Age of Conan: Blood of Wolves: Legends of Kern, Volume 1

This was the most 'MANLY' fantasy book I've ever read! (Break out the beef jerkey and ale when reading this trilogy!) This is very strong writing and quite the antidote to what passes for modern 'fantasy literature' (overly elegant books which seem content to reinforce convention rather than explore the genre's limits). While many fantasy writers fill their stories with whimsy Coleman brings the fantasy genre back to the hammer and anvil from which it was spawned! He is definitely in fine form here and obviously loved writing this brutal trilogy! Every sentence reads like a Shakespearean composition of raw unbridled grit! Although the story doesn't move very quickly in the first two chapters you won't mind it because the consistently powerful style Coleman uses is simply breathtaking in its confidence and depth and is sheer bliss to behold! You can almost hear the 'Anvil of Crom' theme from the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack while reading the trilogy!) Coleman has the uncanny ability to make a scene much more profound than it initially appears. He revels in textural details, scents, inflections and heavy atmospherics propelled by a straight forward hard-edged prose that masks a subtle and sophisticated style which is uniquely Coleman's. If you're looking for raw and brutal fantasy written with gusto you can't go wrong with this trilogy! Highly recommended!

This was the most 'MANLY' fantasy book I've ever read! (Break out the beef jerkey and ale when reading this trilogy!) This is very strong writing and quite the antidote to the endless array of overly elegant modern fantasy novels which seem content to reinforce convention rather than explore the genres limits. While most fantasy writers fill their stories with whimsy Coleman brings fantasy back to the hammer and anvil from which it was spawned! He is definitely in fine form here and obviously loved writing this brutal trilogy! Every sentence reads like a Shakespearean composition of raw unbridled grit! Although story doesn't move very quickly at first you won't mind it because the consistently powerful style Coleman uses is simply breathtaking in its confidence and depth and is sheer bliss to behold! He has the uncanny ability to make a scene much more profound than it initially appears, reveling in textural details and straight forward hard-edged prose that masks a subtle sophistication of style which is uniquely Coleman's. If you're looking for raw and brutal fantasy written with gusto you can't go wrong with this trilogy! Highly recommended!

Non-traditional structure ... but FANTASTIC story telling!!! You can get a synopsis anywhere so I'll cut to the chase... BUY THIS BOOK NOW! Kern is the most interesting character to wander Cimmeria since Conan himself. Take a little John Carter then add a dash of Tarzan, a pinch of Elric and a hardy handful of Conan (If he doesn't cut your hand off first) and you have Kern. I am already looking forward to more of Coleman and Kern in the future and, being a long-suffering Wheel of Time Fan, I hope it is sooner than later! I have to agree with others who have reviewed this work - I was thrown off by the grammar and usage for the first chapter or two... most of the previous Conan authors wrote pieces which tried to mimic REH in style. Coleman trades, at times, grammar for a feeling of urgent action. I almost put the book down after the first 30 pages or so but kept with it to see where the story led and quickly became a fan of Kern; I bought the other two books in the series within days and read them eagerly. I have the good fortune to own and to have read (at least twice) all of the Conan novels and collected editions published in the last 34 years (yeah, that's almost scary in and of itself) and I found myself caught up in a different but just as excited way reading Coleman as I ever have been reading Howard, DeCamp, Jordan or Carpenter. Not exactly textbook writing but darn ggod writing nonetheless.

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I came into it expecting writing on the level of, say, a bad D & D novel. The writing was actually very good and the story even better. The only knock I have is that it did not "feel" like an accurate portrayal of Cimmerians as written by REH. I don't know, but they seemed too "soft and caring" to be kin of Conan. Still, a fun read and I'll be picking up the sequel.

To the villagers of Gaud in the Kingdom of Cimmeria, winter feels like it will never end. Food is being rationed and the people go on raids seeking bounty held by others. The animals have not yet appeared so there is no hunting for fresh meat and the Vanir raiders from the north steal what little the clans have. When Cul becomes chief, he exiles the weakest of Clan Gaudt as well as Kern "Wolf-Eye" who people distrust because of his appearance. Unlike the dark blued eyed clansmen, he has pale skin and amber glowing eyes with white hair. While on the trek to bury the dead clan chief, he sees the men of Vanir raiding villages and he returns to warn his former clansmen and help them in their fight. He decides to follow the raiders and bring back the hostages and his little band travels north and west into the heart of the land of the men of Vanir determined to fight the men who want to destroy the clans. This takes place at the time Conan is king and magic is a fighting skill used in battle. The leader of the enemy Grimnir is said to be immortal, a son of Ymir who has the strength of many men and is a friend of the gods his people worship. There is plenty of action and gory battle scenes but the most exciting part of this storyline is the protagonist who goes from outcast to hero and leader. Sword and sorcery fans as well as readers who love the Conan stories will have a lot of fun reading this exceptional tale. Harriet Klausner