Conan The Raider

Adventures of Conan

by Leonard Carpenter

In the ancient land of Shem, Conan joins with tomb-robbers to loot the untold wealth piled up in the huge royal mausoleum, yet so simple a decision enmeshes the mighty Cimmerian in intrigues and danger on every side.

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Fiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Leonard Paul Carpenter (born 1948) is an American technical writer and author of fantasy, historical and futurist fiction. He began by selling horror/fantasy tales and Conan the Barbarian sequels, eleven novels totaling a million words. This is more of the Conan saga than any other author living or dead, including Conan's inspired creator Robert E. Howard in the 1930's. Now Carpenter breaks out of sci-fantasy with his mainstream historical opus Lusitania Lost, a wartime epic of the sinking of the luxury liner in 1915 by a German U-boat, which ultimately caused the US to enter WWI. This is the first novelization of an event more dramatic and significant than the Titanic tragedy 3 years earlier. Carpenter has also written the screenplay adaptation of this book. Another novel of his, the future-history thriller Biohacker, is available on Amazon Kindle. Carpenter is the widowed survivor of a 50-year courtship and marriage, proud father of 3, and owner of a superstar Frisbee dog, Lizzie. He spends his time traveling and writing about a Cuban fantasy quest and real-life engagement in his just-published novel, Tropic of Cuba, now serialized on Kindle Vella at Amazon (first chapters free!)

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conan the Raider was the second of Carpenter's eleven Conan novels; Carpenter wrote more canon Conan that anyone else, including Jordan, Howard, or de Camp. His stories tended to have less graphic violence and sex than Roberts or Green, which was truer to Howard's style. This one seems to be heavily influenced by Indiana Jones, and the word 'tomb" might well have been inserted before "raider" in the title. (It even has snakes!) Rather than a straight-forward progressive narrative, there are several little side-trip vignettes than eventually build to the ultimate face-off and conclusion, and Carpenter writes with obvious enthusiasm for and knowledge of his character. As with most of the Conan pastiches, it's not Howard, but it's still fun.

[Fonch · Rating 4 out of 5]

