Sword of the Nurlingas by Gerald Earl Bailey (1979) Plot: Thorgrim's parents are murdered by his half-uncle Jomenruk, which forces Thorgrim to flee south with the dwarf-made sword Lark. Visions by the half-dwarf Houlun tell him cryptically of a future that includes finding the mystical helm known as the Spaehelm which disappeared after a crusade. Thorgrim joins up with some other young warriors headed south to join the Foederati, foreign guards to the king of the south. He runs into Jomenruk's lieutenant Herejolf in Learg. They fight. Thorgrim manages to cut off his leg before passing out. The master of Learg fines the arrogant Herejolf and sets Thorgrim free. In Learg the warriors hire a thief named Gorgus to be their tutor in foreign languages and customs. The warriors ship out on a trieme carrying the head of the church of Arda, the beautiful Lysenoe, who invites Thorgrim to her chambers and has sex with him, a virgin. The ship is captured by pirates from Midori, a crag-city protected by rocks. Thorgrim goes berserk but is captured along with his sidekick Gorgus. The two are semi-captives in Midori, tolerated because the pirates want them to join them. The chief pirate, Dankwart, takes Lysenoe for his lover while Thorgrim stews and waits. Dankwart expects a huge ransom for Lysenoe but what he gets is a coalition fleet bent on destroying Midori. The ships attack but fail. Wind magic is planned to destroy the fleet. Thorgrim and Gorgus reclaim his sword, kill Dankwart and steal Lysenoe out of Midori. They make a desperate swim for the fleet and are rescued. The fleet escapes the magical storm. Thorgrim is a hero for saving both Lysenoe and the fleet. Lysenoe seems to abandon Thorgrim for a former lover, Duke Brachylles, but Thorgrim makes it to Bayan to become a Foederati and meets up with his old pals. Monsters: None. History: Forgotten Ages #21 said: "... Bailey has two novels about Thorgrim in a pseudo-Viking world. The thing I liked about SWORD OF THE NURLINGAS and the sequel, SWORD OF POYANA is they are restrained. Thorgrim doesn’t kill a monster or defeat a nomad horde every chapter. A shame Bailey didn’t continue writing fantasy." I usually hate stories with prophecies inthem, especially if they come true too easily. the prophecy in this sword is nicely vague and not over-done. Bailey spents a lot of time on detail and has thought out his world well. I could have used some monsters though.
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