The Road of Kings

Last updated
The Road of Kings
Road of Kings.jpg
Cover of the first edition
Author Karl Edward Wagner
Cover artistBob Larkin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Conan the Barbarian
Genre Sword and sorcery
Publisher Bantam Books
Publication date
1979
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages209
ISBN 0-553-12026-3
OCLC 79406374

The Road of Kings is a fantasy novel by American writer Karl Edward Wagner, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in October 1979. Later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books (1987) and Tor Books 2001. The first trade paperback edition was published by Warner Books in 1989. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books (1986, reissued 1989). Aside from the Bantam and Tor editions all other editions were issued under the variant title Conan: The Road of Kings. [1]

Contents

Plot

The novel features Conan during his buccaneering days. After being sentenced to death for a duel in the turbulent kingdom of Zingara, he escapes and joins a group of rebels who plan to overthrow their tyrannical king. When the divided leadership foolishly turns to a wizard for aid, their cause becomes complicated by sorcery rooted in the lost kingdom of Acheron, and the result is not freedom but despotism. Conan helps in overthrowing the new regime. However, when he's given an opportunity to take the throne for himself, Conan uncharacteristically turns down the offer.

Reception

Reviewer Don D'Ammassa calls the book "[q]uite good." [2]

Adaptation

Roy Thomas' Conan: Road of Kings (2010) is not an adaptation of Wagner's novel.

Related Research Articles

<i>Conan and the Spider God</i> 1980 novel by L. Sprague de Camp

Conan and the Spider God is a fantasy novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in December 1980; later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books and Tor Books. The first hardcover edition was issued by Robert Hale in 1984, and the second by Tor Books in 2002. It was later gathered together with Conan the Swordsman and Conan the Liberator into the omnibus trade paperback collection Sagas of Conan.

<i>Conan the Liberator</i> 1979 novel by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter

Conan the Liberator is a fantasy novel by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in February 1979, and reprinted in 1982; later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books. The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in June 2002; a trade paperback followed from the same publisher in 2003. The first British edition was from Sphere Books. The novel was later gathered together with Conan the Swordsman and Conan and the Spider God into the omnibus collection Sagas of Conan.

<i>Conan the Barbarian</i> (1982 novel) Novel by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter

Conan the Barbarian is a 1982 fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Catherine Crook de Camp featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, a novelization of the feature film of the same name. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in May 1982. The first hardcover edition was issued by Robert Hale in 1983, and the first British edition by Sphere Books in April 1988. A later novel with the same title by Michael A. Stackpole was issued by Berkley Books in 2011 as a tie-in with the 2011 remake of the 1982 film.

<i>Conan the Swordsman</i> 1978 Bantam Books short story collection

Conan the Swordsman is a collection of seven fantasy short stories and associated pieces by writers L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Björn Nyberg featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in August 1978, and reprinted in 1981. Later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books. The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in December 2002. The first British edition was issued by Sphere Books in 1978. The book has also been translated into Italian and French. It was later gathered together with Conan the Liberator and Conan and the Spider God into the omnibus collection Sagas of Conan.

<i>Conan the Rebel</i> Novel by Poul Anderson

Conan the Rebel is a fantasy novel by American writer Poul Anderson, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in July 1980. It was reprinted once by Bantam (1981) and twice by Ace Books. The first hardcover edition was published by Tor Books in 2001; a trade paperback followed from the same publisher in 2003. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in 1988.

<i>The Sword of Skelos</i> 1979 novel by Andrew J. Offutt

The Sword of Skelos is a fantasy novel by American writer Andrew J. Offutt, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, the third and final volume in a trilogy beginning with Conan and the Sorcerer and continuing with Conan the Mercenary. It was first published in paperback in May 1979 by Bantam Books, and reprinted in August 1981. Later editions were issued by Ace Books and Tor Books. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in 1989.

