We see a lot of character growth in the others, and that is possibly the most interesting part of this novel. This helps to build a good story where Coleman keeps the action moving from scene to scene in a continual flow.Ĭoleman does a wonderful job evolving characters and keeping both them, and the world they inhabit, believable. By now, the reader is familiar with the members of Kern's 'pack', and as the tale continues, they start to grow on you. Where the first book was primarily about Kern's exile and journey, his pack forming around him, Cimmerian Rage gives the reader a wider view of Cimmeria and the people/politics within it. On page 62 of the third book, he says the Black Mountains form the border with the Border Kingdom, but later claims the Hoath Plateau and the Field of Chiefs lies EAST of those mountains (placing them in the Border Kingdom) (pg 35 and 234). Virtually all the geography is at odds with prior materials because of the misplacement of Ben Morgh and the Black Mountains (for example, the Pass of Blood would go into Asgard, not Vanaheim, and much of the plot revolves around Vanir raiders).Ĭoleman seems confused about his own geography. Prior books establish the Black Mountains as the border between Cimmeria and Pictland (and the source of the Black River), but Coleman treats the range as the border of Cimmeria and Border Kingdom.Ĭoleman claims the Murrogh Clan have no interest in horses, but the clan's creator, John Maddox Roberts, claims they cared enough about horses to start a feud with Conan's clan over them. John Maddox Roberts establishes Ben Morgh in the north-east of Cimmeria (and the valley of Conall), but Coleman moves it to the north-west. He continually calls Conan's clan "Conarch" but John Maddox Roberts established it as "Conach." Howard described as having ivory skin.Īlso, he can't even get the spelling of Conan's clan correct. Twice in the trilogy he mentions the ebony skin of Belit - a woman Robert E. His Cimmerians wear ponchos, which seem wildly out of place for the culture, and the author misidentifies the Shemites as a black race. Honestly, it makes the author look as though he has no command of the English language at all. While I understand that the use of a sentence fragment can be effective when used sparingly, this author has written an entire trilogy comprised almost entirely of fragments! At least one out of three sentences are fragmented throughout this novel (and the series). I found this book difficult to read because of all the sentence fragments. But the overarching story, from the first novel, isn't moved forward in a meaningful way. You get to experience more of the interesting milieu and culture of the Cimmerians. One character dies (I won't spoil it) and I found myself actually moved. The characters are interesting and you get involved in their fates. Coleman uses a lot of sentence fragments so the narrative is somewhat stilted. Despite this horrible treatment, Kern ends up becoming a war leader, rallying several Cimmerian tribes to fight against Grimnir Stormbringer. The first volume is how Kern, a half-Cimmerian, is exiled from his village because he has Ymirish blood. near the end of his legendary career as a soldier of fortune. At the time of these novels Conan is the King of the most civilized nation, Aquilonia, i.e. Although Conan isn't a character in these novels, he is mentioned as a kind of myth. Howard stories, is somewhat vague and ill-defined. The first novel introduces the reader to the land of Cimmeria, Conan's homeland, which, in the original Robert E. The first novel is definitely worth the read if you're into Conan the Cimmerian and play Age of Conan, the MMORPG set in the Hyborian Age, Conan's world. This second volume of the "Legend of Kern" trilogy wasn't as entertaining as the first one but it might be worth it.
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