Conan and the Treasure of Python

Adventures of Conan

by John Maddox Roberts

An encounter with the silver-haired Malia leads Conan into run-ins with Van pirates, killer ape-men, Aquilonian nobility, and an ancient blood cult. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery

280 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

aka Mark Ramsay

John Maddox Roberts is the author of numerous works of science fiction and fantasy, in addition to his successful historical SPQR mystery series. The first two books in the series have recently been re-released in trade paperback.

Reviews

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the finest of Conan’s new adventures. This is classic pulp fantasy and thrills. Bored, Conan hires on to a noble man’s crew searching for his lost brother-in-law and a mysterious treasure. What follows is a long and torturous quest over land and sea. Facing jungles, mountains and desert, Conan and his band must overcome the treacherous terrain as well as the creatures and men who dwell in them.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine old-fashioned adventure. It's a Conan pastiche, but I think it owes a lot more to Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard (with a little Lovecraftian flavoring) that it does to Robert E. Howard. The trek and the quest seem much better suited to Lord Greystoke or Allan Quatermain that to our favorite Cimmerian, but it's fun read in any event.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been on a bit of a Conan kick lately, and I’ve got to say, I think John Maddox Roberts is my favorite of all the pastiche writers, and this book is no exception. Conan departs to the Black Coast to guide a party of nobles seeking a long lost brother/husband, and a lost treasure in this VERY H. Rider Haggard inspired tale. Throw in a heavy dash of Lovecraft, a scheming Stygian priest, and some half ape minions, and it’s a ripping good time.

[East Bay J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that's more like it. Where L. Sprague DeCamp failed in any way to write a decent Conan story, John Maddox Roberts succeeds. There is something of the grimness and grittiness of Howard's Hyborian Age in there and Roberts manages to make Conan sound like Conan. Act like him, too. I like the Cthulhu sort of element as well.

The lack of a Carter and/or DeCamp penned introduction means I was able to start this book without being irritated, which was nice.

I think it's kind of weird how long all these Tor Conan books were, given that, aside from one short novel, the original Conan stories are all short stories. I suppose it allows more room to develop plot and character when you're a decent writer. Thank god DeCamp and Carter kept their Conan novels short!

Tor should hire a proof reader. I'm just saying.

Julie Bell's cover art is pretty awesome. She manages to convey a sense of action not often seen in her husband's (Boris Vallejo) work.

I still maintain the best way to read Conan is to read Howard but, for some good, mindless fun, The Treasure Of Python does the trick.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 2 out of 5]

Läsning 1. Det finns vissa Conanförfattare som hellre hade skrivit något annat. Roberts hade tydligen egentligen velat skriva något slags korsning mellan Alan Quartermain, Malteserfalken och Skuggan över Innsmouth. Conan, med sin tidigare relation till Belit piratdrottningen, finns främst där för att ge betraktaren en väg in i den sydafrikanska fantasi som författaren vill väva.

Boken figurerar det mesta som man väntar sig av en klicheriden men snabb orientalisthistoria; korsarer, nitiska tulltjänstemän, elfenbenshandel, argument kring slavhandel, byggande av kraaler mot hyenor, upproriska sjömän, en scen med en nakenbadande kvinnlig medresenär, och en lokal guide, som är den sanne, magiske, arvingen till riket de besöker. Ett rike som i sin tur är hemsökt av en vattendemon från yttre rymden, som är den verklige mästermanipulatören bakom allt; den är fängslad med trollformler och har använt psykiska krafter för att få en dekadent präst från Khemi (en stad i fejkegypten) att finansiera invasionen av riket, för att därigenom få tillräcklig mängd människooffer för att frigöra sig från den lokala översteprästinnans psykiska kontroll.

Boken är ungefär så bra som sammanfattningen ovan ger vid hand. Den är ingen katastrof, och tidvis lite rolig. Det är lite rart när en författare staplar allt de tycker är häftigt på varandra, utan hänsyn till genre, tillämpbarhet eller konsekvens. Det är samma fenomen som ibland får en att le när någon beskriver sin historia om hur the Doctor, samman med Draco från Harry Potter och Ludvig XIV räddar Sherlock Holmes från en besatt John Constantine. Däremot är den inte unik, och inte vidare läsvärd, bortom att den skall avslutas när den är påbörjad.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was the best of the John Maddox Roberts Conan pastiches. Roberts is a fine writer, so take my ratings in general of his pastiches with a grain of salt. I'm just not a big fan of Conan pastiches. In fact, I read some of the pastiches in order to do essays on them for the Robert E. Howard United Press Associaiton.

[Lewis Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was my favourite Conan pastiche I've read in a couple of years - my favourite since John Maddox Roberts' last instalment in the Tor run, in fact, which I read maybe a couple of years ago now.

The plot here is solid Conan, as it follows our favourite Cimmerian from the shores of Asgalun in Shem, through the mysterious country of Stygia, and into the vast and unmapped wilderness of the Black Kingdoms as he leads a party in search of fabled lost Pythonian treasure. The story ticked many of my favourite sword and sorcery boxes, with the inclusion of ancient and savage civilisations, a gruelling journey across perilous landscapes in search of legendary riches, an evil sorcerer with a hidden agenda, a tentacled Lovecraftian demon from across unknowable gulfs of space, and a hefty serving of tribal warfare to top it all off. This was all wrapped up in an adventure that showed Conan's best attributes, such as his natural ability to thrive in the wilderness, his resilience against the elements, and his brutal cunning and savage intellect that surpasses that of all his more "learned" and "civilised" companions.

I didn't have too many issues with this book either, save a few. First, there were tons of typos, which really just comes down to Tor's obvious lack of care, editing, or attention to detail as they churned out as many of these paperbacks as quickly possible. Other than that, the actual journey portion of the story became a little repetitive and drawn-out at times... but the padding was still quite well written on Roberts' part, at least, and not nearly as egregious as some of the lesser pastiches I've read.

Overall, this was a cracking read that gets a strong four stars from me. I'd definitely revisit this one, and it was much needed after a handful of duds in Tor's run of Conan pastiches. Crom is pleased!

[Isen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Conan is drinking away his last savings at a coastal tavern, he is approached by a group of Aquilonian nobles with a foolhardy plan, that proves less and less thought through as the story progresses. Conan hasn't killed anything in a while so he accepts, and we are off on a safari into not-Africa.

The narrative is much more focused than many of Robert's offerings. We follow one man -- Conan -- in one place -- the Black Coast. As usual, the setting is the best part of Robert's Conans, and we are treated to an excursion in one of the less frequented areas of Hyboria. It's mostly full of nothing, but the book doesn't suffer overmuch from it. The obligatory encounter with an elder thing is also treated with more grace than in the author's previous offering, though still a tad clumsy -- everyone is far too cerebral in Robert's world: barbarians and savages alike seem not at all befuddled by the concept of space travel.

And so as Conan abandons his companions to certain doom and plunges once more into the jungle, we plunge into the last of the Roberts Conans. Let's hope it's a good one.

[L.D. Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

huge fan of Conan and REH, but I also had to scratch the itch and didn't feel like re-reading the originals for the umpteenth time. I did some research and decided to start with this one as John Maddox Roberts is often referred to as the best of the Pastiche writers. I was not disappointed. While not close to Howard's writing style or perhaps even his vision, it is a decent facsimile. Conan is smart, there are sword fights, exotic locations, a pretty lady, evil magic, and most other things you could want in a Sword and Sorcery tale. This one also is based nearly shot for shot on King Solomon's mines by H. Rider Haggard, so that get's a bonus for me. Roberts writes in his own voice, not imitating Howard, but is easily readable. There are less sword fights than I'd like, and Conan does get the girl in the end, which might be a disappointment for some. Overall, I really enjoyed what was on the page and the cover art is gorgeous. I look forward t reading more of Robert's Conan, and if you are willing to dive into Pastiche, this is probably a good start.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conan is between wars and looking for work on the coast of Shem. Some Aquilonians show up with a foolish plan to look for a lost relative far to the South in the Black Kingdoms. Conan tells them it's a bad idea but they pay well so he agrees to lead their expedition. They equip a ship and go on safari. There's some pirates and a lot of trading with the natives and then a long trek into the interior looking for Dr. Livingstone. Many dangers are encountered along the way and surpassed with some loss of porters and unnamed men. And the Aquilonians are not telling all they know.

