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Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Liberator
Aquilonia, once the proudest land in all of Hyboria, has fallen under the tyrannical reign of a mad king. As his brutal insanity sweeps the land, only one man dares stand against Conan the barbarian.
Conan becomes the leader of an army of rebels, brave warriors who thought their battles would be fought with spear and sword, axe and dagger. In this they were mistaken, for their greatest foe is not the army of Aquilonia, but the vile sorcerer Thulandra Thuu.
Dark clouds loom ahead for the people of Aquilonia, and only Conan can save them.
Conan becomes the leader of an army of rebels, brave warriors who thought their battles would be fought with spear and sword, axe and dagger. In this they were mistaken, for their greatest foe is not the army of Aquilonia, but the vile sorcerer Thulandra Thuu.
Dark clouds loom ahead for the people of Aquilonia, and only Conan can save them.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
25 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
L. Sprague de Camp
759 books312 followersLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, both novels and works of non-fiction, including biographies of other fantasy authors. He was a major figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 23, 2021
If this was a dessert, it maybe wouldn't be worth the calories, but it would still be a dessert, and I enjoy dessert. On the sentence level, de Camp and Lin Carter are skilled writers. On the plot level, however, their story is often slow, excessively complex in political intrigue (for S&S), and occasionally a dry slog. The actual REH Conan tales, to generalize, are narrow and personal in scope, so perhaps that expectation set me up for frustration. Why? This novel is political and military in scope, more worldbuilding than adventure. Aside from a single sorcerer, Thelandra Thuu, and a surprising interlude with forest satyrs, this reads more like a historical war novel with some sorcery spice than an adventure sword and sorcery novel. Conan's dialog is interesting and fun at points but the character lacks his original dynamism. For example, he acts more chivalrous than those who have read the original REH stories would expect (I'd wager). I love "lore," so I enjoyed getting to learn more about Aquilonia, Argos, and the Hyborian Age in general. And I enjoyed getting a glimpse at Conan's rise to the throne of Aquilonia (his defeat of Numedides is such a mythical part of the character's arc). In summary: if expectations are managed (this is a mostly superficial S&S literary curio), it might be worth it for diehard Conan fans. If you're an REH purist, pass. This will just annoy you.
May 10, 2024
Ha sido un libro un tanto diferente de los habituales de Conan, ya que se centra en exclusiva en su rebelión contra el rey de Aquilonia y como a través de las distintas batallas, al frente de los rebeldes consigue su ascenso al trono.
Ha sido una de las pocas veces que he visto a Conan caer derrotado en batalla, aunque luego consigue reagruparse y poco a poco, salir victorioso mas adelante.
Este volumen se conto de manera mucho mas somera en otro de los anteriores de Conan pero aquí se han desarrollado todos los detalles de como consiguió el trono.
Valoración: 6.75/10
Sinopsis: Conan, un hombre sin piedad, guerrero sin par. Una maldición para opresores y tiranos. ¡Conan, rey de los rebeldes! El bárbaro supone la última esperanza para el pueblo de Aquilonia, el más grande de los reinos que componen el mundo hiborio.
Abriéndose paso por un rojo sendero de venganza, él y sus hombres derrotarán al ejército del rey loco Numenides en el terrible campo de batalla, y harán frente al poder del maligno hechicero Thulandra Thuu... ¡a fin de no caer en manos del cruel y demente monarca!
Ha sido una de las pocas veces que he visto a Conan caer derrotado en batalla, aunque luego consigue reagruparse y poco a poco, salir victorioso mas adelante.
Este volumen se conto de manera mucho mas somera en otro de los anteriores de Conan pero aquí se han desarrollado todos los detalles de como consiguió el trono.
Valoración: 6.75/10
Sinopsis: Conan, un hombre sin piedad, guerrero sin par. Una maldición para opresores y tiranos. ¡Conan, rey de los rebeldes! El bárbaro supone la última esperanza para el pueblo de Aquilonia, el más grande de los reinos que componen el mundo hiborio.
Abriéndose paso por un rojo sendero de venganza, él y sus hombres derrotarán al ejército del rey loco Numenides en el terrible campo de batalla, y harán frente al poder del maligno hechicero Thulandra Thuu... ¡a fin de no caer en manos del cruel y demente monarca!
May 3, 2022
Conan the Liberator was the second book in Bantam's Conan series that expanded the twelve-volume Lancer/Ace version that de Camp had begun assembling in the 1960s. It tells the story of how Conan ascended and held on to the Aquilonian throne, one of the main pieces in his that Howard had left unchronicled. This first edition includes nice Tim Kirk interior illustrations, and a Bob Larkin wrap-around cover complete with instructions on how to purchase a poster-sized for five bucks. (The book itself only cost $1.95... sigh...) De Camp and Carter's Conan isn't Howard, but that's the only real criticism... there's more intrigue and devious scheming than in the solo-adventures, and they tended to more wordiness than slam-bang action scenes, but I thought that they did justice to the character this time around, as well as to Howard's vision. It's a good swords & sorcery adventure in its own right.
April 15, 2023
The story of how Conan became king of Aquilonia. Fairly interesting tale of a rebel army taking on the legions of a mad king, but it is severely lacking the star of the book, Conan. For the most part Conan is in the background directing troop movements with very little actual involvement. I expected more Conan the Barbarian action.
January 7, 2021
I generally prefer "Conan the wandering adventurer" stories to "Conan the general/king" stories, but this was a really good Conan tale; at least as good as the better Tor pastiches that would later be churned out.
October 21, 2019
Поредната слаба Конан-имитация. Жалкото в случая е, че всъщност сюжетът в по-голямата си част не е чак толкова зле и в ръцете на някой талантлив автор би могла да се получи съвсем прилична книжка. Де Камп и Картър обаче са предпочели да не си дават зор и вместо това насочват историята в желаната посока по най-елементарния начин: като карат героите да се държат като идиоти. Мързеливо писане или просто авторите толкова си могат? Трудно е да се каже.
Отново ме дразнеше изобилието от архаични думички и изрази "за създаване на атмосфера", които обаче стоят изкуствено и претенциозно. Не знам защо авторите упорито се придържат към този стил - Хауърд в оригиналните си истории никога не е прекалявал по подобен начин с архаизмите.
И тъкмо когато човек е решил, че книжката е посредствена, но поне четивна, се появяват ХОБИТИ! Макар че са наречени "сатири", това са си обикновени шибани хобити! И са магьосници! И са дебили! Cамо заради това ми идеше да й плесна единицата. Ама все още се колебаех, защото до появата на дебилните хобити-магьосници беше що-годе занимателно.
Малко по-нататък обаче се сблъсках челно с върха на малоумщината. Конан и армията му стигат до някакво празно село и Конан е обзет от подозрения. Праща разузнавачи, които му докладват, че ВСИЧКО Е СПОКОЙНО. След това влизат в селото и са нападнати от врага, който СЕ Е КРИЛ В КЪЩИТЕ??? Ебаси, тия разузнавачи КАКВО ТОЧНО са разузнавали?????????
Майната му, това не се търпи - единица!
Отново ме дразнеше изобилието от архаични думички и изрази "за създаване на атмосфера", които обаче стоят изкуствено и претенциозно. Не знам защо авторите упорито се придържат към този стил - Хауърд в оригиналните си истории никога не е прекалявал по подобен начин с архаизмите.
И тъкмо когато човек е решил, че книжката е посредствена, но поне четивна, се появяват ХОБИТИ! Макар че са наречени "сатири", това са си обикновени шибани хобити! И са магьосници! И са дебили! Cамо заради това ми идеше да й плесна единицата. Ама все още се колебаех, защото до появата на дебилните хобити-магьосници беше що-годе занимателно.
Малко по-нататък обаче се сблъсках челно с върха на малоумщината. Конан и армията му стигат до някакво празно село и Конан е обзет от подозрения. Праща разузнавачи, които му докладват, че ВСИЧКО Е СПОКОЙНО. След това влизат в селото и са нападнати от врага, който СЕ Е КРИЛ В КЪЩИТЕ??? Ебаси, тия разузнавачи КАКВО ТОЧНО са разузнавали?????????
Майната му, това не се търпи - единица!
May 30, 2010
Content warning: These remarks contain heresy against certain beloved genre icons. They also go on rather longer than a book of this quality really deserves.
Fist of all, on its own qualitative merits this book really earns only about two stars. The plot is predictable, the story deerivative, and the protagonist, Conan, does little in the novel but be there and be Conan. The action goes on about him leaving him little to do. I gave it for stars because of how much I enjopyed what it says about fan written literature. That is what this novel really is, a grand piece of fan lit that says much about why we fans sometimes write the stuff, and why it generally suffers such a low reputation for quality.
Before trashing de Camp and Carter too throughly, I will get down on bended knee and pay them the homage they deserve as the men arguably most repsonsible for rescuing Conan, and by extension the swords & sorcery pulp genre, from the dustbin of literary history. By the 70s Howard and a lot of his contemporaries were all but forgotten, save for a small number of loyal fans. Carter and de Camp were just such fans, and when the 70s saw a Tolkien-driven boom in the adult demand for fantasy, they used that boom to bring R. E. Howard back into print.
Sadly, they also indulged in that classic fan urge to emulate the master, and so wrote a number of their own Conan stories. Unlike most of us fans of a particular author or genre, can rarely bring our efforts before more than a handful of eyes, they were industry insiders able to get their work published. Most of their Howard pastiches suffer from the three biggest flaws of fan lit. Conan the Liberator is merely the most high profile.
