Conan: City of the Dead

Conan: City of the Dead #1-2

by John C. Hocking, Bradford Hastings (Narrator)

Two epics in one as Conan the mercenary faces hideously transformed wizards and undead creatures in action-packed fantasy combining Robert E. Howard’s trademark sword and sorcery with concepts straight out of Lovecraftian horror.

Combines the classic Conan and the Emerald Lotus with the all-new, original Conan and the Living Plague .

The long-awaited follow-up to Conan and the Emerald Lotus brings John C. Hocking back to the sagas of the Cimmerian.

In Conan and the Emerald Lotus, the seeds of a deadly, addictive plant grant sorcerers immense power, but turn its users into inhuman killers.

In the exclusive, long-awaited sequel Conan and the Living Plague, a Shemite wizard seeks to create a serum to use as a lethal weapon. Instead he unleashes a hideous monster on the city of Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of its treasures, Conan and his fellows in the mercenary troop find themselves trapped in the depths of the city’s keep. To escape, they must defeat the creature, its plague-wracked undead followers, then face Lovecraftian horrors beyond mortal comprehension.

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Fiction, Pulp, Audiobook, Anthologies, Horror

Audible Audio

First published June 18, 2024

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan and the Emerald Lotus (4.0)

Conan battles evil wizards hooked on drugs derived from a monstrous plant that is like something out of Little Shop of Horrors. So brilliant it deserves a haiku:

Conan's blade gleams bright,
Wizards' dark hearts crave strange highs -
Magic, steel collide.

Conan and the Living Plague (5.0)

Just how I like my Conan. A macabre adventure full of Lovecraftian horrors and all manner of bloodthirsty ghoulish monstrosities amidst bone chilling settings including ancient crypts, an eerily empty city and even an alternate dimension or two full of eldritch cosmic horrors. The creeping dread is intense, as is the skull busting and monster slaying action, with hardly a moment spared for brooding or skulking. Conan's party is made up of some interesting characters, including a prince who is clearly motivated by the plunder, a wizard who's motivations seem a tad more obscure if not nefarious, an old mercenary buddy and a young archer.

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone needs to pin a medal on Hocking’s chest. To have to wait this long to get a superior novel published is criminal. This volume contains 2 Conan novels. The first, Conan and the Emerald Lotus, was one of the better Tor titles. I remember buying this book when it first came out and thought it was close to the level of the King of Conan pastiches himself, John Maddox Roberts. It’s a great read —even if it had to follow the general Tor Conan format. Well worth a re-read, and very fun!

The second novel, the one people have been craving forever, Conan and the Living Plague, is exactly what Sword and Sorcery fans need. A brutal, tougher than steel, Conan up against Howardian and Lovecraftian horrors, duplicitous sorcerers and all manner of rogues. Dead cities, sorcerous dimensional travel, cosmic horror—- it’s all here with Conan’s relentless will to live. 5 stars for one of best current S & S writers.

[S.E. Lindberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

CONAN City of the Dead, by John C. Hocking (2024, Titan Books. 507p)

It’s June of 2024, and Titan Books has just delivered John C. Hocking’s City of the Dead which contains both Conan and the Emerald Lotus (1995, TOR) and its follow-up Conan and the Living Plague—a book lost in the limbo of publishing craziness for ~two decades! Hocking also wrote a bridging novella set in between these two novels called “Black Starlight” (serialized across Conan comics in 2019, and provided assembled as an eBook in 2023 as Conan: Black Starlight: The Heroic Legends Series). Since Titan Books & Heroic Signatures had the rights to publish and print “Black Starlight” separately, it seems like a lost opportunity to have it absent from City of the Dead, but fans are just glad to finally see the Living Plague in print, it is tough to whine about that.
Conan fans will be purchasing City of the Dead in a frenzy since they are familiar with Hocking’s style and its heroic journey
Want to know what the fuss is all about? This post is all about John C. Hocking’s Conan pastiche. It consolidates my reviews from Emerald Lotus and Black Starlight and highlights from my interview-with-Hocking and pre-review of Living Plague (that post contained informational, but distanced comments, about the book since the manuscript was still not available to all… at the time, I was blessed with one of the sacred Perilous World copies by Hocking to read). Read this and you'll have a;; excerpt and context to lure you into the City of the Dead.




Setting the Stage with the Emerald Lotus Cover Blurb
(BTW, an astute Goodreads S&S Group member pointed out that there are actually 3 wizards, and this official blurb blends the identity of “Shakar the Keshanian” and “Ethram-Fal”).

One wizard is bad. Two are a disaster… And a deadly disaster, too. For Conan, after refusing to help the evil wizard Ethram-Fal, has been cursed with a spell that is slowly, inexorably squeezing the life from his mighty frame. The only person who can banish the spell–besides Ethram-Fal, of course — is the sorceress Zelandra: a raven-haired beauty who practices only white magic… or so she says.

Zelandra has offered to lift the spell from the Cimmerian, if only he will do her one small service: steal the deadly Emerald Lotus from the clutches of Ethram-Fal in his impregnable desert fortress. No good can come of this, Conan thinks to himself. Once sorcery gets mixed up in it, the whole job goes to hell Unfortunately, he’s right.

The Prologue
The prologue catalyzes the adventure, defines the conflict, and sets the expectation for substantial horror elements (which the reader gets!). In fact, the titular lotus is both (a) a resource for casting sorcery and (b) a living inhuman-floral creature. Drugs and sorcery are equated, and they are also connected to a vegetable-entity-demon, so the conflict(s) feel very rich, fun, & unique. Sorcerers are addicts!

A moist crackling filled the still air. The corpse jerked and trembled as though endowed with tormented life. Ethram-Fal caught his breath as fist-sized swellings erupted all but instantaneously from the dead flesh of his ap-prentice. The body was grotesquely distorted in a score of places, with such swift violence that the limbs convulsed and the yellow robes ripped open.

Green blossoms the size of a man’s open hand burst from the corpse, leaping forth in such profusion that the body was almost hidden from view. Iridescent and six-petaled, the blooms pushed free of enclosing flesh, bobbing and shaking as if in a strong wind. In a moment they were still, and a sharp, musky odor, redolent of both nectar and corruption, rose slowly to fill the chamber.

The Style & Scope
Hocking certainly captured the spirit of Robert E. Howard’s fast-paced adventure, and presented the Hyperborean canon/landscape well. Conan’s remarkable travel and experiences set him apart from other mercenaries. As he gets embroiled in an adventure, he’ll travel across Shem, the river Styx, and into Stygia. There are some greater conflicts teased with Shamtare and King Sumuabi that are introduced but not fleshed out (more on that later).

