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Adventures of Conan
Conan The Rogue
In order to recover a priceless artifact with a history that changes with every telling, Conan travels to a city where anything can be had for a price, including the death of Conan the Rogue. Reissue.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1991
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About the author
John Maddox Roberts
127 books253 followersaka Mark Ramsay
John Maddox Roberts is the author of numerous works of science fiction and fantasy, in addition to his successful historical SPQR mystery series. The first two books in the series have recently been re-released in trade paperback.
John Maddox Roberts is the author of numerous works of science fiction and fantasy, in addition to his successful historical SPQR mystery series. The first two books in the series have recently been re-released in trade paperback.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 29, 2022
This is a fun mystery/intrigue caper novel with a sword & sorcery backdrop, but would have been much more suited to Nehwon, home to Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, than to Howard's Cimmerian rogue. It's a well-written story, but it didn't work as a Conan for me.
June 26, 2020
This was the first Conan novel I read. I certainly wasn’t displeased with it though it is perhaps too long for this kind of story.
In a mashup of Red Harvest, The Maltese Falcon, and Yojimbo, Conan goes to a corrupt Aquilonian city seeking an idol that will confer power to its possessor. The story involves the requisite warring factions and obligatory femme fatale to advance the plot and spice up the plot.
Perhaps the least developed plot line involves a group of slave-trading mercenaries who exist largely at the periphery of the narrative and exist for apparently no other purpose but to provide Conan with a climactic fight to close his adventure. Despite this minor quibble, the book is smoothly paced and features competent writing.
Overall, the characters are more than just ciphers and actually have believable motivations for their actions. This sets Conan the Rogue above most of the Conan pastiches, whose plots advance mostly by fiat.
Aside from competent writing, solid pacing, and intricate but believable plotting, Roberts excels in characterizing Conan himself. The Cimmerian is believable as a seasoned rogue using his brain as well as his brawn to overcome the odds. One minor quibble I have in this area is Roberts’ refusal to fully explore Conan’s lusty side. Although Conan does bed a girl relatively early in the story, Roberts goes out of his way to keep the hero from any libidinous encounters with the two other potential lovers in the story. One makes sense. The other feels forced and unnatural. This is minor though. That Conan exhibits most of the barbaric and intelligent attributes of the Howard original renders this an unobtrusive flaw in the narrative.
I greatly enjoy this book and consider it the best Conan pastiche after Karl Edward Wagner’s Road of Kings. Unfortunately most authors of non-Howard Conan other than Roberts fail to create such solid tales.
In a mashup of Red Harvest, The Maltese Falcon, and Yojimbo, Conan goes to a corrupt Aquilonian city seeking an idol that will confer power to its possessor. The story involves the requisite warring factions and obligatory femme fatale to advance the plot and spice up the plot.
Perhaps the least developed plot line involves a group of slave-trading mercenaries who exist largely at the periphery of the narrative and exist for apparently no other purpose but to provide Conan with a climactic fight to close his adventure. Despite this minor quibble, the book is smoothly paced and features competent writing.
Overall, the characters are more than just ciphers and actually have believable motivations for their actions. This sets Conan the Rogue above most of the Conan pastiches, whose plots advance mostly by fiat.
Aside from competent writing, solid pacing, and intricate but believable plotting, Roberts excels in characterizing Conan himself. The Cimmerian is believable as a seasoned rogue using his brain as well as his brawn to overcome the odds. One minor quibble I have in this area is Roberts’ refusal to fully explore Conan’s lusty side. Although Conan does bed a girl relatively early in the story, Roberts goes out of his way to keep the hero from any libidinous encounters with the two other potential lovers in the story. One makes sense. The other feels forced and unnatural. This is minor though. That Conan exhibits most of the barbaric and intelligent attributes of the Howard original renders this an unobtrusive flaw in the narrative.
I greatly enjoy this book and consider it the best Conan pastiche after Karl Edward Wagner’s Road of Kings. Unfortunately most authors of non-Howard Conan other than Roberts fail to create such solid tales.
July 31, 2019
Conan plays Clint Eastwood in "A Fistful of Dollars". He is hired to obtain an item in the Aquilonian town of Sicas, a place that is even more wretched than Shadazar the Wicked. When he gets there he makes a show of himself by killing some thugs in public, then proceeds to hire himself out to every gang leader, civic leader, and religious leader in town. Conan takes on so many different jobs from so many different people that I completely lost track of them all. He spends over 150 pages scouting the town, looking for exits and secret doors, collecting information, and just making a general nuisance of himself. He kills some guys, maims others, gets locked up, beat up, sexed up, and fed a lot. He manages to turn everyone in town against the other and mayhem ensues. Eventually he gets around to completing some of the jobs he was paid to do, even if that means stealing the same thing for two different people.
