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Robert Jordan's Conan Novels #6
Conan the Destroyer
In the fabled city of Shadizar, sultry Princess Tamaris hires Conan to recover the magical gem known as the Heart of Ahriman. Accompanied by the beautiful maiden Jehnna, Conan must vanquish scheming, murderous Bombatta, the princess' henchman, and face the sinister Guardians of the horn, only to confront the foul and ancient, many-fanged demon-god Dagoth. With Jehnna's life and Conan's very soul at stake, Conan must truly be Conan the Destroyer.
271 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
23 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jordan
676 books17.1k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 14, 2022
This is a novelization of the second Arnold/Conan movie (story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, script by Stanley Mann), and is not part of the chronology that L. Sprague de Camp struggled for so long to maintain for Conan Properties or that Jordan attempted to maintain in his own Conan books. The plot follows an early version of the film script quite closely, though Jordan does add some refreshing depth and background details to the side characters. The main problem is that one has to be somewhat familiar with the first film (or have read de Camp & Carter's novelization of it) in order to understand Conan's motivation in this story. I preferred the first film, but Jordan did quite well with adapting the story he had to work with. Not Howard, but a fun read.
September 20, 2024
Me ha gustado ya que me venían imágenes de la película, que vi hace ya...
Buena dosis de misterio, búsqueda de talismanes mágicos y lucha contra dioses ancestrales.
Da lo que promete, así que contento una vez mas con Conan.
Ayyy ya quedan menos...
Valoración: 7.5/10
Sinopsis: En la legendaria ciudad de Shadizar, la sensual princesa Tamaris contrata a Conan para recuperar la gema mágica conocida como el Corazón de Ahriman. Acompañado por la hermosa doncella Jehnna, Conan debe vencer al intrigante y asesino Bombatta, el secuaz de la princesa, y enfrentarse a los siniestros Guardianes del Cuerno, solo para enfrentarse al asqueroso y antiguo dios demoníaco de muchos colmillos Dagoth. Con la vida de Jehnna y el alma misma de Conan en juego, Conan debe ser realmente Conan el Destructor.
Buena dosis de misterio, búsqueda de talismanes mágicos y lucha contra dioses ancestrales.
Da lo que promete, así que contento una vez mas con Conan.
Ayyy ya quedan menos...
Valoración: 7.5/10
Sinopsis: En la legendaria ciudad de Shadizar, la sensual princesa Tamaris contrata a Conan para recuperar la gema mágica conocida como el Corazón de Ahriman. Acompañado por la hermosa doncella Jehnna, Conan debe vencer al intrigante y asesino Bombatta, el secuaz de la princesa, y enfrentarse a los siniestros Guardianes del Cuerno, solo para enfrentarse al asqueroso y antiguo dios demoníaco de muchos colmillos Dagoth. Con la vida de Jehnna y el alma misma de Conan en juego, Conan debe ser realmente Conan el Destructor.
November 12, 2019
The novelization of the second Conan film. It's not great but it's definitely something that accompanies this film very well, giving it a different dimension. Of course, the need to follow the script of the film puts another limitation on the writer and deprives him of the freedom he had enjoyed in his earlier endeavors and thus the result is clearly inferior. However, the author manages to create something good enough.
Η μυθιστορηματική εκδοχή της δεύτερης ταινίας με πρωταγωνιστή τον Conan. Δεν είναι κάτι σπουδαίο αλλά σίγουρα είναι κάτι που συνοδεύει αυτήν την ταινία πολύ καλά δίνοντάς της μία διαφορετική διάσταση. Βέβαια η ανάγκη να ακολουθηθεί το σενάριο της ταινίας βάζει έναν ακόμα περιορισμό στον συγγραφέα και του στερεί την ελευθερία που απολάμβανε στις προηγούμενες προσπάθειες του και έτσι το αποτέλεσμα είναι σαφώς υποδεέστερο. Παρόλα αυτά όμως ο συγγραφέας κάνει ότι μπορεί και να δημιουργήσει κάτι αρκετά καλό.
