The Barnes & Noble Review From Robert E. Howard, the creator of iconic fantasy heroes like Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane, comes a collection of stories—some never before published! — surrounding Bran Mak Morn, the god/king of the Picts, a mysterious race of ferocious apelike barbarians that fascinated Howard throughout his short-lived writing career. "Worms of the Earth" (1932), a story that H. P. Lovecraft called a "macabre masterpiece," pits Bran Mak Morn against an arrogant Roman governor who has just sentenced an innocent Pict to death. All alone against a seemingly unstoppable empire, Morn calls upon ancient supernatural forces to help him attain revenge. "Men of the Shadows" (1969) chronicles the Picts at the end of their long reign. As the New Races rise up and expand throughout the world, the Picts—and their doomed king—prepare to make one glorious final stand. In "Kings of the Night" (1930), Morn must use all his persuasive powers to unite Vikings, Gaels, and Britons against an invading Roman army. Genre historians and fans of heroic fantasy alike will cherish this newest Howard collection, which—aside from the previously unpublished material—includes actual handwritten manuscripts, typed story lines containing hand-penned corrections, an in-depth chronology of Howard's fascination with the Picts, an insightful essay by Howard scholars Rusty Burke and Patrice Louinet, and numerous illustrations by Gary Gianni. While Bran Mak Morn, whom author David Weber called "the quintessential Howard hero," may not be as well known as Conan or Kull, his bloody adventures are just as enthralling. Paul Goat Allen