Revolt of the slaves! Against the reptile god of the evil sorcerer of Khemi the mighty Conan rises. With the raven-haired beauty Bêlit and her crew of savage pirates he braves the dreaded land of Stygia - where cold air sighs up from the crypts and crocodiles drag themselves across the mudbanks. He storms the walls in hotblooded fury to free her kin from the overseer's lash and the chains of eternal darkness.
Conan the Barbarian is to fantasy fiction as Pabst Blue Ribbon is to cheap American beer: he is an atavism, a throwback to a simpler time. Kids on the playground can say “My fantasy hero can kick your fantasy hero’s ass!”
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe?
Please.
Katniss Everdeen, Beatrice Prior?
My point exactly.
Hey, Conan, what is best in life?
“To crush enemy, see him driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the vomen.”
Thank you.
And so we come to Poul Anderson’s contribution to the franchise: Conan the Rebel.
“You got some entrails on you, pal”
In this journeyman edition, a reader gets to visit with Conan through the vision of Grandmaster Poul Anderson. A writer’s got to write … and eat. Not one of his better outings, but not bad at all either, and HEY! it’s Conan! Published in 1980, around the time that a certain Austrian was making the role his own.
This is a Conan story, but it is also Poul Anderson, and his writing is as good as ever. Anderson’s tremendous world building powers are in full bloom and he makes the most of the work that has come before him, adding detail, design and history to an already rich legacy of fiction.
Anderson does a great job channeling Howard in this thrilling Conan adventure. Although Belit plays only a small role we do learn a lot of her backstory and it definitely adds to the Conan lore.
Well, I must say I am impressed. Poul Anderson has written a Conan story on par with anything Howard has written. That is a huge compliment. Poul Anderson really shines when it comes to dialogue, the description of the fighting and the overall quality of the descriptive prose.
The bare bones? Conan and Belit, the Pirate Queen and his lover, have a run-in with Tothaphis- High Priest of Set and ruler of Stygia. Conan goes through a myriad of adventures and tribulations throughout the story. It is also a good look at the lore behind Belit. It will go down as one of my favorite Conan stories. The story is exciting, the prose is well written and his imagining of Howard's Conan and the world was spot-on! A welcome addition to my library. A must read for any Conan fan, especially those who want a Howardesque feel to the story.
I've read through a lot of reviews for this one and the consensus seems to be that it's either a good Conan story but not a great Poul Anderson novel or a good Poul Anderson story but not a great Conan novel. I guess I agree with both sides... it's not the way Howard would have done it, but it's a fine Conan adventure. It reunites Conan with Belit and her crew of corsairs in a tale of piracy in sorcerous Stygia... good adventure, freedom for the slaves, a nifty Bob Larkin wrap-around cover, what more can you ask?
Nueva magnífica aventura de Conan en este caso cuando es un pirata y esta junto a su amada Belit, la cual pensaba que tendría mas protagonismo, pero bueno al final, es sobre todo una aventura de Conan por liberar al hermano de Belit, preso de los Estigios, su enemigo acérrimo. Empezó algo flojito pero fue mejorando a medida que avanzaba, y hemos tenido de todo, hordas de muertos vivientes, hechiceros, criaturas sobrenaturales, batallas contra ejércitos... Valoración: 8/10 Sinopsis: En 1979, Poul Anderson, ganador de la asombrosa cantidad de ocho premios Hugo y tres premios Nébula, escribió lo que se considera una de las mejores aventuras en el canon de Conan: Conan el Rebelde. Una gran aventura del poderoso bárbaro de la casa, de uno de los nombres más importantes de la fantasía.
Conan el bárbaro y Belit, su belleza de pelo de cuervo, lideran una banda de piratas salvajes que se esfuerzan por liberar a la gente de Belit de las garras férreas de un malvado dios reptil y sus crueles secuaces. Golpeando el corazón de la tiranía, Conan debe romper las cadenas de la opresión antes de que la oscuridad eterna se apodere de todos ellos.
3.5 stars. As far as Conan pastiches go, this one wasn't too bad. You can kind of tell that Anderson was trying to channel a bit of Howard here, and he succeeded in a few places. My only complaint is that it drags just a bit in the middle, but once all of the big battles start and demonic monsters start tearing people up, it becomes a great ride through to the end.
Holy smokes! A Conan novel written by Poul Anderson! I'm soooo down. My thoughts as I came across this book at Half Price Books. Now I haven't read too many non-Howard Conan books, but from all the ones I have read this one is my favorite. Literally everything is captured so well in this book. The characters you come across, the monsters you fight and the way Conan has a sense of feeling is just brilliant. There's a scene where he fights a Saurian and a giant hyena which was so much fun to read. There's a city of the dead and of course some sex here and there. In this book we are shown that Conan can actually have feelings that we were taught he didn't have before. He isn't a mindless barbarian. He actually can develop jealously and loyalty. But what's wrong with that? What's wrong with breaking a barrier? Absolutely nothing. I hope you find some time to read this book. It's one fantasy ride you'll never forget.
Poul Anderson's *The Broken Sword* is a S&S masterpiece, so I was eager to see how he would treat Conan. This was pretty good, an entertaining novel that might interest a Conan or Anderson fan. The best part of this was the exploration of Stygia as a culture, although more of that would have been nice. There was a surprising subplot that didn't seem to fit the S&S genre: Conan has to resist the flirtations of a princess, Daris, because he is in love with the pirate-queen Bêlit and wants to stay faithful to her. These parts felt almost like a S&S melodrama. There were some plot elements that were hard to swallow. For example, the main sorcerer villain does something illogical (I won't spoil it), and so undoes himself. Other elements are more high fantasy than S&S: a prophecy, Conan's cosmic destiny, and the fact that he is chosen by Mitra. This was neat stuff but didn't have that S&S feel.
3.5 Overall not bad. The author is great at action sequences and describing scenery . He is even very talented at giving a bit of history in this world. My only critique would be that the dialog is a bit clunky and trite.
Supongo que fue el hecho de que el cómic de Roy Thomas y John Buscema estuviera inmerso en la etapa de Belit lo que decidió a Poul Anderson a situar su historia en el mismo período. Y es curioso, porque la reina de la Costa Negra apenas aparece en las páginas de este libro. En la versión de Anderson, Belit no tuvo padres nobles, pero sí un hermano y un marido, e incluso un hijo. El rescate de su hermano, único en salvarse de la matanza familiar hace años, es, precisamente, lo que lleva a Conan a internarse en tierras estigias y luchar contra dos brujos del Círculo (o Anillo según las traducciones) Negro, sin saber que en realidad es la pieza clave del enfrentamiento entre los dioses Mitra y Set. Hay espadazos, hechicería, monstruos y ruinas perdidas, como manda el canon, pero la historia no emociona en ningún momento. Sí está bien narrada, bien en lo descriptivo, pero la impresión final que deja es de faena de aliño.
Not the best Conan pastiche, but not the worst. Poul Anderson is a successful and prolific sci fi and fantasy author. He's a good writer and the result is a pretty well told story about everybody's favorite barbarian. However, not everything is roses in Hyboria.
The most hilarious part of Conan The Rebel is when Tothapis and Nehekba making a hissing noise any time they mention the god, Mitra:
"And once he is corrupted in the priggish eyes of Mitra... s-s-s-s... once he is enslaved to me, ah, then we have him, whether he recognizes it or not. His destiny will be lost, his soul rudderless- and yet, while he lives, none else can have the honor or being the god's warrior. For is it not written that, "The pledges of Mitra... s-s-s-s... are for eternity?"
It screams Monty Python or Mel Brooks. I doubt Anderson's intent was hilarity but he pretty much nails it on that one.
Another funny passage:
"They had scrubbed their faces and Conan had shaved. Otherwise they depended on clothes to hide grime, since they dared not draw washwater from the Styx and felt it best to conserve what they had that was potable. They were not unduly gamy, having been outdoors nearly the whole time in dry air."
