Yet his enemies are not only those he can see.The intrigues of the powerful court eunuchs reach south from Imperial Aghrapur, and the plottings of generals who would sit on the throne, and even the conjurings of his own mind, will be turned against him.Only one man could survive. Only one man could triumph. Only Conan the Hero

    A brush with the murderous Varg. A run-in with a treacherous hedge-wizard, complete with socery-twisted henchmen. Conan thought he was just passing through on his way to the wicked delights of fabled Shadizar, but others have different plans, some of which might leave the young Cimmerian dead. He really did not need to attract the attentions of two women at once, and neither of them entirely human. This time he may not survive.

    Howard's CONAN was never so lusty, never so deadly as in this new adventure chronicling the early years when the youthful sword-wielder first rode out of the Cimmerian hills and into the broad, savage world, turning from smith's son to Conan the mercenary.Imprisoned by sorcery, bound by an impetuous pledge of loyalty, the greatest hero of them all battles for the greatest treasure of them all - his very soul! Only the dark eyed, sultry ruler of Khauran, Land of Unhappy Queens, can shatter the mirror which holds his ensorceled soul prisoner - but to do that she must shatter also her only hope of happiness in the arms of her demon lover.

    Sprague de Camp was revered in the genre of fantasy for both his fiction and nonfiction. Booklist praised his novel The Honorable Barbarian, saying: “The action is brisk, and the worlds and characters are described with de Camp's deft, light touch . . . thoroughly agreeable entertainment,” while Kirkus Reviews said of The Pixilated Peeress “the unassuming style and verve of the telling keep the pages turning. Pure prose junk-food.” But more important, L. Sprague de Camp wrote Dark Valley Destiny, the definitive biography of Conan’s creator, Robert E. Howard, leaving little wonder as to why Conan and the Spider God is considered one of the finest novels in the canon of Conan.Son of a blacksmith, a former slave and thief, Conan the Cimmerian has risen to the rank of Captain of the Royal Guard. But as usual, trouble is his bedfellow.Forced to kill while defending himself, Conan must flee the vengeance of the High Priest of Erlik. Foraging through field and forest, meeting friend and foe, Conan cuts a bloody swath through assassins and bounty hunters all the way to the sinister temple of Zath, where he encounters the huge and hideous Spider God. Facing certain death, Conan becomes both the hunter . . . and the hunted. Conan and the Spider God is a thrilling adventure of the mighty barbarian, from one of the genre's most revered authors.

    Two are a disaster...And a deadly disaster, too. For Conan, after refusing to help the evil wizard Ethram-Fal, has been cursed with a spell that is slowly, inexorably squeezing the life from his mighty frame.The only person who can banish the spell--besides Ethram-Fal, of course--is the sorceress Zelandra: a raven-haired beauty who practices only white magic...or so she says. Zelandra has offered to lift the spell from the Cimmerian, if only he will do her one small service: steal the deadly Emerald Lotus from the clutches of Ethram-Fal in his impregnable desert fortress.No good can come of this, Conan thinks to himself. Once sorcery gets mixed up in it, the whole job goes to hell!Unfortunately, he's right.

    Yet it all began with a handful of stories from Robert E. Howard. In the decades since, there have been feature films, television and comic book series, and numerous spin-off novels. In 1979, Poul Anderson—winner of a staggering eight Hugo and three Nebula Awards—wrote what is regarded as one of the finest adventures in the canon of Conan: Conan the Rebel. Conan the barbarian and Belit, his raven-haired beauty, lead a band of savage pirates striving to free Belit’s people from the iron grip of an evil reptile god and its cruel minions. Striking at the heart of tyranny, Conan must break the chains of oppression before eternal darkness claims them all.

    These widely acclaimed adventures introduced the world-famous barbarian to a whole new generation of enthusiastic readers. Here are three powerful sagas, featuring all the storytelling magic and epic splendor that have made Robert Jordan one of the most beloved fantasy authors in history.Conan the Invincible: Less than nineteen years old and new to the snares and enticements of civilization, the young Conan must join forces with a dangerously seductive female bandit to storm the palace of Amanar, a supremely evil necromancer, and confront the dreaded Eater of Souls.Conan the Defender: As revolution brews in the shadowy streets of Belverus, Conan braves the traps and treacheries of the Royal Palace of the Dragon. Pursued by the luscious and shameless Sularia, the mighty warrior challenges a magic-spawned menace that cannot die: the invincible Simulacrum of Albanus.Conan the Unconquered: Conan defies the sorcerous power of the Cult of Doom for the sake of a beautiful young woman known only as Yasbet. From the glory of fabled Aghrapur to the demon-haunted wastes of the Blasted Lands, Conan proves himself the greatest hero of a bygone era of high adventure.

