From the Bookshelf of Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"…
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To damn with faint praise: it's not that it's _bad_. It's just mediocre in that going-through-the-motions sense that makes you wonder if Conan ever sits back and asks himself, "Wait....Did I just experience something very similar to this adventure?"
The interesting ideas--one evil wizard hunting the other evil wizard, Conan is beaten to the theft but gets the blame--get snapped off after some good menace. The Plot MacGuffin does its MacGuffinry when the Plot Advancement Meter reaches the redline. ...more
The interesting ideas--one evil wizard hunting the other evil wizard, Conan is beaten to the theft but gets the blame--get snapped off after some good menace. The Plot MacGuffin does its MacGuffinry when the Plot Advancement Meter reaches the redline. ...more
This was a well-written novel that had a setting suited for fantasy, some fantastic grey-shaded characters, good action and a fitting ending.
But it made a travesty of Conan. The man portrayed here is neither a good thief, nor an agile warrior, nor owner of the grim humour that we have come to associate with him— on the basis of Howard's originals.
Above all, this novel seems to be strangely fixated with oaths. Also, it is rather tepid, despite insinuating lots of hot-blooded stuff. As a result, I ...more
But it made a travesty of Conan. The man portrayed here is neither a good thief, nor an agile warrior, nor owner of the grim humour that we have come to associate with him— on the basis of Howard's originals.
Above all, this novel seems to be strangely fixated with oaths. Also, it is rather tepid, despite insinuating lots of hot-blooded stuff. As a result, I ...more
4.5/5
This is a wonderfully entertaining, if somewhat idiotic, pastiche. Is it Howard's Conan? Not really. But we get a fairly light-hearted tale of wenching and slaying and evil wizards in something that looks more or less like the hyborian world minus Howard's somewhat iffy world-views.
I think we're kidding ourselves if we ask for more from this sort of a book. ...more
I think we're kidding ourselves if we ask for more from this sort of a book. ...more
Well-spun Conan yarn with plenty of action and an intriguing cast of characters.
While no writer seems able to match Robert E. Howard portrait of the bluff and brutal yet honorable and wily barbarian, Jordan comes closer than most.
Except for a flat and unconvincing climax, this is a nice addition to the Conan annals.
While no writer seems able to match Robert E. Howard portrait of the bluff and brutal yet honorable and wily barbarian, Jordan comes closer than most.
Except for a flat and unconvincing climax, this is a nice addition to the Conan annals.
Conan pastiche.
Jun 10, 2009
Jim Kuenzli
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sword-and-sorcery
Apr 06, 2013
Shehreyar
marked it as to-read
Oct 26, 2013
Aaron Meyer
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
sword-and-sorcery
Mar 08, 2017
Michael Fierce
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own-paperback,
sword-and-sorcery
Nov 08, 2019
Emperor
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
fantasy,
sword-and-sorcery,
conan,
novels,
pulp,
high-fantasy,
adventure,
books-i-own
Mar 12, 2022
Joseph
marked it as to-read
Jun 02, 2023
Dartharagorn
marked it as to-read
Jul 06, 2023
C.L. Werner
marked it as to-read
Feb 15, 2024
Matthew Beaty
marked it as to-read
Aug 29, 2025
Jeff
marked it as to-read
