The Ring of Ikribu

Red Sonja #1

by David C. Smith, Richard L. Tierney

Vintage paperback

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Fiction, Ebooks

246 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was better than I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A sorceror, Asroth, wants to locate a mystical ring in order to increase his power, but is having trouble laying hands on it. He determines that it is located somewhere in a city of 200,000 inhabitants and decides to lay mystic siege to the entire place just to get it. This engenders a lot of opposition including that of the deposed king who hires mercenaries including Red Sonja to help him take his city back. Most of the book in terms of plot deals with the quest to reclaim the city.

That's a very simplified synopsis. Much of the story is in the relationships of the characters, which I am not getting into. Also enjoyable was the recounting of Red Sonja's origin, all told in back story, but related nicely to circumstances occurring in the present.

I've read other reviews of the novel and am frankly surprised at how negative many are. Did these reviewers read the same novel I did? This book presents solid and imaginative sword and sorcery fiction and has several unique factors that elevate it above pedestrian. Some of the supporting characters such as Pellides, Olin, Allas and Tias have strong stories to support the main narrative. There is a convincing romance, a totally unexpected feature in a Red Sonja novel. The antagonist, Asroth, did suffer his first and main defeat off screen as it were, as one reviewer complains, this is true. But the reader is not cheated of a clash between Red Sonja and Asroth at the end. Some parts moved a little slower than they needed to. But all in all, this novel was a great start to the series. I'll definitely go on to the second.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid, dark novel and the first featuring Red Sonja. It has all the elements of a great sword and sorcery tale checking off all the right boxes: central hero to root for, evil sorcerer, magic ring, violence, mystery, monsters, undead, dark foreboding castle, and redemption.
My only issue with the book was the use of some profane language by Sonja in the form of a the "a" word and the "f" word. I am by far not a prude, but to me I would have rather heard Sonja saying "You go to hell". To me it was a tad jarring and slightly out of character to read a character like Sonja cursing like that despite all that occurred prior to warrant it.
Otherwise an enjoyable read and so far my only one of the 6 book series about her by Smith and Tierney. I would like to read the others if I can find them.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mit DER RING VON IKRIBU legt der Apex-Verlag den ersten von sechs Red Sonja-Romanen von David C. Smith und Richard Tierney in neuer Übersetzung vor, die Mitte der 80er Jahre schon einmal bei Heyne erschienen sind.
In diesem Sword & Sorcery=Abenteuer schließt sich Red Sonja als Söldnerin einem großen Heer an, um dem erzbösen Zauberer Asroth das Handwerk zu legen. Die Story ist spannend erzählt und hat an einigen Stellen Gänsehaut=Faktor, trotzdem bleibt Luft nach oben. Zum einen bleibt meine Lieblingsbarbarin Red Sonja mir zu farblos und passiv. Die Frage stellt sich, ob sich am Gang der Handlung etwas geändert hätte, wenn sie bei der Mission nicht dabei gewesen wäre. Zum zweiten schildert der Roman den äußerst gefährlichen Weg von Red Sonja und ihren Weggefährten hin zur Burg von Asroth. Es gibt auf dem Weg, der das Ziel ist, viele Hindernisse zu überwinden, aber keinerlei Nebenhandlungen. Zynisch ließe sich die Handlung so zusammenfassen: Auf dem Weg von A nach B kommen tausende von Menschen, Spielball über/unirdischer Mächte, ums Leben, wobei deren Tod besonders sinnlos ist, weil keiner von Ihnen - Red Sonja eingeschlossen - für den Ausgang des Konflikts zwischen uralten magischen Mächten und einer Menschheit, die hauptsächlich als Götteropfer dient, von Bedeutung ist. Aber in der barbarischen Welt von Conan und Red Sonja ist eben das die conditio humana.

Ein Plus dieser Ausgabe ist das kenntnisreiche und sympathische Vorwort von Roy Thomas, langjähriger Chefredakteur bei Marvel und Autor der Comic-Serie Conan.
Sehr geärgert haben mich andererseits die zahlreichen "Druckfehler" in der Kindle-Ausgabe. Sie zeigen, dass es trotz aller behaupteten Leidenschaft des Herausgebers nur um die schnelle Mark geht. Das Gros der Fehler hätte bereits bei einem flüchtigen Lesedurchgang eines Verlagsmitarbeiters beseitigt werden können.