REH’s Conan was essentially all short stories, but novels require longer relationships and here Conan finds himself allied with a team. Conan and the mute Khitan Heng Shih are the two men, and each is loosely paired with a strong-willed woman. The lady on the Ken Kelly cover seems a hybrid of Zelandra (the sorceress with raven hair) with her dagger-wielding attendant Neesa. Conan’s warrior skills and knowledge of Stygia are needed to guide them to the ruins of Cetriss. Conan’s scouting powers are great with preternatural, and predatorial, eyesight, sense of smell, and instincts:

 

S&S Style, Action Excerpt:

“Where the stream of bubbles had emerged from the pool’s floor, a thick shaft of shining green, like the trunk of a tree, now thrust itself into view. It shook, jerked, and stretched itself taller than a man, lashing the water to froth. A cluster of pale, bloated, petal-like growths covered the thing’s crown. Its body was a densely wrinkled green cylinder, crisscrossed with pulsing veins. A pair of ridged tentacles burst from each side of its midsection, lashing the air. A thick mass of roiling roots formed its base, heaving at the pool’s floor, lifting the grotesque thing up out of the water, moving it toward the shore and the stunned human intruders.

A whiplike tentacle whistled toward Conan, snapping itself around his right calf. It pulled forward with incredible strength, jerking his leg up, upending the barbarian’s body, so that for a moment he was suspended head down. The Cimmerian’s sword leapt into his hands, making a flashing arc that slashed through the hard, ridged arm and dropped him to the sand.

Heng Shih’s hands caught Zelandra’s waist and tossed her forcefully back. She stumbled out of range even as a tentacle curled around her bodyguard’s torso. The emerald arm constricted, sinking sharply into Heng Shih’s abdomen, drawing him in toward the hideous thing.

Conan sprang cat-like up off the ground, ducking beneath one flailing tentacle as another struck him across neck and chest like a slavemaster’s whip. He twisted away, stumbling in the sand, a line of dripping crimson bright on his bronzed throat.

The unnatural plant proceeded to pull itself out of the pool on its tangled carpet of roots while bone-white thorns began sprouting from the net of wrinkles on its swaying trunk. Wicked, needle-sharp spikes pushed into view, jutting the length of a man’s hand. The unladen tentacles lengthened, whipping wildly about- as the one gripping Heng Shih pulled steadily, tirelessly at him.

The Cimmerian lunged to his friend’s aid. A questing tentacle writhed about the barbarian’s left arm, biting into muscle and spoiling a stroke meant to free Heng Shih. The tentacle he had severed snaked clumsily between Conan’s legs, seeking an ankle.

The Khitan’s boots plowed twin furrows in the sandy soil as he was drawn irresistibly toward the thing….

Some of the initial settings begged to be addressed again (i.e., the fate of Conan’s mercenary buddy Shamtare and King Sumuabi’s need for raising armies), but these are minor threads and happen to be seeds developed in The Living Plague. Although the climax was consistent and action-packed, Conan could have played an even larger role in the resolution.”

“Black Starlight” is the serialized extension of Emerald Lotus
*** This novella is not included in City of the Dead, but is available separately as Conan: Black Starlight: The Heroic Legends Series.
The 12-part episodes published across the 2019 Conan the Barbarian comics picks up directly after the conflict; to clarify, the comics are separate, disconnected story penned by Jason Aaron. With precious little lotus surviving, Stygian liches are desperately trying to steal what little Zelandra has procured. As the party makes its way back to Shem, a fight over it leads the party to an abandoned manor, and a demonic battle. Expect more Hocking pastiche, which always involves a bit of weird-horror:

“No matter.” Nubar shrugged the white robes off his shoulders. The barbarian almost lunged, but the hooked blade was back at Zelandra’s throat in an instant, and the thing that wore the form of Lord Nubar favored him with a slow and mocking smile. He let the robe fall to his belted waist. His upper body was pale, and the hair on his breast was shot with gray, but he stood straight and there was strength in his shoulders.

With a faint sigh he lifted his arms for a moment, giving Conan a glimpse of long, crimson openings high along his ribs on either side, as open as wounds but not bleeding. Conan saw two horizontal slashes like wide, red-lipped mouths, and each was full of fitfully moving slugs, tiny facsimiles of the winged leeches he and his comrades had faced again and again this hellish night.

Living Plague Perspective: A Portion of our 2022 interview with Hocking:
[SEL] Having read the Perilous Worlds Conan and the Living Plague manuscript, I learned it was designed as an indirect sequel to Conan and the Emerald Lotus. As per the title and blurb (below), there is a new creature/villain to battle, but Conan’s compatriot Shamtare and the location of Akkharia are explored in very satisfying ways.

“The long-awaited follow-up to ‘Conan And The Emerald Lotus’, Hocking once again proves to be amongst the best of the Conan pastiche writers.

Sent to recover treasure from a plague-wracked city, not only must Conan avoid its deranged survivors, but battle a deadly disease given humanoid shape. To save himself – and perhaps the world – he allies with a scheming sorcerer to traverse a demon-haunted abyss in a desperate bid to destroy the Living Plague.”

[SEL] In the recent Black Gate review of Emerald Lotus & “Black Starlight” I highlighted one of my favorite battle scenes: Conan and crew vs. the demonic, mega-flora oasis creature. If you were to highlight a scene, which one would it be?

[JCH] There are several sequences in Emerald Lotus in which I tried to conjure up some of that old-school Weird Tales atmosphere—the scene in which the sorcerer Ethram-Fal finds that one of his men has been surreptitiously sacrificed to Nyarlathotep, for instance. But the scene I put the most effort into is Conan and Heng Shih's battle with Ethram-Fal's mercenaries over the lotus pit. I was all but obsessed with trying to write the kind of battle that Stopped The Show. A full-on, balls-out, hack-n-slay display of exhausting combat against the odds that could stand in the shadow of the best Sword & Sorcery battle scenes I’d read. I rewrote that scene entirely 14 times simply trying to hold a candle to the hellfire to be found in Solomon Kane’s clash with the Akaana in ‘Wings in the Night’, with Kull’s battle on the stairs in ‘Swords of the Purple Kingdom’ or Conan’s donnybrook with Thog in ‘Xuthal of the Dusk’. While I still find my scene to be pretty good, nobody has said a word about it to date. If you read the book, please take note of the scene and see if I get points for trying.

[SEL] You’ve endured and enjoyed publishing experiences with the Conan IP. You broke into writing Lotus in 1995, and even though “Black Starlight” made it to print in 2019, the pseudo-follow-up novel to Emerald Lotus called Living Plague was pulled at the last minute. Not to pick scabs, but readers may be hopeful for any update or perspective. Can you comment on any part of your journey? Any pastiche for the future?

[JCH] While I’m pleased to have made some contribution to the Cimmerian’s saga, writing pastiche has been a rocky road. Lotus has been out of print for more than twenty years, and Living Plague came within inches of being published twice and died on the doorstep each time. Lately, I’ve heard some appreciative things about Lotus, which is heartening even all these years later, but the book got its share of negative feedback. A pastiche that appeared before REH’s restored works were available, it won me some choice bits of hate mail when it first appeared.

