Rei Kull – Edição Completa e Definitiva

by Robert E. Howard, Dandara Palankof (Translator), Alexandre Callari (Editor)

De exilado da própria terra a prisioneiro em sinistras catacumbas. De escravo nas galés a inigualável guerreiro. De gladiador nas arenas a rei da maior nação do mundo civilizado!

É com o máximo de orgulho que a editora Pipoca & Nanquim apresenta uma das mais amadas e conhecidas criações do mestre da literatura fantástica Robert E. Howard, Rei Kull! Concebido em 1929 pela pena sempre afiada do notório escritor, Kull é um atlante formidável que, após ser exilado de sua própria terra e passar décadas de andanças vivendo aventuras, torna-se o rei da Valúsia por mérito próprio, destituindo um tirano que oprimia o povo.

Entre conspirações tramadas em salas escuras por parte de nobres que não acreditam em direitos iguais para toda a população e a descoberta de uma raça ancestral de homens-serpente infiltrada dentro da própria corte, Kull precisa lidar com questões filosóficas e existenciais, e se debate com uma poderosa pergunta: Qual o papel que um homem de bem deve desempenhar num mundo marcado pela corrupção?

A edição ainda inclui capas da clássica revista Weird Tales, prefácio exclusivo do historiador Marco Collares, e vem recheada de ilustrações do premiado artista Justin Sweet.

E, para que os colecionadores de Howard tenham o melhor em suas prateleiras, o livro conta com o mesmo acabamento de luxo da trilogia Conan, o Bárbaro, e das edições definitivas de Bran Mak Morn e Solomon Kane, com sobrecapa de acetato transparente, fitilho marcador de tecido e miolo com 356 páginas em papel pólen bold.

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Fiction, Pulp, Short Stories, Adventure, Horror

356 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Robert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."

He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.

—Wikipedia

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Krell75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Io governo con quest'ascia! Quest'ascia è il mio scettro!"

Re Kull di Valusia è irrequieto, una tigre indomita, agisce d'istinto e non cede mai, chi lo ostacola subisce la sua terribile ira e fa una brutta fine. E' un barbaro divenuto re. Campione delle sfide impossibili e distruttore di miti. Kull non è solo forza bruta, guai a crederlo, semplicemente ha poca saggezza, oscurata dall'onnipotente richiamo della sfida che guida ogni scelta della sua vita. Non sopporta la vita politica, egli agogna altro.
Sangue e avventura, per Valka!

Questi racconti brevi sono uno più spassoso dell'altro anche nella loro semplicità di trama, mai banale, sprizzano vigore, sudore agonistico, avventura, mucose distrutte e sangue. In poche pagine re Kull affronta pericoli terribili nascosti nell'ombra, assassini, antiche divinità mostruose e stregoni millenari che cercano di fargli smettere di calpestare il regno dei vivi. Non mancano riflessioni sulla vita e sul tempo che fugge.

Nulla di complesso ma una lettura d'evasione senza dubbio piacevole che a volte ci vuole.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection assembles all of the Kull material - including stories, drafts, and fragments - written by Robert E. Howard, many of which were not printed until after his death.

We start with a brief Foreward from illustrator Justin Sweet whose work appears throughout this collection then we move on to a wordy but insightful 10-page Introduction from Editor Steve Tompkins.

Stories:
Untitled (published as "Exile of Atlantis") - 3/5 - although this story can stand on its own as an introduction to a young Kull, it feels more like a fragment or first part of a larger work
The Shadow Kingdom - 5/5 - Kull the King deals with shape-shifting lizard treachery in this story that is considered the fount of the Sword & Sorcery subgenre
The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune - 3/5 - magic mirror treachery, interesting but predictable
Untitled Draft - 4/5 - like the first story, this feels unfinished but reveals a lot of Kull's world as the warrior king and his army chase two renegade lovers
The Cat and the Skull - 4/5 - the adventure part is fun and some of Kull's conversations with the ancient cat are a hoot, even though the outcome of the plot is kind of obvious (although there is a surprise appearance at the end)
The Screaming Skull of Silence - 4/5 - will you please be quiet, please? don't mess with sorcery-sealed doors
The Striking of the Gong - 3/5 - Kull has an existential moment
The Altar and the Scorpion - 4/5 - Kull doesn't actually make an appearance but an evil priest learns not to mess with forgotten deities
The Curse of the Golden Skull - 3/5 - again Kull does not appear, but one of his victim's curses lives on...
The Black City (Unfinished Fragment) - 3/5 - one of Kull's warriors disappears and then...
Untitled Fragment - 3/5 - Brule is about to tell a story...
By This Axe I Rule! - 4/5 - unpublished in REH's lifetime, this story is most well known for having been converted by Howard to the first Conan story The Phoenix on the Sword
Swords of the Purple Kingdom - 4/5 - conspirators are looking to overthrow Kull! Again!
The King and the Oak - 4/5 - poem
Kings of the Night - 4/5 - Kull travels into the future to save Brule's ancestor Bran Mak Morn from a Roman invasion

Miscellanea:
The "Am-Ra of the Ta-an" Fragments:
- Summer Morn - 2/5
- Am-ra the Ta-an - 2/5
- The Tale of Am-ra - 2/5
- Untitled and Unfinished Fragment - 2/5
- Untitled and Incomplete Fragment - 2/5
The Shadow Kingdom (Draft) - 4/5
Delcardes' Cat - 4/5
The King and the Oak (Draft) - 4/5 - poem

Appendices:
Atlantean Genesis - 5/5 - this really helps place the character and stories in the proper historical perspective, and gives a great deal of insight on the likely inspirations for the character, including (surprising to me) the Biblical character Saul
Notes on the Original Howard Texts

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a reason why I never lend out books anymore, even to my closest friends; namely, the fact that when I used to loan them out, I never got them back in the same good condition, or, even worse, never got them back at all. Cases in point: three paperbacks from one of my old favorite writers, Texas-born Robert E. Howard. Back in the mid-'60s, Lancer Books released all of Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories in a now-classic series of 12 paperbacks, as well as a beautiful paperback of another legendary Howard character, King Kull. I owned all 13 of those wonderful volumes, and made the big mistake of lending the first two Conan books out (both featuring gorgeous cover artwork by Frank Frazetta), as well as the Kull (featuring eye-popping cover artwork by Roy Krenkel). I've not seen any of those three books since then. Flash forward around 50 years to last fall, when, browsing around at the annual Miami Book Fair, I happened to find a tight, pristine, and obviously unread copy of "King Kull," in the Lancer paperback from 1967 that I had lost, selling for the steal-of-a-deal price of...$3! I purchased it instantaneously, and a recent rereading of this classic piece of sword & sorcery--indeed, the veritable origin of the sword & sorcery genre--has been, for me, like reacquainting myself with an old friend. For all fans of fantasy and of this genre in particular, the book is an absolute must-read.

