The two best stories are "The Phoenix on the Sword" and "The Queen of the Black Coast"; otherwise, the first half of this anthology holds the best of the bunch, gradually dwindling down to my least favorite two stories: "The Vale of Lost Women" and "Rogues in the House." The final story almost redeemed the second half, but didn't quite pack the punch necessary to overcome the duds immediately prior to it.
I enjoy reading Howard's fast paced fiction, especially to spice up my lunch hour during the work week. I highly recommend this collection to all fans of the original one-of-a-kind blue-eyed-blazing barbarian from Cimmeria.
Follow this link for my complete GoodReads review of this novel.
I read the Conan series many many years ago. They still sit on my book shelf. I enjoyed the pacing, the adventure. They were exciting books to lose yourself in.
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