Customer Reviews

Conan The Unconquered

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another fine work by the late great Robert Jordan. I read this book as part of a three part Conan omnibus, this being the third work in the omnibus.

All I can say is how in awe I am of Conan the Barbarian! He can do anything that he puts his mind to. Indomitable and tenacious, Conan will do whatever it takes to save a damsel in distress while slaying her said tormenter. In this book Conan embarks on a quest to destroy the evil Cult of Doom. It is this cult that seeks to bring the Turanian Empire under its sway. However, its wizard does not count on having Conan stand in his way.

Conan journeys to Hyrkania for a magical object that can bring balance in favor of those opposing the order. In order to succede, Conan must battle pirates, assassins, nomads and hideous monsters and then prevail over the tempests of the Vialyet Sea. But prevail he does and woe to any who stand against the Cimmerian. Those who do are cut down in ruthless savagery.

The scenes described in Agrahpur were realistic and precise in prose. Jordan's descriptions have always been precise. He is second to none in the Conan Genre. He may not have created it but he did perfect it. My one quibble with Jordan is that he tended to be quite verbose when going deep into prose; he used words that were difficult to understand. I took the SAT, but the words he used were never on any of my vocabulary lists! Despite this, I loved the book and the characters even more.

Seeing Esmira enslave Davinia in the book's end brought a shock of surprise to my system at firt, but I realize it was a woman's revenge against she who had intended to kill her. Davinia was sold to a brothel. She went from being the concubine of one of the most powerful men in the empire to being nothing but a slut in a whore house. Esmira was ruthless to Davinia! Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned.

Get this book and you won't be dissapointed.

A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

Well, if you don't already know who Robert Jordan is please ask whoever it is that has kept you locked in that closet to buy you the entire Wheel of Time series--and this book of course--before inserting you back into that dark, miserable vault. Then read them all voraciously. You will not be disappointed, with this or any of the other many books Mr. Jordan has written. This book in particular is probably the best Conan novel I have read in a great many moons. Why you ask? Well, the plotting is crisp and fast moving, the prose and dialogue effectively create action in the reader's mind, and as all of us RJ sycophants have come to expect, the characterizations are well done and extremely believable. A great book.

This was my third of Jordan's Conan Books, and, unfortunately, my least favorite. All three were nearly identical... so maybe I was just bored at this point and you may well think I am nuts. But frankly, I recommend you skip this one unless you plan to read EVERY Conan book ever written.

In CONAN the UNCONQUERED, the barbarian once again arrives in a new city looking for a way to fill his pockets with gold and manages to end up knee deep in trouble. As usual, he does some bar crawling, sleeps with some gorgeous women, and after a variety of brawls, he of course stops the evil wizard.

-If you are looking for more "Wheel of Time" you are likely to be disappointed -but it is fun watching Jordan hone his skills.

-As far as Conan goes, I hear R E Howard's works are the best -so you might want to look there instead. That's next for me as well.

"Conan the Unconquered" by Robert Jordan, © 1983

Conan is truly awe inspiring. In this story of magic and myths, he has to travel to heck and back, though it does have another name and he does not have to die to get there. It is always amusing how the women are always beautiful and happy to give him whatever he wants. It has become so part of his mystique that other genres (mysteries, science fiction, etc) mention him in passing as a model or something. He gets to have only one virgin in this story, but she is proud and happy to his woman for the time being.
In the midst of action, he shows his intelligence and ability to figure out how to win. He also teaches his woman how to fight with a sword. She surpasses his goals for her and progresses nicely to being her own person. It is interesting that he gives her a yatagan to use for a sword, being lighter and easier to handle. Mr. Jordan must have done his homework in military history or weapons to even know there was such a thing.

This book is not as interesting as most of Jordan's others. I think the supporting cast is a little on the bland side, or only appear fleetingly in and out of the book. No Karelas or Hordos to be found here.

Necromancer, evil femme fatale, good but naive girl he teaches a little bit of swordplay and shagging.

Just an average tale.

I can't find the same enthusiasm as in other Conan novels. The reader may find it boring compared to other Conan novels.