At that point in this gripping tale of high adventure, I was totally worrying if Conan and friends had gotten too gamy. I know I hate going on a mission unbathed and unshaven.
What's with Daris using a belt as a weapon throughout the novel? I can see making do in a pinch but I'd be grabbing a sword the second I found one.
I think Anderson is the only Conan pastiche author to call Ophireans "Ophirites."
Perhaps the most incredible part of the book is when Anderson predicts instant messaging:
"He has no reason to suppose they are not well ahead of even the fastest carrier pigeon. But you can send an instant message to Ramwas, ordering he keep clandestine watch on the Ophirite embassy and stand prepared to take the gang when they approach."
Now that's what I call foresight!
Anderson is another of the pastiche authors who doesn't do too well with Conan's dialogue. His Conan could be more or less any fantasy hero. Maybe it's the fact that I grew up reading the original Marvel Conan The Barbarian, which I thought nailed the Cimerrian, but a lot of these authors don't even seem to be trying. And I don't think Conan would ever shout "hoy-ah" for any reason.
More illustrations of boats and armor and candlesticks from Tim Kirk. I don't know who Zorin is, but his cover art ain't bad. Conan kind of looks more like Tarzan, though.
I generally like Poul Anderson's work and was excited to read this foray into the world of Conan. It was frankly disappointing. It "felt" wrong. This is an ambiguous thing to say, but it accurately reflects my thoughts after completing the read... wrong. Like hearing classical music while watching a mosh pit kind of wrong.
I found Conan to be almost completely re-imagined. While he still possessed the toughness and skills of the typical "Conan", here was presented a completely sappy, love-struck teenager Conan that really did not fit ANY mental image I have ever had of him.
The story plot was equally silly at many times, with too many implausible scenes and dialog that clearly was not Anderson's best efforts. I several times found myself asking aloud "Really?!!"
Anyhow, I will admit that part of me still enjoyed the read; a Conan story is always fun for me as I mentally drop back to my childhood and have visions of the wild lands, beasts, and villains filling my head. And maybe a few thoughts of the exotic and lovely heroines, lol.
This is a simple tale, told in a so-so manner that somehow satisfies the desire for a fun Conan story. It is not great, or even good. It is merely adequate. Like wanting a sundae with all the toppings and getting a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I like vanilla, but I wanted more.
Poul Anderson was a great writer: his works such as "Three Hearts and Three Lions," "The High Crusade," and the entire "Technic Civilization Saga" series are classics. But not "Conan the Rebel." Whatever the reasons he was hired to write this book, he clearly didn't "get" Conan. The lead character may physically resemble R.E. Howard's creation and the story be set in Howard's "Hyborian Age," but he neither sounds nor acts like the Conan of the original stories - nor even a good imitation of him. In fact, the dialogue read like a bad high school drama.
Someone running a roleplaying game will find some useful setting information, particularly about Stygia, but that's about it. Recommended only for Conan or Anderson completists.
Conan has finally met up with his true love the pirate queen Belit and begins his career of piracy. In his devotion to her he takes up the task of freeing her brother from the Stygians. In Stygia, the god Set has sent a message to his high priest that a northerner threatens the god's plans. Set is unable to give much more information due to the interference of Mitra so the high priest decides it best to capture Conan. The King of Stygia is also set to invade Ophir and only needs to put down a rebellion in the subject province of Taia to begin. Conan naturally ends up right in the heart of Taia and at the center of a legend about a northern savior and a magic ax.
The whole first part of this Conan novel is suspiciously short of Conan himself. A great deal of world building takes place, but nothing much happens until Conan shows up. Anderson has decided to use the entire length of Stygia, but since travel and communication over some 2500 miles would take weeks he must invent some deus ex machina devices to make this possible. Better if he had confined himself to a smaller venue. He also unnecessarily magics up a babel fish so Conan can speak Stygian, when it would have been just as easy to have Conan already know some of the language due to his vast travels, that's what every other writer does, even REH. Conan is all over the place psychologically. Sometimes he is overly kind and understanding, sometimes surly and curt, often besotted with love for missing Belit. And by missing I mean the great pirate queen and one of the most important characters in the life of Conan is present for about 10 pages total.
