Following neatly on from where The Ruby Throne left us hanging, Stormbringer is the culmination of this two-part story arc, which also wraps up Elric’s origins.
At the beginning of this book Elric embarks on a voyage to recover what he lost in the first, but as he travels down this new road, he discards his faith in his gods and hands himself entirely over to the forces of chaos.
This leads to some perfect plot twists, as fate is defied and the natural order of things is thrown to the wind. This is a hero’s journey turned on its head, as the cruel and selfish Melnibonean and his army crush anything in their path.
The horror isn’t as full-on as it was in the first volume but that makes it all the more intense when it hits. The art becomes more subtle here, having set a significantly bloody standard in the first volume. It doesn’t shy away from death and destruction when need be, however, with the artists doing a stunning job of rendering the wrath of gods and Elric’s murderous intent.
As an Elric starting point, these first two books could hardly be better. The world is built up in the first book and we see the true colour of the chaotic champion in the second. If you’ve bought the first, get this too, as it neatly caps off this story arc and sets the scene for what we hope will be more great Elric books in the future.
More books in the Elric series:
