For readers of Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch comes the first book in a fantastic, hilarious new sword-and-sorcery series that puts a clever new twist on the golden age of epic fantasy.
Robbing tombs for fun and profit might not be a stable career, but Egil and Nix aren’t in it for the long-term prospects. Egil is the hammer-wielding warrior-priest of a discredited god. Nix is a roguish thief with just enough knowledge of magic to conjure up trouble. Together, they seek riches and renown, yet often find themselves enlisted in lost causes—generally against their will.
So why should their big score be any different? The trouble starts when Nix and Egil kill the demonic guardian of a long-lost crypt, nullifying an ancient pact made by the ancestors of an obscenely powerful wizard. Now the wizard will stop at nothing to keep that power from slipping away, even if it means freeing a rapacious beast from its centuries-old prison. And who better than Egil and Nix—the ones responsible for his current predicament—to perform this thankless task?
Praise for The Hammer and the Blade and Paul S. Kemp
“A gripping tale [with] the feeling of a classic Dungeons & Dragons campaign.”—Publishers Weekly
“Most heroes work up to killing demons. Egil and Nix start there and pick up the pace.”—Elaine Cunningham, author of the Thorn Trilogy
“Kemp delivers sword and sorcery at its rollicking best, after the fashion of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.”—Library Journal
Collects five occult tales about Kane, red-haired and left-handed mighty being:
? Reflections for the Winter of My Soul (1973)
? Misericorde (1983)
? The Other One (1977)
? Sing a Last Song of Valdese (1976)
? Raven's Eyrie (1977)
Where once the mighty Kane has passed, no one who lives forgets. Now, down the trails of past battles, Kane travels again. To the ruins of a devastated city peopled only by half men and the waif they call their queen. The past, future, and present are all one for Kane as he travels through the centuries.
Out of the blackness of an almost-forgotten past, the cruel cult of Sataki has come to life again. Orted Ak-Ceddi, a daring outlaw, is its prophet. He draws thousands of converts to his Dark Crusade—a design to destroy mankind. His bloody cohorts conquer Shapeli, but they are defeated when they drive to vanquish the southern kingdoms. Kane is the man who can command the conquest. But Kane intends no final victory for the forces of Darkness. . . .
Long out of print, this Kane novel is a classic. Illustrated in color and black and white by renowned artist Tom Kidd.
For fans of Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch comes a fast-paced, hilarious new sword-and-sorcery series featuring two wise-cracking protagonists straight out of the golden age of epic fantasy.
Once the most daring—some would say reckless—grave robbers around, Egil and Nix are now retired, having opened their own tavern with a side business as a brothel. The warrior-priest and the dashing rogue are done with adventuring. But is adventuring done with them? When two beautiful sisters run afoul of the notorious Thieves’ Guild, the semi-respectable entrepreneurs are called upon to defend their honor. And if they find an opportunity to enrich themselves along the way, no one could blame them.
Soon they’re going toe-to-toe and hammer-to-skull with some of the deadliest cutthroats in town. There’s just one catch: The quest to settle this vendetta once and for all leads straight into the Blackalley, a ghostly byway that appears at random to suck unsuspecting passersby into its voracious maw. Only a fool or a madman would enter willingly. Luckily for Egil and Nix, they might just be both.
Praise for the Egil and Nix novels
“[Paul S.] Kemp delivers sword and sorcery at its rollicking best, after the fashion of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.”—Library Journal
“Egil and Nix might not be the safest guys to go adventuring with, but they’re sure good company.”—Ed Greenwood, bestselling creator of Forgotten Realms
“Did I mention how much fun Egil and Nix are? So. Much. Damn. Fun.”—Tordotcom