A Witch Shall Be Born

Howard, Robert E. (Robert Ervin), 1906-1936Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 94K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Witch Shall Be Born by Robert E. HowardAuthor: Howard, Robert E. (Robert Ervin), 1906-1936,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 28, 2013

Editor's review

A Witch Shall Be Born is one of the more substantial novellas in Robert E. Howard's Conan series, set in a desert kingdom and weaving together usurpation, betrayal, and revenge. With rough, forceful prose, Howard shapes Conan into a classic heroic figure; the plot moves swiftly, alternating action sequences with schemes and intrigue, showing the early hallmarks of sword and sorcery. The witch and twin-sister device adds mistaken identity and psychological tension to what might otherwise be pure combat, and complicates the character relationships. As a free Project Gutenberg eBook, this piece is moderate in length and well suited as an entry point to Howard's work and to the origins of sword and sorcery. Readers may note how the author sustains tension through terse dialogue and scene shifts, and how he handles the two-sidedness of his female characters. For scholars of genre fiction, it can be read alongside other Conan stories to observe continuities and changes in Howard's world-building and hero-crafting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Fans of sword and sorcery fantasy and scholars of genre fiction
Readers interested in Robert E. Howard and the Conan series
Readers who enjoy strong plots such as desert adventure, usurpation, and revenge
Readers seeking a free public-domain fantasy classic in eBook form

Not a good fit for

Literary readers who prefer nuanced psychological portraiture and slow-paced narrative
Readers sensitive to violent action scenes and genre-typical characterization
Readers with limited English proficiency or unfamiliarity with early popular fantasy style

Reading tips

Learn the basic setup of the Conan series first; the character relationships are easier to follow.
Watch for the witch and twin-sister identity swap; it is key to the plot's tension.
Read alongside other Conan stories to see how Howard's hero-crafting continues.
Don't linger too long on unfamiliar words; follow the plot first, then reread closely.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this story part of the Conan series? Do I need to read other installments first?

Yes, it belongs to Robert E. Howard's Conan series. The story stands relatively on its own, with its main characters and setting established within the text, so prior reading is not required; knowing the basic Conan setup will make the reading smoother, however.

What kind of reading schedule suits this length?

It is a novella of moderate length and can be read in two or three sittings. Finish a complete plot segment each time, such as the usurpation or the unfolding of revenge, to keep the tension continuous.

What is special about the witch figure in the story?

The witch and twin-sister device creates tension through mistaken identity and the difficulty of telling true from false, so the conflict is not only martial but also about trust and recognition. This device gives the female characters a two-sidedness and is key to understanding the plot structure.

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About the author

Howard, Robert E. (Robert Ervin), 1906-1936 Author

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) was an American writer of popular fiction, best known for his sword-and-sorcery and historical adventure tales. Nine of his works are held in this collection, including The People of the Black Circle, The Hour of the Dragon, Beyond the Black River, Red Nails, Jewels of Gwahlur, A Witch Shall Be Born, Shadows in Zamboula, and Gods of the North. These stories generally center on formidable warriors, wild lands, and supernatural threats, with tight plotting, brisk pacing, dense action, and a grim atmosphere tinged with fatalism. Howard excels at creating a raw, rough-hewn sense of place within fast-moving adventure narratives, and his characters often face danger through courage and will. Because public information is limited, a full account of his life and complete body of work is difficult to provide, yet these works clearly display his distinctive storytelling style and have had a lasting influence on later fantasy and adventure literature.