I consider this a minor classic of S&S and one of de Camp's more accomplished solo works (most of his well-known stuff was written in collaboration with Fletcher Pratt). Unlike his Conan pastiches, which while readable could hardly be considered much more than vaguely inspired hackwork, The Tritonian Ring is a far more original and personal work. De Camp was irritated by what he saw as historical inaccuracies, or rather implausibilities, in the works of Howard and co, who despite working in the regions of fantasy frequently attempted to place their works in a believable pre-historical framework. The Tritonian Ring was his remedy to that. Iron, for instance, is totally unknown, to the point where its very existence is considered magical, horseback riding is extremely difficult due to the total absence of stirrups, no buildings attain more than about two storeys, etc.Unfortunately, his very goal of attaining historical verisimilitude is undermined by a rather too jokey and lightweight tone. De Camp was never a particularly gritty writer, and while the book doesn't shy away from violence and grue, the whole work comes across as somewhat lacking in seriousness. Non-serious S&S can work, of course, but it needs to be strong in other areas, humor, bawdiness, sparkling dialogue, inventiveness etc. The Tritonian Ring contains most of these elements, but it never truly excels in any of them. Many of the settings feel bland and nondescript. Characters never really move beyond the two-dimensional. The plot, a fairly standard hunt the artefact quest, contains few surprises.Nonetheless, de Camp knew how to entertain, and The Tritonian Ring moves along at a cracking pace for every one of its 200-odd pages. Worth reading, if only as a fun historical curio.
The gods are worried. The omens are bad for them. All their problems seem to stem from one of northern kingdom, so they decide to eradicate it using an invading human force. The kingdom receives word of the impending invasion, and the arrogant Prince Varak, a naif in the ways of the world, is sent to seek that which the gods fear.He's headstrong, impetuous, and not so good at planning.Travelogue of a prince on a quest, and finding many weird cultures. There is an understated bawdiness.Use a dictionary of medieval terms. There are plenty.