Kull, for those unfamiliar with the character, made his first appearance in the August 1929 issue of "Weird Tales" magazine, in the story "The Shadow Kingdom," so no, Howard most certainly did not get his inspiration for the regal name from 1933's "King Kong." Howard would go on to write 13 more stories dealing with the character (plus one poem), but only two of those were published before his suicide death in 1936. The Lancer volume, sadly enough, is complete with the exception of two of those 14 tales: "Kings of the Night" (one of the non-posthumous stories, from the Nov. '30 "Weird Tales") and "The Curse of the Golden Skull"; as the Lancer editors noted, those two stories were omitted because the first has been subsumed in the Bran Mak Morn series, and because the second only mentions Kull in passing. Still, it would have been nice, for the sake of completeness, to have been given these anyway, as I'm sure the more recent collection from Ballantine Books did. Still, the 12 stories and one poem that the Lancer volume offers, in addition to a helpful map of Kull's world by the book's editor and flesher-outer, Lin Carter, plus a prolog and epilog by Howard detailing the 3,500-year, post-Cataclysmic history between Kull's time and Conan's future era, make for a very pleasing experience nevertheless. And, it should be noted, the vast majority of these Kull tales made their initial appearance in this very Lancer volume. Written in Howard's finest pulp style, the stories here are unfailingly exciting, fast moving, colorful, evocative, violent, and often, surprisingly, quite touching. Kull is a more contemplative hero than Conan (he is often to be found with his chin on his fist, gloomily pondering on his throne on a myriad of weighty matters) and far less interested in the fairer sex. But the two are equally well gifted as to strength and agility, and, of course, the use of the sword and the broadaxe. Fans of both pulp fiction and sword & sorcery are not likely to find better fare to fill their needs than the exploits of this Atlantean exile, who eventually becomes the king of Valusia, the greatest country on the continent of Thuria.

As for the stories themselves, this Lancer edition kicks off with an excerpt from Howard's "Hyborian Age" history, before plunging into the short tale "Exile of Atlantis," which reveals how the young Kull was forced to flee from his native Atlantis, after mercifully killing a woman who his tribe was about to burn at the stake. This segues into a short paragraph, undoubtedly written by Carter, that explains how, following his banishment, Kull became a galley slave aboard a Lemurian vessel, and then a gladiator, soldier and commander in the country of Valusia. He ultimately plots against the despotic King Borna, seizing the crown after a bloody coup.

Up next is that earliest Kull tale, "The Shadow Kingdom," one of the most oft-anthologized short stories in the Howard canon. This piece not only introduced the world to Kull, but also to three other characters who would make regular appearances thereafter: Brule the Spear-slayer, a Pictish soldier who, over time, becomes Kull's closest friend; Ka-nu, the shrewd Pictish ambassador to Valusia; and Tu, Kull's elderly chief councilor. Here, Ka-nu alerts Kull to a secret menace threatening his kingdom: serpent-headed monstrosities that can take on the semblance of any human being, their only telltale weakness being an inability to utter the words "Ka nama kaa lajerama." It is a tremendous story, justly celebrated, that really sets the mood and tone for this volume. Surprisingly, these serpent demons never figured again in another Kull story. A pity.

This is followed by a short tale in which Kull is only mentioned in passing; an offstage presence. Rather, this story, "The Altar and the Scorpion," tells of a young man who beseeches the Great Scorpion god, in its temple, to protect him, his lady love, and his people from the evil Thuron, high priest of The Black Shadow. And when Thuron himself enters the holy place, the young lad will indeed require all the assistance he can get from that crystalline scorpion image, in this slight but ultimately pleasing tale.

"Black Abyss" finds Kull and Brule relaxing in the decadent pleasure-city of ancient Kamula. But the sudden disappearance of one of Brule's fellow Picts leads to a little investigating by the two barbarian allies, during which a subterranean passage is discovered, leading to the lair of...Zogthuu, a 90-foot-long worm god, "the loathsome monstrosity whose name had been a legend of terror for thrice ten thousand years"! The good king surely does have a tough time dealing with this creature, the likes of which even Conan the Cimmerian might have quailed before.

"Delcardes' Cat" introduces the reader to the character who would soon become Kull's archnemesis: Thulsa Doom, an ancient, skull-faced necromancer. But first, Kull is introduced to the titular feline, a cat named Saremes who is thousands of years old, and capable of speech and offering bits of philosophical wisdom! Saremes becomes a confidante of the king, soon revealing to him the dire news that Brule has gone missing in the depths of Valusia's Forbidden Lake. Going there at once, Kull does battle with a human-faced octopus creature, as well as a horned and four-armed shark-man (!), after which a 200-foot-long serpent captures him and brings him to the so-called Enchanted Land beneath the lake's surface. It was as if Howard's imagination were working on overdrive, so much does he manage to cram into this exciting tale.

In "The Skull of Silence," Kull hears a legend told by Kuthulos, the servant of the cat Saremes, to the effect that in a lonely and shunned region of Valusia, there stands a deserted, black castle known as the Skull of Silence, in which the imprisoned essence of absolute silence is supposed to reside. Curious yet disbelieving, Kull rides to the site with Brule and 100 of his elite Red Slayers, breaks open the lock of the ancient pile, and unleashes...an elemental force from "ultracosmic hell" capable of driving men mad and engulfing the world. This encounter would forever afterward be known as The Day of the King's Fear...and for very good reason, as it turns out!

In the epic-in-scope tale "Riders Beyond the Sunrise," Kull, accompanied by a company of Picts and Red Slayers, follows the trail of the Valusian countess Lala-ah, who has unlawfully eloped with the adventurer named Felnar, who hails from the country of Farsun, to the south. Their trail leads ever east, through the countries of Zarfhaana and Grondar, and into the barren wastelands beyond. (That Lin Carter map comes in very handy for this tale.) This is a beautiful story, really, gripping and well told, and capped by another appearance by that evil mage, Thulsa Doom himself. Some bravura work here from Mr. Howard.

And it is followed by one of the greatest of all Kull tales, "By This Axe I Rule," which tells of an assassination attempt planned by a quintet of Valusian nobles, one of whom is a crazed minstrel; another, a sinister "dwarf." And as a subplot, we have the plight of Seno val Dor, a young swordsman who is hopelessly in love with a slave girl named Ala. The story is highlighted by a climactic and bloody melee between Kull and the five plotters, but perhaps even more so by the sweet and gentle scene that transpires between Kull and Ala in a woodland glade...an interlude so very touching that I recalled it from my first reading a half century ago. A truly marvelous tale, this, that was inexplicably rejected by the editors, causing Howard to revise and recast it as the very first Conan tale, "The Phoenix and the Sword," for the Dec. '32 "Weird Tales."

In "The Striking of the Gong," Kull awakes to find himself in another world...or perhaps, another dimension. An ancient man tells him that he has "passed through the Door"; no, he is not dead, but has rather been given a chance to learn that there exist "worlds beyond worlds...universes beyond universes, multiplied in a complexity beyond the comprehension of those you are pleased to call 'gods'...." Kull and the graybeard go on to discuss recondite matters touching on the nature of existence, time and space in this truly mind-blowing story; one that culminates with the Valusian king thankfully back in his palace, mere seconds older but infinitely wiser....

"Swords of the Purple Kingdom" gives us another unhappy couple--19-year-old Nalissa, the noble daughter of one of Kull's oldest friends, and Dalgar, another Farsunian who is not permitted to take a Valusian bride--and another assassination attempt on Kull's life. The mastermind behind this coup wears a mask throughout the bulk of the tale, although only the most slow-witted of readers will fail to guess his/her identity. The tale wraps up with a tremendous set piece, in which Kull does battle with several dozen warriors while standing atop an outdoor stairway in the city's Accursed Gardens, and with a closing scene of no small emotional impact.

