Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Its been a few years since I've read this but...., July 4, 2005
... 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.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Under-rated, January 24, 2003
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.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing special, November 14, 2000
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).
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by Fred Saberhagen
by Fred Saberhagen
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