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Conan The Barbarian : 20 Tales (The Hour Of the Dragon, Queen Of the Black Coast, The Shadow of the Vulture, A Witch Shall Be Born, The Tower of the Elephant, And More!): Fantasy Adventure Stories
Conan The Barbarian is the original stories about adventure stories of conan the cimmerian written by Robert E. Howard in 1934-1936. In this book contains 20 stories of Conan The Cimmerian.
1.The Hyborian Age, first published in The Phantagraph, February-November 1936.
2.Shadows In the Moonlight, first published in Weird Tales, April 1934.
3.Queen Of the Black Coast, first published in Weird Tales, May 1934.
4.The Devil In Iron, first published in Weird Tales, August 1934.
5.The People Of the Black Circle, first published in Weird Tales, September, October and November 1934.
6.A Witch Shall Be Born, first published in Weird Tales in 1934.
7.The Jewels Of Gwahlur, first published in Weird Tales, March 1935.
8.Beyond the Black River, first published in Weird Tales magazine circa 1935.
9.Shadows In Zamboula, first published in Weird Tales, November 1935.
10.The Hour Of the Dragon, first published in Weird Tales, December 1935-April 1936.
11.Gods Of the North, first published in Fantasy Fan, March 1934
12.Red Nails, First Published in Weird Tales, July, August-September, October 1936
13. The Shadow of the Vulture, First published in the pulp magazine Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934.
14.The Phoenix on the Sword, First published in 1932.
15.The Scarlet Citadel, First published in 1933.
16.The Tower of the Elephant, First published in 1933.
17.Black Colossus, First published in 1934.
18.The Slithering Shadow, First published in 1934.
19.The Pool of the Black One, First published in 1934.
20.Rogues in the House, First published in 1935.
1.The Hyborian Age, first published in The Phantagraph, February-November 1936.
2.Shadows In the Moonlight, first published in Weird Tales, April 1934.
3.Queen Of the Black Coast, first published in Weird Tales, May 1934.
4.The Devil In Iron, first published in Weird Tales, August 1934.
5.The People Of the Black Circle, first published in Weird Tales, September, October and November 1934.
6.A Witch Shall Be Born, first published in Weird Tales in 1934.
7.The Jewels Of Gwahlur, first published in Weird Tales, March 1935.
8.Beyond the Black River, first published in Weird Tales magazine circa 1935.
9.Shadows In Zamboula, first published in Weird Tales, November 1935.
10.The Hour Of the Dragon, first published in Weird Tales, December 1935-April 1936.
11.Gods Of the North, first published in Fantasy Fan, March 1934
12.Red Nails, First Published in Weird Tales, July, August-September, October 1936
13. The Shadow of the Vulture, First published in the pulp magazine Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934.
14.The Phoenix on the Sword, First published in 1932.
15.The Scarlet Citadel, First published in 1933.
16.The Tower of the Elephant, First published in 1933.
17.Black Colossus, First published in 1934.
18.The Slithering Shadow, First published in 1934.
19.The Pool of the Black One, First published in 1934.
20.Rogues in the House, First published in 1935.
- GenresFantasy
1740 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2012
About the author
Robert E. Howard
3,142 books2,721 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
June 26, 2014
Really liked all these stories, though it is easier to read if you read them as short stories and pick up something else to read in between. Even though the stories were great, most of them follow the same formula, just the characters change. It's too bad that Robert E. Howard took his own life as Conan had many adventures left in him (not counting some of the questionable works and edits done by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and others). Be aware that this collection contains a lot of typos and errors and does not have a functional table of contents. Buy the more expensive collections by Del Rey if you want to read Conan in prose form.
June 10, 2020
The Phoenix on the Sword - 3/5
Conan is a hardcore badass that loves danger, adventure and beautiful maidens as much as he enjoys bashing in some heads with heavy weapons; man and monster alike. He might not be the deepest in terms of character, but you have to admire the sheer amount of adrenaline, excitement and gory intensity he delivers with nearly every scene he's involved in. Although this is the first tale in the Conan series, it takes place near the very end of his journey in terms of chronology. The prose in this tale is incredibly vivid but it's also a bit messy and hard to follow at times, Robert's writing improved immensely as the series progressed. Hour of the Dragon for example is one of my all time favorite sword & sorcery books. Even though it's not quite up to par with the later Conan tales, it's still an entertaining introduction to the legendary barbarian himself.
