Preview

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

The Bloody Crown of Conan

By: Robert E. Howard
Narrated by: Todd McLaren
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.63

Buy for $20.63

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

In his hugely influential and tempestuous career, Robert E. Howard created the genre that came to be known as sword and sorcery - and brought to life one of fantasy's boldest and most enduring figures: Conan the Cimmerian, reaver, slayer, barbarian, king. This volume gathers together three of Howard's longest and most famous Conan stories:

"The People of the Black Circle": Amid the towering crags of Vendhya, in the shadowy citadel of the Black Circle, Yasmina of the golden throne seeks vengeance against the Black Seers. Her only ally is also her most formidable enemy - Conan, the outlaw chief.

"The Hour of the Dragon": Toppled from the throne of Aquilonia by the evil machinations of an undead wizard, Conan must find the fabled jewel known as the Heart of Ahriman to reclaim his crown...and save his life.

"A Witch Shall Be Born": A malevolent witch of evil beauty. An enslaved queen. A kingdom in the iron grip of ruthless mercenaries. And Conan, who plots deadly vengeance against the human wolf who left him in the desert to die.

©2003 Conan Properties International, LLC. (P)2009 Tantor
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Bloody Crown of Conan

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    398
  • 4 Stars
    162
  • 3 Stars
    97
  • 2 Stars
    34
  • 1 Stars
    14
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    301
  • 4 Stars
    103
  • 3 Stars
    71
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    8
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    317
  • 4 Stars
    114
  • 3 Stars
    45
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Conan must read

Robert E. Howard some of his best work slashing and hacking blood & gore
Greatest work for Conan fans every where

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Conan King of Aqulonia

Loved it! Robert E. Howard was a master storyteller. The narrator does an excellent job. Hour of the Dragon is a spectacular piece of storytelling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Don't read this if you're a Tolkien or Martin fan.

When your listening you realize that the authors of Game of Thrones & Lord of the Rings cannibalized the Conan stories. When I finished all 3 books I was ashamed that I liked either series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A must for fantasy and conan fans

A must for fantasy and Conan fans, with some of Robert E Howard more in depth Conan tales, this is great writing beautifully produced.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic and Essential

Howard is the blueprint for all Sword&Sorcery. He is the earth upon which giants stand!

The second Conan book in a collection of Robert E. Howard stories that is as important as the first. People often say that a good writers stand on the shoulders of giants. Howard is the earth on which the giants of High Fantasy and Sword&Sorcery stand. He is the big bang that sparked a whole new genera during his short time on earth.

If your a fan of Fantasy and Weird Fiction then this is one of three essential authors you must read. The other two being H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith who were Howard's contemporaries and friends.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fine performance with one small nit-pick

This definitive series is doubtless the best version of Howard’s Conan, presented as it is in order of publication. The performance here is superb with one minor exception: The word “Celt” is pronounced like kelt, not selt, unless you’re just a baseball fan. And that word is used a lot in this volume. Be prepared to grind your teeth a bit when being yanked out of Howard’s world by this and other mispronunciations. Once I could let this go the experience became top notch.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unbelievable

As great as always. I'm listening to a nearly one hundred year old story from an author who made meager wages on various short stories, when he may have been a millionaire in this age. His talent reveals that. Such a shame he died so tragically by his own hand when something much larger than life was created by the same. I pray for your soul, Howard, and am grateful for the work you did. The Conan stories are truly phenomenal.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome! Crom and Steel! Long live Conan!

Three great (and longer than usual) Conan stories. The narration by Todd McLaren is as great as usual. Long live Conan. "Crom and Steel!!!!"

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Wonderful presentation of the best Conan material

This book contains some of the most polished Conan stories ever written. Such a collection of Howard's unadulterated Conan tales has been a long time in coming. For those new to the exploits of Conan this collection is wonderful place to start.

Todd McLaren is equal to the task of conveying the atmosphere of the Hyborian Age with his range of masculine emotions. He has the requisite deep bass and emotive snarl for these characters. His voice for Conan is dead-on perfect.

Long time fans of Conan will especially enjoy three essays by Patrice Louinet that are included at the end of the book. These essays provide an important literary analysis of Howard and his work. Howard is finally getting the credit that fans have long known he deserves.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The longer Conan stories done well

Not as good a modulation of voices for different characters as other performers, but decent enough. The stories are always action packed but are typical escapism and rely on highly unlikely circumstance just coming true. Not as noticeably in one story, but the more you listen to in a row the more apparent it becomes.

As always, scantily clad women swooning in the arms of Conan and Howard's editor even toned down some of the sexuality originally written into the stories.

Technically, Celtic can be pronounced with a S sound like the basketball team and the football team, but more normal usage is to pronounce it with a K sound. Dictionaries will list both with the K sound preferred. The performer consistently uses the s sound which I do not prefer,

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful