Red Sonja: She-Devil With A Sword – Volume 01 Issue 06

My Rating

“The Bride of Castle Brouse” (Unofficial Title)

The Rising Sun anarchists have been stopped, and their leaders now dangle from the gallows of Khorshemish. Red Sonja finds herself in the nearby city of Krosha. The drink flows, and the food is palatable. The guests inside the Black Horse Tavern and Inn, on the other hand, are not. Did Sonja have to pick the one establishment hosting a goddamned wedding reception? A reception for arrogant farmers now flush with gold and titles earned by her sword? Mitra’s gray beard!

To make the evening even worse, the bride insists on flaunting her extravagant diamond wedding ring under Sonja’s nose. Sonja has punched and kicked over less! If Zolda only knew. Luckily, her oaf of a groom knows very well who the savior of Koth truly is.

As the new inheritor of Castle Brouse, Cluv Marson offers Red Sonja a fistful of gold coins—a gift of gratitude for what Sonja and the other heroes have done for the kingdom. But first, Sonja must raise a toast to the city’s new rulers and their matrimonial vows. Wait! Is that blood dripping from the bride’s overly puffy lips?

Will the newlyweds enjoy a glamorous honeymoon on the taxpayers’ coin? What is the history behind Zolda Marson’s diamond ring? Will Cluv’s sister Grissa find room and board inside Castle Brouse? Collect the series to find out!

Review

Finally, some good old fashioned Red Sonja satire to cleanse the palate. I do love a good horror comedy. After the Rising Sun ordeal, you would think Sonja could enjoy a drink and a decent meal in peace. Instead, she gets a wedding reception full of people enjoying the wealth and titles her sword helped secure. Sonja did the fighting, and these assholes got a castle. Mitra’s gray beard!

The humor works because Sonja has very little patience for any of it. Zolda flaunting that diamond ring under her nose is just begging for trouble. Cluv at least recognizes who deserves his gratitude, although expecting Sonja to toast the happy couple might be pushing his luck. Watching her endure their celebration is entertaining enough before the blood starts dripping.

That is where this issue really won me over. The petty arrogance, the suspicious ring, and the increasingly unpleasant bride make for a wonderful setup for some wedding day horror. There is something especially satisfying about watching a celebration of newly acquired wealth take such an ugly turn. You wanted the gold, the title, and the extravagant wedding? Well, enjoy the reception!

Issue #6 delivers the kind of trouble I love seeing Sonja stumble into. Give her a tavern, some insufferable company, and something sinister lurking behind the festivities, and I am happy to pull up a chair. Preferably somewhere near the exit. I give this issue four out of five stars.

Request

One request for Rory McConville: please start giving these stories titles so I don’t have to keep making them up for you. Sonja already does all the fighting. Now I’m doing the clerical work?