“The Blood of Belshazzar” is a short story with a lot going on – too much, really, to keep track of it all. This isn’t so much because of the plot but rather through the amount of characters and their long, multi-syllable names.

The problem here is that the reader is introduced to several characters in a row at the tale’s opening, followed by descriptions of each one, including some back story. This is hard to absorb, especially when a character is referred to by his name at one point, his nationality in the next minute, and by his occupation moments later. Only the main character – Cormac Fitzgeoffrey – and a couple of others are memorable.

Below is an example:

“There was that slim Persian, whose tone was so silky, whose eyes were so deadly, and whose small, shapely head was that of a human panther--Nadir Tous, once an emir high in the favor of the Shah of Kharesmia. And that Seljuk Turk, with his silvered mail shirt, peaked helmet and jewel-hilted scimitar--Kai Shah; he had ridden at Saladin's side in high honor once, and it was said that the scar which showed white in the angle of his jaw had been made by the sword of Richard the Lion-hearted in that great battle before the walls of Joppa. And that wiry, tall, eagle-faced Arab, Yussef el Mekru – he had been a great sheikh once in Yemen and had even led a revolt against the Sultan himself."

I have the utmost respect and admiration for Robert E. Howard, but in this case I feel he’s taken on too much.

On the plus side Mr Howard’s writing quality is top notch as you’d expect and I like the way he’s formed the plot. He successful mixes genres. This reads like historical fiction meets sword & sorcery meets a whodunit.

If this had been a longer work it would surely have been much better, because there’d be room to introduce the large cast of characters in a way for the reader to visualise and identify with them. ( )