The Belgariad
epic fantasy
Series · sword and sorcery
Conan: The Robert Jordan Novels
The Conan: The Robert Jordan Novels series by Robert Jordan has 7 known books (7 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Conan the Invincible (1982).
- Books
- 7 known books (7 novels)
- Published
- 7
- First published
- 1982
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: Conan the Invincible (1982) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Conan the Invincible
Conan the Invincible opens Robert Jordan's run of licensed Conan novels, published in 1982 before Jordan began The Wheel of Time. At 288 pages, it sends Conan roaming the Hyborian Age as a mercenary and reluctant hero, in the fast, plot-forward pulp tradition Robert E. Howard originated.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Invincible - Book 2:
Conan the Defender
Conan the Defender , also from 1982, follows Conan the Invincible at the same 288-page length, continuing Jordan's confident work within Howard's established Hyborian Age universe.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Defender - Book 3:
Conan the Unconquered
Conan the Unconquered , published in 1983, matches its two predecessors' 288-page length as Jordan's Conan continues brawling through haunted ruins and hostile courts ahead of Conan the Triumphant .
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Unconquered - Book 4:
Conan the Triumphant
Conan the Triumphant , also 1983, comes right after Conan the Unconquered at a slightly shorter 280 pages, keeping to the same self-contained sword-and-sorcery adventure format as the rest of Jordan's Conan run.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Triumphant - Book 5:
Conan the Magnificent
Conan the Magnificent appeared in 1984 at 286 pages, one of three Conan novels Jordan published that year alone, sitting between Conan the Triumphant and Conan the Destroyer .
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Magnificent - Book 6:
Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer , also 1984, is by far the shortest of Jordan's Conan novels at 147 pages -- roughly half the others' length -- because it's a novelization of that year's film rather than an original Jordan plot.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Destroyer - Book 7:
Conan the Victorious
Conan the Victorious closed out Robert Jordan's Conan run in 1984, returning to the series' usual 288-page length after the much shorter film novelization Conan the Destroyer .
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Conan the Victorious
About the Conan: The Robert Jordan Novels series
Years before he began The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan (then early in his career under the name he'd make famous) was hired to continue Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian in a run of licensed adventure novels for Tor Books. Across seven books, Jordan's Conan roams the Hyborian Age as a mercenary, thief and reluctant hero, brawling through haunted ruins, hostile courts and battlefields in the pulp adventure tradition Howard originated in the 1930s — sorcerers to outwit, kingdoms to topple, and no shortage of monsters and femme fatales along the way.
Jordan wrote these as fast, plot-forward genre entertainment rather than as a stage for the deep worldbuilding he'd later become famous for, and fans looking for early hints of Wheel of Time's scale and moral complexity mostly won't find them here. What the novels do show is a young, prolific writer working confidently within someone else's established universe and house style — solid, unpretentious sword-and-sorcery that holds up as an entry point for both Conan completists and Jordan completists tracing his career from the beginning.
Frequently asked questions
How many Conan novels did Robert Jordan write?
Seven, published between 1982 and 1984: Conan the Invincible, Conan the Defender, Conan the Unconquered, Conan the Triumphant, Conan the Magnificent, Conan the Destroyer, and Conan the Victorious.
Are these the original Conan stories?
No. Conan the Barbarian was created by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s. These seven novels are later licensed continuations, written by Robert Jordan for Tor Books before he began The Wheel of Time, and are not connected to Howard's original stories in continuity.
Is Conan the Destroyer connected to the 1984 movie?
Yes — it's a novelization of that film's screenplay rather than an original Jordan story, unlike the other six novels in this run.
Do I need to read these before The Wheel of Time?
No. They share no characters, world, or continuity with The Wheel of Time. They're really only of interest as an early chapter in Jordan's writing career, or to readers already invested in the wider Conan franchise.
Are there collected editions?
Yes. The first three novels were republished together as The Conan Chronicles, and the final three as The Further Chronicles of Conan.
If you like the Conan: The Robert Jordan Novels series
Reading order last verified .