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Curse of the Bastards
Rogan—the aging, jaded barbarian who gave up his throne—painfully realizes that his most storied childhood heroes are fading into antiquity, becoming mere ballads in the eyes of the younger warriors. And he might be next.
He stops at the hometown of his idol, but little remains to show of the man’s exploits … until he meets the hero’s daughter, Roan, riding her father’s infamous seven-hundred-year-old horse. Roan has a vendetta against General Tolin La Gaul, who harbors a dark secret. She tries to convince Rogan to join her in riding upon the Citadel of Nosmada in the land of Nod to confront Tolin, but Rogan has no interest in such a dicey plan. That is, until his nephew, Javan, goes missing, presumed captured. Now the Citadel has become a snare, and he has no choice but to spring the trap’s jaws.
Rogan’s path leads him into darker and more twisted schemes than even he could have imagined … gods, devils, and an undead dragon, forcing him to confront not only his own mortality and place in history—but even his god, Wodan.
Steven L. Shrewsbury and Brian Keene's award-winning Rogan's Saga trilogy comes to its exciting conclusion with CURSE OF THE BASTARDS!
He stops at the hometown of his idol, but little remains to show of the man’s exploits … until he meets the hero’s daughter, Roan, riding her father’s infamous seven-hundred-year-old horse. Roan has a vendetta against General Tolin La Gaul, who harbors a dark secret. She tries to convince Rogan to join her in riding upon the Citadel of Nosmada in the land of Nod to confront Tolin, but Rogan has no interest in such a dicey plan. That is, until his nephew, Javan, goes missing, presumed captured. Now the Citadel has become a snare, and he has no choice but to spring the trap’s jaws.
Rogan’s path leads him into darker and more twisted schemes than even he could have imagined … gods, devils, and an undead dragon, forcing him to confront not only his own mortality and place in history—but even his god, Wodan.
Steven L. Shrewsbury and Brian Keene's award-winning Rogan's Saga trilogy comes to its exciting conclusion with CURSE OF THE BASTARDS!
232 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2022
24 people want to read
About the author
Brian Keene
386 books3,003 followersBRIAN KEENE writes novels, comic books, short fiction, and occasional journalism for money. He is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option. Keene also serves as Executive Producer for the independent film studio Drunken Tentacle Productions.
Keene also oversees Maelstrom, his own small press publishing imprint specializing in collectible limited editions, via Thunderstorm Books.
Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the World Horror 2014 Grand Master Award, two Bram Stoker Awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.
The father of two sons, Keene lives in rural Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 10, 2023
This is another swords & sorcery novel featuring an aging ex-king hero, Rogan. Though some of Keene's cosmic evil characters from his horror works are mentioned, this series is strictly a heroic fantasy. The back cover says it's the conclusion of the trilogy, but I thought it had more of the feel of another adventure installment rather than the wrap-up of an arc. It's a fine pastiche of Howard's Conan with some clever quips and cute lines, but there were so many characters that I couldn't keep track of them all. It was fun, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the preceding one, Throne of the Bastards.
Displaying 1 of 1 review