Dark Storm Conan Chronology Books in Order
Part ofRobert E Howard Books in OrderFollow the Dark Storm Conan Chronology by Robert E. Howard, with Conan books in life order, short summaries, background, and starting points.
Last updated: June 29, 2026
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Dark Storm Conan Chronology books in publication order
16 books
The Phoenix on the Sword
by Robert E Howard
1932
Already king, Conan uncovers a conspiracy against his throne while an older, darker power stirs in the shadows. This is the tale that first introduced Conan to readers.
Black Colossus
by Robert E Howard
1933
A princess, an army, and a resurrected wizard pull Conan into command on the eve of invasion. It is military fantasy with fast pacing and just enough dread behind the banners.
The Scarlet Citadel
by Robert E Howard
1933
King Conan is captured after a disastrous battle and thrown into a dungeon of sorcery. Escape means surviving monsters below ground and reclaiming his kingdom above it.
Rogues in the House
by Robert E Howard
1934
Conan takes a crooked job in a city full of corrupt men and secret agendas. Then Thak, the man-killing ape, turns an intrigue story into sheer panic.
Shadows In The Moonlight
by Robert E Howard
1934
Shipwrecked on an island of black ruins, Conan and Olivia face statues that may not be statues at all. Howard keeps the setup simple and milks it for eerie, moonlit dread.
Beyond the Black River
by Robert E Howard
1935
Conan serves on a raw frontier where settlers, scouts, and Picts fight for every mile of ground. It is one of Howard's bleakest Conan stories, more survival tale than treasure hunt.
Shadows In Zamboula
by Robert E Howard
1935
Hungry streets, hidden cults, and a city that eats travelers alive make this one of Conan's nastier adventures. Conan starts by dodging danger and ends by cutting through the whole rotten system.
The Hour of the Dragon
by Robert E Howard
1936
Conan's kingdom falls to a revived sorcerer, and the king must escape, regroup, and strike back. It is Howard's only full-length Conan novel, broad in scope but still fiercely fast.
The People of the Black Circle
by Robert E Howard
1974
Conan kidnaps a Vendhyan princess and stumbles into a war with the Black Seers of Yimsha. What starts as bandit business turns into one of Howard's darkest, most magical Conan adventures.
Red Nails
by Robert E Howard
1975
Conan and the swordswoman Valeria flee into the lost city of Xuchotl, where two decaying factions have been killing each other for generations. Escape means surviving a maze of feuds, traps, and old madness.
The Tower of the Elephant
by Robert E Howard
1975
Young Conan breaks into a legendary tower to steal a priceless gem. Instead he finds a dying alien captive, strange sorcery, and a burglary that turns unexpectedly tragic.
Conan in The Devil in Iron
by Robert E Howard
1976
Drawn to a haunted island fortress, Conan finds a kidnapped woman and an ancient evil waking from the past. It's a lean adventure of pirates, ruins, and a demon that refuses to stay buried.
Rogues in the House Conan
by Robert E Howard
1976
A thief, a priest, and a politician all try to use Conan for their own ends. Then the ape-man Thak gets loose, and the whole crooked scheme turns savage.
Queen of the Black Coast
by Robert E Howard
1978
Fleeing the law, Conan joins the pirate queen Bêlit and finds both love and danger on the Black Coast. Their raids lead them toward a jungle river and a buried horror older than either of them.
Jewels of Gwahlur
by Robert E Howard
1979
Conan enters a crumbling shrine in search of the fabled Teeth of Gwahlur. Priests, thieves, and false miracles close in as greed turns a treasure hunt into a deadly trap.
The Pool of the Black One
by Robert E Howard
1986
As captain of a pirate crew, Conan lands on an eerie island where captives vanish into a black pool. The rescue becomes a fight against a place that changes people in monstrous ways.
Dark Storm Conan Chronology books in chronological order

The Phoenix on the Sword
by Robert E Howard
1932Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 1
The Scarlet Citadel
by Robert E Howard
1933Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 2
Black Colossus
by Robert E Howard
1933Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 3
Rogues in the House
by Robert E Howard
1934Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 4
Shadows In The Moonlight
by Robert E Howard
1934Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 5
Beyond the Black River
by Robert E Howard
1935Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 6
Shadows In Zamboula
by Robert E Howard
1935Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 7
The Hour of the Dragon
by Robert E Howard
1936Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 8
The People of the Black Circle
by Robert E Howard
1974Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 2
The Tower of the Elephant
by Robert E Howard
1975Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 4
Red Nails
by Robert E Howard
1975Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 5
Conan in The Devil in Iron
by Robert E Howard
1976Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 6
Rogues in the House Conan
by Robert E Howard
1976Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 7
Queen of the Black Coast
by Robert E Howard
1978Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 8
Jewels of Gwahlur
by Robert E Howard
1979Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 9
The Pool of the Black One
by Robert E Howard
1986Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 10
Series background & context
The Dark Storm Conan Chronology is not a separate Conan story cycle. It is a way of arranging the Conan material so that the events line up as a life story, from Conan's youngest roaming years to his time on the throne.
The idea is usually associated with Dale Rippke, who looked closely at Howard's internal clues, geography, character references, and stage of life hints to place the stories in a tighter order. Instead of reading by original publication or by whichever paperback you happen to find first, this approach asks a different question: when would this adventure have happened to Conan himself?
That makes the series feel different. Conan's growth becomes easier to track. You can watch the reckless thief turn into a seasoned wanderer, then a mercenary captain, pirate, frontier fighter, and eventually king. Stories that feel scattered in publication order start to read like chapters from a rough, violent biography.
It also means dealing with gray areas. Howard did not leave behind one final, official sequence for every tale, and later editors added fragments, completions, and alternate versions that do not always fit neatly. So this chronology is best treated as a thoughtful reading map, not holy law.
That is why this page is useful. It helps readers who want Conan as a developing life rather than a grab bag of famous episodes. If you like seeing where each adventure sits in the bigger arc, the Dark Storm order is one of the most interesting ways to read him.
Edited by
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