The Heroic Legends Series - Conan: Marked for Death

The Heroic Legends Series

by Tim Waggoner

Wounded, thirsty and stranded in the desert after a job gone bad, Conan is desperate. To make it out alive, he bands together with his fellow surviving mercenaries.

Conan trusts none of them, and the feeling is mutual. Fine. Everyone knows where they stand. But when a cursed treasure is discovered, distrust turns to suspicion. Conan knows enough about dark magic to leave well enough alone, but will greed get the better of his new 'friends'?

Genres: Fantasy

47 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 27, 2026

About the author

Tim Waggoner's first novel came out in 2001, and since then, he's published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He's written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, The X-Files, Alien, Doctor Who, Conan the Barbarian, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Grimm, and Transformers, among others, and he's written novelizations for films such as Ti West’s X-Trilogy, Halloween Kills, Terrifier 2 and 3, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He’s also the author of the award-winning guide to horror Writing in the Dark. He’s a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a one-time winner of the Scribe Award, and he’s been a two-time finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and a one-time finalist for the Splatterpunk Award. He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good short story. Conan was hired on as a caravan guard mercenary. As the caravan was attacked by desert raiders, Conan makes an accounting of himself, takes a camel ,and lives to fight another day. Three other mercenaries meet up with Conan after the overwhelming attack. Unfortunately for them, the desert holds secrets worse than raiders. Definitely worth a read for Conan fans.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good Conan yarn.

I preface every review with this is not Howard. Nobody but Howard can ever be him or capture his characters exactly. That does not mean there are no good Conan stories left. This is a great Conan short story. Lots of action, people's build and athleticism being compared to a wild animal, and a dash of horror. I hope Mr. Waggoner gets more of these shorts.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very solid outing. I'm excited for Waggoners longer works after this. Conan felt right, the secondary characters felt right, the Hyborian age felt like the Hyborian age and the Sword and Sorcery was exactly what it should be. Chef's kiss.

[Henry Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable Conan tale. Not surprisingly, given that the author has written several outstanding books that I enjoyed. Waggoner uses a relatively small number of pages to tell a complete and satisfying tale of S&S.

The characterization of Conan is spot on, and the rather small supporting cast is brought to life through brief snippets of description, dialogue, and action. There is no room for chaff in this tale, which moves along rapidly and gives us an ending that gives our imagination leave to fill what is left unsaid.

This compact tale has it all: untrustworthy allies, a seemingly indefatigable supernatural foe, a modest mystery, and Conan, sword in hand, striding forth to meet the challenge.

One of the best of the Heroic Legends Series stories I've read.