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Robert Jordan's Conan Novels #4
Conan the Triumphant
Conan and his mercenaries enter the service of voluptuous Lady Synelle, unaware that she is actually the high priestess of Al'Kiir, a sharp-horned, multi-fanged demon-god who sacrifices beautiful women and eternally enslaves warriors
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
15 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jordan
681 books17.2k 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 43 reviews
December 1, 2025
As a teen I read a bunch of Conan books. The only two I can still find on my shelf are by L. Sprague de Camp, published in 1967 and 1977 respectively.
There are now between 50 and 100 Conan titles written by dozens of authors, but back then there were just a handful of "extras" not written by Robert E. Howard. I recall enjoying them a lot.
I picked this one up at this year's fantasy con in Brighton. I've been asked if I wanted to write a Conan book, and I've never read a book by Robert Jordan, so it seemed like a two-bird one stone chance where I could catch up on our muscled hero and also see what Robert Jordan was about.
This book is SO ... 80s!
Women feature exclusively as breast-carrying devices with a sideline in obsessing about Conan.
It feels like very soft core porn with manly wish fulfilment. I feel (& hope) that the Conan books I liked didn't lean quite so hard into the women as props mode as this one does, although this one came out only a few years later, in the early 80s.
A fairly loose Point of View (PoV) is common in 80s fantasy. We don't sit entirely in the characters' heads but drift outside to admire them from the outside too. Every woman has her breasts described in detail several times.
From page 1 of the prologue (and the "her" here is the character we are "in"):
Her tall form was barely covered by a black silk (snip) that left the outer curves of her breasts and hips bare.
There are two other two female characters given any time, and these are either spanked by Conan or threated with spanking. This includes the "swordswoman" who leads a band of men who spend a lot of time thinking she's only a woman, peering down her top, or planning to depose her and have their way with her.
This woman, who you might think would have some agency, is driven wholly by her obsession with Conan and ends the book naked, bound, having her bottom beaten with leather straps while she writhes lustfully pre-sacrifice. Conan saves her, of course.
Writing-wise, it seems Jordan goes for the $10 word where possible: dripping & pooling blood are described as "sanguinary flow" and "sanguinary pool". A bloody sword is "encarmined". In fact, I'm pretty sure the book (although short) holds the world record for use of "sanguinary".
Story-wise ... Conan conans around being fierce and indefatigible, there's a big dose or two of chance setting him up to save the day (and girl, and city, and world), and a whole bunch of sword swinging. We are reminded of his icy sapphire eyes and of what he shares in common with a panther, jungle cat, large feline and other variants on the theme.
I'm too jaded and too critical. Reeling that all back ... it's a perfectly decent Conan yarn, doing what Conan does with rather more simpering, well-endowed women than usual. I don't think that approach would fly far in 2025, but maybe if a teenaged Mark had rolled on into it in 1983 after a Sprague de Camp Conan book ... I might not even have noticed the difference?
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There are now between 50 and 100 Conan titles written by dozens of authors, but back then there were just a handful of "extras" not written by Robert E. Howard. I recall enjoying them a lot.
I picked this one up at this year's fantasy con in Brighton. I've been asked if I wanted to write a Conan book, and I've never read a book by Robert Jordan, so it seemed like a two-bird one stone chance where I could catch up on our muscled hero and also see what Robert Jordan was about.
This book is SO ... 80s!
Women feature exclusively as breast-carrying devices with a sideline in obsessing about Conan.
It feels like very soft core porn with manly wish fulfilment. I feel (& hope) that the Conan books I liked didn't lean quite so hard into the women as props mode as this one does, although this one came out only a few years later, in the early 80s.
A fairly loose Point of View (PoV) is common in 80s fantasy. We don't sit entirely in the characters' heads but drift outside to admire them from the outside too. Every woman has her breasts described in detail several times.
From page 1 of the prologue (and the "her" here is the character we are "in"):
Her tall form was barely covered by a black silk (snip) that left the outer curves of her breasts and hips bare.
There are two other two female characters given any time, and these are either spanked by Conan or threated with spanking. This includes the "swordswoman" who leads a band of men who spend a lot of time thinking she's only a woman, peering down her top, or planning to depose her and have their way with her.
This woman, who you might think would have some agency, is driven wholly by her obsession with Conan and ends the book naked, bound, having her bottom beaten with leather straps while she writhes lustfully pre-sacrifice. Conan saves her, of course.
Writing-wise, it seems Jordan goes for the $10 word where possible: dripping & pooling blood are described as "sanguinary flow" and "sanguinary pool". A bloody sword is "encarmined". In fact, I'm pretty sure the book (although short) holds the world record for use of "sanguinary".
Story-wise ... Conan conans around being fierce and indefatigible, there's a big dose or two of chance setting him up to save the day (and girl, and city, and world), and a whole bunch of sword swinging. We are reminded of his icy sapphire eyes and of what he shares in common with a panther, jungle cat, large feline and other variants on the theme.
I'm too jaded and too critical. Reeling that all back ... it's a perfectly decent Conan yarn, doing what Conan does with rather more simpering, well-endowed women than usual. I don't think that approach would fly far in 2025, but maybe if a teenaged Mark had rolled on into it in 1983 after a Sprague de Camp Conan book ... I might not even have noticed the difference?
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
March 15, 2023
Conan the Triumphant was the fourth of Jordan's six original Conan novels. (He also novelized the second movie script.) This is another competent pastiche, filled with adventure and swashbuckling intrigue. I never thought that Jordan sounds as much like Howard as many of the other writers who took on the character (offutt or Wagner, for example), but they're well-told tales of swords & sorcery, with a pleasing dollop of humor sprinkled throughout. I remember this one as being a bit more violent and bloodthirsty than the norm, but I liked his feisty character Karela the Red Hawk, who appeared in several of the other Jordan books, too. This edition also includes de Camp's attempt to shoehorn everything Conan into a comprehensible chronology, Conan the Indestructible, and has a nice Boris Vallejo cover.