In "Wizard and Warrior," Brule the Spear-slayer relates the story of how he, as a young and untried warrior, first attained his spear...the symbol of Pictish manhood. We learn much about the Picts and their customs during the course of this fascinating tale, in which Brule and his tribe go off to fight the tribe of the Sungara, culminating in Brule's mano-a-mano battle with the Sungaran wizard Aa-thak. And in case you're wondering who emerges victorious from this seemingly unequal contest, the tale concludes with Kull's wise words: "...Magic fails, as it ever must, against a strong man's will and wit." And let me tell you, that Brule can really tell a story! Thus, his description of wading through a swamp:

"...The marsh-water was cold and slimy, and as we waded we broke the film of green decay that scummed the surface, and a rotten odor rose noisome in our nostrils like some unthinkable stench from the underpits of the ultimate hell...."

Whew!

"The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune," the final story in this Lancer edition, was actually the second Kull story to see the light of day, in the Sept. '29 issue of "Weird Tales." This tale finds the king despondent and fed up with his worldly lot. On a whim, he takes the advice of one of his court maidens and goes to see the legendary mirrored palace of the wizard Tuzun Thune. He stares for many days into the infinite depths of the many mirrors there, discussing, again, the nature of reality with Thune, all this time neglecting his kingly duties while he ponders whether he himself is real, or if his mirrored image is in actuality the reality. A brooding and philosophical tale, this, capped off by still another heroic act of valor by Brule the Spear-slayer.

This volume is brought to a close by a short yet atmospheric poem about Kull, entitled "The King and the Oak," and by an epilog consisting of more of Howard's background to the Hyborian Age. In this epilog, he neatly condenses 3,500 years of post-Cataclysmic history into seven pages, bringing us up to the age of Conan the Barbarian. It is a pleasing coda to a wonderful collection of stories. As the reader turns over the final page of this Lancer edition, one thought will likely be paramount: How did so many of these terrific tales go unpublished--rejected by the editors or not submitted by Howard at all--for over 30 years? Fortunately, they are all readily available to readers today. Those readers now have the choice of either going online and doing a little searching for this (currently) 53-year-old, original, classic Lancer volume, OR picking up the admittedly more complete, profusely illustrated, modern-day edition from Ballantine. Whichever version the reader pops for, several evenings of enchanting wonders will surely be the result....

(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of Robert E. Howard....)

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Otra forma de hacer Espada y brujería, pero sin cambios notables aunque parezca contradictorio.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Rey Kull (publicación original: King Kull, 1967) conocemos a Kull, guerrero exiliado de Atlantis que tras ser capturado en Valusia pasó de prisionero a gladiador, de gladiador a soldado y de soldado a general para, después, con el apoyo de mercenarios y nobles descontentos, derrocar al rey Borna y hacerse con el trono de Valusia. Una vez rey, Kull descubre que la corona está en peligro tanto por otros nobles con aspiraciones propias como por unas entidades sobrenaturales con su propia agenda, pero Kull luchará contra cualquier amenaza.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are again; another installment of Dangerous Dan's Book Reviews, because after all, you can only hide from the law in a brothel for so long before the girls start demanding payment for services rendered.

Today I'll be reviewing a short story entitled Kings of the Night by the one and only Robert E. Howard. Kings of the Night can be found in both Kull: Exile of Atlantis and Bran Mak Morn: The Last King. That's because it stars both of the title characters.
"How can that be?" you ask. Kull lived in an age before the ocean drank Atlantis and Bran Mak Morn lives in England around the time the Romans came. The answer is simple: Magic. Kings of the Night is also a rarity among Howard's stories because there isn't a single monster in it.

Kull was a swords and sorcery character Howard created a few years before Conan and it shows, both in terms of concept and writing. Not to say the writing is bad. It isn't. It's just not as polished as Howard's later work. That being said, Howard's prose compared to other fantasy is like drinking your first bottle of Guinness after a lifetime of light beer. Where was I? Oh yeah, Kull. Kull is a barbarian who became a king and struggles between his savage ways and the statecraft involved in managing a kingdom.

Bran Mak Morn is the last king of the Picts, a savage people who were great allies of Kull's kingdom of Valusia thousands of years before Bran's time. When we catch up to Bran Mak Morn, the Picts have declined almost to the point of extinction. Bran's not all that different from Kull except that he knows that his fight against the Roman occupation is a losing battle.

A nigh-immortal Pictish sorcerer brings Kull to the future, convincing him he's dreaming in the process. Kull plays along with the sorcerer and soon ends up in command of a band of Norsemen against the Romans.

Before this story was published, Howard told his contemporary, H.P. Lovecraft, that it contained the best battle scene he'd written up to that point. Howard was right and it might be the best mass battle in fantasy ever written. This thing is Braveheart-violent once things get rolling. The tactics are written with a flair that keeps them from becoming boring but then how could you get bored with limbs being hacked off and a band of Picts and Vikings going up against colossal odds?

Until next time, keep your powder dry and your guns loaded.

[Mark Tallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book from Del Rey contains everything that is available that REH wrote about his character, Kull. Many of the stories weren't published in REH'S lifetime and were published posthumously. I've thoroughly enjoyed the stories, 'The Shadow Kingdom' is probably my favourite. Like any collection, a reader is going to have different opinions of what their favourite stories are. Having read all the Kull stories written by REH, I still prefer the Conan stories, even above the Solomon Kane stories. However, I highly recommend all three collections, Kane, Kull and Conan. They are, at least for me, wonderful reading experiences and have elevated REH to be in my very top handful of favourite authors. Fortunately, I have plenty more REH original material to read and some damn fine pastiche Kane, Kull and Conan stories out there. I'm looking at you John C. Hocking, especially with Conan.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating collection by the master of sword and sorcery, featuring the exiled Atlantean who becomes king of Valusia.

The stories range from action-packed battles and political intrigue to philosophical musings. In “Exile of Atlantis,” Kull's origins are vividly depicted even though I would love to read more of Atlantis.

“The Shadow Kingdom” mixes horror and fantasy with a conspiracy of shape-shifting serpent-men along with mystery as to what the hell is happening around here? From start to finish you will love this classic tale.

“The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune” explores existential philosophical themes while Kull suffers depression and seeks answers, which I reviewed and analyzed in deep in its own book here on goodreads, while “Kings of the Night” features a crossover with Bran Mak Morn. “By This Axe I Rule!” emphasizes Kull's strength against rebellion.

Howard's muscular prose and world-building create a timeless fantasy classic, blending action, horror, and deep themes effortlessly, while also having ideas for stories that will make you go "why haven't I thought of this? So simple of a story, yet so well-written and magnificent".

Lots and lots of short stories and poems and proses full of adventures of Kull along with other characters, friends, foes, creatures and monsters. Everything's here for us to enjoy.

I don't like feeling good. Feeling good makes you comfortable. Comfort puts you to sleep. You need to know what's wrong with you.

