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Pirate Adventures
The REH Foundation Press is proud to present Pirate Adventures. This will include the first book publication of the Malachi Grim version of “Blades of the Brotherhood." It will also include the world premiere of the incomplete, untitled story that begins “Help! Help! They’re murderin’ me!” This story is listed in "The Last Celt" but was not located until very recently, well after the publication of "The Last of the Trunk." There are other goodies included as well, all items taken from Howard’s original typescripts or manuscripts.
This volume checks in at 257 pages, and will be printed in hardback with dust jacket, in a limited quantity of 200 copies, each individually numbered. Cover art by Tom Gianni.
Contents
Introduction by Rob Roehm
The Pirate (verse)
A Pirate Remembers (verse)
A Buccaneer Speaks (verse)
The Isle of Pirate’s Doom
A Song of the Anchor Chain (verse)
Blades of the Brotherhood (Malachi Grim version)
Buccaneer Treasure (verse)
Swords of the Red Brotherhood
Flint’s Passing (verse)
Black Vulmea’s Vengeance
A Dying Pirate Speaks of Treasure (verse)
Miscellanea
List of Names (The Treasure of Henry Morgan)
The Treasure of Henry Morgan (unfinished, with previously unpublished draft page)
Untitled, “So there I was . . .” (unfinished)
Untitled, “Help! Help! . . .” (unfinished, previously unpublished)
Untitled Synopsis (The Shadow in the Well)
The Shadow in the Well (unfinished draft)
Humor
A Pirut Story
Bill Boozy was a pirate bold (verse)
At the Inn of the Gory Dagger (verse)
This volume checks in at 257 pages, and will be printed in hardback with dust jacket, in a limited quantity of 200 copies, each individually numbered. Cover art by Tom Gianni.
Contents
Introduction by Rob Roehm
The Pirate (verse)
A Pirate Remembers (verse)
A Buccaneer Speaks (verse)
The Isle of Pirate’s Doom
A Song of the Anchor Chain (verse)
Blades of the Brotherhood (Malachi Grim version)
Buccaneer Treasure (verse)
Swords of the Red Brotherhood
Flint’s Passing (verse)
Black Vulmea’s Vengeance
A Dying Pirate Speaks of Treasure (verse)
Miscellanea
List of Names (The Treasure of Henry Morgan)
The Treasure of Henry Morgan (unfinished, with previously unpublished draft page)
Untitled, “So there I was . . .” (unfinished)
Untitled, “Help! Help! . . .” (unfinished, previously unpublished)
Untitled Synopsis (The Shadow in the Well)
The Shadow in the Well (unfinished draft)
Humor
A Pirut Story
Bill Boozy was a pirate bold (verse)
At the Inn of the Gory Dagger (verse)
257 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Robert E. Howard
2,984 books2,650 followersRobert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 20, 2024
Good news! The Robert E. Howard Foundation Press, which for the past 17 years or so has been gradually bringing into print (in handsome, but unfortunately very limited editions) pretty much everything Howard ever wrote that's not already included in one of the big Del Rey collections (The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, Bran Mak Morn: The Last King, Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures, etc.) has finally started rereleasing their back catalog in both Amazon POD physical volumes and in eBook format, Pirate Adventures being one of the first of those reprints.
As you might infer from the title, this is a collection (a relatively slim one) of pretty much every otherwise uncollected piratical story or poem that Howard wrote, and as you might expect given the author, it's a thundering great read, full of pistol shot and flashing cutlasses and blood in the scuppers. Whatever those are. And, again because Howard, plenty of lost temples and glittering jewels and the occasional ... questionable ethnic portrayal; but if you're already this far along in your Howardry, you've probably girt your loins accordingly.
So, the book itself. As mentioned, it's relatively brief -- four major stories (one of which is a full-on novella) and a handful of poems, and rounded out with an assortment of drafts and fragments. Two of the stories (Blades of the Brotherhood and Swords of the Red Brotherhood) you've probably read before in slightly different form. Blades, to give it away, features a dour Puritan hero named "Malachi Grim"; and Swords of the Red Brotherhood is a rewritten version of the Conan story The Black Stranger (after that version failed to sell to Howard's usual markets). (And don't tell anyone I said this, but this version might be better than the Conan version if only because it always felt jarring to have Conan stomping around in full Treasure Island cosplay.)
So is this essential? Probably not, but it is an excellent way to while away a few pleasant hours; and if you happen to have some rum or grog to hand while reading, well, I won't hold it against you.
