The Gateway & The Hero and The Fiend by Glenn G. Thater
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Epic, Fantasy, Norse, Mythology
The Harbinger of Doom saga centers around one Lord Angle Theta, an enigmatic warrior of unknown origins and mystical power. No mortal man is his match in battle. No sorcery can contain or confound him. No scholar or sage can outwit him. But for all his skills, he is but one of us; a man, a human, who shares our faults, our dreams, and our ambitions. He boldly strides across the land, fearless, peerless, and cloaked in mystery; all his will bent on righting such wrongs as he deems fit.
Until the day the Gateway opened and turned the world on its head. On that fateful day, Korrgonn came and washed away our dreams. And his outre' realm of Nifleheim set its unholy mark upon our world and claimed it for their own. Only Theta and his companions see the enemies aligning against us. Only they foresee our end coming- the end of civilization, the end of the world of man. Only they can hope to turn the tide of madness and preserve all that we hold dear. But no man, not even our greatest hero, can stand against the Lords of Nifleheim and the dark armies at their command. Fiends that infiltrate unseen within our ranks, that tear down our temples and our traditions; that devour us from within, unseen, unknown, unheralded, and unopposed until the hour grows far too late. Through the murk and mist that hangs before our eyes, one man only sees true. One man pierces the veil of magic that blinds us all and marks the world as it truly is, revealing secrets, secrets of Angle Theta, so horrifying as to shatter a man's mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.
When mad sorcerers open a gateway to the very pits of hell, releasing outre demons of darkest nightmare upon the world, only the intrepid knights of House Eotrus stand in their way. Claradon Eotrus takes up the mantle of his noble house to avenge his father and hold back the tide of chaos that threatens to engulf the world and destroy mankind. Claradon recruits Angle Theta and Gabriel Garn, mysterious knights of mystical power to stand with him. Theta and Garn take up their swords one last time against the coming darkness -- a darkness from which only one will emerge.
4 out of 5 (very good)
The Gateway is a novella which set the scene for the Harbinger of Doom Saga. We meet Lord Angle Theta for the first time, as he meets up with an old friend, Gabriel. Unfortunately, the circumstances aren't very good as the Lord of the House has gone missing, along with a group of knights, rangers, and his wizard. Theta goes along with the new group to help, but it appears that he knows more than he is saying.
This is a well written fantasy novella, in what I would class as 'old school' style. There is plenty of action going on, including a battle with Bhaal, as well as others that you may have heard of. It is fast-paced, giving just enough detail to speed the story along, but you are still left wanting more. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase - March 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Epic, Fantasy, Norse, Mythology
Morzagast, Prince of Nifleheim, an immortal fiend of frightening power rampages across Lomion City on an insatiable quest for blood and souls. Stalwart soldiers, gallant knights, and grayed wizards cannot kill it or contain it. Yet a lone warrior, bound by duty, and girded with courage and cold steel, sacrifices all to bar its path. The Hero and the Fiend is a twelve-thousand word novelette set in the same world, and featuring some of the same characters, as Glenn G. Thater’s Harbinger of Doom series of fantasy novels and novellas. Hero, however, is a stand-alone story that requires no familiarity with his other books to enjoy.
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
The Hero and The Fiend is a short story in the Angle Theta series. It can be read as a standalone, although I actually was glad that I had already read The Gateway, because the start of the story features a couple of characters from that book. However, they are only in the beginning, and then you move to a different part of town.
Two demons have made Lomion City their new home. This is not good news for the residents. Although the demons are trying to be (their version of) careful, they always have to move on eventually, as dead bodies pile up. This story takes place during just a few short hours, as they are seen feeding on bodies by some sailors. Most of them die, but one is able to reach the Watch where he tells his tale.
There is a lot of action in this story, some of it very descriptive, so fair warning. Theta is his usual enigmatic, mysterious self, but there are some there who know of him. With a couple of loose ends left, this is a wonderful addition to the Angle Theta stories. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase - March 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
For more than twenty-five years, Glenn G. Thater has written works of fiction and historical fiction that focus on the genres of epic fantasy and sword and sorcery. His published works of fiction include the first four volumes of the Harbinger of Doom saga: Gateway to Nifleheim, The Fallen Angle, Knight Eternal, and Dwellers of the Deep; the novella, The Gateway; and the novelette, The Hero and the Fiend. Mr. Thater holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics with concentrations in Astronomy and Religious Studies, and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, specializing in Structural Engineering. He has undertaken advanced graduate study in Classical Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Astrophysics, and is a practicing licensed professional engineer specializing in the multidisciplinary alteration and remediation of buildings, and the forensic investigation of building failures and other disasters. Mr. Thater has investigated failures and collapses of numerous structures around the United States and internationally. Since 1998, he has served on the American Society of Civil Engineers' Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE), is a member of that Council’s Executive Committee, and is the past Chairman of TCFE's Committee on Practices to Reduce Failures. Mr. Thater is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and has testified as an expert witness in the field of structural engineering before the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Mr. Thater is an author of numerous scientific papers, magazine articles, engineering textbook chapters, and countless engineering reports. He has lectured across the United States and internationally on such topics as the World Trade Center collapses, bridge collapses, and on the construction and analysis of the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.
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