http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1230921...

This is the Fantasy Masterworks edition which brings together The Stealer of Souls and Stormbringer, which I think are the first two Elric books published though apparently several more were subsequently inserted into the internal continuity.

I found the stories a quick and undemanding read. Elric's tortured relationship with his soul-drinking sword and his own family heritage makes him an unusually compolex hero. Moorcock's prose is always engaging and often rises to the entertainingly baroque. His roots in Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft are clear (I think a bit less Tolkien). As I have noted before, immersive fantasies don't always work for me but this was an entertaining enough ride. ( )

Possibly Moorcock's finest creation. Bold, exciting and straight to the point - this puts many so-called epic fantasy to shame! ( )

Elric is my favourite fantasy character of all time, a classic anti-hero who you can't help but admire despite his obvious dark side.

And what serious fantasy fan can help but love a character with an intelligent sword which steals enemies' souls and is called Stormbringer!? ( )