The Hour of the Dragon

The Hour of the Dragon is a fantasy tale written by Robert Ervin Howard and first published in 1935.

When a cabal of plotters uses forbidden rites to revive an ancient sorcerer, a hard-won crown is swept away overnight. The fallen ruler is driven into flight through prisons, battlefields, and borderlands, while the continent trembles under the fusion of necromancy and political ambition.

To reclaim the throne, the exile must hunt a legendary jewel whose power can undo the sorcerer’s dominion. The journey unfurls as a relentless quest across courts, catacombs, and war-torn kingdoms, blending intrigue, duels, and desperate alliances against the pull of doom.

Widely regarded as a pinnacle of sword-and-sorcery storytelling, the novel marries high adventure with a stark meditation on power—how it is seized, sanctified, and lost. Its momentum, atmosphere, and world-building make it a vivid showcase of Howard’s epic scope and dark glamour.

"The long tapers flickered, sending the black shadows wavering along the walls, and the velvet tapestries rippled. Yet there was no wind in the chamber. Four men stood about the ebony table on which lay the green sarcophagus that gleamed like carven jade. "