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who are familiar with Howard's work via Conan might find Kull a bit different. While they are both barbarians that only barely hold their wild natures in check, Kull is much more introspective than Conan. Where a Conan story will involve split heads and savage fury, Kull stories are more likely to involve court intrigues and thoughts about man's place in the world and in history.

[Raffaello · Rating 3 out of 5]

E così, fianco a fianco, uscirono dalla Casa dei Mille specchi, dove, forse, sono imprigionate le anime degli uomini.
Ora nessuno più guarda gli specchi di Tuzun Thune, la dimora viene rifuggita come luogo maledetto. Eppure Kull sul suo trono medita spesso sulla strana sapienza nascosta in quella casa e si incuriosisce...
Perché ci sono mondi al di là di mondi, come Kull sa bene, e dopo aver guardato negli specchi di Tuzun Thune il re è meno convinto di quale sia la realtà.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read Howard's Kull stories on a trip home from college one Christmas. My brother had picked up a used copy (a very used copy) of a paperback collection, which was falling apart in my hands as I read.

My initial reaction was one of disappointment. Perhaps, at that time, I was looking for a more Conan-like story. Whatever the case, when I was building my GR library, I gave these stories but 2 stars. I'm glad that I took advantage of a SF Book Club sale to pick up this reissue of the series because on rereading them, I found Kull much more interesting.

Is Kull a "failed" Conan?

Well, if you're looking at it from a popularity point of view, then the answer would be "yes." But if you're looking at it from a literary point of view, then the answer is definitely "no." True they're both barbarians from a lost, prehistoric world and both carve a bloody path to the thrones of civilized kingdoms but even a cursory reading of a Kull story shows that Howard was experimenting with a very different type of story and character. Kull thinks. Kull broods (boy, does he brood). Kull has no time for women. Kull is an elemental force but he keeps asking "why."

Howard is also experimenting with ways to tell a story. I'd describe most of these tales as "Dunsanian" in flavor - the settings are sketchily laid out and the writing style is very dreamlike (often Kull thinks he's just moving through a dream, in fact) and the characters are passive.

This edition has some really nice interior illustrations (I'm particularly taken with the picture of Delcardes and her cat on page 88) and an interesting essay about Howard and the writing of the Kull stories.

Definitely recommended for Howard fans, though they shouldn't expect a proto-Conan.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard's stories about Kull of Atlantis are generally more reflective than his better-known Conan tales, and have an air of melancholy that, personally, I think contrasts well with the more conventional "hack-and-slash" elements.

Although Kull's world is not as fleshed out as Conan's Hyborian Age, this works to the tales' advantage, as it adds to the age-lost mystery and atmosphere of degeneracy of a world in its last throes, about to be washed away by geological upheavals, a slate wiped clean ready for a new age.

There's a fair admixture of cosmic horror of the kind H.P. Lovecraft admired in Howard's works, and also a sprinkling of the sardonic humour that fans of Howard's non-fantasy works will recognise, but which may come as a surprise to those who only know him as a Sword-and-Sorcery writer.

Whilst not as commercial successful in their day (in fact, Howard only saw three, I think, published in his lifetime) as the later Conan stories, I think the Kull stories are some of Howard's best.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is 3.5 stars. Full review to come. My main feeling about this one is that I really like Kull and his close companions, but the incomplete stories were difficult to read at times.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You have power, Kull,” said he, choosing his words with more care than he did in the council rooms of the nation, “to make yourself mightiest of all kings, and restore some of the lost glories of Valusia. So. I care little for Valusia—though the women and wine be excellent — save for the fact that the stronger Valusia is, the stronger is the Pict nation. More, with an Atlantean on the throne, eventually Atlantis will become united—”

Kull laughed in harsh mockery. Ka-nu had touched an old wound.

“Atlantis made my name accursed when I went to seek fame and fortune among the cities of the world. We— they — are age-old foes of the Seven Empires, greater foes of the allies of the Empires, as you should know.”

Ka-nu tugged his beard and smiled enigmatically.

“Nay, nay. Let it pass. But I know whereof I speak. And then warfare will cease, wherein there is no gain; I see a world of peace and prosperity — man loving his fellow man — the good supreme. All this can you accomplish — if you live!”

“Ha!” Kull’s lean hand closed on his hilt and he half rose, with a sudden movement of such dynamic speed that Ka-nu, who fancied men as some men fancy blooded horses, felt his old blood leap with a sudden thrill. Valka, what a warrior! Nerves and sinews of steel and fire, bound together with the perfect co-ordination, the fighting instinct, that makes the terrible warrior.

But none of Ka-nu’s enthusiasm showed in his mildly sarcastic tone.

“Tush. Be seated. Look about you. The gardens are deserted, the seats empty, save for ourselves. You fear not me?”

Kull sank back, gazing about him warily.

“There speaks the savage,” mused Ka-nu. “Think you if I planned treachery I would enact it here where suspicion would be sure to fall upon me? Tut. You young tribesmen have much to learn. There were my chiefs who were not at ease because you were born among the hills of Atlantis, and you despise me in your secret mind because I am a Pict. Tush. I see you as Kull, king of Valusia, not as Kull, the reckless Atlantean, leader of the raiders who harried the western isles. So you should see in me, not a Pict but an international man, a figure of the world. Now to that figure, hark! If you were slain tomorrow who would be king?”

“Kaanuub, baron of Blaal.”

“Even so. I object to Kaanuub for many reasons, yet most of all for the fact that he is but a figure-head.”

“How so? He was my greatest opponent, but I did not know that he championed any cause but his own.”

“The night can hear,” answered Ka-nu obliquely. “There are worlds within worlds. But you may trust me and you may trust Brule, the Spear-slayer. Look!” He drew from his robes a bracelet of gold representing a winged dragon coiled thrice, with three horns of ruby on the head.

“Examine it closely. Brule will wear it on his arm when he comes to you tomorrow night so that you may know him. Trust Brule as you trust yourself, and do what he tells you to. And in proof of trust, look ye!”

And with the speed of a striking hawk, the ancient snatched something from his robes, something that flung a weird green light over them, and which he replaced in an instant.

“The stolen gem!” exclaimed Kull recoiling. “The green jewel from the Temple of the Serpent! Valka! You! And why do you show it to me?”

“To save your life. To prove my trust. If I betray your trust, deal with me likewise. You hold my life in your hand. Now I could not be false to you if I would, for a word from you would be my doom.”

Yet for all his words the old scoundrel beamed merrily and seemed vastly pleased with himself.

“But why do you give me this hold over you?” asked Kull, becoming more bewildered each second.

“As I told you. Now, you see that I do not intend to deal you false, and tomorrow night when Brule comes to you, you will follow his advice without fear of treachery. Enough. An escort waits outside to ride to the palace with you, lord.”

Kull rose. “But you have told me nothing.”

“Tush. How impatient are youths!” Ka-nu looked more like a mischievous elf than ever. “Go you and dream of thrones and power and kingdoms, while I dream of wine and soft women and roses. And fortune ride with you, King Kull.”

As he left the garden, Kull glanced back to see Ka-nu still reclining lazily in his seat, a merry ancient, beaming on all the world with jovial fellowship.

A mounted warrior waited for the king just without the garden and Kull was slightly surprised to see that it was the same that had brought Ka-nu’s invitation. No word was spoken as Kull swung into the saddle nor as they clattered along the empty streets.

