The Slayer
James Alderdice
print $9.99
ebook $2.99

Robert E. Howard wrote a handful of straight historical yarns before he decided to rewrite history in the guise of fantasy.  The Slayer is in much the same vein as Howard’s historicals, although there’s a bit of fantasy involved in some of them.  This a collection contains four historical fantasy stories, the two longest centered around the the Fourth Crusade.  The central character is a Viking mercenary named Tyr who has taken up service on the side of the Crusaders.  The other two tales take place later in his life.

In “The Dogs of War”, Tyr helps breach the outer defenses of Constantinople.  In “Whispers of the Goddess”, he’s inside the walls on a mission from his employer, only to get caught up in machinations both human and divine.  “Hel Awaits” concerns vengeance against a caliph and a rescue from a harem.  “Sailing to Valhalla” takes place after Tyr has settled down and become a father and is trying to establish his own homestead.

Alderdice (AKA David J. West) handles the characters and historical events in a way that makes it look easy.  The combat is bloody and visceral.  Most of the supporting cast in the stories dealing with Constantinople are actual historical figures.  The dialogue comes across as natural and believable, unlike in some novels where the character seem to be reading off of a script.

The Slayer isn’t a long book, but it’s a good collection that should appeal to all fans of heroic fantasy and historical fiction.  I haven’t seen many stories about the Crusades lately, and you can never have too many Viking books.  Check this one out.