August 11, 2024
No ha estado mal pero quizá ha sido mas "simple" que otros ya leídos.
Valoración: 6.5/10
Sinopsis: Al frente de su Compañía Libre de mercenarios, el poderoso cimerio se ve envuelto en una anarquía multifacética tras la muerte del rey de Ofir. Entra al servicio de la voluptuosa Lady Synelle, sin saber que ella es secretamente la Suma Sacerdotisa del vil dios demonio Al'Kiir, decidida al sacrificio bestial de hermosas doncellas y guerreros perfectos.
Valoración: 6.5/10
Sinopsis: Al frente de su Compañía Libre de mercenarios, el poderoso cimerio se ve envuelto en una anarquía multifacética tras la muerte del rey de Ofir. Entra al servicio de la voluptuosa Lady Synelle, sin saber que ella es secretamente la Suma Sacerdotisa del vil dios demonio Al'Kiir, decidida al sacrificio bestial de hermosas doncellas y guerreros perfectos.
September 3, 2019
Този ми влезе като най-слабият роман за Конан от Джордан до сега. Едва докопа трите звезди и то само заради динамичната развръзка. Отдавна знам, че Робърт Джордан си следва една и съща схема в приключенията на Конан, но тази книга, не само е пряко продължение на "Защитника на трона", която е превеждана на български, но и почти буквално повтаря действието в нея.
Конан вече е в Офир, където с наемническият му отряд им се налага да служат като охрана на благородници и да се впуснат в държавната политика, която вещае гражданска война. За щастие на читателя се появява Карела, която се е освободила от робство, има собствена банда и явно доста е оглупяла от срещата ни с нея в предишната книга. Има и благородничка/магьосница/жрица на зъл бог. Има си магическо оръжие. Има зловещ артефакт. Има пророчество. Има и една млада апетитна мома. Естествено, всичките женски искат да се докопат до "древния меч" на Конан. А той отново ще трябва, въпреки желанието си, да се чукне с божество, да спаси Карела и да си изгуби работата и отряда.
Конан вече е в Офир, където с наемническият му отряд им се налага да служат като охрана на благородници и да се впуснат в държавната политика, която вещае гражданска война. За щастие на читателя се появява Карела, която се е освободила от робство, има собствена банда и явно доста е оглупяла от срещата ни с нея в предишната книга. Има и благородничка/магьосница/жрица на зъл бог. Има си магическо оръжие. Има зловещ артефакт. Има пророчество. Има и една млада апетитна мома. Естествено, всичките женски искат да се докопат до "древния меч" на Конан. А той отново ще трябва, въпреки желанието си, да се чукне с божество, да спаси Карела и да си изгуби работата и отряда.
June 21, 2024
Solid. Great plotting, always moving forward tale with nothing wasted. I feel Jordan does a great job in continuing the Conan stories as there are similarities in his descriptive writing with Robert E. Howard. But to be warned, Jordan really leans into Conan's "male gaze" and uses his descriptive powers - often - to describe the various female characters in the story. But still a fun and fast read.
January 23, 2024
As the author understands him, Conan not only possesses great fighting ability and intelligence, he also has another element that makes him irresistible: his charm. Its beauty and masculinity attract women, a lusty look is enough to ignite their passion and desire, and a touch of him is capable of bending all resistance. Thus he escapes from many difficult situations and can have some help when things get tough. Of course he is not indifferent to the beauty of the female sex and this sometimes puts him in trouble. In this book, magical forces threaten the world once again, using lust as a weapon - for this all this prologue - and this makes things very complicated, because, however, in this battlefield he is equally powerful, he is perfectly capable to win. As you can see, the sexual tension in this story is particularly strong, which adds another delightful dimension and the presence of a well-known woman on our side makes this thing particularly striking. Another pleasurable addition of the author to the Conan canon.
Όπως τον αντιλαμβάνεται ο συγγραφέας, ο Conan δεν διαθέτει μόνο μεγάλη μαχητική ικανότητα και ευφυΐα, διαθέτει και ένα ακόμα στοιχείο που τον κάνει ακαταμάχητο: τη γοητεία του. Η ομορφιά και η αρρενωπότητα του ελκύει τις γυναίκες, ένα λάγνο βλέμμα του είναι αρκετό για να τις ανάψει τον πόθο και την επιθυμία και ένα άγγιγμα του είναι ικανό να κάμψει όλες τις αντιστάσεις. Έτσι γλιτώνει από πολλές δύσκολες καταστάσεις και μπορεί να έχει κάποια βοήθεια όταν τα πράγματα δυσκολεύουν. Βέβαια δεν είναι αδιάφορος στην ομορφιά του γυναικείου φύλου και αυτό μερικές φορές τον βάζει σε μπελάδες. Σε αυτό το βιβλίο μαγικές δυνάμεις απειλούν ξανά τον κόσμο, χρησιμοποιώντας την λαγνεία ως όπλο - για αυτό και όλος αυτός ο πρόλογος - και αυτό κάνει πολύ περίπλοκα τα πράγματα, επειδή, όμως, και σε αυτό το πεδίο μάχης είναι εξίσου δυνατός, είναι απόλυτα ικανός να τα καταφέρει. Όπως καταλαβαίνετε η σεξουαλική ένταση σε αυτή την ιστορία είναι ιδιαίτερα ισχυρή, κάτι που προσθέτει μία άλλη απολαυστική διάσταση και η παρουσία μιας γνωστής μας στο πλευρό του ήρωα μας κάνει αυτό το πράγμα ιδιαίτερα έντονο. Μία ακόμα απολαυστική προσθήκη του συγγραφέα στον κανόνα του Conan.
