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A review by llim
Kılıçların Birinci Kitabı, by Fred Saberhagen
2.0
I should have known that this wouldn't be a standalone...
I really like the concept (some bored gods forging a bunch of magic swords and loosing them on the world just for shits). I also really like the swords themselves, though we really only got to see 4 of them in this book. The main sword, which seems to make the wielder an incredibly skilled fighter (so long as they're protecting something...?). The sword that kills dragons easily. The sword that creates optical illusions around the wielder (arguably the best sword so far). And the sword that...gives the wielder good luck?
But you can't have a novel with good ideas alone. The characters were boring and I didn't particularly care about what was going on. There were also too many pov characters for such a short book--I didn't have a chance to get attached to any of them, really. I didn't care for the group of randos the main kid ran into on the road. They're there for the whole book but you don't really get a chance to know them at all. Am I supposed to care about Barbara and, uh, the lute-playing kid?
All in all, a pretty straightforward plot. Kid is thrust into a dangerous situation that takes him out of his small town and sends him into the world. He encounters loyal friends. Defeats his adult enemy. etc etc.
I don't think I'll read the Second book of swords. I just don't care about what happens to these characters.
I really like the concept (some bored gods forging a bunch of magic swords and loosing them on the world just for shits). I also really like the swords themselves, though we really only got to see 4 of them in this book. The main sword, which seems to make the wielder an incredibly skilled fighter (so long as they're protecting something...?). The sword that kills dragons easily. The sword that creates optical illusions around the wielder (arguably the best sword so far). And the sword that...gives the wielder good luck?
But you can't have a novel with good ideas alone. The characters were boring and I didn't particularly care about what was going on. There were also too many pov characters for such a short book--I didn't have a chance to get attached to any of them, really. I didn't care for the group of randos the main kid ran into on the road. They're there for the whole book but you don't really get a chance to know them at all. Am I supposed to care about Barbara and, uh, the lute-playing kid?
All in all, a pretty straightforward plot. Kid is thrust into a dangerous situation that takes him out of his small town and sends him into the world. He encounters loyal friends. Defeats his adult enemy. etc etc.
I don't think I'll read the Second book of swords. I just don't care about what happens to these characters.