Jirel of Joiry

Readers looking for new and exciting experiences from the pulp era should look no further than Jirel of Joiry, an anthology of five horror-tinged, fantasy stories written by C.L. Moore and starring the titular character – the flame-haired, yellow-eyed female ruler of Castle Joiry – which were first serialized in Weird Tales during the 1930s. Jirel is one of sword & sorcery's few female protagonists and her striking introduction in the opening pages of the initial story "The Black God's Kiss" defines her as the equal of her male literary peers while also putting on display the sexualized dangers she alone faces - and ultimately conquers. Although Jirel is described as a skilled warrior, tactician, and leader of men, she triumphs over her human and supernatural foes through a combination of stubborn determination, bravery (though not fearlessness), and passion, which she usually expresses as a fiery rage (vengeance is often her primary motivation, but she also has a strong merciful streak). That said Moore also depicts her heroine as a flawed, complex individual – well, as much as the format she was writing in allowed her to do.

Four of the five stories feature Jirel visiting other dimensions - while the last one is set in a haunted castle that may as well be on another world - and Moore's evocative descriptions of these alien vistas and their strange inhabitants are perhaps the strongest parts of the book, especially in the first and third stories. Despite her adjective-laden prose, Moore's descriptions of alien and unspeakable cosmic horrors leave a lot to the reader's imagination.

Reviewer Note:There is a sixth Jirel story, which is a cross-over with another of Moore's prominent creations, the sci-fi scoundrel Northwest Smith; Paizo Publishing included it in their version of this collection entitled Black God's Kiss.