The color and the gayety of the day had given way to the eerie stillness of night. The city’s antiquity was more than ever apparent beneath the bent, silver moon. The huge pillars of the mansions and palaces towered up into the stars. The broad stairways, silent and deserted, seemed to climb endlessly until they vanished in the shadowy darkness of the upper realms. Stairs to the stars, thought Kull, his imaginative mind inspired by the weird grandeur of the scene.

Clang! clang! clang! sounded the silver hoofs on the broad, moon-flooded streets, but otherwise there was no sound. The age of the city, its incredible antiquity, was almost oppressive to the king; it was as if the great silent buildings laughed at him, noiselessly, with unguessable mockery. And what secrets did they hold?

“You are young,” said the palaces and the temples and the shrines, “but we are old. The world was wild with youth when we were reared. You and your tribe shall pass, but we are invincible, indestructible. We towered above a strange world, ere Atlantis and Lemuria rose from the sea; we still shall reign when the green waters sigh for many a restless fathom above the spires of Lemuria and the hills of Atlantis and when the isles of the Western Men are the mountains of a strange land.”

“How many kings have we watched ride down these streets before Kull of Atlantis was even a dream in the mind of Ka, bird of Creation? Ride on, Kull of Atlantis; greater shall follow you; greater came before you. They are dust; they are forgotten; we stand; we know; we are. Ride, ride on, Kull of Atlantis; Kull the king, Kull the fool!”

And it seemed to Kull that the clashing hoofs took up the silent refrain to beat it into the night with hollow re-echoing mockery; “Kull-the-king! Kull-the-fool!”

Glow, moon; you light a king’s way! Gleam, stars; you are torches in the train of an emperor! And clang, silver-shod hoofs; you herald that Kull rides through Valusia.

Ho! Awake, Valusia! It is Kull that rides, Kull the king!

“We have known many kings,” said the silent halls of Valusia.






Although his adventures are more thrilling and the tales of his exploits are more polished, well-structured, and varied in content and locales I find the personality of Conan the Cimmerian to be not even as remotely as fascinating as that of his predecessor, Kull of Atlantis, and thus I have the uncommon opinion of finding Kull to be the more magnetic hero than his iconic successor. I felt this way from having only previously read The Shadow Kingdom, The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune, Kings of the Night, and By This Axe I Rule! in contrast to the 21 completed Conan stories, and now that I've read every word - completed, unpublished, and unfinished - related to the first hero of the genre Robert E. Howard created and popularized (which, to this day, there still isn't a main consensus among fantasy readers and writers on what to call it exactly) my opinion is all the more firm and stronger. Conan is a deeper and more well-realized character than pop culture's depiction of him would have you think, but nonetheless there's an element of masculine, adolescent wish-fulfillment that can't be separated from the character, and that element keeps me from being a fan of the character (Batman's another character I've only ever liked, not loved). Kull is just as mighty and tough as Conan, but there's a sense of vulnerability and fallibility to Kull's yarns that I never sensed from Conan's, even when the Cimmerian was in the most dire of circumstances.

Kull bleeds buckets and survives wounds that would kill lesser men, but Howard never had him survive something as extreme as a crucifixion like he did with Conan.

Where Conan can attract and seduce any nubile woman he wants (even unintentionally), Kull has never laid with a woman, and is far from comfortable around them. His strongest relationship throughout his tales is his fire-forged friendship with Brule the Spear-Slayer, and although Howard clearly intended the King of Valusia to be asexual - by invoking death of the author - in this day and age it's hard not see Kull being ignorant that he's homosexual, although either sexuality is welcome for such a macho archetype as the barbarian hero.

The weight of the crown of Valusia weighs more heavily upon Kull's brow and the Atlantean chafes more under the chains of command than the crown and chains of Aquilonia did on Conan. There were only 3 stories that took place during King Conan's reign, and one of those - The Phoenix on the Sword - is the first Conan story, which is, to many REH fans (including myself), an inferior rewrite of By This Axe I Rule!. It's the only one where Conan has to deal with an assassination plot. The other two have Conan deal with foreign invasions, and while their terrible for his kingdom and his subjects they at least give him an opportunity to stretch his legs, leave his palace, and be proactive. Meanwhile, with the exception of one (very) short story, all of Kull's adventures take place during his time as King Kull, an outsider to his people and his subjects. When he isn't keeping his guard up for conspiracies and assassination attempts, Kull is fully assailed by the boredom and frustration of kingly duties and Valusian politics and the ennui of achieving the wildest dreams he imagined when he was just an orphan of the mountains and jungles of Atlantis. When he isn't reacting to attempts on his life, Kull is looking for something to get his blood pumping or his vivid mind whirling with possibilities, whether it is; a sealed abomination more eldritch than anything Conan, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn or any other REH character has ever faced; pursuing a man who only insulted him beyond the borders of his empire; visiting a magic mirror daily to gaze at his own reflection; or meeting an ancient, talking cat.

Most of all, Conan's mind, though intelligent and cunning, is generally settled on the present and broods over current struggles, with his only ambitions being pleasure (from women or battle), riches, and adventure. Kull's mind, unlike not just Conan's but so many of Howard's protagonists, is unusually introspective and imaginative. The barbarian king broods over questions that would never occur to Conan (or most of us) to ask, let alone ponder over. Questions regarding life, the universe, and everything. I can't shake the notion that Kull's moody, philosophical, vivid imagination is the best glimpse we'll ever get of one of the fathers of modern fantasy own incredibly powerful imagination...

That is, when the king of the most glorious of the Seven Empires of the Thurian Age isn't spilling the blood and splitting the skulls of his enemies.




4 1/4 stars

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reliable sword and sorcery. Kull the barbarian king of Atlantis kicking butt and having his scribe take names.

In the introduction of the book our organizer of stories goes to great length to tell us that Kull isn't really Howard's warm up for Conan.

Look I know I don't have a degree and I'm not an authority but at least to a certain extent I have to disagree. Kull is where Conan goes. There is a more complete feeling (for me at least) in the Conan stories.

Still this is a good read and like the Conan stories (and other of Howard's works) can be read over and over with continued enjoyment. If you haven't tried these I can recommend them.

Enjoy.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read by Todd McLaren & downloaded from my public library. You rock, Library!

The introduction by Steve Tompkins is long, over 30 minutes. Almost immediately, he puts down ERB's John Carter. He said something about Carter's ego being so big that Helium, the city he rules, is well named. Seriously? He crapped on ERB's character?!!! I'll bet most Kull & Conan fans like John Carter, too. I do, although not as much, but that's just unnecessarily rude. It's not a contest about whose sword is bigger, you know.

While Tompkins had some good material about REH, he went on forever. (Talk about a large ego!) I found myself with less & less patience for his opinions, so after enduring him for 20 minutes, I came back in to the house & figured out where he quit so I could start in on the actual stories.

Tantor Media if you are reading this, please be advised that putting the introduction & each story into a separate track would be very much appreciated. Just ripping these stories off the CD's & dumping them into files makes you look cheap & uncaring. It's a PITA to FF through the track not knowing how long to hold down the button while trying to do other things like drive or weed the garden.

