This side of the book is utterly compelling a daring analysis of the Christian faith helped along by pitch perfect prose. Although he never actually appears, Bek constantly questions his nature whether he’s cruel, or whether he’s consistent. Lucifer seeks redemption in the eyes of his master, and Sendenko is a rogue, trying to hide his nature behind his religion.Īnd then there’s God.

Which brings me to another point: the side characters, most of whom are graced with Moorcock’s signature originality. Regardless, one would think his reaction to the paradoxes, contradictions, and the hidden aspects of his quest to be more adverse, but he seems to ignore this and get on with it, which feels like a missed opportunity to explore his character.ĭespite this, Bek’s cynical nature make his simple charisma and wit all the more difficult to fathom. The fact that he only accepts the tangible and takes destruction in his stride makes him a compelling companion, and makes his quest - which surrounds religion and metaphysics - all the more apt, and therefore all the more interesting. I say anti-hero because Von Bek, much like Elric, is a far-cry from Conan or Aragorn in that, rather than having an immovable viewpoint on morals, Von Bek, at least at the beginning, has none. Klosterheim’s arrogant nature, intolerable ignorance, and prejudice make him an apt and contemptible rival for our charismatic anti-hero. In this tale Lucifer, wanting to redeem himself in the eyes of God, enlists Ulrich Von Bek to retrieve the Holy Grail, or, as he calls it, the ’cure to the worlds pain.’Īll throughout this venture, he is hindered by Klosterheim, who has been ordered to prevent him from finding the Grail. It is at once questioning and original, daring and clever unafraid to show the ravages of war, but still enjoyable as simple, leave-your-brain-at-the-door adventure.Ī hard to attain but perfect combination. Here you’ll encounter the same Gothic tones and deep melancholy of the Elric books, the gung-ho adventure of Hawkmoon alongside another healthy dose of Moorcock’s boundless imagination.

This is especially true of the first book: The Warhound and the World’s Pain, which focuses on Ulrich Von-Bek. No matter what your opinion of Michael Moorcock, you can’t deny that he’s a versatile writer from the pulpy adventures of Dorian Hawkmoon to the sophisticated high literature of Mother London, this man seems capable of writing anything, and Von Bek, a collection of three stories that focus around the family of the same name and their quest for the Grail, is proof.

Moorcock von bek