Customer Reviews

The Reluctant Swordsman

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Reluctant Swordsman" (Seventh Sword, Book 1)introduces the characters and world/universe the author continues with in "The Coming of Wisdom" (Seventh Sword, Book 2)and "The Destiny of the Sword" (Seventh Sword, Book 3). This is a brilliant trilogy which remains at the top of Dave Duncan's impressive body of work. This third book doesn't just follow the first two. It reveals things which the author put there all along, giving the reader a new appreciation of the characters and events. That sounds confusing, but read it and see.

The characters remind me of Dungeons and Dragons Roll Playing Games (D&D RPG's). The hero is a 7th level swordsman who picks up a 7th level priest as a travelling companion. There is the same satisfaction of watching a companion swordsman advance through the ranks as there is developing your own character's skill levels in an RPG. There are also some other character types familiar to RPG's (archer's are held in contempt). This is not one of those cheap knockoffs on a D&D game though. This is just one element of the world the author has created which is kind of fun.

The author created a universe with a multitude of gods, like the Greek and Roman gods. While this is very common in the sword and sorcery genre, Dave Duncan has made the gods active participants in his story. One god makes repeated appearances, talks with the hero, and performs the occasional miracle. The author is able to keep the gods from completely overshadowing the human characters by stressing how they value "free will" for their own purposes. The author's brilliant use of deity characters (a recurring element throughout his best series) adds facets to this story which lift it above a simple Conan type "guy with sword" story.

This trilogy has a detailed, multi-leveled plot which twists enough to keep you in suspense right up until the ending. And the ending reaches the appropriate dramatic climax, then has a satisfying denouement where the characters reap their rewards and the author ties up any loose ends. When this book ended, I was left saying, "Wow, imagine that!"

The only thing I can even think of that I didn't like about this trilogy is that it ended. The author really wrapped things up for the characters. It would be almost impossible to continue the story. I do hope that Dave Duncan comes back to this world with some new characters though. Maybe the old characters can have a cameo in the new story . . .

Book 1 of The Seventh Sword

While the formula is now become traditional (man from our world transported to a different universe), this story is an absolute delight to read. The prose is very descriptive and evocative without being flowery or tedious (a very difficult tightrope to walk), the characters quickly develop depth and personalities, and it is very, very easy to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself in the story. The ending prepares you for the next book without really being a cliff-hanger. Sword and sorcery, sort of -- with a twist. Does Clarke's Law explain everything? You decide..

I'd rate this 'G.'

I put off reading this book for a long time, by the time I finally did read it I was glad I did. Dave Duncan crafts the most unique and interesting fantasy world I have ever experienced. It is based mostly on one premise, how the lack of something (I won't say what that something is) can change how a world/culture developes.

The cultures and world is amazing. The characters compelling, the plot enveloping. Any fan of fantasy literature should read this series.

The only bad thing is that due to publisher conflicts it is out of print. Used copies can be hard to find. There are ebook versions available though.

"The Reluctant Swordsman" (Seventh Sword, Book 1)introduces the characters and world/universe the author continues with in "The Coming of Wisdom" (Seventh Sword, Book 2)and "The Destiny of the Sword" (Seventh Sword, Book 3). This is a brilliant trilogy which remains at the top of Dave Duncan's impressive body of work. This first book introduces the main character to the world/universe and the other characters. Then he is presented with a problem, beyond just adjusting to everything, which he overcomes by the end of the book. So this is a full stand-alone story which can be read by itself. The next two books don't just follow this first one. They reveal things which the author put there all along, giving the reader a new appreciation of the characters and events. That sounds confusing, but read it and see.

The characters remind me of Dungeons and Dragons Roll Playing Games (D&D RPG's). The hero is a 7th level swordsman who picks up a 7th level priest as a travelling companion. There is the same satisfaction of watching a companion swordsman advance through the ranks as there is developing your own character's skill levels in an RPG. There are also some other character types familiar to RPG's (archer's are held in contempt). This is not one of those cheap knockoffs on a D&D game though. This is just one element of the world the author has created which is kind of fun.

The author created a universe with a multitude of gods, like the Greek and Roman gods. While this is very common in the sword and sorcery genre, Dave Duncan has made the gods active participants in his story. One god makes repeated appearances, talks with the hero, and performs the occasional miracle. The author is able to keep the gods from completely overshadowing the human characters by stressing how they value "free will" for there own purposes. The author's brilliant use of deity characters (a recurring element throughout his best series) add facets to this story which lift it above a simple Conan type "guy with sword" story.

This trilogy has a detailed, multi-leveled plot which twists enough to keep you in suspense right up until the ending. And the ending reaches the appropriate dramatic climax, then has a satisfying denouement where the characters reap their rewards and the author ties up any loose ends. When this book ended, I was left saying, "Wow, imagine that!"