It was an entertaining book, but I was really expecting something fantastic from a Grand Master of Science Fiction. This is not that.
This was a fun easy read, but I'd have to agree with some of the other reviews here. Conan is not the same Cimmerian Robert E. Howard fans are accustomed to. Granted the violence is par for the course where Hyborian adventure is concerned. The elritch creatures Conan and company must fight and the magics they endure are likewise typical of Robert E. Howard's world. But Conan's dedication and loyalty to his mate Belit seems very boyish at times and his motivation to please her because her joy is his joy and her pain is his pain just makes the barbarian look like a lovesick puppy. And this is rather odd when you take into account how sickening he finds Falco's love for Senufer. Granted the love is definitely more blind in Falco's case. However another main character - Daris - falls for Conan who spurs her advances for the loyalty in his heart towards Belit. Which is fine. But at one point Conan becomes jealous after he sees Daris and Falco disappearing for a while. It's a real "what-the-hell" moment. Maybe there's sorcery in the air. Regardless, it boils down to a small group of people who fall in love easily when they aren't killing, maiming, or otherwise incapacitating people and undead left and right. But if you can stomach the lovesick crap, the rest of the story is pretty entertaining.
Me ha sorprendido gratamente este libro, habitualmente los libros de Conan que no son de Howard suelen gustarme menos porque cada autor, aunque intente respetar el espiritu original de la saga, suele imprimirle su propio estilo y eso se nota, sin embargo este me ha gustado bastante, se centra en un periodo de tiempo desconocido con Conan como pirata compañero de Belit (En los originales de Howard Belit solo aparece en una historia aunque es un personaje clave en la vida del cimmerio, tanto que sirvió de inspiración para el personaje de Valeria en la pelicula "Conan el barbaro") y en esta ocasión descubrimos algo más de tan carismático personaje (aunque no tanto como nos habría gustado). Tan recomendable como cualquiera de los otros libros de Conan.
Well, the very fact why I highly appreciate this book, in a few words: Although a pastiche by Poul Anderson, it was this book that introduced me into the works of Robert E. Howard!
Παρά την αγάπη μου για τον Poul Anderson και το βάρβαρο ήρωα του Howard, δε μπορώ να πω ότι το απόλαυσα. Ίσως έχω μεγαλώσει (too old for this shit), ίσως όντως δεν ήταν τόσο καλό όσο ήλπιζα, ίσως είχα πολύ υψηλές προσδοκίες. Ομολογώ ότι σε κάποια σημεία ψιλοβαρέθηκα.
Ο Κόναν (Άμρα, για τους πειρατές συντρόφους του) είναι στην περίοδο που κουρσεύει παρέα με την Μπελίτ (μία από τις επίσημες αγαπημένες, για όσους δεν είναι μπασμένοι στα βαρβαρικά) και σε μια έκρηξη ανιδιοτέλειας συμμετέχει στην απόπειρα απελευθέρωσης των καταπιεσμένων από τους Στυγιανούς.
