The pulse-pounding return of Conan, the most iconic fantasy hero in popular culture, with a brand-new illustrated standalone novel by New York Times bestselling author S.M. Stirling, tied directly to the famous tales written by Robert E. Howard. Mercenary, thief, soldier, usurperCONAN OF CIMMERIAAs sword for hire for a mercenary troop, Conan finds himself in Sukhmet, a filthy backwater town south of the River Styx considered "e;the arse-end of Stygia."e; Serving in the company known as Zarallo's Free Companions, he fights alongside soldiers of fortune from Zingara, Koth, Shem, and other lands-a hard-handed band of killers loyal to anyone who pays them well. In a Sukhmet tavern he encounters one soldier in particular-Valeria of the Red Brotherhood, a veteran of freebooters with whom Conan also sailed, launching raids out of the Barachan Isles on the Western Sea. Valeria's reputation is that of a deadly swordswoman, a notoriety she quickly proves to be accurate. When she runs afoul of an exiled Stygian noble, however, things take a deadly turn, embroiling them both in the schemes of a priest of the serpent god Set. The first new Conan novel in more than a decade, Blood of the Serpent leads directly into one of Robert E. Howard's most famous sword-and-sorcery adventures, "e;Red Nails."e; As a bonus feature that story, as well, is included in this volume.