The Further Chronicles of Conan: Conan the Magnificent/Conan the Triumphant/Conan the Victorious

Everyone starts somewhere, and #1 bestselling author Jordan (the Wheel of Time series) started, more or less, here: with three classic pastiches of Robert E. Howard's mighty-thewed hero, published in mass market in the early 1980s. In Conan the Magnificent, the big guy is a thief in Zamora, where he and another (female) thief, Tamira, have their eyes on the precious jewels owned by the powerful Lady Jondra. To get them, Conan must vanquish a shaman, a dangerous tribe and a firedrake. In Conan the Triumphant, an older Conan works as a captain of mercenaries in Ophir. The cunning Lady Synelle is making bloody sacrifices to the ancient and evil god al'Kiir in order to consolidate her claim to the throne. Synelle takes an interest in Conan when he comes into possession of an image she can use to revive the god. Also pursuing Conan, but with more deadly motives, is the female bandit Karela, his old rival and lover. In Conan the Victorious, our hero must flee Turan after killing an officer of the City Guards. He ends up en route to Vendhya, with a caravan that is about to plunge into an intrigue conjured up by one Naipal, a wizard who is trying to revive an army of immortal warriors. It takes all of Conan's strength, wits and allies to fulfill the title's promise. For all their careful plotting and world building, Jordan's Conan tales are delightfully implausible, filled with rousing descriptions of extravagant physical feats and willing women. His action-packed novels add few new nuances to Conan's character, but they make an entertaining continuation of his adventures, and enjoyable fare for Jordan fans until the Wheel of Time rolls back into sight. (Oct.)