Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Swords (Omnibus, Volumes 1, 2, 3)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On the surface, and especially in the first book, this appears to be just another fantasy novel - young boy given a magical sword, sets out to seek his fate, blah blah bibbity blah. However, we see depths here, hints of a mysterious past in the world (technology was banished 2000 years ago for a length of time of 49,949 years - what a strange number - does it mean something?), tales of other magical swords - which are apparently true, as evil-doers start coming out of the woodwork left and right seeking the boy to steal his magical sword in order to gain its power for their own.

While I would like to see deeper character development, or more details on the mysterious past, at the same time it would likely ruin Saberhagen's forward momentum to slow it down and do so.

Usually the second book in a trilogy - the book to "bridge the gap" - tends to be ... shall we say, not quite up to the par of the first and third books. This is not the case in this instance. In "The Second Book of Swords," five years have passed, and while Barbara has been traveling with a carnival, Ben has chosen to sign up with the Blue Temple for service and Mark has wandered off who-knows-where in his quest to find ways to help fight against the Dark King. Early in the book they all reunite and, with Ben's urging, they decide to try to rob the Blue Temple's treasure hoard, which Ben guarantees has at least one Sword. Along the way they run across another treasure hunter - the Baron Doon, guided by the Sword Wayfinder - with whom Ben and Mark continue their quest, while Barbara goes her own way.

While The First Book of Swords was a fairly simple plot with flat characters and brisk movement, Saberhagen took more care to building his characters in the second book, while maintaining a fast pace. I was personally pleased by this, as I like to know a bit about the characters in the stories I read.

In the third book of the trilogy, another four years have passed. Ben and Barbara are living undercover as the wealthy Lord and Lady Courtenay and Mark continues on his quest to help Kind Sir Andrew - who, with his remaining troops, has been living in the swamp and using guerrilla tactics to fight the Dark King - in any way he can to stay one-up on the Dark King. Meanwhile, gods who are tired of uppity humans have decided to end their game and are trying to get their Swords back.

There is so much going on in this last book that I don't dare go much more into it without worrying about spoilers, and I don't want to do that! I'll just say that the ending, while it smacks somewhat of deus ex machina, is nonetheless satisfactory and ties things up nicely.

This is definitely a great book and one I recommend to anyone who enjoys good fantasy with a hint of epic nature. If you are a fan of the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy (with a bit of a twist), definitely spend the time it will take to find these very fun books. I know I am pleased with the trilogy and have made a note to myself to go and seek the rest of the books set in this world (there are certainly a lot of them!) - the Lost Swords books and the Empire of the East books, for example. I think I've discovered a new author to add to my list of "favorites."

I'd really give this 2-1/2 stars, mostly because of the very good premise with the Swords and the setup in the first few chapters of Book One (in which the writing is markedly better than in later chapters--deadline rush?). In essence, the god Vulcan forges 12 magical swords, each with distinctive powers, and lets them loose in the world, in the hands of mortals. From then on, though, the story's a rapid, sometimes confusing yarn where things just don't seem to add up. And, perhaps most glaringly in the light of modern fantasy standards, there is _no_ distinctive characterization. The characters are just shells who ride the whirlwind of the narrative: Mark is a bland hero with a mysterious father; Ben is big and strong and not as dumb as he looks; Barbara is a woman who can use a sling; Baron Doon has a Machiavellian, treasure-hunting streak. That's about it. (I think Nestor simply disappears after Book One. What the heck happened?)

In sum, it's fun to watch the introduction of each Sword, its power and weakness, but the Swords are much more interesting than the characters. If you're in the mood for fantasical adventure, read something by Fritz Leiber or Robin Hobb instead (or, for a true change, Guy Gavriel Kay).

The book was very good reading material if you just want a story. The characters in the book are a little under-developed but the book still had meaning. If you cast aside the difference of the Roman and Greek names of the gods its a good book. I think the worst part of the book was the ending but i still would recommend it to anyone who just wants to sit down and read a good book without spending an hour analyzing it.

This book was simply excellent. Fred's mix of mythology, "Old World" technology, medieval-type weapons, demons, and magic creates a fantasy world which is impossible to leave. The nature of the gods, the Swords and their incredible power, Sir Andrew, Yambu, and Vilkata, the Emperor, Mark, Ben are people that will keep you turning the pages. One of the truly excellent things about this book is the mystery concerning The Emperor, Ardneh, and the Old World. There are many things to ponder and think about, while at the same time it is written with simplicity. All in all, this book is written with extreme talent. No other fantasy book I've read surpasses this one. (After you've read it, look at the first sentence in the prologue and the last sentence in the epilogue and you'll see another example of how Saberhagen made this book great.)

... but I did read the entire Book of Swords and the entire follow up The Book of Lost swords.
This review is more in response to a few of the other reviews. The Book of Swords is a fast paced fantasy that plays out a game started by "the gods" for their amusement. There are magicians everywhere good and evil, guilds, kingdoms, battles, and at least one character growing into himself. What more could you want... Oh yes you could want to go around in circles and get a whole lot more in depth so each book would take a couple of weeks instead of a couple of days.
Saberhagen did not need to go anymore in depth for a book at this reading level!
If that isn't enough for you than you probably don't want this series. If you wander what your getting yourself into when you start a series of books than...
This is an excelent choice for someone who is not used to reading very long books but does not like a (good) story to end. This is one story that is broken up into smaller self sufficient stories. If you usually just read one book and your done you will be pleased with this book and may even expand your horizons. You can keep going if you want to but you don't have to if you want to be finished. However, if you are looking for your reading for the next year you would be sourly disappointed. It goes comparativly quickly for a series.
I don't believe this series was ever intended for a college level reader, except perhaps in discusing symolizm (in fact it is full of it my english 102 professor would have a field day).
This is a great book for some one who might be intimidated by a large book with large words. Someone on the 6th or 8th grade level should get through it but anyone who enjoys magic would be able to enjoy as well. I read strictly sci. fi. before I read this series but now I love the longer fantasy stuff. I haven't gone back to short Sci. fi. novels.

I read the three books when I was a kid and I found The Complete Book of Swords at a thrift store for a great price and thought I'd read it again. The books are a quick read and there are parts that are really amazing. However, there are just as many parts that are very lacking. The end to the books is one such part. It really feels like a deadline was approaching and the author threw something together quickly to end the series. The real unfortunate thing is that the books could have been longer and given more time to each sword without losing any of the readability of the book. In the end, it is a quick read and entertaining. I just wish it would have been a little more detailed and had a better ending.

As the title suggests this is the complete book of the first three sword books. If you are a fantasy fan it is a must read. From the opening epilogue of Vulcan forging the 12 swords, Saberhagen will captivate you to finish the first book and the remaining two. It starts out describing the smith god with somewhat human characteristics and very descriptive action scenes, that take the human condition and forge them into the 12 swords. It starts off as a game of the gods but later turns out to be the architecture of their demise. The development of the key characters is second to none. Saberhagen conveys a deep connection with Mark and Ben even Marks father Jord. I would only say that the laps between the books does leave the read in wonder a little, there is a little of a time lapse, where I think the author could supply us with some more details, but this does not take anything away from the substance of the stories. This compilation sets the stage rather nicely for the books to follow which tell of the exploits of the remaining swords. So sit back and enjoy this carefree read!!

I read this book with high expectations, but I was somewhat disapointed. You see, my father had told me that this was one of the best fantasy novels that he had ever read, so I immediatly snatched it up when I found it. It's not that it wasn't a good book or anything...it's just that I was somehow hoping for more, you know? Saberhagen writes really well, but I couldn't get into the story like I usually can get into fantasy novels. The biggest thing that I didn't like was the fact that Saberhagen mixed the Norse, Celtic, and Greek/Roman dieties without any distinction as to which was which. A fanciful read, great for reading on a rainy day.

Fred Saberhagen really did it this time. Combining a great plot, wonderful universe, and interesting characters this book will keep you turning pages. I especialy liked the old world tech parts and the Benambra's gold adventure. If your into fantasy, and great writing, then this book is a must read.

The Complete Book of Swords captures you imagination and draws you right in. But what seperates this book from other engaging fantasy novels is its incredible use of mythology and realism. It acts as a satire for the real world and our views about dieties. This is a must read for fantasy novel fans!