[⚔️ Mythica ⚔️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent Sword and Sorcery, ticks all the box’s and I do love a Boris Vallejo cover. It’s a good start to the 6 book series and I’m Looking forward to Red Sonja’s next adventure 🗡️

[Malum · Rating 1 out of 5]

SPOILERS for an almost 40 year old book that you probably aren't going to read anyway.

An uninspired sword & sorcery tale and a forgettable slog that took me two months to push through because I kept putting it down and forgetting about it.

Here's how bad this book is: The main villain is killed off screen by a side character, and the secondary villain is killed by an even more minor character at the end. Red Sonja was pretty useless and could have skipped this whole adventure and things would have worked out just fine.

In fact, her actions in this story actually caused the deaths of countless people because she refuses to give a magic item up to someone (for absolutely no reason, mind you) who has the same mission as her (to kill an evil wizard that is on screen once and never actually seen again until they find his corpse. He wins the award for most one-dimensional villain in fantasy literature). The person who wants it gets it anyway after almost everyone dies and immediately kills the big bad with it, thus saving what was left of the day. But, seriously, Sonja single-handedly leads an entire army to its doom because she wants to act like a spoiled brat.

I picked up a few other books in this series when I got this one, but I don't know if I will ever care to read them after trudging through this dumpster fire.

Recommended only if you absolutely have to read anything and everything Red Sonja and/or sword and sorcery.

[Brie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who could deny the appeal, attraction and anomoly of a master swordswoman in a world full of raw, armoured conflict? Red Sonja came about as a chance idea in one of the many Conan stories as a woman who could best Conan at his own game. This is the first of just six novellised stories by David C. Smith and Richard Tierney of some of the adventures of Red Sonja.

This book is clearly a fantasy adventure and a damn fine one at that. The world the title character lives in is almost a dark ages world. It is often called "Swords and Sorcery" and with good reason. It is a world where there is always someone to fight. Life can be very cheap and yet often all the more valued. It is a world where sorcerous power is greatly feared, horribly powerful and thankfully quite rare.

But not as rare as our heroine. She predates Xena, she predates even Wonder Woman. Red Sonja is very much a one-of-a-kind. Her stories are as much battling whatever she has thrown her lot in with today as the opinion and prejudice of a woman in armour and wielding a sword. And wield it she does. By the end of The Ring Of Ikribu, the reader has lost count of how many enemies Red Sonja has vanquished, some with the heat of ire. Yet she can also be kind and compassionate to those around her. She is a well realized person.

The writing is compelling. Smith and Tierney know how to pace a story, they know how to craft enticing prose, they know how to build distinctive characters to put around their heroine. They also know how to put their heroine through the ringer. And she does not come out entirely unscathed. This book can be as powerful as you let it. I'm looking forward to the other five, some of which I've read before, though a long time ago. I know Red Sonja changes and develops. Such a wonderful character deserves it.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard good things about this series, mostly because of its well-respected author, David C. Smith. Sure enough, this proved to be a nice sword and socery yarn, much as I'd hoped for. I appreciated the introduction that describes how Red Sonja is not the same character as Red Sonya (note the spelling difference) found in the tales of Conan the Barbarian, despite what many reviewers seem to think. I also like how the authors developed her back story. I always wondered why she wore the sort of armor/costume she does as well as how she is able to wield a heavy sword so well. Now I know.

The plot itself was straight-forward fantasy although with a nice dose of Lovecraftian horror thrown in during the second half. This is a well-rounded novel filled with action/adventure as well as reflective moments and a helping of emotional intrigue. I will most definitely be pursuing the rest of the 6-book series.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in the series based upon the comic book character of Red Sonja, who was, in turn, based fairly loosely on the Robert E. Howard character of Red Sonya, who appeared in only one story. I was never a fan of the comic but these books are all pretty good. David C. Smith is a very fine writer, but he is constrained here by the nature of the character. His own "Oron" books are much better in my opinion.