***
The Frost-Giant's Daughter - 3/5
A battle between Conan's companions and a war-party of Vanir ends with Conan, the sole survivor of his band, facing the final surviving Vanir, Heimdul. Conan is victorious but so weakened he collapses onto the battlefield. In a dreamlike state, Conan encounters Atali, the daughter of the god Ymir, in the frozen wastes of the north and chases after her as she lures him with demeaning taunts and laughter.
Conan exerts himself from chasing her until he passes out, waking up to discover that quite a few of his companions actually survived and came to his rescue while he was unconscious. Upon being reunited with his companions, Conan tells them the story of his strange encounter with the Frost Giant's Daughter. This tale steers away from action and adventure in favor of a bit of slapstick humor featuring our barbarian Conan.
***
The God in the Bowl - 3/5
Conan plies his trade as a thief in the city of Numalia. He is caught while attempting to steal a valuable object from a museum and becomes the suspect in the death of the museum's owner.
It's a taste of bloody Conan action with a detective fiction twist. The story primarily takes place over a long interrogation scene that's surprisingly well-crafted for an early fantasy tale. The twist at the end was certainly neat, but it was very rushed and could've had more build-up. It was nice to see the unshakable barbarian get a taste of fear.
***
The Tower of the Elephant - 4/5
This story really serves to flesh out the lore and history of Conan's world, adding a ton of context and emotional value to all of the previous stories as well as all that came after it. Conan teams up with the master thief Taurus to climb the Tower of the Elephant in order to obtain a rare jewel that awaits them at the very top. On their way up the tower, they encounter a massive spider and things turn nasty. After dealing with the spider, Conan makes it to the top of the tower and encounters something otherworldly. Conan’s meeting with the Lovecraftian entity is reminiscent to the wonderfully eldritch encounter in Lovecraft's Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. We learn a lot about the lore, the setting and the history of Conan's age which adds a much-needed layer of world-building to make the stories feel more realistic.
***
The Scarlet Citadel - 3/5
Conan teams up with the mysterious sorcerer Pelias who happens to share Conan's desire for revenge against the man threatening his kingdom. After being captured through treachery and thrown into an eldritch dungeon, Conan escapes with Pelias's help and the two unleash chaos against their imprisoners. It's a massive battle sequence, an orgiastic clash of blades and magic. The story was on the weaker side but I enjoyed seeing the sadistic, shapeshifting sorcerer Pelias in action alongside Conan's usual chaotic antics.
***
Queen of the Black Coast - 4/5
Conan joins the pirate crew of Bêlit, Queen of the Black Coast, until the exploration of an ancient city and an encounter with the primordial creature that dwells within wreak havoc on the crew. Fun, exciting and the prose is candy for the eyes. It's everything I look for in a Conan story and it's a nice follow-up to Iron Shadows in the Moon which ended abruptly. My only complaint this time around is that the villain/monster felt underwhelming and had no time to develop compared to many other villains in the series. The final battle was flashy and cool, but it lacked emotional substance because of the lack of characterization. Other than that, still Conan at its finest with lots of bloody, sexy action.
***
Black Colossus - 4/5
Princess Yasmela, the city of Khoraja's remaining sovereign, has been haunted by the terrifying apparitions of the evil wizard Natohk. When Natohk threatens to bring his demonic hordes to Khoraja, Yasmela prays to the god Mitra for help. Mitra responds and tells her to place the fate of her entire kingdom into the hands of the first man she meets out in the city streets, and that man just so happens to be a drunk and feisty Conan.
Not quite as adventurous or horrific as the best works in the series, but a clean and fun ride with a creepy villain nonetheless. It was also nice seeing Conan show off his skills in front of a bunch of prudish nobles that looked down on him as a savage unworthy of their attention or respect.
***
Iron Shadows in the Moon - 3/5
Escaping a massacre that claimed his army, Conan and an abandoned princess make their way to a haunted and occupied island at the same time as a band of pirates. A fairly fun voyage, but no exciting conclusion happens as the story cuts off very abruptly and sets itself up for the next volume. I feel like both volumes should've just been included in the same story since this is literally just one half of something with no conclusion. Other than that big gripe, the writing and pacing is still superb and I hope the next volume does this one justice for all it has set up. Conan becomes the leader of a pirate crew which could prove to be a fun little escapade.
***
Xuthal of the Dusk - 4/5
Driven by the intense heat of the desert, Conan and his lovely companion seek water and food in a nearby city. Conan and his companion Natala discover the nearly-abandoned city of Xuthal in the desert, occupied only by a Stygian witch and a shadowy demon. The city of Xuthal is full of haunting imagery, as all of its inhabitants are frozen in a state of constant dreaming. Anyone that dares to wake them will be shown no mercy. It's a chilling premise with a strong Lovecraftian horror vibe. Despite how nightmarish the story is, the ending is surprisingly humorous and it left me with a smile on my face after finishing the tale.