Even though it takes forever for it to all come together I really enjoyed Conan's intricate plotting and finding ways to turn one group against another. Sometimes it's fun to see Conan use his brain instead of just his fists. He uses both brains and fists enough here to make this one of my favorite Conan books. And he gets rich for a change, so that's an added bonus.
Even though it takes forever for it to all come together I really enjoyed Conan's intricate plotting and finding ways to turn one group against another. Sometimes it's fun to see Conan use his brain instead of just his fists. He uses both brains and fists enough here to make this one of my favorite Conan books. And he gets rich for a change, so that's an added bonus.
July 2, 2018
Conan meets Fistful of Dollars, a fun mash-up that has a well-paced build-up, but then resolves all-too abruptly. I think the author was juggling too many characters with their sub-plots. Still a clever homage, making for a fun, beach-read.
December 2, 2020
By far, the most enjoyable Tornan I have read. It’s a mashup of Red Harvest, The Maltese Falcon and JMR’s Conan. You can tell JMR immersed himself in Hammett before writing this. Some of the dialogue is very Dashiell Hammett, and has a sense of humor. JMR’s Conan is a bit too Sam Spade to truly be REH’s Conan, but it makes for a fun read.
November 6, 2025
This is a solid sword and sorcery tale, however I can’t help but feel Conan was the wrong character to play John Robert’s protagonist. Having enjoyed many different authors approach to the character I would say that John Robert’s version is my least favorite. This Conan is particularly chauvinist and is lacking in the hard-edged sympathy and specific moral conviction that makes Conan such an interesting character. This is just my opinion but I feel that John Maddox Robert’s Conan has aged the most poorly of any I’ve read. Not bad but missing a certain fiber.
September 16, 2022
Probably my favorite of the Conan pastiche novels. A lot of fun plot threads and riffs on film noir, Kurosawa, and even Temple of Doom, with a Conan that is neither an overpowered stone idol stoic, nor a golden-hearted noble "protector Champion".
July 29, 2024
Just a typical Conan story but really goes into detail how cunning he can be. Lots of planning to get the best possible outcome.
November 28, 2024
This one was really fun!
October 23, 2020
Against all odds, Conan manages to gamble away another fortune, but is fortuitously approached by a fabulously dressed man with a contract. After a few jabs at his employer's sexuality, Conan is off to the rogue-infested town of Sicas, on an undefined quest. In a few weeks time, the town is a smouldering ruin and Conan rides into the sunset, satisfied with another job well done.
Conan the Rogue has the most complex plot of the Roberts' novels so far. Our hero is plunged in the midst of a multipartite gang war involving corrupt officials, questionable priests, scheming mages, mercenaries, and your run-of-the-mill cutthroats. Everyone has their own agenda and, remarkably, despite most characters only getting a scene or two of screen time, almost all of them feel real, believable, and even credible threats. The plot is occasionally hamfisted into the desired direction, but most of the time it flows remarkably smoothly.
The only downside is the character of Conan seems to suffer. Roberts' Conan has often been accused of being overly cerebral, but it is only in this novel that he truly comes across as Sherlock Holmes in a roid rage, rather than a simple warrior of Cimmeria. Still, an enjoyable read.
Conan the Rogue has the most complex plot of the Roberts' novels so far. Our hero is plunged in the midst of a multipartite gang war involving corrupt officials, questionable priests, scheming mages, mercenaries, and your run-of-the-mill cutthroats. Everyone has their own agenda and, remarkably, despite most characters only getting a scene or two of screen time, almost all of them feel real, believable, and even credible threats. The plot is occasionally hamfisted into the desired direction, but most of the time it flows remarkably smoothly.
The only downside is the character of Conan seems to suffer. Roberts' Conan has often been accused of being overly cerebral, but it is only in this novel that he truly comes across as Sherlock Holmes in a roid rage, rather than a simple warrior of Cimmeria. Still, an enjoyable read.
September 28, 2015
I was quite pleased with this book, The author truly succeeded in making Conan appear to be a cunning mastermind as well as an experienced warrior. Manipulating all of the city’s factions against each other needed careful planning.
You can read my full review of this book on my blog: http://ozmosisbookmarked.blogspot.com...
