Review by C.J. Bunce
“Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?”
By the title of the latest Conan novel, Conan: Spawn of the Serpent God, A Scourge of the Serpent Novel, consider yourself forewarned. Available now at bookstores and here at Amazon, prepare for a battle of Conan the Cimmerian against Serpent Men and a giant Wyrm, in a tale of Black Lotus, dark magic, and the White Spider, zombified Revenants, and worse as author Tim Waggoner delivers a two-part tale of a teenaged Conan and a heist that would have repurcussions 15 years later in his long journey of battles, conquests, and victories. Robert E. Howard’s fantasy hero Conan has taken many journeys. But have you read one yet the evokes Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom?
This time Howard’s parallel world of primitive humans, desert land cults, and jungle beasts finds Conan’s story steeped in the influence of ancient Egyptian characters and constructs. When a young Conan meets up with the thief Valja, she prompts him to sneak into a temple to liberate some valuable relics. But in doing so Valja is pierced by a magical totem that changes her life. At the same time two unholy beings are accidentally merged into an evil worse than any that came before.
Flash forward 15 years later and Conan is accompanied by a brave warrior named Qiang. Valja, her appearance unchanged after all these years, still seeks vengeance for her people being turned to revenants. Conan has battled the Serpent Men before, but can he defeat them and an even worse monstrosity before a more powerful force turns the world into a dark realm of human/Serpent Men hybrids?
Waggoner’s fantasy digs deep into the worldbuilding began by Robert E. Howard. Easter eggs and oblique references abound for diehard Conan readers and other fans of classic early 19th century fantasy. Waggoner’s writing evokes the kind of fictional world you might find in a Doctor Who historical setting, while also finding a steady footing on par with R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt stories. The first half of the story feels like you could almost replace Conan and Valja with Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood–it’s exactly that kind of action-adventure. The second half is more of the Conan you’re probably familiar with–the brooding barbarian colored by his hard journeys.
Note that so much of the religion and magic background is created and built here that Conan himself is saved for a few heroic arrivals. Both Valja and Qiang are interesting additions, as are Naerys, a later companion to Valja, and the battling incarnation of Uzzeran’s minions Kekk and Shengis.
Fans of any incarnation of Conan should go for this story–whether you’re a fan of the original Howard tales, Roy Thomas’s comics, or the movies. Don’t miss Conan: Spawn of the Serpent God, A Scourge of the Serpent Novel available now here at Amazon.