***
The Pool of the Black One - 3/5
Conan makes himself the captain of a pirate vessel and travels to a remote island with a mysterious pool that has powers of transmutation. The violence, action and excitement were all on point as usual, but the elements of racism in this particular tale were unnecessary to the point of being uncomfortable to read. I prefer watching Conan wage epic battles against horrifying demons and armies of mad soldiers, not engage in racist drivel.
***
Rogues in the House - 4/5
Conan is drawn into a feud between a priest and a nobleman in Corinthia which leads him to be trapped in a decrepit house that contains a terrifying beast within it. Very simplistic in comparison to many other tales in the series, which is not a bad thing by any means. Instead of focusing on expanding the lore and the development of Conan, we have a straightforward plot about taking down a brutal baddie to settle a deadly dispute. Lots of horrific imagery and badass action scenes. No more, no less. Pure and simple fun.
***
The Devil in Iron - 3/5
While pursuing an enslaved princess, Conan is led into a trap on a seemingly abandoned island. On this island, Conan discovers a slumbered, resurrected city which is watched over by an ancient evil. It reads like several of the older stories stitched together with a few unrealized new ideas. Not bad, but it feels a bit uninspired at times and doesn’t bring anything new to the expanding universe. Just like Queen of the Black Coast, the villain doesn’t offer much either and the ending after Conan saves the girl feels awkward because he forces herself on her a bit too hard. She takes a liking to Conan, but it still feels a bit cringy.
***
The Vale of Lost Women - 1/5
I think this is the absolute worst of the Conan stories. I’ve enjoyed many of them and even gave Hour of the Dragon a 5 Star review, but this one is just scathing with racism, sexism and a lousy plot that can’t save it in any way. A shame.
***
The Hour of the Dragon - 5/5
The Hour of the Dragon is worth five stars alone. It combines all of the greatest elements from every other story in the Conan saga while excluding their flaws. It's an adrenaline-filled slugfest with nearly 200 pages worth of war, epic bloody battles and savage warriors against supernatural abominations. The action was incredible and the characterization of Conan is more mature and complex than ever before. The ending is surprisingly heartwarming as we watch a slave girl become a queen while Conan reclaims something precious that he once lost. A fitting finale for the legendary conqueror.
***
A Witch Shall Be Born - 4.5/5
A Witch Shall Be Born is a story about a queen that is dethroned by her evil twin that was once thrown out into the desert and left to die because she was born with the mark of a witch. The outcasted sister builds up her powerful magic and hatred over the years and turns it against the kingdom that left her to die. The sister steals the queen's place on the throne and commits countless atrocities in her name.
Conan comes along to make the evil sister pay for her crimes and restore the glory of the true queen. A thrilling tale of deception and sisterly betrayal. I ended up feeling a bit sorry for the villain this time around, I can't blame her for hating a world that cursed her to such a tragic fate the moment she was born. Salome is one of the most sympathetic villains in the entire Conan the Barbarian series.
***
The People of the Black Circle - 4/5
Hill Chieftain Conan heads into the Himalayan Mountains to rescue the Vendhyan queen, as Turanians, Afghulis, and Irakzais are caught in the machinations of demonic sorcerers of the Black Circle. It's a visceral, bloody and blindingly fast fantasy adventure that keeps up a consistent pace. It's an adrenaline rush from beginning to end.
***
Red Nails - 4/5
Wandering across the scorching desert in search of adventure, Conan stumbles upon the beautiful and fearsome pirate Valeria. After narrowly escaping from a dragon by making clever use of a poison fruit, Conan and Valeria take refuge in an entirely walled and enclosed city named Xuchotl where generations of inhabitants have waged war against each other for hundreds of years. Conan and Valeria get swept up into some nasty affairs between the two warring clans, a storm of swords and demonic sorcerey rages throughout the city until the warriors put an end to the insane clans war once and for all. It's a haunting and visceral story with lots of bloody action on par with Hour of the Dragon.
***
Jewels of Gwahlur - 3/5
Conan battles his way through Gwahlur in search of ancient jewels and riches but ends up empty handed. Although his original mission ended in failure, he got to experience the thrill of bloodshed and brought a girl that resembled a real goddess back home with him, so perhaps his journey for treasure wasn't a total waste after all. Not the best of Conan, but still a fun and quick read.