As you might infer from the title, this is a collection (a relatively slim one) of pretty much every otherwise uncollected piratical story or poem that Howard wrote, and as you might expect given the author, it's a thundering great read, full of pistol shot and flashing cutlasses and blood in the scuppers. Whatever those are. And, again because Howard, plenty of lost temples and glittering jewels and the occasional ... questionable ethnic portrayal; but if you're already this far along in your Howardry, you've probably girt your loins accordingly.
So, the book itself. As mentioned, it's relatively brief -- four major stories (one of which is a full-on novella) and a handful of poems, and rounded out with an assortment of drafts and fragments. Two of the stories (Blades of the Brotherhood and Swords of the Red Brotherhood) you've probably read before in slightly different form. Blades, to give it away, features a dour Puritan hero named "Malachi Grim"; and Swords of the Red Brotherhood is a rewritten version of the Conan story The Black Stranger (after that version failed to sell to Howard's usual markets). (And don't tell anyone I said this, but this version might be better than the Conan version if only because it always felt jarring to have Conan stomping around in full Treasure Island cosplay.)
So is this essential? Probably not, but it is an excellent way to while away a few pleasant hours; and if you happen to have some rum or grog to hand while reading, well, I won't hold it against you.
January 27, 2016
Another fantastic themed collection of Robert E. Howard's stories. The action is fast paced and the story always sweeps you along, it doesn't seem to matter if it's pirates, horror or fantasy that Howard is writing about. Even thought these stories were written in the 1920s and 30s they are still an excellent read today. I am never disappointed with a Howard story. Very Recommended
April 29, 2017
The poems here are the real draw for me, although I am a fan of the more historical action version of Swords of the Black Brotherhood. I do often wish we'd gotten more of Terence Vulmea from Howard. He had potential to be as versatile a protagonist as Conan or El Borak had we gotten a broader selection of stories.
August 18, 2025
“Black Vulmea’s Vengeance” is a stand-out yarn in the pantheon of Robert E. Howard’s fiction and the highlight of this collection! Additionally, I gotta say that I think I prefer “Swords of the Red Brotherhood” over the Conan version of the story which was entitled, “The Black Stranger.”
February 20, 2015
I really enjoy Howard's work, as anyone who reads my reviews or knows me can attest. This is a great collection of pirate stories and poetry.
August 17, 2025
The first 2 tales were my personal favorites. The third was good, but ran a bit long. I still think this is well worth a read. It's full of adventure, darkness, violence and Howard's incredible prose.
August 22, 2025
Continuing my read through of every single short story REH ever wrote -- Yes, I have become a massive fan of this author -- and here we visit his (sadly, only) 4 Pirate themed stories that he wrote. But I'm happy to report they are all good, with 2 of them being novellas so I suppose the longer page count makes up for number of stories.
One, Swords of the Red Brotherhood is basically a rehashed version of the Conan story, The Black Stranger. It's not quite as good as that, with Conan being replaced by Vulmea, but it's still one of the most fun and well conceived stories REH has come up with, in my view.
There's another one here, Blades of the Brotherhood, which is basically a retelling of the Kane story the Blue Flame of Vengeance - again, not as good as that one for its lack of well known, heroic character, but still enjoyable.
I won't be covering all of the poems and miscellanea, but I will say I greatly enjoyed the poem Buccaneer Treasure.
My ratings for each story are below:
1. The Isle of Pirates' Doom - 3.25⭐
2. Blades of the Brotherhood - 3.25⭐
3. Swords of the Red Brotherhood - 3.75⭐
4. Black Vulmea's Vengeance - 3.5⭐
One, Swords of the Red Brotherhood is basically a rehashed version of the Conan story, The Black Stranger. It's not quite as good as that, with Conan being replaced by Vulmea, but it's still one of the most fun and well conceived stories REH has come up with, in my view.
There's another one here, Blades of the Brotherhood, which is basically a retelling of the Kane story the Blue Flame of Vengeance - again, not as good as that one for its lack of well known, heroic character, but still enjoyable.
I won't be covering all of the poems and miscellanea, but I will say I greatly enjoyed the poem Buccaneer Treasure.
My ratings for each story are below:
1. The Isle of Pirates' Doom - 3.25⭐
2. Blades of the Brotherhood - 3.25⭐
3. Swords of the Red Brotherhood - 3.75⭐
4. Black Vulmea's Vengeance - 3.5⭐
July 20, 2014
Who will be the pirate of the year? How will captain Spike escape from the dungeons of Rotters' Isle??
Find out all these answer in the book....
Find out all these answer in the book....
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews