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Synopsis
"A Witch Shall Be Born" is one of the original sword and sorcery novellas by Robert E. Howard about Conan the Cimmerian. It was written in only a few days in spring of 1934 and first published in Weird Tales in December 1934.The story concerns a witch replacing her twin sister as queen of a city state, which brings her into conflict with Conan who had been the captain of the queen's guard. Themes of paranoia, and the duality of the twin sisters, are paramount in this story but it also includes elements of the conflict between barbarism and civilization that is common to the entire Conan series.
Is A Witch Shall Be Born appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
Classic pulp sword and sorcery featuring strong violence, bloody combat, and dark themes. Conan stories typically include graphic battle scenes, torture, and morally complex situations without modern content warnings.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include torture, graphic violence, and murder (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens who love action-packed classic fantasy with a legendary barbarian hero fighting against dark magic and evil will find this thrilling.