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There was one story that stuck out though: The Rotten Bones Rattle by C.L. Werner.

C.L. Werner I am well familiar with thanks to Black Library’s Warhammer Fantasy series and I must say, when he doesn’t have the leash of a target audience of 13-16 put around his neck, the man can spin a good yawn beyond ken.

The story was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. The imagery was purely astounding, especially the vivid description given of the Japanese Mountainside. What’s more, Mr. Werner’s knowledge of Japanese History and Culture was shown off every single word and he wrote it in such a way that, even if you barely know anything about the Japanese, you will understand it.

The main villain gave off feeling of Grendel from Beowulf, except instead of some formless blob you have a monstrous engine of destruction who doesn’t need to rely upon sneaking around in the shadows to strike fear into men’s hearts.

The main character you could almost grown at the description of. A reluctant hero with a dark past and a dishonored/dead master has been done by nearly every single anime, manga, and Japanese novel since the beginning of time. However, such is the peerless talent of C.L. Werner that even though this character, on the surface, is a cliche, you still enjoy reading about him. What’s more, C.L. Werner adds his own twist unto him. I cannot describe what that twist is, both not to give spoilers and because it is something subtle that only hits the back of my brain, while thoroughly refusing to make the transition to the front. Suffice to say, it is well done.

The plot itself isn’t at “brilliant beyond ken” status (though, considering the fact that this is a short story, it is nearly impossible for such a thing to happen), but it was enjoyable, well-thought out, and managed to provide quite a few twists and turns.

This story, without a doubt, is the gem of The Ageless Mountains and probably the best of the entire “Rage of the Behemoth” series. I am very much looking forward to seeing what havoc C.L. Werner creates in his next story “The Bodyguard of the Dead” in the Demons anthology.