I had such a blast reading these Conan stories. The richly descriptive prose draws a very detailed picture of every scene and character, and it's only my personal lack of imagination that in my head it doesn't look exactly like the famous Bill Frazetta artwork that graces every book's cover. It's kind of pulpy, of course, but I was surprised how well-written the stories actually are. They are inventive, complex in narration and their development of background lore, and the action is every bit like you always wanted your video game RPGs to play out.

Conan the Warrior includes three tales, all of which are frequently cited as being among the very best of the 17 stories that Robert H. Howard had written before his untimely death.

Red Nails (1936)
"Red Nails" is of novella length and the last Conan story that Howard had written. I think many fans regard this as their favorite, and it's easy to see why. I really has it all: a hilariously dated prelude where the Cimmerian drools over the sword woman before the two face a dragon, a seemingly abandoned palace without external areas, ghostly apparitions with a burning skull for a face, an eternal feud between two races, a witch who possess the secret of everlasting youth, creatures from the catacombs, betrayal, strange rituals, the return with powerful magic, you name it.

The story gives you a very good idea as to what makes Conan so barbarous. He openly lusts after Valeria, and the first act is full of sentences like, "Do you want me to take that toy away from you and spank you with it?" or "He burned with eagerness to seize that splendid figure and crush it in his iron arms, yet he greatly desired not to hurt the girl. He was torn between a desire to shake her soundly, and a desire to caress her." Of course the depiction of women here is problematic to say the least, but at least it serves a purpose. And I liked that Valeria can stand her own in battle, and at one point she even laments "Why men let [her] live a man's life". I think one paragraph brilliantly puts into words Conan's primitivism, so I thought I would quote it here:

"Conan was too close to the primitive himself to feel anything but a comprehending interest. To the barbarian, no such gulf existed between himself and other men, and the animals, as existed in the conception of Valeria. The monster below them, to Conan, was merely a form of life differing from himself mainly in physical shape. He attributed to it characteristics similar to his own, and saw in its wrath a counterpart of his rages, in its roars and bellowings merely reptilian equivalents to the curses he had bestowed upon it. Feeling a kinship with all wild things, even dragons, it was impossible for him to experience the sick horror which assailed Valeria at the sight of the brute's ferocity."

There are numerous twists and moments of great action (as when Conan appears at the last moment to strike down five attackers), unapologetic silliness (like with Conan rolling down some steps), and gratifying revenge. The city felt unnervingly claustrophobic, as there are no windows or doors that would lead out into the open streets. The mystery of this place was truly intriguing, especially in the beginning, and I loved the level of detail when its history is developed meticulously in one of the middle chapters. So, while it's significantly longer than most of the Conan stories, it remains exciting and highly enjoyable throughout.

Jewels of Gwahlur (1935)
This is probably my favorite of the three stories collected here. It's incredibly picturesque and just so damn entertaining. From the first moment when Conan is taking the exhausting climb upon himself to get to the legendary palace of Alkmeenon I've felt fully invested in the story. He is after the Teeth of Gwahlur, precious jewels that are said to be hidden there.

I loved how the story is set up. In the past, the people of Keshan traveled to the ancient palace to find guidance by consulting an oracle, an ageless woman who sleeps in one of the palace's chambers. The tradition was violently interrupted when a king (I think it was) found his doom under mysterious circumstances. Now, over one hundred years later, the priests (lead by a man called Gorulga) decide to revive the custom and are themselves on their way to the palace. And also on his way is Zargheba, an old adversary of Conan's.

At the center of the story is the hoax with the old witch, that is the subject of more than one twist throughout the story. It is given structure by posing various questions, as to who rang the gong that Conan has heard, what happened to the servants of an old sorcerer whose account Conan had found, or who killed certain people. The outcome is predictable, of course, but especially the ceremonial approach of the priests, with their torches and speeches, was pretty fucking awesome.

What I find also noteworthy about this story is how it depicts Conan. In stark opposition to "Red Nails", he is portrayed as familiar with foreign tongues and able to decipher a scroll he finds the the pocket of a dead body outside the palace. Still, it doesn't feel incoherent with other descriptions of the barbarian at all. Quite the contrary, We know Conan as well-traveled and absorbing of the impressions he has on his many journeys and quests. It made me rethink my understanding of the character as simply brutish and archetypical, and I like him more for it.

Beyond the Black River (1935)
Another stark change of scenery, we now find ourselves in Conajohara, a swampy forest that was recently conquered by the Aquilonians in their ongoing military conflict with the dispersed clans of the Pict. Conan joins forces with a young man, Balthus, who in the beginning of the story is on his way to Fort Tuscelan, the last stand against the Picts and the place from which Conan hails too.

The main foe is the Pict wizard Zogar Sag, who is able to summon demons and who has already left five men headless (his magic had lured into the forest). The man himself remains completely faceless, but there is a great scene where the fettered Balthus wakes up in his camp and becomes witness of how the dark shaman invokes a sabertooth tiger and a gigantic serpent. The descriptions make you imagine massive beasts of limitless force and rage.

The atmosphere especially in the first half is absolutely amazing. When Conan and his raiding-party set off on the titular river in canoes, you can almost feel the sticky and damp air. The attack shortly thereafter brings in an element of horror that is continued in the before-mentioned scene in the camp.

The second half is way more action-oriented. You knew all along that the Fort doesn't have the manpower to hold off a serious attack of the Picts, especially when they come united through the leadership of Zogar Sag. On their way back to warn the other men, Conan and Balthus suddenly see the Fort in flames. They are too late, but Conan and his companion still run bravely towards battle. I liked how the story then takes an unexpected turn, and uncharacteristically for a man like Conan, they try to save as many people from the area as they can.

I thought it was pretty cool that the narrative eventually focuses on the heroic actions of Balthus. The back-to-the-wild hound at his side, he courageously fights off the barbaric attackers. He is obviously not as invincible as our muscle-packed hero and for him the stakes are much higher. The way he is praised at the end well rounds-up the story.

One last word on the glaring racism present in all three stories. At every occasion where an inferiority or superiority of people is of relevance, Howard doesn't tire of explicitly mentioning the skin color (as if that proves that it couldn't have been any other way). It isn't quite as bad as in some Solomon Kane stories, where people are portrayed as hideous or degenerate, but certainly enough to take offense. For instance, at one point Conan is surprised to find a walled city - here, so far from civilization, where only "the black people" and "the mysterious brown race" dwell. Every odd page you find a sentence like, "The people were a mixed race, a dusky nobility ruling a population that was largely pure Negro." Really annoying and enough to take half a star off my rating.

Rating: 4.5/5