Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria

Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria follows the adventures of barbarian warrior Thongor as he faces threats across the prehistoric lost continent of Lemuria. He must confront deadly creatures, dark sorcery, and ancient powers while trying to survive in a harsh primordial world. The narrative centers on Thongor's quest as he travels through cities, jungles, and wastelands seeking to overcome a looming magical menace. Along the way, he encounters strange civilizations and monstrous beasts drawn from sword-and-sorcery traditions. The book takes place in Earth's distant past, in a setting that combines elements of sword-and-sorcery with lost world fiction. Carter builds a prehistoric realm complete with dragon-riders, forgotten kingdoms, and mystical forces. This pulp fantasy novel explores classic themes of civilization versus barbarism, and the eternal struggle between sorcery and human determination. The story follows genre conventions while celebrating the raw adventure style of earlier sword-and-sorcery works.

Readers describe this as a straightforward sword-and-sorcery adventure that borrows heavily from Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. Many note it as a fun but derivative pulp novel. Readers appreciated: - Fast-paced action sequences - Classic sword-and-sorcery tropes - Short length and quick reading pace Common criticisms: - Very similar plot and character elements to Conan books - Basic writing style with repetitive descriptions - Thin character development - Too many convenient plot solutions Ratings averages: Goodreads: 3.4/5 (220+ ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (30+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "A guilty pleasure that doesn't pretend to be anything more than adventure fiction" - Goodreads reviewer "Reads like Conan fan fiction" - Amazon reviewer "Fun if you don't take it too seriously" - LibraryThing review

Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard A warrior battles sorcerers and monsters across a prehistoric world inspired by the same sword-and-sorcery traditions as Thongor.

At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs A adventurer discovers a prehistoric world beneath the Earth's surface with strange creatures and lost civilizations.

The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock A hero fights across multiple incarnations in ancient worlds filled with magic and forgotten technologies.

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks A quest through a post-apocalyptic world that evolved back into a sword and sorcery setting with lost civilizations and ancient magic.

Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat by Ernest Bramah Tales of a wandering storyteller in a mythical ancient China showcase adventure and sorcery in a lost age.

🗡️ The character Thongor was directly inspired by Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, with Lin Carter openly acknowledging his debt to Howard's work while creating his own sword-and-sorcery hero. 🌏 The book is set in Lemuria, a mythical "lost continent" that some 19th-century scientists actually believed existed in the Pacific Ocean before the theory was disproven by plate tectonics. 📚 The novel was first published in 1965 under the title "The Wizard of Lemuria," and was later reprinted in 1969 with the expanded title "Thongor and the Wizard of Lemuria." 🎨 The original cover art was created by Gray Morrow, a celebrated comic book artist known for his work with Marvel, DC, and various science fiction publications. ✍️ Lin Carter was not only an author but also edited the influential Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, which helped reintroduce classic fantasy works to modern readers and kept many important fantasy titles in print during the 1960s and '70s.