This is the kind of shit that flies in the 80s and HAS TO STAY IN THE 80S.

If you've ever watched Conan you probably remember a redhead female warrior who accompanied him and she basically had a chain mail bra and underwear or short pants where the sword went. Well, that's Red Sonja.

And you'd think in 2024 the author would say "Let's give this woman some armour, she's going to be fighting a lot" NOPE, SHE'S BARELY DRESSED.

The plot is terrible but I could have gone along with it if the rest was any better. But we have Red Sonja, the Devil, who's called a devil for her many evil deeds. And beyond her theft at the beginning you won't hear about any other devilish behaviour.
We have a tough warrior queen who is so tough she kills her elders and takes control of her country (which includes around 20 people more or less) and goes to hunt Red Sonja to kill her, but she's soft for her and becomes clay on her hands.
And we have a couple of fake brothers who are looking for Sonja to save her country (mind you, like she was a hero and not a known criminal) who fall for her in a weird love triangle.

And then one guy who kills people, especially children, for no real reason. But eh the people of the entire world are SO DUMB that they blame every crime on Sonja even when the evidence points somewhere else.

The most disappointing thing is that she's not even such a good fighter, she's taken down more often than not, so where the hell is this fame coming from? Gods I hated this.

Gail Simone seems well versed in Robert E. Howard lore of Red Sonja (and probably Conan), as well as the media versions (including the movie, which she credits in the acknowledgements). For those who love the sword and sorcery genre, this bloody adventure (more swords than sorcery) is a satisfying extension of the franchise.

There's also an origin story, but I'm not familiar enough with Red Sonja to know if this is the first time we've had one, or whether it was already sketched out by Howard or the media representations. It's a good one, though, faithful to her character development and turns out to be integral to the plot.

Eminence Front is a quick and gripping read set during a fierce blizzard on a quiet New England street. Rebecca Rowland creates complex characters whose private struggles mix with a strange and creepy force arriving with the snow. The story builds slow but steady tension until chaos and violence explode as the storm reaches its peak.

Fans of character driven horror with a cold and eerie atmosphere will find this a satisfying and haunting read.

Very average. Nothing is particularly good or bad about this book. Sonja is not well drawn but gets enough development to keep turning the page. Forgot I read this book almost as soon as I finished it.

I loved this book! Adventure with the perfect amount of lore, battles, and drama. Emotionally raw, heartbreaking yet empowering.
I enjoyed the multiple POVs and dual timeline. It was great to learn the origin story of Red Sonja. I hope that more books about Red Sonja are coming because this was truly a joy to read.

I tried hard to like this book but I failed. I never overcame my initial, extremely unpleasant impression of Red Sonja as callous, self-centered, and incompetent. Even the queen she beds and betrays dives headlong into revenge without a second thought. Jumping from one POV character to another further disrupted any engagement with the story.

Sword and sorcery in the tradition of Robert E. Howard is a stylized subgenre. The tropes are distinctive but consistent: larger-than-life characters with larger-than-life adversaries, colorful settings with mythic overtones, exaggerated action sequences, and a tendency toward florid prose. Consistency with Howard’s literary style without becoming ridiculous amounts to a high-wire act. In the hands of a master, the elements come together like an amusement park ride: breathless, engaging escapism that is ultimately emotionally satisfying. The best of these stories work by evoking psychological resonances (see Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey) in an immersive reading experience.

Alas, not only was I unable to connect with any of the characters in the book’s opening, but too many details strained my credibility even by the standards of the subgenre. For example, Red Sonja is remarkably unaware of her surroundings, allowing enemies to sneak up on her on a regular basis. She’s just plain incompetent at basic survival skills. Many details about riding and horses are wrong in the sense of being ignorant. (Example: a skilled rider on a familiar and extremely well-trained mount does not haul on the reins to halt but uses a shift in weight and pelvic angle.) Once my confidence in the author had been impaired, other things that might not have otherwise kicked me out of the story became barriers, like “firing” arrows in an era before gunpowder. That’s a linguistic bobble that has become commonplace and can be excused in an otherwise consistent setting.

On the plus side, Simone occasionally comes up with a memorable turn of phrase, action, or characterization (but not, alas, of Red Sonja).

