Young Thongor in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Jan 16, 2023 Jim Kuenzli rated it really liked it

Shelves: sword-and-sorcery

Really nice collection of short stories giving us background on Thongor's origins from the frozen barbaric North of ancient Lemuria, as well as, many great adventures as he travels to the South and beyond! This fills in any gaps prior to the great series of Thongor books published in the 60's and 70's. It's nice to find this collection in one location, as fans have always tried to piece these together from a myriad of hard to find sources. A couple of new stories are included by joint executor o ...more

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Jun 04, 2015 Derek rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sword-and-sorcery

The stories have more of a Robert E Howard feel than Edgar Rice Burroughs, but this also means that the features making Carter's Lemuria different--the weird science amalgamated with wizardry--have been downplayed or eliminated. What's left is more traditionally sword and sorcery.

There's some repetition in storyline. Both "Keeper of the Emerald Flame" and "Black Moonlight" can be summarized as "Thongor and crew go into a dangerous ruined X in search of fabled treasure Y, but are being slowly pic ...more

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Feb 17, 2024 J.W. Wright rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, historical-adventure, owned

Assembled in this collection are the stories written of Thongor of Valkarth when he was a young warrior, before he crushed the rule of the druidic orders and took the throne of Patanga as Supreme Sark. It includes stories published in various magazines, as well as stories published here for the first time. There are not only stories by Lin Carter, but also a couple by sword and sorcery scholar Robert M. Price.
The contents are as follows:

“Black Hawk of Valkarth” by Lin Carter : Of how young Thong Assembled in this collection are the stories written of Thongor of Valkarth when he was a young warrior, before he crushed the rule of the druidic orders and took the throne of Patanga as Supreme Sark. It includes stories published in various magazines, as well as stories published here for the first time. There are not only stories by Lin Carter, but also a couple by sword and sorcery scholar Robert M. Price.
The contents are as follows:

“Black Hawk of Valkarth” by Lin Carter : Of how young Thongor came down from the frozen Valkarth of the North, when his clan, the Balck Hawk People, were slaughtered by the Snow Bear Clan.

“The City in the Jewel” by Lin Carter: As Thongor travels further out of the Northlands he happens upon a fantastical city imprisoned within a mystical jewel, and is drawn within, to find it is ruled by a maniacal, sadistic sorcerer.

“The Demon of the Snows” by Lin Carter: Reaching the edge of the Northlands, Thongor comes upon a foreboding fortress upon a mountainside belonging to a tyrannical baron, and finds that all within have been killed by some inhuman horror.

“The Creature in the Crypt” by Robert M. Price: Chased by hellish Talondos Hounds, Thongor hides in a cave in the Mountains of Mommur, and comes upon a strange and macabre discovery.

“Mind Lords of Lemuria” by Robert M. Price: Now in the military service of Arzang Pome, the wicked Sark of Shembis, Thongor encounters a weird and otherworldly force deep in the jungles with his troop of soldiers.

“Silver Shadows” by Robert M. Price: When he is approached by a strange woman in the employ of Arzang Pome to search for an ancient treasure that, according to legend, belonged to the sinister Dragon Kings, Thongor has little inkling of the danger he is about to face.

“Keeper of the Emerald Flame” by Lin Carter: While escaping from Arzang Pome’s soldiers deep into the jungles of southern Kovia, Thongor and the gang of bandits he now leads happen upon an impossibly aeons-old gargantuan black citadel, rumored to be the lair of a demoniacal sorcerer.

“Black Moonlight” by Lin Carter: Now the leader of a cutthroat band of pirates, Thongor happens upon a mysterious island that holds a dangerous and dastardly secret.

“Thieves of Zangabal” by Lin Carter: Having run afoul of the pirates of the Red Brotherhood when he kills the king of the buccaneer city-state of Tarakus, Thongor is once again on his own, as a lone thief, and is hired by a corrupt, scheming high priest to steal a magical artifact of great power.

Like the novels by Lin Carter, the stories within are mainly fun, swashbuckling sword and sorcery adventures. Nothing really groundbreaking here, but I found these stories enjoyable. I think there was only one I didn’t like. What’s more is that the stories are much tighter and stronger than the novels, at least in my opinion.
I give Young Thongor by Lin Carter w/Robert M. Price a 4 out of 5. ...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Fletcher Vredenburgh rated it liked it

Surprisingly enjoyable, especially given the crappiness of the novels. More REH pastiche than ERB, these stories are fairly exciting and fun. Thongor really doesn't develop much character but it's a good ride. ...more

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