Guards Of Haven: The Adventures Of Hawk And Fisher (1999) - Plot & Excerpts
This book includes Three stories in one book: Wolf in the Fold, Guard Against Dishonor, The Bones of Haven. It is my understanding that all three have been previously published under a different title (Fear and Loathing in Haven) so if you’ve read that, you’ve already read this.Though I’m not usually a sword and sorcery/cop story type of reader, this book surprised me with its wry wit and offbeat humor. I was drawn in from the first line and enjoyed the stories immensely. They are set in a modern medieval world where magic is acceptable, fighting is done with swords (or in the case of Hawk, an axe), and corruption rules the land – or at least, the city of Haven. Hawk and Fisher, husband and wife Guards, are the two best crime fighters in the city. The worst area, the Northeast Corridor, is their beat and nobody crosses them. In a city where crime is the norm, they can’t be bought. Together, they attempt to bring order to chaos.With a plot that is straightforward with just enough of a small twist to keep you interested, characters that are slightly stereotypical, but still fun, this is a lighthearted book that doesn’t take much thought. It’s pure entertainment. The only caveat I offer is one of copyediting. There are enough areas where a good grammarian would have been an asset, but it’s not enough of a problem to completely detract from the enjoyment of the story. If you like sword and sorcery, cops, wizards, and good vs. evil stories, but don’t want to have to work at the story, definitely pick this one up.
The set of next 3 novels about Hawk and Fisher that continue from where "Swords of Haven" ended. They are:- Wolf in the Fold (or Vengeance for a Lonely Man)- Guard Against Dishonour- The Bones of Haven (or Two Kings in Haven)IMHO there is a bit stronger emphasis on social and moral issues in these books comparing to Swords of Haven set. There are also a bit more relations between Hawk and Fisher too. By these I mean they have dialogues that extend the usual search for clues discussions. The other things are just the same: lots of adventures, humor and plot twists. Can't say the plots are really complicated because the reader usually guesses the killer/traitor/other bad guy before the protagonists do. But it is nonetheless nice reading especially after a tiring day.
What do You think about Guards Of Haven: The Adventures Of Hawk And Fisher (1999)?
This is really three novels rolled into one book. This book covers the adventures of Hawk and Fisher, a husband and wife team of City Guard captains in the City of Haven. Together they are the two toughest and the most honest guards in the city. Since this was originally published as three separate books, you will the same descriptions of the characters early on the book (Hawk is dark and no longer handsome and Fisher is tall and more handsome that beautiful), that is my only real complaint about the book. Other wised, this is fun, fast-pasted fantasy in a pseudo medieval city.
—Niels
This is good popcorn stuff. The stories are short, the characters are simple and the setting is rich with possibilities. I'm naturally inclined to like books like this because of the swords-and-sorcery themes but what drew me in particular was the parallel to the old "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" stories. The Hawk and Fisher books are basically a medieval, cop, buddy movie in which Fritz Leiber's characters work for the law instead of against it. It lends these stories an old school feel and the short story format suits Green well, allowing him to throw lots of ideas out there without exceeding their freshness date.Do the usual Simon Green tendencies of thin characters with oft-repeated catch phrases emerge? Yes, of course they do, but when Hawk and Fisher utter their "I knew you were going to say that" tag-lines it's a little like Murtagh and Riggs in "Lethal Weapon" -- the setting allows for it.These are good for a quick skim and won't burden you with any heavy ideas but I like reading these on vacation in my cloak and tunic.
—Collin
I thought they were dead - phew, close one!
—Ch J Loveall