[Karolina Pałka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to like this book so much! I absolutely love Red Sonja!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite looking like it jumped off a gas station book rack, RED SONJA: THE RING OF IKRIBU is a surprisingly adept pulp fantasy novel that I'm sure would've made Robert E. Howard proud. The sorcery and sword-fighting is near constant, and the story is much darker and more brutal than I was expecting. (Probably because my only previous exposure to Red Sonja was the campy Brigitte Nielsen flick.)
There's not a whole lot to discuss about this novel, since the shallow plot and lightweight characters are exactly what you'd expect from this sort of thing. However, I found myself impressed with the quality of some of the writing, as well as all the really great imagery is sprinkled throughout. The only thing I didn't care for was that the authors decided to give Red Sonja a romantic interest this early in the game. Considering her hard-edged nature, it seemed strange for Sonja to fall so head-over-heels in love only halfway through the very first book in the series.
Fussy readers will find plenty of other nits to pick (For example, just what are the limitations to the sorcerer's magic, anyway? And, when Ikribu's acolytes came to her looking for the ring, why did she hesitate so long before telling them whom she gave it to?)
That being said, a lot of thought and effort was put into this book, and it shows. Anyone interested in fast-paced, blood-soaked fantasy should be sure to check this one out.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer volume of sword and sorcery action thrust upon the readers face from word go. Authors David Smith and Richard Tierney didn't waste time in getting this story off to a fast start. More importantly they maintained the momentum throughout the entire book.

The plot itself is fantasy formulaic as you'd expect, following a linear path from Red Sonja's appearance at a drinking hole through to her eventual journey to face off against an resurrected sorcerer determined to claim the mysterious ring of Ikribu for his sinister means.

There are loads of great moments filled with character development and bloody fantastical battles which are just fun to read. While THE RING OF IKRIBU is first and foremost a book of Red Sonja, I found her not to be the constant center of attention with many characters given time to shine through on the page. This approach added depth and context to the quest.

I can't compliment THE RING OF IKRIBU enough, I simply loved everything about this book and will track down the remaining books in the series as fast as I can.

This review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Helmut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple sword & sorcery...

...but not more. The story is set in Hyboria, the world invented by R.E. Howard for his Conan stories. But there is not much left of Conan's Hyboria in Red Sonja's Hyboria - the feeling and atmosphere is a radically different one. Somehow the authors were unable to copy that Conan experience. Other authors have written Conan pastiches, and especially the older ones by de Camp, Nyberg, Carter and Anderson are quite interesting, but here we have a very drawn-out story that would have better been told in a 30-page short story, and even then it would be regarded as second-rate fantasy, as there is no originality, only a collection of stock characters with stock fantasy clichés.

I guess that if this novel hadn't that "Hyboria"- and Roy-Thomas-connection, nobody would remember this story. Still, if you don't know Hyboria or R.E. Howard or Conan, you might enjoy it.

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last time I read this book and the Red Sonja series was about thirty years ago when it was first coming out. I thought it was really good back then in my younger more impressionable mind, and can say that it has stood the test of time reasonably well. In this book you are introduced to Red Sonja, and are given a very good insight to her origins as well as her geas which is upon her. The story is fast paced with only a few moments where it seems they messed up ( as in didn't you lose that horse how did you get it back lol) but those slips are forgivable. The nightmarish forces these people have to face are incredible and to those who survive, well I am sure they will be scarred for life. Over all good story and am looking forward to rereading the rest of the series.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might be an example of a comic book not conforming to the format of a novel. Seems rushed, as the details you see inked in a comic book are not related here so well. That said, we do see some things that we don't see in the comics - rarely mind you. Some of Sonja's thinking is literally spelled out, and the written word might be better at showing thought. Additionally it should be said that the writing is not up to R.E. Howard's standard, not that this Sonja is anything like his Sonja.

[Kevin Dumcum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly disappointing. The prose format did allow for an interesting reselling of Sonja's origin and how she felt about it, but the plot followed one colossal mistake after another, ultimately leading to an anti-climatic ending where Sonja was basically an observer.

I do have hopes that the next book in the series will be better.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little masterpiece of Sword and Sorcery. Bodes well for the rest of the series. Loved every minute of reading this novel. Do whatever it takes to get your hands on a copy. I totally understand why David C. Smith is such a cult favorite. He's won me over. I'm a big fan now.

[Susan Rollet-Stewart]

I read this book in high school and was drawn to it for two reasons. One, it had a gorgeous, badass heroine and two, Boris Vallejo painted the cover. I’m sure if I read it now, like most of the teenage medieval fantasy I’ve read, I would think it’s cheesy. Sometimes you need brain candy.

[Tim Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read several of the Dynamite Comics trade paperbacks of Red Sonja, I thought I would try one of the novels about the character. Coming out decades before what I read of Dynamite, this one has a copyright date of 1981.