It's a good travel story where Conan gets to exhibit many of his skills: sailing, sneaking, swimming, climbing, strategizing, and killing with assorted weapons, or no weapons at all. The scenery changes with regularity and each change brings its own associated dangers. Conan meets a hereditary enemy and wages war. Nice, simple Conan story.

[S.wagenaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good fun to read. Roberts does not try to copy REH's writing style, and once you get past that, it is well written and enjoyable to read. Roberts knows the Hyborian Age setting well and does not mess up the details. His Conan is a little more thoughtful and talkative than Howard's original, but overall nails the character true to the pulp tales of old. This story is actually a riff on King Solomon's Mines, using the basic plot of an expedition to track down a missing explorer/treasure hunter in uncharted country. A great jungle adventure with plenty of thrills and spills with a hint of Lovecraft and a bloody battle climax. I will be reading more of JMR's Conan tales soon; I have at least four more on my shelf that I have not yet read.

[Jean-Sébastien Goulet · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Conan associates with some nobleman from Aquilonia to look for his brother deep in the jungles of the south. It was full of action, violence, treachery, magic, war and incredible feats of strength and endurance. In other words, the usual...

Quite enjoyable, I recommend it.

This author writes good stories and they are all very different from one book to the other. I'll read the rest of his books soon. After 5 or 6 books, I'm still having fun with them.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the handful of Tornans I’ve read the past two years, this is my favorite. It’s _King Solomon’s Mines_ with name changes plus a few plot twists and a dash of Mythos; however, it doesn’t feel recycled. It feels more like a homage re-imagining with Conan in for Alan Quartermain. Does it feel like REH? No, but I think he would have appreciated it.

[Joseph Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5. John Maddox Roberts remains the best non-Robert E. Howard Conan author, and THE best "Conan gets Hired by some shady people who aren't telling him the whole story so it will all devolve into a big kerfuffle with a sorcerer in the end" author. Pretty fun, and not nearly as sexist or racist as the Robert Jordan stuff was

[Kenny Ketner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberts really gets how to write a Conan story! This one is a little bit too formulaic, but it was a lot of fun to read nonetheless. His biggest strength is deepening the world around Conan, followed by making interesting side characters to enjoy.

[Vämpiriüs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kniha je napsána velmi čtivě a děj dobře odsýpá. Je zde velké množství detailů a v rámci žánru uvěřitelná poutavá atmosféra. Hlavní postavy mají své tajnosti a čtenář se na jejich rozuzlení může těšit.

[Pierre Armel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong start, a weak and slow middle but an exciting climax all make for an hybrid Conan spin on the classic “treasure hunt in Africa” theme.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I should dock this story another star for following pretty much every beat of H. Rider Haggard's famous King Solomon's Mines (not to mention an overly Tarzan-like Conan), but unlike some works in similar circumstances, the parts that weren't stolen were also good (particularly the sequence in the Stygian city).

[Christer Karlsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read. There are no real surprises, our hero acts the way you expect him to. Maybe he had an unusual little attraction on the women that were involved in the adventure. Main complaint is that it takes John Maddox Roberts 280 pgs to tell a story that Howard would have completed in less than 60, but that is a common trait among the authors that write the new Conan stories.

[Antonio · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS NOVEL HAS MANY INTERESTING MOMENTS. ENTERTAINING STUFF.

[Alain Trépanier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was high adventure like Treasure Island.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conan good! Me like conan!