Dustin M.'s Reviews > Zothique
Zothique
by
by

Ostensibly set on a distant future Earth, where the continents have once again mashed together into a single landmass - Zothique - and both technology and human society have basically reverted to iron age level, Smith's stories are undoubtably Sword&Sorcery tales, but of the highest quality.
Smith often utelizes the most basic of pulp adventure plots - raiding the tomb, rescuing the princess, a duel among magicians - but his poetic style elevates them far beyond the ordinary level such stories usually strived for back in the day.
Setting this cycle on the final continent at the end of time gives every story an instant atmosphere of gloom and dread. Add to that the recurring theme of necromancy - that being the primary form of magic performed in Zothique - and you have an often psychedlic, dream-like apocalyptic dark fantasy experience you'll never forget.
Zothique roughly fall into one of two categories. The shorter ones, like "The Death of Illalotha", "Morthylla" or "Empire of the Necromancers" almost feel like anecdotes or parables. The longer ones often involve longer heroic quests and flesh out the world building for various places in Zothique.
I don't have a clear preference in that regard. The shorter ones can be snappy and to the point, but also sometimes fail to have any point at all.
The longer ones can sometimes drag, but Smith's atmospheric descriptions can make even the slow parts entertaining.
Rating of each story:
"Xeethra" 4/5
"Necromancy in Naat" 4/5
"The Empire of the Necromancers" 5/5
"Master of the Crabs" 5/5
"Death of Illalotha" 2/5
"Weaver in the Vault" 2/5
"The Witchcraft of Ulua" 3/5
"The Charnel God" 4/5
"The Dark Eidolon" 3/5
"Morthylla" 4/5
"The Black Abbot of Puthuum" 4/5
"The Tomb Spawn" 2/5
"The Last Hieroglyph" 5/5
"The Isle of the Torturers" 5/5
"The Garden of Adompha" 3/5
"The Voyage of King Euvoran" 5/5
Smith often utelizes the most basic of pulp adventure plots - raiding the tomb, rescuing the princess, a duel among magicians - but his poetic style elevates them far beyond the ordinary level such stories usually strived for back in the day.
Setting this cycle on the final continent at the end of time gives every story an instant atmosphere of gloom and dread. Add to that the recurring theme of necromancy - that being the primary form of magic performed in Zothique - and you have an often psychedlic, dream-like apocalyptic dark fantasy experience you'll never forget.
Zothique roughly fall into one of two categories. The shorter ones, like "The Death of Illalotha", "Morthylla" or "Empire of the Necromancers" almost feel like anecdotes or parables. The longer ones often involve longer heroic quests and flesh out the world building for various places in Zothique.
I don't have a clear preference in that regard. The shorter ones can be snappy and to the point, but also sometimes fail to have any point at all.
The longer ones can sometimes drag, but Smith's atmospheric descriptions can make even the slow parts entertaining.
Rating of each story:
"Xeethra" 4/5
"Necromancy in Naat" 4/5
"The Empire of the Necromancers" 5/5
"Master of the Crabs" 5/5
"Death of Illalotha" 2/5
"Weaver in the Vault" 2/5
"The Witchcraft of Ulua" 3/5
"The Charnel God" 4/5
"The Dark Eidolon" 3/5
"Morthylla" 4/5
"The Black Abbot of Puthuum" 4/5
"The Tomb Spawn" 2/5
"The Last Hieroglyph" 5/5
"The Isle of the Torturers" 5/5
"The Garden of Adompha" 3/5
"The Voyage of King Euvoran" 5/5
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Reading Progress
May 1, 2023
– Shelved as:
to-read
May 1, 2023
– Shelved
May 5, 2023
–
Started Reading
May 24, 2023
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Finished Reading