I checked other reviews, both critical and defensive, to see what other readers thought. I wondered if I was missing something because I hadn’t read all the modern stories. The reviewers divided mostly into two camps: those with extensive knowledge of the Red Sonja novels and graphic and those who just want a fun reading experience. Some of the former novels are either critical of the many lapses in geography, nomenclature, and history, while others insist that this book cannot be properly appreciated without in-depth knowledge of the franchise. I disagree with the latter.

Good storytelling is good storytelling, regardless of genre. Nobody expects high literary values from sword and sorcery, but perhaps that is a mistake. Consider the work of Tanith Lee, C. J. Cherryh or C. L. Moore. Unfortunately, Gail Simone is not in their class.

2/5 Stars

This was not the book for me. I went into this book knowing very little and thought maybe I could be surprised. I was not a major fan of the writing of this book. I just could not get into the story. The Story Seems very standard for a typical fantasy novel. I also did not realize the original origin of this story was from a graphic novel series. So maybe I will give that version a go. But this overall book just didn't do anything for me.

I love gritty and intense fantasy and this is not exception, will definatly keep reading his work and will keep recommending it to people

Writing style on this is great and very appealing, easy to read despite how intense it is. That being said, I didn't realize this was an existing character and felt like I was missing a lot of context.

This book masterfully weaves a compelling narrative with rich character development, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The author's attention to detail and emotional depth make for an immersive experience, while the pacing ensures a balance between introspection and action. With thought-provoking themes and a satisfying conclusion, this is a story that lingers long after the final page.

Gail Simone wrote one of my favourite Red Sonja graphic novel series of all time. It’s brash, powerful, womanly, and epic. Red Sonja: Consumed is slightly violent, exhausting, boring, and bisexual. That last one being its only redeeming quality in my mind. No amount of good, balanced bisexual content can make up for random character stories no one cares about, boring side plots, or sleepy geography. While the little stories, songs, anecdotes, and blurbs at the beginning of each chapter helped break things up; they also made me hope the whole book could be written that way as they were much more interesting than most of the plot.

I’m so disappointed. As a big Red Sonja comic fan I was stoked to see a novel about her, hoping it would help bring her to a new audience. Instead I’m inclined to pull every copy off the shelves of any bookstore and replace it with Simone’s run of comics. It just makes no sense to me. I’m not sure if the medium is the issue for Simone, the editing was bad, or the whole book just lacked direction; although maybe it was all three. What I do know is this one has put me into a reading slump that I’m hoping to quickly break as it’s still early in the year and it sucks to play catch-up on challenges for months on end.

Please find some Red Sonja comics over picking Red Sonja: Consumed up. I promise they will be fun, interesting, violent, and a much better use of your precious reading time.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Red Sonja: Consumed by Gail Simone opens with the titular redheaded “She-Devil with a Sword” dealing with the tricky aftermath of a successful heist. After seducing Ysidra, barbarian queen of a nomadic tribe, Red Sonja absconded with a priceless golden armband called the Hunter’s Asp. Not only does she find herself pursued by Ysidra’s tireless Wolf Pack, but an equally implacable assassin is also sent after Sonja when she stiffs the treasure’s prospective buyer and keeps the Asp for herself. And although she views herself as rootless and living only for the present, circumstances conspire to drive her back to her devastated homeland of Hyrkania, where a traumatic reckoning awaits with both her own personal history and that of her people.

As a character, Red Sonja has a long and involved history. While working on Conan the Barbarian for Marvel Comics, writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith came up with the character as a female foil to Conan. They looked to original Conan creator Robert E. Howard for inspiration, taking the swashbuckling heroine “Red” Sonya (note the Y, not J) of Rogatine from Howard’s 1934 historical adventure “The Shadow of the Vulture,” transplanting her in heavily modified form from 16th century Vienna to Conan’s Hyborian Age. Given a revealing costume (albeit not initially the armored bikini with which the character would later become indelibly associated) and dramatic origin story, Red Sonja became an instant hit after her introduction in 1973. In addition to numerous appearances within the pages of Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja went on to star in her own comic titles, first at Marvel and currently at Dynamite Entertainment.