When it seemed that Conan and the Living Plague was finally going to be published, I got pretty fired up, and outlined a new Conan story set in Asgard and Vanaheim. And I was approached with the suggestion that I go back to work on the Conan pastiche I’d begun way back when Living Plague was completed. I found notes and a partial manuscript for Conan in the City of Pain but put them aside when plans to print Lotus and Living Plague fell through. While I’d be game to write more about the Cimmerian I can’t afford to give it much thought until my second pastiche finally sees publication.

[SEL] I appreciate you sharing the manuscript of the almost-published Living Plague. It reads like a S&S-bank-heist novel. Conan and a gang break into a quarantined, plague city to recover treasure; catacombs, ghouls, and zombies, and tons of necromancy. Some of the initial settings from Emerald Lotus begged to be addressed again (i.e., the fate of Conan’s mercenary buddy Shamtare and King Sumuabi’s need for raising armies) and you developed them further in Plague. Let's discuss some teasers without spoiling anything.

Both Emerald Lotus and the Living Plague-manuscript have prologues that focus on an apprentice/sorcerer relation that is dysfunctional. Brilliant way to set up the conflict. Can you comment on plot design and organizing novels, and perhaps your perspective on sorcerers?

[JCH] Howard’s The Hour of the Dragon begins with a chapter showing the resurrection of the story’s villain, Xaltotun. I like the idea of teasing readers with a look at the potential challenges and adversaries the Cimmerian will be forced to overcome. And starting my books in emulation of the only canonical Conan novel just felt right.

I outline extensively and did my best to keep a driving pace with chapters ending on a sharp note or revelation. In this sense, my Conan books owe something to the Gold Medal Original novels of the 1950’s. I admire their fierce pace and narrative drive—something that’s become uncommon in modern fiction and quite rare in fantasy.

I wanted my sorcerer villains to be the sort of people who were tempted to latch onto personal power, power they convinced themselves they deserved, and to do so despite its obvious dark, undependable and dehumanizing nature. These guys are evil through self-indulgence, self-deception and moral weakness. Also, having seen perhaps a few too many fictional wizards who could perform spectacular miracles with the wave of a hand, I opted to make my sorcerers more limited and uncertain in their skills.

[SEL] The living-plague is airborne; COVID-conscious readers would latch onto the protective masks now.

[JCH] Yeesh. I can now see that aspect of the book as being called out as trendy or, worse, politically relevant. Ugh. Please keep in mind I wrote Living Plague in 1996.

[SEL] S&S tends to have one hero (maybe a duo). In your Conan pastiche, almost everyone has a partner or bodyguard (friend or foil). When designing heroic fiction, what do you consider for heroes (solo or teamed)?

[JCH] This is different for hero and villain. The villain needs bodyguards/followers to do his will and to provide additional colorful and dangerous threats for the hero to overcome. I found that, at times, putting Conan, an iconic character of mythic stature, into the company of comrades to be a way of letting the reader see how the Cimmerian appears to others (that is to say, epic) without leaning too hard on the third-person narration to simply tell the reader about him.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of two John Hocking Conan stories deserves a more detailed and thorough review than I am about to give.

Conan and the Emerald Lotus is sublime. Conan is cursed and compelled to steal from a sorceress. Instead he is hired and with a small party sets out across the desert seeking the source of the Lotus. I previously read the Tor paperback but decided to read it once more for continuity.

Conan and the Living Plague is harrowing. Airborne pestilence has always unnerved me. Conan and a group of mercenaries are hired to infiltrate a city afflicted by plague. Only to discover that this pestilence isn’t naturally occurring and it is sentient!

It is truly wonderful that this collection is now available. Especially after the long road it took to print.

[Vincent Darlage · Rating 4 out of 5]

John C. Hocking’s new book, “Conan: City of the Dead,” published by Titan Books includes two novels, and I’ll review each separately. The first novel in the book is “Conan and the Emerald Lotus.” The second is the long-awaited “Conan and the Living Plague.”

Part I: Conan and the Emerald Lotus
I read “Conan and the Emerald Lotus” when it was published as part of the Tor Conan series back in 1999 with a particularly stiff-looking Ken Kelly cover. I honestly had given up on the Tor series because of a string of books by Roland Green. I hadn’t read a Conan pastiche in years, I think. I had never heard of John C. Hocking but, for whatever reason, I decided to give it a shot. I was glad I did. I also re-read it back in 2005 while writing Hyboria’s Finest and Stygia – Serpent of the South. However, it’s now 2024, and although I remember really liking the book, I couldn’t remember it well enough to review it, so I re-read it this month in its new hardcover form.

The story begins with our villain, Ethram-Fal. I like this name. He’s hunched and shrunken and horrible. He is a misshapen dwarf of a man. He is looking for the fabled emerald lotus, and only finds old seeds. He kills his apprentice and brings the seeds to life. It’s a fairly intriguing introduction.

Conan is in Akkharia (in Shem) looking for mercenary work, and he hooks up with Shamtare, who recruits for Mamluke’s Legion, a mercenary troop. At this point, Conan is whisked away by a green-cowled sorcerer (named Shakar) and a warrior named Gulbanda. They want to hire Conan to steal a trinket and assassinate a lady. Conan isn’t interested, so the wizard captures Conan and forces him to do his bidding.

This is generally a plot I despise. The bad guys force the good guy to do evil stuff. And I long argued that an REH-styled hero would rather die than go along with such a plot – or at the very least, would circle back and kill the guy (back when I was writing for Mongoose, a lot of people seemed to be writing adventures where the party was forced to go on adventures). Fortunately, I think John C. Hocking agrees, because he keeps this mercifully short, and only uses it so Conan can meet Lady Zelandra and get recruited by her. Conan figures out where Ethram-Fal is and offers to lead Lady Zelandra there.

So the basic deal is that Ethram-Fal has gotten Lady Zelandra and Shakar addicted to emerald lotus dust. Lady Zelandra is better at only using small doses than Shakar, so Shakar wants Zelandra’s remaining supply because Ethram-Fal doesn’t seem all that interested in providing more. Lady Zelandra wants free from the addiction. So Zelandra seeks out Ethram-Fal and Shakar wants to kill Zelandra. Shakar dies though, but not before he unleashes a revenant upon the world to hunt down Conan and Lady Zelandra. Zelandra’s party includes a Khitan and a servant girl.

One thing about this book that really struck me was that I liked the characters. John C. Hocking excels at making characters likeable. I even liked the villains. Their motivations made sense. I knew what they wanted and why they were doing it, and why they thought they were in the right. This is SO important in a Conan novel. We all know Conan has to survive. He’s basically invincible as a character, but new characters can die. John C. Hocking made sure we cared about these characters. Sure, I felt comfortable that Lady Zelandra would probably live… but she was a sorcerer, and an addict, so maybe not. But the Khitan and the servant girl? Easy to kill off, but by making me like them, I worried for them. Conan may be able to save himself, but he might not be able to save these characters I had come to like. That’s a great way to propel the story.

