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Conrad Stargard #7
Lord Conrad's Crusade
Brand new. Number Seven in the Conrad Series.This time, Conrad goes on vacation and sees parts of the world he never imagined when he is taken captive by the Twaregs. Of course, he escapes and leads his armies on a crusade that he did not want to fight. 120,000 words and 230 pages of true old fashioned Conrad Stargard. Some people go to dude ranches or on cruises. Conrad's vacations look a little more like the Second Crusade.
230 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 25, 2012
While there are some interesting pieces to this story, overall, it's just not worth reading, in my opinion. Frankowski self-published this after Baen books terminated his contract, and after reading it, I can see why.
The Conrad from books 1-4 is long dead and gone by this point. Oh, there's a character in the book that purports to be him... but there's virtually no similarities. This Conrad is cantankerous, selfish, cares nothing for other people, cares even less about the unending string of cardboard 15 year old women that he sleeps with (in his 60's), hates his wives, has virtually no conviction (or consistency!) in his beliefs (he even tolerates and defends cannibalism...seriously, wtf??), and thinks nothing of casually murdering people. Anything that made the character likeable is gone.
What's weird is that there are still moments when the old character comes through, but it's like those moments are afterthoughts. There's no real consistency or logic to it.
If I hadn't enjoyed the previous 6 books in this series, I would never have been able to finish this turd. I kept hoping for something good, and every once in a while, there are hints, but within a few pages, the mysoginistic asshole makes you hate him again. I've seen series go downhill before, but this is the worst I remember. I don't blame Baen for firing him over this book. I wish I'd never read it as it's soured my experience of the whole series.
The Conrad from books 1-4 is long dead and gone by this point. Oh, there's a character in the book that purports to be him... but there's virtually no similarities. This Conrad is cantankerous, selfish, cares nothing for other people, cares even less about the unending string of cardboard 15 year old women that he sleeps with (in his 60's), hates his wives, has virtually no conviction (or consistency!) in his beliefs (he even tolerates and defends cannibalism...seriously, wtf??), and thinks nothing of casually murdering people. Anything that made the character likeable is gone.
What's weird is that there are still moments when the old character comes through, but it's like those moments are afterthoughts. There's no real consistency or logic to it.
If I hadn't enjoyed the previous 6 books in this series, I would never have been able to finish this turd. I kept hoping for something good, and every once in a while, there are hints, but within a few pages, the mysoginistic asshole makes you hate him again. I've seen series go downhill before, but this is the worst I remember. I don't blame Baen for firing him over this book. I wish I'd never read it as it's soured my experience of the whole series.
June 17, 2010
An awesome ending to such an awesome series. My only complaint is that it ended on such a cliff hanger and Leo Frankowski is now dead.
This series definitely is my all-time favourite time-traveller series. I never realized it at the time when I first read it, but it's very Heinleinesque. If you enjoy Heinlein you'll probably get a kick out of it. It's not profound literature, just fun.
Be aware that I am an anomoly in my love of Frankowski's work. When asked about his work he answered "Almost nobody seems to be neutral about my books. Some, mostly males with military and technical backgrounds, often approach me as though I were something holy, like the way I once approached Robert Heinlein. A lot of other authors get respect, but they have commented to me at this excess of almost worship. Others, mostly Feminists, Liberals, and Homosexuals, seem to instinctively hate my guts. I don't know why."
I'm definitely a homosexual, kind of a moderate to liberal person and a bit of an old-school feminist (that's the kind that says screw gender and go by ability - if you can do the job it's yours, but if you want to stay home with the kids do it, no matter your gender), but I still absolutely love his stuff.
This series definitely is my all-time favourite time-traveller series. I never realized it at the time when I first read it, but it's very Heinleinesque. If you enjoy Heinlein you'll probably get a kick out of it. It's not profound literature, just fun.