dedicated with affection to Don José Baena Castel and his boys of Melodys of Steel.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is quite possible that this is my last review of the year since I want to rest during the Christmas holidays, although I will continue to read books, I still have 1700 pages to overcome the pages I read last year. Before I begin this review I want to thank all the goodreads users, who have congratulated me, and supported my efforts. They were the support, I needed to get it, and also my vanity wanted to reach 2000 books at Goodreads. Although I still do as the great detective Aristide Valentine"Don't monkey my bow before our common master",I still have a long way to go to get to the records of my admired Steven R. McEvoy, and Jeff Miller (they deserve popular applause more than I do) and more Goodreads users who read a lot. As I say to everyone, the secret to getting this record is: 1st love literature, 2ohave a lot of free time, and 3rd set goals that can be achieved. First I set myself an affordable challenge to read 100, then try to reach the 2000 books in Goodreads, and finally, surpass the books I read last year. Something, which I thought was impossible, because I thought, had already reached my limits.
Well I write a few more lines because I have to go to a conference of Medicine and Surgery of Valladolid. This pastiche of Conan written by Leonard Carpenter I saw it in comic Castilla (a shop in Valladolid) and was on offer, and as I wanted to impress my friends from Melodías del Acero (and by the way I took advantage to dedicate it to my friend and half-country man Don José Baena Castel and to the members of Melodys of Steel) who are lovers of Conan I bought it, and I promised them that I would read it.
The truth is that my relationship with Conan began with the cartoons, and then I saw the two movies, liking more Conan's The Destroyer https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film3... https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film6...
, than that of Conan the Barbarian. I must admit that the film didn't impress me at first, and I didn't like that defiant Conan of theocracies (i.e. Robert Ervin Howard https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... to me he was inspired by the story of the Copper Age, bronze and iron to set his fantastic worlds. Something I thought was a very good idea. With commission from Milius's film let's say he's a director I never liked. I remember that film by Sean Connery and Brian Keith (playing Theodore Roosevelt (Keith's performance was very good, but I don't have much sympathy for that particular president) anti-European and Islamic, extolling one of Spain's enemies. It took time for me to appreciate something else, although it still hasn't convinced me. Perhaps I was not very pleased, that the model of the Film Conan was Genghis Kahn you know the one of "O Lord help me unite the Mongols even if I have to kill the other half". It's not that I'm holding him, but It's that Genghis Kahn killed 20 million people, and the Mongols invaded Europe, and they didn't advance because Ogodai died, but no one would have stopped them. Yet Lignica was a Pyrrhic victory for them, and the suffering Hungary with Bela IV, and Henry the Pious stood up to the Mongol horde, and also the Germans (although Frederick II paid no attention to that threat). For once these countries worked as a team https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film5... I still remember that wonderful antihistoric film the Princess of Samarkand with Ann Blyth, David Farrar (the bad guy of Black Armor) and Richard Egan https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film9... inspired by Harold Lamb's books where the Mongols battled the Crusaders. I guess I liked the Kistch vibe better, and Conan the Destroyer's Sword and Witchy. Besides, he was no longer as unsociable as Conan the Barbarian, and was surrounded by what we would call a group of friends in a role-playing game. They said this Conan was more based on the Comic-Con. Yet he was more sympathetic to The Beastmaster https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film8... though that was. The film horrified its author André Norton who withdrew his name from the film's credits https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Also Influenced that I was closer to a fantasy closer to the Inklings, or to the writers of the Dungeons and Dragons universe https://www.goodreads.com/genres/dung... than that of the triumvirate H.P. Lovecraft https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and there was also something else, that i was frightened of Robert Ervin Howard and that is that I feel an aversion to suicides. All these prejudices faded when I had the honor of reading the wonderful edition that made Chair in its Popular Classics section "The Queen of the Black Coast and Other Stories" https://www.catedra.com/libro.php?cod... very good translation and introduction. This made me a fan of Conan the Cimerio. First I discovered, that despite Nietszche's influence by Nietszche https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Charles Darwin https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Jack London https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was not irreligious. On his first adventures. As King of Aquilonia "The Phoenix and the Sword" Conan is saklvado and aided by Crom (that adventure was intended for another character of Robert Ervin Howard King Kull https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... character who would play Kevin Sorbo or Hercules). The idea of the superstitious barbarian did not belong to Robert Ervin Howard, but was something that came from Lyon Sprague of Camp along with another fantasy pioneer Lin Carter https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... In addition to continuing conan's saga, he wrote a biography of Robert E. Howard) Conan served to develop the universe of the Dungeons and Dragons. Another thing, which I liked is the theme of adventure, its exotism, and something that fascinates me the subject of the decadence and the twilight of civilization. As urban societies decay and degenerate. I think Howard was closer to Oswald Spengler https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... that Will Durant https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... which I connect most, even if my references are G.K. Chesterton https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Hilaire Belloc https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or Christopher