I read Jennifer Roberson's historicals long before I discovered her fantasy books. But after downing her two Robin Hood retellings and one Scottish massacre novel, I discovered she was actually much better known for her earlier Sword-Dancer saga. I loved her historicals for being so character-driven. I loved them for their strong women. And I loved them for their chunkiness. So I went into SWORD-DANCER--the first book of six in the Sword-Dancer saga--with a sense of happy anticipation but with no knowledge of what they were about. The covers are a mixed bag, the cover artist changing with every two books. I prefer the first artist, as the third is just cartooney looking, while the middle one makes my beloved Tiger and Del look like members of an 80s Glam Metal band. *shudder* Of course, right after I finished the series DAW re-released all six in three trade paperback omnibus editions, natch.The story opens in a backwater cantina on the edges of the great Southron desert known as the Punja. The mighty sword-dancer the Sandtiger is ensconced in his usual corner, enjoying the wine (and the cantina girls), when in walks trouble in the form of a woman from the north with ice-pale hair, a sword strapped to her back, and vengeance on her mind. She gives her name as Del and seeks to hire Tiger to be her guide through the Punja on a journey to find her brother, free him from slavery, and kill the ones who stole him. Always up for a challenge, particularly when it comes in such a lovely package, Tiger agrees to her terms and the two set off. Amid sandstorms and sandtigers, in between venomous insults and first-rate swordfighting, these two opposites are forced to learn a few things about each other as well as themselves and Tiger, for one, realizes that when the dust settles the world as he knew it may be virtually unrecognizable.I will just go ahead and start by saying you will not like Tiger at first. You will not like him at all. He is irascible and monumentally arrogant. He is a womanizer and lazy to go with it. And he narrates the story! But then he is a living legend, after all. He slew the sandtiger that was systematically decimating his village and has the claw-shaped scar on his cheek to prove it. He completed his master-level training at an unprecedented speed. To a certain degree, his attitude is to be expected. But you must remember this is how it begins. Trust the storyteller. Tiger has a long way to go and plenty of pages in which to make a transformation of sorts. And the wonderful thing, the thing that had me jumping up and down inside as I read this book for the first time, is the fact that Del is just as remote and prickly and hard as Tiger is annoying. Having sacrificed everything to exact revenge for her brother, she has given up most of her humanity along with it. And so it's not a case of her getting him to come around or him breaking through her icy exterior and either of them "fixing" the other. On paper they are the definition of heroes, but as you get to know them you realize how very far they really are from their outer personas. It takes guts to start a series off with two such difficult, problematic characters. But rest assured, by the time the end of the first book rolls around your hearts will be won over. The fighting is awesome, the stakes emotional and high, the magic complex and everchanging, and the romance subtle and stretching out over the whole series. I hope you'll want to continue on as each book gets better and better. Another wonderful example of a series staying true to itself. Reading order: SWORD-DANCER, Sword-Singer, Sword-Maker, Sword-Breaker, Sword-Born, and Sword-Sworn. As usual, I highly recommend all six.
I was very sad to be so disappointed in this book. I'd heard that this was a great work of fantasy with lots of swashbuckling and a strong female character. While those elements are there, the execution wasn't as strong as I'd hoped, and I can see why this series was out of print for so long.Frankly, the real problem this book has run into is age. Some books endure well, even in genre fiction (Lord of the Rings, Earthsea, Foundations, etc). In contrast, this one has not. We've had so many strong female fantasy characters come out in the past 29 years--especially the last 10 or so--that Del just doesn't stand out. Neither she nor Tiger has many qualities that distinguish them from their successors. That being said, I suspect that this book had a bit of an influence on Robert Jordan. I can see how Del and Tiger's banter about the sexes, plus a few other things made their way to the Wheel of Time, so that was fun to see. Still, here it just seemed silly (Tiger's inability to take Del seriously was just eye-rolling and seemed a bit forced), whereas in the Wheel of Time is often has at least a thematic soundness to it, even when it is aggravating. My only other complaint about this book is that it plateaued. About 90 pages in it sort of stopped any sort of upward climb and just stayed where it was. Every challenge felt about the same (emotionally) as the last, so I never felt that the stakes were that much higher. I never felt more invested than I had in the previous scene. And that last duel was just unsatisfying. There was no great pay-off for me, and so I don't think I'll be looking at the sequels for a long time.I think this was probably a really important installment for fantasy back in 1984, but it's been overrun in the past three decades.
What do You think about Sword-Dancer (1986)?
He is Tiger. A sexist Southron sword-dancer. Paid to step in the ring and fight whoever he is paid to fight.She is Del. A woman from the North. Naïve. Ferocious. Determined to save her younger brother even if it means traversing the desert and hiring Tiger as her guide.He assumes she will fail. She assumes he cannot understand.And neither of them will survive.If they continue to underestimate one another.One of my all time favorite fantasy novels! Sword-Dancer is the first of six books in the Tiger and Del series by Jennifer Roberson. Plenty of action, adventure, and traditional fantasy. And plenty of heat. But what makes these books so surprising, and entertaining, is Tiger’s hilarious commentary. And his painful realization that he has met his match.
—Anne Osterlund
This series was one of the best I read in junior high. I recently re-read this book for the first time and once again I really enjoyed it.Sword Dancer is not your average heroic fantasy novel. It includes sword fighting, good characters, and even gender equality issues. It follows two sword-dancers, people paid to engage in ritual combat with swords. One is Tiger who is famous within the South. The other is Del, who is the only woman sword dancer in the South.I haven't read too many fantasy novels set in the desert, so it was a nice change of pace in that regard.If you don't let being constantly told what the differences are between the Southroners and the Northerners, this is an entertaining, quick read.
—Mark Cameron
I've seen this novel criticized for several things - and the critics have good points, sometimes - but this is a very entertaining series. While true that it's not Shakespearean prose, something about the way Roberson tells the story is captivating. I read this first book many times as a child, but re-reading it as an adult hasn't changed my opinion much.It's a very fast-paced and action-driven novel, but I could argue that it is character-driven as well; the characters are interesting, well told, and (mostly) three-dimensional. Some may object to the decidedly sexist content, but it always struck me as the author detailing a fictional culture, not justifying "real life" attitudes.Weak points: There is a bit of repetition, and the novel is fairly short. Time that passes between action sequences isn't detailed at all, instead being mentioned in passing, so it sometimes seems that one improbable event after another is happening to the two lead characters. Even given that, I'd recommend the read. If you don't end up liking the story, you haven't wasted too much of your time.
—V