Η μυθιστορηματική εκδοχή της δεύτερης ταινίας με πρωταγωνιστή τον Conan. Δεν είναι κάτι σπουδαίο αλλά σίγουρα είναι κάτι που συνοδεύει αυτήν την ταινία πολύ καλά δίνοντάς της μία διαφορετική διάσταση. Βέβαια η ανάγκη να ακολουθηθεί το σενάριο της ταινίας βάζει έναν ακόμα περιορισμό στον συγγραφέα και του στερεί την ελευθερία που απολάμβανε στις προηγούμενες προσπάθειες του και έτσι το αποτέλεσμα είναι σαφώς υποδεέστερο. Παρόλα αυτά όμως ο συγγραφέας κάνει ότι μπορεί και να δημιουργήσει κάτι αρκετά καλό.
September 1, 2023
Блага и неангажираща история за Конан, в която Робърт Джордан успява да вкара малко повече дълбочина от обичайното, но все пак не може да се твърди, че е от ранга на по-сложните представители на жанра. Много доволен, точно от такава книжка имах нужда!
4,5*
4,5*
April 18, 2021
Having made it to the next to last Jordan Conan novel, I think I can finally put my finger on what people mean when they say that Jordan "didn't 'get' Conan". These are not bad fantasy novels, and they aren't even terrible modernized sword and sorcery tales. They are, however, not great Conan novels.
The problem is that Jordan writes through a lens informed as much by Tolkien as Howard (he would lean even more heavily into "Tolkienism" for the first book of his Wheel of Time books, but that's a discussion for another time). Here we have a fellowship, a journey, boatloads of magic, and a hero that is far more "morally good" than "morally grey" (going so far as to be more of a father figure to the main heroine than a romantic partner).
While this novel is less in the spirit of the original character than his others, I wonder if perhaps Jordan sanitized this novel more than his other Conan books because it was a novelization to a movie. Making it palatable to a more general audience might have been important to him and/or the publisher.
The problem is that Jordan writes through a lens informed as much by Tolkien as Howard (he would lean even more heavily into "Tolkienism" for the first book of his Wheel of Time books, but that's a discussion for another time). Here we have a fellowship, a journey, boatloads of magic, and a hero that is far more "morally good" than "morally grey" (going so far as to be more of a father figure to the main heroine than a romantic partner).
While this novel is less in the spirit of the original character than his others, I wonder if perhaps Jordan sanitized this novel more than his other Conan books because it was a novelization to a movie. Making it palatable to a more general audience might have been important to him and/or the publisher.
May 30, 2010
This is not the edition I have, which is the first printing from 1984, with a photo on the cover featuring Ah-nold in his fur Fruit of the Looms from that dreadful second Conan movie of the same name. Of the same name because this is the book version of the movie, and frankly more entertaining. My edition does not seem to be listed on goodreads.
I'll admit a certain weakness for trashy swords & sorcery may have biased my rating a star or so above what it really deserves. Being something of a Howard purist I could not indulge my weakness to give it more, since this is not a true R. E. Howard Conan novel. It certainly lacks the feel of a Howard story, but unlike some Howard purists I am willing to cut some of the later writers some slack.
Circa 1980 the people who held the Conan intellectual property rights began inviting in authors to write new Conan stories, for reasons I expect were almost purely financial. Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp had been witing new Conan stuff for a few years by then, but Conan Properties opened the doors to admit other writers. The results were mixed. Nobody ever quite captured the true Howard style, and most of their efforts were fairly lame.
Jordan did not capture the Howard style, but at least he had an entertaining if trash style of his own, which made him the best of the post-Howard writers. He avoided the traps of trying to copy Howard or revere Howard to follow his own path instead. His is not the same character, simply one the same name in a similar world, but entertaining enough in his own right. He is less dark but more lusty, and eternally about 17.
This stuff is not literature, and it has no more depth than kiddy pool in your neighbor's back yard. It's lurid male fantasy clothed in no more political correctness than the minimum that popular culture demands. In other words, pure escapism. Which is why I read the stuff.
I'll admit a certain weakness for trashy swords & sorcery may have biased my rating a star or so above what it really deserves. Being something of a Howard purist I could not indulge my weakness to give it more, since this is not a true R. E. Howard Conan novel. It certainly lacks the feel of a Howard story, but unlike some Howard purists I am willing to cut some of the later writers some slack.
Circa 1980 the people who held the Conan intellectual property rights began inviting in authors to write new Conan stories, for reasons I expect were almost purely financial. Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp had been witing new Conan stuff for a few years by then, but Conan Properties opened the doors to admit other writers. The results were mixed. Nobody ever quite captured the true Howard style, and most of their efforts were fairly lame.
