Conan the Conqueror in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Jul 07, 2016 Arley Dial rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In this final (chronologically) Conan story, Howard demonstrates why he was one of the best adventure writers of all time. In the only novel he ever produced, Howard is able to maintain the blistering pace he is known for, while still weaving a complex and interesting tale. The story is set during Conan's time as King of Aquilonia, which is a period in the hero's life often overlooked (I'm looking at you, Hollywood.) In act one, King Conan is defeated and the kindom is wrested from his grasp. We ...more

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Dec 04, 2022 Steve Dilks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you can find them, these Berkely editions are essential for your bookshelf. Great Ken Kelly artwork with informative intrdouctions by Karl Edward Wagner. As well as the original WEIRD TALES texts they also feature the original illustrations that accompanied them.
As for the novel itself though, I risk losing my Conan fan club card by announcing that this is not Howard at his best. The are some well written passages but overall it lacks atmosphere and relies too much on coincidence instead of a If you can find them, these Berkely editions are essential for your bookshelf. Great Ken Kelly artwork with informative intrdouctions by Karl Edward Wagner. As well as the original WEIRD TALES texts they also feature the original illustrations that accompanied them.
As for the novel itself though, I risk losing my Conan fan club card by announcing that this is not Howard at his best. The are some well written passages but overall it lacks atmosphere and relies too much on coincidence instead of a proper plot mechanation. Conan vanquishes everything that comes across his path all too easily. Tension, something which Howard excelled at, is largely missing. At times the writing borders on parody. The scene with Zenobia when she discovers our Cimmerian King chained in the dungeons below Belverus, for instance, is like a badly written Harlequin romance. She professes her undying love for him because she saw him brielfy when he was riding his horse on a state visit to the city. 'Here's the keys I stole from the jailer!' 'Here's a big knife you'll undoubtedly need to kill the giant man-ape that's lurking in the corridors!' 'Ive managed to procure you a horse and it's waiting for you at a fountain at the side of the city!' All this in one night from a simple slave-girl who never thought to do this for herself the whole time she was there. The whole sequence is just awkwardly put together. She's nothing more than a cipher in order for Conan to escape. So Conan escapes, kills a mercenary (who was conveniently waiting by the horse), dons his sword and armour then rides off disguised as a free companion. Later on, he's knocked unconcious, wakes up on a ship then literally seconds later, he's killed the captain, freed the slaves from their oars (who sailed with him in the good old days) and killed the crew. 'On to Stygia!' Arrives in Stygia, kills a giant snake that's wandering the streets with a single slash of his knife.
There's a lot of padding and stitching together to make up the important scenes which are made up from two earlier Conan novelettes, 'Black Colossus' and 'The Scarlet Citadel'. It's not surprising Howard used these as a springboard from which to work as they are both fantastic stories. Originally he intended the novel for the British hardback market. But both those earlier stories are excellently written—full of tension and atmosphere, things I find mostly lacking in THE HOUR OF THE DRAGON. For all my misgivings it does have some good moments but overall I see it as a 'Conan's Greatest Hits' compilation that actually misses some of Howard's better writing. ...more

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