''Conan the Rebel'' is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novel by American writer

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in July 1980. It was reprinted once by Bantam (1981) and twice by Ace Books (1988, 1991). The first hardcover edition was published 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, and is the largest publisher of Chinese sci ...

in 2001; a trade paperback followed from the same publisher in 2003. The first British edition was published by

Sphere Books Sphere Books is the name of two British paperback publishers. History The original Sphere Books was launched in 1966 by Thomson Corporation. Sphere was sold to Pearson PLC in 1985 and became part of Penguin. The name was retired in 1990. In 19 ...

in 1988.

Plot summary

''Conan the Rebel'' details the involvement of Conan in a rebellion in the kingdom of Stygia, on account of his lover, the pirate queen Bêlit. Having taken upon himself the task of rescuing Bêlit's brother from captivity, Conan finds himself enmeshed in the affairs of the rebel province of Taia, where he conveniently fits into their legend of a savior from the north. Meanwhile, the priests of Stygia, prompted by an oracle of their god Set branding Conan a threat, want to capture Conan, and the king, to whom the unrest is a distraction from his scheme to invade Ophir, also has it in for him. Chronologically, the story occurs between chapters 1 and 2 of the Robert E. Howard Conan story "

Queen of the Black Coast "Queen of the Black Coast" 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 c. May 1934. During the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age, Co ...

". Bêlit, aside from getting the action going, is almost entirely absent from the ensuing adventure.

Reception

Reviewer

Don D'Ammassa Donald Eugene D'Ammassa (born April 24, 1946) is an American fantasy, science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts ...

noted "There are some very contrived plot devices but overall this was an entertaining adventure."

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

felt that it didn't live up to Howard's creation but that fans would enjoy it.

References

External links

Page at Fantastic Fiction
1980 American novels 1980 fantasy novels Conan the Barbarian novels American fantasy novels Novels by Poul Anderson Bantam Books books {{1980s-fantasy-novel-stub