A NEW TRAVELER ON THE ROAD OF KINGS: JAMES LOVEGROVE'S CONAN: CULT OF THE OBSIDIAN MOON

King Arthur may be the only other fantasy hero more authors have written about than Conan. Robert E. Howard's love of history and romantic story telling slammed into his cynicism from what he viewed in Depression era East Texas, created a revolutionary take on the genre and a character that is harder to embody than he seems. James Lovegrove steps up as the latest to pick up the gauntlet with Conan: Cult Of The Obsidian Moon.

The story takes place soon after the death of his love, Belit. He mourns the pirate queen in the city of Eruk through drink, melancholy, and occasional tavern brawl, He ends up in the company of Hunwulf and Gudrun, a married couple whose romance carries a dark and violent history. They hire Conan to teach their son Bjorn in the ways of combat. A friend betrays Conan when the boy is left in his care and he is kidnapped.

Conan, Hunwulf,and Gudrun go on a quest to bring the boy back. It takes them through a thick jungle into a putrid region known as The Rotlands, There, children who prove to have "gifts" have been taken by a cult led by Kholin-Khu, a priest who proves to be a monster in more ways than one. The power of the children is key to the cult's dark survival.

One gets Lovegrove is a Howard fan. He understands the pure warriors contempt for a priest's magic. He also captures the creator's sharp world building. His climactic battle with a winged creature that fights with both sword and talons, puts a Frazetta painting in the reader's mind. A full blown novel makes it difficult to keep the endurance of Howard's muscular style, but peppers the story with Conan's observation's told in bold prose and lines like, "I will see how thick your skull is when I crush it in my bare hands.

Putting him with Hunwulf and Gudrun, puts a different spin on the typical Conan yarn. Their love for eachother mas their boy, gives something new for him to contemplate, particularly after Belit's death. However, the author brings him back when he is reminded by what is best in life.

Conan: Cult Of The Obsidian Moon acts as as a part of The Battle Of The Blackstone saga from Titan publishing with issue for of comic magazine Savage Sword of Conan and a three issue limited series that ties together many Howard characters over different time periods. Lovegrove makes sure the book can be completely enjoyed on it's own with easter eggs for the comic readers that simply seem as as a fabric of the book for those who haven't. Either way, he delivers a sword and sorcery tale told with bravado. Fans of the barbarian who would be king should find it entertaining