What follows may possibly reveal major plot elements and conclusions. You’ve been warned.

The Thief of Forthe and Other Stories (2018), published by DMR Books, includes an engaging, thought-provoking story that should not be ignored by enthusiasts of dark fantasy or sword-and-sorcery: I am referring to “The Thief of Forthe” by Clifford Ball.

The story grabbed me because it offered fun moments of strangeness and weird doings. I also enjoyed how this story, by the end, evoked questions and ideas regarding the corruption and ephemerality of human power, nations, and thrones.

In my opinion, the tale appears to touch on the natures of and dichotomies between elitism, outcasts, xenophobia, revenge, class, hierarchies, civilization, society, patriotism, taboos, barbarism, war, and wizardry.

The strengths and weaknesses of different types of people and cultures are shown: the errors of barbarians, warriors, and thieves; the failings of rulers and the aristocracy; the weaknesses of the pariahs and freethinkers; and the interactions between strangers and the in-group.  

This story has whispers, implications, and something to say (even if unwittingly) about the cost and influences of war, warriors, strength, battle, and the compelling race for supremacy.

By my interpretation, I would say that the most powerful themes of “The Thief of Forthe,” those that struck me the most, were: manhood and personhood, and pondering what happens when those impressions are blurred or sullied; what happens when one goes against the self, hates the self, or is trapped between conflicting identities; habits of a beast, a woman, a man, a leader, and a wizard (scapegoat); the juxtaposition between primitivism and civilization; the fear of the unknown, fear of what is different; questioning ideas on gender; questioning customary gender roles; the natural consequences of conquest and of maintaining a society; challenging the legitimacy of authority; asking what makes one deserving or fit to rule; and wondering what happens when one is faced with otherness, the contrary, or the unknown.

In that way, it has motifs and themes similar to Clifford Ball’s story—“The Werewolf Howls,” which I also enjoyed and reviewed.

Signs and attitudes of classism, elitism, prejudice, sexism, machismo, misandry, parochialism, and discrimination interact throughout the narrative. That interplay creates a sense of doubt and distrust, a sense that human beings and any living entities are inherently doomed to conflict.

Furthermore, how the duality and flaws of each character clash against and interlock between one another is important.

Reeking all throughout the events of the plot is a malodor of anti-wizardry, which comes across as a representation of the treacherous limitations of ordinary human beings, their ruinous bigotry or fear of what is extraordinary and of what they refuse to appreciate or understand. Moral dilemma, the pain which can result from intentions noble or ill, that is what strikes the bosom of Ball’s written piece. The totality of its plotline faces us with a symbolic representation of and inquiry into the inevitability of injustice, the undue suffering of the defeated, and the iniquitous wrongdoings of the victorious.

Those (myself included) who enjoy reading about inhuman beings and anything eldritch or mystical will gravitate to “The Thief of Forthe,” which serves as a macédoine made out of various ingredients of weird fiction, dark fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, horror literature, and gothic fiction.

Some readers today might complain about how the story does not provide enough juicy action or enough fantastical creatures. Fair.

Everyone has different needs. That’s reasonable.

Would I have preferred to see a different ending? Undoubtedly.

Could I have used more gore? More magic conjuring? Yes, yes.  

Even so, I do indeed recommend “The Thief of Forthe” because of its cleverness, its use of wizardry, and its unique atmosphere. I liked its storyline and the dynamic between its central characters.

To me, “The Thief of Forthe” is a tragicomedy, one that should be read and mulled over.

Matthew Pungitore graduated with a Bachelor of Science in English from Fitchburg State University. He writes essays and articles for the DMR Books Blog. He volunteers with the Hingham Historical Society. The town of Hingham in Massachusetts is where he was brought up, and he has lived there for many years. Matthew is the author of The Report of Mr. Charles Aalmers and other stories, Fiendilkfjeld Castle, and Midnight's Eternal Prisoner: Waiting For The Summer.

If you’ve liked what you’ve read here, check out some of Matthew Pungitore’s writings at his BookBaby author-page.

Contact him at: matthewpungitore_writer@outlook.com