The story is about Red Sonja as a mercenary and getting involved in the combined mercenary and regular soldier army of Lord Olin, a man trying to reclaim his kingdom from a sorcerer, Asroth. Lord Olin plans to attack the sorcerer’s forces at Suthad, the former capital of Olin’s realm, leading several thousand soldiers and mercenaries along with several other people, the main ones figuring into the story being a couple, Allas and Tias (man and woman respectively, with Tias originally going on the expedition unarmed and not a warrior and along the way becoming a fighter), Som (a gentle giant of a warrior, wielding two swords), and Duke Pelides (Pelides always wears a metal mask to cover his hideous face; Pelides once served Asroth but was gravely disfigured by the sorcerer and vows revenge and though not entirely trusted by everyone, is deemed by Olin to be essential in his quest).

Along the way the increasingly smaller army encounters Lovecraftian horrors (lots of tentacles and fear and ichor and cultists involved in the proceedings) that may be sent by Asroth, or may be attracted to a ring Sonja picks up, the titular Ring of Ikribu (or both). The ring might actually both attract horrible things – monsters, cultists, zombies – to the general area of the Ring, but at the same time protect the Ring wielder (though apparently one has to be a sorcerer to use the Ring to actually take any other actions). If that wasn’t intrigue enough, Pelides really, really wants the Ring, instrumental in seeking vengeance against Asroth, and is willing to pretty much murder anyone who possesses it.

The positive, lots of good battle scenes, some suitably icky Lovecraftian horrors, the cultists would have fit right into an H.P. Lovecraft tale, appeasing dark gods to ostensibly save humanity (yet also doing dark and horrible things to do this, all for the “greater good”). I didn’t find Sonja too sexualized; I wondered if she would be. There isn’t a lot of time spent describing her appearance (and a blink and you miss it description of her attire; “She wore a brief vest and skirt of silvery scale-mail that covered her breasts and hung from her waist, but left her limbs and midriff bare”) and no one really seemed to ogle her much (other than a general occasional passing appreciation of her beauty). Olin falls in love with her and there is a plotline dedicated to that, one in which Sonja discusses her views on romance and whether or not she can be with a man (the romance plotline was nice and could have used some fleshing out).

The negative, there is a long, long section, I would say almost a quarter of the book if not more, where the increasingly whittled down, quite literally bogged down in the quagmire of a swamp, army faces all manner of horrors from monsters to mundane swamp threats to the swamp itself animating to attack the army to cultists. Some good action but it felt like the group was never, ever going to leave the swamp. I liked the arc of Tias learning to be a warrior but she was kind of whiny before that arc got going and I wondered several times both why she was originally on the expedition (though I admit she becomes a key figure to the story’s outcome) and how she could survived so many horrors and battles when experienced and well-armed and well-armored warriors could not (though to be fair I remember one character asking this very question).

As has been pointed out in another review, the biggest issue perhaps with the book is how central Sonja is to the narrative. She kind of isn’t. She is a witness, she saves lots of lives, is a leader, but she went from being basically a hired hand on a mission that was already planned to essentially to a bystander (if that) as she did not kill either the main or secondary villain but rather another character did.

The second biggest issue is that for the vast bulk of the book, Asroth is entirely off screen so to speak. That made for a weak villain, though perhaps that explains all the loving detail given to eldritch horrors and zombies and cultists. The reader doesn’t lack for villains, just not much is seen of the main villain.

It read fast. Quite a bit of adverbs but this seemed to fit the subgenre and style. Reading it definitely felt like reading a much older, pulpish style of fantasy/horror novels and I liked that.

[Lewis Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Red Sonja novel in the six-book series, this was an enjoyable sword and sorcery book for the most part... but one that fell apart in the final fifty pages to the extent that it really dampened the story as a whole.

First, the pros. The character of Red Sonja was well written, as were all of the other characters in the book. The varying locations, plot, and dialogue all work well together - and funnily enough, the romance was my favourite part! For most of this book, I considered it a five star read.

And then I got to the last few chapters... vague spoilers ahead!

