Conan the Librarian jokes aside, the popularity of this character is remarkable. Since the death of creator Robert E. Howard in 1936, several authors have kept the franchise going. The plot of the 1980 Liberator is typical: the mercenary barbarian commands an army sworn to destroy an evil ruler and liberate the oppressed. Enter an evil sorcerer, and Conan finds that it will take more than his sword to win this battle. Despite the corny story, de Camp and Carter's solid rep in the sword and sorcery world will guarantee fun for fans of the series. In Sword of Skelos (1979), Conan is matched with "the beautiful and fierce" Isparana to deliver a magic amulet. The two are double-crossed and must face the evil sword that can fight on its own. Diehards aren't drawn to these books for the great plots, so this one also is worth buying, especially at this price.
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