Όπως τον αντιλαμβάνεται ο συγγραφέας, ο Conan δεν διαθέτει μόνο μεγάλη μαχητική ικανότητα και ευφυΐα, διαθέτει και ένα ακόμα στοιχείο που τον κάνει ακαταμάχητο: τη γοητεία του. Η ομορφιά και η αρρενωπότητα του ελκύει τις γυναίκες, ένα λάγνο βλέμμα του είναι αρκετό για να τις ανάψει τον πόθο και την επιθυμία και ένα άγγιγμα του είναι ικανό να κάμψει όλες τις αντιστάσεις. Έτσι γλιτώνει από πολλές δύσκολες καταστάσεις και μπορεί να έχει κάποια βοήθεια όταν τα πράγματα δυσκολεύουν. Βέβαια δεν είναι αδιάφορος στην ομορφιά του γυναικείου φύλου και αυτό μερικές φορές τον βάζει σε μπελάδες. Σε αυτό το βιβλίο μαγικές δυνάμεις απειλούν ξανά τον κόσμο, χρησιμοποιώντας την λαγνεία ως όπλο - για αυτό και όλος αυτός ο πρόλογος - και αυτό κάνει πολύ περίπλοκα τα πράγματα, επειδή, όμως, και σε αυτό το πεδίο μάχης είναι εξίσου δυνατός, είναι απόλυτα ικανός να τα καταφέρει. Όπως καταλαβαίνετε η σεξουαλική ένταση σε αυτή την ιστορία είναι ιδιαίτερα ισχυρή, κάτι που προσθέτει μία άλλη απολαυστική διάσταση και η παρουσία μιας γνωστής μας στο πλευρό του ήρωα μας κάνει αυτό το πράγμα ιδιαίτερα έντονο. Μία ακόμα απολαυστική προσθήκη του συγγραφέα στον κανόνα του Conan.
February 24, 2019
A fairly entertaining Jordan Conan outing (a rare thing, I know). Just a few notes here:
Does every single Jordan Conan novel end with the building/cave that Conan is in collapsing around him after beating the big bad? He uses this trope so much that it almost seems like an intentional joke at this point.
We get yet more Karela the Red Hawk (I don't recall Hordo showing up in this one, though). I wish Jordan would just focus on Conan and stop making his own characters show up constantly.
Does every single Jordan Conan novel end with the building/cave that Conan is in collapsing around him after beating the big bad? He uses this trope so much that it almost seems like an intentional joke at this point.
We get yet more Karela the Red Hawk (I don't recall Hordo showing up in this one, though). I wish Jordan would just focus on Conan and stop making his own characters show up constantly.
August 30, 2024
This novel felt like one of the recent Disney projects. Just like those 'corporate' stuff are planned while consulting some kind of woke-manual and ticking various boxes, this novel was created by ensuring presence of sorcerers, vile men, vile women, political skullduggery, noble savage bordering on ignoble due to excessive proclivity towards certain acts, etc. Unfortunately, once again it practically carries out a slanderous attack on Conan by depicting him as a bully and even worse— while Howard's creation was completely opposite. As a result, the fun and frolic, i.e. gory action, felt vacant and turgid.
But otherwise, and to people who haven’t read Howard, this is a good read.
But otherwise, and to people who haven’t read Howard, this is a good read.
January 12, 2021
En långt ifrån överväldigande text, som känns som ett manus för en oerhört italiensk, övererotiserad peplum-film från 1960-talet. Den är lättläst, och i tid väl sammanhållen, vilket är det bästa som kan sägas om den.
June 18, 2019
i was not in the mood to read at all during my days off i'm surprised i got to finish this today
boy, is the red hawk confused!
looking at the cover, i mistakenly thought conan was wielding a club on his left hand (among other more hilarious assumptions)
p90: on a smooth silver plate she painted the sign of the horns, the sign of al'kiir, in virgin's blood, using a brush made from the hair of an unborn child and handled with a bone from its mother's finger.
p115: she expected the girl to surrender, or try to scream for help at most, but with a sqawl of rage the other woman buried her hands in karela's red hair.
also, there's a lot of alternate spellings like eery and emprison
plus a few ocr errors that can catch the reader off guard, like eve for eye
boy, is the red hawk confused!
looking at the cover, i mistakenly thought conan was wielding a club on his left hand (among other more hilarious assumptions)
p90: on a smooth silver plate she painted the sign of the horns, the sign of al'kiir, in virgin's blood, using a brush made from the hair of an unborn child and handled with a bone from its mother's finger.
p115: she expected the girl to surrender, or try to scream for help at most, but with a sqawl of rage the other woman buried her hands in karela's red hair.
also, there's a lot of alternate spellings like eery and emprison
plus a few ocr errors that can catch the reader off guard, like eve for eye
March 15, 2021
We find our hero in the capital of Ophir, dishing out quality mongering advice -- namely, if you're going to visit a lady of the night, bring some jewellery and perfume as well as the fee. You get more bang for your buck that way. Not something I expect to learn from Conan, but I guess he's multi-faceted individual. Anyway, while choosing a bangle for the night ahead, Conan stumbles upon a statuette of an evil god, and decides to pocket it for a laugh. Wouldn't you know it, someone is attempting to resurrect said god at the very moment our tale is set, and this statuette is precisely what they need to finish the ritual! What a shocking coincidence! It's almost as if Jordan can't think of a way to launch our hero into the fray short of just dropping the plot on him.
