Conan: The Road of Kings

Conan the Barbarian

by Karl Edward Wagner

Plucked from the gallows by the daring rebels of the White Rose, the mighty Conan joins his rescuers in their blood-soaked struggle to rid Zingara of its hated despot. Soon Conan himself will draw steel against a new, still crueler tyrant and his terrifying Final Guard - the indestructible warriors of stone from the age of legends.

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Fiction, Pulp, Adventure, Action, Science Fiction Fantasy

212 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 13 October 1994) was an American writer, editor and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. His disillusionment with the medical profession can be seen in the stories "The Fourth Seal" and "Into Whose Hands". He described his world view as nihilistic, anarchistic and absurdist, and claimed, not entirely seriously, to be related to "an opera composer named Richard". Wagner also admired the cinema of Sam Peckinpah, stating "I worship the film The Wild Bunch".

Reviews

[Rodrigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues me ha gustado menos que el anterior, además aquí ya se rompe el orden mas o menos cronológico que tenían los anteriores tomos, en este caso, es cuando Conan es un mercenario y esta en el reino de Zingaria.
Lo mejor del libro ha sido la aparición de la guardia póstuma.
Hubo momentos de algo de desbarajuste en la explicación de algunas peleas y además no terminé de meterme de todo en la historia, al final mejora un poco, pero no lo suficiente para la 4⭐.
Me quedo con la última frase del libro "no cambiaré de parecer mientras no sepa si es el hombre quién corrompe el poder, o el poder lo que corrompe al hombre".

Sinopsis: Con la soga al cuello, Conan aguarda la muerte en el cadalso. Sin embargo, el fuerte cimmerio no morirá. Cuando el áspero roce de la cuerda ya le quema la garganta, aparecen los que han de rescatarlo. Los rebeldes de la Rosa Blanca acogerán en su círculo al bárbaro. Éste una vez libre, matará a legiones enteras por ellos, sembrando la muerte con su acero entre las filas del ejército del déspota. ¿Y sin embargo conocerá la traición y no habrá hora tan cruel como la de su venganza?
Valoración: 6.75/10

[S.E. Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wagner's pastiches are highly recommended. A groupread from the Sword & Sorcery group in Goodreads led me to this. In short, the milieu was true to Hyborbian Age. Also, it followed Conan's development from buccaneer to potential king well; this would serve as a great prequel to REH"s only novel length Conan story The Hour of the Dragon.



Karl Edward Wagner was a dark fantasy hero, taking editing and writing very seriously. His expertise in adventure horror led him to develop the Sword & Sorcery amoral hero Kane (Gods in Darkness: The Complete Novels of Kane), which is legendary stuff. He also paid homage to Robert E. Howard by writing two pastiches: one for REH's hero Bran Mak Morn called Bran Mak Morn: Legion From The Shadows (a sequel to the Worms of the Earth short) and one for Conan called Conan: The Road of Kings. In both cases, Wagner took care to represent REH's Hyborian Age/milieu well while extending the canon slightly.



KEW ensured that Hyborian Age's historic cataclysms affected current life. The same events that sank Atlantis also covered the city of Kordova, the central local of this this book. The still inhabitable, underground city called the Pit and the drowned Kalenius's Tomb are not passive backdrops of history ... but affect the future of the land. The Pit was a great idea, only partially realized. Imagine manor houses and streets at the base of a grand canyon. There were many instances of fiery riots, but the consequences (like excess smoke/oxygen deprivation... and a lack of visibility were not demonstrated). "The Road of Kings" was written in 1979, before the popular Arnold movie that began with the oft quoted below (paraphrased from REH’s opening to Phoenix in the Sword).

“Know, oh prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars—Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen- eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."—The Nemedian Chronicles -Phoenix in the sword 1932 REH



“Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure! - Wizard from Conan the Barbarian Movie 1982”

Conan: The Road of Kings delivers everything one would want in a pastiche. REH's voice: even though REH wrote in short story form for Conan, this novel still read similarly. It's pace was uber-fast and the fight scene's grim. The milieu was true to Hyborbian Age as discussed above. Also, it followed Conan's development from buccaneer to potential king well; this would serve as a great prequel to REH"s only novel length Conan story The Hour of the Dragon. It was also true to the Sword and Sorcery genre that spawned from REH: Callidos's Stygian Necromancy and controlling of the golem-esque Final Guard worked well for the "sorcery", and plenty of melee satisfied the "sword" aspect.



