The intention of sword and sorcery epics usually reside in the crux of naturally explained phenomena balanced with the element of the supernatural. Despite its obviously dense structure and overwrought nature of backstory, "Hawkmoon: Sword Of The Dawn" [Michael Moorcock/Tor/221pgs] works in an intrinsic but odd parallel universe. The beginning 100 pages works in function with most elements we are aware of in the structure of such stories. Two factions are warring whilst romantic interludes and betrayals continue throughout. This kind of narrative can bog down with a sense of complacency. The one interesting element that comes to bear involves the structure of time travel as included within the ring of a would-be writer that visits a faraway land almost instantaneously. This idea works in the basis of a ploy since it doesn't seem to move anywhere. Halfway though the book, the story though seems to have a break in consciousness that transports two of the men (including the namesake Duke: Hawkmoon) to a place different in space and perhaps time where they find themselves trapped on a desert plain, battling weird tentacled creatures in a forest and finally helping laying siege to a town overcome by a pirate cult that bleeds people out to feed vicious slug beasts. The "Sword Of The Dawn" referred to in the title is almost an idol the pirates protect which (for no more reason than fate) is given to Hawkmoon upon his arrival. Since the novel was written in the late 60s and recently republished, the comparisons in time to "Dune" are applicable. In terms of reading, it is only after the crossover that the actual prose work relaxes and lets the story speak for itself without overcoming itself with technicalities. The reality is that the details come at times too disjointed especially early in the novel to make it really impactful. Out of 5, I give it a 2.
