fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures.
The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
novel written by American writer
Sean A. Moore
Sean A. Moore (April 20, 1964 – February 23, 1998) was an American fantasy and science fiction writer, and computer programmer. His primary significance as a writer is for his three pastiche novels featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery ...
, featuring
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was an American writer who wrote pulp magazine, pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He created the character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sor ...
's
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of Romance (love), romance, Magic (fantasy), magic, and the supernatural are also ...
hero
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
. It was first published in trade paperback by
Tor Books
Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles.
History
Tor was founded by Tom Doherty, ...
in November 1996; a regular paperback edition followed from the same publisher in November 1997.
Plot
In the prelude, taking place 3,000 years before Conan's time, a raiding army from the empire of Acheron descend on the city of Nithia, located near an oasis deep within the desert, inhabited by worshippers of the peaceful and benevolent god, Ibis. The warriors systematically massacre the entire population, their goal being to gain possession of the Grim Grey God - an extremely powerful and evil artifact with mystical properties, which the priests have guarded for many centuries (not to use it, but to prevent it from being used). The Acheronian general, having killed all the priests, holds up the artifact and gloats over his victory. Fortunately, a spell unleashed by the murdered Arch-Priest of Ibis drowns him, his soldiers, and the entire city in sand.
Nithia remains buried under the desert for three thousand years, a fabled "City of Brass" whose location no one knows. Eventually, a gust of wind uncovers it. Soon, Nithia is rediscovered by a passing smuggler - and a map drawn by the smuggler falls into the hands of a pirate captain named Conan. To him, the statue of the Grim Grey God reputedly buried in Nithia's ruins represents treasure - he isn't initially aware of its dark powers. However, rivals also seek to plunder all of Nithia, including Jade, empress of the thieves' guild, Toj the assassin, and two necromancers (one of whom is Conan's recurring foe,
Thoth-Amon
"The Phoenix on the Sword" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in ''Weird Tales'' magazine in December 1932. The tale, in which Howard created the charac ...
) convinced that the statue will give them the power to restore their reign of darkness over the world, as in the days of ancient Acheron. The climax involves an ancient warrior restored to life and a world-wide threat which only Conan can overcome.
Reception
Reviewer
Don D'Ammassa
Donald Eugene D'Ammassa (born April 24, 1946) is an American fantasy, science fiction and horror critic and author.D'Ammassa, Don "Conan and the Grim Grey God" (review o . Oct. 9, 2017.
Relation to "The God in the Bowl"
"
The God in the Bowl
"The God in the Bowl" is one of the original short stories featuring the sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard but not published during his lifetime. Set during the fictional Hyborian Age, the ...
", one of the original Howard stories, introduced the god Ibis. A mysterious person in Stygia sent a strange bowl-like
sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...
(said to be a priceless relic found among the darkened tombs far beneath the Stygian
pyramid
A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...
s) to Caranthes of Hanumar, Priest of Ibis, "because of the love which the sender bore the priest of Ibis". In fact, this sender bore the opposite of love, the "gift" was a supernatural booby trap intended to kill the priest - but it was opened while on the way in Nemedia, caused the death of an innocent bystander, and was eventually disposed of by Conan's sword. Howard did little more with the god Ibis and his priests in the rest of the canonical Conan stories, but the above information sufficed to provide the foundation on which the elaborate structure of the present book was erected.