Jordan did not capture the Howard style, but at least he had an entertaining if trash style of his own, which made him the best of the post-Howard writers. He avoided the traps of trying to copy Howard or revere Howard to follow his own path instead. His is not the same character, simply one the same name in a similar world, but entertaining enough in his own right. He is less dark but more lusty, and eternally about 17.
This stuff is not literature, and it has no more depth than kiddy pool in your neighbor's back yard. It's lurid male fantasy clothed in no more political correctness than the minimum that popular culture demands. In other words, pure escapism. Which is why I read the stuff.
July 5, 2024
I read this in one day. To be fair in only 4 hours. Its amazing feeling.
Now about the book. Have you seen the movie? Then it's almost word by word but it's beautifully written by the now known Robert Jordan. Back then He was unknown. The wheel of time was published in 1990.
It's the story of Conan and Malak as they are escaping after stealing some jewels. If I am not mistaken that is another tale also written..here conan is young , around 18. At least that's what the author hints (I don't know the chronological tales so it may be true). They have a female warrior, a magician, a princess and her bodyguard they go around the places to get some objects to awaken a god. I am not delving much but the action scenes are not his strength. The battles are soon over which was a shame.
Very good book. There is sex scenes, he sleeps with both main women (princesses) but interestingly in the movie is not hinted at. There is a difference also on bombatta as he loves both princesses (hinted sleeping with tamaris) but in the movie is not.very good. Maybe Nostalgia... 88/100
Now about the book. Have you seen the movie? Then it's almost word by word but it's beautifully written by the now known Robert Jordan. Back then He was unknown. The wheel of time was published in 1990.
It's the story of Conan and Malak as they are escaping after stealing some jewels. If I am not mistaken that is another tale also written..here conan is young , around 18. At least that's what the author hints (I don't know the chronological tales so it may be true). They have a female warrior, a magician, a princess and her bodyguard they go around the places to get some objects to awaken a god. I am not delving much but the action scenes are not his strength. The battles are soon over which was a shame.
Very good book. There is sex scenes, he sleeps with both main women (princesses) but interestingly in the movie is not hinted at. There is a difference also on bombatta as he loves both princesses (hinted sleeping with tamaris) but in the movie is not.very good. Maybe Nostalgia... 88/100
June 22, 2019
saw the movie a looong time ago
can't say any of the companions are familiar just by referring to robert's works
it's princess taramis, by the way;
get your shit together
p25: tapestries of wondrous workmanship draped the corridors, and fine car pets from vendhya were strewn in profusion.
p81: huge wings smote doward to brake; no flutter of air disturbed the blankets of the black woman or the scar-faced man sleeping on either side.
can't say any of the companions are familiar just by referring to robert's works
it's princess taramis, by the way;
get your shit together
p25: tapestries of wondrous workmanship draped the corridors, and fine car pets from vendhya were strewn in profusion.
p81: huge wings smote doward to brake; no flutter of air disturbed the blankets of the black woman or the scar-faced man sleeping on either side.
November 2, 2017
Besides Howard, Robert Jordan is among the very few who writes this character well. Very fast and enjoyable read. Just can’t get Arnold out of my mind.
December 8, 2017
straight forward classic Conan legend.
February 23, 2010
I was always a huge fan of the Conan movies and normally "the book is better than the movie". Of course, Conan was more true to form in the book - coarser, more vulgar, but that didn't bother me. The very ending was completely different from the movie.
***SPOILER***
In the movie, Conan is invited by Jehnna to rule Shadizar with her, which he declines and leaves to rule his own kingdom (which is not named but would be Aquilonia). "So it was that Conan mourned his lost Valeria". In the book he drinks a potion that causes him to completely forget Valeria. Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart, but even though I'm a Robert Jordan fan, I just couldn't abide by that ending at all. In other books, Conan has lost loves (Belit, for example) and although he is by no means a one-woman man, those he truly cared for did have a lasting effect on him. For him to just drink away Valeria's memory to me ruined the ending.
Otherwise, I found the book juicier than the movie (to be expected, the movie was PG, although that must have been an 80's PG, because that's debatable) and satisfying.
