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OF JOIRY/BLACK GOD’S SHADOW By C.L. Moore What’s a girl to do? No sooner does she meet a nice guy who’s ready for commitment, than it turns out he’s an extra-dimensional demon and he’s already married! This volume collects the five tales CL Moore wrote about her sword-woman hero, Jirel of Joiry. Moore was a writer other writers admired. From these tales one can see why, they use fantastic menace and weird atmosphere to create a sense of character. Her monsters are gruesomely Lovecraftian yet convey horror on a human scale. Jirel is a fiery redhead who swings a mean sword. But don’t expect a straight-off-the-assembly line valkyrie. For one, there is really no swordplay as such. Jirel defeats her foes with strength of will and spirit, not her two-edged sword. If you are looking for a female Conan, look elsewhere. Jirel of Joiry was also released in a limited edition volume by DM Grant under the title Black God’s Shadow. The Grant edition includes six, full color illustrations by Alicia Austin. The style is in the intricate neo-Celtic manner of the ‘70s (think of Clannad album covers). -Dave Hardy
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