***
Beyond the Black River - 3.5/5
Conan teams up with a warrior named Balthus in an attempt to thwart the conquests of the Pictish sorcerer Zogar Sag. Just like People of the Black Circle, it's a nonstop adrenaline fest with lots of blood and guts.
***
The Black Stranger - 3/5
The story begins with Conan fleeing for the hills after being pursued by a flock of angered tribesman. While fleeing, the tribesman give up their chase upon reaching a peculiar hill that stands out from all the others. The hill turns out to hold a treasure cave along with the preserved bodies of a pirate captain, Tranicos. Conan's attempt to remove the treasure proves futile, as a demon of mist appears and attempts to strangle him. He barely escapes with his life, leaving the treasure undisturbed.
After getting away, Conan forms a thieves pact with several groups of feuding pirates to steal the forbidden treasure. Little do they know however, each person involved in the pact are manipulating each other and have a plan to dispose of each of the opposing groups once they've gotten their hands on the treasure. Debauchery, betrayal and cunning pirate trickery ensue until the last man gets away with what they came for.
***
Shadows in Zamboula - 3/5
Conan helps a dancer named Zabibi save her insane lover from a flock of cannibals and evil priests that are terrorizing her desert town. Conan fights his way through the cannibal horde does what he does best. The action was good and the setting was interesting, but the story was often ruined by a lot of unnecessary racist undertones.
Conan is a hardcore badass that loves danger, adventure and beautiful maidens as much as he enjoys bashing in some heads with heavy weapons; man and monster alike. He might not be the deepest in terms of character, but you have to admire the sheer amount of adrenaline, excitement and gory intensity he delivers with nearly every scene he's involved in. Although this is the first tale in the Conan series, it takes place near the very end of his journey in terms of chronology. The prose in this tale is incredibly vivid but it's also a bit messy and hard to follow at times, Robert's writing improved immensely as the series progressed. Hour of the Dragon for example is one of my all time favorite sword & sorcery books. Even though it's not quite up to par with the later Conan tales, it's still an entertaining introduction to the legendary barbarian himself.
***
The Frost-Giant's Daughter - 3/5
A battle between Conan's companions and a war-party of Vanir ends with Conan, the sole survivor of his band, facing the final surviving Vanir, Heimdul. Conan is victorious but so weakened he collapses onto the battlefield. In a dreamlike state, Conan encounters Atali, the daughter of the god Ymir, in the frozen wastes of the north and chases after her as she lures him with demeaning taunts and laughter.
Conan exerts himself from chasing her until he passes out, waking up to discover that quite a few of his companions actually survived and came to his rescue while he was unconscious. Upon being reunited with his companions, Conan tells them the story of his strange encounter with the Frost Giant's Daughter. This tale steers away from action and adventure in favor of a bit of slapstick humor featuring our barbarian Conan.
***
The God in the Bowl - 3/5
Conan plies his trade as a thief in the city of Numalia. He is caught while attempting to steal a valuable object from a museum and becomes the suspect in the death of the museum's owner.
It's a taste of bloody Conan action with a detective fiction twist. The story primarily takes place over a long interrogation scene that's surprisingly well-crafted for an early fantasy tale. The twist at the end was certainly neat, but it was very rushed and could've had more build-up. It was nice to see the unshakable barbarian get a taste of fear.
***
The Tower of the Elephant - 4/5
This story really serves to flesh out the lore and history of Conan's world, adding a ton of context and emotional value to all of the previous stories as well as all that came after it. Conan teams up with the master thief Taurus to climb the Tower of the Elephant in order to obtain a rare jewel that awaits them at the very top. On their way up the tower, they encounter a massive spider and things turn nasty. After dealing with the spider, Conan makes it to the top of the tower and encounters something otherworldly. Conan’s meeting with the Lovecraftian entity is reminiscent to the wonderfully eldritch encounter in Lovecraft's Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. We learn a lot about the lore, the setting and the history of Conan's age which adds a much-needed layer of world-building to make the stories feel more realistic.
***
The Scarlet Citadel - 3/5
Conan teams up with the mysterious sorcerer Pelias who happens to share Conan's desire for revenge against the man threatening his kingdom. After being captured through treachery and thrown into an eldritch dungeon, Conan escapes with Pelias's help and the two unleash chaos against their imprisoners. It's a massive battle sequence, an orgiastic clash of blades and magic. The story was on the weaker side but I enjoyed seeing the sadistic, shapeshifting sorcerer Pelias in action alongside Conan's usual chaotic antics.
