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Read The First Book Of Swords (1984)

The First Book of Swords (1984)

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Rating
3.75 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
0812523563 (ISBN13: 9780812523560)
Language
English
Publisher
tor

The First Book Of Swords (1984) - Plot & Excerpts

Probably closer to 3.5 stars, but it's creative enough to warrant a little generosity.The first book in Saberhagen's Swords Trilogy has a number of things going for it, particularly the creation of the Swords themselves, some of the coolest magic items in all fantasy literature. The plot conceit behind it is a good one as well: a great game of the gods has kicked off and the chaos inspired by the swords is the genesis of it.There's a number of oddities, some of which fit and others that don't. The gods are a mix of Greek & Roman names, and despite their appearance, they're somewhat oddly off-stage in this book. Instead this is more of a coming-of-age story featuring Mark, the possible son of the only human smith to survive the forging of the Swords by Vulcan and inheritor of one of the blades.Saberhagen takes the first of what will be several jumps ahead of the plot in this book, never seeming to care about what happened in between or what may have happened with his characters. It's clearly a choice and there's something admirable about not detailing every boring month of a character's life, but at the same time jumping ahead to "the interesting stuff" leaves things rather choppy.This world is also some form of post-apocalyptic Earth, which is also intriguing and as something of a sequel to some of Saberhagen's earlier work (Empire of the East) you find yourself wondering how it will fit together.It's also hard to track exactly everything that's going on from a geopolitical perspective in this this great game for power without such fantasy staples as a map or a view into the councils or activity of the great powers. In the early going it's all the street-level view of the younger folks.But those Swords...with names like Shieldbreaker, the Sword of Force or Townsaver, the Sword of Fury it's hard not to get sucked in.

The First Book of Swords is simple, but I loved it! Swords with special powers and kingdoms at war are not the most unique things in the world, but interesting characters, gods, and a fast paced plot push this book into greatness. I admit, the story was slow to start for me. The prologue was boring, and the main character walking around made me skip sections, but that was only a small part of the book, and I'm glad I stuck through it. I couldn't wait to find out what happens to the swords and the characters, and since it's only the first part of a trilogy I was even more happy. But, I have to say, I really expected more. If there were only a few more things this book would have been five stars. I would have liked to have seen more of the 12 magical swords, instead of just four. I thought there would be a big event with all of the swords coming together. I thought different people from around the world would come together in a big way, but that didn't happen. This novel also has a definite conclusion, and the second book does not pick up the plot at all. I really want to read about the people who own these swords and what they can do, instead I have to settle for a 200 page book revolving around a few characters making a trip. A few hundred more pages added to the end would have been nice instead of an unrelated second book. Oh well, this book by itself is fun, exciting, and entertaining, and I enjoyed it.

What do You think about The First Book Of Swords (1984)?

This book series has a great concept: there are a handful of magical swords that were forged and scattered across the land, each with unique powers to grant the individual wielding it. The story of these swords and the hands they fall into is the premise of this book. I thought it could have been great if the author had pulled it off right. Unfortunately the execution was lacking in the imagination that the idea promised. The medieval setting was too familiar and uninspired. There is too much focus on the mythology and backstory and other magics and ideas in this book and not enough on the swords. The characters are not original or memorable enough.These flaws should have been so easy to avoid, so it's disappointing that this book just feels average. The author lost sight of the whole point of the story - the swords. They should have been far more prominent in the book, and the book should have really focused on making some strong, memorable characters to obtain and use the swords. Not to mention the effects of using more than one sword at a time could have really opened up the possibilities for the magic system. It's a real shame that the author just didn't imagine big enough for this story.
—Josh

Ah, this was great; a very tasty read. I had been interested in this series for a long time because I love the concept. I knew I would enjoy the mythology of it and the swords themselves. I didn't expect the book to be so good though! It's well written (though I found the prologue a bit tedious) with interesting and enjoyable characters. It never gets too deep in the characterization, and it jumps around between multiple characters frequently, but it strives to make sure interesting things are always happening. I found myself dying to know what was going to happen next. There are a lot of nice twists and surprises, nothing too awe inspiring, but nothing hokey either. It rides a fine line of not ever striving to be a great work, but never faltering into being a bad work. It stays consistently good throughout. I enjoyed the consistency of it. And it was short! I love a good, short book. Tell me a story, make it good, and let it end. Then tell me another story. Perfect. I know he's not touted as one of the greatest authors out there, but I've enjoyed Saberhagen's work in the past so I should not have been surprised I enjoyed this so much. The book's setting is part of a larger series which I have not read, but you get a taste of what it's about in this series, and you learn enough to appreciate the setting without requiring you to read the previous series. If you like magical swords and low-magic fantasy, then this could be an enjoyable read for you. It's light fare to be sure, but that's what I enjoy. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
—Michael Thorn

This is a very good classic fantasy adventure (D&D style) and I was surprise to enjoy it that much. Decent level of action, monsters, mystery characters and off course the magical Swords themself. The writing of Saberhagen is sparse and simple and may lack a little flair but it is different from all the grim and realistic style of modern fantasy novels found today. So if you like your fantasy to be straightforward and not bog down by lots of world-building and exposition than you will definitely like The First Book of Swords.
—Éric Kasprak

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