Illustrations by Tim Kirk start out nicely grim (i.e., execution charms and souvenirs , i.e., hands and heads that amplify the story) but then quickly turn into a sparse picture book glossary for armor and weapons (halberds, swords, etc. that don;t add much to the story). Keeping this from a 5-star is the Climax and Ending. The story arc was well designed but the delivery fell a little flat; the last chapter felt rushed and would have been better served drawn out. That said, Conan: The Road of Kings was a great fast read that will satisfy cravings for more Conan...but will only leave you wanting even another helping!











View all my reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wagner has created a masterful pastiche with The Road of Kings, brilliantly capturing Conan's barbarian exuberance and featuring all the elements of a great Conan story that you'd expect from Robert E. Howard, his creator. The story ties in well with the Conan canon and features a perfect balance of bloody sword battles and chilling necromancy. Much of the action takes place in the deliciously dark setting dubbed "The Pit", ancient catacombs beneath the thriving city of Kordava, populated by poor common folk and outlaw alike. Overall, a tight story that, like Conan himself, doesn't waste any time dawdling about.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best non-Howard Conan stories. This has it all - daring exploits, hair raising supernatural encounters, breath taking escapes and heroic battles. Wagner clearly understands and loves the character.

[Jack Massa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diverting enough Conan novel, though Wagner, like other latter-day Conan scribes, lacks the sheer exuberance and simplicity of Robert E. Howard.

And his Conan sometimes comes across as too sophisticated and pedantic, a bit like the psychiatrist that Wagner was. I mean, how can you grunt or rumble lines like "No doubt it's strange to you that I have not become sufficiently civilized to roll in the hay with a friend's woman. In Cimmeria our customs are somewhat archaic."

Really? No, the real Conan at most would snarl: "A Cimmerian does not bed the wench of a friend, like a civilized dog with no honor."

Am I right?

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Conan rides to battle, as a good pawn should, “ Callidios smiled. “Such pawns are useful to win battles, and such battles to win wars – but the man who knows how to make use of his pawns and his victories is the man who follows the road of kings.”

To say that Karl Edward Wagner is a fan of Robert E. Howard is a serious understatement: he edited in the 1970s what is probably the best three volume edition of R.E.H stories. To dismiss his writing as fan-fiction is a serious mistake for any true fan of sword & sorcery and horror novels. I would even go so far as to state that Wagner is a better writer than Howard, even if he might not rival his mentor’s vivid imagination.
I’ve been reading enthusiastically K.E.W.’s books about the eternal swordsman Kane and I liked his collections of horror stories even better, so I thought it was time to give his R.E.H. pastiche a chance this October.
I was not disappointed!

“The kings and kingdoms of ancient Thuria are ghosts and dust, forgotten by the proud Hyborian civilization that has arisen above the bones of their greatness,” Callidios sneered. “I think there will come a day when our age, too, shall pass into dust, and the children who dance upon our bones shall remember our lands and our races only in their dreams.”

A young Hyborian with dark tresses and mighty thews sells his sword as a mercenary in the kingdom of Zingara. His size and his skill attract the attention of an officer in the regular Zingaran army, a bully and a skilled duellist who likes to provoke and to toy with his victims before he runs them through with his sword.
Conan defeats the bully in a fair fight, at the cost of several serious wounds but, instead of praise, he is condemned to be hanged by the general leading the army of Zingara.
The novel would become a short story right after this prologue and the first chapter describing Conan on the Dancing Floor of the gallows, but a band of outlaws led by the sister of one of the other young men sent to die that day leads a daring attack that allows Conan and this Santiddio to escape.