While a handful of Red Sonja prose novels exist, Red Sonja: Consumed is the first to be published since 1983. This novel is also notable for its author: Gail Simone. Not only is Simone an experienced Red Sonja writer, her 2013 19-issue Dynamite Entertainment run with the character is one of the most acclaimed in the character’s multi-decade history. And while various authors have had many different portrayals of the character, in this reviewer’s opinion, Simone’s is the most fun. Sexual assault is often a part of Red Sonja’s backstory, as an inciting incident that (along with some divine intervention in the form of a sympathetic goddess) leads her to become an indomitable swordswoman. Sonja is often depicted as adhering to a vow of chastity, refusing to be bedded by any man unless he bests her in combat. Both in her tenure on the comic and in this novel, Simone dispenses with all of that. No rape-based origin story, no goddess, no vow of chastity. Simone retains Sonja’s fearlessness and deadly allure, but she’s no longer a warrior nun. Simone’s Sonja is earthy. She still wears the trademark bikini, but one gets the sense that she wears it for herself, not to titillate every alehouse yokel. She’s brave and capable, but occasionally surly, spiteful, and flippant. She doesn’t always have the best hygiene or odor about her. Her carousing sometimes gets her in trouble. Far from chaste, she’s both pansexual and voracious (regrettably absent from the novel, “I’m Red Sonja, I’m everybody’s type” is a memorable quote from Simone’s comic run). Simone allows her to be an imperfect mercenary swordswoman with both admirable qualities and flaws, who enjoys the full spectrum of pleasures permitted by her freewheeling lifestyle. Happily, the heroine presented in Red Sonja: Consumed is the same one we know from Simone’s reign on the comic.

Appealing characterization aside, perhaps inevitably, Red Sonja: Consumed reads like a first novel from an established comic book creator. The pace remains speedy throughout, but the plot wanders before tightening up in the last third of the book. While infrequent, there are jarring instances of “head hopping,” where the perspective wanders between multiple characters within a single scene. Betrayed queen Ysidra and the psychotic assassin Sylus are compelling characters, but they disappear for long stretches of the narrative, to the story’s detriment. The setting of the novel—still the same Hyborian Age inhabited by Conan, even though the characters have different ownership today—is somewhat vaguely rendered, but that seems a perennial issue with the Red Sonja comics as well.

On the positive side of the ledger, however, Simone’s background as a comic writer results in intensely vivid visuals. Throughout the novel I found myself effortlessly imagining various events as full-page comic spreads. Combat scenes are frequent, graphic, and vicious. Sonja brutally dismantles her opponents, going the extra mile to make sure they stay down permanently. The supernatural threat that reveals itself late in the book is also presented in a deliciously creepy manner.

While there are some rough edges, Red Sonja: Consumed is a fast-paced and entertaining dark Sword & Sorcery novel. The book is an easy recommendation to existing fans of Simone’s work on the Red Sonja comic book, but no prior experience with the character is necessary. Readers with a strong emotional investment in the more classic depiction of the character, with the assault survivor and vow of chastity elements intact, might balk somewhat at the messier heroine Simone presents us with, however. Feisty fantasy heroines are more common now than in decades past, but Red Sonja remains one of the best. While I enjoy and respect the work of earlier creators like Roy Thomas and Frank Thorne, Gail Simone’s rendition is the most modern and fun.

I had no idea about Red Sonja until my cousin spoke to me about his love for the comics. So, I saw this and immediately wanted to read it. I love and enjoy the magic and sorcery and just old school action/fantasy feel. I had a good time with the different POVs and some of the relationships between the characters. It wasn't anything game changing and some pacing/confusion in spots, but I enjoyed it enough.

I didn't have any prior knowledge of the character when I started reading the book, so I found it interesting and a quick read. Although I didn't feel a strong attachment to Red Sonja, after researching her backstory, I understood how it contributed to the plot.

Red Sonja is feisty and unapologetic about her preferences. She is violent and tough—definitely not an easy character, which reflects many of us. I find this interpretation of her character engaging and, at times, thought-provoking.