Dawson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... but very few have counted as Robert E. Howard the sunset, or the sunset, or the decay of a civilization perhaps the Mika Wltari of "Sinuhe the Egyptian" or "The Fall of Constantinople" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... or Nicholas Guild https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... in this world of Robert E. Howard, cities not only decay, but evolve into a true abomination. Civilization tends to become a monster, and only a hero as savage as Conan who is a survivor can survive. He was also a very politically incorrect writer Robert Ervin Howard. He considered that lascivia, and sexual debauchery, were the beginning and germ of the decline of a civilization, as it was seen in which I believe, which is the best account of Robert E. Howard and his masterpiece "Red Nails". You like fantasy, or I don't think it's one of the best books ever written https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... It is true, that one of the attractions that Conan possesses are just like James Bond the beautiful women he surrounds himself with, but despite their sicaliptic covers. Conan is like alcohol in MacBeth https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... "the Jesuitism of the loving impulse that incites desire, but impedes its execution." Yet it has some but the saga of Conan and is that it is too individualistic. He's not a bad companion, but Conan goes about his business, and many of his fellow adventurers don't have the strength of the barbarian and succumb. It still has a cut of pessimism and disenchantment very typical of Omar Khayam https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Also how he discovered the sophist Protágoras https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... people who are obsessed with force are very vulnerable and tend to succumb violently sometimes by their own hand, because they do not agree to find themselves in a moment of weakness, and this happened to Robert E. Howard, who to compensate for his fragility sought to be stronger and could not bear the difficulties, having that unfortunate end. Yet he bequeathed to the world some great heroes Kull, Sonya la Roja, or Solomon Kane, but the most outstanding of them will be King Conan (only Lyon Sprague of Camp) and I totally disagree with Robert Bloch https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... who hated him. Conan is more than just a strong beast, he has the brain, and the sensitivity that allow him to be a survivor. Leonard Carpenter has been able to create a very entertaining story by being faithful to the spirit of Robert E. Howard. My colleagues in Steel Melodys told me that it would have to be very bad, to overcome Robert Jordan's disastrous books https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... about Conan. Of course, I'm not surprised, that he's chosen to write more Conan pastiches, because this book despite its flaws is very entertaining. The prologue said that Carpenter in his other novels about Conan (this was the first) was very loyal to Robert E. Howard, and used to draw many of the characters featured in the comic book. The start with Conan entering the desert going after the bandit Juvius who stole Khorala's jewel is spectacular. As well as the rescue by the grave desecrations. He describes to me how Carpenter describes his members the ambitious, greedy Vanir Utsgard, the verbrity pendon of Zafriti, whose charms will put Conan in many troubles (it will be very interesting to see Conan fighting his regret with his unreliable companion Otsgard for a woman she doesn't want, who knows that all she's going to do is get her in trouble, and she wants to get rid of. They are as Robyn Penrose would say two suckers fighting for a bone, and nothing tasty by the way), the reflexive Isaib, who may be the one who best falls to us, because he is a friend of Conan, and is the wisest, and the most impartial. Then there's the revolutionary. Carpenter on the one hand will criticize Otsgard's greed (which will have much to do with his fate), but also the ostentation and arrogance of Shem's aristocracy (which is inspired by Summer, Akad, and especially Babylon. His King is called Ebnezub). It is curious how he has captured this man's obsession with immortality, as Leonard Carpenter has already done the anonymous author of Gil Gamesh https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... also criticizes the selfishness of the elites, who spend their money on expensive mausoleums, while the people starve to death. The first part with the robbery of the tombs reminds me of Robert E. Howard's Conan, with his lost civilizations, and their monsters. The rest of the book is closer to the movies and the comic book world. We see a more thoughtful, fairer Conan that worries she about Shem's well-being and fate.
We see another of Conan's features in the villain. The priest who founded a false religion, and uses it to increase his power. The reader already knows he's an impostor, and a phony, but his speech to the guests sounds believable. Theologically it is very interesting to analyze his speech. In one thing Horaspes is right and it is in the existence of the mistress, and that he is immortal. We see Jesus' reply to the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection. I admit, I didn't expect the transhumanist twist of the character, who proves, that he's more than just a phony. He's a huge villain The other two women missing Afrit the princess reminds me a lot of Conan's Jhenna the destroyer, who wants Conan to help her get rid of her cruel and selfish stepmother Nikator, who is a depraved, ambitious woman. Slave of her passions (if there will be a fight of gtas). Nikator reminded me of Tacela the villain of "Red Nails". The conclusion is fine, although perhaps Conan's departure from Shem is a little hasty. The author has respected the spirit of Robert E. Howard, and though I would have liked it, that some character would not have died, and someone else would have died in his place. The ending is very successful, and Carpenter finishes very well, offering Conan what he was going to look for. This is a much simpler book, and more pleasant to read than the previous one. I've had a time as a duse reading it, and I recommend it to everyone. For looking for a defect, maybe I've over-given. Conan is better off in the short story, but it's a very good book. I wish Goodreads users a merry Christmas, a prosperous new year, and for the Magi to bring them many things, and I thank them for making me live such a wonderful year eat this.