The most predictable flaw is that the quality of writing is not up to that of the original master, in this case Howard. Carte is a fine example of how some of us fan writers are simply not as good as we would like to be. The kindest thing I can think to say of his efforts as a writer is that he will be most fondly remembered for is contributions as an editor and anthologist. De Camp, who has written well when not writing Conan, demonstrates that most often those of with talent exhibit it better when we are pursuing original ideas, not when are copying our literary heroes.
A more heinous flaw is that they put the protagonist, Conan, on a heroes pedestal, atop fo which he can do no wrong. This kind of hero admiration is endemic to fan literature, adn it constrains the hero from doing much of anything at all. In the case of Conan it prevents him from displaying any of his moody, darker side as he did so enjoyably when in Howard's hands. There is little more dull than a hero on a pedestal, and this alone is why most fan literature stinks.
Finally, like many fans Carter and de Camp are bound by too many cliches of the day. The late 70s was a time when very nearly every fantasy paperback had a blurb on the cover to the effect "The greatest (insert verbiage here) since Lord of the Rings!" Tolkien-think is evident in how Carter and de Camp handled Howard. They found it desirable to try build Conan's life story into a grand epic by first arranging the original Howard tales along some imagined timeline, and then designed their own stories to fill in the numerous gaps.
This particular novel, a story of how Conan claimed the crown of Aquilonia, is surely a product of this kind of Tolkien-think, which also makes it soemthing Howard, himself, would probably never have written. His methodology was to write stories as they came to him with now thought to chronology, more as random snapshots from this character's chaotic life. I also suspect that if by some chance he had lived to write such a tale, it would have been far shorter, more lurid, and more violent than this rather pale and constrained piece these fan writers produced.
If you want to check out Conan the Liberator in a form that can be finished more quickly it can be had in graphic novel form. Look for The Savage Sword of Conan, volume 6. Or, if you have never read any Conan at all, start with reprints of the original Howard tales, not the stuff by later writers. Ballantine publishes a very nice collection in three volumes.
Fist of all, on its own qualitative merits this book really earns only about two stars. The plot is predictable, the story deerivative, and the protagonist, Conan, does little in the novel but be there and be Conan. The action goes on about him leaving him little to do. I gave it for stars because of how much I enjopyed what it says about fan written literature. That is what this novel really is, a grand piece of fan lit that says much about why we fans sometimes write the stuff, and why it generally suffers such a low reputation for quality.
Before trashing de Camp and Carter too throughly, I will get down on bended knee and pay them the homage they deserve as the men arguably most repsonsible for rescuing Conan, and by extension the swords & sorcery pulp genre, from the dustbin of literary history. By the 70s Howard and a lot of his contemporaries were all but forgotten, save for a small number of loyal fans. Carter and de Camp were just such fans, and when the 70s saw a Tolkien-driven boom in the adult demand for fantasy, they used that boom to bring R. E. Howard back into print.
Sadly, they also indulged in that classic fan urge to emulate the master, and so wrote a number of their own Conan stories. Unlike most of us fans of a particular author or genre, can rarely bring our efforts before more than a handful of eyes, they were industry insiders able to get their work published. Most of their Howard pastiches suffer from the three biggest flaws of fan lit. Conan the Liberator is merely the most high profile.
The most predictable flaw is that the quality of writing is not up to that of the original master, in this case Howard. Carte is a fine example of how some of us fan writers are simply not as good as we would like to be. The kindest thing I can think to say of his efforts as a writer is that he will be most fondly remembered for is contributions as an editor and anthologist. De Camp, who has written well when not writing Conan, demonstrates that most often those of with talent exhibit it better when we are pursuing original ideas, not when are copying our literary heroes.
A more heinous flaw is that they put the protagonist, Conan, on a heroes pedestal, atop fo which he can do no wrong. This kind of hero admiration is endemic to fan literature, adn it constrains the hero from doing much of anything at all. In the case of Conan it prevents him from displaying any of his moody, darker side as he did so enjoyably when in Howard's hands. There is little more dull than a hero on a pedestal, and this alone is why most fan literature stinks.
Finally, like many fans Carter and de Camp are bound by too many cliches of the day. The late 70s was a time when very nearly every fantasy paperback had a blurb on the cover to the effect "The greatest (insert verbiage here) since Lord of the Rings!" Tolkien-think is evident in how Carter and de Camp handled Howard. They found it desirable to try build Conan's life story into a grand epic by first arranging the original Howard tales along some imagined timeline, and then designed their own stories to fill in the numerous gaps.
This particular novel, a story of how Conan claimed the crown of Aquilonia, is surely a product of this kind of Tolkien-think, which also makes it soemthing Howard, himself, would probably never have written. His methodology was to write stories as they came to him with now thought to chronology, more as random snapshots from this character's chaotic life. I also suspect that if by some chance he had lived to write such a tale, it would have been far shorter, more lurid, and more violent than this rather pale and constrained piece these fan writers produced.
