Gardner F. Fox

Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories.

Kothar the Cumberian. With a name like that you might suspect that this character is a Conan knockoff. Well, in this case, if you thought that, you would pretty much suspect-o correct-o. He leads a defensive force against an invading wizard and narrowly loses. One difference is that he has a magic sword. A lich offers it to him to use to save the queen whose army has just been destroyed. He'd rather keep the sword than have the princedom she offers him for rescuing her wizard. He also gets paid to go treasure hunting, and finds a minotaur, and deals with a witch woman in a wood, and actually gets to go sword to sword with a sorcerous baron.

It's a barbarian fantasy novel, second in the series. I knew what to expect and Gardner F. Fox delivers a good tale as usual. This is not great literature, but as a quick read for enjoyment it is ideal. Kothar is like a simplified Conan-clone. I liked this book a lot, but the second story has less substance than the first.

In exchange for sharing the throne, Kothar the Magnificent Barbarian is challenged by the Demon Queen to return the mysterious god Xixthur--source of eternal youth--from the clutches of the thieving Tor Domnus in the city of Urgal. Little does either know that the theft of Xixthur was engineered by the mighty Mindos Omthol, who has his own plans for the god and for the Demon Queen.

Nothing really original here but it was fun S&S.

"Someone--or something--was systematically killing all the world's magicians. Kothar, the blond barbarian, had to link up with his enemy, the she-devil temptress Red Lori, to find and vanquish the slayer. Beautiful Lori was his partner but Kothar's best friend was still his magic sword Frostfire"

This book is one of many that came out in the 70's in response to the popularity of the Lancer/Ace editions of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories (with edits and additions by DeCamp and Co.). For the most part, Fox's character is a pretty standard Clonan-type. Hulking barbarian swordsman. Yet, this character is also a Warlock. And even though he actually doesn't do anything magical, just knowing that he can sets him slightly apart, and makes him somewhat unique. I would say that Kyrik probably shares more in common with Karl wagner's Kane, but is much less dark. The book is a very slim, and thus a very quick read. From a literary point of view, it's nothing of note. But then, that's not what we read these books for, is it?

I read this book when I was in middle school. It was awesome. After re-reading as an adult, I have to say that it is not as awesome as I remember. Still, it was fun to re-read.

Kyrik, the mighty warrior, met a lovely woman who appeared to be his gypsy lover Myrnis. But then she disappeared, and Kyrik met another woman who looked just like her. Was this the real Myrnis, or the Lost Queen? The two embarked on a search for the answers, which led them to a strange land where the lovely Myrnis was ruling, under a wizard's spell. Which was the real Myrnis? Sword and sorcery at its thrilling best.

Objectively, this book is a terrible 3rd rate conan rip off, but like the kothar books, it has such a gleeful crappiness, terrible laugh out loud dialog, and all, that it could have been satire. The words 'thewed', 'warboot' and 'horseflesh' are used repetively, and with abandon. The real problem with this one is the really thin plot token quest style plot which is really bland, even for the genre.