[Сибин Майналовски · Rating 3 out of 5]

Две звезди надолу заради безумното име на един от героите — ЕБНЕЗЪБ!!! *фейспалм*

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Conan novel set in Conan's youth, just after the events of "The Tower of the Elephant." It is set in the land of Shem, which is a Hyborian-age version of Egypt(or the Levant more generally). It treats the plottings of a necromancer, Horapses, as he attempts to establish a secret death cult and muster an undead horde in Shem. There were some memorable characters: Ostgar, the Vanir rogue/taverner; Zafriti, the faithless dancer; the evil and sadistic queen, Nitokar. The narrative is somewhat disjointed and whiplashed. There isn't a traditional building toward a conflict. Instead, it is episodic, a series of related tales that can be loosely inserted into the overarching story of Horapses's evil plottings. The setting was interesting, but the best feature. The quasi-Egyptian atmosphere of tombs and tomb construction reminded me of the *Raiders of the Lost Ark.* This is the first Carpenter pastiche I have read and it exceeded expectations. It was fun and a good distraction.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun. Carpenter steers the plot through some nifty scenes that give Conan worthy settings for entertaining acts of barbarian bad-assery—the ‘gladiator’ scene, against a big bad guy who fights with live snakes, really stood out for its pacing and tension. One big plus is the blatant depiction of sorcery, including necromancy, illusions and pestilence. My main criticism is that, at times, the story did drag, as the inevitable confrontation was exactly that.

This read was an enjoyable first dive into Conan pastiche.

[Santiago L. Moreno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nuevas aventuras del antes cimeriano y ahora cimmerio más famoso de todos los tiempos. Situada cronológicamente tras Sombras en Zamboula, uno de los originales más flojos de Robert E. Howard, esta novela de Leonard Carpenter muestra los intentos de Conan y una banda de ladrones de tumbas por hacerse con los tesoros del mausoleo en construcción de un rey semita agonizante. El brujo estigio de turno y unas criaturas resucitadas por el mismo harán lo imposible para acabar con los planes y la vida del bárbaro.

Un mero entretenimiento que como tal sólo logra su objetivo en las últimas páginas, alimentadas por una acción desbordante y un notable poder visual del cual el mismísimo Ray Harryhausen, de estar hablando de otro medio distinto, podría haber asumido la paternidad. Final feliz, coherencia con el resto de la serie y algunas imágenes escalofriantes en un libro marcado por una floja labor de traducción. Sirva el abuso del verbo complotar como ejemplo.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Leonard Carpenter’s second outing with Conan and, I would argue, his best.

It starts with an Indiana Jones- or James Bond-style side adventure that has no bearing on the rest of the plot but is interesting nonetheless despite its brevity.

After this, Conan becomes involved in the intrigue of a Shemitish city-state. Carpenter handles the action competently though his writing is rather pedestrian.

As I noted, this is probably Carpenter’s best Conan novel. That puts it about in the middle of the pack for the Tor series.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe Leonard Carpenter wrote more Conan pastiches than any other author. Keeping in mind that I generaly don't like Conan pastiches, some of Carpenter's were pretty good. I obviously enjoyed them at some extent because I read 7 of them.

This is one of the better ones.

[Dr Mattaconda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conan of Cimmeria is back and this time he's after a shiny trinket that could fetch him a king's ransom worth of gold. But in order to get his hands on his treasured prize, he'll have to join a band of sneaky tomb robbers, survive palace intrigues, and combat a vile prophet hellbent on raising an army of the dead. Snake wrestlers! Necromancers! Fat kings! S&M queens! Exotic dancers! Tomb raiding! Crom, if you do not like this book, then the hell with you!

"Conan the Raider" is one of eleven Conan novels produced by Leonard Carpenter, who has the distinction of publishing more Conan related material than even Conan's creator Robert E. Howard. I honestly don't know what the fan consensus is on Carpenter's work, although I can surmise he's not thought of as highly as the creator and some of the other pastiche authors, because I rarely see much discussion of his work on the series despite his prolific output.