<i>Conan the Mercenary</i>

Conan the Mercenary is a fantasy novel written by American writer Andrew J. Offutt and illustrated by Esteban Maroto featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, the second volume in a trilogy beginning with Conan and the Sorcerer and concluding with The Sword of Skelos. It was first published in paperback by Ace Books in 1980, with an official publication date of January 1981. Ace reprinted the novel in April 1983, and issued a trade paperback edition in 1985. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in July 1989.

<i>Conan the Valiant</i> Novel by Roland J. Green

Conan the Valiant is a fantasy novel by American writer Roland Green, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in October 1988; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in August 1989, and was reprinted in July 2000.

<i>Conan the Savage</i> Novel by Leonard Carpenter

Conan the Savage is a fantasy novel by American writer Leonard Carpenter featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in November 1992; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in August 1993, and was reprinted in March 1999.

<i>Conan the Barbarian</i> (2011 novel) 2011 novel by Michael A. Stackpole

Conan the Barbarian is a fantasy novel written by Michael A. Stackpole featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero of the same name, a novelization of the feature film of the same name. It was first published in paperback by Berkley Books in 2011. An earlier novel of the same name by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Catherine Crook de Camp, based on the original film of which the 2011 version was a remake, was published by Bantam Books in 1982.

<i>Conan the Unconquered</i> Book by Robert Jordan

Conan the Unconquered is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert Jordan, featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in April 1983 and reprinted on a number of occasions. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books in February 1988. The first trade paperback edition was published by Tor in 1991. It was later gathered together with Conan the Invincible and Conan the Defender into the omnibus collection The Conan Chronicles.

<i>Conan and the Treasure of Python</i> Book by John Maddox Roberts

Conan and the Treasure of Python is a fantasy novel by American writer John Maddox Roberts, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in November 1993; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in August 1994.

<i>Conan the Bold</i> Book by John Maddox Roberts

Conan the Bold is a fantasy novel by American writer John Maddox Roberts, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in April 1989 and reprinted in June 1997.

<i>Conan the Marauder</i> Book by John Maddox Roberts

Conan the Marauder is a fantasy novel by American writer John Maddox Roberts, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in January 1988, and reprinted in 1992. The first British edition was published in paperback by Orbit Books in February 1991.

<i>Conan the Champion</i> Book by John Maddox Roberts

Conan the Champion is a fantasy novel by American writer John Maddox Roberts, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in April 1987 and reprinted in January 1989. The first British edition was published in paperback by Sphere Books, also in January 1989.

<i>Conan the Valorous</i> Book by John Maddox Roberts

Conan the Valorous is a fantasy novel by American writer John Maddox Roberts, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in September 1985; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in September 1986, and was reprinted in January 1992. The first British edition was published in paperback by Sphere Books in September 1987.

<i>Conan and the Shamans Curse</i> Book by Sean A. Moore

Conan and the Shaman's Curse is a fantasy novel by American writer Sean A. Moore, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in January 1996.

<i>Conan the Indomitable</i> Book by Steve Perry

Conan the Indomitable is a fantasy novel by American writer Steve Perry, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in October 1989; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in September 1990.

<i>Conan the Defiant</i> Book by Steve Perry

Conan the Defiant is a fantasy novel by American writer Steve Perry, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in trade paperback by Tor Books in October 1987, with a regular paperback edition issued simultaneously by the same publisher, and was reprinted in August 1988. A British edition was published in paperback by Orbit Books in January 1990.

<i>Conan the Relentless</i> Novel by Roland J. Green

Conan the Relentless is a fantasy novel by American writer Roland Green featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in April 1992, and was reprinted in April 1998.

References

  1. The Road of Kings title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
  2. D'Ammassa, Don. "The Road of Kings" (review on Critical Mass). Nov. 20, 2017.
Preceded by Bantam Conan series
(publication order)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Complete Conan Saga
(William Galen Gray chronology)
Succeeded by