You can read my full review of this book on my blog: http://ozmosisbookmarked.blogspot.com...
July 28, 2018
It is as if Roberts had 10 different story ideas in his mind, wasn't sure which to go with, so, he went with ALL of them.
June 10, 2021
John Maddox Roberts is probably my favorite of the Conan pastiche authors, but Conan the Rogue isn’t my favorite of his Conan books. It is a fun book, and the concept of Conan as the greatest rogue of all in a city of rogues is a good one, but it gets bogged down at times in the execution and can feel a little too generic outside of the baroque, film noir-esque plot machinations.
The book opens with Conan having just squandered the last of his loot from his last mercenary gig. Luckily, an effeminate man named Piris hires him to recover stolen property. The job will take him to Sicas, a small city by a silver mine in Aquilonia, and everyone assures Conan he will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. It is Conan’s kind of place.
He arrives in Sicas to find a city torn between multiple warring gangs. The royal governor and the man holding the lease on the silver mine steal every copper they can. The miners are being oppressed. A shady cult is using the sons and daughters of the city’s wealthy to extort them. And multiple other parties are seeking the same scorpion goddess statuette that Conan has been hired to recover.
Conan immediately sets to work stirring the pot to his own advantage, taking jobs and money from a dizzying array of sources within a few days of arriving. There are a lot of facets, lot of interested parties, and Conan is playing one side against the other, in bed with everybody. The scorpion goddess statuette has a real Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe.
The film noir inspiration is obvious, I think. Conan the Rogue has that kind of baroque, overly complicated plot in spades. Film has the disadvantage of a limited runtime, making it tough to give complex plots coherence. A novel presents a different challenge. Conan winds up setting up some many different plot threads that the book threatens to bog down in the middle, with individual threads left untouched for long stretches, risking the reader either losing interest or forgetting the necessary particulars.
My other complaint is that the individual elements pulled into the story can feel generic, especially the one wizard character who appears (pastiches have a bad habit of neglecting the REH/sword and sorcery approach to magic in favor of the more generic, boring approach common to 80s/90s fantasy).
Conan has no special ladies here but he does have several lady friends. I have mixed feelings on the women in the story and how Conan interacts with them.
Conan isn’t double-crossing anyone sympathetic, so it is pleasing to see them get their comeuppance. The reader can approach the whole thing with the joy that Conan does. It is a fun ride, especially when things heat up at the end.
The book opens with Conan having just squandered the last of his loot from his last mercenary gig. Luckily, an effeminate man named Piris hires him to recover stolen property. The job will take him to Sicas, a small city by a silver mine in Aquilonia, and everyone assures Conan he will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. It is Conan’s kind of place.
He arrives in Sicas to find a city torn between multiple warring gangs. The royal governor and the man holding the lease on the silver mine steal every copper they can. The miners are being oppressed. A shady cult is using the sons and daughters of the city’s wealthy to extort them. And multiple other parties are seeking the same scorpion goddess statuette that Conan has been hired to recover.
Conan immediately sets to work stirring the pot to his own advantage, taking jobs and money from a dizzying array of sources within a few days of arriving. There are a lot of facets, lot of interested parties, and Conan is playing one side against the other, in bed with everybody. The scorpion goddess statuette has a real Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon sort of vibe.
The film noir inspiration is obvious, I think. Conan the Rogue has that kind of baroque, overly complicated plot in spades. Film has the disadvantage of a limited runtime, making it tough to give complex plots coherence. A novel presents a different challenge. Conan winds up setting up some many different plot threads that the book threatens to bog down in the middle, with individual threads left untouched for long stretches, risking the reader either losing interest or forgetting the necessary particulars.
My other complaint is that the individual elements pulled into the story can feel generic, especially the one wizard character who appears (pastiches have a bad habit of neglecting the REH/sword and sorcery approach to magic in favor of the more generic, boring approach common to 80s/90s fantasy).
Conan has no special ladies here but he does have several lady friends. I have mixed feelings on the women in the story and how Conan interacts with them.
Conan isn’t double-crossing anyone sympathetic, so it is pleasing to see them get their comeuppance. The reader can approach the whole thing with the joy that Conan does. It is a fun ride, especially when things heat up at the end.
June 6, 2023
A fairly enjoyable, if somewhat scattered and unnecessarily convoluted, pastiche by Roberts. Conan the Rogue is generally well written and showcases our favourite Cimmerian's brains over his brawn as he slowly turns the cutthroats of the Aquilonian town of Sicas against each other - and takes whatever he can for himself in the process.