Speaking of propelling the story, the second thing I noticed was that the prose was quick and fast-paced. I never got bogged down with any part of the novel. It just kept right on kicking me along to the next section.

Another thing that struck me was that I liked the fight scenes. I do not like long, dragged-out fights. Most fights in real life are short. A quick burst of energy, and then it’s done – someone is dead and someone isn’t. I cringe to rewatch super-hero movies where the fight with the bad guy takes up half the movie. I feel like John C. Hocking is with me on this. His fights were quick and deadly.

The fourth thing that struck me was that I liked how Mr. Hocking wrote Conan. When he spoke, it was only when necessary. He didn’t make idle chit-chat. I was able to picture the Frank Frazetta Conan (the one from the Ace/Lancer Conan the Adventurer) while reading this book, both in terms of Conan’s dialogue and Conan’s actions.

I enjoyed this trip back to a Tor classic. John C. Hocking doesn’t write like Robert E. Howard, and that’s okay. His book felt like a Conan adventure, just narrated to us by someone else who knew Conan.

Part 2: Conan and the Living Plague
I was able to read a draft of this in 2018 (on a Word document Mr. Hocking sent me), and was gifted an autographed copy of the Perilous Worlds version that was supposed to come out in 2019, but didn’t (the cover was atrocious), which I also read. Still, that was a few years back, so I read it again in this new hardcover from Titan Books. I WISH I had this novel back in the early 2000s when I was writing for Mongoose’s Conan RPG. Several things in this novel would have made it into the game, I think.

This novel is a sequel of sorts, in that Conan is still in Shem, and is now firmly part of Mamluke’s Legion, working alongside Shamtare the Shemite (who worked so hard to recruit Conan in the last novel). Here, Conan and a few of his cohorts are recruited to accompany a Shemite prince to a plagued city in a Shemite barony to loot it for treasure. At the heart of this venture, is a sorcerer who accidentally unleashed the plague when he was an apprentice.

Conan is traveling with a party of warriors, a sorcerer, a prince, and some other shady characters to this barony in northern Shem. Also, another city-state is getting involved, also wanting the treasure. There is a wonderful sequence with ghouls as they sneak into the city, and the plague demon itself is fantastically realized. The characters, again, were likeable. As I said in part 1, this is important, since we know Conan can’t die, so we have to worry about the other characters, and it helps if we like them. Even Adrastus, the sorcerer, is likeable during the journey. He’s not perfect or all-knowing. He screws up. He gets some things right, too. He feels like a fully realized character. So do several of the others. However, I never warmed to the Brythunian character, who Adrastus favors. But, with that singular exception, I rather liked the characters.

The solution to the giant plague demon was unique. I didn’t expect that at all (the first time I read it). I also liked how Conan embraced it and went along with it. Conan does what is necessary. I also liked Conan using a bit of magic at the end of the novel – again, given Conan’s use of learned magic in Beyond the Black River while battling Zogar Sag, I thought this was great.

I loved the writing in this novel. As with the first novel in the book, John C. Hocking’s prose is delightful.

I enjoyed the plot, and the characters. Mr. Hocking does a fantastic job at making us care for the characters. He provides little moments of insight to most of them, and it leads us to understand them just a bit better.

Just like “Conan and the Emerald Lotus,” the prose is fast. It’s easy to read dozens of pages before you even are aware that you’ve pass through chapters. Nothing bogged down the story or the plot.

Also, Mr. Hocking’s fight scenes are compelling and fast-paced. Conan gets tired and gets hurt. Fights don’t last for a long time, really, and I love this aspect of his writing style.

But mostly, I LOVE how John C. Hocking writes Conan. When his Conan speaks, it’s sparing and to the point. He doesn’t waste time or words. And, just like in “Conan and the Emerald Lotus,” I totally was able to picture the Frank Frazetta Conan. It was like I could see and hear the Conan of Robert E. Howard’s stories.

I thought this was a fantastic novel. I highly recommend it. Indeed, I recommend this whole book, because both novels in it are enjoyable.

[James T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conan and the Emerald Lotus is something of a cult classic and a legend unto itself. Given its limited print run and general reception it’s pretty expensive to come by so Titan books has done Conan fans a favor not only reprinting it but adding a second full length novel to the package.

Having never read Emerald Lotus did it live up to the hype? Absolutely. It’s a masterpiece. Everything you enjoy about Conan and Sword and Sorcery is ramped up to eleven. Conan feels like Howard’s character fused with the Frazetta paintings it inspired. The other characters pop wonderfully off the pages as well. They’re larger than life, over the top and just so extra.

The story is an enjoyable and daring travelogue that oozes with adventure. It just paints its fantastical setting with such loud colors.

Really it’s the kind of book that makes you remember why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. It’s a reprint but it’s also a torch bearer for what Sword and Sorcery is. It’s Conan with no apologies, blared as loudly as possible from any speakers that will play it.

Just awesome.

I wish I could say the same for the long awaited sequel Conan and the Living Plague. It’s still a fun book, with a stronger horror bent, but less capital A adventure.

It has a fun cast of characters and enjoyable story, but is underwhelming compared to its predecessor. Conan doesn’t quite feel as Conan, both his acquiescence to the use of magic and a certain moment that I don’t want spoilt felt cool but just not as in character. Also the whole ordeal towards the conclusion feels almost clinical or scientific and to me lacked a bit of that smoky quality that makes cosmic horror mysterious. It feels a bit too much like a campaign module and not enough like a fever dream.

I’d love to see Hocking be given the reigns to do another Conan piece. Capturing lightening in a bottle is hard but I have faith he can do it again, even if he fell short at his second attempt.

All in all this omnibus is one of the finest Sword and Sorcery books on the market. A must own unless you’re one of the lucky few who have a copy of the first printing, and even then it’s worth picking up for the sequel and having this version on the shelf for that badass cover art.

[aleph3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was aware of but had never read Conan and the Emerald Lotus, so this volume was two mugs filled to the brim with Hocking's finest, for me. He captures the character of Conan the Cimmerian - a much more complex individual than stereotypes give Howard credit for - and the feel of the Hyborian Age, with great care and verve.

But even if you have never read a single Conan story by anyone before, both these novels absolutely stand on their own. Dark sorcery, conniving nobles, boon companions, quests against the odds, they're all here. The action is first-rate: clear, fast-paced, and vivid, revealing details about character and setting even as All The Things happen.

Sword & sorcery at its most exhilarating; highly recommend.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long-time fan of the character, it’s exciting to see Titan Books release both new novels starring Conan (e.g., Conan – Blood of the Serpent) alongside long out-of-print treasures like Conan and the Emerald Lotus. The inclusion of the never-before-seen Conan and the Living Plague sweetens the deal, making Conan: City of the Dead a must-buy even for those lucky readers who already own the original Emerald Lotus paperback. Newcomers to Conan are still advised to start with the original Robert E. Howard tales, but if you’ve devoured those and yearn for more, Conan: City of the Dead is the cream of the pastiche crop.

Read my full review at Grimdark Magazine!

[Clint · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a treasure. Conan and the Emerald Lotus is a fan favorite Tornan. To have it readily available is great; however, to finally have Living Plague printed is fabulous.

It has been a decades long wait, but Hocking delivers a ripping S&S tale. Eldritch horror? Check. Action? Check. Conan written in the spirit of REH? Check.

My hope is Titan convinces Hocking to grant us another Conan tale.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It makes me so happy to see this book published! Conan and the Emerald Lotus is what many people believe to be the best Conan pastiche novels ever written and has been almost impossible to read unless you are willing to pay over $70 dollars on used book sites. I was lucky enough to find a cheap copy but it saddened me that most will not be able to read Hocking’s take on Conan. That changes with the release of this book.

Not only to we get Conan and the Emerald Lotus but Conan and the Living Plague (which is just as good if not better). There is everything here you would expect from a Conan tale: magic, beautiful women, action scenes etc. I don’t know if Hocking is the best Conan pastiche writer (I personally believe that honor belongs to John Maddox Roberts) but he up there along with Sean Moore (who unfortunately died at a tragically way to young). Hopefully we see more books like this in the future!

[Andrew Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emerald Lotus
This was simply a good read, interesting on just about every page. When you have three people telling you about the same person, you get a different feel for that person, but some times, you see the resemblance. In this case, John C. Hocking isn't Robert E. Howard, so Conan isn't exactly what you get from a Howard telling ... but it's close. When you have that third person telling, in comparison, you may feel like it isn't even the same person, and there are a lot of pastiches out there that fit into that camp. Some try, some just want to be a part of the big name without a great effort, but I won't stay on that. This is Hocking's take and I enjoyed it, looking forward to more. The villain was a menace, the horror invoked ghastly imagery, especially the remains heaped upon its tendrils, the cohorts held their own with an array of personality, and the sorcery was arcane mayhem. The addiction angle of lotus powder and kaokao leaves is as potent as the bloodlust for power and knowledge. Like Conan, I Neesa more of this adventure.

Living Plague
"The untrammeled survival instinct of the primitive was his, and while Conan's barbaric fatalism told him that death was ultimately inevitable, he would never accept its grim embrace as long as he still had the strength to fight against it."
A fabled necklace, an enchanted castle, a sorcerer's apprentice. This isn't a Disney fairytale though, as the threat of sorcery, savagery, and cosmic horror are as grim as it gets. Some of the threat is a little too realistic to not unnerve you if you think on it too much: can someone create a threat and then expect your gratitude for "fixing" it, and your sacrifice to achieve it?, or can another manipulate your actions and then seek to silence you?. The catacomb journey, as well as the whole story, would look good in comic form by artists such as Julien Telo (Elric), Dan Mora (Once & Future), and Roberto de la Torre (Conan). There's no need for my review to go deep into this, these are two tales that Conan fans and Howard aficionados can add to their queue and feel good about spending the time in reading.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is two books in one, which doesn't make a ton of sense because the second book has nothing to do with the first one. The first book is not great. Pretty disjointed story, long introductions for characters that never return, some plot holes. The second book is significantly better. Still a few holes, and some odd pacing, plus out of place character exposition that has no effect on the story. But one thing is for certain across both of these stories; the author absolutely loves using the word "ruddy" to describe things.

[Paul Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to these new books about Conan takes me back to the my youth when I first discovered the joys of Conan the Cinmerian, great stories and great narration

[Craig Carignan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just like the Conan book they allow me to forget my troubles.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This solid and heavy hardcover contains two novels. They are~
1. Conan and the Emarald Lotus— possibly the greatest pastiche involving Conan;
2. Conan and the Living Plague— a brutal, chilling, atmospheric pastiche that was unnecessarily lengthened at places, but which concluded neatly.
Overall, these are two truly memorable tales of the Cimmerian. Hocking reaffirms our faith placed upon him following the 'Black Starlight' adventure.
Highly recommended.

[Zardoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read all of the original Conan stories by Howard, and heard that Hocking had done an excellent job of creating a similar vibe. Now, Let’s be honest about Howard. The man was a genius, but his Conan was basically Superman and had so much plot armor that you knew that things were always going to go his way.
These two novels by Hocking throw all that out of the window. The characters are more complex and get developed better. Conan feels more human and vulnerable to physical threats. Also a lot of the racial descriptions that give modern readers the “Ick” are gone.
The Emerald Lotus novel was my favorite it was straight forward and the plot flowed well. The City of the Dead gets a little weird, but had more of a Lovecraftian theme to it.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me utterly speechless. John C. Hocking, through sheer power of poetic, paced, purple, perfect prose, props up this palpable pastiche, playing to the people who paid the price of patience for so many problematic periods, whose passions this is plainly in praise of.

Aliterations aside (oops), I will start by saying one thing. Read this. Apparently the first book here was published thirty years ago, as Conan and the Emerald Lotus, a book I have been desperate to read for years but unable to find. The second book was never published, but known by the name Conan and the Living Plague.

As I only recently got into Conan and Sword and Sorcery as a genre in the past few years (around my thirties), I desperately delved into every Howard story I could get my hands on, until I finished the final page of the final Conan story (Del Rey edition). Since then my desire for more Conan has been insatiable, and I've discovered many great authors since then who still carry the sword and sorcery torch. Howard Andrew Jones, Scott Oden, to name a few. John C. Hocking was well known within the community for having written a great pastiche, but until now I just had to take people's word for it. Well, finally I can formulate my own opinion, as I have read both books contained herein. After reading, I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with the overall sentiment. John C. Hocking has made two great books. Not only pastiches, but books. Not only can he write Howard, but more meaningfully, the man can write. If he came up with a new Conan story or an original character, I'd be first in line for the next one. I can't imagine waiting decades for the deserved recognition he is about to receive. Titan has made a brilliant and calculated decision in pulling these stories out into the forefront. There are other pastiches out, and some coming, and I have nothing wrong to say about any of them, but I would posit that John C. Hocking has cracked the very particular code that is necessary to embody the atmosphere, character features, lore of the Hyborian Age, peculiarities of Lovecraft's influence on Howard's work and the weirdness that follows, knowledge of pulps and classic adventure tales, Conan's respect for innocents, for women, etc. There's quite a lot that goes into it, and most pastiches seem to forget or overplay certain aspects of Howard's work, whereas both of these stories hit the sweet spot and kept the hits coming. Hefty action, believable dialogue and characters, thrilling plots, intrigue, betrayals, suspense, it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The stories themselves are just the right length, too. The Conan the Barbarian Novelized film, also read by the brilliant Bradford Hastings, overstayed it's welcome about halfway in for me, and I mostly quite enjoyed that. In many ways it had parts that were better or worse than the film. But these two stories were just right. Conan stories should never be too long, as although his life is truly epic, it is spread out over many mini episodes and short adventures that give a refreshing restart after not too long. A new cast of characters, a new era in Conan's life, his story is almost best experience non-chronologically, as it keeps things varied and fills in the dots in an interesting way. One moment he is an old king, and then a young sailor. Emerald Lotus and Living Plague keep this tradition, as one gets the sense these episodes could be from two very different times in Conan's stories life.