The stories are in their original format, so many are just fragments. I find that frustrating. I know a lot of Howard buffs dislike the Lancer editions because deCamp & Carter finished & heavily edited REH's original words, but they're what I started with & I'm more interested in a full, rousing story. After all, Howard is one of the premier escapist authors. If I wanted accuracy & realism, I'll read a nonfiction book or a historical fantasy.

McLaren is a pretty good reader, but this just didn't work as an audio book for me. Where Kull's philosophizing used to be entertaining, I was just impatient with his loose grip on reality & gullibility. Also, if I heard "By Valkha!" one more time, I was going to sic Crom on him, so I quit. I remembered the stories a bit too well, anyway.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is certainly one for the Howard completists. Not that it is only such readers who would be interested in this. It is also great for those who just want to read about another of Howard's characters, those who want a change from Conan, although of all of them Kull is probably the most Conon like. If one ignores the various incomplete fragments and unfinished drafts, most of these stories are top notch, up there with his best work.

These are stories of Kull, of Atlantis, barbarian and savage who usurped the Valusian throne and then found out that holding onto it was a lot harder than taking it in the first place. Aided by a few trusted advisers and his Pictish allies, he endeavours to resist all efforts to unseat him.

Apparently, only three stories featuring Kull were published during Howard's lifetime. A handful of others were found and published in the 60's. All these are collected here, along with the aforementioned incomplete fragments, and arranged in the order that they were written. Throughout, almost on every page, there are hand drawn illustrations to accompany the text and illustrate the story. There's also a good introduction, an informative appendix and notes on the text used in this volume.

I probably wouldn't advise starting with this character if you are new to howard, but if you have liked any of his other work, it is worth giving this one a read.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago I began what has become a tradition in my reading life. At the beginning of the year I start a new volume in the excellently produced Robert E. Howard collections (Del Rey) reading a single short story/novella each Saturday morning, usually before the rest of the family gets out of bed. It’s a sort of “me” time. I get through an entire collection over about three months and really feel like I absorb the stories rather than just reading one right after the other. This year I turned my attention to Kull, Exile of Atlantis.

The character of Kull is usually known today as simply the forerunner of Conan. Often he is relegated to the lesser of RE Howard’s creations seemingly serving merely as a way for the young writer to experiment and hone his skills before turning to the more recognized and mature writing that would mark Conan, Solomon Kane, etc. There is certainly some truth in that but I think that does Kull an injustice. There are some very good stories in this book, including “The Shadow Kingdom” which Howard cited as his favorite of all of his stories and perhaps my favorite, “By This Axe I Rule!” which borrows heavily from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”. Each of the stories are quite a bit different from one another and show a definite progression of Kull as a character, sometimes gruff no-nonsense and even ruthless conquering King and other times compassionate and charismatic leader who acts on other people’s behalf even when no recognition for his good deeds comes his way.

The final story in this collection, “Kings of the Night” is intriguing in that it is a crossover between the Kull stories and the Bran Mak Morn stories. Even though Kull lives in a time thousands of years BC, he magically joins the war party of Bran Mak Morn during the days of the Roman Empire and the two characters fight as allies. Pretty cool even though it does mark the final Kull story. Turns out Kull’s right hand man Brule is the far distant ancestor of Bran Mak Morn, the first of his line. I have the Bran Mak Morn: The Last King collection scheduled for next year so that story was a good lead-in.

As always with these Del Rey versions of Howard's work, the accompanying essays, untitled fragments, poems, and artwork make for a well-rounded and enjoyable collection. Good reading, and especially recommended for all Howard enthusiasts who lean toward Conan as the be all – end all of Howard’s sword and sorcery work.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reliable sword and sorcery. Kull the barbarian king of Atlantis kicking butt and having his scribe take names.

In the introduction of the book our organizer of stories goes to great length to tell us that Kull isn't really Howard's warm up for Conan.

Look I know I don't have a degree and I'm not an authority but at least to a certain extent I have to disagree. Kull is where Conan goes. There is a more complete feeling (for me at least) in the Conan stories.

Still this is a good read and like the Conan stories (and other of Howard's works) can be read over and over with continued enjoyment. If you haven't tried these I can recommend them.

Enjoy.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kull, a barbarian from Atlantis has recently conquered the land of Valusia and been crowned king. Though he now sits on the throne, his battle is not over. An ambassador from a distant land warns Kull that the land is still being controlled by reptilian, shapeshifting humanoids who rule from the dark shadows of society. The men Kull overthrew to win the throne weren't the true threat, the serpent men who lurk in the dark still rule and are planning to quickly replace the new king of Valusia with one of their own.

The series chronicles Kull's constant conflict with himself, his own people, as well as the monsters and devious sorcerers that prowl the land. The stories of Kull of Atlantis essentially feel like a rough draft of what would later become the famous Conan the Barbarian series. They flow almost exactly like a Conan story would, but with less focus, less world building, less adventure and rougher descriptions of the epic monsters and battles which is the meat and bones of the Conan saga. Still fun in its own right and the dark sword and sorcery vibes are still interesting, but it's not quite as well developed as Howard's later fantasy tales such as Conan and Solomon Kane.

There are also several stories that I'm sure were a big inspiration to Michael Moorcock. The multiple dreamworlds, the brooding protagonist, the depressive apocalyptic fantasy setting, the mind-bending imagery, the infinite parallel dimensions, the many alternative versions of Kull that exist in each plane, it was trippy and weird and almost felt like it could be a part of the Eternal Champion universe.

On a side note, I can't help but find it funny how relevant this old fantasy series is to many modern conspiracy theories. The idea that society is secretly ruled by a shadow government full of reptilian humanoids while the government and politicians we know are just puppets of the true masters.

My rating: 3.4/5

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of Howard's Kull stories, a precursor to Conan. This also comes with essays regarding the stories and Howard's life during the time he wrote them, including some excerpted letters between him and other sci-fi writers of the time, like Lovecraft.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of related stories was way more awesome than I had expected. I essentially started reading it on a whim, as I had stol– ahem, borrowed the full Robert Howard series from my father’s bookshelves but had promptly forgotten about them once they were on mine. But the other day I was bored and noticed them and said Hey, I love the Conan films (the snake palace / harem scene, my god! So well done! Not the battle itself but the stealth infiltration / build up to it. It was like a fantasy version of a Sergio Leone spaghetti western duel - the anticipation was everything).

Now typically I don’t like short stories. For a year or two, I did a whole regimen of writing & reading them, even getting subscriptions to Asimov’s and Analog and SF&F. But a whole slew of rejections and a lot of unread stories later, I finally had to admit I’m just not that interested in the medium. Short stories are just too, well, too short. I like the long plot and character arcs, the slowly accumulating lore and world detail, the sense of falling into the deeper rabbit hole of a novel’s fictional universe.

But Kull? Loved it. These stories are pure pulpy fantasy deliciousness. And because they all focus on Kull, and his trials and tribulations as King of Valusia (his ascension to kingship is literally a single paragraph at the end of the first story), they can maintain a longer sense of character arc and world building. And some of the stories are themselves longer, multi-parters, while a few are shorter. To my surprise, these shorter ones turned out to be some of my favorites.