If you want to check out Conan the Liberator in a form that can be finished more quickly it can be had in graphic novel form. Look for The Savage Sword of Conan, volume 6. Or, if you have never read any Conan at all, start with reprints of the original Howard tales, not the stuff by later writers. Ballantine publishes a very nice collection in three volumes.
June 10, 2019
So how did Conan become the King of Aquilonia, exactly? It's rather an important step in his saga, a turning point in his life, yet one Robert E. Howard never got around to telling before he died. So it was that a storyteller of the new generation, L. Sprague de Camp, set forth to this unenviable and harrowing task instead.
And you know what? It's good. Occasionally great, even - probably the closest to Howard's own vision we'll ever get, and that is a high praise indeed. His prose almost hits the mark, and the story he tells is about as thrilling and occasionally tense as it could be expected to be... although I do think that Conan had maybe a bit too easy time with it, especially with a sorcerer in the enemy ranks, who never really did as much good as I'd have liked to see, and on the whole seemed to be there just because you needed to have another wizard to oppose Conan. You could have made him a mundane but great general and the story probably would have improved.
The ending was pretty funny.
And you know what? It's good. Occasionally great, even - probably the closest to Howard's own vision we'll ever get, and that is a high praise indeed. His prose almost hits the mark, and the story he tells is about as thrilling and occasionally tense as it could be expected to be... although I do think that Conan had maybe a bit too easy time with it, especially with a sorcerer in the enemy ranks, who never really did as much good as I'd have liked to see, and on the whole seemed to be there just because you needed to have another wizard to oppose Conan. You could have made him a mundane but great general and the story probably would have improved.
The ending was pretty funny.
November 3, 2021
Denna tillhör de absoluta favorithistorierna bland Conan för mig, jämte "grim gray god" och "emerald lotus". Den behandlar fälttåget där Conan gör sig till kung över Aquilonien. Det är inte en speciellt realistisk beskrivning, om man kan lite om medeltida logistik, men den är bättre än många andra. Framförallt ger den en indikation om Conans ledarskapsstil, som pragmatisk och resultatorienterad. Det behövs, eftersom Howard aldrig gick djupare in på detta, bortsätt från hans relation till kyrkan, andra riddare, och barder. Jag uppskattar den nyansen.
Större delen av boken är planering av marschrutter, och magiskt och ickemagiskt spionage på fiendesidan, inklusive tidvisa lönnmord och lönnmordsförsök. Upplösningen är en falskflaggmanöver som bara beskrivs i sin slutscen, där Conan stryper sin företrädare på tronen. Uppskattar man sagor med detta fokus, kommer man att uppskatta boken. Uppskattar man dessa element ännu mer, är boken bra, men kunde de inte ha gjort den dubbelt så lång, och faktiskt inkluderat sådant som matförsörjning och hur falskflaggen tog sig förbi Tarantias stadsmurar?
Större delen av boken är planering av marschrutter, och magiskt och ickemagiskt spionage på fiendesidan, inklusive tidvisa lönnmord och lönnmordsförsök. Upplösningen är en falskflaggmanöver som bara beskrivs i sin slutscen, där Conan stryper sin företrädare på tronen. Uppskattar man sagor med detta fokus, kommer man att uppskatta boken. Uppskattar man dessa element ännu mer, är boken bra, men kunde de inte ha gjort den dubbelt så lång, och faktiskt inkluderat sådant som matförsörjning och hur falskflaggen tog sig förbi Tarantias stadsmurar?
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August 12, 2019DNF 25%
Huge difference between this book & Howard's. Not enjoyable.
Huge difference between this book & Howard's. Not enjoyable.
November 28, 2020
While this is an adequate fantasy novel, it doesn't have the same feel as Howard's Conan stories - or even de Camp and Carter's later versions. Also, for some reason, the two authors, who have been writing decent Conan fiction for decades, decided to suddenly start using pseudo-Elizabethan dialogue for many of the characters. 2.5 stars.
January 1, 2009
definitely better than Conan and the Spider God. I enjoyed it fairly well. Interesting cover painting too.
June 29, 2025
It is Conan
This story had just the right elements in it. There is Conan and his loyal allies paired off against a mad king and his wizard. Being a big fan of the Conan stories I wanted to read this one, because I didn't remember ever reading it. Just how new this story is I don't know, but it was a good story. Now to some the language may seen a bit stilted, but come on this is set in a distant past. If you like sword and sorcery stories then check this one out.
This story had just the right elements in it. There is Conan and his loyal allies paired off against a mad king and his wizard. Being a big fan of the Conan stories I wanted to read this one, because I didn't remember ever reading it. Just how new this story is I don't know, but it was a good story. Now to some the language may seen a bit stilted, but come on this is set in a distant past. If you like sword and sorcery stories then check this one out.