That said, I would appreciate a bit more finesse in plot development to ensure everything connects better. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

I'm a bit torn on this review. I don't have any history with the character in the comics where she's from and I didn't feel like I was lacking any information in that regard which is a huge plus. The book does manage to almost...sound like a comic book in some parts. A bit cheesy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. There is a lot of action, but I do remain a bit lukewarm overall.

Red Sonja Consumed by Gail Simone

Gail Simone is a treasure. I have loved her writing for years - whenever I saw her name on a comic book cover I knew I was in for a good time. I adored her run on the Secret Six and her take on Barbara Gordon is the definitive one for me. So when I found out she was coming out with her first prose novel I was excited! But when I realized it was a Red Sonja novel I was a little apprehensive. Red Sonja was never a character I had read or wanted to read. Although I love D&D and sword & sorcery stories, I had never been a fan of the scantily-clad-warrior-in-a-chainmail-bikini subgenre and I had never read or seen any Red Sonja in any medium. But I trusted Gail, so I requested an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and received one in exchange for an honest review.

I was glad I trusted Gail. I enjoyed this book - I especially liked her way of starting every chapter with an excerpt of something, often scholarly work, that treated Sonja as a character out of myth or historical legend.

Now, although I enjoyed the book, I didn’t particularly like the character of Sonja herself - the book starts out with her stealing from and betraying a lover, actions I was unable to forgive her for throughout the book. That colored my overall enjoyment. Some of the secondary villains felt unnecessary to the story and some late plot twists seemed unnecessary or poorly telegraphed. But these are minor quibbles. I will be happy to read the next Red Sonja novel Ms. Simone writes, or anything at all she comes up with.

I was a little hesitant to read this but wow, this was so action-packed! The first half felt very slow and took me forever to read, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

This story has everything—action, adventure, monsters, and plenty of danger. It’s not pretty. It’s violent and brutal, often more about survival than hope, and yeah, there’s a fair bit of madness woven in. But what makes it stand out is the way Simone adds depth without shoving it in your face. There’s no preaching or big speeches about progress, equality, or modern ideals. Instead, she uses little details—like the historian notes at the start of each chapter—that add layers and act as subtle commentary.

I’ve seen people call Red Sonja one-dimensional, which blows my mind. She’s a deeply scarred woman shaped by a traumatic past, searching for meaning in a harsh world. She’s not superhuman or invincible—she’s real, raw, and vulnerable. And yeah, some readers don’t seem to like that vulnerability. They want her to be flawless, but for me, it made her relatable.

I loved the multi-POVs, I thought they made the story richer, especially when it came to fleshing out the villains and the monsters. And honestly, they helped counter the idea that Sonja’s perspective wasn’t engaging enough early on. I think some people came into this book with specific expectations and checked out before letting it fully unfold.

Red Sonja: Consumed struck the perfect balance. It felt familiar in all the best ways, fresh where it mattered, and packed with surprises. If you love sword & sorcery or kick-ass heroines, you should pick this up. It’s a fantastic addition to both genres, and I’m already looking forward to whatever comes next.

Red Sonja, the She-Devil of Hyrkania has spent most of her life doing whatever pleases her. Whether it be fighting or taking a bed partner, Sonja has never spent much time thinking beyond the moment. But when she meets some travelers who insist that her home territory needs her help.
Sonja's homeland, once ravaged by a merciless band of marauders, has been quarantined for nearly as long as she can remember - she can't imagine there's anyone there who could need her help. The travelers convince her it's true and that, because of the previous devastation, they've led people to believe it's off limits.

When Sonja arrives, she finds that her abilities are indeed needed, but she's going to have to confront some of her past demons in order to move forward.

It makes a lot of sense to have author Gail Simone pen this as she should be familiar with Red Sonja, having scripted some of the comic books for the same character. Other than a few of her comics, I don't know Simone's work too well. I am, however, quite familiar with the character, having read most (if not all) the early comics since her creation by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in 1973.

I really liked how 'real' Simone makes Sonja here. She's an adult woman, not afraid to mix it up with anyone. She also knows what she likes sexually - she is not the timid female falling for every muscle-bound man who comes on to her (and most of them do).

