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Swords for Hire: Two of the Most Unlikely Heroes You'll Ever Meet

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Some of the most entertaining books are the ones nobody knew about. The not-exactly-new fantasy novel "Swords for Hire" is one of those, written over twenty years ago by a very talented young man, and now available because of his brother. Fans of "Princess Bride" and the works of Craig Shaw Gardner should check this one out.

The good and kindly King Olive is dead. Actually, he isn't - he was quietly usurped from his throne by his greasy, incompetent brother Boonder (who likes to put worms on his head). Olive has been held captive for three years in a cell guarded by the horrifying Boneman. All of this is unknown to the farm boy Sam Hatcher, who is sent by his father to become one of the Royal Guard. He doesn't quite make the cut, and is sent to Rigby Skeet, an eccentric but very capable "Sword for Hire" (who likes cute little rabbits).

Sam has only been there a short time when a man carrying the king's "Help" message staggers in and dies of three arrows. Soon he and Rigby are making a desperate run for the king's prison to set him free, with the brutal King's elite on their tail. Will they free Boonder's unwilling bride, Melinda? Will they make it past a deceptive sorcerer? And will they get Olive from the clutches of the sinister Boneman?

"Swords for Hire," although it was only just published, was actually written in the late 1970s by a very bright young man, Will Allen, who gave copies of it to his family for Christmas. Sadly, he died of melanoma a few months later. (He closely resembled Sam on the cover) He was a fan of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain, and particularly the novel "Princess Bride" (there's a clever homage to it late in the book). It also has a very nice foreword written by Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson (yes, THAT Bart Simpson), who knew Will when they were kids.

It's a funny, quick-paced adventure story with lots of fighting, loathsome villains, feisty damsels, underestimated heroes and the occasional gruesome specter. Allen wrote several nice twists on this story: The secret of the Boneman, the growing friendship between Rigby and Sam, the thing about the worms, and the sorcerer who... well, isn't.

Sam is a likeable kid in the classic fantasy mold, although thankfully he has a lot more personality than most. Boonder is repellent in every way, especially since he isn't very smart or very menacing; Olive, conversely, is likeably blunt and unbreakable. And Rigby Skeet, a hardened and slightly weird swordsman (he dug an escape route because he was bored, and used it to avoid the neighbors), is the gem of this story. Of course, he gets all the good lines. ("Not even just a little cannibalism? On weekends?")

Fans of funny, fast-paced fantasy and adventure will definitely enjoy this, especially if they like the "Ebenezum" trilogy or "The Princess Bride."

Swords for Hire" is a humorous and exciting medieval adventure. Inspired by "The Princess Bride", the style is similar enough that anyone who enjoyed that book should enjoy this one. Although it is written for the juvenile market (age 9 or so and older) it is still a delightful read for anyone. For a younger person the first thirty pages are somewhat slow but required in order to lay the foundation for the rest of the book. On the other hand, once you get to the section on "The Oddball" it picks up speed, the two primary characters become well developed and the book takes off. After that it is hard to put the book down and you may find yourself sitting up to finish it. "Swords for Hire" is a highly recommended and enjoyable read.

Sam Hatcher is a normal, if a bit cynical, farm boy who is clearly not destined to become a farmer. His father recognizes this and sends him off to join the Royal Guard on his sixteenth birthday. Thus begins an adventure that teams him up with Rigby Skeet, a mentor who is slightly deranged, on a quest to rescue the true King from the dungeon in which his slimy, worm-loving brother has imprisoned him.

The story is fast and fun and often surprising, taking a classic adventure story and saturating it with humor and irony, smashing through clichés as quickly as the protagonists smash through obstacles.

Sam is no starry-eyed apprentice and his mentor is no all-knowing master, and this lack of established adventure story roles leaves room for so much more.

This story was loved by every kid with whom it was shared, from age seven to age fifteen, and the adults who read it loved it even more.

Sam Hatcher lived on a farm until he turned sixteen. Then he became an apprentice to Rigby Skeet, Sword For Hire. A smuggled message landed in their hands to reveal that the "deceased king" was not really dead. Instead, King Olive was caged in a far away dungeon and guarded by "the Boneman". The two set out to rescue their true king from the evil guards.

I found this story to be an absolute delight! All through the book I chuckled and often I found myself laughing out loud. The author expressed even the most common things in the most unusual and humorous ways. For example: "Imagine a dark, sinister-looking castle, then multiply by two and you'd have the castle of the Boneman."

The author also added some strange personalities that kids of all ages cannot help but find amusing, such as the false king who enjoyed nothing more than putting worms on top of his head. It is things such as these that will make young readers WANT to read. Each chapter is short, which is recommended for younger readers as well. And of course, there must be (and is) a beautiful damsel in distress that needs to be rescued. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Swords is sublime. Smart, quick, funny and unexpected -- you'll gulp it down and then wish you had made it last longer. You'll share it with everyone you know just so you can talk about it again and again.