November 27, 2025
Un Conan comprimario a dir poco, in questo romanzo che, se non ricordo male, nell'introduzione viene descritto come romanzo corale, ma a tratti ho avuto l'impressione che i coristi fossero quasi fuori tempo, slegati tra loro. C'è poco mordente nello stile di questa storia, credo. E anche l'elemento delle creature mitologiche/soprannaturali è stato trattato in un modo che mi è sembrato piuttosto lontano dallo stile del bardo di Cross Plains.
December 30, 2022
Not my favorite Conan pastiche. I was always more of a fan of Conan's intimate, smaller stories like queen of the Black Coast, rather than the sprawling war stories. But it was still entertaining and a satisfying conclusion of how Conan became king of aquilonia
August 8, 2019
A major question has always been "Just how did Conan gain the Aquilonian throne?" Here it is answered. King Numedides is insane and under the thrall of the wizard Thulandra Thuu. The peasants are revolting and Conan is leading a band of rebels from Argos. He marches on the capital against a much larger Aquilonian force, and also faces treacherous spies, raging floods, plague, rockslides, ambushes, and a saucy wench.
It's like Conan was dropped wholesale into someone else's novel. A novel where people speak Shakespearean English like they learned it from "The Mighty Thor" comics, and a great crusade is underway not far removed from Ivanhoe. Conan is hardly necessary for the action and in fact spends much of the book being dead. It's a fast paced read and entertaining, but de Camp would have been better served writing an actual Conan novel instead of trying to impress everyone with his ability to use a thesaurus.
It's like Conan was dropped wholesale into someone else's novel. A novel where people speak Shakespearean English like they learned it from "The Mighty Thor" comics, and a great crusade is underway not far removed from Ivanhoe. Conan is hardly necessary for the action and in fact spends much of the book being dead. It's a fast paced read and entertaining, but de Camp would have been better served writing an actual Conan novel instead of trying to impress everyone with his ability to use a thesaurus.
October 2, 2008
One of the best non-howard conan tales told.
April 29, 2024
Η εξιστόρηση του πώς ο Κόναν ο Βάρβαρος από την Κιμερία (ή Σιμερία) βρέθηκε επί κεφαλής του Βασιλκείου της Ακουιλονίας, γραμμένη από τους Σπραγκ Ντε Καμπ και ΛΙν Κάρτερ (άντρας είναι μη μπερδεύεστε).
Αρκετά προβλέψιμη και βαρετή ιστορία, με έναν κακό που θυμίζει ισπανικό χτικιό (Θουλάντρα Θου) με κινήσεις στρατευμάτων, μαγεία, προδοσίες και όμορφες αλλά επικίνδυνες γυναίκες (κλασική περίπτωση βατέματος του αγαπητού βάρβαρου).
Ο Κόναν για μια φορά είναι στα μετόπισθεν, επικεφαλής ενός στρατού ανταρτών που έχει επαναστατήσει κατά του παράφρονα Νουμιδίδη, βασιλιά της Ακουιλονίας (ο οποίος είναι και υποχείριο ενός κακού μάγου). Φυσικά, το ότι βρίσκεται μακριά από τις γραμμές της σύραξης, δεν τον γλιτώνει από τα πάντα, έτσι βρίσκεται κι αυτός κατάκοιτος, χτυπημένος από προδοσία (αν είναι προδοσία να σε χτυπήσει κάποιος που εξαρχής είναι στην υπηρεσία του αντιπάλου σου).
Μετά από παλινωδίες, αυτοκτονίες, μη εθελοντικές υποβοηθούμενες και μη, ο Κόναν φτάνει, σαρώνει, σκοτώνει ό,τι στέκεται στο δρόμο του και πατάει με τα σανδάλια του πάνω στο θρόνο του μεγαλύτερου βασιλείου του γνωστού κόσμου. Και αμέσως μετά, έχει θέματα με τη γραφειοκρατία…
Έργα σαν αυτό, μπορεί να κράτησαν ζωντανό το μύθο του βάρβαρου στα πέτρινα χρόνια (πριν ο Σβατσενέγκες τον κάνει ταινία και ξαναπάρει μπρος το lore), αλλά, μεταξύ μας, πρέπει να είναι κανείς φουλ φαν του Βάρβαρου για να πει ότι του άρεσε πολύ. Δεν το λες εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο, κι αν αυτό το αδικεί καθώς η πρόζα είναι καλή (αν και λίγο παράταιρη για τον κόσμο της Υβοριανής εποχής η γλώσσα, που περισσότερο παραπέμπει στο Shakespeare’s Globe επί Ελισάβετ της Α’), τότε δεν το λες καλοστημένο. Ο Χάουαρντ, αν θυμάμαι καλά, δεν έγραψε ποτέ πώς κατάφερε ο Κόναν να γίνει βασιλιάς, οπότε έπεσε στους ώμους των δύο συντελεστών αυτού του βιβλίου να μας περιγράψουν τις συνθήκες. Θα περίμενε κανείς λίγο περισσότερη ίντριγκα και ιδρώτα, έναν αντίπαλο μάγο που… να πιστεύει λίγο περισσότερο αυτό που κάνει (στο τέλος απλά… φεύγει) και δεν εξαντλείται σε μια απόπειρα δολοφονίας του βάρβαρου.