This Red Sonja also has a strong bond with her horse. As someone who has read more than a few westerns, I appreciated this detail. Anyone who spends a decent amount of time riding a horse develops would come to rely on and understand the animal. This is somewhat important in the course of the book.

But as much as I enjoyed the general story here, and I liked the presentation of this Red Sonja, I found the book to be terribly even paced. The fight scenes have the same energy as the joking around the tavern scenes which have the same energy as the traveling scenes. The result is that the book feels slow for the majority of the read. It picks up during the dramatic climax and through the denouement, but it might be too late for many. For fans of the character and the genre, such as myself, it's worth sticking with to the end.

Some of the best parts of this book are the 'quotes' at the beginning of each chapter. They bring something different to the character of Sonja - how she is viewed by others. Each of these feels different and authentic.

Looking for a good book? Red Sonja: Consumed, by Gail Simone, gives the titular character more history and depth but the telling draws on.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Really, really well done novel from Mrs. Simone. Right off the bat you can feel her experience with the character. Totally fleshed out, great world building and a story that grabs and intrigues, not to mention the excellent cast of supporting characters make this one heckava good read.
Along the way we get Sonjas' origin as well as the tale of thievery with major consequences. Love, loss, betrayal and fighting (not enough, my only tiny complaint). Enjoyed the heck out of this book. Highly recommended for Sonja fans and any one who likes excellent adventure. Thx for the ARC.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “Sword and Sorcery”? Maybe you immediately think of the ambassador of the genre, Conan the Barbarian? Perhaps you think of Frank Frazetta, whose art is partially responsible for helping to design the aesthetic – brawny men in loincloths facing off against various fantastical enemies with an axe – and who created a lot of art featuring our beloved barbarian?

There’s a slightly smaller chance that another character may come to mind: Red Sonja.

This isn’t to say that Red Sonja isn’t top of mind for many people who enjoy the sword and sorcery genre. After all, Sonja has been around since 1934 in one form or another. From her humble beginnings as a pirate to her later incarnation as a fierce female warrior in comics, movies, and books, Red Sonja has played a part in defining the fantasy genre and – depending on your opinion – advancing the role that female characters have had in the genre by depicting a strong and independent woman, or setting female characters in the genre back to nothing more than chainmail bikini-clad eye candy.

What Red Sonja is most definitely not is a damsel-in-distress, and her fierce independence (with a side of vulnerability) is on full display in Gail Simone’s new book Red Sonja: Consumed.

The plot is fairly standard, as far as these novels go: there’s an artifact that’s been stolen, word of strange deaths and monsters, contract killers hunting their prey, and even a sinister voice trying to convince someone to do evil! It served its purpose by moving the characters along and getting them all in the right places at the right times. If you’re a fan of these sorts of books, then you will not be disappointed; Gail Simone knows how to craft a solid story.

What I do want to talk about is the setting. My first exposure to Hyperborea came from Robert Jordan’s The Conan Chronicles. Writing in the world of Robert E. Howard, Jordan introduced to sword and sorcery and I absolutely loved it! Conan and his adventures represented peak fantasy for me: dark magic, brutal heroes, and epic adventures. Simone has taken the Hyborian age and made it once again come to life: the characters, the danger, and the sheer fantasy of it all are for me pitch perfect.

Then there’s the flashbacks and backstory. The epigraphs in this book deserve a special shout-out for effortlessly providing context for a lot of Sonja’s history, as well as deepening the lore of Hyperborea. Gail Simone has a slightly different backstory for Red Sonja; it involves much of the tragedy without the sexist take of the early comics (for example: in the comics Red Sonja is granted battle prowess as long as she doesn’t sleep with a man unless he has bested her in combat). In Consumed, Sonja has watched her village be destroyed and her family and people slaughtered. It has affected her deeply, and as she goes on the run she begins to have to deal with that trauma in ways that will change her. Additionally, her feelings for Queen Ysidra help create that spark of vulnerability that adds dimension to what otherwise could have been a very rage-filled, one-dimensional version of Red Sonja. The arc of her character was a very enjoyable part of this book for me.

If you’re looking for that specific flavor of a sword and sorcery adventure with an iconic character who is considered one of the archetypes of the genre, this book is for you! As always, give it a read and let me know what you think!

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this book.