The City of Corpses (Lost Carcosa #2) by Joseph Sale

Blood Bound Publishing, 2024

ISBN: 9781940250595

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

Much like its predecessor, The Claw of Craving, the sequel The City of Corpses is a wildly imaginative dark fantasy that’s beautifully written and imagined.  It has it all: twisting plotline, vivid characters, unholy magic, a touch of romance, and a huge, blood-soaked battle that Conan himself would have enjoyed.  Above all, it’s the author’s magical touch with his prose that puts this saga in a league of its own.  This is a must read for any fantasy/horror fans.  You need to read the first one before this one, though.

City continues the journey of Alan Chambers, the unlikely hero (and possibly savior) of Carcosa.  The first book established Alan as a power, with the fabled Claw of Craving as his weapon.  In this one, it’s up to him to decide how to wield that power, as he is needed to prevent the Yellow King’s treacherous daughter Cali from causing the overthrow of the king.  Alan really comes into his own as the driving force in this book.  In the first one, his companions Cassilda (and Cali, at that time) called most of the shots.  Here, Alan steps up as the leader of the group, and thankfully, he still has Cassilda, Petruccio the dwarf, and the irascible actor LeBarron along for help.  The characters are well-developed from the first book to now, getting bigger and more interesting roles.  Cassilda has grown into her role as a big player. In the first book, she was often overshadowed by Cali: now, she’s a leader in her own right, and she and Alan make a formidable team- and discover personal feelings for each other.    There are a few new characters, as well:: the enchantress Scarleth is particularly intriguing.

The story itself does a great job of continuing the first, the world of Carcosa is so well drawn you can see and feel it.  One good example is when the characters cross the icewater lake to the hidden city It’s so perfectly written, you can almost feel the cold of the lake bite into your feet.  That’s a testament to the author’s ability. This is higher level writing, the kind that not only reads well, but also sounds good.  This isn’t standard fiction writing: it’s edging towards the level of Clark Ashton Smith.  You won’t find writing like this often– which is another reason this is a must-read for fantasy fans.   There is a lot of imagination built into the story: examples include the entrances to the hidden city, and all the wildness of the final battle, complete with a deranged dinosaur sort of creature that annihilates everything.  I loved the battle sequences: it made me feel like I was there when the enemies poured over the walls.  It’s a good, messy battle, with enough to satisfy the gorehounds out there.

Bottom line?  There really isn’t a flaw in this, except that it ends.  Thankfully, it will continue, as there seems to be a ways to go, and many questions to be answered.  Let’s hope the ride continues a long time: this is something special.  Very highly recommended!

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson