Thongor in the City of Magicians

Thongor #4

by Lin Carter

paperback, vg++

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Fiction, Pulp, High Fantasy

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Lin Carter was an American author, editor, and critic best known for his influential role in fantasy literature during the mid-20th century. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, he developed an early passion for myth, adventure stories, and imaginative fiction, drawing inspiration from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After serving in the U.S. Army, Carter attended Columbia University, where he honed his literary skills and deepened his knowledge of classical and medieval literature, myth, and folklore — elements that would become central to his work.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A brave man must do battle with his foes, or fall beneath them” p.22
The fourth book in the Thongor series certainly ends with a major bang or ten with a really solid story involving the gathering of crystals to power the ray bolts fired from the air ships as a long distanced range weapon.
The antagonists in the story are many and among the best parts of the novel is the early appearances of most of the Nine Wizards of Zaar as they each take their place on their colored thrones. Thongor’s own Legion of Doom.
Thongor gets captured and Carter weaves quite a tale involving many moving parts/ characters.
Included in the back is a listing of all the characters and which novel they appeared in.
Solid sword & sorcery!

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice fantasy read, quick and east. Overall good series from the 1970s. Recommended.

[Aksel Erzinclioglu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have to say the weakest of the Thongor series so far (but I still had a wildly enjoyable time). This one was certainly the slowest and did have a fair few meandering chapters in the middle. But (SPOILERS AHEAD) the appearance of Gorm was amazing and seeing him battle the evil Chaos being was cool (if a little underused). Overall, I had a good time and it's nice and short so didn't exactly take up a hell of a lot of my time.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

It reads like it's trying to have one foot in sword-and-sorcery and one in sword-and-planet, even more so than the others of the series. The Barsoomian-style weird science that drove the other books is losing ground to a sword-and-sorcery style mysticism and demonology, and the terms "science" and "sorcery" are used interchangeably.

I can get behind the notion that the series doesn't want to be pigeonholed, and borrows from both traditions, but it never feels like Carter is doing this intentionally or with any forethought. Stuff is thrown together as necessary, labeled however he felt like at the time.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, but not outstanding.

[J.W. Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conspiracy to kill Thongor, Grand Sark of Lemuria, has failed, and its plotters, the remnants of the wicked orders of druids and rulers of Lemuria, have been routed and destroyed. Now the Black Druids of the millennia-old, darkness-infested city of Zaar take up the call of evil vengeance on Thongor, and seek to enslave his soul for eternity to the demonic Lords of Chaos….

 I have stated before that while I found the second and third books of Lin Carter’s Thongor Series to be enjoyable, none of them, in my view surpassed the level of the first volume of the series Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria. Books 2 &3 had a blandness to them that was underwhelming. In fact, I made a promise to myself that if this blandness continued through book 4, I would, sadly, quit the series. Luckily, this wasn’t the case.
 Thongor in the City of Magicians proved to be just as good, if not better, than the first volume I enjoyed so much. There’s a barbarity and a darkness to it that reminds me of the works of the masters of sword and sorcery; Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Karl Edward Wagner, and others like them. The first book had such a presence and feel, but as to why books 2 &3 lacked it, I have no idea. Regardless, its savagery is felt even more so than in the first volume.
  The battle scenes are some of the best I’ve read in the series. Skulls are cloven and limbs are hacked off in a red haze fueled by the crimson wine of battle, hills of corpses piling up while overwhelming amounts of adversaries assail our heroes, leaving their wits and blades alone to slice through them all. Thongor is perhaps at his bravest and most savage in this book. And the remaining seven Black Druids of Zaar prove to be interesting, entertaining and nefarious villains. The ending is also satisfying, unlike the endings of books 2 &3. I only hope that the rest of the series continues in this strength.
   I give Thongor in the City of Magicians by Lin Carter a 4 out of 5.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve seen these books for a long time and never bothered to even pick one up to take a look at it. “Thongor” is a stupid name. But I haven’t read any Lin Carter in nearly three years now, so when I saw this at a bookstore that charges half cover price for unmarked books, and with an evocative cover (apparently by Kevin Eugene Johnson) I picked it up. A quick read of random pages indicated that it was Conan-like, that it was not a parody, and that it looked fun.

That’s an understatement. This is Conan the Barbarian crossed with Barsoom. There are flying ships, weird decadent techno-wizards, strange dawn races sharing the Lemurian world with humanity, and weird gods who feed on souls. All in a relatively short package with no meandering.

Now I’m going to have to find all of the previous books I’ve passed on. This is apparently the fourth in the series, so I’ve got at least three more books to look forward to.

Thongor is still a stupid name, but this is a great adventure story.

The plan was simple. It was also risky and dangerous to the point of suicide, but what could two men do against a mighty kingdom filled with enemies, except take a long chance and strike out boldly?

[Mikel Classen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of this series ever since my mom handed me the first in the series, the Wizard of Lemuria. She didn't like it and gave it to me. I was enthralled. This takes place on the lost continent of Lemuria and features a great hero that is changing the face of his world. In this one he faces dark magicians of Chaos in a battle to rid their world of the evil that they worship. Thongor is a character designed after Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian. The parallels are close to ridiculous, but the tales themselves stand up pretty well. This is not Lin Carter's best book but it is not the worst either. I rate this book a 4 because I have always loved this series and they are a lot of fun to read.

[TMN · Rating 1 out of 5]

First the evil magician tells Thongor, that cut-rate Conan imitation, that there's no such thing as a soul, then a page or so later he condemns Thongor's soul to eternal slavery in chaos. I call that sloppy writing, something that unfortunately is much too often found in the hack work of Lin Carter.