Και, για να είμαι ειλικρινής, σε αρκετά σημεία το βιβλίο είναι βαρετό… Κάτι που μια περιπέτεια ΜΕ ΤΟΝ ΠΙΟ ΓΑΜΑΤΟ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟ ΗΡΩΑ από γενέσεως Ηρωικής Φαντασίας, δεν έχει το δικαίωμα να είναι.
Αρκετά προβλέψιμη και βαρετή ιστορία, με έναν κακό που θυμίζει ισπανικό χτικιό (Θουλάντρα Θου) με κινήσεις στρατευμάτων, μαγεία, προδοσίες και όμορφες αλλά επικίνδυνες γυναίκες (κλασική περίπτωση βατέματος του αγαπητού βάρβαρου).
Ο Κόναν για μια φορά είναι στα μετόπισθεν, επικεφαλής ενός στρατού ανταρτών που έχει επαναστατήσει κατά του παράφρονα Νουμιδίδη, βασιλιά της Ακουιλονίας (ο οποίος είναι και υποχείριο ενός κακού μάγου). Φυσικά, το ότι βρίσκεται μακριά από τις γραμμές της σύραξης, δεν τον γλιτώνει από τα πάντα, έτσι βρίσκεται κι αυτός κατάκοιτος, χτυπημένος από προδοσία (αν είναι προδοσία να σε χτυπήσει κάποιος που εξαρχής είναι στην υπηρεσία του αντιπάλου σου).
Μετά από παλινωδίες, αυτοκτονίες, μη εθελοντικές υποβοηθούμενες και μη, ο Κόναν φτάνει, σαρώνει, σκοτώνει ό,τι στέκεται στο δρόμο του και πατάει με τα σανδάλια του πάνω στο θρόνο του μεγαλύτερου βασιλείου του γνωστού κόσμου. Και αμέσως μετά, έχει θέματα με τη γραφειοκρατία…
Έργα σαν αυτό, μπορεί να κράτησαν ζωντανό το μύθο του βάρβαρου στα πέτρινα χρόνια (πριν ο Σβατσενέγκες τον κάνει ταινία και ξαναπάρει μπρος το lore), αλλά, μεταξύ μας, πρέπει να είναι κανείς φουλ φαν του Βάρβαρου για να πει ότι του άρεσε πολύ. Δεν το λες εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο, κι αν αυτό το αδικεί καθώς η πρόζα είναι καλή (αν και λίγο παράταιρη για τον κόσμο της Υβοριανής εποχής η γλώσσα, που περισσότερο παραπέμπει στο Shakespeare’s Globe επί Ελισάβετ της Α’), τότε δεν το λες καλοστημένο. Ο Χάουαρντ, αν θυμάμαι καλά, δεν έγραψε ποτέ πώς κατάφερε ο Κόναν να γίνει βασιλιάς, οπότε έπεσε στους ώμους των δύο συντελεστών αυτού του βιβλίου να μας περιγράψουν τις συνθήκες. Θα περίμενε κανείς λίγο περισσότερη ίντριγκα και ιδρώτα, έναν αντίπαλο μάγο που… να πιστεύει λίγο περισσότερο αυτό που κάνει (στο τέλος απλά… φεύγει) και δεν εξαντλείται σε μια απόπειρα δολοφονίας του βάρβαρου.
Και, για να είμαι ειλικρινής, σε αρκετά σημεία το βιβλίο είναι βαρετό… Κάτι που μια περιπέτεια ΜΕ ΤΟΝ ΠΙΟ ΓΑΜΑΤΟ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟ ΗΡΩΑ από γενέσεως Ηρωικής Φαντασίας, δεν έχει το δικαίωμα να είναι.
August 27, 2021
Conan books are good plane books for me. They are generally short enough for me to grind through and just leave on the plane or in an airport for someone else to find and read. I was super into Conan as a kid. I read a ton of the books and just LOVED the movies, but I just kind of grew out of Conan in my late teens/early 20's. I still dig the character, the movies are pretty awesome and the comics are pretty great, but I just haven't hunted for anything Conan in about 20 years.
Well, a very dear friend passed away and I inherited his books and comics of which there was quite the Conan collection. I miss my friend, and reading or rereading Conan books makes me feel like I'm doing my part to keep his spirit alive. Otherwise, I doubt I would pick up another Conan book again.
This particular Conan book has all the hallmarks of Conan, but it just didn't turn my props in any way. I generally prefer the Robert E Howard stories over any other Conan author. DeCamp is fine and generally knows the character well, but nothing about it feel "new" or original. I mean, it's fine, but I highly doubt that anyone is going to say that this is their favorite Conan book, or that the book shines more depth to the character.