The outlaws take refuge in the under-city of the capital Kordava, a warren of ruins and caverns created by a major earthquake. Conan finds out that Mordermi and his sister Sandokazi are local nobles who have been disinherited by the corrupt King Rimanendo. They are trying to start a revolution in Zingara, who is suffering under the abusive taxes that pay for the lush living of the nobility. Conan strikes a warrior’s brotherhood with Mordermi, the charismatic leader of the underground thieves and criminals. Together they execute a daring heist during a masked ball in the palace of King Rimanendo, who then sends the regular army to lay siege and destroy the underground city.
Into this cauldron of unrest, comes a stranger from Stygia, land of the deadly sorcerers who worship a snake god, with an even stranger story of ancient kingdoms and powerful magic.

“In the centuries after Kull the Atlantean seized the throne of Valusia and plunged the Thurian kingdoms into an age of internecine warfare, it was Kalenius who finally brought the peace of conquest to the lands north and west of Grondan and the Lost Lands.

Apparently, the lost tomb of Kalenius can be found underwater in the part of the capital city that was sunk after the earthquake. And this mythical tomb is eternally guarded by an army of stone golems, impervious to mortal weapons.
To cut a longer story short, the revolution is successful and King Rimanendo is killed with the help from the undead stone warriors. But the rise to power of the coalition between intellectual reformists, rebellious merchants and self-serving outlaws is threatened by civil war from disenfranchised nobility and by internal strife between the new leaders.
Callidios the Stygian follows his own agenda, and whispers his poisonous words about the road of kings into the ear of bandit Mordermi. Conan is sent out to put down the counter-revolution, while Mordermi plots to kill his rivals and seize power in his own name.

Even with the army, it would have been a long struggle just to enforce any moderate social reforms beyond Kordava.

If I were to point out something to single out what Wagner brings to the story that cannot be easily found in the original by Howard, it would be this higher awareness of social issues. And if I were to talk about the best part that he kept and stressed here, it would be the consideration of what we call barbarian and what we call civilized, a major theme in the original stories.
Conan’s sense of justice and of fair play, the value of friendship and honor, are corrupted by the struggle for power at any cost witnessed in Zingara. He is thus offered the throne of Zingara and he refuses it, seeing what it has done to his friend Mordermi. Magic is once again the arch-enemy of the hero, a concept that will be often repeated by later generations: with great power comes great responsibility, even if it is not stated clearly in the text here.

Finally, the novel is packed with action and tightly written, a worthy reminder for today’s authors that you don’t need a thousand pages or several volumes to reach epic level of heroic fantasy.

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good non-REH Conan novel (John C. Hocking's, *Conan and the Emerald Lotus* is my favorite pastiche currently). This doesn't feel like REH. The pacing is very different. The Conan character is less intense and the principles that govern his behavior are different. And the technological level is a little anachronistic: there are rapiers, renaissance style garb, masque balls, and discussions of revolutionary movements that give the atmosphere of 20th-century politicking. Despite these flaws, this is an intriguing political allegory set in the Hyborian Age, comparable in theme to Orwell's *Animal Farm.* It is about how a group of revolutionaries who plot to overthrow a tyrant risk falling prey to the tyranny inherent in their own movement. There were many enjoyable characters: Santiddio the Pamphleteer, Mordermi the Revolutionary Bandit King, Callidios the Stygian Necromancer, and the Final Guard. I find it interesting that KEW uses Italian-sounding names. I have read KEW enjoyed Gothic literature, and in classic Gothic literature Italians are often caricatured as cloak and dagger politickers who are always killing eachother. That seems consistent here. My version, the Bantam Book version, is peppered with high contrast black and white illustrations that are quite cool.

[William M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 AND 1/2 STARS

Within some circles, author Karl Edward Wagner is considered not just an amazing fantasy and horror author, but one of the best of all time. His short life left us with a small but powerful body of work, most notably the creation of his character, Kane, in the book, "Darkness Weaves", among others. Here, with Conan, Wagner writes with incredible prose, moving the action along quickly. I was extremely impressed with his vivid descriptions and epic storytelling abilities. It is not easy to write such a sweeping epic in barely 200 pages.

