Review: Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock

Blurb:

From World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Michael Moorcock comes the first book in his famous Elric of Melniboné series, brought to vivid new life with stunning illustrations.

In one of the most well-known and well-loved fantasy epics of the 20th century, Elric is the brooding, albino emperor of the dying Kingdom of Melnibone. With Melnibone’s years of grandeur and decadence long since passed, Elric’s amoral cousin Yrkoon sets his eyes on the throne. Elric, realizing he is his country’s best hope, must face his nefarious cousin in an epic battle for the right to rule.

Elric of Melnibone is the first in Michael Moorcock’s incredible series, which created fantasy archetypes that have echoed through the genre for generations. The beautiful, vivid illustrations bring new life to the story and are sure to captivate fans, new and old.

Review:

Powerful Anti-heros have always fascinated me, and so it was unfortunate that it took me so long to get to the journey of Elric of Melniboné - who is perhaps one of the most iconic antiheros of fantasy. 

As expected from my brief exposure to other works by Moorcock, this story was rich in lore, action packed and moved forward at a surprisingly fast pace (esp. for a book published more than sixty years ago) and the world building is dark, fascinating and immersive. 

‘The burning ships sent strange shadows dancing against the dank walls of the sea-caverns, as if the ghosts of the slain offered a last salute before departing to the sea-depths where, it was said, a Chaos king still ruled, crewing his eerie fleets with the souls of all who died in conflict upon the oceans of the world.’

But of course, the focal point of the story is our eponymous protagonist, Elric of Melniboné. 

Elric, the albino king, has rightfully inherited the throne of the island civilization of Melniboné—a culture that has been on the decline for centuries. The depiction of the vicious race of Melniboneans is almost the polar opposite of the elegant portrayals of elves and fairies in works of Tolkien et al. It becomes clear early on that to enjoy this work, one has to be comfortable with deeper darker themes, though we don’t see as vivid depictions of gore as we might in, let’s say, the penny dreadful chronicles. Instead, Moorcock’s brand of darkness is alluring and portentous in both aspects that he chooses to focus on, as well as things he doesn’t.

‘All the helm was black, but within the helm there was a white shadow from which glared two crimson orbs, and from the sides of the helm strayed wisps of milk-white hair, almost like smoke escaping from a burning building.’

Born with a weakness, and reliant on heavy usage of drugs for his survival, Elric has always been an outsider in the warrior race of Melniboneans. Many of his own citizens see their king as a wimp, but Elric is anything but. 

Having spent most of his time in the library, studying the arts of sorcery and arcane, Elric is every nerd’s dream protagonist. Deeply steeped in moral dilemmas, Erlic continues to surprise us over the course of the events of the book with his defiance, skills in the magical arts and alliances with beings beyond the mortal plane. 

And one of these alliances is what leads Elric down a dark path, and in the first book we only get a glimpse of the beginning of his descent.

‘That was not a good portent, for it meant that Elric had gone to serve Pyaray, the Tentacled Whisperer of Impossible Secrets, the Chaos Lord who commanded the Chaos Fleet—dead ships, dead sailors, forever in his thrall—and it was not fitting that such a fate should befall one of the Royal Line of Melnibone’

Moorcock’s writing blends darkness and beauty in some of the most unexpected ways, and at no point does the story feel drawn out. His presentation beautifully conveys the themes of tragedy, loss and redemption. Between the harrowing festivals of carnage, the vicious naval battles and good old treachery, deceit and backstabbing, I have a feeling I’d keep coming back to this story again and again.

‘Melnibone appeared on the horizon, a brooding silhouette of crags, a dark monster squatting in the sea, calling her own back to the heated pleasures of her womb, the Dreaming City of Imrryr.’

It was particularly hilarious that alongside all the fantastical names like Stormbringer, Mournblade, Son of the Pyaray etc. we have the beautiful otherworldly ship that Elric rides to battle—named simply as—The Ship Which Sails Over Land and Sea. Perfect. I couldn’t help but chuckle each time it was referred, always in its entirety, repeatedly over and over throughout the story.

‘The ship was everything that was lovely in nature; few could look upon her and not feel delighted, as they might be delighted upon sighting a perfect view. In a word, the ship radiated harmony, and Elric could think of no finer vessel in which to sail’

Between the powerful sentient sword, the Lords of chaos meddling with the affairs of men, the enigmatic ruby throne and the devilish race of dragons - it is no wonder that Elric’s saga has inspired countless works of fantasy over the decades, and the impressions of Moorcock’s writing continue to echo in works of fantasy to this very day. 

‘Why should their pain produce such marvellous beauty? he wonders. Or is all beauty created through pain?’