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akerbos's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
outcolder's review against another edition
3.0
Dudes and their swords. I am not going to make any excuses, though. I read it, I liked it.
bigs2021's review against another edition
2.0
I got more than halfway through... and I just couldn't finish. It's not bad, but it's just sort of dull and moves so slowly... I so wanted to like it and wanted to get into a cool fantasy world... this just wasn't the one for me.
billymac1962's review against another edition
3.0
I'm aware that this is a large series, but for some reason I was under the impression that each novel could be a standalone. So it was with mild disappointment that I read the last page without getting to the
punchline, the novel ending as a chapter does.
I know there is a game afoot, created by the gods who distribute twelve magical swords to humankind, but I'm a little miffed at still being left in the dark. Time will tell if I do bother to continue with the story,
which has been pretty good so far.
punchline, the novel ending as a chapter does.
I know there is a game afoot, created by the gods who distribute twelve magical swords to humankind, but I'm a little miffed at still being left in the dark. Time will tell if I do bother to continue with the story,
which has been pretty good so far.
fredsteram's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked this trilogy back in the early 80's when they came out but now, hmm, the writing, world building, ....... just isn't doing it. I will need to decide if I reread the other two.
tbw44's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The mystery of it all keeps you intrigued all the way through and makes you want to see what happens even when the final page is read.
hashnain's review against another edition
4.0
Escapist fantasy at its best, with an addicting pace and story.
mollons's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
mysticwarden's review against another edition
4.0
You almost never find Fred Saberhagen's books listed in those top 'blah' fantasy book lists floating around the Internet, which sucks because the man created a really interesting universe with a kickass concept at least two solid decades before everyone and their mother started churning out epic fantasy stories.
I read one of his books when I was in high school and it's stuck with me over the years. I still recall the details from time to time and that's what prompted me to look for more of his work, and boy, there sure is a lot of it!
The Book of Swords saga is set thousands of years in the future where magic runs wild and the gods are once again a force to be reckoned with. A nuclear holocaust that nearly wiped out all of humanity triggered the Change that stopped all forms of complex scientific technology from working. So humanity is basically stuck in the Dark Ages again, but with you know, gods, magic and mythical creatures like dragons and whatnot.
The gods are getting bored with humanity's peace—because I guess there's only so many fun things you can do when you're immortal—so they decide to stir the pot and spice things up a bit by forging 12 magical swords with extraordinary powers, and scattering them all over the world.
The First Book of Swords begins with the forging of the swords and the shitstorm that ensues once the greedy rulers of the New World realize just how much more powerful they can become if they owned even one of the swords.
That's it! It's a pretty simple concept with lots of amazing worldbuilding, cool characters, and the potential to be an awesome saga like the Wheel of Time or the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I'll wait until I finish the entire series before I make that judgment.
I read one of his books when I was in high school and it's stuck with me over the years. I still recall the details from time to time and that's what prompted me to look for more of his work, and boy, there sure is a lot of it!
The Book of Swords saga is set thousands of years in the future where magic runs wild and the gods are once again a force to be reckoned with. A nuclear holocaust that nearly wiped out all of humanity triggered the Change that stopped all forms of complex scientific technology from working. So humanity is basically stuck in the Dark Ages again, but with you know, gods, magic and mythical creatures like dragons and whatnot.
The gods are getting bored with humanity's peace—because I guess there's only so many fun things you can do when you're immortal—so they decide to stir the pot and spice things up a bit by forging 12 magical swords with extraordinary powers, and scattering them all over the world.
The First Book of Swords begins with the forging of the swords and the shitstorm that ensues once the greedy rulers of the New World realize just how much more powerful they can become if they owned even one of the swords.
That's it! It's a pretty simple concept with lots of amazing worldbuilding, cool characters, and the potential to be an awesome saga like the Wheel of Time or the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I'll wait until I finish the entire series before I make that judgment.