Ever beset by wanderlust and an insatiable urge to seek out conflict, Conan the Cimmerian (also known as Conan the Barbarian) travels to a wild frontier region that lies beyond the Black River. Amidst a raging war, Conan goes head-to-head against a number of formidable opponents, both supernatural and mortal. Views: 1 861
New complete edition (fixed missing chapters problem!!)Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films (including Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer), television programs (cartoon and live-action), video games, role-playing games and other mediaConan is a Cimmerian. From Robert E. Howard's writings (The Hyborian Age among others) it is known that the Cimmerians were based on the Celts or Gaels. He was born on a battlefield and is the son of a village blacksmith. Conan matured quickly as a youth and, by age fifteen, he was already a respected warrior who had participated in the destruction of the Aquilonian outpost of Venarium. After its demise, he was struck by wanderlust and began the adventures chronicled by Howard, encountering skulking monsters, evil wizards, tavern wenches, and beautiful princesses. He roamed throughout the Hyborian Agenations as a thief, outlaw, mercenary, and pirate. As he grew older, he began commanding larger units of men and escalating his ambitions. In his forties, he seized the crown of the tyrannical king of Aquilonia, the most powerful kingdom of the Hyborian Age, having strangled the previous ruler on the steps of the throne. Conan's adventures often result in him performing heroic feats, though his motivation for doing so is largely to protect his own survival or for personal gain.Here you will find all of Robert E. Howard's stories about Conan the Barbarian, published in Weird Tales magazine between 1933-1936 and features an interactive table of contents. Included are the stories: Cimmeria — A PoemThe Phoenix on the SwordThe Scarlet CitadelThe Tower of the ElephantThe Slithering Shadow/ Xuthal of the DuskThe Pool of the Black OneRogues in the HouseGods of the North/The Frost Giant's Daughter/The Frost King's DaughterShadows in the MoonlightQueen of the Black CoastThe Devil in IronThe People of the Black CircleA Witch Shall Be BornJewels of GwahlurBeyond the Black RiverRed NailsThe Hour of the DragonAlso you get: The Hyborian Age - Howard's essay on the world of Conan+Bonus: Robert E. Howard's Biography and more! Views: 1 746
FitzChivalry Farseer has become firmly ensconced in the queen’s court. Along with his mentor, Chade, and the simpleminded yet strongly Skilled Thick, Fitz strives to aid Prince Dutiful on a quest that could secure peace with the Outislands—and win Dutiful the hand of the Narcheska Elliania. The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. Yet not all the clans of the Outislands support their effort. Are there darker forces at work behind Elliania’s demand? Knowing that the Fool has foretold he will die on the island of ice, Fitz plots to leave his dearest friend behind. But fate cannot so easily be defied. Praise for Robin Hobb and Fool’s Fate “Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin “[Robin] Hobb’s rich, vibrant and unique world [is] filled with sentient ships, magical beasts, and fascinating characters. . . . Highly recommended.”—Library Journal “Rich, enchanting fantasy from one of today’s best practitioners . . . reminiscent of Ursula Le Guin’s The Other Wind [and] Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series.”—BookPageFrom the Hardcover edition. Views: 1 732
"Queen of the Black Coast" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine circa May 1934. It is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age and concerns Conan becoming a notorious pirate and plundering the coastal villages of Kush alongside Bêlit, a head-strong femme fatale. Due to its epic scope and atypical romance, the story is considered an undisputed classic of Conan lore and is often cited by Howard scholars as one of his most famous tales. Views: 1 692
Conan kidnaps a princess and foils a nefarious plot of world domination in this action-packed adventure. An undisputed classic of Conan lore, often cited by Howard scholars as one of his best tales. It is also one of the few Howard stories where the reader is treated a deeper insight on magic and magicians. Views: 1 689
**The #1 *New York Times* bestselling series finale and sequel to *A Discovery of Witches* and *Shadow of Night***
Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the *New York Times* bestseller list. In *The Book of Life,* Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from * A Discovery of Witches*—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. Views: 1 671