***SPOILER***
In the movie, Conan is invited by Jehnna to rule Shadizar with her, which he declines and leaves to rule his own kingdom (which is not named but would be Aquilonia). "So it was that Conan mourned his lost Valeria". In the book he drinks a potion that causes him to completely forget Valeria. Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart, but even though I'm a Robert Jordan fan, I just couldn't abide by that ending at all. In other books, Conan has lost loves (Belit, for example) and although he is by no means a one-woman man, those he truly cared for did have a lasting effect on him. For him to just drink away Valeria's memory to me ruined the ending.
Otherwise, I found the book juicier than the movie (to be expected, the movie was PG, although that must have been an 80's PG, because that's debatable) and satisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2022
I've been waiting to read this since I first became a Robert Jordan fan, having loved the movie since I was a kid (yes, I like the movie). This book does a great job of bringing movie/comic book Conan a lot closer to Howard's Conan, even though Jordan's Conan is much more of a nice guy with feelings and everything. Also, Jordan does pan to the fire, but this book has the R-rated bits that were taken out of the movie script (or edited to get the PG rating), and also includes a lot more background and plot devices.
Jordan's style is a bit lofty in places, e.g. some sentences beginning with "did they," but for the most part it is as straight forward as Conan himself. Having read a couple other Jordan Conan pastiches, I would recommend this one above those: it just seems better prepared and better edited than Conan the Triumphant.
The only drawback to this book is that it's hard to find: I had to get it off eBay. Never seen it in a used bookstore, and it's not part of the Tor omnibus editions.
Jordan's style is a bit lofty in places, e.g. some sentences beginning with "did they," but for the most part it is as straight forward as Conan himself. Having read a couple other Jordan Conan pastiches, I would recommend this one above those: it just seems better prepared and better edited than Conan the Triumphant.
The only drawback to this book is that it's hard to find: I had to get it off eBay. Never seen it in a used bookstore, and it's not part of the Tor omnibus editions.
December 12, 2019
This is a novelization of the second Conan movie, *Conan the Destroyer* (1984). I enjoyed it more than the movie. The villain, a sorceress named Taramis, sends Conan on a journey to complete a prophecy that will resurrect a dead god, “Dagoth, the Sleeping God.” Conan gathers a group of companions: the bumbling thief, Malak; the grumpy wizard, Akiro; and the taciturn amazon, Zula. Accompanying these adventurers are Bombatta, a grim warrior, and the innocent young maiden, Jehnna. There are some excellent scenes, such as a fight with a sorcerer in a crystal palace. There is good atmosphere: several eldritch dungeons are explored. Jordan’s writing doesn’t compare to the original Robert E. Howard stories, but his novel is fun reading, skillfully written, and highly entertaining.
January 4, 2009
Conan pastiche. A novelization of the second Conan movie.
August 7, 2019
άλλη μία περιπέτεια του κόναν που απόλαυσα τρομερά
η πένα του χάουαρντ είναι όσο στολισμένη πρέπει πάντα, τρομερή πειθαρχία και πανέμορφη πρόζα
οι μάχες -όπως πάντα- απολαυστικότατες
η πένα του χάουαρντ είναι όσο στολισμένη πρέπει πάντα, τρομερή πειθαρχία και πανέμορφη πρόζα
οι μάχες -όπως πάντα- απολαυστικότατες
March 21, 2021
Conan the Destroyer is based on the film of the same name. Our hero is cornered by a suspiciously evil princess who sends him on a nefarious quest, in return for bringing film-Valeria back to life. No evidence that this is possible or desirable is given to Conan, but he's cool with it because there's a lot of action to fit into two hours of screentime, so we can't be too picky as to why we're doing any of this in the first place.
The plot is significantly better than Jordan's other offerings, presumable because he didn't write it. By no means do I want to accuse the plot of being deep and thought provoking, heavens no. This is an 80s action flick. But it does have action, it does have plot progression, it does have rising tension, and a satisfying climax at the end. As opposed to the approach of the previous five books where Jordan spent 90% of the time debating the relative merits of bosoms and posteriors, and then dropped a plot device on the baddy at the end.
Compared to the film, in parts Jordan adds some needed exposition, in others completely unnecessary flourishes. Akiro throws fireballs around like confetti, because Jordan didn't quite get the concept of low fantasy, the requirement of the sacrifice's virginity was changed for "spiritual" purity, because Jordan can't let a virgin stay that way to the end of the book, and so on. But it didn't grate. I enjoyed the book, and I enjoyed the film.