Pick it up if you are a Conan lover. Otherwise, you can safely skip it.
Well, a very dear friend passed away and I inherited his books and comics of which there was quite the Conan collection. I miss my friend, and reading or rereading Conan books makes me feel like I'm doing my part to keep his spirit alive. Otherwise, I doubt I would pick up another Conan book again.
This particular Conan book has all the hallmarks of Conan, but it just didn't turn my props in any way. I generally prefer the Robert E Howard stories over any other Conan author. DeCamp is fine and generally knows the character well, but nothing about it feel "new" or original. I mean, it's fine, but I highly doubt that anyone is going to say that this is their favorite Conan book, or that the book shines more depth to the character.
Pick it up if you are a Conan lover. Otherwise, you can safely skip it.
July 27, 2024
A full length novel by L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter. It tries to cover Conan's story of raising an army and taking the thrown of Aquilonia. There's quite a bit of subterfuge aimed at Conan's rebellion through the agents of Thulandra Thuu, a sorcerer high in King Numedides favor. (In fact Thuu is trying to take over the kingdom from within so naturally see's Conan as an obstacle to his plans.) The authors are trying to paint as older and wiser Conan (though really one of the spies is quite obvious and still makes out Conan as not that smart). As a general they try to make him more strategic rather than a general that leads from the front lines.
Several of the major battles are fought with Conan sidelined and were rather flat in the telling. And the battle of actually storming the castle and getting to the royal court, is handled completely off stage. The final confrontation between Conan and his allies and King Numedides and sorcerer Thuu is rather anti-climatic and a bit unsatisfying.
Overall I'd have to say it's a bit sub-par for a Conan story.
Several of the major battles are fought with Conan sidelined and were rather flat in the telling. And the battle of actually storming the castle and getting to the royal court, is handled completely off stage. The final confrontation between Conan and his allies and King Numedides and sorcerer Thuu is rather anti-climatic and a bit unsatisfying.
Overall I'd have to say it's a bit sub-par for a Conan story.
May 26, 2022
I used to have a poster of this book's cover hanging on my wall when I was a kid. For some reason, I just never got around to reading the book....
...Until now. I don't normally give 1 star to a book because I'll usually stop reading it. But, since this is Conan, and I was a big fan of the cover art, I thought I would stick it out. I was incredibly disappointed. This is the telling of how Conan became "King by his own hand". With that in mind, it was done with A LOT of meetings with his inner circle, incompetent enemies (including a mage), lots of camping, lots of marching and almost no fighting whatsoever. What battles there are are wrapped up in a few paragraphs, maybe a page or two. The worst offense a book can commit is being boring and this book is amazingly boring.
I do love the cover, though.
...Until now. I don't normally give 1 star to a book because I'll usually stop reading it. But, since this is Conan, and I was a big fan of the cover art, I thought I would stick it out. I was incredibly disappointed. This is the telling of how Conan became "King by his own hand". With that in mind, it was done with A LOT of meetings with his inner circle, incompetent enemies (including a mage), lots of camping, lots of marching and almost no fighting whatsoever. What battles there are are wrapped up in a few paragraphs, maybe a page or two. The worst offense a book can commit is being boring and this book is amazingly boring.
I do love the cover, though.
July 11, 2017
Cleary, Conan novels are about the life and times of our hero, and this particular title delves into his life as the general of an army of rebellion trying to take Aquilonia.
So, as a general, Conan is portrayed planning troop movements, leading skirmishes, and overseeing the campaign against King Numedides. The latter is crazy and seeks immortality through his dark sorcerer, Thulandra Thuu. The wizard is actually ruling the country, the king but a figurehead.
I won't spoil the tale. Suffice it to say, the novel delivers on its title, but to expect anything more from a Conan story is to propel the hero beyond his pulp roots.
I enjoyed the book, but I certainly have no reason to ever read it again.
So, as a general, Conan is portrayed planning troop movements, leading skirmishes, and overseeing the campaign against King Numedides. The latter is crazy and seeks immortality through his dark sorcerer, Thulandra Thuu. The wizard is actually ruling the country, the king but a figurehead.
I won't spoil the tale. Suffice it to say, the novel delivers on its title, but to expect anything more from a Conan story is to propel the hero beyond his pulp roots.
I enjoyed the book, but I certainly have no reason to ever read it again.
February 14, 2019
I found this to be an awkward contrivance. It leans heavily on borrowed conventions without fully understanding Robert E. Howard's most influential and enduring character. Absurd solutions to problems the main character faces literally pop up without warning, foreshadowing or backstory. I wonder how little time was invested in thinking through plot complications. Characterizations of the two main characters are sloppy bearing little resemblance to Conan of the Howard stories, save the physical description and even less the many wizards, sorcerers, and witches who stalk the night ed halls of Howard's Hyborean Age. In short, this is a poor imitation and at best, a mediocre attempt at "sword and sorcery."
