I had previously posted on Mike Chinn‘s Damian Paladin, a New Pulp occult invesigator. Per the author, the character is inspired by The Shadow, and Howard Chaykin‘s The Scorpion and Dominic Fortune, as well as the author’s interest in early aircraft.
Damian first appeared in a collection from Alchemy Press back in 1998, The Paladin Mandates. And it only appeared in the U.K., but I was able to get a used copy from Amazon. And Pro Se Press had put out a new collection, Walker in Shadows, in 2017. Both are collections of short stories, but stories that should be read in order.
But now Pro Se Press has put out a revised and expanded edition of The Paladin Mandates that adds four additional stories. So if you haven’t read Walker in Shadows, certainly get this one first and move on.
As noted, these stories should be read in order as they introduce Damian, his business partner Leigh Oswin, and Damian’s skill at dealing with supernatural threats. There is a connection between Leigh and Damian, and there is a reason for Damian’s skills and knowledge which you will slowly learn.
They meet in the first story. Leigh is on the run from some criminals, and meets Damian at a rundown airstrip. He’s dealing with a vengeful river spirit and helps her out. It’s clear it that story there is a connection between the two, though Leigh doesn’t pick up on it. There is no love interest between the two, more Damian being a bit protective.
Shortly there after, Leigh sets up a swanky restaurant, which gives Damian a place to hang out between ghostbreaking. She gets him to wear the same outfit from the first adventure to help him stand out, along with his rapid-fire Mauser and Browning automatic. He is often flying classic planes (it is the 1930s), but often they get destroyed.
In the next story, he helps a family dealing with what seems to be a banshee, but is much more dangerous. Then we have a very short story with Damian in Seattle deal with some kind of ghoulish creature.
Then on a flight out west, the two are waylaid by a giant Thunderbird and need to put an end to it. Making it to Hollywood, Paladin is hired to be a consultant to a film, a remake of The Golem. And it turns out he has to deal with a real golem. Both stories give hints to Paladin’s past and extensive knowledge.
In a story dealing with gangsters, we learn who Leigh really is and what Damian’s connection to her. He seems to have a love of aliases, with “D.P.” I have to wonder what his original name was. Don’t worry, there is a vengeful ghost in this one, too.
Leigh gets a story without Damian, where she must contend with a trio of Russian princes trying to use her to summon Rasputin, due to her connection to him. Read to find out what that connection is and if they succeed.
Damian heads up to New Hampshire to obtain a plane to add to his collection in the next story, but crashes in the woods. There he is found by something that wishes to return to its own reality. It helps Damian and Damian helps it. So for once, it’s a story where he doesn’t have to destroy a supernatural threat.
In a strange story dealing with ancient rituals and gods, we may have learned how long Damian has been around and what might be his original name. Or, maybe not.
Our final story is a creepy Christmas story.
While not pure pulp, this is an interesting take on the occult-detective theme. I enjoyed the original edition, and this one having additional stories and fits in better with the second collection, I had to get it. If you like occult detectives you have to check this one out. I wonder if we’ll get a third collection of stories?