Stranded in the desert after a botched attempt to recover the Star of Khorala, a jewel worth more than he could possibly imagine, Conan happens upon a band of tomb raiders led by the roguish innkeeper Otsgar and joins in their cause more out of survival rather than taking any great joy in skulking around ancient burial grounds for baubles. Also included in Ostgar's retinue are his second-in-command Isaiab, the firebrand youth Asrafel, and Ostgar's main squeeze, the exotic Stygian dancer Zafriti. After an Indiana Jones-style episode in a tomb rife with lizardmen, our group reconvenes at Ostgar's inn located in the city of Abaddrah. There, the group conspires to loot the nearly completed tomb of the cruel King Ebnezub... the only problem is, the corpulent Ebnezub isn't quite dead yet. It is, however, a poorly kept secret that the wicked Queen Nitokar is likely poisoning her husband every day, so the king's time is short. What the rumor mongers don't know is that Nitokar is aided in her scheme to take the throne by a dark prophet known as Horaspes, who has his own plans for Abaddrah once Nitokar is installed as solitary ruler. Conan stumbles onto a means to get himself hired on as a digger for Ebnezub's tomb, and the intrigues and turns only spiral from there...

One thing that immediately stands out about this novel is how episodic the structure is. "Conan the Raider" would make excellent serialized fare back in the heyday of pulp magazines, because Carpenter opted for several different stories all weaved into one longer narrative. I think this evokes Howard's originals more than a reader might first suspect. The initial foray into the desert tomb is akin to a James Bond film's pre-title sequence, then we have an adventure inside Ebnezub's almost-completed tomb, then we shift to a long sequence of Conan spirited away to the palace to perform as a gladiator and meet Ebnezub's legitimate heir Princess Afrit (who obviously has a built-in rivalry to the death with her stepmother Nitokar), then we have Conan actually working in the tombs and gathering inside knowledge of the layout and design of the place, then an escape and reunion with Ostgar's crew, the subsequent raid of Ebnezub's tomb, and a final act where Horaspes steps forward from the shadows and reveals what his sinister plan was all along. This was a novel where I appreciated the less traditional structure and was genuinely surprised at a few of the twists the plot took.

Concerning our hero, it's not the best characterization of pastiche Conan I've ever read, but it's not the worst either. I found Carpenter's Conan to be a little too wordy at times, doubly strange when you consider this is intended to be set not too long after Howard's short story "The Tower of the Elephant", which would mean Conan is still in his younger years and thus still learning the ropes and adjusting to the travails of the adventuring life. There are certain speeches Conan gives to the supporting characters that read more like a world-weary and experienced soldier of fortune than a younger man exploring the world for the first time. Personally, I wish some of the pastiche authors could have resisted the whole Conan chronology pushed by the likes of L. Sprague de Camp (among others) and simply presented us with standalone adventure yarns without concern for where the story truly fits in the character's chronology, but that's just me and my position on the endlessly pedantic 'Conan timeline' debate.

Now onto the sex and violence front... well, I hate to disappoint you ravenous dogs, but "Conan the Raider" is more of a PG-13 affair, which again is not too far removed from Howard's style. There are plenty of battles and there are a few moments of extreme violence, but Carpenter doesn't revel in the gory or stay with it for too long. There's something truly terrible that happens to one minor character, but it occurs off-screen and the reader only briefly learns of the after-effects. The sex scenes are entirely glossed over and we're only treated to the 'smoking cigarettes in bed' kind of aftermath. There are some elements of mild eroticism on display; Carpenter must have had a thing for powerful women practicing extracurricular liaisons without their partners, because there are two of them in this novel. Queen Nitokar is clearly a sadist who openly taunts Conan about enjoying employing her whip on her playthings behind closed doors with the king's consent. And Zafriti is pretty much openly cuckolding Otsgar with some frequency, including at least once with Conan halfway through the novel. It's an interesting quirk in their relationship that Otsgar seems resigned to. I suppose Carpenter added it to either make readers think Otsgar was extra pathetic or that Zafriti was wanton and slightly wicked, but we kinda already knew these things from the moment we met them. The whole Otsgar/Zafriti/Conan situationship is made even more bizarre when we learn very late in the novel that another character has been pining after Zafriti from afar the entire time.

