I previously reviewed Shambleau by C. L. Moore, but where that story was science fiction, this one is purely fantasy. “Black God’s Kiss” is the first of C. L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry stories, written in 1934. It features a red-headed French swords-woman named Jirel.
Black God’s Kiss is well known for its blend of dark fantasy elements with fantasy action. It reads almost like a Conan story from Howard.
The story is about Jirel’s quest for vengeance. She initially seeks a weapon with which to slay Guillaume, a villain she despises. She makes her way to a black temple to retrieve something along those lines, she finds herself semi-mesmerized and kissed the black idol in that temple.
Jirel as a character is interesting. She’s got the anger of Conan with the ferocity of a lioness. Moore paints her as both beautiful and deadly. Yet she has moments of clarity and emotion. When she pays for something, it’s amazingly told with a fantastic payoff. This story is worth reading if you’re a fantasy fan. Even if you’re not, it’s a story that has been held up for almost a hundred years.
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You might want to read the previous Robert E. Howard review of The People of the Black Circle.
You may also like some of my other reviews:
Book Review: The Gray Prince by Jack Vance
Book Review: The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
Book Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Book Review: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
You may also like some of my other work:
How to Tell if Your Writing is Improving
Frank Ormond 
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