There is already a thread about this novel but not really a review as such.
I just finished this book, and therefore have decided to share some thoughts
about what I found interesting and maybe not so much.
First off, I believe that Sean A Moore was a true hardcore REH and Conan
fan. I could feel the respect for Howard and that certainly isn't always the
case when reading Conan Pastiche. In fact I would say that probably
half the pastiche writers were lukewarm fans at best. Moore is a believer
and in my opinion and this novel is far from the "I'll hack it out for a nice
payday" mode. Moore's style and language are not to far from Howard's
although certainly not quiet as dynamic as the master's touch.
Here you find Conan pretty much being Conan, although occasionally
he seems a bit sanitized but not drastically so. If you like monsters I would
say this would be THE novel for you. There is quie a varitey of nasty critters
for Conan to slice and dice. Most notably are the intelligent flying monsters
that certainly borrow heavily from "Wings in the Night". They aren't playing
nice! Conan also struggles against monstrous "stalkers", disgusting spider
predators, and in an amazing twist, turns into a monster himself due to
a Shaman's Curse!
There are tons of action in the first half of this book. I mean, whew, Conan
really earns his pay after an epic battle that wipes out his mercenary force,
an agonizing swim to escape another army, enslavement aboard an old
enemy's galley, and battles to the death against awesome sea abominations!
After a shipwreck, Conan gets to explore a chain of truly menacing islands
that challenge his primitive survival skills to the max. Fortunately he also
gets to meet some hot babes. Unfortunately Moore turns down the volume
on the sex and sexual tension. No doubt he was following a cursed editor's
insane directions because of course nobody reads Conan except thirteen year
old boys...not! Moore could have used some tips from Jordan on how to
overcome these frustrating restraints.
Something I truly appreciated was Moore's hard work fully portraying the mythos
of these islands and their various people and critters. You get lots of history
and culture thrown at you and it was pretty nicely done. The characters that
our dauntless hero meets are fleshed out and not treated as mere sidemen.
Even the monsters seem to have personalites if you can believe it. My favorite
evil creature was probably the God-like plant abomination that Conan battles
beneath an ancient citidal. What an epic series of scenes that was my battle
hardened friends!
On the downside, things drag a bit in the last third of the novel. There is a bit
to much yakking about the final big battle that loms versus the Harpy army.
Also, there is some political posturing that becomes wearisome after a while.
The big battle is somewhat predictable and generic although Conan does what
Conan does and reminds the bad guys that they really didn't know what they
were letting themselves in for by picking on the big dude!
I have to say though that the last three or four chapters were very exciting
as Conan and his friends launch a counter attack against the enemy lair.
This was fun an Conan really works up a lather against the mama monster
who is best described as a fiend from HELL!!! I loved the final page of
this book as our barbarian friend, despite all, wins the girl and immediately
signs up for another monumental battle to help a causual pal. Man, if only
I had an ounce of Conan's energy...whew!
To wrap things up here I would place Conan and the Shaman's Curse in
the well above average category where the pastiche stuff is concerned,
not great, but most fans will not be disappointed. I am certainly going to
check out more of Moore's work and its to bad he died tragically before his
career really took off. Give this one a chance, you could do much, much
worse. I liked it. Hopefully this helps you guys in your quest for better
reading. Cheers.
A Review Of Conan And The Shaman's Curse
Started by
Guest_TheMIrrorThief_*
, Feb 18 2012 10:49 PM
breaking it down for ya
3 replies to this topic
#2
Boot
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Mauler of Shadizar
Posted 19 February 2012 - 12:28 AM
First off, I believe that Sean A Moore was a true hardcore REH and Conan
fan. I could feel the respect for Howard and that certainly isn't always the
case when reading Conan Pastiche.
I haven't read Shaman's Curse, but I did read Moore's Conan The Hunter years ago. I remember it standing out as one of the better Conan pastiche's I'd ever read.
#3
Buxom Sorceress
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Acrobatic Arcane
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Posted 19 February 2012 - 01:08 PM
Hey MirrorThief,
thanks for your good review. i enjoyed that.
--
> here are my quick ratings for 2 Sean A. Moore [SAM] books...
CONAN THE HUNTER = 8 /10. very entertaining. lots of very good horror and evil [ and just a few silly bits which did not spoil my overall enjoyment]
i liked the tough Priest character [ his magic was rare and special], and the evil weird buxom sorceress-thing and her race were cool.
--
CONAN AND THE SHAMANS CURSE = 6 /10. worth a read. the 1st 50 pages of this are action packed with UNIQUE very weird Conan horror and exciting stuff...very good!
but overall the plot is weak and gets sillier. but there are some other good scenes to savour. flawed but entertaining.
[ i am glad i bought this book, to see for myself. it was much better than i expected it to be: the very negative reports from some other readers had put me off. i am a big horror fan so i lapped up this book. ]
--
NB. i find SAM an anomaly. he writes some very good scenes and horror [as good as JMR, HOCKING, WAGNER], and then he sometimes dips into weak plots and corny silly bits.
but overall i enjoy his efforts. he tries hard and seems a good writer.
i also like the way he gives conan a rough, tough time and makes him work hard.
And he is better than de camp at exciting Conan scenes and horror, and SAM is FAR better than perry, carpenter + green.
i wish he had lived to write more Hyborian horror tales. sadly he was killed at only 33.
my sincere thanks to SAM for entertaining me well.
thanks for your good review. i enjoyed that.
--
> here are my quick ratings for 2 Sean A. Moore [SAM] books...
CONAN THE HUNTER = 8 /10. very entertaining. lots of very good horror and evil [ and just a few silly bits which did not spoil my overall enjoyment]
i liked the tough Priest character [ his magic was rare and special], and the evil weird buxom sorceress-thing and her race were cool.
--
CONAN AND THE SHAMANS CURSE = 6 /10. worth a read. the 1st 50 pages of this are action packed with UNIQUE very weird Conan horror and exciting stuff...very good!
but overall the plot is weak and gets sillier. but there are some other good scenes to savour. flawed but entertaining.
[ i am glad i bought this book, to see for myself. it was much better than i expected it to be: the very negative reports from some other readers had put me off. i am a big horror fan so i lapped up this book. ]
--
NB. i find SAM an anomaly. he writes some very good scenes and horror [as good as JMR, HOCKING, WAGNER], and then he sometimes dips into weak plots and corny silly bits.
but overall i enjoy his efforts. he tries hard and seems a good writer.
i also like the way he gives conan a rough, tough time and makes him work hard.
And he is better than de camp at exciting Conan scenes and horror, and SAM is FAR better than perry, carpenter + green.
i wish he had lived to write more Hyborian horror tales. sadly he was killed at only 33.
my sincere thanks to SAM for entertaining me well.
AVATARS GALORE
HYBORIAN Limericks + Rhymes
Lots of FUN and serious new RHYMING Hyborian/Fantasy poetry.
"So I took to a life of adventure and daring
leaving most warriors drooling and staring.
After I danced with my exotic flesh baring
I would vanish into the new Sunrise glaring."
#4
Boot
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Mauler of Shadizar
Posted 19 February 2012 - 05:07 PM
LOL on the new avatar, Buxom.