Since this is an uncharacteristically good novel, this doesn't really apply to the current work, but to keep the Jordan-doesn't-get-Conan train going: Jordan doesn't get the characters.
Hyboria is a dangerous place. Dark Ages earth, which it is based on, is dangerous enough on its own. Law, order, the very concept of statehood is all very tenuous, and always up for debate. Highwaymen roam the roads outside the cities, cutthroats within. Raiders and slavers plague the borders, your own liegelords the interior. Add to that the Lovecraftian element, and you get a world that has no patience for fools and weaklings. Conan may stand head and shoulders above his peers, but no higher. Everyone is dangerous, everyone is competent, else they would not be there. Jordan, unfortunately, can't seem to think of a way to write a Conan foil without having him screech and flail ineffectively, a woman without having her pout and sulk and wander unaccompanied into the night, a villain without having him cackling maniacally and rubbing his hands. Surrounded by such clowns, Conan's feats just don't come across the same. And, of course, Conan himself leaves much to be desired.
The plot is significantly better than Jordan's other offerings, presumable because he didn't write it. By no means do I want to accuse the plot of being deep and thought provoking, heavens no. This is an 80s action flick. But it does have action, it does have plot progression, it does have rising tension, and a satisfying climax at the end. As opposed to the approach of the previous five books where Jordan spent 90% of the time debating the relative merits of bosoms and posteriors, and then dropped a plot device on the baddy at the end.
Compared to the film, in parts Jordan adds some needed exposition, in others completely unnecessary flourishes. Akiro throws fireballs around like confetti, because Jordan didn't quite get the concept of low fantasy, the requirement of the sacrifice's virginity was changed for "spiritual" purity, because Jordan can't let a virgin stay that way to the end of the book, and so on. But it didn't grate. I enjoyed the book, and I enjoyed the film.
Since this is an uncharacteristically good novel, this doesn't really apply to the current work, but to keep the Jordan-doesn't-get-Conan train going: Jordan doesn't get the characters.
Hyboria is a dangerous place. Dark Ages earth, which it is based on, is dangerous enough on its own. Law, order, the very concept of statehood is all very tenuous, and always up for debate. Highwaymen roam the roads outside the cities, cutthroats within. Raiders and slavers plague the borders, your own liegelords the interior. Add to that the Lovecraftian element, and you get a world that has no patience for fools and weaklings. Conan may stand head and shoulders above his peers, but no higher. Everyone is dangerous, everyone is competent, else they would not be there. Jordan, unfortunately, can't seem to think of a way to write a Conan foil without having him screech and flail ineffectively, a woman without having her pout and sulk and wander unaccompanied into the night, a villain without having him cackling maniacally and rubbing his hands. Surrounded by such clowns, Conan's feats just don't come across the same. And, of course, Conan himself leaves much to be desired.
April 22, 2019
Novelization of the movie. Conan is convinced by a sorceress that she can bring Valeria back to life. All he has to do is to take a teenage virgin across country, invade a wizard's castle, steal his magical thing, and get back to Shadizar in a week's time. And he is to take no other men save the girl's guardian Bomballa, who wants to kill Conan. Conan agrees, and on the way adds his thief friend, the old wizard from the last movie, and Grace Jones. Together they assault the wizard's castle to steal his magical thing, which turns out to the Heart of Ahriman, which has appeared in other books. There is a lot of stabbing and going into dark mazes and sorcery and some wenching and betrayal, so not unlike other Conan adventures.
This book is a much better fit to the Hyborian Age than Conan the Barbarian. Conan is back to thieving, sexing up comely wenches, and stabbing people without the jarring uncharacteristic acts and retconned background. Proper references to the Conan Mythos are easy to find, from Shadizar the Wicked to the Heart of Ahriman to the Scrolls of Skelos. This would be an early Conan tale as he doesn't bother with much thinking and is filled with the urge for vengeance. All good sword and sorcery fun.
This book is a much better fit to the Hyborian Age than Conan the Barbarian. Conan is back to thieving, sexing up comely wenches, and stabbing people without the jarring uncharacteristic acts and retconned background. Proper references to the Conan Mythos are easy to find, from Shadizar the Wicked to the Heart of Ahriman to the Scrolls of Skelos. This would be an early Conan tale as he doesn't bother with much thinking and is filled with the urge for vengeance. All good sword and sorcery fun.