Now, when a plot gets dropped on Conan, it rarely ends well for the plot, so how does the author manage to stretch this into a full-length novel? Romantic hijinks, of course. Three women are in love with Conan this time round (including Karela, as laughably incompetent as ever), and spend chapters comparing their bottoms, pulling each other's hair, and attempting to bed Conan. Perhaps the most surprising twist is that only two succeed.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to say anything about these books other than that they're shit, and I don't see them getting any better. So I thought I'd add my two cents on the "Robert Jordan doesn't get Conan" issue. In this review, that he doesn't get the setting.
Hyboria is a deeply immersive setting. From the untamed coasts of Not-Africa, to the barren north of Not-Finland, with the sprawling civilisations of Not-Middle-East and Not-Asia sandwiched in between. The savage borderlands of Not-Europe, the slumbering malevolence of Not-Egypt, the oddly placed Not-North-America; it has just enough historical content for everything to be recognisable, yet vague enough to be magical. Add to that the Lovecraftian twist -- the hints of unfathomed age, of maddening secrets lying just beneath the surface -- and we get one of the most successful settings in fantasy. A hundred or so stories were set here, and I assure you, no one's reading them for their artistic merit.
What do we get with Jordan? Four books deep, we've been to Not-Romanistan, Not-Byzantium, Not-Iran, and Not-Etruscia. What have we seen? In every case, a giant capital city, where the poor live in warrens, and the rich in opulence. The aristocrats are effete and degenerate, the kings are absolute and incompetent, the women are dressed in two stripes of silk. There is no hint that anyone so much as speaks a different language. This is not Hyboria. This isn't even a place. It's a plot device, a generic hub-city. If you're going to swap the vistas of Hyboria for a plot device, it better damn be a moving plot. Which is my segue to the next review, if it ends up getting written.
Now, when a plot gets dropped on Conan, it rarely ends well for the plot, so how does the author manage to stretch this into a full-length novel? Romantic hijinks, of course. Three women are in love with Conan this time round (including Karela, as laughably incompetent as ever), and spend chapters comparing their bottoms, pulling each other's hair, and attempting to bed Conan. Perhaps the most surprising twist is that only two succeed.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to say anything about these books other than that they're shit, and I don't see them getting any better. So I thought I'd add my two cents on the "Robert Jordan doesn't get Conan" issue. In this review, that he doesn't get the setting.
Hyboria is a deeply immersive setting. From the untamed coasts of Not-Africa, to the barren north of Not-Finland, with the sprawling civilisations of Not-Middle-East and Not-Asia sandwiched in between. The savage borderlands of Not-Europe, the slumbering malevolence of Not-Egypt, the oddly placed Not-North-America; it has just enough historical content for everything to be recognisable, yet vague enough to be magical. Add to that the Lovecraftian twist -- the hints of unfathomed age, of maddening secrets lying just beneath the surface -- and we get one of the most successful settings in fantasy. A hundred or so stories were set here, and I assure you, no one's reading them for their artistic merit.
What do we get with Jordan? Four books deep, we've been to Not-Romanistan, Not-Byzantium, Not-Iran, and Not-Etruscia. What have we seen? In every case, a giant capital city, where the poor live in warrens, and the rich in opulence. The aristocrats are effete and degenerate, the kings are absolute and incompetent, the women are dressed in two stripes of silk. There is no hint that anyone so much as speaks a different language. This is not Hyboria. This isn't even a place. It's a plot device, a generic hub-city. If you're going to swap the vistas of Hyboria for a plot device, it better damn be a moving plot. Which is my segue to the next review, if it ends up getting written.
September 3, 2017
I cannot believe this book was written by the same guy who did the wheel of time series... is this a joke?! Horrible!
spoiler alert below..........
dont get me wrong, i am not a prude. ive read erotica, and erotica containing bsmd.
So when it starts with a kidnapped girl being rubbed with an ointment to get her horny only to be whipped and sacrificed to awaken the long forgotten god of lust and pain, im like ok, we have established our bad guy (woman actually) no biggy, this could be a great book.
when our hero rushes to town for drink and to find himself a whore, meh ok he is after all a barbarian...
after passing over two willing women he finds one he particularly likes but she is reluctant. he gets her to agree to his price. then when he is rough and condescending to her she changes her mind. he wont let her leave and even threats to send her off to some madams house, or beat her himself if she doesnt reveal more about herself and her family to him. he decides eventually he does not want to upset the family by taking this now (unwilling) virgin although he considers "having his will of her and leaving her weeping with her coins or cheating her of them. He grabs her by the hair and kisses her as she fights and kicks at him, and tells her she needs to come work for him or she will have to endure worse from men "not as kind" as he is?(what the fuck?!)
then later an assasin comes to kill him and he overpowers her, beats and then rapes her! mercenaries come to find out what the ruckus is about and he tells them he is "attending to an unruly wench" he then goes on to justify it as he doesn't understand womens temperment when she threatens to kill him the next time she sees him because he was obviously good in bed. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?
im just done at this point. i generally give even a book i dont care for a couple hundred pages before discarding but seriously, 86 out 314 pages have been shit and i dont expect it to get better...
spoiler alert below..........
dont get me wrong, i am not a prude. ive read erotica, and erotica containing bsmd.
