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The Destroyer #24
King's Curse
A stone idol is defaced while on display in a national museum. A congressman, a socialite, and others are found with their hearts cut out, sacrificed to a god whose secret name can summon storms. A king of the vanished Actatl people has been found, and he’s determined to avenge his lost civilization. There’s a bloody trail for Remo and Chiun to follow, but that’s the biz sweetheart. Unchecked, the worldwide network of the Actatl could destroy all that CURE has worked for.
Remo Williams is The Destroyer, a seemingly unremarkable beat cop recruited—through highly unorthodox methods—by a secret government law-enforcement organization. Trained to become the most deadly assassin, Remo is America's last line of defense against mad scientists, organized crime, ancient undead gods, and anything else that threatens the Constitution. An action-adventure series leavened with social and political satire, the Destroyer novels have been thrilling readers worldwide for decades.
Remo Williams is The Destroyer, a seemingly unremarkable beat cop recruited—through highly unorthodox methods—by a secret government law-enforcement organization. Trained to become the most deadly assassin, Remo is America's last line of defense against mad scientists, organized crime, ancient undead gods, and anything else that threatens the Constitution. An action-adventure series leavened with social and political satire, the Destroyer novels have been thrilling readers worldwide for decades.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1976
32 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Warren Murphy
295 books124 followersWarren Murphy was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of The Destroyer series, the basis for the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. He worked as a reporter and editor and after service during the Korean War, he drifted into politics.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 24, 2023
The first ever Destroyer book I read
July 27, 2022
A slightly more philosophical entry in the Destroyer series, pondering the ways in which change and time can protect a culture vs distort it. The literary fiction version of this would be a riskier gambit, pitting the antagonist Actatl and their ideas about heritage against Chiun's traditions of Sinanju, but the philosophy in this version doesn't go nearly that deep. Instead the Actatl are merely a secret society of sorts who really don't know who they are messing with.
There are the standard significant issues when it comes to treatment and descriptions of women.
The action is briefly rollicking at the end; bringing in Smith as a potential combatant means there are stakes that the default indestructability of Remo and Chiun usually undermine. I'm don't think it's the best Destroyer book I've read, but I'm also not sure it isn't.
There are the standard significant issues when it comes to treatment and descriptions of women.
The action is briefly rollicking at the end; bringing in Smith as a potential combatant means there are stakes that the default indestructability of Remo and Chiun usually undermine. I'm don't think it's the best Destroyer book I've read, but I'm also not sure it isn't.
Read
June 26, 2022A sacred pre-Aztec stone named Uctut is put in a New York museum, and someone vandalizes it by painting his name. (Don't do that.) The Actatl show up, seeking "Joey 172," and they cut out the hearts of everyone they meet along the way. "Two of the men in feathered capes latched onto Mrs. Delpheen's wrists...'All right, if it's kinky rape you want, I can't stop you. But at least let's go into the bedroom.' ... The man with the phallic symbol of stone raised it above her head...with a rip he tore the heart out of the body cavity and held it aloft, still pumping bloodily in his hands." No idea what to say about this.
February 10, 2016
One of the big men's adventure series from the 70's than ran an impressive 145 books. The series while an adventure/action story is also full of satire toward much of the mainstream fads and icons of the time. An interesting main character and the sarcastic mentor makes this a funny action/adventure read. The team must fight against a Central American tribe killing anyone that they think stole their artifacts. Recommended
March 21, 2017
His name was Remo, and he was disbelieving his ears.
This is one of the lighter entries in the Destroyer series, another one in which the major "threat" is silly or ludicrous in nature. From the opening chapter that sets up the origins of the mysterious Actatl tribe, saved from extinction by a king that rejected his culture's worship of the stone god Uctut, the concept is met with a healthy dose of ridicule that carries throughout the novel. CURE finds itself accidentally involved into the investigation of ritualistic murders (they cut out their hearts) perpetrated by the reclusive cult in retaliation for graffiti sprayed on the museum display of Uctut's statue, and so Chiun and Remo find themselves both chasing and being pursued by ineffective high priests half-naked in yellow feathered robes. There is little in this adventure that is not comic relief, including the newly crowned king of the Uctut, and the two women that become unwilling sidekicks to the CURE assassins, a mouthy museum assistant director, and the tennis-obsessed daughter (Chiun gives her some lessons) of one of the Uctut's murder victims. If there's any real moral or lesson from King's Curse, it's that ancient religions are silly, especially when they involve killing people in Big Bird costumes and worshiping rocks.
While the Destroyer can't really be considered a satire of men's adventure novels, the series does play with some of the more common conventions of the genre. One of these is the dismissive attitude towards the overt sexuality on display. From James Bond on down, one common factor in nearly all men's adventure series is the propensity of the leading male hero to sleep with as many attractive women as possible, be they victims, villains, or accomplices. As is set up early in the Destroyer series, however, Remo's rigorous training and mastery of advanced sexual techniques has greatly diminished his sex drive and attraction towards (most) women. So while he does occasionally fall for women or engage them sexually to gain leverage, he mostly avoids the sex-driven male hero stereotype, ignoring or actively avoiding the numerous buxom beauties constantly throwing themselves at him; not due to morality or ethics, but out of boredom. King's Curse is a perfect example of this, as Chiun and Remo are accompanied throughout the majority of the novel by two attractive women, and Remo spends most of his time insulting them, tying them up, gagging them, and even locking them in closets.
