Spawn of the Serpent God

Conan has fought against Gods his whole life. The little ones that try to interfere with the ways of man, and the Old Ones that nestle in other dimensions waiting for their chance to absorb the Earth. The only God that Conan has had little trouble with is Crom, his own God, and that is because Crom has better things to do that deal with humans. In Conan: Spawn of the Serpent God by Tim Waggoner, Conan is up against one of his most despicable foes once more in Set, the serpent God, and all of Set’s followers.

Conan has been many things in his life; pirate, bandit, king. At one point he was a thief and this is where we find him now, a young man learning his trade at the side of the talented burglar Valja. Working together they pull off an audacious heist and catch the eye of two sorcerers who need their expertise. What results is a standing battle with powerful Set sorcerer Uzzeran that leave them all changed. It will not be until 15 years later that Conan will be able to seek revenge.

There is something comforting in the simple violence that is Conan, which makes him a great anti-hero and the perfect protagonist for Serpent. There is a lot going on around the main character in this book to do with secret lairs, mages, magics and Old Gods, but at the centre is a man who will just attack all problems with a broadsword. As the book is set over two time periods, you do see Conan evolve from the headstrong young man, into a slightly less headstrong man in his thirties. He learns that tactics can sometimes lead to a better battle plan.

Serpent has all the ingredients I enjoy from a modern Conan tale; some great antagonists, some interesting allies, and Conan himself. Although the story is told from perspectives other than just Conan, he is the star and the book perks up when he is around. Like so many of these newer tales, we get to meet new characters, only for them to not last more than a book or two. This is exposition that could have been spent killing. It is not too prevalent in this novel, and the action remains constant.

I enjoy the meta-war that is happening in the background of this novel between Set and the other Gods. We are just their playthings, and they constantly put obstacles in Conan’s path, leading to fun action. Waggoner balances the feel of traditional Conan with a style that feels modern and moves quickly. This is a book that a fan will pick up and breeze through happily.

Having a working knowledge of the world and character of Conan is best to get the most from Serpent as you get a leg up on the various Gods and their relationships. You will also be used to being dropped into an adventure and figuring out where in the timeline you are. This is a book for fans of Conan and is great service to those that like action and Conan at his most Cimmerian. He acts as a violent oasis of calm, among the chaos of Gods that surrounds him.