The consistency of his characters and the thrill of adventure is present on every page of the story. The setup for the ending reveals quite a clever mystery that Wagner sets up early on without the reader even knowing. Swordplay and magic are both used carefully, and to propel the story, not just thrown around randomly for effect. Perhaps the only negative aspect of the book is the fact that Wagner had to keep true to Conan and the landscape that Robert E. Howard started. Some readers might feel that Wagner was too constrained, and that is a legitimate criticism. But having read most of the Conan books as a youth, this is without a doubt, the best version of Conan that has ever been written since Howard. If there is one Conan book to read, besides the Howard entries, this is the one.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Road of Kings is a very good heroic fantasy story, a fine swords & sorcery novel from one of the masters of the genre. As a Conan novel it's less successful, I think, because the pace is a little slow and the dialog a little too polished or flowery, but it's lots of fun nonetheless. Like his other Howard pastiche (Legion from the Shadows which featured the Howard character Bran Mak Morn), Wagner wasn't successful at suppressing his own distinct voice and assuming Howard's, but then again he definitely didn't need to do that in order to tell a good story. From a daring rescue through ingenious supernatural obstacles, Conan wins through with style, by Crom! My Bantam first edition includes numerous nifty Tim Kirk illustrations.

[Timothy Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've covered the works of fantasy writer Karl Edward Wagner (1945-94) many times. A brilliant writer who died much too soon, Wagner is responsible for creating the dark hero Kane, a red-haired giant who resembled his creator. Kane was based on the biblical persona with the same name, but in this case rebelled against a mad god who had created humanity as his toys. Cursed with immortality, Kane wondered the distant and recent past, trying to build a power base for his own machinations.
KEW's take on Conan is significantly different than Howard's. In Road of Kings, Conan finds himself mixed up in a "game of thrones" situation. I can't help but wonder if the outline for Road began as a Kane novel. It would make sense, as Kane was always playing power politics of one form or another. Political intrigue is the theme of this novel with different groups trying to out maneuver each other.
The book begins with Conan finding himself on a gallows. He's just killed a captain in the Royal Zingaran Army, where he was employed as a mercenary. It was a fair fight, but the commanding general has decided the barbarians whom he employs must be taught a lesson. Conan is rescued at the last minute by a band of rebels. They're not trying to free him, but one of his fellow exuctionees, who happens to be a ringleader in the resistance against the king.
Freed, Conan soon throws his lot in with the rebels and their many factions. Here is where the story begins moving: KEW doesn't care so much about the political issues behind the rebels, he portrays them as being just as power hungry as the forces they are trying to over-through. Once a sorcerer makes an appearance telling the rebels how he can assure their revolution, the novel becomes very interesting indeed. Conan finds himself in the middle of street fighting, counter-revolution and evil magick.
This isn't one of Wagner's major works. I would tell anyone interested in his writings to start with Dark Crusade. But it is a fascinating take on the whole Conan character.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during Conan's early days. As our tale opens, he's working as a mercenary in Zingara, and, after a duel with an actual Zingaran army officer (and noble), finds himself sentenced to hang. SPOILER ALERT: Conan does not hang by the neck until dead -- he's rescued, more-or-less by accident, and finds himself in company with some Zingaran rebels who want to overthrow the tyrannous king; and wouldn't you know it, there's this very nice Stygian mage who might be able to help ...

Definitely in the top tier of Conan pastiche novels -- Wagner gets Conan in a way that not many other authors do, and also does a great job of mixing elements of breathtaking action and of horror in the way that Howard did; the only note that really rung a bit false was right at the end when Conan was offered the Zingaran crown and actually refused it which yes, he was still very young and was disillusioned by his experiences, but that did seem a bit out of character even so.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I love Karl Edward Wagner. His Kane character is an amazing sword and sorcery anti hero, and his short stories are top notch dark fantasy. However, Conan is not Kane, and while there’s plenty of overlap, writing a Conan story like Robert E. Howard just isn’t possible. It would be like writing a Kane story like Karl Edward Wagner. There are things to be liked here, especially the sword and sorcery antagonist and creative use of wizardry and necromancy by the villain. The political machinations became somewhat cumbersome to me, and got in the way of the more exciting aspects of the story. Not a bad book at all! But nowhere nearly as good as his Kane stories. Still, it would have been interesting to see where Karl might have taken Conan from here!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only Conan pastiche written by Wagner. A lot of readers think it's one of the best, but I suspect part of that is because they respect Wagner's Kane stories so much. I didn't care that much for it and thought it was much, much weaker than his books about his own character.

