good graces of go) but for the affections of a woman – the mysterious Countess.

I first encountered Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion through the exploits of Elric, and then Dorian Hawkmoon, and I’d had grand ideas of reading all the different incarnations of the Eternal Champion, but until recently I’d not read any of the von Bek stories.  This was probably a good thing. I don’t think teenage me would have appreciated the theological implications here.

Which is not to say that I ‘appreciated’ them now.

I quite enjoyed the first book here. The chat with Lucifer was interesting and lively. I was reminded of C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. He was almost sympathetic given that he was looking for a cure to the world’s pain. Von Bek’s adventure then takes on a rather typical sword & sorcery adventure (which is what I would have enjoyed most as a teen).

I’m not quite sure what Moorcock was trying to get at with the theological aspects. It would seem to me that Moorcock often uses ‘modern’ theology in his fantasies, neither in condemnation or in exaltation. I do think I would have enjoyed the book just as much if we didn’t have Lucifer’s desire setting the stage.

This first book was an easy 4 stars for me. The second book, however, brought the collected volume down. I was quite looking forward to getting into it, given that I’d enjoyed the first part, but The City in the Autumn Stars felt as lost as the grail itself.

Our hero doesn’t live up to the exploits of his more famous ancestor – which is fine, except why is he the focus then? The adventure (ie search for the grail) feels aimless. What is the drive? The motivation? Yes, ‘to seek the grail’ – I get this, but Ulrich at least had clear motivation for the directions he took. Manfred seems more caught up in questioning things than actually searching. This was a 2, 2-1/2 stars book at best.

I’m glad to have finally gotten around to reading some von Bek by Michael Moorcock. One book good, one not so good. I suppose now I’ll have to read a third to see where the series falls.

Looking for a good book? Michael Moorcock’s Von Bek gathers two previously published novels in the Eternal Champion saga, featuring two members of the von Bek lineage. One of the stories is a fun adventure and one simply feels lost.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

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Von Bek: The Warhound and the World’s Pain and The City in the Autumn Stars

author: Michael Moorcock

publisher: S&S/Saga Press

ISBN: 9781668067697

hardcover, 608 pages