Θεωρητικά, τα έχει όλα, σεξ, βία, μαγεία, οιωνούς, last stand, όρκους για εκδίκηση και ό,τι άλλο εμμονικά αποζητούν οι λάτρεις του είδους, σίγουρα ξεφεύγει από το στυλ γραφής και απόδοσης του δημοφιλούς ήρωας του Howard. Για να μην πω ότι κάποιες στιγμές ενοχλεί η απουσία του τυπικού αμοραλισμού κιμμεριανής προελεύσεως, ή η υπερβολικά ερωτοχτυπημένη υπόσταση του βάρβαρου. Κάπου όπα. Κλέφτης, φονιάς, πειρατής, έτοιμος να πατήσει τους θρόνους του κόσμου κάτω από τα σανδάλια του με την κοράτσα ετών και την υπερβόρεια ποδαρίλα, αλλά έτσι και μείνει 5’ στο «διαβάστηκε» από τη Μπελίτ, τον πιάνουνε δύσπνοιες; Επίσης, μερικές φορές, είχα πάλι την αίσθηση ότι ο επιτηδευμένος λόγος του Κόναν, δεν ταίριαζε σε βάρβαρο ήρωα, αλλά σε παρφουμαρισμένι θηλυπρεπή αυλικό. Τι; Τι είπατε; ΔΕΝ ΕΧΩ ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑ ΜΕ ΤΟΥΣ ΘΗΛΗΥΠΡΕΠΕΙΣ, ΕΧΩ ΦΙΛΟΥΣ ΘΗΛΥΠΡΕΠΕΙΣ, ΑΠΛΩΣ ΕΝΑΣ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΣ ΗΡΩΑΣ ΠΟΥ ΣΤΑΖΕΙ ΤΕΣΤΟΣΤΕΡΟΝΗ, ΔΕΝ ΚΑΝΕΙ ΡΕΒΕΡΑΤΝΖΕΣ ΚΑΙ «PRAY TELL ME, OH REVERENT ONE”, ΑΛΛΑ ΠΑΤΑΕΙ ΣΤΟ ΛΑΡΥΓΓΙ ΤΟΥ ΓΕΡΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΠΕΤΑΕΙ ΤΗ ΣΤΑΦΥΛΗ* ΤΟΥ ΣΤΗ ΜΟΥΡΗ ΟΥΡΛΙΑΖΟΝΤΑΣ «ΜΙΛΑ ΡΕ ΚΩΛΟΓΕΡΕ». Γνώμη μου.
*σταφυλή λέγεται αυτό το πραγματάκι που κρέμεται πίσω από τον ουρανίσκο σας
A particularly rich book about Conan. In it our hero follows the profession of a pirate, together with his beloved companion, who is however tormented by bad memories and by the need for revenge. To help her he embarks on an adventure in the hinterland of a powerful kingdom where, together with his new companions, he faces strong warriors, monsters, magical powers and an epic battle with little chance of success, things of course are not capable of deterring our hero. Beyond being rich in action, however, the book is richer in emotion as it shows his tender side and his revolutionary nature against injustice. For all this, I believe that it is a book that in this genre definitely exceeds the rating base.
Ένα ιδιαίτερα πλούσιο βιβλίο για τον Κόναν. Σε αυτό ο ήρωας μας ακολουθεί το επάγγελμα του πειρατή, μαζί με την αγαπητή του σύντροφο, η οποία όμως βασανίζεται από κακές αναμνήσεις και από την ανάγκη της εκδίκησης. Για να την βοηθήσει μπλέκει σε μία περιπέτεια στην ενδοχώρα ενός ισχυρού βασιλείου όπου, μαζί με τους νέους συντρόφους του, αντιμετωπίζει δυνατούς πολεμιστές, τέρατα, μαγικές δυνάμεις και μία επική μάχη με μικρές πιθανότητες επιτυχίας, πράγματα φυσικά δεν είναι ικανά να πτοήσουν τον ήρωα μας. Πέρα από πλούσιο σε δράση όμως το βιβλίου είναι πλουσιότερο σε συναίσθημα καθώς δείχνει την τρυφερή πλευρά του και την επαναστατική του φύση ενάντια στην αδικία. Για όλα αυτά πιστεύω ότι είναι βιβλίο που σε αυτό το είδος σίγουρα ξεπερνάει αρκετά τη βαθμολογική βάση.
There are many books that I’ve read where the writing style isn’t something that I’m used to, but I read on because I enjoy the story or the author or what have you. Usually I give a book more than 17 pages until I decide not to go on, but the last two books by Poul Anderson that I tried reading I DNF’d, so I wasn’t very hopeful for this one.
