I'll start this review with two words.
Red Nails. The first collection started with one of my favourite
Conan tales; this starts with another; definitely De Camp knew what
he was doing in starting each collection with a strong story, if
nothing else! (I am curious, actually, what the selection process was
for each anthology; no doubt there is something on it somewhere. If
it was to follow some sort of chronology – and the little
'chronological notes' that set each story in Conan's career are
evidence of that – then surely Tower of the Elephant would have
been a better place to start.)
Well. Red Nails. This is another of the
classic Conan stories – a venture into a lost city, this one with
extremely strong Mesoamerican themes (a character called Olmec, for a
start), but a sample of more of the amazing Howardian imagery. This
features Valeria, famous for the movie – who in this is an
extremely strong female character. (The movie is a matter for
discussion at another time, I reckon.) This is one of those that is
often talked about, and with extremely good reason. Howard manages to
fit an entire culture into this story, painted with strong vivid
tones that make it come to life.
In addition to this, with have the
strong theme of eternal war, more sorcery in the form of an
enchantress who caused the whole war in the first place – and Conan
and his companion moving in to deal with the problem in a typically
permanent way. In addition to the setting of the story itself, the
tale is filed with references to the wider world, which can
occasionally appear obtrusive, I confess, but which do serve as a
reminder that there is a
bigger world out there. This story dominates the collection, as
indeed it should...
...But
this time, is better supported by the other two stories. Only three
in this collection, with the second being 'Jewels of Gwahlur', which
took me four attempts to type correctly. The female lead in this one
is far weaker; being used to imitate a goddess due to a coincidental
resemblance – in effect, Conan is stumbling on a huge religious
confidence trick that he uses to his advantage. I
can see why this story was put in with Red Nails, it feels rather
similar in tone at times, though...somewhat lesser formed, somehow.
The ending with the beasts is strong, but somehow, in this, it feels
as if Howard simply had less to say. I take back what I said; it
might have been better to put this elsewhere. It's another lost world
piece that perhaps sits a bit in the shade.
Finally,
we finish with 'Beyond the Black River', and well – I'll start by
quoting the ending lines. “Barbarism is the natural state of
mankind...Civilisation is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance.
And barbarism must always ultimately triumph.” Here once again
Howard is pushing a strong philosophy, and it shows in a strong
story. This concept meant much to him; it is all through his
correspondence, so it's unsurprising that this tale of barbarian
Picts overwhelming Roman soldiers on the frontier is a good one –
even if the source material is obvious at times. This smells of a
story originated for another character, one of the historical pieces
Howard enjoyed writing so much. Yet Conan fits seamlessly into the
piece, because this fits his character so well.
Despite
Conan's help, the barbarians win; Aquilonia's border is pushed back
to Thunder River at the story's end, the implication being that this
is the first stage of a longer process, and that the civilized empire
will not dare try its luck in the Pictish Wilderness again. Shades of
Hadrian's Wall, obviously, and Germania – but it works well. In
another collection this might have been the signature story.
A
stronger second book than the first; I'm going with a '9'.
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