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The House of Cthulhu: Tales of the Primal Land Vol. 1
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Product Description
The volcanic eruption that created the island of Surtsey in 1967 also revealed a long hidden cache of documents that told the fantastic history of Theem'hdra as written by the sorcerer Teh Atht. Building on translations begun by the scholar Thelred Gustau-who vanished under mysterious, some say magical, circumstances-Brian Lumley brings the saga of the Primal Land to readers of today.
Here, the wizard Mylarkhrion-most powerful of the terrible magicians who walked the earth in those long-ago days-battles sorcerers jealous of his knowledge, power, and wealth. His own apprentice, thinking he knows all of his master's secrets, challenges him-but Mylarkhrion has one final trick up his sleeve . . . . When the assassin Humbuss Ank, who specializes in killing wizards, makes Mylarkhrion his target, he avoids or destroys nearly all of the sorcerer's traps, forcing Mylarkhrion to a final, desperate gamble for survival. But even Mylarkhrion has a weakness, a lust for power that drives him to summon the Great One, Cthulhu, and so call doom upon himself!
The fabled riches of the House of Cthulhu draw thieves and warriors from throughout the civilized-and uncivilized lands, but none escape with so much as a single gemstone, for they discover that Cthulhu's House is not a temple but a dwelling-place. Surely the Elder God lives there still, waiting for an unwary person to open the portal between his world and ours . . . .
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #465210 in Books
- Published on: 2005-09-01
- Released on: 2005-08-11
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 256 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Lumley excels at depicting heroes larger than life and horrors worse than death."--Publishers Weekly
"Lumley is obviously very bright, articulate, and in possession of an incredibly wild imagination."--Rapport
"Lumley uses language deftly to conjure his alien universe."--Publishers Weekly
"An accomplished wordsmith, Lumley wields a pen with the deft skill of a surgeon, drawing just enough blood to titillate without offending his readers."--The Phoenix Gazette
"Lumley's strength is in his jovial voice, a diction that dominates the narrative. Lumley's love of his pulp-horror subjects is gleefully apparent. He revels in every telling detail, in stories-within-stories and convoluted histories."--San Francisco Chronicle
"Whether humorous or atmospheric and chilling, Lumley's tales are delightful."--Booklist
"For fans of Brian Lumley and anyone who enjoys Lovecraft. Well written, displaying Lumley's skill at world building."--Midwest Book Review on Harry Keogh: Necroscope and Other Weird Heroes
"A faithful tribute by veteran fantasist Lumley to horror author H.P. Lovecraft. A good addition to most libraries' horror collections and a title with special appeal to fans of the Cthulhu mythos."--Library Journal on Beneath the Moors and Darker Places
"Nightmarish in a manner obviously inspired by Lovecraft . . . long hard to find in the US. Lumley succeeds at spine-chilling creepiness. Juicy indeed-worthy additions to the mythos and the horror genre alike."--Booklist on ochBeneath the Moors and Darker Places
About the Author
An acknowledged master of Lovecraft-style horror, Brian Lumley has won the British Fantasy Award and been named a Grand Master of Horror. His works have been published in more than a dozen countries and have inspired comic books, role-playing games, and sculpture, and been adapted for television.
When not writing, Lumley can often be found spear-fishing in the Greek islands, gambling in Las Vegas, or attending a convention somewhere in the US. Lumley and his wife live in England.
Customer Reviews
Wondrous Tales of Fantasy and Terror
Enter the world of Theem'hdra, an island continent where sorcerers make war against one another, warriors die in the most terrifying of circumstances, and wonders abound. Meet the mighty wizard Mylakhrion, a powerful and terrible sorcerer who must battle lesser wizards jealous of his powers, knowledge and wealth. Monsters roam this mysterious realm where even Mylakhrion's own apprentice seeks to unseat the great master, but when an assassin named Humbuss Ank, whose specialty is killing wizards, comes to unseat the mighty Mylakhrion, the assassin finds himself confronted with supernatural powers to match his mercenary brilliance. Mylakhrion's quest for power, however, is diluted by his lust for personal power, which drives him to summon the Great One, Cthulhu, the master of doom itself. Warriors, wizards, thieves and wonders abound in this weird, amazing and horrifying world that could only be envisioned by Brian Lumley. You must own the Grand Master's fable of the Primal Lands in this first general US printing. You will be entranced!
terrific collection
In 1967 a treasure of ancient secret tomes were discovered that shed a light on the great primal island continent of Theem'hdra where sorcery wars were the norm. As the scribe of these incredible documents, the White Wizard Teh Atht described a time when sorcerers like Mylarkhrion the most terrible stole or protected magical knowledge from one's peers and other hired hands; a time when summoning of Cthulhu the Great One doomed all.
This compilation is predominantly a reprint of a 1984 book. The current book contains the introduction and nine of the eleven tales (lacks "Isles of the Suhm-Yi" and "Curse of the Golden Guardians" for ye purists) in the 1984 book plus one other addition ("To Kill a Wizard). The tales are all well written as they come across as fantastic horror yet feel as if they historically happened and that the age of The House of Cthulhu existed, perhaps because of the clever set up by Brian Lumley possessing the works of noted but vanished 1960s scholar Thelred Gustau. This early Lumley shows his Lovecraft roots in a terrific collection.
Harriet Klausner
Uninspired Fantasy, that has little to do with Lovecraft
I managed not to be able to finish this book. I read through to the short story House of Cthulhu, were I shrugged my shoulders and set the book down. The only merit in this book, is the introduction which is the only thing that has any Lovecraft feeling. This is more like a Dungeons and Dragons collection of moral fables. Every story was predictable and one that has been written better many times by many different authors. If you have kids and they have an inkling towards fantasy then I highly recommened this book for bedtime story reading, as the morals will give them something to chew over, in a nice fantasy package. All in All this is a dull uninspired fantasy mess, that gets you no where fast... and leaves you wondering if the people that made comments on the book jacket have ever actually read any H.P. Lovecraft.