Get at least two copies; one to keep and some to share. Swords stirs up classic adventure with offbeat characters and waggish dialogue to deliver a hearty, crowd-pleasing read. After I finished the book, I read it to my 2nd grade son. He was hooked at the opening line and begged, "Please just one more chapter!" Several friends' kids from 8 to 17 have quickly devoured Swords as soon as I passed it on, choosing it for book reports and telling friends about it. My first copy still hasn't made it back to me I'm told it's been read by an entire household and is making its way through another. Few books have the potential to be a favorite among multiple generations, but Swords for Hire seems to have enough magic for everyone.

Though Swords is the first we've seen from the young late Allen, don't think you're getting lightweight writing with this book. Swords may be fresh and witty but it exhibits the sophistication and craftsmanship of a seasoned novelist. I found it no surprise to learn that Allen wrote for most of his short life: his Swords is an unconventional classic that can stand with the best. You'll be proud to say you read it and loved it.

Farm boy Sam Hatcher has just turned 16, the age of "manhood." Having a serious heart to heart talk with his father, Sam leaves the safety of his farm to join the Royal Guard.

The next day Sam is interviewed by Captain Clerret of the Royal Guard. Due to his youth and inexperience the captain refers Sam to Rigby Skeet for his education and training. Rigby Skeet is the kingdoms resident Sword for Hire. Eccentric and quick with the puns Rigby takes Sam under his wing.

King Olive has been dethroned and imprisoned by his scheming brother Boonder. Boonder has employed the evil Boneman to hold his brother prisoner while he enjoys the distinction of being King. King Olive has thought of only two things during his years of captivity, his escape and his hatred for Boonder.

A smuggled note in King Olives' writing reaches Rigby and Sam and it's now their mission to find and return their beloved King to his rightful throne.

SWORDS FOR HIRE is a charming and funny, wholesome and entertaining story from beginning to end. Being fast paced and engaging SWORDS FOR HIRE will keep the interest of any child.. My own children took one look at the cover and couldn't wait to get their hands on it. Listening to my kids giggle and hearing them quickly turn pages is a testimonial to this book.

Swords For Hire: Two Of The Most Unlikely Heroes You'll Ever Meet by Will Allen is a rollicking, clever, novel for young readers ages 8 to 14. Sam Hatcher grew up on a farm with his parents. When Sam turned 16 he meets Rigby Skeet and the two of them uncover a plot that has thrust the rightful king into a "Boneman" guarded dungeon and placed the king's evil brother upon the throne. To free the king and expose the plot, Sam and Rigby embark on an exciting cross-country adventure complete with evil guards, a magical sorcerer, ambushes, and a beautiful girl held captive against her will. Swords For Hire is a terrific read, one of those heroic action fantasy novels that are so easy to pick up and so hard to put down!

Will Allen wrote with the total freedom of knowing this was for people who loved him, and with the understanding of the fantasy tradition.

As a result, Swords for Hire is a fast-paced, witty nod to fantasy--observing cliches when that seems fun, blasting them when blasting them seems fun.

If I hadn't known this was the only full-length work of a dying young man, I still would have enjoyed it. OK, so it's not Lord of the Rings--it's not meant to be. It's also not meant to be Princess Bride (I actually preferred Swords for Hire to PB), but is a tribute to good writing. As that, it works.

I'm always on the lookout for a good read and found this little gem via sfsite.com, a sci-fi/fantasy website. Since the reviews there compared Swords for Hire to "The Princess Bride," (one of my all-time favorite books) I decided to take a chance and order it and, in fact, it does have a very similar tone and humor.

Short chapters (a la James Patterson) make this book a quick and easy read (perfect for younger readers) but the wit and intelligence of the writing sets Swords For Hire above the typical run-of-the-mill fantasy so that older readers can enjoy it too.

Humor isn't an easy thing to write and there were sections in this book that literally made me laugh out loud. An extremely enjoyable, witty read that I can highly recommend to readers of all ages.

Having waded through the endless swamp of so many dull, uninspired children's books, I was pleasantly surprised when I found this novel. That's because Swords for Hire is a special children's book indeed. It will definitely hold your kids' attention. Of course, you really can't go wrong with a story that has a king, a dungeon, a damsel in distress and a villain named Boneman.

Will Allen has done a masterful job of building the story and makes it easy for the young reader to follow along. His characters have delightful names like Rigby Skeet, King Olive and Boonder, and although the plot bears a passing resemblance to others, the offbeat story itself is all Will Allen's. And it's a good one.

Swords for Hire is one of the few children's books out these days that is fun for kids as well as adults. Very enjoyable. You'll love it.