Gunthar (and the) Devil From Beyond

Greetings Friends and Fans! 

So, I've been busy and distracted with other things, so let's see if we can get back on track.  I've got a short one to talk about this time, called "Gunthar:  The Devil From Beyond".  This is part of a series about a barbarian adventurer named Gunthar, in this adventure he is embroiled in an adventure against the Devil From Beyond.  Gunthar himself is NOT the Devil From Beyond, I just want to make that clear.

The story is written by Steve Dilks and published by Carnelian Press, this edition is copywritten in 2018.  There are a few other stories in this series, and a collection as well.  

I found the series by accident when I was searching the internet for vintage Conan clones like Lin Carter's Thongor and Gardner Fox's Kothar.   When the Gunthar stories popped up in my internet search, I wasn't sure if they were old or new.  Turns out they're new!

So the hero is Gunthar.  Apparently, he is from some western culture that is not named in this story, but spent a lot of time with a nomadic tribe of warriors in the steppe land of Tatukura and now considers himself one of them.  He is sometimes called the Black Wolf of Tatukura, and a black wolf's head is carved into the handle of his signature curved sword.

This is actually the second Gunthar story I've read, the first was "Gunthar and the Jaguar Queen".  It's been a while since I read that one, and I don't remember the exact passage, but I am under the impression that Gunthar actually lives in some sort of post-apocalyptic world.  In "Jaguar Queen" there was a type of steamship that took him and his companions across the sea, and in this one, the city guards are equipped with energy whips.  These are sort of like lightsabers, except when turned on you get a flexible cord of energy instead of an erect blade.

This is a contemporary story, it's available on Amazon (for Kindle and physical book) and probably other places, too; so I don't want to spoil the ending.  I mean, I wouldn't want someone leaking the plot of my story so no one has to buy it, and I'm not going to do that to someone else.

But I can go ahead and explain the setup.

Gunthar has come to the city of Pashuvia as a merchant caravan guard.  Pashuvia is an Arabian-Nights-inspired location.  It's out in the desert, with buildings made of stone and stucco, with domed tops and onion-shaped towers.  There are dancing girls in harem pants and men wearing turbans and gauzy desert costumes.  Pashuvia is a major midway point on a prominent caravan route and is also a seaport city.

On his first night in town, Gunthar is carousing and gambling and runs into a runaway concubine from the King's harem.  Her name is Ranya and she is having frightening prophetic dreams about a shadowy thing that is coming for her.  She is pursued by the King's guard, led by Captain Jamal.  After a brief altercation, both she and Gunthar are captured.

In the dungeon awaiting trial, Gunthar meets Tullus Vantio, a wandering poet and minstrel who came to Pashuvia to make his fortune and has not fared well.  Upon their eventual release, Gunthar looks up Tullu, and the two become friends.  

Meanwhile, King Shunga II is feeling poorly, possibly suffering from the mind sickness, but really being slowly poisoned by his trusted advisor, the astrologer Kabir Kaaliya.  Upon learning about Ranya's escape and capture by the guards, he is disturbed by the role of Gunthar, an outlander!  According to some horoscope or prophecy he privately received, the presence of an outlander could be the undoing of his plan to reclaim his rightful place as King of Pashuvia!  

To preserve his plot, Kabir summons his shadowy demon Shimunu and instructs him to kill Gunthar!  This is about the halfway point of the story, and I don't think I should reveal more.

Gunthar is a likable hero, in my opinion.  He is not stupid and is a skilled and cunning combatant.  He has a set of morals and seems like an everyman trying to get through life when the adventure imposes itself upon him.  The world he lives in feels bigger than the story itself as they allude to other cities and kingdoms, and mention deities and snippets of history.

So if you like sword and sorcery, then I can heartily recommend that you check out the Gunthar series by Steve Dilks!  Like I said, I've read two of them, and I will be looking for the rest of the series!  I guess that's all I have to say about that, so I'll see you next time!

Until then, I wish you all...

Good Adventuring!
Timothy A. Sayell