Unfortunately, this book is somewhat weighed down by Roberts' decision to cram as many storylines as possible into one 300-page book. As such, none really get the attention they deserve. Had he picked a couple that complemented each other, this would have been a very solid read... but instead, it's a bit of a jumbled mess that ends far too anti-climatically to justify the very lengthy and crowded build-up. It seems Roberts focused a little too much on writing his own Hyborian Age version of A Fistful of Dollars, and perhaps not enough on just delivering a proper "Conan" story.
Still, there were some noteworthy highlights. The sorcerous happenings in the Temple of Mother Doorgah were creepy and effective, the plot with the miners had a satisfying payoff, and Conan's multiple brawls and dungeon escapades were exactly what I want to read in this kind of book. Plus, the story closes on a nice note that's true to Howard's Conan, leading into what would eventually be his conquest of Aquilonia.
In summary, a worthwhile if flawed pastiche by one of the better authors in the Tor run. Still, it was lacking too much in both the swords and sorcery departments for a sword and sorcery novel, and it could have been streamlined to be a much more effective read. 3 stars from me.
Unfortunately, this book is somewhat weighed down by Roberts' decision to cram as many storylines as possible into one 300-page book. As such, none really get the attention they deserve. Had he picked a couple that complemented each other, this would have been a very solid read... but instead, it's a bit of a jumbled mess that ends far too anti-climatically to justify the very lengthy and crowded build-up. It seems Roberts focused a little too much on writing his own Hyborian Age version of A Fistful of Dollars, and perhaps not enough on just delivering a proper "Conan" story.
Still, there were some noteworthy highlights. The sorcerous happenings in the Temple of Mother Doorgah were creepy and effective, the plot with the miners had a satisfying payoff, and Conan's multiple brawls and dungeon escapades were exactly what I want to read in this kind of book. Plus, the story closes on a nice note that's true to Howard's Conan, leading into what would eventually be his conquest of Aquilonia.
In summary, a worthwhile if flawed pastiche by one of the better authors in the Tor run. Still, it was lacking too much in both the swords and sorcery departments for a sword and sorcery novel, and it could have been streamlined to be a much more effective read. 3 stars from me.
June 11, 2021
Yeah, the general consensus is correct. This is a good one. At 304 pages it is also a long one (possibly the longest) and it never bogs down. I was anxious to get to the end, not from boredom, but to see how all the different plot-lines were going to converge. Conan goes to a rough and lawless town filled with warring gangs (the basic plot of Dashiel Hammet’s Red Harvest and its numerous film copycats) and pits them against each other. There is also an evil magic artifact that numerous parties are searching for. Conan ones up everybody quite believably (his infiltration into a religious cult and quick recovery from a beating stretched my credulity though, but I forgive both) and does several good deeds as well. Conan is homophobic about his employer but the employer gets the last laugh in one scene. So the woke-minded shouldn't hate. All in all this is a good pastiche and I think REH himself would have approved. If you're a pastiche hater this one might change your mind, at least a bit.
July 17, 2020
Conan uses his wits to pit a town of thieves and murderers against themselves while he dangles himself in front of every voluptuous woman he comes across. Oh, and he has some great breakfasts. I enjoyed this a lot but fans of the original Conan stories might not. There are some ‘Columbo’ (Just one more question...) moments where I was like...HACK HiM IN HALF! But overall a fun read.
June 6, 2020
A very well crafted story. It reminded me of those Guy Ritchie movies with 6 slowly interlacing stories that work their way towards a splendid finish and Conan clearly having fun sowing discord everywhere for his own profit.
Very enjoyable, read it!
Very enjoyable, read it!
June 17, 2024
Enjoyable enough story, marred by the atrocious quality of the text.
The proofreader/editor must have been drunk, insane or illiterate.
So many typos, in sone cases random words added or removed. It really distracted from the flow of the story.
The proofreader/editor must have been drunk, insane or illiterate.
So many typos, in sone cases random words added or removed. It really distracted from the flow of the story.
June 13, 2013
This is a very entertaining take on the Conan character. The characters are well developed. This is the longest Conan I've ever read. Most are REH's short stories.
May 14, 2014
Conan is Sam Spade?
August 7, 2025
Läsning 3. En av de absolut bästa conan-böckerna i det att den kommer ihåg att Conan som arketypisk figur är en noir-karaktär.
January 4, 2009
Conan pastiche
August 13, 2014
Well written, fast pace and interesting Conan novel . I need more from John Maddox Robert. When?
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews