Red Sonja's ability as a swordswoman comes from a mystical vow she took in response to being raped. throughout The Ring of Ikribu she's shown to be smart, social, and capable, but her destiny has its origin in sexual assault. the inclusion of rape doesn't bother me - the Hyborian Age is a violent one, and it would be sexist to pretend that violence against women isn't a real threat. I also don’t think it’s a problem for Red Sonja to have to deal with the long-term trauma of being raped, or even for this to be framed within a fantasy storytelling device like a vow to a celestial deity. all this said, it is handled clumsily, as you might expect from two dudes telling the story.

otherwise this is an enjoyable campaign-of-the-week fantasy novel. because of the world it’s set in it is violent and grim, sometimes shockingly so, but never so much as to be off-putting. Smith and Tierney are highly creative when it comes to writing both battles and dark sorcery so I had a lot of fun. a great vacation read. despite his hella cursed face Duke Pelides could get it imo