From Robert E. Howard’s fertile imagination sprang some of fiction’s greatest heroes, including Conan the Cimmerian, King Kull, and Sol...
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reviews
Jun 05, 2008
Jake
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While the rest of the world was obsessively reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this weekend, I was taking the time to finish off my latest venture into my growing REH collection. Nothing against Harry, mind you, but I had already started on Bran Mak Morn, and wanted to finish it off before I moved on to other things. Besides, the idea of over-caffeinating myself just to obsessively force myself through the end of the book sounds dreadfully unpleasant to my ears, and reading is supposed
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Oct 28, 2007
s-b-t
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Though these stories were first seen in pulp fiction magazines in the late 1920's and early 1930's, to dismiss them as "easy reading" is a mistake. Howard and his contemporaries wrote impressive works of literature that drew heavily on history, and referenced recurring fictional themes such as dark fantasy, eldritch magics, the horrors of the night and the undiscovered country, lost empires and cities such as Atlantis, and of course massive battles between iron-clad warriors with swor
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Nov 04, 2010
Zare
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Having never read Conan stories I decided to take a look at the works of a man considered to be a master storyteller and a writer that has triggered entire heroic-epic-fantasy concept (exaggeration perhaps but after reading this book I can say that he is very very good storyteller and writer). I took this book because everyone said that Howard was obsessed with Picts and that his stories about them were the best.[return][return]This one is a story of an ancient race, one that has ruled entire Eu
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Sep 06, 2011
Bran Mak Morn è uno dei personaggi più famosi usciti dalla penna di Howard e in questo libro vi sono raccolte le storie, uscite a suo tempo sulla rivista "Weird Tales", in cui viene almeno citato. Essendo Bran Mak Morn, nell'immaginario dello scrittore texano caposcuola di un certo modo di concepire il fantasy ritenuto agli antipodi di Tolkien, l'ultimo re dei pitti, i barbari per eccellenza fin dalla nascita dell'umanità, questi ultimi sono i veri protagonisti dei racconti, siano essi
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Mar 12, 2008
Colin
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Howard was a true master of his craft - his Bran Mak Morn is the last of the ancient royal line of the Picts, facing the oppression of the Celts and the Romans as well as other, darker powers . . .
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Nov 18, 2007
short stories. some historic fantasy, some weird. i think i liked this better than some of the conan stuff by him that i grew up on.
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Aug 01, 2011
William
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Don't let the fact that Pictish King Bran is one of Howard's minor heroes fool you. This book contains some of his best sword and sorcery. Howard's predilection for themes of illusion and reality is evident in the Kull crossover story Kings of the Night, and the Worms of the Earth is simply one of his strongest stories ever. Here, more than almost anywhere else, the power of Howard's prose and the depressive grandeur of his vision is evident. Bran is fighting a losing war against an invincible
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Jul 28, 2008
Charles
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Bran Mak Morn is one of my favorite Howard characters. Great pieces here, including some of Howard's strongest.
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Jun 06, 2008
Steven
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I enjoyed this one, though it wasn't what I expected. Bran wasn't in enough of the stories.
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Nov 07, 2010
Jeff
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Howard is unparalleled in creating a vivid mental picture with sparing text. Absolutely amazing imagery. It never ceases to awe me how I can be transported to a lush scene in a single paragraph. Howard brings disparate climes and times to life with ease. YOU ARE THERE! And it is breathtaking, fun, fast-paced and real. Wow. If you are a fantasy fan, and haven't read his works, then you are short-changing yourself. This is an excellent place to start. Starting here will alleviate any problems caus
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Jan 19, 2011
Justin
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While the Bran Mak Morn stories are easily as good as any of Howard's other tales — and "Worms of the Earth" is without a doubt one of Howard's best — this volume mostly consists of stories reprinted from the other titles in this collection. The volume does include a partial draft of a novel in progress, as well as a few manuscripts, typescripts, a play, and a chronology, these are more of academic interest than the stuff of a rollicking read. Recommended for completists and scholars,
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Dec 04, 2011
Joel
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Ah, REH, how I love thee! This book collects all of his stories about Mak Morn (and a few others merely concerning the Picts), including short stories, poems, and a number of unfinished works. It's interesting reading about REH's obsession with the Picts since early childhood, they were the one culture that stayed present throughout his whole writing career. Although obsessed with history and the real-life Pict's at-times very mysterious development, in his stories, REH also creates his own sort
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Jan 29, 2012
Zare
rated it:
Having never read Conan stories I decided to take a look at the works of a man considered to be a master storyteller and a writer that has triggered entire heroic-epic-fantasy concept (exaggeration perhaps but after reading this book I can say that he is very very good storyteller and writer). I took this book because everyone said that Howard was obsessed with Picts and that his stories about them were the best.