Special standout: The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune. It begins: “There comes, even to kings, the time of great weariness. Then the gold of the throne is brass, the silk of the palace becomes drab. The gems in the diadem sparkle drearily like the ice of the white seas; the speech of men is as the empty rattle of a jester’s bell and the feel comes of things unreal; even the sun is copper in the sky, and the breath of the green ocean is no longer fresh.”

The story becomes this fascinating philosophical meditation in which a wizard and mirrors act as metaphors for depression / ennui. Kull sees himself in the wizard’s mirrors and says, “Nay, by Valka, am I the man or is he? Which of us is the ghost of the other? Mayhap these mirrors are but windows through which we look into another world. Does he think the same of me? Am I no more than a shadow, a reflection of himself--to him, as he to me? And if I am the ghost, what sort of world lives upon the other side of this mirror? What armies ride there and what kings rule? This world is all I know. Knowing naught of any other, how can I judge? Surely there are green hills there and booming seas and wide plains where men ride to battle. Tell me, wizard who is wiser than most men, tell me are there worlds beyond our worlds?”

Even these small excerpts reveal the sense of grandeur that permeates the writing. For sure, Kull and his stories harken from a different era, one in which men could be unashamedly masculine and warriors need not apologize for their blood-letting. At risk of turning political what ought to be a simple review, I’ve only grown more sympathetic to the cause of the Sad Puppy movement (not the Rabid Puppies - they were all wankers). This collection demonstrates the power of simple story-telling, one in which any political agenda is incidental.

That said, contrary to the popular narrative regarding golden age sci-fi & fantasy, Kull and his stories are by no means misogynistic and regressive. In fact, Kull is constantly striving against conservative tradition. A noble and his slave wish to marry each other? Kull would make it so - but it is against the Old Laws of Valusia. And Kull himself is explicitly asexual. He simply isn’t interested. Thank Valka for that. The idea that in olden times masculinity was synonymous with a sort of predatory promiscuity is just… eugh. Frat boy values do not equal masculinity.

Anyway, Kull was my first Robert Howard reading experience and a genuine delight. If you’re at all a fan of fantasy, it’s worth reading at least one of these collections.

*One downside is the absolutely egregious usage of adverbs on said. 'said Kull dazedly' 'said the other cryptically' 'answered the other tranquilly'. Yikes!

[Jason Waltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kull is an interesting character because he is a personification of Howard's explorations. Understanding that means you understand there would be no Conan without Kull and these exploratory stories. I took my time reading this, learned that I had not read as much Kull as I had thought, found some new things to enjoy, yet retained my absolute love for "Kings of the Night" as my very favorite Kull story...even though it's not really a Kull story. Overall this would probably be a 3.5 in actuality, but never rounded down.

I like Tompkins' introduction, the information and analysis there is awesome. I've always liked "Exile of Atlantis" as a compelling intro to the character of Kull. As for "The Shadow Kingdom," I appreciate the fuller creation of Kull and the addition of Brule, the wonder evoked of what's looming (behind and ahead), but I've always found this story difficult to remain engaged. Frankly, Brule gives us Kull. Which is my feeling of most of the Kull stories: without Brule, there would be no Kull.

"The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" has always never thrilled me. Kull is listless, has lost all and any passion. Boo-hoo. Brule yet again saves the day and the king. Several curious and entertaining statements/concepts/questions posed, but not really much of a story for me. Now the 'Untitled Draft' following it and featuring Kull's ride of vengeance is spectacular. I'd never read it before, quite the delightful tale. Some really well-written lines and terrific descriptions.

When one begins reading "The Cat and the Skull," one thinks 'What the hell?! What kind of story is Howard writing here?' Then as one continues reading, one groans at the idea of another existential exploration like "The Mirrors." Then one reaches the Forbidden Lake and realizes all is well in the land of bloody subterfuge and dangerous sorcery. And one ends content with this quite fun story.

"The Screaming Skull of Silence" is such a clever story! Very Dunsanian, very out of this world, and very, very Kull, the true Kull. I get a kick out of how Howard plays Kull on both sides of the royal coin, as the anti-king yet filled with many recognized kingly traits, desirable and not. He is an obstinate man whose obstinance in this instance saved mankind. A bunch of stories follow this one, then...

"By this Axe I Rule" is probably my second fave Kull story by far, certainly the best story thus far. Regardless, this is Kull's story, his moment, before he's merely a shadow most often saved by others. I can not only hear his roar but feel it in my bones when he declares, "I am the law!" (though in Sly's voice).

"Swords of the Purple Kingdom" is eloquently told, a rather beautifully written sordid tale. Scene is set wonderfully; atmosphere, persons, attitudes, thrilling undercurrents artfully rendered by Howard to really put us there. Sensory touches and strong description really brings the dark and desperate night alive. One of the best Kull tales. Followed by an interesting poem pitting Kull against the age before man.

And then there's "Kings of the Night," that always shivers me timbers! Man, what thunder of battle and strikes of lightning quick savagery! One of my all-time favorite Howard stories.

My reading recommendations? As adding depth to Howard and Conan and in this order: "Exile of Atlantis" - "By this Axe I Rule" - "The Shadow Kingdom" - "The Screaming Skull of Silence" - "Swords of the Purple Kingdom" - "The King and the Oak" - "Kings of the Night"

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Lancer edition has cover art by Frazetta & all the original Howard fragments finished up by DeCamp & Carter (I think). I read this first & always liked their take on the stories the best.

Kull is a predecessor to Conan - the same kind of guy. He's a barbarian that took over the country by his honor & fighting skills.

One story is almost identical to a Conan story - the one where the king is attacked in his bed chamber & kills them all. He stands sorely wounded with an ax in one hand asking, "Who dies next?" Lots of gory fun.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the various heroic incarnations Howard produced in his short but fruitful career, Kull is a bright spark that comes and goes all too quickly. Only three Kull stories were ever published in Howard's lifetime, so to read a collection containing unpublished works starring him is a real treat. Kull is like Conan in a lot of respects, but bears a philosophical side that gives him a more brooding aspect. I recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys swords and sorcery fiction, combat scenes, or the dramatic tension between individual freedom and the preservation of society.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were times when I've liked Kull as a character more than Conan. He seems more thoughtful at times, but overall there's no doubt that Conan is a more consistent, and in that sense more believable, character. Still, it's nice to have this collection of all the Kull stories, as well as some fragments and drafts, because it shows us a lot about the development of Howard's characters across his writing life.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t want to believe it, but the Kull stories are very much a warm-up for the Conan stories.

Kull is just… not as good as Conan. He lacks personality. His stories come down to “a bunch of stuff happens”.

This book has value and there’s plenty to like here. You get a good look at Robert E. Howard’s earlier work and the bones of what became classic sword and sorcery fiction. One story in particular called “Untitled Draft” in these pages stood out to me, as Kull and his entourage cross the river at the end of the world… and the story ends there. It’s almost a clue that Howard was on the cusp of greatness.

This book has plenty of great illustrations in a sketchy and effective style. Story fragments fill the appendices.

[Deborah Sheldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, my favourite Robert E. Howard hero is Solomon Kane, so I'm rating these Kull stories against those tales. While some readers suggest that Kull is just an earlier version of Conan, I wholeheartedly disagree. Kull has a much more philosophical demeanour, while Conan is, well, a bit of a meathead. These Kull stories are exciting. If you like action-adventure, give Kull a try!