So when it starts with a kidnapped girl being rubbed with an ointment to get her horny only to be whipped and sacrificed to awaken the long forgotten god of lust and pain, im like ok, we have established our bad guy (woman actually) no biggy, this could be a great book.
when our hero rushes to town for drink and to find himself a whore, meh ok he is after all a barbarian...
after passing over two willing women he finds one he particularly likes but she is reluctant. he gets her to agree to his price. then when he is rough and condescending to her she changes her mind. he wont let her leave and even threats to send her off to some madams house, or beat her himself if she doesnt reveal more about herself and her family to him. he decides eventually he does not want to upset the family by taking this now (unwilling) virgin although he considers "having his will of her and leaving her weeping with her coins or cheating her of them. He grabs her by the hair and kisses her as she fights and kicks at him, and tells her she needs to come work for him or she will have to endure worse from men "not as kind" as he is?(what the fuck?!)
then later an assasin comes to kill him and he overpowers her, beats and then rapes her! mercenaries come to find out what the ruckus is about and he tells them he is "attending to an unruly wench" he then goes on to justify it as he doesn't understand womens temperment when she threatens to kill him the next time she sees him because he was obviously good in bed. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?
im just done at this point. i generally give even a book i dont care for a couple hundred pages before discarding but seriously, 86 out 314 pages have been shit and i dont expect it to get better...
December 29, 2018
Conan takes his Free Company to Ophir and hires on as bodyguard to a local noble. In Ophir a sorceress is trying raise an evil god and needs just one thingy to complete the ritual. Naturally Conan finds the thingy in a garbage can and keeps it for himself. Conan then spends several days killing people who keep trying to steal his thingy. Among the people trying to rob him is Karela the Red Hawk, who also wants to kill/sex up/get spanked by Conan. There's a lot of palace intrigue and backstabbing as well but basically that's the story.
It's a little more in depth concerning Conan's personality than most books, exploring his relationships with his mercenary friends and three different but equally confusing women. He is still straitforward with any threats and refuses to leave town when the mercs advise it because his personal honor is more important than getting killed. Plenty of swordplay and thieving and roof climbing and wenching, though Conan doesn't drink much in this one so that's different. Overall entertaining. It's Conan, not Dostoevsky after all.
It's a little more in depth concerning Conan's personality than most books, exploring his relationships with his mercenary friends and three different but equally confusing women. He is still straitforward with any threats and refuses to leave town when the mercs advise it because his personal honor is more important than getting killed. Plenty of swordplay and thieving and roof climbing and wenching, though Conan doesn't drink much in this one so that's different. Overall entertaining. It's Conan, not Dostoevsky after all.
December 16, 2013
Me gustó la historia, aunque el final me pareció un poco abrupto. Pero en general una buena aventura del Cimmerio, no es la mejor, pero si una muy entretenida.
Read
July 25, 2021Роман о Конане-варваре от создателя «Колеса Времени». Вышел в октябре 1983 года.
В 1992 году в издательстве «Северо-Запад» вышла книга «Конан и Четыре Стихии». Это был самый первый том серии о Конане от СЗ. Не, какие-то произведения о Конане выходили на русском и до этого, но именно СЗ «угадали» с серией и именно их серия с характерным оформлением выходила больше 15 лет и насчитывает полторы сотни книг. Полторы сотни книг «Конины»! «Лубофф» русскоязычного читателя к киммерийскому варвару оказалась долгоиграющей.
В «Четырех стихиях» было 3 романа. Заглавный от Стива Перри и два романа Роберта Джордана — «Черный камень Аманара» и «Тайна Врат Аль-Киира». Родное название у последнего романа было «Конан торжествующий (или победоносный)», а про «Аль-Киир» — это желтушные пристрастия Северо-Запада.
Про между прочим, это было первое появление Джордана на русском — ни «Колеса времени», ни других его произведений, на русском прежде не печатали. Так что с Джорданом знакомились именно через этого Конана — оставив осадочек на много лет вперед.
Джордан написал о Конане 7 романов. «Черный камень» был первым, «Тайна Врат» — четвертым. Через несколько лет на русском напечатают и остальные романы Джордана о варваре.
Знаете, учитывая суммарный тираж «Четырех стихий» в полмиллиона (!!) экземпляров, можно предположить, что очень немаленькое количество людей познакомились с Конаном именно с опусов Перри и Джордана. И составили неправильное мнение о Конане надолго вперед. Потому что ни Перри, ни Джордан к лучшим авторам Саги вот вообще никак не относятся.
Что касаемо Джордана, то его сюжеты о Конане были совсем уж просты и с «изюминками» у него была напряженка. Приехал-увидел-вломил-уехал. Это во-первых.
Во-вторых, Джордан романы о Конане писал под копирку. Невеликий набор приемов, которые он тиражировал из романа в роман. Соответственно, каждый последующий роман Джордана читать становилось всё скучнее. Конкретно «Тайна Врат» сюжетно был скопирован со второго романа Джордана о варваре — «Тень Властелина». Локация новая, сюжет старый. Концовки всех романов — с большим «бум» — идентичны до мелочей.
И в-третьих, у Джордана в романах содержалось неприличное количество БДСМ-щины. Женщины связанные, женщины закованные, женщины-рабыни, женщины — жертвы на жертвоприношениях, женщины… И так далее. Возьмите «Тайну Врат», откройте любой разворот — и там в обязаловку найдете россыпь Джордановских фетишей.
Место в хронологии. Возраст Конана в романах Джордана выглядел так. В первом романе — 19 лет, во втором — 22, в третьем — 20, и в четвертом — 23. Конан является командиром отряда наемников (созданном в «Тени Властелина») и обитается в Офире. (Новая для Джордана локация.) В Офире вот-вот помрет король и толпа аристократов начинает грызню за трон. Конан и его люди служат одному из аристократов. До тех пор, пока он не умрет.
Основная сюжетная линия связана с местным богом Аль-Кииром, которого пытается пробудить местная же аристократка Синэлла. Пути Синэллы и Конана пересекаются, а дальше понятно…
Побочная линия связана с Карелой — Рыжим Ястребом. Разбойница, у которой вечные тёрки с Конаном. Карела появлялась в первых двух романах Джордана, но отсутствовала в третьем (раз уж это был приквел). В «Тайне Врат» Карела появилась снова и снова попыталась «отомстить» Конану. Ничего нового. Больше этот персонаж у Джордана не появлялся, но в Саге о Конане еще всплывал. Например, в романе «Конан и Карусель Богов» 1995 года главного фанфикописателя Всея Руси Ника Перумова.
Итого. Слабый проходной роман от тогда еще безвестного Джордана. Волею случая этот роман для многих стал эталонной «кониной». Хотя по качеству он, в лучшем случае, второй дивизион этой межавторской серии.
4/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/jordan-conan-triump...
В 1992 году в издательстве «Северо-Запад» вышла книга «Конан и Четыре Стихии». Это был самый первый том серии о Конане от СЗ. Не, какие-то произведения о Конане выходили на русском и до этого, но именно СЗ «угадали» с серией и именно их серия с характерным оформлением выходила больше 15 лет и насчитывает полторы сотни книг. Полторы сотни книг «Конины»! «Лубофф» русскоязычного читателя к киммерийскому варвару оказалась долгоиграющей.
В «Четырех стихиях» было 3 романа. Заглавный от Стива Перри и два романа Роберта Джордана — «Черный камень Аманара» и «Тайна Врат Аль-Киира». Родное название у последнего романа было «Конан торжествующий (или победоносный)», а про «Аль-Киир» — это желтушные пристрастия Северо-Запада.
Про между прочим, это было первое появление Джордана на русском — ни «Колеса времени», ни других его произведений, на русском прежде не печатали. Так что с Джорданом знакомились именно через этого Конана — оставив осадочек на много лет вперед.
Джордан написал о Конане 7 романов. «Черный камень» был первым, «Тайна Врат» — четвертым. Через несколько лет на русском напечатают и остальные романы Джордана о варваре.
Знаете, учитывая суммарный тираж «Четырех стихий» в полмиллиона (!!) экземпляров, можно предположить, что очень немаленькое количество людей познакомились с Конаном именно с опусов Перри и Джордана. И составили неправильное мнение о Конане надолго вперед. Потому что ни Перри, ни Джордан к лучшим авторам Саги вот вообще никак не относятся.
Что касаемо Джордана, то его сюжеты о Конане были совсем уж просты и с «изюминками» у него была напряженка. Приехал-увидел-вломил-уехал. Это во-первых.
Во-вторых, Джордан романы о Конане писал под копирку. Невеликий набор приемов, которые он тиражировал из романа в роман. Соответственно, каждый последующий роман Джордана читать становилось всё скучнее. Конкретно «Тайна Врат» сюжетно был скопирован со второго романа Джордана о варваре — «Тень Властелина». Локация новая, сюжет старый. Концовки всех романов — с большим «бум» — идентичны до мелочей.
И в-третьих, у Джордана в романах содержалось неприличное количество БДСМ-щины. Женщины связанные, женщины закованные, женщины-рабыни, женщины — жертвы на жертвоприношениях, женщины… И так далее. Возьмите «Тайну Врат», откройте любой разворот — и там в обязаловку найдете россыпь Джордановских фетишей.
Место в хронологии. Возраст Конана в романах Джордана выглядел так. В первом романе — 19 лет, во втором — 22, в третьем — 20, и в четвертом — 23. Конан является командиром отряда наемников (созданном в «Тени Властелина») и обитается в Офире. (Новая для Джордана локация.) В Офире вот-вот помрет король и толпа аристократов начинает грызню за трон. Конан и его люди служат одному из аристократов. До тех пор, пока он не умрет.
Основная сюжетная линия связана с местным богом Аль-Кииром, которого пытается пробудить местная же аристократка Синэлла. Пути Синэллы и Конана пересекаются, а дальше понятно…
Побочная линия связана с Карелой — Рыжим Ястребом. Разбойница, у которой вечные тёрки с Конаном. Карела появлялась в первых двух романах Джордана, но отсутствовала в третьем (раз уж это был приквел). В «Тайне Врат» Карела появилась снова и снова попыталась «отомстить» Конану. Ничего нового. Больше этот персонаж у Джордана не появлялся, но в Саге о Конане еще всплывал. Например, в романе «Конан и Карусель Богов» 1995 года главного фанфикописателя Всея Руси Ника Перумова.
Итого. Слабый проходной роман от тогда еще безвестного Джордана. Волею случая этот роман для многих стал эталонной «кониной». Хотя по качеству он, в лучшем случае, второй дивизион этой межавторской серии.
4/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/jordan-conan-triump...
December 20, 2022
I've read more than a few books that provide a, shall we say, unflattering portrayal of women. But such cases are usually delivered in the form of childishly bad writing, such as the case with the 'Xanth' books, or are vehicles for a one dimensional Gary Stu, like Dickson's Dragon and the George's, or Asprin's Dragons Wild.
It would not be a stretch to accuse Conan of being a Gary Stu, but Robert Howard's imagination for world building and genius for action let him get away with it. Robert Jordan (whom I was experiencing as an author for the first time here) isn't bad; he's no Howard, but I could see myself reading more from him. ...So long as it doesn't involve spanking.
Because boy howdy. I enjoy the idea of a tarty story, but here in 'Conan the Triumphant', Jordan delivers a tale that reads like a textbook example of 'the male gaze', making tart and titillation as gross and unappealing as possible. Every woman wants to have sex with Conan, even if she's kicking and screaming to the contrary, bosom of course heaving and bouncing curvaceously every boobily step of the pert, bouncy way. Was this secretly a comedic piece, and I didn't figure it out?
