Age of Conan: Songs of Victory: Legends of Kern, Volume IIl [Mass Market Paperback]

Loren Coleman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Age of Conan | Publication Date: July 26, 2005

The army of Kern "Wolf-Eye" has been scattered, and as the dead are buried, the tribes gather to choose new leaders.

To prove his worth, Kern must seek out the House of Crom, where rests a weapon of legend that can kill any man, beast, or god. For in his heart he knows that not all glory lies on the battlefield, and that there is no sacrifice too great to sing one last song of victory.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ace (July 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441013104
• ISBN-13: 978-0441013104
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,008,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great battles and storyline, December 18, 2006

By 

Jason Short "Mad Scientist" (Seattle, Washington, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Age of Conan: Songs of Victory: Legends of Kern, Volume IIl (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoyed the entire Kern series. The story is compelling and moves along at a great pace. There are very few slow moments in any of the books. If you have read any previous Conan books this is a little different. It follows the same principals of strength and honor, and combat as a way of live. I enjoyed the internal turmoil of Kern being an outcast in his own tribe.

The lead character is not Conan, but Kern. He has the same traits as a young Conan though, and lives while Conan is King.

The epic battle sequences are believable and very well described. Some of them very graphically.

Good fun read.

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty solid Victory..., November 17, 2005

By 

Apollo Reader (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of Conan: Songs of Victory: Legends of Kern, Volume IIl (Mass Market Paperback)

The 3rd book of the Legend of Kern trilogy was pretty good.

Not fantastic, nor awesome in scope, it still was a decent enough adventure read. The 1st novel is still the best.

The grammar and Coleman's style of writing can be sometimes downright tiresome to read. It reads very awkward and stilted, making the flow feel bogged down at times.

Overall, the final battle scene was decent. I would have liked to've read a more truly spectacualr battle scene, especially between Kern and the mighty Grimner. But it was much too fast, making Kern slay both Lodur and Grimner in such short time...I felt a bit cheated.

I also would've liked to have read about more of the Wolf Clan being killed off. It would have come off as more desperate that way. Instead, very few die. I was more expecting very few survivors after such a titanic battle sequence.

Also, the love triangle angle that Coleman worked up to in these 3 volumes - just fades away. Never resolving itself, one way or another. Didn't care much for that. (Mayhap that means Coleman has plans for future Kern novels...?)

Still, despite my many gripes, Coleman still dishes out a pretty decent fantasy novel, full of action and adventure.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fine swords and sorcery, July 27, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Age of Conan: Songs of Victory: Legends of Kern, Volume IIl (Mass Market Paperback)

Conan, the Cimmerian who became `king of another realm' was a legend in his own time. However, there were other warriors of Cimmeria who were as brave and strong as Conan. They too did their best to keep their land safe from the Vinir and their masters the Ymirish who came from the North to conquer and settle the lands. They are led by the giant Grimnir, the son of the god Ymir who is invulnerable in battle. Only Kern Wolf-Eye, an outcast from the clan, ever hurt him and the giant wants his revenge.

While the Vinir and Ymirish are using various techniques to get the clans fighting among themselves, Kern is traveling the breadth and width of Cimmeria hoping to unite the clans against a common enemy. It is when Kern exposes one of the most powerful clan chiefs as a shapeshifting ally of the Ymirish do the clans put aside their differences to fight as one against the enemy. In the end it is Kern who will face off against Grimnir with the winner of their battle deciding the fate of Cimmeria for years to come.

The protagonist, who looks like the Ymirish with their soldier eyes and inability to stay warm, doesn't let the fact that he looks like the enemy stop him from going to battle against them even as his own clan fears him and casts him out. There is plenty of action in this swords and sorcery tale but the true magic of this story lies in one man's courage to go against his heritage and fight to keep Cimmeria free even if it means his death.

Harriet Klausner