Book Review: The Mad God's Amulet by Michael Moorcook

Book Review: The Mad God's Amulet by Michael Moorcook

Copyright 1968, 1977
Published 1977 by DAW SF
Cover art by Richard Clifton-Dey


The Mad God's Amulet is the second volume in the History of the Runestaff. It picks up immediately where The Jewel In The Skull left off at. The Duke of Koln has succeeded in freeing himself from the Black Jewel and the threat it gave to his life when it was implanted by the Scientists of Granbretan.

Now firmly allied with Count Brass and the tiny nation of Kamarg, Duke Dorian Hawkmoon continues the battle against the Granbretans as they continue their mad quest to place the entire Earth under their dominion.

The book opens with Hawkmoon and his new companion, Oladahn, find themselves in a deserted city named Soryandum. Having escaped the Dark Empire's forces, the two seek shelter in the city only to find more danger, in the form of Granbretan soldiers led by the Frenchman, Sir Huilliam d"Averc a former painter and architect, who is leading a squad of men from The Order of The Boar.

After several other run ins and encounters in the city, Dorian and Oladahn help out the Wraith Folk of the city of Soryandum and they obtain a crystal machine that will aid them, they are assured, in helping out the Kamarg. Many more adventures ensure from that point on, including an encounter with a plate armored fighter that goes by the name of The Warrior in Jet and Gold. Following the urgings from the Warrior Dorian and Oladahn eventually confront The Mad God of the title, in reality a man driven insane by the influence of the Amulet he has been wearing around his neck, one that Hawkmoon is to take up as the servant of the Runestaff. Reluctantly he does so and with its aid defeats his foes once again.

More adventures ensure leading him back to his beloved Yisselda, who had been in peril for most of the novel.

It is a worthwhile addition to the Hawkmoon series, carrying the plot along at a headlong pace. Allegedly Mr Moorcock wrote the entire series of books in the span of a few days. As the second novel comes in at 160 pages, and the other four are comparable in duration, it is a plausible scenario.
One thing I that I do dislike about the Hawkmoon novels is the pacing. I would rather a bit longer of a book, but the setting more than makes up for this. Besides the distant future of Corum, the setting of the Hawkmoon novels are my favorite of Michael Moorcock's worlds.

One puzzling thing about the Runestaff Earth is how Law and Chaos are presented. There is very little that represents Law, in the sense of the overall Eternal Champion Novels, and the stereotypical depictions of Chaos are also absent. While there is sorcery and near sorcery in the setting, it is more fantastical technology. The Granbretans give a sense of Law at times, iron rule and conquering all, while their methods are very Chaos oriented. Another interesting facet is the Masks they wear. The Granbretan culture is made up of different Orders named after beasts. So there is the Order of the Wolf, The Boar, The Mantis, The Vulture, to name just a few of the hundreds purported to be in the setting. This corresponds nicely to the effect Chaos has in a more Fantasy setting, where in the Corum Novels such as The Queen of Swords, devotees to Chaos can devolve into Beasts and or Half-Men Half-Beast Hybrids. The use of Masks and a Culture in the Hawkmoon Novels is a superb twist to the idea, and one that makes a clear tie to Chaos being the dominant force in the Granbretanian mindset. Besides that there are no overt references to the Struggle. In the later novels the implications are that the Runestaff and it's influence is a force for Balance rather than for either side in an overt fashion.

Note: This used copy was picked up at The Book Bazaar in Lakeland, FL. I have owned multiple copies of all my Michael Moorcock novels, purchased in multiple states, different covers, different editions.

If someone is interested Mongoose Publishing has created the Hawkmoon Roleplaying Game. It is no longer in production per Sales at Mongoose Publishing. The author has not had a chance to pick up a copy so no impressions are available. There was another one based on the Runequest game system, which I had seen once many years ago.

The Runestaff Novels are being re-released with new cover art and are available in bookstores and online.

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The Mad God's Amulet online


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