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Dark Storm Conan Chronology Books in Order

Part ofRobert E Howard Books in Order

Follow 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

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16 books

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

7

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.

8

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.

9

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.

10

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.

11

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.

12

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.

13

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.

14

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.

15

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.

16

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

  1. Book cover for "The Phoenix on the Sword"

    The Phoenix on the Sword

    by Robert E Howard

    1932Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Scarlet Citadel"

    The Scarlet Citadel

    by Robert E Howard

    1933Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Black Colossus"

    Black Colossus

    by Robert E Howard

    1933Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Rogues in the House"

    Rogues in the House

    by Robert E Howard

    1934Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Shadows In The Moonlight"

    Shadows In The Moonlight

    by Robert E Howard

    1934Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Beyond the Black River"

    Beyond the Black River

    by Robert E Howard

    1935Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Shadows In Zamboula"

    Shadows In Zamboula

    by Robert E Howard

    1935Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Hour of the Dragon"

    The Hour of the Dragon

    by Robert E Howard

    1936Dark Storm Conan Chronology, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "The People of the Black Circle"

    The People of the Black Circle

    by Robert E Howard

    1974Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 2
  10. Book cover for "The Tower of the Elephant"

    The Tower of the Elephant

    by Robert E Howard

    1975Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 4
  11. Book cover for "Red Nails"

    Red Nails

    by Robert E Howard

    1975Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 5
  12. Book cover for "Conan in The Devil in Iron"

    Conan in The Devil in Iron

    by Robert E Howard

    1976Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 6
  13. Book cover for "Rogues in the House Conan"

    Rogues in the House Conan

    by Robert E Howard

    1976Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 7
  14. Book cover for "Queen of the Black Coast"

    Queen of the Black Coast

    by Robert E Howard

    1978Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 8
  15. Book cover for "Jewels of Gwahlur"

    Jewels of Gwahlur

    by Robert E Howard

    1979Conan (Donald M. Grant), Book 9
  16. Book cover for "The Pool of the Black One"

    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

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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