***
Queen of the Black Coast - 4/5
Conan joins the pirate crew of Bêlit, Queen of the Black Coast, until the exploration of an ancient city and an encounter with the primordial creature that dwells within wreak havoc on the crew. Fun, exciting and the prose is candy for the eyes. It's everything I look for in a Conan story and it's a nice follow-up to Iron Shadows in the Moon which ended abruptly. My only complaint this time around is that the villain/monster felt underwhelming and had no time to develop compared to many other villains in the series. The final battle was flashy and cool, but it lacked emotional substance because of the lack of characterization. Other than that, still Conan at its finest with lots of bloody, sexy action.
***
Black Colossus - 4/5
Princess Yasmela, the city of Khoraja's remaining sovereign, has been haunted by the terrifying apparitions of the evil wizard Natohk. When Natohk threatens to bring his demonic hordes to Khoraja, Yasmela prays to the god Mitra for help. Mitra responds and tells her to place the fate of her entire kingdom into the hands of the first man she meets out in the city streets, and that man just so happens to be a drunk and feisty Conan.
Not quite as adventurous or horrific as the best works in the series, but a clean and fun ride with a creepy villain nonetheless. It was also nice seeing Conan show off his skills in front of a bunch of prudish nobles that looked down on him as a savage unworthy of their attention or respect.
***
Iron Shadows in the Moon - 3/5
Escaping a massacre that claimed his army, Conan and an abandoned princess make their way to a haunted and occupied island at the same time as a band of pirates. A fairly fun voyage, but no exciting conclusion happens as the story cuts off very abruptly and sets itself up for the next volume. I feel like both volumes should've just been included in the same story since this is literally just one half of something with no conclusion. Other than that big gripe, the writing and pacing is still superb and I hope the next volume does this one justice for all it has set up. Conan becomes the leader of a pirate crew which could prove to be a fun little escapade.
***
Xuthal of the Dusk - 4/5
Driven by the intense heat of the desert, Conan and his lovely companion seek water and food in a nearby city. Conan and his companion Natala discover the nearly-abandoned city of Xuthal in the desert, occupied only by a Stygian witch and a shadowy demon. The city of Xuthal is full of haunting imagery, as all of its inhabitants are frozen in a state of constant dreaming. Anyone that dares to wake them will be shown no mercy. It's a chilling premise with a strong Lovecraftian horror vibe. Despite how nightmarish the story is, the ending is surprisingly humorous and it left me with a smile on my face after finishing the tale.
***
The Pool of the Black One - 3/5
Conan makes himself the captain of a pirate vessel and travels to a remote island with a mysterious pool that has powers of transmutation. The violence, action and excitement were all on point as usual, but the elements of racism in this particular tale were unnecessary to the point of being uncomfortable to read. I prefer watching Conan wage epic battles against horrifying demons and armies of mad soldiers, not engage in racist drivel.
***
Rogues in the House - 4/5
Conan is drawn into a feud between a priest and a nobleman in Corinthia which leads him to be trapped in a decrepit house that contains a terrifying beast within it. Very simplistic in comparison to many other tales in the series, which is not a bad thing by any means. Instead of focusing on expanding the lore and the development of Conan, we have a straightforward plot about taking down a brutal baddie to settle a deadly dispute. Lots of horrific imagery and badass action scenes. No more, no less. Pure and simple fun.
***
The Devil in Iron - 3/5
While pursuing an enslaved princess, Conan is led into a trap on a seemingly abandoned island. On this island, Conan discovers a slumbered, resurrected city which is watched over by an ancient evil. It reads like several of the older stories stitched together with a few unrealized new ideas. Not bad, but it feels a bit uninspired at times and doesn’t bring anything new to the expanding universe. Just like Queen of the Black Coast, the villain doesn’t offer much either and the ending after Conan saves the girl feels awkward because he forces herself on her a bit too hard. She takes a liking to Conan, but it still feels a bit cringy.
***
The Vale of Lost Women - 1/5
I think this is the absolute worst of the Conan stories. I’ve enjoyed many of them and even gave Hour of the Dragon a 5 Star review, but this one is just scathing with racism, sexism and a lousy plot that can’t save it in any way. A shame.
***
The Hour of the Dragon - 5/5
The Hour of the Dragon is worth five stars alone. It combines all of the greatest elements from every other story in the Conan saga while excluding their flaws. It's an adrenaline-filled slugfest with nearly 200 pages worth of war, epic bloody battles and savage warriors against supernatural abominations. The action was incredible and the characterization of Conan is more mature and complex than ever before. The ending is surprisingly heartwarming as we watch a slave girl become a queen while Conan reclaims something precious that he once lost. A fitting finale for the legendary conqueror.