Conan and the Emerald Lotus introduces a fantastic concept into the sword and sorcery sphere, as a magical plant, not dissimilar to a drug, increases the power of the user, but at a high cost. Sorcery in these stories is never cheap, but here it's like serious narcotics. Mix in a few wizards bent on world domination and a barbarian who hates and wants to put an end to evil sorcery, and you have yourself an admittedly oversimplified version of this enthralling tale. The side characters and villains are Howardian in the strongest sense. I also love Hocking's naming conventions, as they feel like they were lifted straight from Howard's imagination.

Conan and the Living Plague raises the stakes a hundredfold. It reminds me a lot of the recent Savage Sword comic, where Conan was an older mercenary who had to investigate a seemingly dead and hollow city, but I had a problem with that story justifying why Conan kept letting people lead him into situations that obviously had no chance of reward or payment. Here, the journey is not just convincing, but you root for all of the characters, no matter how slimy, as they work their way through deadly situations and battle otherworldly horrors. There is always promise of coin and treasure, and the suffering along the way always has the sense that it will be worth it in the end. I cannot stress enough how much this story is teeming with fun, tension, stress, occasional dark humor, high adventure, Lovecraftian cosmic horror, energy, and so much more. He struck a perfect balance in Emerald Lotus, and here pushes that past its limits, to unbelievable success. All I ever wanted was more Howard, and was disappointed when people couldn't achieve it, but now I realize I don't just want more Howard, I'll happily take more Hocking as well!

[Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is rich and full of little gems, where every detail is important. In these two stories, those details are wonderful.

[…] Ath led the party’s smallest pack pony into the circular room. The horse was dun colored and long maned. Saddleless, it stood blinking in the unnatural yellow-green illumination as the soldier bent and hobbled its legs with lengths of rawhide.
– “Here,” said Ethram-Fal, “bring it here.”
Ath cooed softly to the beast, drawing it forward. Suddenly, the pony seemed to notice the overgrown corpse and shied away, eyes rolling whitely.
– “Here, Ath!” insisted the sorcerer. The tall soldier pulled helplessly at the horse’s reins.
– “He’s afraid, my lord.”
Ethram-Fal snatched out his irregularly shaped dagger and moved toward the hobbled pony with the abrupt swiftness of a pouncing spider.
Ath drew back involuntarily at the sight of his master advancing with clenched teeth, wild eyes, and bared steel. The sorcerer seized the pony’s forelock and slashed its throat with a single quick, brutal stroke. The beast gave a pathetic whinnying cry as its blood splashed on the stone floor. It reared, then fell forward onto its knees as Ethram-Fal staggered back, crimsoned knife in one rigid fist.
There was a sound like the dry crumpling of aged parchment, and the fungus-riddled corpse moved. Barbed growths beneath the body stirred, rasping on rock, and the Emerald Lotus scuttled across the floor like a gargantuan crab. It battened onto the pony, climbing the animal’s breast to sink thorned branches into its gaping throat.
– “Holy Mitra!” Ath stumbled backward out of the room, his face pale as ash; but Ethram-Fal stood his ground, held by an astonished fascination that was stronger than fear.
The horse collapsed heavily with the nightmarish growth clutching it in a loathsome embrace, whipping suddenly animate branches around its body as it fell. The barbed and hooked limbs extended impossibly, lashing the air like the tentacles of an octopus.
Realizing his danger, Ethram-Fal tried to dodge past the monstrosity and out the door. A spiked branch flailed against his right leg in passing, laying open the flesh of his calf and drawing a cry of pain.
The sorcerer reeled, but Ath lunged back into the room, seizing his master’s shoulders and dragging him bodily out into the hall. The two fell against the wall opposite the doorway, and would have fled had not the Emerald Lotus suddenly ceased to move. The room went silent and the pony’s body lay still, half blanketed by the grotesque bulk of the vampiric fungus.
[…]

[…] The steaming water was dark and thick as syrup with powdered Emerald Lotus. The sorcerer wallowed on his back in the sunken pool, his slight, wizened body half floating as he breathed the perfumed air through flaring nostrils and stared upward with dilated eyes.
He leaned his shaven head back upon the sharp rim of the tub and idly created visions to amuse himself.
Suspended in the air above his prone form, a silver flower bloomed, its shining petals gleaming like polished steel. It rotated a moment and then burst into a compact ball of scarlet fire. The flame blazed brightly, then flew outward into a thousand separate pinpoints that immediately contracted, spinning into a miniature galaxy.
The revolving disk of brilliant motes coalesced, gradually outlining the tiny, perfect form of a woman.
Once complete, the fiery homunculus began to whirl in a wild dance, slowly shedding its flames until it was a diminutive but perfect image of the Lady Zelandra. Naked, the little figure writhed in erotic abandon before Ethram-Fal’s greedy eyes.
The sorcerer settled himself more deeply in the hot, lotus-laden water, feeling its power seeping into his bones. Above him, the homunculus caressed itself and thrust tiny hands out to Ethram-Fal in shameless supplication. Then, as he looked on, the figure began to tear at itself, rending its flesh with its own hands until it burst abruptly into a misty cloud of crimson droplets.
Ethram-Fal laughed, his mirth sounding metallic and inhuman in the closed stone room. The sorcerer rolled over, letting the image wink out, and turned his mind to more serious things.
He slouched low, letting the thickened water creep up to his lower lip, allowing a bit to slip into his mouth and savoring the bitter bite of it. […]

[Ståle Gismervik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of "Conan: City of the Dead"

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

John C. Hocking has finally gifted Conan fans with his long-awaited second novel, "Conan and the Living Plague," the much-anticipated follow-up to his 1995 debut, "Conan and the Emerald Lotus." Both novels are now available in the omnibus edition from Titan Books, titled "Conan: City of the Dead."

Conan and the Emerald Lotus

Background:
"Conan and the Emerald Lotus" is a fantasy novel by American writer John C. Hocking, featuring Robert E. Howard's iconic hero, Conan the Barbarian. Initially published by Tor Books in November 1995, it was reissued in paperback in September 1999.

Author's Intent:
Hocking wrote "Emerald Lotus" out of dissatisfaction with the Conan novels being published in the early 1990s. He aimed to infuse the story with elements he felt were missing from Conan pastiches of that era. After three years of dedicated writing, Hocking’s persistence paid off when L. Sprague de Camp, who, despite his controversial reputation for editing and altering Howard's original texts, was then in charge of Conan's legacy. De Camp appreciated Hocking's work, leading to its publication.

