7.8 /10 1 Votes
Language English Publication date 1979 Pages 209 pp. Originally published 1979 Publisher Bantam Books Country United States of America | 3.9/5 Goodreads Series Conan the Barbarian Media type Print (Paperback) ISBN 0-553-12026-3 Cover artist Bob Larkin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genres Fiction, Fantasy, Sword and sorcery Similar Works by Karl Edward Wagner, Sword and sorcery books, Other books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Road of Kings is a fantasy novel written by Karl Edward Wagner featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books in October 1979. Later paperback editions were issued by Ace Books (1987) and Tor Books 2001. The first trade paperback edition was published by Warner Books in 1989. The first British edition was published by Sphere Books (1986, reissued 1989). Aside from the Bantam and Tor editions all other editions were issued under the variant title Conan: The Road of Kings.
Plot
The novel features Conan during his buccaneering days. He becomes involved in thwarting a plot to take over the turbulent kingdom of Zingara, complicated by sorcery rooted in the long lost realm of Acheron. At the end of the story he himself has the opportunity to take the Zingaran throne, but uncharacteristically turns it down.