There were a few things that made me stop. Firstly, it was slow. Really slow. I didn’t know what was going on, I didn’t have a reason to be invested in the characters, and the writing style was pretty archaic. This seems typical for Anderson, but it was especially grating with this one. Secondly, there was a weird slave narrative going on that felt extremely uncomfortable since Anderson is a white guy… The use of the word “n*gro” was very jarring, especially considering this is a fantasy world.
As I understand it, this is pretty typical for a dark fantasy of the 1970s/1980s… but that doesn’t make it any less uncomfy. I didn’t like how Anderson treated women in War of the Gods, so I wasn’t going to wait around to see how he dealt with race relations/slavery in this one.
I’m planning to give The Broken Sword a shot. If I can’t get through reading it physically, I’ll audiobook it — but if it’s not good, I don’t plan to read anything else by Poul Anderson.
I would have to agree with most reviews I wasn't sure if Paul Anderson was trying to write SS or fantasy on this one as it had a mix of both. I think it would have been better if he stuck to more SS and less fantasy storytelling. I could have done with less of his approach to explaining the world but I guess he was trying to tie in some background knowledge in connecting his story to Robert E Howards. I was expecting SS high adventure and action and what I got is a great opening set up just to have Belit not appear in the majority of the adventure and then Conan going off to save the day with some predictable fantasy tropes and all too convenient coincidences.
Overall there were entertaining moments of Conan sword and sorcery in between laborious fantasy story telling and two didn't mix well in such a sort novel.
I have read around 8 plus Poul Anderson stories and I rated them all about the same I think I like it better when he writes with Niven or another author than by himself.
"'Why do they live like this?' Conan wondered. 'What do they get from their lives but toil - for the good of their overlords, not themselves - and want and an overseer's lash across their backs if they flag?' 'It is the only life they know,' Otanis replied. 'But can they not even imagine something better?'"
Ay, Conan y el espíritu de la libertad.
Confieso que siento debilidad tanto por Poul Anderson como por las historias de Conan, así que encontrar esta novela de 1980 ha sido todo un descubrimiento para mí. Un retelling del origen de Bêlit, y a la vez una aventura de Conan en Estigia contada con la maestría narrativa y el estilo evocador de Poul Anderson. Puro placer.
Conan the Rebel is brutal and Epic from the start! Conan the Rebel takes the story and twists it in way that you would not expect! At the same time the characters are expanded on and developed! Conan the Rebel is visceral and the plot delights in putting the characters through their paces! Conan the Rebel is full of epic workd building and we get to see the Hypborean world in all it glory! You will be up late to see how the the gang get out of this one!
Crisp High Five! Brilliant and Highly Recommended! Get it when you can! :D
Love me some Poul Anderson and love me some Conan, but together it was surprisingly meh. It wasn’t a bad story, but the villains had to hold the idiot ball in order to make the plot work. Also, sailing books always bore and confuse me. I can’t tell a galley from a sailboat and I lose interest really fast when that stuff happens. Crisp description though. A-1
A satisfying Conan tale. This book had a whole lot of things going on; pirate battles, zombies, giant snakes, a standoff against tribal natives, a quest for a legendary ax, shape-shifting sorcery, battling armies, a voodoo doll, and more... all in less than 200 pages, but it didn't feel like it was jumping around too quickly.
An other fun to read Conan the Barbarian yarn, placed between the time he passed with Belit on the Tigress. Though Belit appears mostly in the start of the story, i enjoyed it.
One more recommendation if you like Conan and Sword and Sorcery and want more stories with that character or in that genre.
Tato Conanovka naštěstí patří k těm dobrým a zábavným. Čte se dobře, takže během "chvíle" je vlastně po dobrodružství. Za klad považuji začlenění jedné z nejslavnějších postav tohoto světa, pirátky Belit.
Mejor que el Conan de Robert Jordan si que es pero para mi leer a Poul es como chupar un cubito de hielo. Es cansado y acaba hartando. Ningún personaje llega al corazón, todos son fríos, planos y predecibles. No merece la pena