Shadows in the Moonlight

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

42188

Title

Shadows in the Moonlight

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this swashbuckling tale, Conan the Cimmerian rescues a captive girl from a Hyrkanian warlord and flees into the treacherous marshes of Vilayet. Together, they face pirates, storms, and terrifying supernatural guardians while navigating a world where civilization often yields to barbaric survival.

Summary up to 500 words

In Robert E. Howard's "Shadows in the Moonlight," the narrative begins with Olivia, a captive of the Hyrkanian warlord Shah Amurath, fleeing into the marshes of Vilayet. Her escape is interrupted by Conan, a Cimmerian barbarian and mercenary who has just slain Shah Amurath in a frenzy of vengeance. Taking Olivia aboard a small boat, Conan rows them away from pursuing Hyrkanian riders, setting a course toward the uninhabited steppes to evade the kingdom's forces. Their journey leads them to an island dotted with ancient ruins. Here, the story takes a supernatural turn. Olivia suffers a harrowing nightmare of a tortured youth before waking to find the stone statues within the ruins coming to life under the moonlight. Fleeing these undead sentinels, the pair is soon attacked by a giant, man-eating gray ape dwelling in the nearby hills. Conan engages the beast in a brutal struggle, severing its arm before finally killing it with a thrust to its throat. After the ape attack, they discover a Hyrkanian pirate galley anchored nearby. The pirates, demoralized by the island's horrors and the supernatural threats they faced, are too terrified to fight. Conan, having slain their leader in single combat, claims command of the vessel. Recognizing Conan's strength and the reality of the supernatural dangers, the pirates swear allegiance to him. Olivia, an outcast from her own people who was sold into slavery, chooses to remain with Conan, embracing her role as a wanderer and pariah alongside him. Conan declares her his Queen of the Blue Sea. Together, they set sail, leaving the haunted island behind and venturing into the unknown waters, united by their status as outcasts in a world filled with danger and mystery.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Adventure
• Fiction