This is one of the lighter entries in the Destroyer series, another one in which the major "threat" is silly or ludicrous in nature. From the opening chapter that sets up the origins of the mysterious Actatl tribe, saved from extinction by a king that rejected his culture's worship of the stone god Uctut, the concept is met with a healthy dose of ridicule that carries throughout the novel. CURE finds itself accidentally involved into the investigation of ritualistic murders (they cut out their hearts) perpetrated by the reclusive cult in retaliation for graffiti sprayed on the museum display of Uctut's statue, and so Chiun and Remo find themselves both chasing and being pursued by ineffective high priests half-naked in yellow feathered robes. There is little in this adventure that is not comic relief, including the newly crowned king of the Uctut, and the two women that become unwilling sidekicks to the CURE assassins, a mouthy museum assistant director, and the tennis-obsessed daughter (Chiun gives her some lessons) of one of the Uctut's murder victims. If there's any real moral or lesson from King's Curse, it's that ancient religions are silly, especially when they involve killing people in Big Bird costumes and worshiping rocks.
While the Destroyer can't really be considered a satire of men's adventure novels, the series does play with some of the more common conventions of the genre. One of these is the dismissive attitude towards the overt sexuality on display. From James Bond on down, one common factor in nearly all men's adventure series is the propensity of the leading male hero to sleep with as many attractive women as possible, be they victims, villains, or accomplices. As is set up early in the Destroyer series, however, Remo's rigorous training and mastery of advanced sexual techniques has greatly diminished his sex drive and attraction towards (most) women. So while he does occasionally fall for women or engage them sexually to gain leverage, he mostly avoids the sex-driven male hero stereotype, ignoring or actively avoiding the numerous buxom beauties constantly throwing themselves at him; not due to morality or ethics, but out of boredom. King's Curse is a perfect example of this, as Chiun and Remo are accompanied throughout the majority of the novel by two attractive women, and Remo spends most of his time insulting them, tying them up, gagging them, and even locking them in closets.
February 20, 2021
This novel is based on a fascinating premise—when the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire a small native kingdom survived by abandoning their territory and over the next several centuries blending into various European (and other) countries while secretly keeping their culture and their devotion to their stone god of the secret name. Their god has been put in a museum (with no one knowing of its “importance”). When the “god” is defaced by a graffiti artist, they go crazy and bring back their old heart-stealing rituals to avenge the dishonor. CURE, by a coincidence, almost comes to light in the resulting chaos.
I admit that I’m a little tired of CURE almost getting exposed at this point. We’re only 24 books into the series and it’s been the threat of a handful of the plots already. But this is a fun book which lets Remo and Chiun’s talents shine. The authors also deserve kudos for coming up with one of their most unique threats for the assassins from Sinanju.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
I admit that I’m a little tired of CURE almost getting exposed at this point. We’re only 24 books into the series and it’s been the threat of a handful of the plots already. But this is a fun book which lets Remo and Chiun’s talents shine. The authors also deserve kudos for coming up with one of their most unique threats for the assassins from Sinanju.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
August 16, 2019
I read about 20 of these books in my teens. Remo and Chuin were crazy then and now. Everything is extremely hyped up: villains' plot, Sub-plots and our heroes. No life style is safe from these writers. Adventure satire.
March 26, 2019
Not one of the stronger books in the series but I was interested enough to finish it.
May 26, 2022
As usual a short book with proper thrilling moments in it.
June 28, 2010
An ancient South American tribe, the Actatl, survived where the Maya, Aztec, and Toltec did not. Enraged over the desecration of their huge stone idol, Uctut, in a New York museum, the Actatl leaders demand revenge on the despoiler and on the country which gave rise to him. Their god can only be appeased by the hearts of human sacrifices. One of their first victims is a congressman who was part of an investigation into some records that could lead to CURE. Action is stepped up on the investigation, which brings Remo into the situation in hopes of saving CURE.
This is the first “lost civilization” book of the series; I really enjoy the whole “lost civilization” theme. There was a lot of Remo and Chiun going at each other, very funny. This is a fun book
Favorite tidbits: Smith gets to see Remo and Chiun in action for the first time and is impressed and frightened by the things they can do.
Warning, sex and graphic gory violence.
This is the first “lost civilization” book of the series; I really enjoy the whole “lost civilization” theme. There was a lot of Remo and Chiun going at each other, very funny. This is a fun book
Favorite tidbits: Smith gets to see Remo and Chiun in action for the first time and is impressed and frightened by the things they can do.
Warning, sex and graphic gory violence.
March 14, 2014
Dr. Harold Smith's CURE organization is threatened by a secret society with ancient origins. This secret society enacts a series of human sacrifices, intending to overthrow the government of the United States. Only Remo and Chiun can save the day.
August 6, 2021
Excellent thoughts on central American culture.
Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir offering. Suitable for teens and adults. Remo and chiun face an ancient race of central American Indians, sacrifices must be made.
Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir offering. Suitable for teens and adults. Remo and chiun face an ancient race of central American Indians, sacrifices must be made.
Read
July 21, 2010I have to admit the Destroyer novels are a guilty pleasure and this one, with a forgotten Latin American civilization, hits one of my buttons.
August 16, 2015
This one almost seemed like two related stories, but both were enjoyable. Nice to see Chiun actually showing concern for Remo, and it was especially fun to see that Smitty still has some moves.
August 27, 2016
Очень неправдоподобное, но с чем-то же должен Римо бороться все время, поэтому хорошее чтиво))
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews