Customer Reviews

The Sellsword (DragonLance: The Anvil of Time, Vol.1)

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

 

 

The Sellsword by Cam Banks is the first novel in the Anvil of Time series, set in the world of DragonLance. It is Mr. Banks first novel, however, he does have a short story that was included in the anthology Dragons of Time (Dragonlance Anthology) that story is called `Chain of Fools'. The second book in this series is scheduled for release in November, 2008 and is called, The Survivors - it is being written by Dan Willis, the third book is scheduled for release in March, 2009 and is titled Renegade Wizards and is being written by Lucien Soulban.

The plot of this book, at least to start with, is about a Sellsword who accepts an assignment from a local lord. Little does he know that this is anything but a simple assignment. There are an assortment of mishaps, near-misses, and run-ins with people from his past. There are also a couple subplots woven into this story as well. Such as, just what the relationship between the Sellsword (Vanderjack) and his sword, the designs of an evil mage and what his scheme really is about, lastly, there is the subplot of the Dragon Highlord Rivven and what her many plans are and how they affect Vanderjack and his companions. Plot wise, for a Dragonlance book, it is about average if not a little lacking. The entire plot, at least for me seemed rather shallow and only we I got to the end did it really pique my interest. Before the ending, I was apathetic to it. It is not a bad plot, but there is really nothing here that made me sit back and say wow either.

The characters are equally as average. Sure, they each have some uniqueness, but I found myself not really connecting with them throughout the novel. Characters such as Vanderjack, Theodenes, Gredchen, Rivven, Star, and Cazuvel are all decent characters but nothing about them really stood out for me. I don't mean that they are flat characters, but I think some of the feelings I have derive from the fact that even though there are many events, it seems that perceptive readers will be able to gather the outcome of the book fairly early. If you are looking for surprises from characters, they are few and far between in this novel. While there are hints of greatness with these characters, it seems that they fall just short of that extra level to be memorable.

A couple criticisms about this novel are;

1 - There is a great deal of humor in this novel. At times it fits perfectly, yet, at other times it seems really forced and doesn't mesh with the events that are occurring. Don't get me wrong, I love humor in fantasy novels, in fact I have often said I wish there were more of it, yet this may be the case of too much of a good things ruins it. After a while, I honestly because frustrated with some of the attempted humor.

2 - I wish there was more character development, or at least something to make these characters more memorable. As a long time fantasy reader, I felt a little cheated that these characters didn't seem to reach their full potential. They did just enough to get through the story, but that extra stuff wasn't really there.

Some of the brighter spots of this novel are:

1 - Mr. Bank's prose is fluid and easy to read. For the most part he allowed the story to speak for itself. He provided enough description, without over doing it allowing the reader to see both his vision, but also the reader's vision as well. It was a nice balance.

2 - The ending proves that Mr. Banks did have a solid vision for this novel and was able to tie everything together nicely. I think with some more practice and the honing of skills, Mr. Banks will weave start to weave stories that are both interesting and impactful. It's only a matter of time.

I realize this is Mr. Bank's first full length novel and as such, there are bound to be a few bumps in the road. However, based on this novel and Chain of Fools, I am willing to take a look at his next novel to see what, if anything, he has learned. Fans of the Dragonlance world will probably want to pick this up, but they should temper their expectations as well. Fans looking to start reading in the Dragonlance world would be best served by starting with the class Dragonlance Chronicles and working out from those. When all is said and done, this is an average Dragonlance novel, but the author does show some promise as a writer.

I have a long history as a Dragonlance fan. I began as a player in the late eighties, and became a DL reader shortly after. I've got quite a few under my belt.

The quality has always been very inconsistent, the range being from true fantasy classic to absolute trash--sometimes reaching both extremes in the same trilogy. In my reading experience, the reason for this has mainly been because a Dragonlance story has to both fit in with the details of the setting (difficult for a series with over a hundred novels, numerous game products, and a fan base that is religious in their attention to, "canon"), and it must adhere to a certain thesis.

All too often, Dragonlance novels either get details wrong, such as the color of draconians, or they ignore the thesis.

I'm sure some will disagree with me, but Dragonlance has always been about finding faith. Sometimes it's faith in the gods--In Dragonlance, gods take an active role in the lives of mortals. Other times, the quest is for faith in yourself, or in an ideal, or in your friends--whatever the individual quest, it is always about finding faith. The truly great DL novel has to fit into the world of Krynn, be well written, and on some level be a story about finding faith.

Cam Banks has a knowledge of the setting that is beyond comparison. His attention to detail in THE SELLSWORD is amazing. The novel is set in the years immediately after the War Of The Lance, and everything is just right. He knows the history of the world, he knows the obscure nationalities, he knows the monsters, and he knows the key players. I know the world very well myself, and I couldn't find anything that deviated from what is known and accepted about the world or the people on it.

Mr. Banks has also managed to expand certain elements, further enriching the world and opening new doors--the nation of Nordmaar has been brought to life, and fits with what is already known from past novels and game products. Monsters have also been expanded, and without giving anything away, Mr. Banks has found a place for a classic Dungeons & Dragons creature, giving it a unique identity for the world of Krynn.

As to the quality of the writing, I find it a wonderful read. It is his first published novel and great ability and potential are visible. My one criticism would be that I think Mr. Banks needs to work on his romantic threads. I did not become fully invested in the romantic subplot--it was very subtle, overly so in my opinion. When it resolved, I'm not certain that I believed in the resolution.

Aside from that... Conversations were both engaging and natural, while still being heroic and fantastical. Narration was clear and descriptive, allowing me to get a clear picture without shanghai-ing my imagination--it was a good balance.

Finally, Cam Banks proves he knows DL by keeping the faith. It appeared from the beginning that we had a very un-Dragonlance-like story. By the end, with just the right amount of predictability (enough to make the reader feel smart and still managing to surprise), we see the author's work revealed and see that as fun a shake up as this was, it is still Dragonlance.

I give THE SELLSWORD 4 stars, taking one off for a romance that needed some more attention. It is a wonderful read, and I hope that Cam Banks continues with writing, making frequent returns to The World of Krynn.

Wizards Of The Coast should certainly look to Mr. Banks should they choose to develop more novels or game products.

Having read 132 Dragonlance novels - I'm a collector - I was intrigued by The Sellsword by Cam Banks. I found his writing unique, something I think really adds to this book. Vanderjack, the main character, is well developed and purely human with many strengths, some frailities, and interesting personal and professional struggles. The sword, with it's other earthly attributes is a new twist, and one that I thought worked very well. The other characters were not the typical kender, dwarf, elf, dragon, gorgeous woman types - another big plus - Theodenes and his friend Star added some really interest - he's one of my new favorite characters. Certainly not your typical gnome. :-) A very entertaining read and an unexpected ending. Read it in a day while on vacation- couldn't put it down. Hope to see more Cam Banks in the near future. Well done!

My husband and I have been reeading the Dragonlance novels since their earliest beginnings with the trilogies with Hickman & Weis writing groundbreaking fantasy.

But since then, tons of writers have come onto the scene, and the Dragonlance franchise took off like a bat out of hell, forcing us to cpick and choose our Dragonlance novels carefully, since there had been a host of writers we personally didn't care for.

But some we liked.

And newcomer Cam Banks in this debut novel, The Sellsword, Volume One in the Anvil of Time trilogy, is placed somewhere in the middle of the two for us. There was a lot we liked, and didn't like at the same time.

Vanderjack, or the Journeyman, as he is called, something along the lines of a time-travelling mercenary, is an interesting concept for a string of novels, and Cam Banks does a reasonable job at breathing life into this character.

There are a lot of other colorful characters he engages with throutghout the novel, from gnomes to dragons, and Banks seems to derive great pleasure at showcasing his vast knowledge of the Dragonlance world and its environs. And that is important.

But on the other hand, this novel didn't capture the bloody action/adventure type of writing that we like. For a novel filled with everything from pirates to gladiators to Draconian warriors, the action sequences weren't as thrilling as some other authors we've read.

But hey, for a first time novel, it was adequate. I think it was the overall concept and colorful world-building and characters that eventually won us over. Perhaps with time and practice, Cam Banks shows that he has great potential in becoming a huge success in the fantasy field. (We have certainly read much worse!)

We have mixed feelings with the next two books of this trilogy having seaparate writers. But i suppose we will have to see whether or not they can take this concept of the Anvil of Time thing and twist it into one of the most memorable of the tons of other trilogies that the Dragonlance Universe is filled with.

Or at the very least, make it stand out.

This book was excellent. It was fun and light and reading it was truly an enjoyable experience. The characters are cool, detailed, and enigmatic. It's got jokes that Dragonlance fans will love but might go over the heads of people new to the series. The book is well written in a way that makes it an interesting read and is hard to put down. I read it basically in one day. I would strongly recommend this book to any Dragonlance fan and if you're not a Dragonlance fan, go buy Chronicles, read them, and then read this book. Happy Reading!!

I don't usually review books after I read them, but I figured I would start with this one. I'm not the best critic, but I'll try to give an average-joe's take on the book. I've heard a lot about the Dragonlance series lately, and I decided that I would pick up one of the books. This is the only book in the Dragonlance world that was at my local Waldenbooks so I picked it up.

Overall, I really liked this book and I've loaned the book to a friend who is reading it at the moment. It was easy to read, and there was always a sense of mystery. I gave this book 3-stars because it felt like it could have been a bit longer, and as if certain parts were rushed or were too slow. It felt like everything was a slow ride until the finish, which ended quickly. Also, like some of the other reviewers, I felt like there could be more action and fighting.

I did like the characters and how they were developed, especially Vanderjack. It felt though, like Rivven was just placed in after the story was written because of how little she was mentioned. Also, I loved the ending (aside from the deal with the gnome). I look forward to reading your next book C. Banks!

I enjoyed this book very much. It had a lot of action and the characters were drawn out very well. I would enjoy a prequel to this to get to know more about the main character Vanderjack, and more on the "Cook", but as far as this story goes the only thing it does is make you impatient for the next book, which in my opinion tells me I just read a very well written story.

I bought The Sellsword a week ago after picking it up at a local Hastings and didn't honestly put it down till I heard 'Happy Trails' over the sound system when they were closing up for the evening. After that I took my time to read the book, instead of rapidly devouring it as I do most Dragonlance novels, even though I simply couldn't get enough and constantly found myself hungering for more; like a vapid and starving soul. I enjoyed the book greatly, so much as a matter of fact that I wanted to take every possible moment to enjoy the story that lays printed on it's pages. To be honest, I hadn't enjoyed reading a book this much since I had originally picked up Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's legendary and beloved classics that helped give birth to Dragonlance and a legions of adoring fans. You can easily read the books description or take a peak at the other reviews written about this book and get an fair idea of what it is all about, but none of them truly do it justice and very little of what I can say will change that, but mostly I don't wish to spoil it in the tiniest bit for anyone. What I will tell you that the story of Vanderjack the mercenary is a marvelous one, full of adventure, mystery, humor, a little bit of romance for good measure and is chalked with genuine charm and magic. It was very easy to tell that Cam Banks had set foot and adventured in the lands of Krynn countless times before as I read the Sellsword as there are certainly a lot of devils in the details that other Dragonlance fans are sure to greatly appreciate. Though I can't really describe it, but the novel seemed to be written with a lot of affection; like talking about home and for those kindred souls who have heard the sirens song in their heart and set out search of adventure, like a wanderlust struck Kender in Dragonlance. The sum of the parts is what made me fall in love with The Sellsword and is a worthy read for anyone, especially for fans of the setting; you'll l certainly enjoy it. I finished the book imaging what Cam Banks could write given the opportunity for lengthier novels. I believe, after reading The Sellsword that given a little time he could write a trilogy that would make Wies and Hickman proud.

I have just finished reading Renegade Wizards, the third novel in the Anvil of Time series. I wasn't expecting much when I picked this first one, The Sellsword, but it was a surprisingly good read, so good that I ended up buying the other three volumes of the series. Unfortunately the next two books aren't nearly as good as this one, there's a HUGE gap between them in terms of quality.

Vanderjack's sword is one of the most interesting magical items ever, it makes its owner such an outstanding character. His gnomish partner is also great... I won't give any details 'cause it would spoil the fun, but the characters on this book really deserve some praise, they are certainly unusual and yet they work out really well. I would enjoy reading more about Vanderjack, Lifecleaver, Theodenes, Star etc, I believe they have a lot of potential, they deserve more than a single novel.

I enjoyed Mr. Banks' writing style, it kept me interested, took me a couple of days to finish the book. The ending felt a bit rushed, there's a lot of tension and questions waiting for answers and suddenly everything is resolved at once, in a few pages, it left me a bit frustrated, wanting more pages, more details, more information. But it was a minor issue, it doesn't take away any of the merits of the novel. Really good book.

I would rate this Dragonlance story as a strong 4. I had trouble putting it down during the last third of the book. Nice to see a different part of Krynn so well developed. As with the other DL books that have come out recently, I wish there was a map inside. Although the characters were well developed though I felt the plot was somewhat predictable with unanswered questions at the end. Also, I don't see a Dragon highlord being that compassionate. Overall a really good read.