Awhile back, I had the pleasure of taking an early look at the debut issue of Battleborn Magazine, dedicated to Sword & Sorcery, Heroic Fantasy, and hard-hitting Fantasy tales. I was impressed by what I read in the eARC, and now that I have the physical book, I want to rehash my thoughts.
Overall, Battleborn fuckin’ rocks! With a solid spread of fiction, critical nonfiction—both original works and reprinted classics—beautiful interior art and a fun, in-your-face Military vibe, it’s an aggressive push for more action-oriented works of Fantasy in an industry failing to appeal to the average Joe.
In my original video review, I had a couple gripes understanding that the eARC I read wasn’t necessarily indicative of a final product. One gripe has been resolved, another remains.
For disclosure, while I was provided a free eARC by the publisher, I purchased my physical copy with my own money; my opinions are my own.
But is Battleborn right for you? If you love S&S, it’s certainly a worthy addition to your bookshelf. Let’s talk about why.
Oh hey! If you love S&S, check out my BackerKit for Mordschlag Sword and Sorcery Magazines.
Also, you can watch my full interview with Battleborn EiC, Sean C.W. Korsgaard on YouTube.
The Fiction… It’s All Fantastic.
I cannot pick favorites here. I loved almost every story in this issue and the couple that weren’t for me were clearly great stories that would appeal to another reader.
A unique aspect to Battleborn is the variety of authors; we have newcomers like TJ Marquis and his excellent espionage/assassination tale, “Vengeance Vow”; Lee Patton’s “Temple of the River King” featuring an undead mercenary furnished with silky smooth prose reminiscent of Clark Ashton Smith.
There’s tales from established names in the community, like zorro-esque “The Fury’s Blade” by Robert Rhodes and the indie-pubbed warrior, Skarde’s bender in “To Boast of Victory” by Erik Waag.
Something that sets Battleborn apart is editor Sean C.W. Korsgaard’s devotion to reprinting classic tales, some of which have been out of print for nearly 40 years. Michael Shea’s excellent “Pearls of the Vampire Queen” makes a return to print for the first time since 1982!
One of my favorites in the collection is the first print appearance of “A Stone’s Throw” by Howard Andrew Jones. This issue introduced to Jones’s legendary Hanuvar of Lord of a Shattered Land and two sequels comprising The Hanuvar Chronicles, which are some of the best works of modern Sword & Sorcery I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.
Sadly, Jones passed away in early 2025, so this may be the last time we see a newly printed Hanuvar tale. I did not have the pleasure of knowing him, but I eagerly study the brilliant works he left behind.
The Essays… A Thoughtful Inclusion
The essays serve a few functions: supporting the heroic/military theme of the publication and celebrating the Sword & Sorcery genre as a whole.
Personally, I enjoyed every single one, but I also recognize that it’s not what some people will be coming to this magazine for. There’s plenty of fiction to chew on, so if it’s not your thing I don’t think it will harm the experience.
If it is your thing, well… you’ll be pleased by the sheer level of detail writers like Jason M Waltz and Jason Ray Carney dive into with their literary analysis. There’s also a wonderful curated list of further recommended reading by Gregory D. Mele. Korsgaard penned a couple of panels and a historic tale of heroism from the real world. Good stuff, all round.
The Art and Design… A Feast for the Eyes
Battleborn’s interior design is one of the inspirations behind the design of my own magazine, Mordschlag Sword & Sorcery (though I failed to mention that in the video version of my last post… sorry guys, but I got it in last Substack article!)
The vibe is classic and timeless. High contrast black and white art… my favorite. I was an English major, not an Art major, so instead of trying to describe these things like I know what I’m talking about, I’ll just show you a couple of my favorite pieces:
My Singular Gripe
In my original video a couple months back, I critiqued Battleborn’s online availability. I’m pleased to say that it is now easily available on Amazon Kindle. Paperback access to non-backers is in the works; Korsgaard told one of my YouTube viewers that they’re shipping product to Amazon’s distribution center as I write this.
The remaining pain point is the typesetting itself. I love the overall design, but the execution of the body text is inconsistent, which causes distraction while reading. Flipping the physical pages, I can see sizes and fonts changing.
I do hope this gets resolved in Issue 2; the fiction in these pages deserves to be read without hindrance.
In Sum
Battleborn Magazine has positioned itself on the frontlines of fantasy, fighting the good fight against rapidly declining rates of reading. The breadth of its offerings are varied and ambitious.
The mix of short and longer form fiction, non-fiction, and visual art make akin to a fiction-first iteration of The Savage Sword of Conan. I have a lot of respect for the folks at Battleborn and I hope to see them succeed as the release of Issue 2 approaches and they move into Year 2.
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