Plot:
The story begins with Conan cursed by a Stygian wizard, Ethram-Fal, after refusing to enter his service. Lady Zelandra, a beautiful sorceress, offers to lift the curse if Conan retrieves a deadly emerald lotus—her addictive prize—from Ethram-Fal. To save his own life, Conan must confront the wizard again, embarking on a perilous journey through deserts, facing bandits, a demonic oasis, and zombie bodyguards. He is aided by Neesa, a skilled dagger-thrower, and Heng Shih, a mute thief.

Conan and the Living Plague

Background:
"Conan and the Living Plague" was initially slated for publication by Tor but was left in limbo for years. The novel was nearly lost when Heroic Signatures took over and collaborated with Titan Books, leading to the destruction of all but 50 printed copies. Now, it finds its rightful place alongside "Emerald Lotus" in the new omnibus edition.

Plot:
In this exclusive, long-awaited sequel, a Shemite wizard seeks to create a serum to use as a lethal weapon. Instead, he unleashes a hideous monster on the city of Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of its treasures, Conan joins a mercenary force led by an ambitious prince and accompanied by a sorcerer named Adrastus. As they venture into Dulcine, they encounter not just plague survivors turned bloodthirsty monsters but also a living personification of the plague. Trapped in the depths of the city’s keep, Conan and his companions must defeat the creature, its plague-wracked undead followers, and face Lovecraftian horrors beyond mortal comprehension. They are in constant danger from these external threats as well as from treachery within their own ranks, and not all of them will make it out alive.

Style and Execution:
Hocking doesn't attempt to mimic Robert E. Howard's style but brings his own voice to the Conan mythos. His narrative features well-drawn characters, a fast-paced plot, and epic action scenes, making for a compelling read. This approach honors Howard’s legacy while allowing Hocking's unique storytelling to shine.

Personal Reflection:
As a self-professed Robert E. Howard purist, I approached these books with skepticism. However, both "Conan and the Emerald Lotus" and "Conan and the Living Plague" surpassed my expectations. Hocking’s writing, while distinct from Howard’s, captures the essence of Conan’s world. Alongside Scott Oden, Hocking stands out as one of the few authors who can convincingly write Conan tales. I wholeheartedly recommend "Conan: City of the Dead" to both purists and new fans alike.

In conclusion, John C. Hocking's contributions to the Conan saga are not only commendable but essential reading for anyone who loves sword and sorcery. "Conan: City of the Dead" is a must-have, earning a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

[M. K. French · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combines the classic Conan and the Emerald Lotus with the original Conan and the Living Plague.

Book One: Conan and the Emerald Lotus
The Emerald Lotus, found and grown by the sorcerer Ethram-Far vastly enhances magical ability but is highly addictive and deadly. Two sorcerers are given the Emerald Lotus vie for court magician status, and Conan is drawn into the rivalry.

Here, Conan is looking for a mercenary job when the sorcerer Shenkar first cajoles, then demands by force that he steal a casket of the Emerald Lotus for him. Lady Zelandra frees him of that obligation and essentially hires him to make the arduous trek to Ethram-Far's lair. She hates being tricked into addiction, as well as his demand to become the slave to his desires. (I don't blame her!) Their travels send them through hostile country, the desert, and then the mercenary guards protecting Ethram-Far himself. Shenkar also sets his guard after Conan, another threat dogging their steps.

This world of sword and sorcery is a dangerous one, where lives on the road are cheaply bought, demons and magical traps can be lethal, and legends aren't quite what they seem. The battles and magic all have a cinematic quality so that it's like the recent Jason Momoa Conan movies. Those movies borrowed more heavily from the comics and novels than the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie from the 1980s. Conan is known as a thief and mercenary but knows a bit of everything as they travel. He's a learned barbarian, and his skills help keep him and his companions from an early grave.

Book Two: Conan and the Living Plague
A sorcerer looking to create a serum weapon instead unleashes a monster within Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of treasures, Conan and fellow mercenaries are trapped. Now they face undead followers of the monster and horrors from nightmares.

This epic sequel furthers the adventures of Conan and also has occasional illustrations by Richard Pace. In this story within the Hyborean Age, I find it even more noticeable that characters curse by or call on the names of all kinds of gods, even Norse ones. It's probably meant to show much trade and travel occurred. The lure of riches within the walled city of Dulcine draws the King's nephew and a select group of highly skilled mercenaries to sneak into the city past an opposing army. They struggle through catacombs, plague-liches, and the personification of plague itself. We even get to see eldritch horrors in this volume.

It's another jaunt with swordsmanship, threats of death, terrible and bloodthirsty magic, and Conan proving that barbarians aren't stupid. He knows a lot about people and the things that drive them. He's driven to survive another day, not hoard riches for its own sake, and we're along for the ride.

Overall, this dual volume is a fun and entertaining ride for fans of Conan or sword and sorcery fantasy.

[Don Mcgregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The spirit of Robert E. Howard lives on in Conan and the Emerald Lotus. John C. Hocking does Robert E. Howard and the entire genre proud, and you can sense his love for the character in the writing. If we consider our own mind to be the best cinematic stage while we are reading (or writing), the tight plot is interwoven through what I would call a handful of very "cinematic" action scenes. The foreshadowing, pacing, and excellent dialogue all serve to enhance some beautifully imagined, action set-pieces. Hocking's footprint and artist's strokes further build out Howard's world which serves to elevate, entertain, and pay homage to the world that Conan lives in. The villains of the story are vividly captured and more than just cardboard cutouts. The creation of the Emerald Lotus is part horror story and genius. It calls to mind contemporary horror pieces like The Last of Us or The Ruins. It's inherent evil, mystery surrounding it, and gruesome savagery make it one of the most memorable non-humanoid Conan villains. Conan's companions and supporting cast are all well drawn characters and serve as another strong point in the story. The pacing is spot on. I've had a horrible bout of the flu this weekend - symptoms including a horrible headache and nausea. Anyone who has been ill like this knows that you feel like and can do very little. Yet, I inexorably found myself turning page after page as if the addiction of the Emerald Lotus were leeching through the pages and into my fingers. The ending was perfect and very well done. I have grown tired of "deus ex machina" type endings in these Conan novels. The climax of this sword & sorcery gem is brought about through the sheer savagery, reflexes, and animal-like cunning of Conan which was a breath of fresh air. It was one of the more satisfying Conan endings that I remember reading in a novel. Furthermore, this is one of the best Conan novels that I have read thus far. John C. Hocking joins (and really moves to the head of the pack) of favorite Conan authors such as John Maddox Roberts, Andrew J. Offutt, Sean A. Moore, and Robert Jordan. (I don't believe I'm even half-way through the Conan Timeline by Wiliam Galen Gray) You can find Conan & the Emerald Lotus in the new hardover; Conan & The City of the Dead which is available now. By Crom, I strongly suggest that you purchase a copy today.

