Really starting to rattle through these titles and reviews. After this one, there are only five tales left! What will I do without Conan? The fear and dread are building. Let us dive into this week's short.
Title: A Witch Shall Be Born
Author: Robert E. Howard
Blurb: Robert Ervin Howard (1906-1936) was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. He is well known for having created the character Conan the Cimmerian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond. Voracious reading, along with a natural talent for prose writing and the encouragement of teachers, conspired to create in Howard an interest in becoming a professional writer. One by one he discovered the authors that would influence his later Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. It's clear from Howard's earliest writings and the recollections of his friends that he suffered from severe depression from an early age. Friends recall him defending the act of suicide as a valid alternative as early as eighteen years old. At the same time, many of his stories and poems have a suicidal gloom and intensity that seem prescient in hindsight, describing such an end not as a tragedy but as a release from hell on earth.
Format: 56 pages, E-book
Review
What a great story that was focused on something other than Conan, for a large part. The story starts with twin sisters, the first a Queen and the other a witch. The witch has ideas of grandeur and soon removes her sister from power and assumes the throne in her name. While the ousted sister is left wandering the desert, seeking aid to reclaim her throne. A simple enough sword and sorcery tale, but where is Conan?
Well, it turns out Conan is Crucified in the desert. In fact, it takes a whole chapter for him to be finally rescued. It is strange reading about him in this manner because though I know he will survive, I can't help but worry that Howard will just kill him for the sake of the story. This leads to a rather tense read early on. But now Conan is free, and we all know how it will end.
As the story unfolds, you can't help but feel for the witch. Due to a birthmark, the young child is thrown into the desert to survive on her own, ultimately leading her to hatred and magic. A self-fulfilling act, I assume. And though you can't condone deception and the overthrow of power, you can at least understand the reasons behind it.
As long-time blog readers will know by now, I love a good villain, especially a believable one, and this story has it. I really enjoyed this adventure and highly recommend it.
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