October 24, 2020
So, it turns out the book really is better than the movie, even though it's a novelisation.
This is one of Robert Jordan's better Conan stories, at least of what I've read so far. But I doubt his other outings with the Cimmerian can trump this.
Jordan's stories tend to be formulaic, both in its direction as well as its characters. He writes a great Conan, but most of his other characters range from cringeworthy to uncomfortable. At the same time, the movie Conan the Destroyer - of which this is a novelisation - is also cringeworthy and uncomfortable, but for different reasons. Yet when the two come together, they ended up creating something far superior.
By following the format and pacing of the movie, Jordan was forced to leave many of his bad habits behind. At the same time, he alters the ambiance and details enough to make it a true Conan experience and not the goofy stupidity of the film.
I'd go as far as to say that, if someone attempts another Conan reboot, just make this book into the movie. Keep its tone and brutality, and cut out the salacious sex bits that Jordan seemed very fond of. It's all there, ready to go.
This is one of Robert Jordan's better Conan stories, at least of what I've read so far. But I doubt his other outings with the Cimmerian can trump this.
Jordan's stories tend to be formulaic, both in its direction as well as its characters. He writes a great Conan, but most of his other characters range from cringeworthy to uncomfortable. At the same time, the movie Conan the Destroyer - of which this is a novelisation - is also cringeworthy and uncomfortable, but for different reasons. Yet when the two come together, they ended up creating something far superior.
By following the format and pacing of the movie, Jordan was forced to leave many of his bad habits behind. At the same time, he alters the ambiance and details enough to make it a true Conan experience and not the goofy stupidity of the film.
I'd go as far as to say that, if someone attempts another Conan reboot, just make this book into the movie. Keep its tone and brutality, and cut out the salacious sex bits that Jordan seemed very fond of. It's all there, ready to go.
November 24, 2023
I wonder how close to the movie this is? If I ever saw it, I was so young I've since forgotten.
In any case, Robert Jordan proves he can write a fun Conan tale and make all the characters stand out without being forced into a two-dimensional parody (which would be so easy with some of them). He's also busting out some great vocab here (rufescent light!). I had to turn to the dictionary quite a few times here. I feel like maybe I misread something somewhere, because there seems to be a scene where Conan has sex with a 14-year-old in this, which is ... not a good look for him.
I BELIEVE this is the first in a trilogy by Jordan, so I'm curious to see where it goes next, ESPECIALLY with what appeared to be a godawful Star Trek: Voyager style ending.
In any case, Robert Jordan proves he can write a fun Conan tale and make all the characters stand out without being forced into a two-dimensional parody (which would be so easy with some of them). He's also busting out some great vocab here (rufescent light!). I had to turn to the dictionary quite a few times here. I feel like maybe I misread something somewhere, because there seems to be a scene where Conan has sex with a 14-year-old in this, which is ... not a good look for him.
I BELIEVE this is the first in a trilogy by Jordan, so I'm curious to see where it goes next, ESPECIALLY with what appeared to be a godawful Star Trek: Voyager style ending.
October 21, 2017
Conan the Destroyer is essentially a novelization of the second Conan film. I say essentially because it is penned by the late Robert Jordan, who wrote a lot of Conan adventures before he got famous with the epic Wheel of Time fantasy series. Jordan fills in all the rough edges of the second (abysmal) movie and forges a fun believable adventure out of it. Every defect you might have experienced in the cinema is repaired here. Characters are not wasted as comic relief, for instance. And since books have an unlimited special effects budget there is a lot more sorcery flying around, plus better explanations of why this or that event occurs. Fun way to spend an afternoon.
October 24, 2022
A novelization of the second Conan film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, a movie some may like for its fun and fantasy adventure, while others may dislike for unfaithfulness to the Robert E. Howard's character.
This novelized version by Robert Jordan more or less follows the plot of the film, but also adapts and implements earlier scripts and deleted scenes of the film, while also making a few acceptable changes to the story and characters that make it overall an expanded and superior version compared to the film its based on.
As a fan of both Conan and the original stories, I really liked this book, and I don't mind reading it again.
