Rating: Summary: Lost Literature Review: My purpose of writing this is not to review Robert Jordan's Conan novel, but to bring to the attention of any who read this the unfortunate lack of the original Conan material in todays market. Conan was created by a man named Robert E. Howard in the 1930's and his original works, are in my opinion, some of the best in American literature. Unfortunatly, whoever has the publishing rights to Conan right now only publishes contemporary Conan novels which are in my opinion, second rate. My recomendation to anyone interested in reading Conan is to go to their local library and see if they have any of the 1960's publishings with the Frank Frazetta covers. However failing in that Robert Jordan is your best bet out of the current Conan authors.
Rating: Summary: CONAN THE MEDIOCRE Review: NOT BAD,BUT CERTAINLY NOT GREAT.IVE SEEN JORDAN'S VISION OF THE CLASSIC HERO SLAMMED BY REVIEWERS, IT DOESNT DESERVE THAT,IVE ALSO SEEN IT DEEMED FLAWLESS BY OTHERS AND IT DEFINATLY DOES NOT DESERVE THAT.DONT GET ME WRONG THERE ARE INDEED REDEEMING TRAITS.MOST NOTABLE OF WHICH IS JORDANS WRITING STYLE,IN A WORD DECRIPTIVE.PRATICALY EVERYTHING FROM MENACEING TOWERS,TO EXPANSIVE VISTAS THROUGH GRUELING BATTLES IS FULLY DESCRIBED AND PRESENTED,FROM THE MUNDANE TO THE ARCANE.BUT THIS STRENGTH IS ALSO A MAJOR WEAKNESS,THESE BLOATED DESCRIPTIONS COME AT THE COST OF CHARACTERISATION.CONAN IS DISPLAYED AS THE NOBLE,BRAVE PECTORALLY ENHANCED WARRIOR WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE,YET THAT SEEMS TO BE THE EXTENT OF HIS CHARACTER,JORDAN BARELY SCRATCHES HIS SURFACE AND WE WALK AWAY KNOWING NO MORE ABOUT HIS CHARACTER THAN BEFORE WE PICKED UP THE BOOK. THAT IS MY MAJOR FAULT WITH THIS BOOK THE PROSE IS PUT BEFORE THE PEOPLE,NOW TO THE PLUS SIDE THIS IS A GOOD OLD FASHIONED RIP-ROARING,BLOOD-SPILLING,DEMON DEMI-GOD DISEMBOWELING ADVENTURE YARN AS WE WOULD EXPECT FROM THE MUSCULAR ONE.EXCITEMENT AND ADVENTURE ABOUND.THAT SAID IT FAILED TO EGNITE IN ME THAT SAME SENSE OF ENJOYMENT AND ADVENTURE ENVOKED BY THE LIKES OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS OR THE MAGICAN. TO FINISH OFF A OVERLY LONG WINDED REVIEW(MY APOLOGIES) I WILL THAT ANY FANTASY FAN WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK BUT THERE ARE FAR BETTER TALES OUT THERE MORE WORTHY OF YOUR HARD EARNED COPPERS THAN THIS
Rating: Summary: Robert E. Howard couldn't have said it better.... Review: Robert Jordan has managed to capture the spirit of Conan perhaps better than any other author since the originator, Robert E. Howard. The intrigue, the suspense, the unimaginable made believable are all there. There is a difference, however. The bulk of Conan by Mr. Howard was written as an on-going serial. Jordan has extended Conan into full-length novels, giving him more room for exposition and plot-building. The effect is that much more affecting. Read it. It's good
Rating: Summary: My nape hairs do prickel Review: Simply put this book is TERRIBLE. Go buy any Conan book with a Frazetta painting on it and enjoy. Put this (stuff) under the creaky step in your basement. I pray Jordan doesn't try his hand at Bond or Star Trek - oh thats right! He's too busy killing defensless trees on his endless WOT series. And to think authors like AC Crispin and Robert Mccammon have problems getting their books to market, its just a crime. Really folks don't both with this one, it's that miserable.
Rating: Summary: Good as Mod Conan goes... Review: The modern era of Conan writers has never been up to Howard's original vision, but Jordan is as good as it gets. Great stories and characters in these tomes.
Rating: Summary: Early Jordan developing his skills. Review: The previous reviews I have seen of this trilogy seem to suggest that these were written post-Wheel of Time. This is definitely not the case. I have been a Conan Fan since the mid-seventies and, over the years, have read the books of many authors who used my favorite hero unkindly. Jordan, however, treated Conan with such skill that REH himself would have been proud. It was his ability to tell the Conan tales with such grace that made me willing to give his Wheel of Time a try when it came out. His skill at using the Hyborian world of Howard was eclipsed in his creation of his own world. I do believe his skill in the Wheel of Time series surpasses his skills in the Conan tales, but the skills were developed in the Conan tales. Jordan, like any great writer, hones his skills with time and use. This surpassing himself in his later works in no way takes away from the fact that his early works were excellent. As far as the Conan tales go, his are the best outside of Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, and this is saying alot.
Rating: Summary: OVERALL SCORE: (A) Review: The story is lively and enjoyable, the characters are colorful and interesting, and the plot is energetic and spellbinding! The action scenes are much better than what you find in Robert Jordan "Wheel of Time" series, and much more readable. OVERALL SCORE: (A) READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (B+), CHARATERS: (A-), DIALOGUE: (B-), SETTING: (B+), ACTION/COMBAT: (B+), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (B+), SEX: (Light/Moderate), AGE LEVEL: (PG13)
Rating: Summary: I couldn't put it down. Wish I'd never picked it up. Review: There is more chauvinistic macho-ness in this book than I've seen in a while. Some of his descriptions appear to have been written on a long night with only a Roget's and inadequate caffeine for company. One doesn't really get anything out of it, except a glance at how writers can improve a lot with time - because Jordan's Wheel of Time series is so much better.
Rating: Summary: A masterpiece. Review: This book does not get anywhere near as much respect as the Conan Chronicles deserve. People have called this book a work of "Junk" But I do not agree in any way shape or form. There is a point though, and everyone knows it: This book is not the wheel of time. I agree. I think this is better than wheel of time. The wheel of time is so slow and plus it does not have anywhere near the fast heart pumping adrenaline rollar coaster like the Conan chronicles obtain, nowhere near. I think that Jordans skill was better back then when he was writing these books. The original author of Conan, the hot tamele, the great authoristic talented writer known as Robert E. Howard was a great writer. Robert Jordan brung the aspects of Conan back to the written word and the idea of ink upon paper, and for that we must respect him. I grew up watching the conan movies, and when i got this book, I didn't think that it would live up to the movies at all. It did, though, and plus it lived up to the original Conan books. So, my advice to the people who think that this book is "Bad" or "Junk" Just does not have much respect for Conan in general, I think. The wheel of time was good, yes, but this was way better in my opinion. Jordan is a talented author, and he always was. And although I think that Wheel of Time isn't that great, I still do like it. But it could be better. If you're into good fantasy, get this. It's the only book that I've ever Re-read in my entire life.
Rating: Summary: A masterpiece. Review: This book does not get anywhere near as much respect as the Conan Chronicles deserve. People have called this book a work of "Junk" But I do not agree in any way shape or form. There is a point though, and everyone knows it: This book is not the wheel of time. I agree. I think this is better than wheel of time. The wheel of time is so slow and plus it does not have anywhere near the fast heart pumping adrenaline rollar coaster like the Conan chronicles obtain, nowhere near. I think that Jordans skill was better back then when he was writing these books. The original author of Conan, the hot tamele, the great authoristic talented writer known as Robert E. Howard was a great writer. Robert Jordan brung the aspects of Conan back to the written word and the idea of ink upon paper, and for that we must respect him. I grew up watching the conan movies, and when i got this book, I didn't think that it would live up to the movies at all. It did, though, and plus it lived up to the original Conan books. So, my advice to the people who think that this book is "Bad" or "Junk" Just does not have much respect for Conan in general, I think. The wheel of time was good, yes, but this was way better in my opinion. Jordan is a talented author, and he always was. And although I think that Wheel of Time isn't that great, I still do like it. But it could be better. If you're into good fantasy, get this. It's the only book that I've ever Re-read in my entire life.
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