NOTE: This review has been a long time coming. My parents came to visit their granddaughter and then work got crazy busy. Apologies.
Its no secret that Matt and I are pals. We've done a lot together between publishing books and the podcast. I think Matt would also tell you that I'm probably one of his biggest critics. I have high expectations for him. One time, I was vocally disappointed with a story he wrote that everyone else loved. I said it wasn't "Matt enough for me". I stand by that. So, when I say TO WALK ON WORLDS is good. Its good.
As a sword and sorcery collection, I think it's something of an anomoly. TO WALK ON WORLDS doesn't tell the story of a single character a la Howard Andrew Jones and Hanuvar. It tells the story of a world, sometimes others too. There are recurring characters that are more directly tied to the planet's gruesome fate than others, but a number of characters also cross paths with the "Mains". In the end, we get a sort of sweeping narrative of a strange and sorcerous setting filled with swordfights and aliens. Its rad shit, man. Many of these stories are also deeply personal to Matt, inspired by less than pleasant events in his own life. What I imagine is the most personal is also the most narratively abstract. That isn't to say it isn't good. Its actually one of my favorites. But it is surreal and almost...unsatisfying...in the end. On purpose, mind you. but still.
Something else that stands out about this collection is the style of prose. This is not a collection of pulp-facsimile filled with earnest attempts at aping the somewhat archaic language of yesteryear. Matt's writing is succinct and extraordinarily clean. It reads more like a modern thriller than classic fantasy, which I think is owed to the obvious influence of Joe Abercrombie and THE FIRST LAW trilogy. If you are a reader that actively seeks out fiction that mimics the likes of Howard, Carter, Smith, and Kuttner, this may be a jarring change of pace. As an avid reader of modern novels, this was no issue for me. In fact, it was a joy to experience. As a writer, I myself walk two different worlds, a veritable Meddler of my own making. I love to write pulpy fantasy laden with more flowery prose, but I also write modern adventure thrillers in the vein of Clive Cussler and Dan Brown. I understand the difficulty and effort that can come with code-switching between purple-esque pulp and pared down prose. It is clear to me that Matt has taken great pains to shave off every unnecessary word, every embellishment that didn't propel the story forward. Yet, he manages to evoke a sense of terrible wonder and age old mystery, something that permeates every story.
On the note of language and Abercrombie, Matt does not shy away from the use of contemporary swear words. I have seen many a discussion about how some people hate this in fantasy because it breaks their immersion, while others don't seem to mind. I couldn't care less one way or the other, but this book both "Fucks" and "Turds". You've been warned.
Over the course the book, Matt has drawn a number of interesting characters but few stand out as much as Maxus the Meddler and Lachmannon the Kael. Lachmannon is Conan adjacent, though perhaps more sour. However, we do get a few hints that his heart desires more than battle, booze, and booty (figuratively and literally). He has heroic tendancies and somewhere in his mighty thews there seems to be a heart of gold. That said, Maxus is by far my favorite character, and that's saying something. Sword & Sorcery does not usually have a POV character that is a sorcerer, a full-fledge magic user. Kane and Elric CAN do sorcery, but Maxus IS sorcery. When we are first introduced to Maxus, his motivations seem very much like Karl Wagner's God-murderer, especially the picture we get in DARKNESS WEAVES and BLOODSTONE. However, like Kane, and perhaps moreso, there are human emotions in that husk of a man. The setting of TO WALK ON WORLDS is also quite interesting. It straddles a strange line between what I picture as typically Medieval, helped by the obvious evil-Gandalf vibe of Maxus' interior illustrations, and surreal sci-fi. Throughout the book, we spend just as much time on the "Prime" world as we do other planets and planes. While my video game time has been drastically reduced since the birth of my daughter, this reminds me a lot of the world hopping found in the Acclaim Turok franchise (also Valiant comics) and my new favorite shooter franchise REMNANT. Some of the things that we encounter on these other worlds hint at grander machinations in the universe at large and astute film buffs will see influences from the ALIEN franchise, including PROMETHEUS (an underrated gem in my opinion).
Contents aside, the most readily noticeable aspect of Matt John's release is its size. Matt has gone to great lengths in an effort to mimic the old Lancer/Ace Paperback style. As a new father, this format is hella easy to read through while cradling a sleeping child. This is the gold standard by which I will personally judge all books from here on out. While Book of Blades 3 will maintain its current size (I'd hate to mess up anyone's bookshelf), my own future releases will undoubtably follow suit.
While many of the stories within TO WALK ON WORLDS have been published elsewhere, and have subsequently gone through rigorous editing, others appear here for the first time. There are occasional typos which popped out at me, mostly a missing quotation mark or period. Considering the overall package, this is an extremely minor gripe. In fact, as self-publishers churning out passion projects on a shoe-string budget, I've come to forgive this type of thing more often than not. Especially given that I find just as many typos in first-edition James Rollins novels. That shit is bound to happen and there is no sense in making a big deal out of it.
Can I recommend TO WALK ON WORLDS? Fuck yes I can, you turd. In fact, I'm absolutley jealous of Matt's output.
You know what, don't buy it. Screw that guy.
I kid.
TO WALK ON WORLDS is a unique and wonderful addition to the growing library of Contemporary Sword & Sorcery. It may even be among the very best there is. Just be glad you don't have to share air time with the author. This is going to inflate his ego beyond control.
Comments