And of course we have rape, because why wouldn't we? But, Jordan seems to reassure us, it's not really rape, because Conan and his scumball friends tell us, the audience, that it was all consensual, because they fuck so good the women must actually like it.
As I said, there's something about Jordan's writing that seems to elevate it above the level of '13 year old boy', which is the only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of a very annoyed one. Maybe someday I'll check out Wheel of Time.
As long as there's no spanking in it.
It would not be a stretch to accuse Conan of being a Gary Stu, but Robert Howard's imagination for world building and genius for action let him get away with it. Robert Jordan (whom I was experiencing as an author for the first time here) isn't bad; he's no Howard, but I could see myself reading more from him. ...So long as it doesn't involve spanking.
Because boy howdy. I enjoy the idea of a tarty story, but here in 'Conan the Triumphant', Jordan delivers a tale that reads like a textbook example of 'the male gaze', making tart and titillation as gross and unappealing as possible. Every woman wants to have sex with Conan, even if she's kicking and screaming to the contrary, bosom of course heaving and bouncing curvaceously every boobily step of the pert, bouncy way. Was this secretly a comedic piece, and I didn't figure it out?
And of course we have rape, because why wouldn't we? But, Jordan seems to reassure us, it's not really rape, because Conan and his scumball friends tell us, the audience, that it was all consensual, because they fuck so good the women must actually like it.
As I said, there's something about Jordan's writing that seems to elevate it above the level of '13 year old boy', which is the only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of a very annoyed one. Maybe someday I'll check out Wheel of Time.
As long as there's no spanking in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2025
Conan the Mercenary
The Free Company of paid soldiers Conan worked so hard to establish in "Conan the Defender" faces its toughest challenge in navigating the royal politics of Ophir. Meanwhile, the usual royal backbiting and subterfuge takes on an added dimension when one of the players makes a pact with both an ancient evil, and a chaotically unpredictable presence from Conan's past.
I can't say enough good things about the Robert Jordan Conan novels, and many of those I've already said in previous reviews. The Wheel of Time was a highly profitable business venture and secured Jordan's legacy and financial security for all time; but it is in his novels of Conan the Barbarian that you can see the fun, playful and adventurous side of Robert Jordan shine forth.
Only Crom might say, that if he'd had the chance to finish WoT before his tragic and untimely death, in later years he might have returned to the shining kingdoms of the Hyborian Age, spread across the world like blue mantles under the stars, or even the world of "Warriors of the Altaii", his first novel. Instead, perhaps Robert Jordan and Robert E Howard are celebrity guest judging the Red Sonja costume contest in Valhalla, making snarky comments about Master of Ceremonies L. Sprague De Camp, who spends more time talking about himself than presenting the contestants. "Wait until you meet Roy," Jordan mumbles with a sly grin, as Howard raises an brow while sipping his gin and tonic. Sorry for getting sentimental.
The Free Company of paid soldiers Conan worked so hard to establish in "Conan the Defender" faces its toughest challenge in navigating the royal politics of Ophir. Meanwhile, the usual royal backbiting and subterfuge takes on an added dimension when one of the players makes a pact with both an ancient evil, and a chaotically unpredictable presence from Conan's past.
I can't say enough good things about the Robert Jordan Conan novels, and many of those I've already said in previous reviews. The Wheel of Time was a highly profitable business venture and secured Jordan's legacy and financial security for all time; but it is in his novels of Conan the Barbarian that you can see the fun, playful and adventurous side of Robert Jordan shine forth.
Only Crom might say, that if he'd had the chance to finish WoT before his tragic and untimely death, in later years he might have returned to the shining kingdoms of the Hyborian Age, spread across the world like blue mantles under the stars, or even the world of "Warriors of the Altaii", his first novel. Instead, perhaps Robert Jordan and Robert E Howard are celebrity guest judging the Red Sonja costume contest in Valhalla, making snarky comments about Master of Ceremonies L. Sprague De Camp, who spends more time talking about himself than presenting the contestants. "Wait until you meet Roy," Jordan mumbles with a sly grin, as Howard raises an brow while sipping his gin and tonic. Sorry for getting sentimental.
August 28, 2018
This will be my review for the series as a whole. I read this one last, as I read them in the chronological order listing from Jordan himself according to the Wikipedia article.
I listened to the old audiobooks narrated by John Polk. He's a decent narrator, though this range of voices is somewhat lacking (though this is not surprising, considering the recordings are from 30+ years ago).
Okay, story.
Going into it with the understanding of what you're getting into (simple, easy to drop into and out of, bawdy, semi-misogynistic adventure stories), these books absolutely deliver what they promise and were enjoyable to read.
My two biggest complaints are that the final battles are all very short and left me feeling it was a bit anticlimactic. And nearly every woman is described as being slender with a round bottom and full beasts.
Not that this is a bad thing to have, there are women who are well endowed in all walks of life.
It only bugged me because it was almost every woman and many were defined by it with no other characterization.
I listened to the old audiobooks narrated by John Polk. He's a decent narrator, though this range of voices is somewhat lacking (though this is not surprising, considering the recordings are from 30+ years ago).
Okay, story.
Going into it with the understanding of what you're getting into (simple, easy to drop into and out of, bawdy, semi-misogynistic adventure stories), these books absolutely deliver what they promise and were enjoyable to read.
My two biggest complaints are that the final battles are all very short and left me feeling it was a bit anticlimactic. And nearly every woman is described as being slender with a round bottom and full beasts.
Not that this is a bad thing to have, there are women who are well endowed in all walks of life.
It only bugged me because it was almost every woman and many were defined by it with no other characterization.
June 6, 2021
Conan the Triumphant, a Jordan Pastiche
With good supporting characters and
A overlooked Hyborian setting it had potential.
