Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse

Kothar #4

by Gardner Francis Fox

THE MAGIC AMULET
Kothar rescued the beautiful gypsy girl Stefanya, helper to the wizard Zoqquanor, and carried her off on a journey filled with danger and mystery. His mission was to deliver a magic amulet to Herklar, the Regent of Phalkar. But Herklar was held a prisoner in his own dungeon. When Kothar found him, he learned the secret of the true ruler of Phalkar . . . .

BATTLECRY
The five warriors moved forward toward Kothar, separating slightly and drawing their swords. They planned to attack him from five sides at once. He had fought with such men before, and he felt no fear of their kind - only contempt,
Yet their steel could cut. He shouted to his warhorse Greyling to surge forward. To the left and right, Kothar savagely laid his sword, and two men quickly went down with cloven skulls erupting-blood and brains.
The gray warhorse reared high, and Kothar brought the singing blade downward through flesh and blood into the shoulder of a third man. As he pulled his red-stained steel free, the blond barbarian saw that the remaining two warriors were backing away from him, glancing at one another in amazement . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dungeons and Dragons

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic book historians estimate that he wrote more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"

Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The entire book retreats from every interesting idea it proposes.

There is something comical about Kothar and damsel-in-distress Stefanya hiking along with a comatose wizard in tow, sort of a low-rent Weekend at Bernie's, made necessary by her claim that she was cursed to die if he does. Its reasoning never entirely holds water, especially when Bernie, let's call him, is repeatedly attacked by mystical creatures. One starts to suspect that her situation is not exactly as she says, especially since she inconsistent about how she feels about Bernie himself. The curse is exactly as she says, which surprised me: of all the ways that this could play out--that she is actually the wizard's puppet, that she is actually the sorceress, that the wizard was full of crap, that Stefanya is full of crap--it never occurred to me that it was entirely at boring face value. What a waste.

Kothar enters Stefanya's service under decidedly icky terms: out of desperation, she has bartered her body for his pleasure once a rather involved problem--Bernie--is resolved. Kothar alternates between being a Sensitive Guy at delicate moments, and asserting his rights with an indelicate comment or inappropriate touch. Stefanya may or may not be justifiably angry at the arrangement itself, but never calls him on his inconsistent and manipulative behavior.

Like all the Kothar stories, it appeared that Fox wrote until he met a page count or became tired of the situation. After three chapters of expanding problems, he starts to bring everything together, cauterizing loose ends as necessary.

[Clint · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Gardner Fox. I appreciate him for the giant he was in the creation of comics. I liked the first Kothar book I read (book 1), but this one wasn’t as enjoyable. The plot was too thin. It’s a short read that should be consumed quickly, but it never sucked me in. I picked at it one chapter a day.

I appreciate the folks keeping these books in print in digital format, but this edition was littered with typos.

I read this as Roy Thomas adapted it into a Conan story in Conan the Barbarian issues #’s 46-51. I am reading the Marvel Conan the Barbarian omnibus editions and wanted to read the story Thomas adapted prior.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the fourth novel on the series. Here we see Kothar going on adventure imposed on him to deliver something to a wizard. Meanwhile he saves a young woman - Stefanya,, as all Kothar tales are, beautiful.

There he makes a goal to make her a queen since she is a daughter of a death king. With the help of a beautiful (another) woman he starts on his quest.

My problems with this , I am not going to the all womanizer some people complain because Fox sure didn't knew how to treat Kothar. Sometimes he was a brute that "deserves" that piece of ass, and sometimes he can be gentle (WITH THE SAME GIRL). It's very odd stuff reading about Kothar books (all in only a couple of months). I am also not talking about the high amount of errorse some errors/typos more than you can expect from a novel that was revised. After all this was written BEFORE computers and machine helpers were invented.
My complain is the plot itself. It's an interesting tale but I really upset that he cut short the story and the ending feels convoluted. That's my complain.

Overall in the same enjoyment as previous. Don't read this unless you read 200 tales of sword and sorcery but still wants more from the silver age of sword and sorcery - or bronze? If gold is Robert E Howard and silver is likes of Karl Edward Wagner among others - today is what?
I believe sword and sorcery is growing up due to way nowdays fantasy is going. Sometimes you just want your 80's fantasy type like Robert Jordan , david gemmell among others or straightfoward full of damsel in distress kind of tales from before.

Either way, this is not that good.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a barbarian Kothar is not Conan by any means and the writing is not as good as Robert E. Howard's but these are still good stories. Quick and easy reads. Recommended

[James T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This feels like a such a let down after the previous entry in the series. The opening chapters are creative and it has a cool setup but everything that follows is pedestrian. The series is a very low rent Conan, but has redeeming elements to its imagination, world and magic. However, even those redeeming elements felt lackluster in this volume. Unless you really loved the others, I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s very forgettable.

[Mikel Pfeiffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm a sword and sorcery slappy because I really liked this book even though I know this substandard S&S. Sure Kothar is nearly Conan just with blond hair and his adventures are very similar just not as grim. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy Kothar immensely. I found this adventure a ton of fun and thrills and I'm ready for more Kothar.

[Peter Juzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The action comes quick as Kothar moves from one encounter to the next!

[Quinell Hajari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast, fun reading for Sword and Sorcery fans!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really original here but it was fun S&S.