Conan the Barbarian-Conan the Sorcerer review

Conan and the Sorcerer

In this story Conan successfully completes a couple of thieving jobs and heads to an inn in the upper part of town. His main goal is to find employment, and ends up drinking wine with a scantily dressed girl named Kiliya. Off duty, Kagul, the sergeant of the watch, enters the inn with a handful of guards, and quickly becomes jealous of the Cimmerian's advances on Kiliya. A fight explodes and Conan takes to the rooftops to escape.

While moving near a window in another tavern, Conan overhears a man named Karamek and a women named Isparana whispering. He learns of their plans to steal the Eye of Erlik, wanted by the Khan of Zamboula who seeks the magical amulet because it controls his soul. Karamek and Isparana plan to steal the Eye of Erlik from Hisarr Zul, a wizard, promptly in two days. Eyes gleaming, Conan plots to steal the amulet for himself, beating the two thieves by a day. Silently, he leaves before hearing that Karamek and Isparana have changed their plans to steal the amulet tomorrow night.

Conan heads for the wizard's home and meets up with an Iranistani named Ajhindar, whom helps Conan slay the wizard's guards. Conan learns that Ajhindar also plans to steal the Eye of Erlik for Kobad Shah, king of Iranistan. Ajhindar attempts to take Conan's life and ends up springing a trap door housing is two venomous asps that strike and slay him. Conan continues on, and finds Karamek and Isparana in another chamber, already successful in stealing the Eye of Erlik. Karamek attacks and is slain by Conan while Isparana escapes. Conan attempts to follow Isparana but is caught in a clever trap and immobilized. The wizard returns and finds Conan bound by his legs in a steel floor trap. by the window. Conan attempts to negotiate, but the wizard has plans of his own. He steals Conan's soul and imprisons it in a mirror, giving him a month to return with the Eye of Erlik or lose his soul forever. Given an exact replica of the Eye of Erlik, Conan pursues Isparana across the desert.

At the Breath of Arenjun oasis, Conan encounters two men with some camels and another horse. Bedding down, the men assume Conan is asleep and attempt to rob and kill him. Conan, hearing their approach quickly rises and dispatches both men. Conan takes their treasure and horse and continues after Isparana. Conan meets a group of Turanian soldiers led by a man named Kambur, whom inform him of Isparana's position, alerting him to a short cut through the Dragon Hills called the Gorge of the Sand Lich. The gorge is said to be haunted, but Conan presses onward hoping to catch Isparana who is putting distance between her and the Cimmerian across the Dragon Hills.

Conan enters the gorge and is confronted by the sand lich, forming out of the sand and attempts to smother him. It learns of Conan's involvement with the wizard Hisarr Zul who had killed the sand lich, who happens to be the shade of Hisarr's brother, Tosya Zul. Tosya seeking revenge, tells Conan how to defeat Hisarr Zul and regain his stolen soul. Tricking the ghost into believing he is chasing Hisarr Zul instead of Isparana, spirit sends Conan through the air to the Oasis of the Shanki on the other side of the Dragon Hills, just before Isparana arrives.

Isparana arrives and fails to notice Conan hidden at the oasis. She strips naked and bathes, Conan watching with intense interest, and spies the Eye of Erlik around her neck. She falls asleep, and he gently cuts the leather thong holding the Eye in place and replaces the amulet with the fake. Isparana awakes and attempts to defend her property, and scares away the camels that Conan also attempted to steal. Isparana and Conan are now stranded at the oasis, and at this point Conan and Isparana are captured by a slave caravan. Kambur and his soldiers return and help to free Conan and Isparana. Conan returning to Arenjun with the Eye of Erlik, sends Isparana to Zamboula with Kambur. She still is unaware that she is carrying a fake amulet.

Conan returns to the wizard and offers the Eye of Erlik in return for his soul. Hisarr Zul double crosses Conan and attempts to slay him with a powder tube filled with deadly dust of the black lotus. Conan, remembering the ghost's advice to use the sorcerer's means against him, blows hard on the other end of the tube and slays Hisarr Zul instead. He the mirror containing his soul, loots the wizard's home, and sets it on fire.