Be aware that I am an anomoly in my love of Frankowski's work. When asked about his work he answered "Almost nobody seems to be neutral about my books. Some, mostly males with military and technical backgrounds, often approach me as though I were something holy, like the way I once approached Robert Heinlein. A lot of other authors get respect, but they have commented to me at this excess of almost worship. Others, mostly Feminists, Liberals, and Homosexuals, seem to instinctively hate my guts. I don't know why."
I'm definitely a homosexual, kind of a moderate to liberal person and a bit of an old-school feminist (that's the kind that says screw gender and go by ability - if you can do the job it's yours, but if you want to stay home with the kids do it, no matter your gender), but I still absolutely love his stuff.
May 22, 2012
REALLY fun romp. Yes it has Frankowski's usual "misogyny". Yes it wanders off into lecture mode. Yes it clearly could've used an editor, as there are typos and weird phrasings and things that should've been caught.
HOWEVER, an outstanding story with an engineer as a hero, who uses engineering solutions and solid leadership skills to escape from a horrible fate. Without giving away too much, he rampages against a true evil (slavery, and the culture which encouraged it), but also provides an alternative that improves the lives of all who adopt it.
I am extremely saddened by the loss of Mr. Frankowski, as he had a truly unique writing style and a unique take on history and people that will be missed.
HOWEVER, an outstanding story with an engineer as a hero, who uses engineering solutions and solid leadership skills to escape from a horrible fate. Without giving away too much, he rampages against a true evil (slavery, and the culture which encouraged it), but also provides an alternative that improves the lives of all who adopt it.
I am extremely saddened by the loss of Mr. Frankowski, as he had a truly unique writing style and a unique take on history and people that will be missed.
June 2, 2012
Meh. This is the first of Leo Frankowski's novels that I've read in a long while, and frankly, I was disappointed. The book appears to be self published, and perhaps it's the lack of a publisher's editorial staff that does the book in. I really was expecting more alternate history and less "big blond barbarian".
April 23, 2019
This book frustrated me, particularly the after the let down of Conrad’s Time Machine. I have always wanted to read the books beyond Lord Conrad’s Lady, so I finally went online and paid the money to buy them from wherever in the world I found them on ABE.com. This book was a used copy that ended up coming from England.
I have to say that while some of the old style and fun from previous books was there, I was totally disgusted by the number of mistakes and typos that even a moderately competent editor would have/should have caught. I had read somewhere that the publisher refused to accept it, and I can see why.
The plot was quite predictable, but that is usually the case in a Conrad novel, so it is not a showstopper as long as I can enjoy the journey. I did have a couple of laugh out loud moments while reading this book, but nowhere near as many as I had come to expect. It seemed that once the battle was over, we got a shopping list of things that a good conqueror needed to do so that the author could move the story forward. Boring...
Also, I have to say that while Conrad is getting older, he still manages to rescue and impregnate most of the young women around him. That theme is really getting tired. Maybe because I’m now in my mid-fifties and not my twenties like I was when the first books came out. But reading about topless or nude women running around throughout the book just doesn’t carry a story very well any more.
Finally, there was very little interaction from the supporting cast of characters that made the series great, and I think that the book suffered for it. Lord Vladimir played a small role at the end and the Piotr was also hardly mentioned, other than a few early big decisions that impacted the end in an almost deus ex machina kind of way.
Overall, I have to say that the book is only worth the time spent reading if you want to say that you have read the entire series. There is some serious editing work required and this book was a lot worse because it wasn’t done. To me, that shows a lack of respect for the reader, which disappoints me.
I have to say that while some of the old style and fun from previous books was there, I was totally disgusted by the number of mistakes and typos that even a moderately competent editor would have/should have caught. I had read somewhere that the publisher refused to accept it, and I can see why.
The plot was quite predictable, but that is usually the case in a Conrad novel, so it is not a showstopper as long as I can enjoy the journey. I did have a couple of laugh out loud moments while reading this book, but nowhere near as many as I had come to expect. It seemed that once the battle was over, we got a shopping list of things that a good conqueror needed to do so that the author could move the story forward. Boring...
