Conan and the Manhunters

Plot

Conan, imprisoned by satrap Torgat Khan, escapes and returns to his band of rogues he leads in the deserts southwest of Turan. Subsequently they plot to loot Khan's treasury, held in the temple of the sinister cult of Ahriman. Persuaded that sorcerous aid will be needed to ensure success, Conan agrees to accept the help of the wizard Volvolicus and his daughter Layla. After stealing the treasure the band is pursued by the Manhunters, a band of bounty hunters with specialized skills led by a captain even more powerful than Conan himself.

Reception

Don D'Ammassa, writing of Roberts' Conan novels, noted that "[a]lthough Roberts did not recreate Howard's character exactly, making him more intellectual and less inclined to solve every problem by hitting it with a sword, his evocation of the barbaric setting is superior to that of most of the other writers contributing to the series."

Writing of some other Tor Conan novels, reviewer Ryan Harvey called Roberts "the most consistently successful of its stable of authors," and "the most consistently entertaining" of them, showing "deft ability with storytelling and action scenes, and a thankful tendency not to overplay his hand and try to ape Robert E. Howard’s style."