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR Review: A classic Conan adventure: dark, bloody, fast-paced, and filled with monsters and magic.

Full Review:
I’m going to give this book the highest compliment I can: it felt like it was written by Robert E. Howard or L. Sprague de Camp.
Both of the stories in City of the Dead could have come from any of the original Conan collections, with the same “Conan the Thief” we know and love, the same dark tone of evil wizards abusing magic, and all the inevitable action and fighting that makes Conan one of my all-time favorite characters.
In the first story, Conan is coerced by one wizard to assassinate his rival—except he’s no assassin, so he tries to talk his way out of things rather than fighting (a first!). But when that rival wizard(ess) reveals him there is another grander evil at work, Conan agrees to join forces with her to hunt down the wickedness pulling the strings behind the scenes.
In the second story, Conan and a company of mercenaries accompany a pampered prince to steal a fortune from a city killed by a mysterious plague. There, he discovers mystical and cosmic threats far greater than expected—and which have more than power enough to kill him, should be falter or fail.
Both stories moved fast and did a great job of setting up a big, sprawling world that felt interconnected to every other corner we explored in the original Conan books. We got to see Conan in full action—as thief, tracker, hunter, fighter, leader of men, and above all, slayer of all things monstrous and evil.
The tone of the whole book was very much in line with the original Conan books, and I loved every minute I spent back in this familiar, comfortable, and twisted world.
If you’re a fellow Conan fan, you’re going to love this book as much as I did.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re reading 'Emerald Lotus' the first of the two books included. I'm about 20% of the way through EL. I haven't read this since it first came out in the 90's, and I'm seeing why I thought so highly of it at the time. The prose is smooth, the story unfolds efforlessly. Conan is Conan even if the writing is not particularly REHesque. Really enjoying this in a way few of the short story pastiches have.

Emerald Lotus is spot on. Sharp, start to finish. The thing that appears odd to me now, especially after reading Regency Romances, is the relationships between Conan and Neesa, and the Wizard Zelandra and her mute bodyguard are really downplayed, as if the editorial guidelines forbid any more than a kiss and everything else had to be completely between the lines. So much so it stands out.

Also, there are quite a few threads left undone here at the end, I'm going back to re read Hocking's Black Starlight as it is a direct follow up and it had been too long since I'd read Emerald Lotus when I tackled it.

Conan and the Living Plague

Also very good. It's harder to pull off an action oriented plot driven book than you would think and JCH does it. I miss the female characters of Emerald Lotus, but that's nitpiking. Hocking gets Conan right. I know he's older now, but if he's got any more manuscripts, or is up for writing more, I'm interested.

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This includes the previously released Hocking novel Conan and the Emerald Lotus as well as the newly released City of the Dead.

My highly subjective review is that the first novel feels more like a Conan novel that Howard might have written than the second novel. In both, Conan aligns himself with a sorcerer, but in the second book at one point Conan wholeheartedly endorses the sorcerer's plan to dispatch an ancient evil when there is very little reason to trust him.

Given Conan's distrust of magic this seemed a bit out of character, but we can chalk it up to the fact that even Conan is human, and perhaps his judgment was clouded by the dangers piling up around him. In City of the Dead Conan endorses a sorcery which transports him to another Non-Hyborian world. Is this something Howard's Conan would do? I'm not sure.

However, if you view this as an alternate-reality Conan and don't worry about such debatable questions you'll find a highly entertaining novel, right down to the fantastic twist at the end, which is largely unexpected precisely because you don't expect Conan to employ the thing he loathes most as a weapon.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This package contains two Conan pastiches by John C. Hocking: Conan and the Emerald Lotus, and Conan and the Living Plague. I enjoyed both. The writing is good and tight, and the character of Conan is well captured. I liked that we see Conan as a highly intelligent fellow as well as a physically intimidating one. I liked a few scenes where it showed Conan having the good sense to “run” from a danger that he had no way to fight at the moment. Overall, I liked Emerald Lotus a little more than Living Plague, although the ending to Living Plague was very cool. The idea for the villain in Living Plague was also excellent—I won’t give it away—but I’d like to have gotten to know that villain a little more despite its alienness.

I believe these are the only two novels that Hocking has published, although he has a number of short story publications as well featuring his original characters. Based on the strength of these books, I’ll be looking for his stories.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I was going to enjoy some fairly mindless barbarian action and this is pretty much what I got. The problem is I didn't really enjoy it. The writing was good but it just didn't really grab my interest all that much. The reader is sort of just thrown into the story which was fine but I didn't really get any kind of intro to the character. I know who and what Conan is but I would have liked some more insight into his thought processes and way of seeing the world. I know probably too much to ask of a hulking barbarian but it would have been nice.
I might go back to it another day but for now I was disappointed

[Κεσκίνης Χρήστος · Rating 5 out of 5]

Αμφιταλαντεύτηκα για το 5ο αστέρι. Μη παρεξηγηθώ, μου άρεσε. Πολύ! Δύο νέες περιπέτειες του Κόναν, και μάλιστα αρκετά καλές. Αλλά ειδικά η πρώτη, αν και είναι μια πολύ καλογραμμένη Sword n Sorcery ιστορία, δεν μου έβγαλε καθόλου το feeling του Κόναν. Όσο για την δεύτερη, εδώ τα πράγματα είναι σαφώς καλύτερα. Howard και Lovecraft αναμειγνύονται με Κόναν και το αποτέλεσμα είναι ικανοποιητικό. Θα ήθελα παραπάνω epicness και λιγότερο τρόμο, αλλά και πάλι, ποιος είμαι εγώ να το πω; Όσο βγαίνουν τέτοιες ιστορίες θα τις αγοράζω και θα συνεχίσω να φωνάζω: ΜΟΝΟ ΚΟΝΑΝ ρεεεεεε!

[Erik Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

In John C. Hocking’s City of the Dead we get 2 really good stories back to back. One old and one new but also missing one from the digitals as well in my opinion which could have been added I think. Over all I remember reading this and thinking, “Finally! We are getting somewhere.” Good pacing, well rounded stories of sorcery and adventure. Likable characters, and expanded visuals to take us into the lands we know and love. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this one but again it could have been more too.

[Rick Iacobo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Conan double feature! Descriptive immersive writing, this guy really captures the untamed spirit of Conan. Investable characters, impossible odds, dark magic… these two tales have it all, highly recommend!

One caveat, Conan uses a magic item in one of the stories - he’s properly revulsed, but I feel like normally he would have found a different way. Still, very well written - I’ll let that one slide haha

Go get this and read it.

[The Geeky Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author John C. Hocking delivers a Conan tale that Robert E. Howard would love. It's stuffed full of two-fisted action, wizards, monsters, eldritch horrors and bloody brawls. It's pulp at it's finest, and it's a semi-sequel to Conan and the Emerald Lotus. Very well done, and the hardcover by Titan is gorgeous.