February 25, 2025
Howard skipped the parts that connect "Conan the freebooting troublemaker" and the Conan of _Hour of the Dragon_, and reading de Camp / Carter's attempt at filling that piece, I am pretty sure I understand why. You can concoct a grand tale of a rebel army on the march, intent on liberating an oppressed land, and the political machinations behind it, but it doesn't feel like a Conan story.
Perhaps the latter half is different but the first would be better titled _Conan the Strategist_ and that doesn't have the same ring, especially when it evokes images of a war council discussing the cause and effect of the political relationships and plans-inside-plans and where the forces are and why and who knows what and why they care.
Perhaps the latter half is different but the first would be better titled _Conan the Strategist_ and that doesn't have the same ring, especially when it evokes images of a war council discussing the cause and effect of the political relationships and plans-inside-plans and where the forces are and why and who knows what and why they care.
April 21, 2018
Un libro necesario de esta colección, como en otras ocasiones, la temporalización es un poco extraña, supongo que será por orden de publicación, este libro está escrito por Sprague de Camp, y cubre una parte imprescindible de la historia de Conan, Howard escribió mucho sobre la vida del bárbaro Cimmerio, desde su juventud como ladrón, hasta su reinado en Aquilonia, pero faltaba el relato de como se convirtió en rey, y eso es lo que se cuenta aquí.
A pesar de no ser de Howard, se nota que se ha intentado respetar su estilo y esta mas en consonancia con Conan que otros libros de otros autores.
A pesar de no ser de Howard, se nota que se ha intentado respetar su estilo y esta mas en consonancia con Conan que otros libros de otros autores.
October 15, 2022
Another of the shorter pastiches, this one describes Conan's war for and eventual capturing of the Aquilonian throne. I really liked this one, primarily because the secondary characters were interesting and provided a more fleshed out and realised story. Two things I didn't like though. First, there was this strange satyr plot point that felt wholly un-conanesque and really took me out of the story. Second, the climatic fight against Numedides was really weak; I would have expect something a bit more grander or exciting, but as usual the pastiche really rushed it.
November 17, 2017
A good but conflicted Conan read
De camp turns in a better than average Conan tale unfortunately, in this one, it seems like the author couldn’t decide if he was writing a Conan adventure or a military fiction. Most of the book reads like Tom Clancy wrote a medieval war story. There is enough high fantasy here to keep you entertained and pass the time. On the whole, it is light years ahead of most of the lesser Conan pastiche works.
De camp turns in a better than average Conan tale unfortunately, in this one, it seems like the author couldn’t decide if he was writing a Conan adventure or a military fiction. Most of the book reads like Tom Clancy wrote a medieval war story. There is enough high fantasy here to keep you entertained and pass the time. On the whole, it is light years ahead of most of the lesser Conan pastiche works.
August 17, 2021
166. 166! ..... 166??
Okay so I know that it's refreshing to see Conan as more than just a one dimensional sword swinger (in this he's the leader of a rebel army, and so generally more concerned with ambushes, battle lines and the like) but I still cannot believe that I got to page 166 before Conan killed, dismembered, or stabbed a single person. Then he killed a handful in half a page, partly making up for the lack of barbarian violence that I've come to expect, but still... 166?
Okay so I know that it's refreshing to see Conan as more than just a one dimensional sword swinger (in this he's the leader of a rebel army, and so generally more concerned with ambushes, battle lines and the like) but I still cannot believe that I got to page 166 before Conan killed, dismembered, or stabbed a single person. Then he killed a handful in half a page, partly making up for the lack of barbarian violence that I've come to expect, but still... 166?
August 16, 2024
This was a surprisingly dull novel where Conan acted like a pawn in a purely political chess. He was ineffective (even in his horniness). The sorcery part was worse than B-movies. And the ending violated the canonical narrative by taking too many liberties.
If the rest of de Camp's works are also of this standard, then people should straightaway hail John C. Hocking and Chuck Dixon as true successors of Howard. At least I have no doubt in this regard.
You’ve been warned.
If the rest of de Camp's works are also of this standard, then people should straightaway hail John C. Hocking and Chuck Dixon as true successors of Howard. At least I have no doubt in this regard.
You’ve been warned.
August 18, 2024
Conan the Liberator by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter.
This book tells the tale of how Conan, after a long and difficult military campaign, took the crown from the mad king Numedides and became king of Aquilonia.
The journey is fraught with difficulty and sorcerous intervention from Thulandra Thuu, the sorcerer behind the throne.
I did enjoy this book but I do prefer when Conan is a free, mostly independent Adventurer.
This book tells the tale of how Conan, after a long and difficult military campaign, took the crown from the mad king Numedides and became king of Aquilonia.
The journey is fraught with difficulty and sorcerous intervention from Thulandra Thuu, the sorcerer behind the throne.
I did enjoy this book but I do prefer when Conan is a free, mostly independent Adventurer.
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