eBook by Steven L. Shrewsbury
Cover by Guillem H. Pongiluppi
Chapter illustration by Patrick Zircher
From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures
Spoilers! Spoilers!
The Kingdom of Hungary. A seasoned Solomon Kane arrives to assist Tamás (a follower of Martin Luther, an old comrade who like Kane was a galley slave of the Turks (The Footfalls Within by Robert E. Howard)).
Kane meets Tamas' wife (Leena) and his ten-year-old daughter (Arina).
Two guards of the Countess Elizabeth Báthory of Ecsed (1560-1614) try to kidnap Arina. Kane kills both guards.
Solomon learns that the Countess Báthory drained the blood of Tamas' older daughter (Stanca). Báthory bathes in blood to preserve her youth.
Reverend Hermann gives Solomon a guard's cloak so that Kane can disguise himself.
Kane arrives at the Castle of Csejte (Čachtice).
Solomon saves a fifteen-year-old girl (Elisa, an orphan) from Marta (the Countess' cannibal maid). Solomon drowns Marta in Báthory's warm bath.
Elisa mentions that Mosnar (the Countess' chief tormentor) killed her Prussian parents.
Mosnar appears! Solomon fights Mosnar, Solomon hurts Mosnar's right arm with an opened spiked barrel (like an Iron Maiden), Mosnar distracts Kane with a rat and hits Solomon with a mallet, Kane shoots Mosnar in the face and finishes him off with one of his daggers.
Elisa learns that for his succor, the Puritan was promised one of Tamas' mouthwatering hams.
Kane reaches the bed chamber of Bathory, Kane puts to death the Bloody Countess.
Elisa will become Arina's new sister.
What I did like:
The Dark Man by Robert E. Howard "Almighty God, when will the reign of blood cease?" quoted.
"Hammering" and "Ham" are homages to Hammer Film Productions (Countess Dracula (1971), Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)).
Matthias (1557-1619. Holy Roman Emperor) mentioned.
György Thurzó (1567-1616. Hungarian nobleman and Palatine of Hungary) mentioned.
Transubstantiation mentioned.
Ferenc Nádasdy (1555-1604. Late husband of Elizabeth Báthory) mentioned.
Kane is older, he fights dirtier.
What I did not like:
The editor is not doing his job.
The typos.
It's the Habsburgs, not the Hapsburgs.
I give it an 8/10. Famished for a fight? Steven L. Shrewsbury (Bran Mak Morn: Red Waves of Slaughter) is back and he brings us another succulent buffet of brutality. I want to see stories by Steven in the Savage Sword of Conan magazine!
Oh, and TITAN BOOKS, don't forget, we still need a Heroic Legends Series version of Scott Oden's CONAN: THE DAY OF THE LION (with Oden's CONAN: UNCONQUERED as a free bonus)!