Nitpicks aside, I would definitely recommend "Conan the Raider" to anyone looking to explore some of the Conan novels if they've exhausted the originals. There are a few nadirs in the Tor series of Conan novels from what I remember, so this is one that easily sets itself aside from those thanks to its quick pace and sense of unexpected adventures. Hail and kill, Conan. Hail and kill.

[Isen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A thief stole a gem that Conan stole from some other guy, and flees into the desert. Conan chases after him, with no plans on how to actually get out of said desert when all's over and done with. Luckily the plot comes to the rescue, and Conan is saved from death by thirst by a roving band of grave robbers, who need his assistance in busting open a crypt full of crocodile demons. That is pretty weird and it goes badly, but no one dwells too long on it, because this is not actually the plot. This is a lengthy prelude into the actual story of the book, and that is a mad prophet's confused plan to raise an army of undead in a Shemitish city state, and Conan's alternating desire to rob a tomb and be a hero.

I should note straightaway that the book reads well, as did Carpenter's previous offering. Smooth prose does much to make the rest of the package less offensive. Because if you dig into it, there's much to take issue with. Conan keeps his fallibility from the previous work, but now he also gets his Lawful Good alignment; the plot meanders unconvincingly before suddenly resolving itself all at once in the final chapters; the character interactions are poor and unconvincing. But hey, it's a decent read.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conan the Tomb Raider. After they find him near death in the desert some professional tomb thieves take Conan to their city in Shem. In Shem, the king is near death and the entire populace is involved in the new practice of massive tomb building. Conan thinks it would be a great idea to relieve the newly dead king of some of his worldly treasures so as not to overburden him as he travels to the underworld. With his on-again off-again allies, Conan takes part in some scouting, some dungeon time, pit fighting, tomb building, and spelunking. Being the entire book is about tombs there is naturally a necromancer involved. Plus a saucy queen, a sultry princess, and a voluptuous dancing girl. And snakes.

Not as much action as other Conan novels as it is more of a heist story. Lots of planning and scouting the land and backstabbing, less overt stabbiness. No real surprises, but it remains entertaining.

[Nick Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan the (Tomb) Raider!
This one is a great time. Carpenter's Conan feels like Conan. In this one we get a young Conan during his thieving years on the hunt for tomb-buried treasure. You get all your favorite Conan tropes done well. The sexy untrustworthy dancer, the sexy and clever royal damsel in distress, Conan in a duel to the death (against a fighter with snakes for weapons no less!), the evil necromancer, the vile queen, and an expert-swordsman-turned-zombie to face-off against Conan in an epic final fight. Add to that one of my favorite Conan covers of all-time, and you got yourself action escapism at its best. Seek this one out and enjoy!

[Aaron White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, of all the counterfeit Conans I’ve read so far, is one of the best. This is a movie I would enjoy seeing: evil necromancers, a royal family in chaos, tomb raiding, and lets not forget the strange alligator people and the army of the undead mummies. Just fun.

[Калоян Захариев · Rating 3 out of 5]

Поредната добра история за Конан. Този път той ще обира гробници, но с процеса се замесва с един крал, неговия пророк и цяла планина черна магия. Екшън, красиви жени, обрати... ето затова обичам Конан.

[Patrick Whitehurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the zombies, the sorcery, and the bravery of Conan, but missed a little tension. Otherwise a treat for Crom buffs.

[Петър Стойков · Rating 2 out of 5]

Слабичка история за Конан, с много обяснения и по-малко екшън, жени и пиене. Що годе става за четене.

[Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than average, especially for a non-Howard Conan story.