Unfortunately the ending, was about a exciting a court eunuch in a tortage brothel
Cool things:
- Setting (Ophir)
- Swift Action!
- Conan "Slays" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)......
- R̶e̶d̶ ̶S̶o̶n̶j̶a̶ (Karela the Red Hawk)
- the old Drunken mage
- Julia and her decent in to trulldom
- Conan's Free company
- the MacGuffin has weight
(Literally & narratively)
Bad things:
-To many Bad guys, with go nowhere story's
-Conan Damn-near SIMPS.....S I M P S
- Almost forgotten God is seemingly known by everybody
- Everything is coincidentally a coincidence
- Spanking
- Lazy ending (Conan literally YEETs a magic staff at the big baddy and it dies)
Overall this is not a bad Conan book
Robert Jordan can write, and he gets Hyborian
Sensibilities Well enough. I just wished the ending was a little better
With good supporting characters and
A overlooked Hyborian setting it had potential.
Unfortunately the ending, was about a exciting a court eunuch in a tortage brothel
Cool things:
- Setting (Ophir)
- Swift Action!
- Conan "Slays" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)......
- R̶e̶d̶ ̶S̶o̶n̶j̶a̶ (Karela the Red Hawk)
- the old Drunken mage
- Julia and her decent in to trulldom
- Conan's Free company
- the MacGuffin has weight
(Literally & narratively)
Bad things:
-To many Bad guys, with go nowhere story's
-Conan Damn-near SIMPS.....S I M P S
- Almost forgotten God is seemingly known by everybody
- Everything is coincidentally a coincidence
- Spanking
- Lazy ending (Conan literally YEETs a magic staff at the big baddy and it dies)
Overall this is not a bad Conan book
Robert Jordan can write, and he gets Hyborian
Sensibilities Well enough. I just wished the ending was a little better
July 2, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this sequel, even though there was a long lull in the action for about half the book. Angel is a sweet, interesting character, so watching her putting her life in order kept the story moving.
A lot gets resolved in this book--so much so that I could stop reading the series now, since it's hard to imagine it going anywhere but downhill from now on.
But I'll read #3 just to see if I'm right....
Allison McLemore's narration is wonderful, the way she speaks Angel's voice in what I guess is Appalachian English, you'd think she's really from deep in the holler until she does a character who speaks cultured English. Fun.
Recommend
ed!
A lot gets resolved in this book--so much so that I could stop reading the series now, since it's hard to imagine it going anywhere but downhill from now on.
But I'll read #3 just to see if I'm right....
Allison McLemore's narration is wonderful, the way she speaks Angel's voice in what I guess is Appalachian English, you'd think she's really from deep in the holler until she does a character who speaks cultured English. Fun.
Recommend
ed!
October 6, 2020
Robert Jordan's Conan book appear to be a little tacky. They are lavishly written, but often a bit cringeworthy as well. And that's looking past that these are essentially cheap pulp novels (though the original pulp stories are actually pretty good and not as salacious). The real issue is that, while Conan is a great character and written well by Jordan, the other characters can vary from annoying to painful - and often shallow. Fortunately, Jordan's writing and pacing work well. This book has certainly not aged well - it's absolutely a product of the early Eighties. And in that context, I liked it. But as something I'd recommend now? Not likely.
September 19, 2018
Conan the Superfluous. He’s entirely incidental to the plot in this one, some perfunctory gubbins about an evil god and a statue. The book seems to exist mostly so RJ can show off using callimastian and callipygian in one sentence. The book is bursting (literally - at one point a lady bursts out of her shirt) with “heavy” “round” breasts as usual. Conan spends all his time chasing them while the plot goes on around him. If this sounds fun, well, it really isn’t.
April 22, 2020
I am starting to realize that these books are little more than pulpy adventure novels and really just harlequin romances for men. This particular outing wasn't really my cup of tea, as Conan as a member of a band of mercenaries doesn't interest me as much as his days as a thief or miscreant. The monster was rather cool and it had some good fights, but doesn't stand out as well as some of the other Jordan volumes. Still, it was quick pulpy fun to get me through an evening.
February 13, 2022
A generic sword and sorcery plot complete with paper thin one dimensional characters, voluptuous scantly dressed girls, the same repetitive plot we have seen many times before, and of course one big barbarian. If you expect nothing else and it's been a while since you read one of Robert Jordan's renditions of Conan, then this book is quite fun (in a junk food non-PC sort of way). It's definitely far more entertaining than most of the pulp thrillers I have read recently.
October 26, 2025
Conan is leading a band of mercenaries in the city of Ophir. The king is dying of a wasting disease and the nobles are beginning to jockey for position to claim the crown. When Conan's patron is poisoned he must find another to keep his band together. He is hired by Lady Synelle who though of royal blood cannot claim the crown because she is a woman. However, she seeks to bring back an ancient evil god and take power by being his high priestess.
Rather predictable at times.
Rather predictable at times.
January 27, 2019
Otro libro de Conan, en este caso de Robert Jordan, se nota un poco la diferencia de estilo con Howard, pero respetando completamente al personaje. Es un libro ameno y dinámico, y al salirse un poco de lo acostumbrado, sorprende (dentro de lo poco que puede sorprender).
Recomendado como todos los de Conan.
Recomendado como todos los de Conan.
August 24, 2017
It is a Conan story written by Robert Jordan. If you are a fan of either then you get it.
December 8, 2017
pretty pisser!!
watch out for evil sexy female clerics!
woooo weee!!
watch out for evil sexy female clerics!
woooo weee!!
August 9, 2020
Standard Conan book. You get everything you would expect out of a Conan book with this one. My only gripe would be that the climax was a little rushed .
December 3, 2020
Just a good oul cracking fun read...😁
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