Brak the Barbarian. John Jakes. Tandem (1976)

A Conan the Barbarian clone that stands firmly on its own feet and an excellent example of the genre. I bought this book long before I had ever heard of Conan, either in the comics or the original stories by Robert E. Howard and it has been a favourite of mine since I first read it thirty odd years ago. I was reminded of it while reading the reprints from Dark Horse of the various Marvel Conan comics from the 1970s. It has stood the test of time very well, re-reading it does provide a sharp antidote to nostalgia, the stories retain their flavour and strength. The opening story, The Unspeakable Shrine, sets the stage for the rest of the stories and introduces the key characters. Brak, a barbarian from the northern wastes has been exiled for mocking his peoples gods to much and has decided to make his way to Khurdisan the Golden, the richest kingdom in the world where the sun shines on beautiful women and easy plunder. In the first town he encounters, Brak is kidnapped to become a living sacrifice to the Dark One, Yob-Haggoth along with two others. Brak attracts the attention of Ariane, the daughter of Septegundus, the High Priest of Yob-Haggoth. Brak fights for his life on the alter of Yob-Haggoth with literally explosive results and gains the undying enmity of both Septegundus and Ariane. The rest of the stories are more adventures of Brak as he continues on the road to Khurdisan.

In any genre, originality is not at a premium, they key to success if how effectively the writer works within the constrains of the form. John Jakes delivers great sword and sorcery stories, they fit exactly into the mould, they are as predictable as they should be and mightily satisfying for the fan of the genre. They are a very precious thing, excellent sword and sorcery stories, the prose is loud and purple in the extreme, evil is vivid and horrible to see, a savage is more civilised than most city dwellers, more honourable in his dealings and ultimately has the courage to fight when it counts. This is high quality modern pulp and worth getting if you should come across it lurking in the depths of a second-hand bookshop.