    Howard and further chronicled by other fantasy greats, including such notables as L. Sprague de Camp, Poul Anderson, and Robert Jordan.Now Harry Turtledove, one of today's most popular writers of fantasy and SF, contributes a novel to the Conan saga--a tale of Conan in his youth, in the year or so before he becomes the wandering adventurer we know from the tales of Howard and others.On the verge of adulthood, he lives in a Cimmerian hamlet, caring for his ailing mother, working in his father's smithy, and casting his eye on the weaver's daughter next door.Then war comes: an invasion by the Aquilonian Empire. Conan burns to join the fight, but he's deemed too young. Then, from the border country, comes an unbelievable report: The Aquilonians have smashed the Cimmerian defending forces, and can rule as they please. Soon their heavily garrisoned forts dot the countryside. Their settlers follow after, carving homesteads out of other men's land.Every Cimmerian longs to drive the intruders out with fire and sword, but they must stay their hands, for the Aquilonians have promised savage reprisals. Then, intolerably, the Aquilonian commander takes a wholly dishonorable interest in the weaver's daughter -- and he's not a man to wait, or even ask permission.It's not a recipe for a peaceable outcome.

    Sprague de Camp · in 13 · The Treasure of Tranicos [“The Black Stranger”] · na Fantasy Magazine Mar ’53 119 · Wolves Beyond the Border · ss * 173 · The Phoenix on the Sword · Robert E. Howard · nv Weird Tales Dec ’32 205 · The Scarlet Citadel · Robert E. Howard · nv Weird Tales Jan ’33

    When Conan learns his rescuers are the daring Rebels of the White Rose, he joins their blood-soaked insurrection.But Conan's struggles are only beginning, for the road to the throne is defended by the Final Guard--indestructible warriors made of stone. Conan must draw steel against these indomitable foes and pray that Krom will guide his blade both strong and true.

    They must save themselves from the evil flames of the Gilden-Fire which threaten to engulf them.And Bloodguard must escape the hungry wolves and ur-viles so that he can complete his mission and remain loyal to his vow.

    A. Salvatore creates an astonishing new world for readers to explore--and an intrepid hero to lead the way: Elbryan Wynden, who must confront the dark tides of destiny in his epic search for justice and peace . . .A great evil has awakened in the land of Corona, a terrible demon determined to spread death and misery. His goblin armies and fearsome giants ravage the settlements of the frontier, and in the small village of Dundallis their merciless attack leaves behind two shattered orphans: Pony and her lifelong friend, the youth Elbryan. Taken in by elves, Elbryan is raised to become a formidable ranger--a fateful role that will lead him into harrowing confrontation.Meanwhile, on a far-off island, a shower of gemstones will fall onto the black sand shores. These heaven-sent stones carry within them an incredible power--the key to all that is good in the world and all that is evil, and it is up to one young monk to liberate them from the corrupt monastery that harvests them. Pray that they don't fall into the wrong, clawed hands . . .

    Centuries after the Necromancer had shattered the world and a group of wizards had bound the fragments together, there arises a new cult of magicians who want to resurrect the Necromancer to restore the world

     Nyrielle Tam--better known by her code name, Thorn--is a Dark Lantern sent undercover to a summit in the monstrous kingdom of Droaam. The beasts of Droaam have organized and want recognition from the kingdoms of Khorvaire. Breland attends to gauge its neighbors' reaction to the new state's demands of equality . . . and to take the opportunity to recover something long ago stolen by the mysterious Sheshka, Queen of the Medusas. It's up to Thorn to accomplish both, while keeping her King and Country out of war. The creator of the world of Eberron returns with a series that shows off Eberron's cross-genre capabilities--all the smarts and action of a spy thriller, with the magic and depth of world only fantasy can create. There's something here for every fan!

    In these ancient days, Elminster is but a shepherd boy, dreaming of adventure and heroics. When a dragon-riding magelord sweeps down upon him, though, the boy is thrust into a world of harsh realities, corrupt rulers and evil sorcerers.