Also, I have to say that while Conrad is getting older, he still manages to rescue and impregnate most of the young women around him. That theme is really getting tired. Maybe because I’m now in my mid-fifties and not my twenties like I was when the first books came out. But reading about topless or nude women running around throughout the book just doesn’t carry a story very well any more.
Finally, there was very little interaction from the supporting cast of characters that made the series great, and I think that the book suffered for it. Lord Vladimir played a small role at the end and the Piotr was also hardly mentioned, other than a few early big decisions that impacted the end in an almost deus ex machina kind of way.
Overall, I have to say that the book is only worth the time spent reading if you want to say that you have read the entire series. There is some serious editing work required and this book was a lot worse because it wasn’t done. To me, that shows a lack of respect for the reader, which disappoints me.
December 1, 2023
As others have noted, this is a marked downturn in the series. Editing is poor, flow is rudimentary, and concepts being pushed are garbage.
This was written towards the end of Frankowski's life, and it was self-published because Baen read and rejected it as being garbage. Now I know why.
Frankowski turns a character that originally was at least somewhat of a knight (though somewhat misogynistic) into a complete racist, sexist jerk. He extols the virtues of smoking cigars (to the point where he wants everyone in his army to smoke cigars) and drinking high proof alcohols while at the same time calling out the use of television and transmission of video signals as being something that will rot your brain.
It feels the entire time like I am watching the life of L. Ron Hubbard and his insanity play out again in the life of Frankowski.
This was written towards the end of Frankowski's life, and it was self-published because Baen read and rejected it as being garbage. Now I know why.
Frankowski turns a character that originally was at least somewhat of a knight (though somewhat misogynistic) into a complete racist, sexist jerk. He extols the virtues of smoking cigars (to the point where he wants everyone in his army to smoke cigars) and drinking high proof alcohols while at the same time calling out the use of television and transmission of video signals as being something that will rot your brain.
It feels the entire time like I am watching the life of L. Ron Hubbard and his insanity play out again in the life of Frankowski.
March 5, 2019
I read Frankowski's Conrad books as they were published and it is no secret that after the initial planned series they went downhill. On a whim I decided to read this self-published continuation. It is as bad as the reviews make it out to be. In many ways it is more of a sketch of a book that could have been, with the sexist and racist elements even moreso on display. It owes much to a ERB-eque Tarzan-saves-the-black-Africans approach.
The only reason I give it two stars is that there are moments of what made the Conrad book fun. But a few pages later all the goodwill is burned.
The only reason I give it two stars is that there are moments of what made the Conrad book fun. But a few pages later all the goodwill is burned.
October 24, 2021
Honestly, not very well written. The main character seems to suddenly change and not be the character he was in the previous novels. The style of writing changed as did the format to the writing. By far this is the weakest book of the series.
March 8, 2020
There were far too many annoying typos for my taste. Very disappointing.
February 13, 2017
Was this novel first published on twitter?
It's sort of like an outline.
Lots of short sentences.
Ok plot.
Short on descriptive passages, character development, etc.
Still better than the sequel.
It's sort of like an outline.
Lots of short sentences.
Ok plot.
Short on descriptive passages, character development, etc.
Still better than the sequel.
April 21, 2015
Over the top, but still a fun read.
The whole serious is crazy but fascinating! Take a 20th century Polish engineer and put him in the 13th century and a wild fun ride happens! If you are a fantasy sci-fi dork like me you will enjoy this book.
The whole serious is crazy but fascinating! Take a 20th century Polish engineer and put him in the 13th century and a wild fun ride happens! If you are a fantasy sci-fi dork like me you will enjoy this book.
January 19, 2013
Frankowski gets a D in spelling and whoever published this gets a D in proofreading.
October 18, 2016
much better than quest for rubber.
January 21, 2021
Wasn't a very good addition to the series, story went too far trying to keep writing the plot for "one more book"...
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews