The Bloody Crown of Conan (Conan of Cimmeria, Book 2)

With apologies to the creators of  The Trouble with Girls  I chose this title for my review because each of the 3 complete and 1 unfinished stories assembled herein demonstrate the problems the female of the species can pose even to such a unique concentration of testosterone as Conan of Cimmeria.Having tried and loved both Conan 2.0:  Kull: Exile of Atlantis  and the first volume of Conan 3.0:  The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian: The Original Adventures of the Greatest Sword and Sorcery Hero of All Time! , I was very much looking forward to the present volume, and once again Robert E. Howard (and for that matter, Del Rey) did not disappoint!Introduction by Rusty Burke: Interesting and useful, especially to a newbie like me. Mr. Burke makes the point that the Hyborian Age is not really an imaginary world like that of a J.R.R. Tolkien for example but rather a nexus where largely recognizable elements from different historical eras could come together for the sake of the story."The People of the Black Circle": A nicely tangled knot of conflicting conspiracies that Howard manages to keep straight while at the same time producing in the Devi Yasmina one of his most fully developed and satisfying female characters, a worthy rival/love interest for Conan. The trouble with girls here? Sometimes they have careers that conflict with potential romance. Can the Chief of all the Afghulis and the Queen of Vendhya find happiness together? Apparently not. Also reprinted here: The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows."The Hour of the Dragon": The only Conan novel Howard ever wrote and the last Conan story chronologically. More than a bit derivative, this is clearly "The Scarlet Citadel" writ large, with a large debt owed to "Black Colossus" as well. Nevertheless, the sum is greater than its parts, and the result is a fascinating tale of a mature Conan, determined to regain the throne a younger Conan would have walked away from because of what he genuinely perceives as his obligations to his subjects, even the cowardly ungrateful ones who embraced the usurper before his savage misrule revealed their folly in doing so. The trouble with girls here? Sometimes they need rescuing at enormous personal risk (Countess Albiona). Sometimes they need rescuing even though they would normally be able to take care of themselves then reward you with riddles they refuse to explain (Zelata, the witch). Sometimes they rescue you and leave you owing them (Zenobia). Sometimes they are vicious bloodsuckers, quite literally (Akivasha, the vampire)."A Witch Shall Be Born": More than a bit overdone as the monstrous Salome skates along the borders of self-parody, but it contains one of the deservedly most famous scenes in all the Conan stories. The trouble with girls here? Sometimes they have Evil Twin sisters you don't know about. Sometimes they crucify you just for pissing them off, which in this case only makes you mad.Miscellanea: Collection of synopses, drafts, notes, and serial recaps for the 3 published stories, useful to the Howard scholar. Most importantly it also contains the Untitled Synopsis and Untitled Draft of an unfinished novel that was probably a false start written before "The Hour of the Dragon". Basically what there is of it is a pale imitation of "Xuthal of the Dusk" that makes Conan a guest star in his own story. The trouble with girls here? Sometimes they are so sweet and innocent they make the most heartless rogues want to protect them."Hyborian Genesis Part II" by Patrice Louinet: Continuation of informative notes on the creation of the Conan stories."Notes on the Conan Typescripts and the Chronology" and "Notes on the Original Howard Texts": Mostly of use to the Howard scholar.I am looking forward to reading the rest of this Del Rey series:  The Conquering Sword of Conan (Conan of Cimmeria, Book 3) , Bran Mak Morn: The Last King , The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane , The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows , The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands , The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard , and  El Borak and Other Desert Adventures .Note: In reading this volume and reviews of same I have been made aware of what I will call the Zenobia Problem: did Howard mean for Conan to mean it when he vowed to make her Queen of Aquilonia? I believe Howard did intend for Conan to keep his vow for reasons this Howard newbie has not seen mentioned elsewhere, making me willing to toss in my two cents: as a start towards fulfilling a kingly duty Conan had until now neglected,...providing an heir.Several times it is indicated by Conan's still loyal subjects that if there had only been a legitimate heir, even an infant, then he or she would have provided a rallying point for the loyal and reduced considerably the temptation for Aquilonians to crown the usurper. Conan had obviously resisted all previous attempts to get him to marry, partly out of selfish willfulness, but also probably despising the court intrigue they no doubt entailed, but the opportunity to reward a (very) attractive woman who loved him enough to risk her life repeatedly to save his AND to stick it to the nobles by raising a slave to the level of queen would likely prove irresistible to a man who was finally willing to face up to ALL the responsibilities of being king.

Great book for r.e.h.

Three essential Robert E. Howard stories featuring his most famous character, Conan, make for one terrific fantasy-fiction package, buttressed in this case by a heap of explanatory notes, Howard outlines, and an unfinished story.For those new to Conan, consider this a full-throated recommendation.For those who know and love Conan, all I have to say is that this is the one with "Hour Of The Dragon" in it. So if you don't have it already, don't wait!"The Hour Of The Dragon," written in the last full year of Howard's life, was the only Conan novel, and a great one. Probably the last of the Conan stories in terms of the character's own chronology, it presents him as King of Aquilonia, the French-like nation of Conan's pre-historical Hyborian Age. A ravaging invader overtakes the land, led by a 3,000-year-old undead wizard. To save his people, Conan must first escape imprisonment, then find the mystical jewel that is the only thing in the world the wizard fears.The only thing wrong with Howard's Conan novel is he didn't write more of them. Yes, "Hour Of The Dragon" employs devices seen to good effect in earlier stories, but Howard here keeps you reading breathlessly through "Hour's" unique twists and turns. High on suspense and surprise, "Dragon" delivers in other ways, too. The world of the Hyborian Age comes alive here in splendid detail, zeroing in on various minor characters that fill Conan's world for a moment or two and then part company with the Cimmerian, peacefully or otherwise. There's a wonderful quality of variety to this work; even the villains are set up in various factions that chafe against each other as the story develops. Conan himself comes across as likeably, recognizably savage - he didn't inherit his throne the usual way, after all - but with a newfound sense of humane proportion."I have no desire to rule an empire welded together by blood and fire," he says at one point. "It's one thing to seize a throne with the aid of its subjects and rule them with their consent. It's another to subjugate a foreign realm and rule it by fear."Many of those who don't consider "Hour Of The Dragon" Conan's best point to another work which is also here. "The People Of The Black Circle" is set in the time before Conan became king, when he was a chief of a tribe of hill people at war with Vendhya, the Hyborian equivalent of India. Conan did get around. This time the background is less politics than magic; both Conan and the beautiful Vendhyan princess Yasmina must put aside their differences when a fiendish wizard sets his sights on their ruination.Magic is something few fantasy authors get right in my mind; too often it is presented either too scientifically or as hokey, ill-explained nonsense that leaves both reader and non-magical protagonist far from the center of things. Howard here delivers a story that's both believable and terrifyingly macabre, where the magic for once doesn't interrupt the more earthly action but rather enhances it, especially with one of Howard's finest bad guys, the seer Khemsa.The third story, "A Witch Shall Be Born," is less beloved by Conan fans, but to my mind, unfairly so. This is mostly because Conan sits on the sidelines for too long, but the story moves quickly and maximizes the impact of his alternate-chapter appearances. It's my favorite Conan story, for many reasons that include the briskness of the narrative, the twisted set up (a good ruler is replaced by her foul sister), and the way Howard deftly shifts perspectives from chapter to chapter.That, and it's much shorter than the other two. If you are new to Conan and daunted by the length of the other works, "Witch" makes for a nice starting point.I have enjoyed the art in the other Del Ray reprints of Howard's work, but Gary Gianni here is on some kind of roll, especially with the terrifically broody illustrations that augment "Hour Of The Dragon." Conan completists will be the only ones interested in an unfinished story draft that was apparently dropped by Howard from lack of inspiration.That's about the only evidence to be found in this volume that Howard wasn't always operating at full throttle. For the rest of this book, you will be hard-pressed to stop reading and come up for air. Even if you don't think fantasy fiction is for you, this is the kind of book to make you think different.

Contrary to another review which claims that this edition has been superseded by the Complete Chronicles edition I much prefer this one (meaning: the 3 volumes). The paper is better quality, the preface gives a clever insight about the way Howard related to his hero, the ordering makes sense (and you can appreciate how Howard's style evolved over the years), the illustrations are beautifully rendered. Personally I also prefer to read from a manageable sized book (especially in bed!) rather than from a volume as heavy as the Chronicles. In term of content this edition contains the same stories (i.e. everything written by Howard on Conan) as the Complete Chronicles. There are some additional material there too, like letters and commentaries to and by Howard, which I don't think you'll find in the Compete Chronicles edition. The only reason you might want the Complete Chronicles is that they are slightly cheaper.Naturally the stories themselves deserve 5 stars, but these 5 stars I give here are for the edition as much as for the work itself.

The Bloody Crown of Conan features just the three original Howard stories with this collection, however they are three of his longest, and The Hour of the Dragon is Howard's only novel length Conan story! All three are fantastic which is what you expect when reading anything by Robert E. Howard! And no fantasy shelf is complete without owning Howard's fantastic works. As with Kull and Solomon Kane, Conan is a MUST own!As you can see in the image provided I own BOTH the paperback and the audio CD; so I will give both a quick review in one!The book is a beautiful collection that just feels good to hold while reading, just like the Coming of the Cimmerian and the Conquering Sword. Nice binding and paper and littered throughout with awesome black and white artwork by Gary Gianni that complement Howard's striking prose!The audiobook/ CD is well produced as well and Todd Mclaren does a great job of narrating Howard's work and his readings are the BEST of Conan you can buy. So if you are looking to getting Conan on audio go with Mclaren's read. I also own Finn John's audiobook and it pales in comparison to Mclaren's!As mentioned by another reviewer the kindle version seems broken so go with either the book itself for the artwork or the audiobook, as both are truly the only ways to experience stories.

Yes. Gary Gianni the illustrator is a genius. He nailed the time and the character on spot. Sure Gregory Manchess who illustrated the previous bookThe Conquering sword of Conan is a skilled artist too but I sometimes felt that he missed entirely the period on some drawings. His pirate images come straight from an Errol Flynn swashbuckling movie than from the bronze age. The word pirate comes from Greek or older and wasn't just limitedto the 18th century. Those images were kind a let down in that book. Anyway I can really recommend the bloody crown of Conan. What a great book.

Voici enfin trois volumes, qui présentent les aventures de Conan éditées telles que les a écrites R.E. HOWARD aux environs de 1930 et, non pas "revisitées" et placées dans un ordre chronologique, comme c'est le cas depuis les éditions des années 70-80.En effet, R.E. HOWARD a écrit ses histoires comme des récits indépendants, piochés au hasard dans la vie de son héros, comme le ferait un conteur dans une taverne.Dans le premier récit, Conan, homme mûr, est Roi et se rappelle qu'à une époque, il a été voleur, puis pirate, puis "kozak" etc... Dans le second récit il est un jeune barbare, dans le troisième, il est un pirate...Cette édition reprend également le texte d'HOWARD tel qu'il a été retrouvé dans ses originaux ; un style dynamique, percutant, imagé, inimitable, qui colle à l'ambiance de ce monde, dans lequel la civilisation n'est qu'une étape avant l'effondrement, avant que le "barbare" ne triomphe.Les éditeurs ont repris les originaux d'Howard lorsque c'était possible, et les ont recoupés avec les premières éditions et les corrections de l'auteur lui-même, lorsqu'ils étaient incomplets.Le changement par rapport aux éditions précédentes est essentiellement dans le ton d'Howard : son mépris pour la civilisation et ses faiblesses est l'un des points qui revient régulièrement, via les remarques des personnages ou leurs descriptions. Conan ne vainc pas parce qu'il est le plus fort ou le meilleur à l'épée, mais parce que son instinct de survivant est supérieur à celui de ses adversaires civilisés, affaiblis par leur décadence. Pour Howard, l'état naturel de l'homme est la « barbarie », la civilisation n'est qu'un stade éphémère inévitablement destiné à s'effondrer.Les trois premières nouvelles ne cassent pas des briques (il faut bien commencer), la première étant une adaptation d'une nouvelle de KULL jamais vendue, mais dès le troisième texte, "The Queen of the Black Coast" avec la pirate Bêlit, cela devient du Howard comme on l'aime !Les illustrations qui supportent le récit sont superbes, avec une préférence (goût personnel) pour celles de Gary Gianny, dans le tome 2.Les textes sont complétés par l'histoire du monde Hyborian qu'avait établie Howard, ainsi que des versions de travail de certains textes.Difficile de faire mieux !!!

Llegó con esquinas raspadas.