3 replies to this topic

[deuce]

I was astonished to discover that KEW's The Road of Kings did not have a thread on this board. That's now rectified. Constantine and others have been discussing Wagner's Conan pastiche on another thread. I'll be quoting those.

[deuce]

Obviously, this post will be replete with spoilers.

First, I must repeat that I don't expect Howard's Conan or even a Conan pastiche (why not Shevatas?) from Howard Continuati authors. But I do expect Hyborian Age and sword&sorcery atmosphere. That's the red line for me.

So, while I like the terracota soldiers inspired idea, it was not delivered according to the above standards IMHO. The origin and background of the Final Legion is certainly not to my taste, though some would not bother. But the fact that this force is invincible (apart from a specific sorcerous weakness) makes it a world trampling element. This should not be used lightly. On top of it, Conan actually agrees to, and does, lead for many weeks an army spearheaded by the uncanny legion. Not acceptable to me.

The Stygian sorcerer, by virtue of his birth, should come from the''downtrodden, mongrel horde'' of that kingdom's commoners. Yet, he is a capable magician, not a simple dabbler in witchcraft, who initially gained sorcerous knowledge by being allowed to stroll in Stygian temples etc. Not acceptable again. Becoming a wizard isn't a casual matter in the Hyborian Age, especially in Stygia.

An important event in the story is the defeat of Zingara's royal troops by Kordava's rogues. No satisfying explanation can be given (including the story's) for having shifty folk defeating a professional force. These were mostly bands of rascals, not masses of enraged populares.

Maybe some readers find these trivia (I don't). But no one can ignore the absurdity of a Zingaran (formerly noble) girl going into the Pictish Wilderness to become a devotee/priestess of Jhebbal Sag!!! Further, the dark, primeval deity seems to be presented as a nature-loving god of hippies. And of course, Conan casually goes into the girl's grove as if the western forests are touristic destinations.

The final blow is Conan rejecting the crown of Zingara. The excuse given in the story is simply not believable, at least not for Conan's case. On the contrary, some parts (obviously reworked) of the tale's ending would be most fitting to narrate the Cimmerian's usurpation of the throne of Aquilonia.

IMHO, Wagner in RoK botched Conan as a character and numerous details of the Hyborian Age and sword&sorcery standards. A possible reason may have been the subtle influence of one who distorted those standards...

Some very good points that had occurred to me over the years, Constantine. With all that to get us started, I hope to see an honest and clear-eyed appraisal of TRoK.

[thedarkman]

Thanks, Deuce. I had searched high and low for this thread, and just could not find it. Now I know why!

I am in the midst of re-reading TRoK for the first time in 20+ years, and I still feel it is an excellent pastice. I can recall some readers being put off by the duel scene in the prologue, where Conan fights with a"thin, double-edged Zingaran hand-and-a-half sword". "No way would Conan use such a girly blade!" the fans cried out. Nonsense, I say. Conan would use whatever tool was at hand, be it a duelling sword or butter knife. He had the skill and strength to handle much heavier swords with no effort, and often did. He shows his preferred tastes later in the story when he later chooses a single edged broadsword with basket hilt from the supply of weapons at his disposal.

Also, a few Red Sonja fans were a little chapped by KEW's poke at the character in the costume party heist scene, but was priceless in my opinion.

There are times when it feels like this was a Kane draft re-worked and shaped for Conan, but it still works for me. The dark, gothic feel has a little of that Weird Tales vibe. Also, I feel the influence of LSdC on this tale, and I think he had a lot to do with the final product. No proof, just a feeling. I believe that Karl intended to write several Conan novels (3?) that would end with the wresting of the crown from the king of Aquilonia, but LSdC shot that down. He wanted to ruin that tale himself. Thus, the novel is not quite what it should have been. But good enough for me.

Edited by thedarkman, 12 October 2012 - 01:37 AM.

[constantine]

Personally, I did not express disappointment with RoK because of Conan's choices on swords. Having startled some story fans with my evaluation of it, I would still like to see a response to my points of contention.