[Jason Waltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

While mildly disappointed in the opening pages - outside a handful of great sentences/thoughts/actions - things begin to pick up at page 85, then from chapter 9 on really deliver an epic Conan tale. KEW ties into lots of Conan's past and future in this last, greater portion of the book, nicely building on and up the traits and creed REH bestowed upon Conan. Wagner puts some quality effort into furthering Conan's maturation toward leadership and future kingship without over-writing, sermonizing, or otherwise overtly making his points.

Since KEW wrote this amidst his period of editing Howard works and writing Kane, I am slightly surprised the first part of the book reads like someone trying to write Conan more than the later portion which feels written by someone who knows Conan. There are also quite a number of truly awkward sentences that would have benefited from being read aloud before reaching publication.

Overall a nice addition to the Conan saga, yet not the stellar adventure I'd thought for many years awaited.

[D'Ailleurs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ομορφη, διασκεδαστική νουβέλα με ήρωα τον αγαπημένο μου βάρβαρο και συγγραφέα τον περιβόητο Wagner. Ίσως να ήθελε λίγη περισσότερη ανάπτυξη σε σημεία (διάφορα σκηνικά απλά αναφέρονται) αλλά δεν με πείραξε καθόλου.

[Oliver Brackenbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to make a double-bill of it, following Road with KEW's edit of THE HOUR OF THE DRAGON, and do a kind of compare & contrast before finalizing my thoughts. But for now?

I liked it! Great opening two chapters, an enjoyable story, the cast gets a bit crowded in the middle but that's soon resolved (ahem), and I dug the third act, which I've heard some say is where it falls apart.

Wagner does like to invoke classic Conan tales ("...as once before he had scaled the Elephant Tower in Zamora..." p.195), which at first wrinkled my nose, but then I suppose in '79 there was still work to be done in making people aware of all of Howard's stories, so I'll give Wagner credit that he was thinking about spreading the good word, not trading on another man's work (beyond writing a pastiche in general, I guess!).

Good stuff. Definitely worth a read, and I'd say Wagner adequately backs up his strong words re: Conan pastiches.

One odd moment: I cannot for the life of me figure out any significance to his insisting on making sure, late in the story, that I know a key female character has one breast smaller than the other...🤷‍♂️

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otra novela de Conan, en este caso de otro de los autores que colaboraron con la antología Todo Conan, los estoy leyendo en orden, sin embargo aunque el anterior acaba con un conan de cuarenta y pico años, este trata sobre conan con unos 20, tampoco es nada desconcertante ya que son historias separadas, se nota un poco una mano distinta a la de Howard, más intriga política y acción más comedida, sin embargo esto viene bien para darle un poco de aire fresco.
La reflexión final de Conan en este libro es para grabar en piedra.

[David Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page-turner, I read this short novel within two days, going without spirits on a Saturday night so that I could concentrate on its conclusion(such was my enthusiasm) . . . Wagner has a range of vocabulary comparable to Clark Ashton Smith and the influence of classical "weird" pulp is obvious . . . Insofar as political theory and sociology are scientific disciplines, this is "hard" swords and sorcery.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rather enjoy the Conan books more than the movies. This one was a pretty quick read with a big shock for a Conan book...for once, Conan does not get to sleep with either of the women in the story! Sure one offers him a chance but he turns it down because she's with a man he considered a friend.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS A GREAT CONAN NOVEL. A MUST READ!

[Viel Nast · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have this small, cheap book for many years and I can’t even remember where or how I got it. Probably it would have been back in the period where I have discovered Wagner and tried to get as many books of his as possible.

As far as I know this is the only Conan story KEW ever wrote. Wagner was one of the best successors of R E Howard in the Sword and Sorcery genre that added a personal darker aspect.

