Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Michael Moorcock returns triumphantly to his best-known character, the albino prince, Elric of Melniboni. In the first of three new tales of the doomed swordsman, Moorcock plaits differing realities effortlessly, mixing the eternal city of Tanelorn with the rise of Hitler's Germany. In the 1930s, Count Ulric von Bek has been harried and imprisoned by the Nazis for a black sword that is part of his family's history. Almost dead, he is rescued from Sachsenhausen concentration camp by two unknown figures--an Englishman called Bastable and an albino girl, Oona. With them, he journeys to a strange, underground world. And there he meets a figure known to him only from dreams, in which they are somehow the same person, yet separate: Elric of Melniboni. As their stories intertwine, von Bek comes to know of Elric's past, and their very beings become one. Sometimes Elric is in control, sometimes Ulric, and the neverending struggle between Law and Chaos must be fought in both their universes.
The Dreamthief's Daughter: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
Set against Nazi Germany and featuring concentration camps, this dark fantasy contains strong violence, mature historical themes, and complex metaphysical concepts. The sword-and-sorcery violence is genre-typical for adult Moorcock.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include torture, genocide, captivity, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult fans of dark fantasy will be drawn to the mind-bending premise of two warriors across different realities becoming one person.