3 h 30 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 3 h 30 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What use is a throne when your enemy can strike through the mind?
In Robert E. Howard’s The People of the Black Circle, Yasmina inherits a kingdom and a deadly grievance. Her brother, the ruler of Vendhya, dies under a spell no guard can stop. She traces his death to the Black Seers of Mount Yimsha and seeks Conan’s help against them.
Conan leads the Afghuli hill tribesmen, but seven of his chiefs sit in a Vendhyan governor’s prison. His aims collide with Yasmina’s as pursuit draws them through dangerous mountains. Meanwhile, the sorcerers’ servant Khemsa breaks with his masters, urged on by Gitara, Yasmina’s attendant. Power, loyalty, and personal ambition make every alliance uncertain.
What you’ll discover
- A warrior with stakes Follow Conan as he seeks his imprisoned chiefs and defends his independence against powerful enemies.
- A queen beyond court Travel with Yasmina into hills where royal rank offers no certain shelter or protection.
- Sorcery beneath the skin Face the Black Seers’ magic, which deceives the senses and threatens to overpower the will.
- Servants with dangerous ambitions Discover how Khemsa and Gitara’s desires draw them into conflict with the masters he serves.
- Mountains without safe ground Enter a landscape of rival tribes, sudden violence, and loyalties that shift under pressure.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy swift adventure, fierce heroes, sinister wizards and mountain chases, or if you like to see where sword and sorcery began.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A queen swears vengeance and meets a barbarian
- Khemsa breaks his oath for love
- Conan flees through the hills with his prize
- A change of clothes and a mountain of wizards
- Conan takes a dead man's girdle to Yimsha
- The East bows to magic and the outsider does not
- Pride, desire and loyalty pull in three directions
- A fast tale told in short, vivid blows
Who’s who
- ConanA Cimmerian barbarian and chief of the Afghuli hill tribe, bold and blunt, who seizes a queen to save seven captured headmen.
- YasminaThe Devi and ruler of Vendhya, proud and fierce, who swears to destroy the Black Seers who killed her brother.
- KhemsaA hypnotist and servant of the Seers who breaks their rules for love of a girl and tests the limits of his power.
- GitaraYasmina's maid, who betrays her mistress and urges Khemsa to seize power and rule an empire with her.
- Kerim ShahA Turanian spy posing as an Iranian prince, who serves King Yezdigerd and wants the Devi for his master.
- Chunder ShanThe careful governor of Peshkhauri, who holds seven hill prisoners and tries to protect the border and his queen.
- Yar AfzalThe burly chief of the Khurum Wazulis, who owes Conan his life and shelters him against his own angry people.
- The Master of YimshaThe calm, mocking head of the Black Seers, who claims power over demons and wants to make the Devi his slave.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
The People of the Black Circle
by Robert E. Howard · 1934
Conan snatches the queen of Vendhya from a fortress, and the wizards of Yimsha come to carry her away.
Medium level2–5 hours to readItaliano
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
A young king lies dying in a gold-domed chamber in Ayodhya. No spear has touched him and no poison is in his cup, yet he begs his sister to stab him before wizards trap his soul forever.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A queen swears vengeance and meets a barbarian
The story opens with a death nobody can explain. Bhunda Chand, the young king of Vendhya, dies in his palace even though fifty guards watch his door and tasters sample every cup. His sister Yasmina, the Devi, knows it is sorcery. As his soul is dragged away through dark space, he begs her to kill him quickly, and she drives her dagger into his chest.
Elsewhere in the city, a spy named Kerim Shah talks with Khemsa, a man in a green turban who serves the Black Seers of Yimsha. Khemsa explains that a lock of the king's hair gave the Seers a thread to pull. Kerim Shah serves Yezdigerd, king of Turan, who hungers for Vendhya.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1934
- Language
- Italiano
- Reading time
- 2 h 15 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Howard, Robert E. The People of the Black Circle. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-people-of-the-black-circle.
Howard, R. E. (2026). The people of the Black Circle. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-people-of-the-black-circle (Original work published 1934)
Howard, Robert E. The People of the Black Circle. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-people-of-the-black-circle.
@book{howard2026people,
author = {Howard, Robert E.},
title = {The People of the Black Circle},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-people-of-the-black-circle},
note = {First published 1934}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The People of the Black Circle
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The People of the Black Circle about?
Conan the Cimmerian seizes Yasmina, queen of Vendhya, whose brother was killed by wizards. As the Black Seers of Mount Yimsha pursue them, Conan, the queen, spies and hill tribes are drawn toward a fight at the wizards' castle.
Who are the Black Seers of Yimsha?
They are a circle of sorcerers who live in a castle on the peak of Yimsha, led by a Master who claims power over demons. They kill the king of Vendhya by magic and hunt anyone who crosses them.
Is The People of the Black Circle part of the Conan series?
Yes, it features Conan the Cimmerian in Howard's Hyborian Age setting. It was written in the 1930s and stands on its own, so you can enjoy it without having read any other Conan story.
The author
Robert E. Howard
1906–1936 · American fantasy writer
Robert E. Howard was an American author born in Peaster, Texas, in 1906. He lived much of his life in Cross Plains, Texas, where he died in 1936. He wrote fantasy, horror, adventure stories, and poetry. His stories featuring Conan appeared in the magazine Weird Tales during the 1930s.
More by Robert E. Howard
Vedi tutti i suoi libriMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