***
A Witch Shall Be Born - 4.5/5
A Witch Shall Be Born is a story about a queen that is dethroned by her evil twin that was once thrown out into the desert and left to die because she was born with the mark of a witch. The outcasted sister builds up her powerful magic and hatred over the years and turns it against the kingdom that left her to die. The sister steals the queen's place on the throne and commits countless atrocities in her name.
Conan comes along to make the evil sister pay for her crimes and restore the glory of the true queen. A thrilling tale of deception and sisterly betrayal. I ended up feeling a bit sorry for the villain this time around, I can't blame her for hating a world that cursed her to such a tragic fate the moment she was born. Salome is one of the most sympathetic villains in the entire Conan the Barbarian series.
***
The People of the Black Circle - 4/5
Hill Chieftain Conan heads into the Himalayan Mountains to rescue the Vendhyan queen, as Turanians, Afghulis, and Irakzais are caught in the machinations of demonic sorcerers of the Black Circle. It's a visceral, bloody and blindingly fast fantasy adventure that keeps up a consistent pace. It's an adrenaline rush from beginning to end.
***
Red Nails - 4/5
Wandering across the scorching desert in search of adventure, Conan stumbles upon the beautiful and fearsome pirate Valeria. After narrowly escaping from a dragon by making clever use of a poison fruit, Conan and Valeria take refuge in an entirely walled and enclosed city named Xuchotl where generations of inhabitants have waged war against each other for hundreds of years. Conan and Valeria get swept up into some nasty affairs between the two warring clans, a storm of swords and demonic sorcerey rages throughout the city until the warriors put an end to the insane clans war once and for all. It's a haunting and visceral story with lots of bloody action on par with Hour of the Dragon.
***
Jewels of Gwahlur - 3/5
Conan battles his way through Gwahlur in search of ancient jewels and riches but ends up empty handed. Although his original mission ended in failure, he got to experience the thrill of bloodshed and brought a girl that resembled a real goddess back home with him, so perhaps his journey for treasure wasn't a total waste after all. Not the best of Conan, but still a fun and quick read.
***
Beyond the Black River - 3.5/5
Conan teams up with a warrior named Balthus in an attempt to thwart the conquests of the Pictish sorcerer Zogar Sag. Just like People of the Black Circle, it's a nonstop adrenaline fest with lots of blood and guts.
***
The Black Stranger - 3/5
The story begins with Conan fleeing for the hills after being pursued by a flock of angered tribesman. While fleeing, the tribesman give up their chase upon reaching a peculiar hill that stands out from all the others. The hill turns out to hold a treasure cave along with the preserved bodies of a pirate captain, Tranicos. Conan's attempt to remove the treasure proves futile, as a demon of mist appears and attempts to strangle him. He barely escapes with his life, leaving the treasure undisturbed.
After getting away, Conan forms a thieves pact with several groups of feuding pirates to steal the forbidden treasure. Little do they know however, each person involved in the pact are manipulating each other and have a plan to dispose of each of the opposing groups once they've gotten their hands on the treasure. Debauchery, betrayal and cunning pirate trickery ensue until the last man gets away with what they came for.
***
Shadows in Zamboula - 3/5
Conan helps a dancer named Zabibi save her insane lover from a flock of cannibals and evil priests that are terrorizing her desert town. Conan fights his way through the cannibal horde does what he does best. The action was good and the setting was interesting, but the story was often ruined by a lot of unnecessary racist undertones.
September 14, 2022
I downloaded Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian: 20 Adventure Tales of Conan years ago and never actually got around to reading it. Back in the late 90s, when I was a huge WoT fan, I tracked down every single Robert Jordan Conan title, but at the time I never gave any thought to giving Conan's creator a shot. The more fool me, I know. But hey, better late than never, right?
I began Howard's "The Hyborian Age" essay during a road trip once, but never went beyond that. Fast-forward to this year, as I was reaching the end of my Camino de Santiago and was running out of reading material, on my day off in Santiago de Compostela I finally elected to give it another go. And never looked back!
I took my time to go through each short fiction piece and I enjoyed this omnibus edition a lot more than I thought I would! Considering that these stories were all written in the 1930s, I have to admit that the material has aged particularly well. Couldn't resist and went for one of Frank Frazetta's iconic depictions of Conan the Cimmerian instead of the regular cover.
