Book Review 244 // Beyond the Black River by Robert E. Howard

I think I have to say this aloud. This is possibly my favourite Conan to date. There it is out there for the world to see, judge me as you see fit!

Title: Beyond the Black River

Author: Robert E. Howard

Blurb: Conan the Barbarian is employed by one of the civilized countries to help in its push to claim lands from the primitive Picts. The Picts are not excited about the idea, however. Old gods and mythical creatures are called up by the Pict witches to contest the invading army, and Conan finds himself battling for his life amid the blood-thirsty hordes that include sabre-toothed tigers, 40-foot-long venomous snakes and a demon from another dimension who is intent on crushing him. The huge dog Slasher appears here and distinguishes himself so well in a doomed battle to delay their forces that Conan openly praises his courage and pledges that 7 Pict heads will roll in his honour. 

E-book via my affiliate store.

Review

By now you know I have read a lot of Conan back-to-back. And I stand by my announcement that this is my favourite so far (still time for a surprise winner). I found Beyond the Black River to be fast-paced and truly intriguing. The story is captivating and it held me the entire time. Spoilers are coming like all my reviews so be warned.

Conan as mentioned in the blurb is hired by the Aquilonian army as a soldier and a scout in their war against the Picts. Unfortunately for Conan, he is part of an undermanned garrison that is about to be besieged by the forces of Zogar Sag. A Pict Wizard, who through the strength of arms and magic has amassed an army of huge proportions. To make it even more challenging Zogar has also used his magic to control wild beasts and we see the animal kingdom rising up against the Aquilonians as well. As the adventure unfolds, Conan is tasked with killing the wizard, saving his friends and ultimately hating the Aquilonian nobility just a little bit more.

In a surprise twist, there was no damsel in distress and I feel this helped the title. Yes, it is a simple straightforward Sword and Sorcery. But it is excellently crafted and reads like Howard has found his voice and style. I can't help but notice the similarities between this and Westerns, which I assume Howard was inspired by, but I feel it may even go deeper than that. This story has a true "colonizer" feel to it that sadly hits home no matter how you read it.

Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading.

Book Review 156 // The Descendants (The Descendants #1) by Destiny Hawkins

Continuing my adventures into new to me titles and authors comes The Descendants by Destiny Hawkins. Following a brief chat with Destiny Hawkins via Instagram, she kindly donated an e-copy of her book in exchange for an honest review. I was going into this book pretty blind; all I knew was that there are two novellas and two main titles so far. Here are the details.

Title: The Descendants (The Descendants #1)

Author: Destiny Hawkins

Fluff: To be powerless…

I've always wondered what it would be like to step outside of the walls of Lytonia. They were meant to protect us from the dangers of the Wild Lands, but if anything, we were all being imprisoned. Especially within the heavily guarded walls of Monroe Academy, a school meant to teach us how to develop and improve our powers through severe methods using torture.

Pain is something that I suffer from almost every day, but in the Lighter Nation, I can't show any signs of weakness. Especially not in my condition. I'm surrounded by others with special abilities, none of which I have developed, and as a penalty for my lack of power, I've been branded a Null, a nothing, and at the time, the only one of my kind.

Suicide was becoming the better option next to living more and more each day. Being bullied, tortured, and in constant fear of being made a slave to my very torturer made breathing seem pointless… but then I met Soren…

And found myself fighting for air.

Page Count: 162 pages

Format: Kindle Edition

Review

Now this book ticks a couple of my boxes, fantasy and the dystopian world; one issue I was worried about going into this title was the Young Adult apart. One of two things was bound to happen, I would love it and be on board, or it would miss the mark but be perfect for a teen audience. Let's see which way it goes.

Straight up, the setting is exciting and intriguing. The idea of the elites having a gift is nothing new, but the idea of harnessing and training the young "lighters" through the use of torture is utterly unknown to me. The world itself seems wide open for exploring, while the walls of Monroe Academy seem to hold enough secrets to fill multiple books. The initial chapters are slow-building, getting us used to this new world and the society within. It is also rather tense as Rayah struggles with torture, bullying, stress, and suicidal thoughts. This is some deep, dark reading, but soon the story pacing picks up, our lead discovers a broader world and one that seems to have a role for her to play.

A big downside to this story is the page 162 pages goes too quickly. This is appropriately the point, as it is meant to hold a teenager's attention, not mine. In my opinion, this book is perfect for that demographic, with plenty of teenage issues, drama and some action.

Am I going to rush to get the next title? No, I don't think I will, but I may be tempted enough to purchase if I come across it. What are your thoughts, something you would read or would you give it a miss? Let me know.