Excerpt: ... city." "Then your ancestors didn't build Xuchotl?" asked Valeria. "It was ancient when they first came into the land. How long it had stood here, not even its degenerate inhabitants knew." "Your people came from Lake Zuad?" questioned Conan. "Aye. More than half a century ago a tribe of the Tlazitlans rebelled against the Stygian king, and, being defeated in battle, fled southward. For many weeks they wandered over grasslands, desert and hills, and at last they came into the great forest, a thousand fighting-men with their women and children. "It was in the forest that the dragons fell upon them, and tore many to pieces; so the people fled in a frenzy of fear before them, and at last came into the plain and saw the city of Xuchotl in the midst of it. "They camped before the city, not daring to leave the plain, for the night was made hideous with the noise of the battling monsters throughout the forest. They made war incessantly upon one another. Yet they came not into the plain. "The people of the city shut their gates and shot arrows at our people from the walls. The Tlazitlans were imprisoned on the plain, as if the ring of the forest had been a great wall; for to venture into the woods would have been madness. "That night there came secretly to their camp a slave from the city, one of their own blood, who with a band of exploring soldiers had wandered into the forest long before, when he was a young man. The dragons had devoured all his companions, but he had been taken into the city to dwell in servitude. His name was Tolkemec." A flame lighted the dark eyes at mention of the name, and some of the people muttered obscenely and spat. "He promised to open the gates to the warriors. He asked only that all captives taken be delivered into his hands. "At dawn he opened the gates. The warriors swarmed in and the halls of Xuchotl ran red. Only a few hundred folk dwelt there, decaying remnants of a once great race. Tolkemec said they came from the... Views: 1 648
Four tales are, it is said, intended by the Author to be appropriate to the Four Seasons: the stern, grave "Sintram", to winter; the tearful, smiling, fresh "Undine", to Spring; the torrid deserts of the "Two Captains", to summer; and the sunset gold of "Aslauga's Knight", to autumn. Of these two are before us. Views: 1 622
Ann Veronica is a New Woman novel by H.G. Wells published in 1909. Ann Veronica describes the rebellion of Ann Veronica Stanley, "a young lady of nearly two-and-twenty," against her middle-class father's stern patriarchal rule. The novel dramatizes the contemporary problem of the New Woman. It is set in Victorian era London and environs, except for an Alpine excursion. Ann Veronica offers vignettes of the Women's suffrage movement in Great Britain and features a chapter inspired by the 1908 attempt of suffragettes to storm Parliament.Mr. Stanley forbids his adult daughter, a biology student at Tredgold Women's College and the youngest of his five children, to attend a fancy dress ball in London, causing a crisis. Ann Veronica is planning to attend the dance with friends of a down-at-the-heels artistic family living nearby and has been chafing at other restrictions imposed for no apparent reason on her. After her father resorts to force to stop her from attending the ball, she leaves her home in the fictional south London suburb of Morningside Park in order to live independently in an apartment "in a street near the Hampstead Road" in North London. Unable to find appropriate employment, she borrows forty pounds from Mr. Ramage, an older man, without realizing she is compromising herself. With this money, Ann Veronica is able to devote herself to study in the biological laboratory of the Central Imperial College (a constituent college of London University) where she meets and falls in love with Capes, the laboratory's "demonstrator." But Mr. Ramage loses little time in trying to take advantage of the situation, precipitating a crisis. Distraught after Ramage tries to force himself on her, Ann Veronica temporarily abandons her studies and devotes herself to the cause of women's suffrage; she is arrested storming Parliament and spends a month in prison.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. Views: 1 485
When Reverend Josiah Crawley, the impoverished curate of Hogglestock, is accused of theft it causes a public scandal, sending shockwaves through the world of Barsetshire. The Crawleys desperately try to remain dignified while they are shunned by society, but the scandal threatens to tear them, and the community, apart.
Drawing on his own childhood experience of genteel poverty, Trollope gives a painstakingly realistic depiction of the trials of a family striving to maintain its standards at all costs. With its sensitive portrayal of the proud and self-destructive figure of Crawley, this final volume is the darkest and most complex of all the Barsetshire novels. Views: 1 458
As the ancient tradition of Bingtown’s Old Traders slowly erodes under the cold new order of a corrupt ruler, the Vestrits anxiously await the return of their liveship—a rare magic ship carved from sentient wizardwood, which bonds the ships mystically with those who sail them. And Althea Vestrit waits even more avidly, living only to reclaim the ship as her lost inheritance and captain her on the high seas. But the Vivacia has been seized by the ruthless pirate captain Kennit, who holds Althea’s nephew and his father hostage. Althea and her onetime sea mate Brashen resolve to liberate the liveship—but their plan may prove more dangerous than leaving the Vivacia in Kennit’s ambitious grasp. Praise for Robin Hobb and the Liveship Traders Trilogy “Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin “A truly extraordinary saga . . . The characterizations are consistently superb, and [Hobb] animates everything with love for and knowledge of the sea.”—Booklist “A major work of high fantasy, reading like a cross between Tolkien and Patrick O’Brian . . . one of the finest fantasy sagas to bridge the millennium.”—Publishers Weekly “Rich, complex . . . [Hobb’s] plotting is complex but tightly controlled, and her descriptive powers match her excellent visual imagination. But her chief virtue is that she delineates character extremely well.”—Interzone Views: 1 455
One of Robert E. Howard's inspired novellas about Conan the Cimmerian and his adventures, A Witch Shall Be Born focuses on a unique story that was conceived in just a few days in 1934. Conan, who is the loyal captain of the queen's guard in this enchanting and exciting tale, is faced with a puzzling dilemma when the queen's twin sister ends up replacing her. Fears of secret schemes and plots dominate the story, as elements of conflict between barbarism and civilization are present throughout the novel. Along with Howard's elegant and inviting style, the gradually growing complexity of the plot, the sudden twists that will take your breath away make A Witch Shall be Born one of the more intense writings of American Pulp fantasy that readers truly enjoy. Robert E. Howard is considered a literary icon of American Pulp writing, as well as renowned for his accomplished use of fantasy, horror and adventure elements. His works are often compared to famous names in popular culture, such as Tarzan of the Apes, or even to the Sherlock Holmes series. While Howard's style is imbued more with themes revolving around barbarism and extreme endurance that see Conan the Cimmerian almost crucified and Queen Taramis thrown in the dungeon by her sister Salome, it also features a complex, methodical plot that shows Conan outwitting the new queen in his attempt to restore order. A theme of paranoia and duality is present throughout the novel, with the two siblings presented in extreme antagonism toward each other, and Salome being in a constant inner struggle as she feels threatened by Conan and her twin sister. You will thoroughly enjoy this well-written and exciting tale of adventure, heroics and fantasy, which never seems to show a dull moment, and manages to introduce plot twists that can fascinate and thrill readers even decades after their inception. Views: 1 445
The Texas-born author who created the inimitable character Conan the Barbarian is also single-handedly responsible for developing and popularizing the so-called "sword and sorcery" fantasy subgenre. In this gripping tale, Howard spins an unforgettable yarn about an early version of Conan and a ruse that puts the mighty warrior face to face with a horrifying ancient demon. Views: 1 445
Nevare Burvelle was destined from birth to be a soldier. The second son of a newly anointed nobleman, he must endure the rigors of military training at the elite King's Cavalla Academy--and survive the hatred, cruelty, and derision of his aristocratic classmates--before joining the King of Gernia's brutal campaign of territorial expansion. The life chosen for him will be fraught with hardship, for he must ultimately face a forest-dwelling folk who will not submit easily to a king's tyranny. And they possess an ancient magic their would-be conquerors have long discounted--a powerful sorcery that threatens to claim Nevare Burvelle's soul and devastate his world once the Dark Evening brings the carnival to Old Thares. Views: 1 396
After five years of marriage, Robert Beckford, the Earl of Masten comes face to face with Lydia, his estrange wife. Fearing scandal will taint his family's name, Robert hurries Lydia to the country, but on the way he discovers the lady is nothing like he has believed. She may even be the love of his life.Looks can be deceiving, the same is true for reputations As the head of his family, Robert Beckford, the Earl of Masten, was accustomed to dealing with various problems his siblings had caused of one sort or another. However he wasn’t prepared when his cad of brother ruined and then abandoned a young lady. To right the wrong, Robert married the girl himself; but his chivalry only went so far. He didn’t want a wife, and most certainly not a scandalous one. So after repeating his vows, he sent her packing, off to a secluded estate and expected her to stay put. After years of mistreatment at the hands of her family, Lydia was prepared to be an accommodating wife; but her rigid and unforgiving husband asked too much of her. After languishing for years in her opulent prison, Lydia leaves her country estate for the glamour and excitement of London—and unfortunately her husband’s path. Views: 1 363
