Swords Against Death: The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (Unabridged) (Audio Download)

by Fritz Leiber (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"For anyone who loves great literature, Fritz Leiber walked on water."-Harlan Ellison "If he [Leiber] weren't such a deadly fine fantasist I wouldn't be stopping everything to read his tales. I stop everything when a new Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story comes into my hands."-Roger Zelazny "Leiber's writing has lost none of its luminous magic."-San Francisco Chronicle --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Description
In the second installment of this rousing series, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser journey from the ancient city of Lankhmar, searching for a little adventure and debauchery to ease their broken hearts. When a stranger challenges them to find and fight Death on the Bleak Shore, they battle demonic birds, living mountains, and evil monks on the way to their heroic fate. Fritz Leiber's witty prose, lively plots and superb characterizations stand the test of time. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Audio Download
• Publisher: audible.com
• ASIN: B001EBHEL2
• Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great afternoon-armchair-escape., February 15, 2008

By	GSH_67 "reviewer on www.Fanlit.net" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lankhmar Book 2: Swords Against Death (The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser) (Bk. 2) (Paperback)

After a self-imposed exile, our heroes; the legendary Farfhrd and Gray Mouser, are back to their old shenanigans in the sinful city of Lankhmar. Shortly after their return, they find themselves hypnotically drawn across Newhorn's Outer Sea to lands unknown, only to have to survive a perilous journey to again get back to Lankhmar; the closest thing they have to a home. Along with their other misadventures, they finally come to terms with the deaths of their true-loves.
As stated on the book's back-cover; Fritz Leiber shares the throne as a master of fantasy along with J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and C. S. Lewis. In fact, I've heard that Lankhmar was the model for the first Dungeon & Dragon games.
The Farhrd and The Gray Mouser tales are classic Sword & Sorcery. Leiber's prose and dialog have a whimsical, but almost Shakespearean feel, which lends humor to adventures that are nothing short of a good-time. The companionship between the Gray Mouser, a small thief and a former wizard's-apprentice, and Fafhrd, an almost 7 ft. tall barbarian, is endearing and reminiscent of the camaraderie between the best-friends of one's childhood. I even get a sense that there's a little "bohemian" influence (the lifestyle not the historic people) that makes these stories even more interesting.
I give Swords Against Death four stars, only because I found that, at times, the same prose and rhythm that makes the book so entertaining can also be a little monotonous. Still, Farfhrd and Gray Mouser are well-worth the read and make for a great afternoon-armchair-escape.

[...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What's really for dessert?, September 21, 2008

By	Kawika "honest2u" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lankhmar Book 2: Swords Against Death (The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser) (Bk. 2) (Paperback)

Leiber does it again. An assortment of short adventures of varying quality (mostly 4-5 stars, one or two 3 star stories). I really enjoyed these stories, some reminding me of the Robert E. Howard/Sprague De Camp Conan stories I read as a kid. Great sense of humor, fantasy that even acknowledges the existence of black people...what a concept. Why is it so hard for this duo to actually achieve their treasure, yet so easy for them to get laid?

Lots of fun, although I still don't understand why Dark Horse has released these short books individually at such a high price. These are just short story collections, why not combine them and give the reader more bang for the buck? Which is why I still recommend the Three of Swords collection over this. There are plenty of decent used copies available for the price DH is selling this one. Either way, enjoy.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More like what I wanted..., July 7, 2008

By	Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Lankhmar Book 2: Swords Against Death (The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser) (Bk. 2) (Paperback)

This is the short stories I wanted. The two characters, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, get to shine, as they survive adventure after adventure after adventure. The only reason I don't give the book a five star rating is that, while the details change, the stories seem to be the same. They get into trouble, they discover what the trouble is, they fight their way out of it. Sometimes they think their way out but mostly they fight.
Not sure if I should continue the books. How different can it get?