The Blood of Ten Chiefs

An anthology of "back stories" for the Elfquest graphic novel series, the contents are a mixed bag. Some are better than others, some are understandable only if you already know the "world" they are set in. However, others are on a par with the best of fantasy writing, and can be read without knowing much if anything about the series. As appears to be usual in this genre, humans are the bad guys (except for one story with some degree of sympathy for their condition) (and what are humans doing on the World of Two Moons in the first place?).

I'm not a fan of the Elfquest comics, and have, in fact, never read them. I found this book in a bargain bin of old books in front of a Wal-Mart over ten years ago and only learned after reading it, about its comic book inspiration. The book is a collection of stories that span the generations from the crash landing of an alien elf-like civilization to their half-wolf descendants. Each story is told in a different generation, so each story is quite unique, yet also connected to the others. The stories are all entertaining, action-packed, and sometimes almost eerie. The universe almost felt Sword and Sorcery-like in its quality. I highly recommend this book to fantasy fans. The Elfquest comics, frankly, don't look like something I would show more ever want to read. But this short story collection is superb. show less

This volume is a blend of fantasy, nature and real life emotions. The world created by Wendy and Richard Pini is expanded by several authors including Lynn Abbey, Piers Anthony, CJ Cherryh, Nancy Springer and Janny Wurts, just to name a few. If you've never experienced the World of Two Moons, aka Elfquest, or if you're well acquainted with the Wolf Riders, you should appreciate and enjoy this collection of stories.

If you like the Elfquest comics you will love the Blood of Ten Chiefs series. These compelling and interesting short stories flesh out the background of the World of Two Moons, leading up to the times of Cutter. Includes some of the top-notch fantasy authors of the time, such as Piers Anthony, Lynn Abbey, Robert Asprin, C.J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, & Diana L. Paxson.

ever lament you're not a wolf? ever find yourself wanting to be connected more and higher to nature, or to something not of this world? enjoy..