A Review of Death Mask

Sword-and-Sandal Fantasy with a Horrific Twist!

Where before there was intrigue, now there is only survival.

Such is the case with Death Mask, Razorfist’s latest novella as part of his much lauded Nightvale series. In this story, Xerdes returns once again as our roguish hero, only this time a lot has changed from before. No longer is our daring young thief lurking within the darksome city of Menuvia. Instead we follow him as he wanders west, deep into the arid continent of Nazgan. All the while a mysterious wraith is pursuing him among the wandering wastes, a lanky masked figure who has only been known to utter a single word…

“Xerdes.”

To say that this an intriguing premise is perhaps selling it a bit short. The tone and stakes are both immediately established as we begin with an admittedly gruesome first chapter. The masked figure, in many respects, serves as this narrative’s ticking time bomb - one who beheads and disembowels his way to bloody, pandemonic vengeance! This is not even mentioning what’s happening in Xerdes’ side of the world, nor of the various quests he must undertake in order to see ends meet.

Through it all Razorfist ensures us that none of our time gets wasted, as the story flies from one chapter to the next with a real sense of abandon. The plot does remember to slow itself down, however, particularly when it comes to certain moments of character growth later on. Yet the rest of it goes at a rather steady pace, and moreover, it is always efficient throughout its one-hundred-or-so page run.

A more common critique that’s often been leveled towards the first book, The Long Moonlight, is that Xerdes would often feel just a little too similar to Garrett from the influential Thief series. At certain times even I would get a few hints of this, particularly during Xerdes’ snarkier retorts along with his more roguish contemporaries.

Yet I found no such trace of that here. A big part of this, I believe, is merely due to the story itself along with its change in genre: The Long Moonlight was set in a dark, dreary environment festooned with cyclopean structures, roving packs of guards, and the odd magic implement. Death Mask, by contrast, is a much more “sword-and-sandal” tale in execution, being a respectful nod towards the likes of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber, all the while staying true to its former “crime-drama” roots.

I can especially sense some writing influence from Leiber in places, partially because it’s stated outright at the beginning of the book. And even though Xerdes himself isn’t quite to the same level of hooliganry as the Gray Mouser, still I can see how the odd sarcastic quip does work for the better here.

Along with the denizens of Nazgan’s human settlements, I also found myself enjoying both the serpentine Bord and the wolf-like Feras-sun, not to mention more backstabbing brigands than you can shake a stick at. I believe all of this is further helped along by the prose being just a little more elegant this time around. The Long Moonlight was certainly nothing to sneeze at in terms of its writing, yet what’s on display here is a sizable step forward. The vocabulary is just easy enough to follow while having the odd gem that will leave you dashing to the nearest thesaurus.

In the hands of a less-experienced writer, this could have easily ruined what is otherwise a fun and engaging read. Instead the focus is clear from page one, and the dialogue is both quick and snappy enough to keep you consistently engaged throughout.

The extra dose of worldbuilding also goes a long way towards making Nazgan feel just that little bit more alive. In particular, I was a fan of the massive wind serpents along with the subtle hints of when they were nearby. Now granted, it isn’t quite to the same level as Dune or anything. However, for a lore-hound such as myself, these extra details were very much appreciated.

Speaking of lore, the appendix which comes near the book’s later half is by no means lacking in this regard. If you were at all curious about how the world of Nightvale functions as a greater whole, then you will be pleased to know that there’s tons of different entries on races, kingdoms, histories, wars, religion, etc. Pretty much all you could want from a lore companion to the main story. Thankfully, much of it is covered in a more narrative-based context, so you’re basically fed a mini-story along with a spoonful of worldbuilding. Granted, there is still the occasional page that can feel a little tough to read at times, but the good definitely outweighs the bad here.

This is also probably a good time to talk about what I didn’t like in the book. In truth, I can only think of a few parts which sort of irked me. Aside from the odd lore section that was just a little too dry for my taste, my biggest gripe really came at the story’s climax, right to where the wraith’s identity was revealed for us the readers. Personally, I enjoyed the final confrontation between Xerdes and his ghostly assailant. However, the reveal itself was more than a little confusing to yours truly, to the point where I had to leaf through a few different pages in order to get my facts straight.

I hesitate to say any more for fear of giving away spoilers. Only know that it’s just the reveal which I found to be disappointing. The rest of what transpired in the finale I believe was expertly done, and it’s a nice lead-in for Xerdes’ next adventure.

Even so, it’s hard not to recommend Death Mask to just about anyone who holds a passing interest in Swords-and-Sorcery. Or pulp in general, for that matter. It isn’t without its occasional faults, yet the other ninety-five percent makes up for those issues and then some. Even if you haven’t read The Long Moonlight, you are still more than likely to enjoy what’s here regardless.

Now only if Terran could finish making his Battletech character…

If you would like to learn more about Death Mask, you can find it here on Amazon. Razorfist also has a YouTube channel, where he goes over comics, movies, and games, as well as the latest controversies.