The romance ultimately leads to nothing, which, though kind of expected in its tragic outcome, felt anti-climatic and became the catalyst for everything falling apart. Characters die unceremoniously, including one named warrior who, despite being a great fighter and loyal companion of the main group, doesn't even receive a single sentence of mourning. Literally nobody even bats an eyelid at his death. The final act was also bizarre, with Red Sonja being reduced to an inactive bystander who does nothing of note at all during the last conflict. Hell, the main villain dies off-page after only appearing in the prologue, and overall, Sonja ultimately caused more damage than good in this tale with her involvement. And, along with some other flaws, the use of the words "assholes" and "fuck" in one chapter, spoken by Sonja herself, felt so random, out-of-character, and tonally out of place compared to the Hyborian Age-esque curses in the rest of the novel that it heavily broke my immersion.

Overall, a decent enough novel that started strongly, but one that could have been great were it not for the flawed, directionless, and anti-climatic finale. I'm still looking forward to the other Red Sonja books, but I really hope those novels resolve better than this once. There's little worse than being invested in a well-written story only for it to deflate in such an unsatisfying manner.

Ah well. 3 stars from me. On to the next one!

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okayish story, not really fleshed out world
Red Sonja as a character is really shallow, it's just “she's strong, sexy, independent, and did I say sexy?”

Rant incoming with spoilers:

The whole love story and being chaste, is really stupidly written, if not entirely sexist. She is being raped by soldiers and her family killed. She flees and gets to shrine or something of a god.
Sonja vowed to not have sex in order to have the god's gift, which makes her this strong fighter. BUT if a person can defeat her in battle, then she is his. JUCK
Early in the story she is meeting a king which is her employer, as mentioned in the book he is a strong man and Sonja falls heads over heels in love with him. Because he is strong, not something else, but he is strong.
She deflects his advances in order to keep her gift. But struggles with it. The most reasonable part of the entire plot line.
He wants to fight her in order to sleep with her, after her telling why she can't have sex with him. She wins, but he wants to battle again, but they're interrupted.
At a later point he dies in battle, she mourns half a chapter before moving on. Goes with the company to evil wizard and they slay him. END OF STORY
The only character I found interesting, in terms of interestingly written and having somewhat of a character development throughout, is a young woman which travels with them. At first, she is shy, frightened and could not fight. At the end, she overcame that fear and can protect herself.
I would say, she is the only character with character development in the entire book.

All in all badly written, story is mediocre. Can be read if you want to read something where your mind doesn't need to comprehend anything complex.

[KniznyAtlant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Od tejto knihy som neočakával nič výnimočné. Kniha však bola pre mňa výrazne podpriemerná. Asi najväčším problémom tejto knihy boli dialógy. Neprirodzené, nelogické a naivné. A keď počas súboja Sonja vysloví 4 vety, ktoré sú však rovnaké: "Proklínam tě..." tak už som sa len chytal za hlavu a pýtal sa, či je jej slovná zásoba až tak obmedzená. Keď už sme pri Sonji, hlavnej postave, zatiaľ to bola asi najnesympatickejšia hlavná postava, s akou som sa stretol. Jej nelogické výbuchy zlosti a plno nezmyslov ma len privádzali do agónie. S úplnou vážnosťou. Sonja je pre mňa zároveň aj najmenej sympatická postava tejto knihy. Keby už autor aspoň využil jej vzhľad, ničoho takého sa však nedočkáte, pretože je to hrozná puritánka a nie je tam ani náznak erotiky. Lord Olin bol v pohode, no asi jediná postava, ktorá mi nevadila bol Pelides, proti ktorému však boli všetky ostatné postavy :D Dej tiež nestál za veľa, no čo už mám povedať. Stále to bolo lepšie ako nedávno čítaná Studna Ghulu, tá však neobsahovala zle napísané dialógy, bola iba nudná. Táto kniha je iný prípad. Hľadám motiváciu na čítanie aj ďalších dielov, ktoré už mám kúpené. Skúsim im dať šancu, možno sa autor polepšil. Počas čítania tohto dielu moje hodnotenie neustále kolísalo medzi 2* a 3*. Záverečná časť však zhodila hodnotenie na 2* a neprišlo už nič, čo by hodnotenie zdvihlo.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my physical library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Frankenoise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend lent me this novel, as he and I are big Conan/ Sonja fans, and I thought it would be an average read. I however was surprised how well written the story was. Great action throughout most of the book and tons of beasties and baddies for Sonja to fight as well. The ended wrapped up nicely too and of course reveals what the ring actually does to people.

Favorite part was the whole Swamp encounter too and I think the cover art should have reflected that part (Chapter 10 mainly) as there's a pinnacle moment during that scene. In saying that I do think Boris did a great job with the cover art regardless. He can never disappoint.