So he did in this story also which could easily be a Kane book without changing many things. The writer deviates a bit from the barbarian hero Howard created and the story’s plot is little more complicated that the usual Conan stories.

It begins with a duel then prison liberation rebellion and a massive battle but it doesn’t end with victory rather more the story twists again and there is sorcery necromancy and a second rebellion.

The support characters have more depth and Wagner introduces new elements in the Hyborian age like democracy, constitution and such things that don’t fit well.

I would have rated it for three stars instead of four of only I didn’t love Conan and Wagner and have a weak spot for this kind of stories…

[Ignacio Senao f · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se considera una de las mejores historias escritas de Conan por alguien que no es Robert H. Si bien está muy lejos de los originales, el hecho de meteré un ejército de soldados de piedras le hace algo diferente a los demás pastiches. Lo restante en la línea: Conan se mete en un follón, la lía parda y acaba como un héroe.

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best later Conan novel, a story of surprising depth for the genre that contains many real-world political references. Our hero is involved in a political revolution in a certain kingdom, despite his doubts about the motives that are often hidden behind such movements, knowing human nature very well. He necessarily overcomes his second concern about the use of magic to achieve the goals of the revolution and devotes himself wholeheartedly to this struggle. As expected, however, things are not so simple and he has to deal with a particularly complicated situation. The author describes this situation to us, adding an even greater dose of cynicism, giving basis to the shadowy characters and their motivations, while doing an excellent job in describing the battles and the most intense events of the plot.

Ίσως το καλύτερο μεταγενέστερο μυθιστόρημα για τον Κόναν, μία ιστορία με εκπληκτικό βάθος για το είδος η οποία περιέχει πολλές πολιτικές αναφορές στον πραγματικό κόσμο. Ο ήρωας μας εμπλέκεται σε μία πολιτική επανάσταση σε κάποιον βασίλειο, παρά τις αμφιβολίες του για τα κίνητρα που πολλές φορές κρύβονται πίσω από τέτοιες κινήσεις, γνωρίζοντας πολύ καλά την ανθρώπινη φύση. Αναγκαστικά ξεπερνάει και την δεύτερη ανησυχία του για την χρήση της μαγείας για την επίτευξη των σκοπών της επανάστασης και δίνεται ολόψυχα σε αυτόν τον αγώνα. Όπως αναμένεται όμως τα πράγματα δεν είναι τόσο απλά και καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει μία ιδιαίτερα περίπλοκη κατάσταση. Αυτήν την κατάσταση μας περιγράφει ο συγγραφέας, προσθέτοντας μία ακόμα μεγαλύτερη δόση κυνισμού, δίδοντας βάση στους σκιώδεις χαρακτήρες και στα κίνητρά τους, κάνοντας παράλληλα εξαιρετική δουλειά στην περιγραφή των μαχών και τον πιο έντονων γεγονότων της πλοκής.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Författaren har förläst sig på de många franska revolutionerna. Vi har expy-fouche, expy-napoleon, expy-pariskommunen, m.m. Detta sagt är det en underhållande liten historia. Men av samma kvalitet som min fru läste som fanfiction på archive-of-our-own i början på universtitetstiden.

Det är väldigt tydligt inte en Conan-historia; det gemensamma med dessa, är att de är Nietzscheanska, dvs de lovordar handlingskraft och är misstänksamma mot analys, samtidigt som de visar att tillräcklig handlingskraft och flexibilitet kompenserar för dålig planering. Det är därför Conans färdigheter i böckerna är lika mycket tjuvens, och upprorsmakarens, som krigarens. Conanhistorierna har visserligen alltid gjort honom lite starkare, lite viljestarkare, och lite bättre på språk än normalmänniskan, men aldrig lutat sig på hans superintellekt. Det gör denna historia. Conans analys (och det rör sig om analys, inte de normala instinkterna) är felfri. Inte heller är det handlingsbenägenhet som egentligen är avgörande för historien. Snarare är den magi som förekommer av samma tunga karaktär, som magin i Lovecraft; det är inget som vanliga dödliga kan svara på, utan det måste göras av andra mager.