This one is a story of an ancient race, one that has ruled entire Europe d More...
This one is a story of an ancient race, one that has ruled entire Europe d More...
Jan 29, 2012
Kristopher
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Since reading "Worms of he Earth" in another Hoard collection earlier this year, I've been wanting to get back to Bran Mak Morn. I've had this collection on my bookshelf for years but haven't looked into it since high school. This is a cheapo edition, featuring an "introduction" by Howard, probably pulled from one of his letters, that doesn't mention he'd been dead for 30 years when the book came out.
But the stories within are a mixed bag. "Worms of the Eart More...
But the stories within are a mixed bag. "Worms of the Eart More...
Apr 07, 2009
Jeff
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Liked this, as with everything by Howard, but it's not as good as some of the other ones. Entertainment. I seem to remember the artwork was really good. These Del Rey re-issues are very well done even though this repeats one of the stories from the Kull book.
Jul 14, 2011
Rick
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Loved these stories so much that I named one of my sons after the protaganist! R.E.Howard did a far better job on the characters and storylines in these tales than he did on his Conan books.
Dec 30, 2011
David
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Howard's persona of Bran Mak Morn is different from his others in that the last Pictish king is one of a constrained, brooding countenance that is not out for freedom or the greater good, but of saving a dying kingdom from the forces of Rome. Mak Morn's stories carry an angst that reveals Howard's passion for the Pictish legends. His trademark battle descriptions and knack for draping the supernatural over any event are just as evident in these works as they are in his tales of other, more well-
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Jul 16, 2011
Frederick
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Love these stories of the British Isles as from time immemorial new peoples invade and force earlier inhabitants to ...
Dec 18, 2008
Dan
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Bran Mak Morn is the last king of the Picts and will do whatever it takes to help his people. That's all you need to know going in.
I liked this omnibus about as much as the Kull one I read at the beginning of the year but not as much as Solomon Kane and definitely not as much as Conan. My favorite story in it is Worms of the Earth, where Bran makes a deal with some Lovecraftian beasties.
I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't consider Bran an essential read f
I liked this omnibus about as much as the Kull one I read at the beginning of the year but not as much as Solomon Kane and definitely not as much as Conan. My favorite story in it is Worms of the Earth, where Bran makes a deal with some Lovecraftian beasties.
I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't consider Bran an essential read f
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Mar 30, 2011
Mike (the Paladin)
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Also a pretty good read, anoter "for-runner" of Conan. Bran Mak Morn is the "last" King of the Picts. Howrd romanticized the Picts and used his fictionalized version of them in both the King Kull stories and some of his Conan adventures.
This is his foray into using "them" as the main character focus.
Again, Howard's gift for adventure comes to the fore and the only concern may be not getting blood splashed on your clothes from the page.
This is his foray into using "them" as the main character focus.
Again, Howard's gift for adventure comes to the fore and the only concern may be not getting blood splashed on your clothes from the page.
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Jun 01, 2009
Mohammed
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The Bran Mak Morn stories are very strong historical,fantasy stories. Some are quality in historical vien and some are very fantastic,horrific like The Worms of the Earth which is a masterpiece.
The Kings of The Night,The Dark Man are also great stories.
The Kings of The Night,The Dark Man are also great stories.
Nov 21, 2011
Jon
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I think I really like Howard, but there are so many collections that I don't know where to start. There are very few actual stories in this collection and a lot of filler (notes, manuscripts, etc.) The stories themselves are pretty great.
Jan 29, 2012
Charles
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Contains "Worms in the Earth," one of Howard's best stories. These are all short stories featuring Bran Mak Morn. There are later collections that have these stories as well.
Sep 10, 2008
Dulac3
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Not a bad book, with a few interesting stories, but nowhere near as good as the Conan volume.
Aug 27, 2009
Bradford
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Sadly missing from the awareness of most readers is Howard's stories about this man, though fictional, but different from Conan, Kull and Kane in their persistent melancholy. The ancient world seems so alive and vibrant here, in a way that most historical fiction fails to grasp. So much to learn here in terms of the writing craft.
Feb 06, 2012