Only thing I really didn't like was Sonja telling a priest to "Get fucked." Seems like an out of place phrase to use considering the time period...lol. A great read and if you're looking for a quick read fantasy novel check this one out! My friend bought it used for $2.50 but I've seen it on Amazon for $200 so don't pay that much for it unless it's sealed and comes with the ring of Ikribu!

[Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in a reading funk during 2018 so I read very little. In 2019 my goal is to read 63 books (the 52 week book challenge I found plus the 11 books from book club).

52 week challenge: a fantasy novel
I found this copy in a local little free library. I've always loved the Red Sonja character after watching the 1985 movie with Brigitte Nielsen. Unfortunately, this novel doesn't give Red Sonja her proper due. The Ring Of Ikribu is a sword and sandal adventure that doesn't have a plot. Sure there are some framework (Red Sonja joins a mercenary band to take back a city for a king) but the emotional heft is lost because there's no reason to care about the city, the cult of Ikribu, or Red Sonja. The events are thrown together and I didn't care for it. But, novels like this one are called pulp fiction for a reason. There's no need to make sense of things when you're just here for the good time. I guess I'm looking for more than a good time but I'm glad that the 2019 reading year has started.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

About as much as can be said for this book was that it was by the numbers, didn't dawdle and didn't waste the time it took. I didn't love it, nor did I regret the read. It just left me wanting more; a richer character with more depth and texture. This felt more like it was the third or fourth book in a series and much had come before.
I'd intended to read the first three books all within a short period of each other but instead decided to depart from the series and return to it between other books.
This is a series that could really do with a contemporary re-boot. There are no shortage of talented female authors who I would adore to see this license pass to for some fresh perspective and overhauling. This book wears every minute of it's life.

[Jason Ayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, standard sword and sorcery.

I read this book, and the other five in the series, many (many, many) years ago, when I was a teenager. I remember liking them, but I couldn't have given you any details. The story seems to have held up over time, but that's not unusual for books of this type.

There were a few parts in the book that dragged, mostly when they were traveling. It took the characters days to transverse the woods and swamp and if felt like it was being told in real time. But once the true story took hold, it couldn't have been any better.

There is also an interesting forward by Roy Thomas, the creator of Red Sonja on where the idea came from.

[Daniel Callister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I expected some pretty cheap story, characters and plot, with Red Sonja being a fairly predictable protagonist and lacking depth - sometimes I seek out those books because honestly that's what I'm in the mood for sometimes. This book was much better than that, though. And for a short book, it was nearly non-stop action. I have read quite a few Conan novels and I have to say I enjoyed this book as much as the best of those. I would typically give a book like this 3 of 5 stars, but I'm bumping it up to 4 because this one surprised me.

[Tracit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story: Sorcerer is searching for a ring of power. Red Sonja is fighting against the sorcerer as mercenary.
2/5

Characters: The characters are very flat and not well fleshed out, even Red Sonja. You do not really care about any of them.
2/5

Worldbuilding: Worldbuilding is except for name droppings of towns, countries, nations etc. not really happening. Magic systems, gods etc. are not explained at all. You have a feeling that there is a well developed background, but it is not explored deeper.
3/5

Writing Style: 3rd person. Short sentences and not much to think about. No real motivation to continue with the next chapter or curiousity of what happens next. Lot of fighting scenes.
2/5

(Sub) Genre rating: This is cleary a Sword & Sorcery book set in the world of Conan. It has a lot of sorcery and even more swords and people die by the thousands. It's basically what you would expect from this genre and therefore it is executed well.
3/5

Final Thoughts / Buzz: As a Sword & Sorcery book it does its job well, but does not evoke enough interested to continue the series also I like the character of Red Sonja and Conans world.

[Carlsagansghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the last year or so I’ve become a major fan of Tierney, and this book is a great example of why. He and Smith craft a lightning paced pulp adventure full of action, violence, mysterious cults, dark sorcery, and cosmic horrors, but they also weave in real human pathos and emotion. For me Red Sonja is a character I like a hell of a lot more than Conan, and that’s mainly because I actually care about her.

[Lari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from a used bookstore. I was curious about Red Sonja after seeing some stylised drawings from artists I admire, but I’d never read the comics or seen any of the movies. This book served as a great introduction to the characters and the universe of Red Sonja. Now I’m looking to pick up the second volume.