Here's the blurb:
Conan The Barbarian is the original stories about adventure stories of conan the cimmerian written by Robert E. Howard in 1934-1936. In this book contains 20 stories of Conan The Cimmerian.
1.The Hyborian Age, first published in The Phantagraph, February-November 1936.
2.Shadows In the Moonlight, first published in Weird Tales, April 1934.
3.Queen Of the Black Coast, first published in Weird Tales, May 1934.
4.The Devil In Iron, first published in Weird Tales, August 1934.
5.The People Of the Black Circle, first published in Weird Tales, September, October and November 1934.
6.A Witch Shall Be Born, first published in Weird Tales in 1934.
7.The Jewels Of Gwahlur, first published in Weird Tales, March 1935.
8.Beyond the Black River, first published in Weird Tales magazine circa 1935.
9.Shadows In Zamboula, first published in Weird Tales, November 1935.
10.The Hour Of the Dragon, first published in Weird Tales, December 1935-April 1936.
11.Gods Of the North, first published in Fantasy Fan, March 1934.
12.Red Nails, First Published in Weird Tales, July, August-September, October 1936.
13. The Shadow of the Vulture, First published in the pulp magazine Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934.
14.The Phoenix on the Sword, First published in 1932.
15.The Scarlet Citadel, First published in 1933.
16.The Tower of the Elephant, First published in 1933.
17.Black Colossus, First published in 1934.
18.The Slithering Shadow, First published in 1934.
19.The Pool of the Black One, First published in 1934.
20.Rogues in the House, First published in 1935.
From the get-go, I knew I wanted to read these stories in chronological order. Otherwise, they feature a Conan as young as eighteen and as old as fifty-ish and are all over the place. I wasn't aware that several writers/editors have attempted to organize Howard's Conan stories into a chronological timeline and that there is no consensus among them. After perusing a few articles, I settled on the Miller/Clark/de Camp chronology because it seemed to be the one that has garnered a more general approval among aficionados.
What surprised me the most was the quality of the worldbuilding. These stories visit most kingdoms/regions of Howard's Hyborian Age universe and the author impressed me with his eye for detail. Add to that a disparate cast of men and women of every walk of life, body type, creed, skin color, as well as his depictions of this panoply of cultures and their traditions, myths, and legends, and you have something I couldn't believe was written nearly a century ago. I mean, critics applaud half-assed non-medieval European fantasy backdrops created by authors like S.A. Chakraborty or Wesley Chu, but there's no denying that, for all his faults, Robert E. Howard was already doing it, and doing it better to boot, back in the 30s. There is a lot more depth to Howard's writing than I expected. This is no generic hack-and-slash sword and sorcery fare.
Interestingly enough, I found that I preferred the author's shorter works. Indeed, the short stories and the shorter novellas worked better for me than their longer counterparts, or the novel-length The Hour of the Dragon. This last one was actually overlong and is probably one of my least favorite Conan tales found in this collection. Reading them in chronological order came with a number of issues, chief among them the difference in quality of the stories that were written earlier but occur much later in the timeline. "The Phoenix on the Sword" is a case in point in that regard.
Another thing that surprised me was the fact that there is no filler in this collection. While the quality and originality of each piece differ, not a single tale is a waste of time. Some of my favorites included "Red Nails", "Beyond the Black River", "The People of the Black Circle", "Tower of the Elephant", "A Witch Shall Be Born", and "Rogues in the House".
Just a note regarding this omnibus edition. There are a lot of typos and formatting screw-ups throughout. But having paid 0.99$ for it, I can't really complain much.
Highly recommended. If only to discover that Conan the Barbarian is a more multilayered protagonist than you ever thought possible.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
I began Howard's "The Hyborian Age" essay during a road trip once, but never went beyond that. Fast-forward to this year, as I was reaching the end of my Camino de Santiago and was running out of reading material, on my day off in Santiago de Compostela I finally elected to give it another go. And never looked back!
I took my time to go through each short fiction piece and I enjoyed this omnibus edition a lot more than I thought I would! Considering that these stories were all written in the 1930s, I have to admit that the material has aged particularly well. Couldn't resist and went for one of Frank Frazetta's iconic depictions of Conan the Cimmerian instead of the regular cover.
Here's the blurb:
Conan The Barbarian is the original stories about adventure stories of conan the cimmerian written by Robert E. Howard in 1934-1936. In this book contains 20 stories of Conan The Cimmerian.
1.The Hyborian Age, first published in The Phantagraph, February-November 1936.
2.Shadows In the Moonlight, first published in Weird Tales, April 1934.