This novelized version by Robert Jordan more or less follows the plot of the film, but also adapts and implements earlier scripts and deleted scenes of the film, while also making a few acceptable changes to the story and characters that make it overall an expanded and superior version compared to the film its based on.
As a fan of both Conan and the original stories, I really liked this book, and I don't mind reading it again.
September 10, 2024
The mighty powerful Cimmerian, his sword that had tasted blood many times, his weapon of choice and his God Crom in his heart. Conan commissioned for a mission with his reward was getting his love Valeria back from the dead. His mission was to escort a young lady to find a key at a location only she knows. Her destiny. Conan hires himself for a day, a week, whatever but he is never somebody's slave or servant. The girl is captured to a palace with no windows or doors. With the help of a sorcerer Conan is able to rescue the girl. Sword cutting, more sorcerery, betrayal, Conan uses is brains and not just his brawn. Not a great edition for Conan. Back to the comics I think.
June 21, 2018
Rounding out the Robert Jordan collection of Conan novels, we have this book, the novelization of the film of the same name. Obviously, RJ didn’t write the screenplay to the movie. I’m sure that the basic storyline was given to him and that basically tied his hands in terms of plot (it’s still better than the movie though!). However, compared to his other Conan books, this one feels much simpler and more stereotypical. Basically this book would only be for someone who is both a Conan and a RJ fan, wanting to finish out their collection. That’s pretty much it.
February 6, 2020
Although this book was written after the movie was out, Robert Jordan added some small modifications that made the story a lot less ... cheesy than the movie and much more interesting. The characters have been fleshed out some more and the dialogs are much better. It is exactly the same story as the movie, but better. As usual, Robert Jordan's writing is excellent and I enjoyed it a lot. I have rewatched the movie as well after reading and still enjoy it even though it is quite inferior to the first movie. A pleasant read, I recommend it.
February 9, 2019
Leer esta historia de Conan ha sido muy curioso, es básicamente el guión de la película del mismo título, al contrario que la primera "Conan el Bárbaro" cuyo guión es un compendio de algunas historias de Conan, teniendo incluso por antagonista a un personaje (Thulsa Doom) que ni siquiera es de la saga de conan, la secuela se encuentra perfectamente reflejada en este libro, al haberla visto (varias veces) sabía que iba a pasar en todo momento, no obstante ha sido una gozada leerlo.
December 13, 2024
I thought it was a reasonable book,better than the film,because some of the scenes in the book would have been to expensive to film, the differences are minor.
This is the 2nd of the Conan films and in my opinion the worst.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is into the sword and sorcery fiction and who is a fan of Schwarzenegger.This book is much better than the film the film is available on utube.
This is the 2nd of the Conan films and in my opinion the worst.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is into the sword and sorcery fiction and who is a fan of Schwarzenegger.This book is much better than the film the film is available on utube.
July 2, 2022
Good natured read that sustains itself on clever wordplay. There's not a lot of action, but what there is is often laugh-out-loud funny in its absurdity.
Narrator Luke Daniels did an awesome job portraying the characters (especially the cantankerous Hahn ruling family), but he did read slowly, so I bumped the speed up to 2X (I usually listen at 1.25 or 1.5 speed).
Narrator Luke Daniels did an awesome job portraying the characters (especially the cantankerous Hahn ruling family), but he did read slowly, so I bumped the speed up to 2X (I usually listen at 1.25 or 1.5 speed).
June 6, 2024
I am not a fan of ROBERT JORDAN. I find his WHEEL OF TIME to be not engaging and I can’t understand why his Conan novels are rated as the best of the Conan pastiche. But I did enjoy the novelization to CONAN THE DESTROYER which is my favorite Conan film. Maybe it was better than his other CONAN novels since he didn’t come up with the story to this one. Three stars.
June 17, 2017
За разлика от българските недорасляци, промотирани от бездария, на Джордан сме далеч по-склонни да простим клишенцата в поредното разкошно и епично фентъзи за Конан. Който си го може, го може! (а който не може, го издават партийните перачници на средства, но това е друга тема...)
March 1, 2022
Приятно "хартиено" допълнение към култовият филм. Припомних си го в този формат, който определено го и обогатява. Перото на Джордан разказва опредлено вълнуващо. Сега ми остава само да си спретна и една филмова вечер с двата "класически" Конан филми.
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