The only thing I can even think of that I didn't like about this trilogy is that it ended. The author really wrapped things up for the characters. It would be almost impossible to continue the story. I do hope that Dave Duncan comes back to this world with some new characters though. Maybe the old characters can have a cameo in the new story. . .

Anyone who reads the fantasy genre has read a story of this type: person from Earth is transplanted to other world. The Seventh Sword, however, plays with the conventions of this type of story a lot, which makes the story far more unique, thought-provoking, and fun than any of the others. Wallie is the antithesis of the fantasy hero--a peace-loving intellectual at heart, an unconventional teacher and a trickster, driven by necessity to do things he hates the thought of.

If you read this series (and I urge you to, several times), pay attention to the Hamlet references, the repetition of "power corrupts", and the water/jewels imagery. These are books that reward deeper readings.

This story is definitely not set in a mythical Northern Europe, like so many fantasy novels. It has Oriental, samurai-ish overtones, and is informed by the interaction of religion, science, magic, technology and power. It is also a great story. But Dave Duncan's real genius is in writing wonderful characters - the thoughtful Wallie Smith, ex-chemical engineer and now swordsman with a mysterious past, his proteges Nnanji and Katanji and the gentle and courageous Jja. In fact, Mr. Duncan simply doesn't write throwaway characters - every person you meet has depth and originality.

The Reluctant Swordsman is the first book of a trilogy and is my first exposrue to Dave Duncan. The book reads much like a cross between Saberhagen's Books of Swords and Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series with a bit of Clash of the Titans and the Den of Earth sketch from Heavy Metal thrown in for good measure. The basic premise is a dying human of Earth is transported to a similar, but different, world with a different body. There is initially disbelief, then culture shock, then finally accptance of his new role in life as he experiences life in "the world" and tries to balance his Earthly morals with the body, and skills, of a trained killer.

There is a lot to like in this book. The characters and cultrue are coherent and engaging. Duncan explores the concepts of faith, honor, and morality in interesting ways as the main character works to integrate into his new body. In an interesting twist, he is given much of the knowledge and physical skill of his host but very few of the memories. The story is fast paced and our protagonist's ignorance of the world, and his role in it, lead to many problems. I'm eagerly looking forward to the reading the second book.

So, why only 4 stars? As much as I liked this book, Duncan missed many opportunites to flesh out both the story and the culture. There are tantalizing references and comparisons that are never followed up and places where a Tolkien like diversion into adding world depth were warranted are suddenly dropped with no follow-up.

These annoyances were mostly minor and only really bothered me once or twice. Overall, the story is well above average and the writing is good. This is a good, if not perfect, opening book for a trilogy and I have already started on the next installment.

I started reading this around 3 in the afternoon, and basically spent the next six hours plowing through it, watching and wondering where Wallie was going next. Well written, challenging enough that it's adult literature, but not so much that I need to drink ten cups of coffee to muscle through it, ala Count of Monte Cristo and other epic works. I knock a star from it because it doesn't personally grip me that much (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter and the His Dark Materials trilogy did). But as soon as I get home from work today, and I'm going back to hopefully finish this sucker off and start on book #2. And with the Kindle price, you really can't go wrong here.

It had auspicious beginnings but quickly fell into a rhythm of angst, self loathing and tender moments, over and over again. And I do understand the title clearly states "Reluctant" but it got heavy handed. The author built suspense rather slowly and the climax always seemed, well, anti-climactic. Some things seemed to escape proper development while others seemed overly so. There was an interesting use of obsolete language not to set a tone but more to display an eclectic vocabulary. The ending should have said "To be continued" for all its efforts. Ive ready hundreds of fantasy fiction books and this one falls squarely in the mediocre range.

I have read "Coming of Wisdom", the second book and I am working on the third. Im hoping that this is going somewhere.

This book came up on my Kindle recommendations. I'd never heard of it, but the price was low and I figured I'd give it a shot since I'd almost run out of good stuff to read.

I'm now amazed that Dave Duncan isn't a household name--at least among lovers of well-written, engaging fantasy. The book grabbed me right away with lots of action and interesting situations. So much fantasy can get turgid, but this book, while not crazy funny, is humorous. I loved reading Wallie Smith's inner thoughts as he tries to navigate the completely unfamiliar World. I guess I might be amused too if I were an unassuming plant manager suddenly dropped into the body of a huge, athletic swordsman who talks to gods.

Duncan's World is fully realized with great detail. All that and a page-turning story! I highly recommend this and the second book in the trilogy, The Coming of Wisdom. I just downloaded the third book and I'm about to go read it right now!