3.Queen Of the Black Coast, first published in Weird Tales, May 1934.
4.The Devil In Iron, first published in Weird Tales, August 1934.
5.The People Of the Black Circle, first published in Weird Tales, September, October and November 1934.
6.A Witch Shall Be Born, first published in Weird Tales in 1934.
7.The Jewels Of Gwahlur, first published in Weird Tales, March 1935.
8.Beyond the Black River, first published in Weird Tales magazine circa 1935.
9.Shadows In Zamboula, first published in Weird Tales, November 1935.
10.The Hour Of the Dragon, first published in Weird Tales, December 1935-April 1936.
11.Gods Of the North, first published in Fantasy Fan, March 1934.
12.Red Nails, First Published in Weird Tales, July, August-September, October 1936.
13. The Shadow of the Vulture, First published in the pulp magazine Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934.
14.The Phoenix on the Sword, First published in 1932.
15.The Scarlet Citadel, First published in 1933.
16.The Tower of the Elephant, First published in 1933.
17.Black Colossus, First published in 1934.
18.The Slithering Shadow, First published in 1934.
19.The Pool of the Black One, First published in 1934.
20.Rogues in the House, First published in 1935.
From the get-go, I knew I wanted to read these stories in chronological order. Otherwise, they feature a Conan as young as eighteen and as old as fifty-ish and are all over the place. I wasn't aware that several writers/editors have attempted to organize Howard's Conan stories into a chronological timeline and that there is no consensus among them. After perusing a few articles, I settled on the Miller/Clark/de Camp chronology because it seemed to be the one that has garnered a more general approval among aficionados.
What surprised me the most was the quality of the worldbuilding. These stories visit most kingdoms/regions of Howard's Hyborian Age universe and the author impressed me with his eye for detail. Add to that a disparate cast of men and women of every walk of life, body type, creed, skin color, as well as his depictions of this panoply of cultures and their traditions, myths, and legends, and you have something I couldn't believe was written nearly a century ago. I mean, critics applaud half-assed non-medieval European fantasy backdrops created by authors like S.A. Chakraborty or Wesley Chu, but there's no denying that, for all his faults, Robert E. Howard was already doing it, and doing it better to boot, back in the 30s. There is a lot more depth to Howard's writing than I expected. This is no generic hack-and-slash sword and sorcery fare.
Interestingly enough, I found that I preferred the author's shorter works. Indeed, the short stories and the shorter novellas worked better for me than their longer counterparts, or the novel-length The Hour of the Dragon. This last one was actually overlong and is probably one of my least favorite Conan tales found in this collection. Reading them in chronological order came with a number of issues, chief among them the difference in quality of the stories that were written earlier but occur much later in the timeline. "The Phoenix on the Sword" is a case in point in that regard.
Another thing that surprised me was the fact that there is no filler in this collection. While the quality and originality of each piece differ, not a single tale is a waste of time. Some of my favorites included "Red Nails", "Beyond the Black River", "The People of the Black Circle", "Tower of the Elephant", "A Witch Shall Be Born", and "Rogues in the House".
Just a note regarding this omnibus edition. There are a lot of typos and formatting screw-ups throughout. But having paid 0.99$ for it, I can't really complain much.
Highly recommended. If only to discover that Conan the Barbarian is a more multilayered protagonist than you ever thought possible.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
December 21, 2021
A great collection
Apparently I have read more Conan than I realized. I was familiar with all the Conan content but not the Red Sonja or the two bonus stories at the end. I enjoyed all of them and would definitely recommend this book to any fan. The Bram Stoked at the end was very different from Dracula but still a good tale. In this more modern age some might find a word frequently used in it quite offensive, but was common to the era it was written in.
Apparently I have read more Conan than I realized. I was familiar with all the Conan content but not the Red Sonja or the two bonus stories at the end. I enjoyed all of them and would definitely recommend this book to any fan. The Bram Stoked at the end was very different from Dracula but still a good tale. In this more modern age some might find a word frequently used in it quite offensive, but was common to the era it was written in.
May 31, 2017
Loved reading these old stories and the original Tarzan at the end was a nice surprise.
April 5, 2026
Outstanding!!!
November 9, 2014
The Queen of the Black Coast is the height of Howard's writing and I don't think he planned it that way. once you get past that story it is all downhill from there. I was looking forward to reading "The Shadow of the Vulture" since it is supposedly the story that Red Sonia is based off of, but you have to deal with Howard's writing which is definitely not the epitome of good literature.
May 26, 2015
Great stories. Not so great kindle edition.
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