[Mariana Krasteva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много добра книга. Този път Конан се намира в Шем. Говори се много за културата на въпросната страна и мистичната Стигия.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conan the Raider is the second of the eleven novels that Leonard Carpenter wrote in the fifty-book Tor series. In William Galen Gray’s chronology it is the sixtieth Conan tale, following Robert E. Howard’s The Man-Eaters of Zamboula (aka Shadows in Zamboula) and taking place before L. Sprague de Camp and Bjorn Nyberg’s The Star of Khorala.

This tale opens up with Conan chasing the man who had stolen a gem, the Star of Khorala from him. Our favorite barbar had obtained the Star at the end of Howard’s The Man-Eaters of Zamboula. While it does take place directly after that story, you need not have read it, as the tie-in to the actual plot is minimal.

This book could more accurately be called Conan the Tomb Raider, and I rather liked it. We get an inside look at the building of a massive pyramidal tomb, which, of course, Conan is going to rob. I liked the shadow that Stygia’s culture cast over neighboring Abaddrah in this book. Carpenter digs into the socio-cultural side of things, which I don’t find too often in the Conan pastiches. The Queen was a bit one dimensional, though.

As in Carpenter’s Conan: Scourge of the Bloody Coast, the hero is awfully forgiving of someone who betrays him. I think Carpenter is showing the practical side of Conan, but, in this book, at least, it seems that Conan will let bygones be bygones (even really, really bad things) if he can make a bit of coin in so doing. I think he undervalues the Cimmerian background too much in this one. Honor and revenge get short shrift.

Where there’s a necromancer, there are undead. I like the horror aspect they bring to this story: there seems to be more substance to it than there was in Conan the Defiant. “Creepy” seems like fair description.

Sex is implied with the sultry dancer who has the lead female role, and Conan is rewarded with a woman’s favors at the end of the book. But this one is low on the Conan sex scale.

Readers of Howard’s original Star tale might have wondered what happened next to Conan: this story answers that question, though 98% of the book is really a side trek in the Star’s saga. But it works.
The next Tor book published after this one was John Maddox Roberts’ Conan the Champion. With so many average (or worse) books in the Tor line, Raider and Champion were a rather solid back to back duo. I found Raider, while not a great book, to be one of the more enjoyable Tor pastiches.

[Lewis Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was damn good fun! From Conan and a band of tomb robbers making their way through a booby-trapped desert crypt, to a Stygian priest trying to bring an army of the dead down on Shem, Conan the Raider tells a fantastic sword and sorcery adventure from start to finish.

While this book doesn't quite match the passion of Howard's original stories, it's still one of the most enjoyable of the pastiche Conan books. Chapter 3 especially may be one of the greatest sword and sorcery chapters I've ever read. I look forward to more by Leonard Carpenter in this Tor mass market paperback run, that's for sure!

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

LEONARD CARPENTER IS ONE OF THE FEW AUTHORS THAT REALLY KNOWS WHAT CONAN IS ALL ABOUT. IN HIS STORIES, HE USES LITTLE DETAILS THAT REALLY PUTS YOU IN THE ACTION. FOR INSTANCE, IN CHAPTER 1 "THE POISON SEA" HE USES SUCH DETAIL THAT YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL THE HEAT AND THE DESOLATION OF THE PLACE AS CONAN PURSUES JUVIUS. THIS NOVEL ALSO HEADS INTO INDIANA JONES TERRITORY IN THE FORM OF AN ANCIENT TOMB LOST IN THE DESERTS OF SHEM. ALSO IT HAS A TOUCH OF HORROR IN THE FORM OF ZOMBIES. GREAT READ!

[Mauro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leí la versión en español: Conan El Profanador.
No encontré esta versión en la página de good reads.

El libro no es malo, pero se nota la diferencia con el Conan de Robert E. Howard, hay magia, batallas y todo lo que puede esperarse del cimerio, pero carece del misticismo que le imprime su creador original.

[Frank McGirk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah...I just can't finish this one. Pretty damn bad. Makes one appreciate Howard all the more.