Sammanfattningsvis är detta en mycket bra pulphistoria, men ingen vidare Conan. Den är ganska underhållande, om man accepterar detta, dock.

[Karl Stark di Grande Inverno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Romanzo breve ma piuttosto brutto.
L'autore vorrebbe fare il verso ad Howard, ma il suo problema è che racconta troppo: pagine e pagine senza un dialogo, solo descrizioni su descrizioni.
Carina l'idea di dare una sorta di ambientazione da "antica Roma", sia nei nomi dei personaggi sia nelle loro azioni. Però i pregi finiscono qui, perchè è tutto troppo decompresso per sortire molto interesse nel lettore.

[Temucano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larga aventura en el reino de Zingara, donde Conan se vuelve a enfrentar a poderosos gobernantes y temibles hechiceros, resultando en una ristra de muertos considerable. La trama fantástica viene dada por la Guardia Póstuma, temible hechizo nigromante que pone en aprietos a nuestro héroe, este Conan de Wagner, más bruto y fiel a sus principios que nunca.

Para pasar el rato viene bien, pero no deja mayor huella en las crónicas originales de este emblemático personaje de Howard.

[Eric Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Rating: 4.0/5.0]
Earlier this year I read "Conan - Blood of the Serpent" by S. M. Sterling. I gave it 3 stars and almost gave it 2.5. My reaction was "Conan pastiche fiction can be so much better than this!" I now have proof of that with "Conan: The Road of Kings" by Karl Edward Wagner. This novel is great. Wonderful pacing, interesting characters, and an engaging backdrop for a Conan adventure. It's almost but not quite "Conan in the French Revolution." As dumb as that probably sounds it was a blast. It's not perfect and wouldn't be mistaken for a perfect imitation of Robert E. Howard, but it stands as its own as a great adventure yarn of reckless battle, dark magic, and betrayal. Highly recommended.

[Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Wagner book and I absolutely loved it. While I've enjoyed other Conan pastiches before, this felt like it actually could've been written by REH. Highly recommend for Conan or fantasy fans

[Stuart Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conan goes to Zingara, joins a mercenary troop, runs afoul of the Captain of the Royal Guards, and gets thrown in jail. Nothing new here. When Conan escapes his execution(sorry, spoiler) he joins up with a group of Beatniks who want to overthrow the king and and set up either a Communist Utopia or a Constitutional Monarchy. Conan doesn't care which but he owes them for saving his life so he sticks around. When a Stygian sorcerer shows up Conan tells them they should kill him or everything will go badly but they don't listen and then everything goes badly.

Conan spends a lot of his time on the periphery of the real action. He is literally out of town when the big events happen. He does plenty of fighting but he is mostly a pawn in a bigger game. The uprising in Zingara reads like it's straight out of the June Rebellion in Les Miserables, with barricades and everything. All the characters he interacts with are dogmatic radicals which limits their personalities. The time period is a bit off, with basket hilted rapiers and petticoats everywhere. It was entertaining, but I was expecting a bit more out of Wagner. he does a better job with his Kane series, maybe he should just stick to that.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that I agree with Robert that this story seemed wanting for Kane--and it is hard to judge fairly knowing the masterwork Dr. Wagner had in his most recurring character. But is is written in the tradition of peak-era pulp--a period of interchangeable characters and plug-in stories that reflect the grace under pressure of the giants of the day--to produce lasting stories despite a need to eat.
I understand that an accepted Conan story would have been one of the highlights of Dr. Wagner's personal career... and also considering that Kane is built on the foundations provided by the classic pulp genre (including Howard) so in effect a story of Conan kept to the tradition inspired by Howard might be considered a bit of a step back.
It is a testimony and my pleasure for me to state my opinion that Wagner not only joined the ranks of the masters but surpassed them in his brilliant and all-too-short career. In that, Conan: Road of Kings is perhaps the epitome of the Conan saga to date--and most like what Howard himself might have penned given that mortality wasn't an issue to a writer's career.
I think that's what Dr. Wagner would have intended.