[Teo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Kull: Exile of Atlantis” is Del Rey’s collection of all Robert E. Howard’s Kull yarns, given life not only by the author’s vivid writing, but also illustrator Justin Sweet’s magnificent artwork. Kull, a barbarian, and exile of Atlantis that is later to become Valusia’s most fabled King, is often cited as a Conan prototype and literary forerunner – which is indeed true as, ironically, the last Kull story – “By This Axe I Rule!” was later rewritten as “The Phoenix on the Sword” which is both the first written and first published Conan adventure.

But, labeling Kull as a “prototype” draws with the term a notion that in some way the stories of Kull are inferior to the ones of Conan; which could not be further from the truth. Conan is not just a “new and improved” version of Kull, nor is Kull the “inferior clone” of Conan. The two characters, although sharing a similar barbarian origin, are very much night and day when it comes to personalities.

Conan was a man of action, who lived for the moment and seized the pleasures of life – the lust for battle, the taste of good brew and the pleasures offered by the embrace of voluptuous wenches. Although Conan had momentary lapses into brooding thoughts and philosophy (see “Queen of the Black Coast”, “Beyond the Black River”, etc.), mostly he did not concern himself with question beyond this earthly life.

Kull of Atlantis, King of Valusia, is the complete opposite. While a man of unmatched physical prowess that could undoubtedly go blow for blow with the warrior Conan, Kull’s most recognizable character trait is his constant philosophizing. More often than not, he is seen as sitting on the Throne of Kings in the regal Tower of Splendor, with his heavy chin resting on his clenched fist, consumed in moody thoughts about reality, illusion, existence and the meaning of life. The melancholy in REH’s writing is nowhere as strong as in the stories of Kull. Philosophy is put in focus, while the action remains in the background (save in the Kull/Bran Mak Morn crossover “Kings of the Night” which is all about ass kicking). Unlike Conan, Kull also has no interest in fair maidens. He notes their beauty, but their seductiveness never brings him in temptation. In every such scene, Howard states something like “But [their beauty] meant nothing to Kull”; the man just has other concerns and sees courting and flirtations as trifle affairs of little interest and a waste of time.

In many stories, Kull barely lifts a sword; instead, it’s all about what happens in the King’s mind. This certainly won’t win many new readers, especially of the younger generation – I fall in this category, too. But, unlike most my age, I’m actually smart. Today’s readers / audiences of any kind suffer from severe attention deficiency disorder, and the industry adapts accordingly. Instead of depth and quality, we are treated to shallowness and superficial flashiness in music, film and literature. Instead of everlasting and larger than life heroes, we have teenagers with spiky hair saving the world from ancient evils (ahem, “Final Fantasy”, “Eragon” and many other fantasy games/novels/films of today).

Having an interest in philosophy in general, I took an immediate liking to the grim Kull, even more so than with any other REH creations. It is just a delight to read these yarns, for I have no doubt that through the characters, REH shared with us his own mind. And it is even more of a delight to realize that my personal views almost perfectly coincide with his. It is amazing how much of a great thinker REH was. Sadly, only three of the Kull’s stories where published during his life. That led to many original typescripts being misplaced by various people who had gotten hold of them after REH’s untimely death. Most of the stories of Kull are in fact working drafts, several pages shorter than their definitive and final versions, but due to the latter being lost have become the next best alternative.

Despite being a thinker, that doesn’t mean Kull was a stranger to the call of arms. He was a true King, and most of all – a true man. He shied from no one, neither earthly nor otherworldly foes. Kull valued manliness above all. “And I believe you, for you are different from any earthly man I ever knew. You are a real king and what is greater, a true man,” says an ancient lake-king to Kull. And speaking of manliness, in one Untitled Draft (and by the looks of it, incomplete also) where Kull ventures with his army to the Edge of the World and beyond, there is a scene, a single, three words long sentence Kull addresses his valiant soldiers with, that made me want to rip my shirt apart with my bare hands and growl like a berserker; such is the power of REH’s words.

In a way, Kull was a greater adventurer than Conan, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane, El Borak and others. Without meaning to depreciate and disrespect the greatness of the latter characters, for they battled foes both of and out of this world, their adventures where almost always of earthly manner, while Kull’s often venture beyond – they are adventures of the body, the mind, and the soul alike.

Kull shares a grim kinship with the last king of the Picts, Bran Mak Morn. The more obvious link between them is Brule, the Spear-slayer, a Pict that is Kull’s most trusted friend and indispensable advisor. But also, Kull and Bran Mak Morn are both tragic characters, with a foreboding future looming above them like an inevitable menace. Bran knows, that, whatever he does, he will ultimately fail in battle and his final mission – to save his people from the pits of barbarism – will go unfulfilled. In several Kull stories, as early as in the very first – “Exile of Atlantis” – the ultimate fate of Atlantis and the Seven Empires is prophesized. “These mountains always were but some day they will crumble and vanish. Some day the sea will flow over these hills—” says Kull.

In means of miscellanea, the Kull collection does not offer that much to the reader. The bonuses include the “Am-Ra of the Ta-an” fragments, with the five of them barely stretching on six pages. Also included are the drafts of “The Shadow Kingdom”, “Delcardes’ Cat” (aka “The Cat and the Skull”) and the poem “The King and the Oak”. The appendices include an interesting 16 pages long essay by Patrice Louinet, titled “Atlantean Genesis”.

The ending of my every review of a work of REH ends with the same sentence: this is a must for every REH fan, and anyone who values good literature.

Rating: 10/10

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this volume but I have read most of the Kull stories at one time or another before. What I do like about this is that all the fragmentary stories, poetry, and many drafts are all brought together into one place for everybody to see. In the appendix there is an essay by Patrice Louinet called "Atlantean Genesis" which talks about the development of Kull from Am-ra and how over time as Howard became estranged from writing Kull stories you see Kull evolve into Conan. This volume is profusely illustrated which I absolutely love, for it really gives added flavor to the stories for me.
My favorite story has to be Kings of the Night. When you read the following who doesn't feel their heart miss a beat; "The great shield turned the lance and Kull struck back as a snake strikes; the ponderous mace crushed helmet and head like an eggshell, and the very steed went to its knees from the shock of that terrible blow. From the Northmen went up a short fierce roar, and the Picts beside them howled exultantly and loosed their arrows among the retreating horsemen." What an awesome battle was played out in that valley that day! Of course there are more favorites as well, those being "Swords of the Purple Kingdom", "By This Axe I Rule!" and "The Striking of the Gong".
All good stories indeed. The latter was very strange indeed which really stuck with me.
Kull of Atlantis was definitely a character I wish Howard would of written more of but we do have Conan though, and reading his exploits is kind of an extension of Kull's at least.

[William Gerke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of some of Howard's earliest stories. "The Shadow Kingdom" is a masterpiece (and worth reading the closing essay to understand what Howard was doing with this story and it's relationship to the Biblical Saul). The remainder of them are erratic in quality but interesting as a window into the past as Howard develops the vibrant style that would characterize the Conan stories. The inclusion of "Kings of the Night" only highlights the contrast, as it is a later story featuring two other Howard characters. Worth reading for the completist, but casual readers should stick to Conan.