Goats of Glory is a short story by Steven Erikson, appearing as the first story in the sword and sorcery anthology, Swords & Dark Magic. It has subsequently appeared in the Swords Against Darkness (2017) anthology. Although the story does not share any characters or locations with the Malazan novels to date, Steven Erikson has confirmed that it takes place in the Malazan world, "just south of Shal Morzinn on the same landmass as Seven Cities".[2]
Contents
- 1 Plot Summary
- 2 Dramatis Personae
- 2.1 The Ram Mercenaries
- 2.2 Townspeople of Glory
- 3 Trivia
- 4 Cover gallery
- 5 Notes and references
- 6 External links
Plot Summary [ ]
Five weary mercenaries, Captain Skint, Sergeant Flapp, Wither, Dullbreath, and Huggs, travel on horseback through a mountain pass into a river valley. Members of the Rams, they are now five where once they were a thousand after a year of fighting on the Demon Plain. Arriving in the sleepy hamlet of Glory, notable only for a ruined keep looming above the edge of town, they seek cold drink, food, and a room for the night. The local tavern can provide the first two, but there is no inn. Why not shelter the night in the ancient keep on the hill as recommended by the barkeep? As the sky darkens, the soldiers trudge up the hill to their new accommodations. Meanwhile, the town's gravedigger has eagerly prepared five new plots in the local cemetery...
Dramatis Personae [ ]
The Ram Mercenaries [ ]
- Captain Skint
- Sergeant Flapp
- Dullbreath
- Huggs
- Wither
Townspeople of Glory [ ]
- Flowers, a young girl
- Graves, a gravedigger
- Herribut, a cobbler
- Slim, an aged prostitute
- Snotty, a gravedigger's assistant
- Swillman, a barkeep
- Widow Bark
Trivia [ ]
Ever since this story was announced there was speculation among fans whether it was a Malazan tale. In answer to a fan question, the anthology's editor, Lou Anders, blogged in 2009 that it was "not a Malazan story, but an amazing one."[3] But a year after publication, Steven Erikson confirmed that the story was indeed set in the same world.
- " Goats of Glory is set just south of Shal Morzinn on the same landmass as Seven Cities, and hints at a conflict with The Three. In one respect it's part of the Malazan canon, but in another, it isn't, since should I write more about that crew there probably won't be any cross-over."
- ―Steven Erikson [src]
Other hints at the wider Malazan world:
- A coin with "three faces" likely refers to The Three, a trio of sorcerer kings, while another coin with a "Castle in the sky" is likely a reference to a Skykeep.[4]
- Rustleaf is in the coin tray at Swillman's tavern.[4]
- Sergeant Flapp has a sword of Aren steel.[5]
- The description of the moon as "broken" places this story after The Bonehunters.[6]
Cover gallery [ ]
Trade paperback cover art
HarperCollins (2010)
Subterranean Press cover
Notes and references [ ]
External links [ ]
- HarperCollins listing
- Subterranean Press listing
- SF Site review
| Books | |
|---|---|
| Malazan Book of the Fallen | Gardens of the Moon • Deadhouse Gates • Memories of Ice • House of Chains • Midnight Tides • The Bonehunters • Reaper's Gale • Toll the Hounds • Dust of Dreams • The Crippled God |
| Novels of the Malazan Empire | Night of Knives • Return of the Crimson Guard • Stonewielder • Orb Sceptre Throne • Blood and Bone • Assail |
| Kharkanas Trilogy | Forge of Darkness • Fall of Light • Walk in Shadow |
| Witness Trilogy | The God is Not Willing |
| Path to Ascendancy | Dancer's Lament • Deadhouse Landing • Kellanved's Reach • The Jhistal |
| Bauchelain & Korbal Broach | Blood Follows • The Healthy Dead • The Lees of Laughter's End • Crack'd Pot Trail • The Wurms of Blearmouth • The Fiends of Nightmaria • Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords |
Posted by: harlandharlandquaresmae0269849.blogspot.com
Source: https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Goats_of_Glory
