Product Description

From the moment when they first met, in the commission of the same, audacious theft, Fafhrd, the giant barbarian warrior from the Cold Waste, and the Gray Mouser, master thief, novice wizard and expert swordsman, felt no ordinary affinity. Forged over the gleam of sharpened steel as, back to back, they faced their foes, theirs was a friendship that would take them from adventure to misadventure across all of Nehwon, from the caves of the inner earth to the waves of the outer sea. But it was in the dark alleys and noisome back streets of the great fog-shrouded city of Lankhmar that they became legends. THE FIRST BOOK OF LANKHMAR includes the first four volumes of the hugely enjoyable Swords series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90108 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 768 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The First Book of Lankhmar is one of a series of Fritz Leiber's stories, involving Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, which are among the best pulp fantasies ever written. Leiber was an intelligent and gifted writer who, throughout his adult life, used the sensitive barbarian hulk and the "not as clever as he thinks he is" urban rogue as voices for the two sides of himself. Some of the stories here are hilarious farces, others exciting adventures, a couple passionately sad tragedies of disappointment and lost love. Somehow Leiber manages to keep the same consistent tone in these stories, in which he was learning his craft, as those from later in his distinguished career. This omnibus compilation brings together four collections that deal with the earlier stages of the rogues' lives. The title correctly emphasis Lankhmar--the Alexandria-like metropolis where they experience many of their set backs and adventures--because over the years Leiber never took them away from it for very long. Particular highlights here include "Lean Times in Lankhmar", in which they discover the seamier sides of temple protection rackets, and "Ill Met in Lankhmar", in which we learn how they fall foul of the Thieves' Guild. --Roz Kaveney

About the Author
SALES POINTS * #18 in the Millennium Fantasy Masterworks series, a library of the most original and influential fantasy ever written * 'Some of the finest heroic fantasy ever written.' SF Chronicle * 'One of my very favourite books, by one of my very favourite writers, starring two of the most delightful characters in the history of fantastic fiction.' Neil Gaiman * 'Most fantasy writers, if asked, admit that Fritz Leiber is our spiritual father, and for the most part we're sweating to keep up, let alone overtake him.' Raymond E. Feist * 'A writer who is, in my opinion, still the greatest of us all.' Michael Moorcock; * 'The most literate and important sword and sorcery series.' Mike Ashley

Customer Reviews

Entertaining
A weighty tome of easy-going spell and hackfests, providing a good dose of entertainment in a light hearted manner. Don't be put off by the size of the book as each chapter could almost be read in isolation.

Why only 3 stars? Not entirely my cup of tea - the "witty" writing style started to grate after a while and some of the stories seemed a bit rambling and lacking in sharpness.

But, if you want to be entertained rather than challenged and to have a book that you can pick up and put down at will, then go for it.

A different kind of fantasy
One of the best things about Leiber is the way the incidental never gets out of hand. In one passage he recounts our heroes are not seen for a year, and bit by bit stories filter back. Other writters would use this as an excuse for padding, possibly another volume (why tell a story in one volume when you can make 5 times the profit with 5). FL on the other hand relates it all in passing in one long paragraph, yet makes it incredibely interesting. You want to know the full story, but it doesn't matter you don't- the anticipation of a story never told rather than the let down of a poor one.

The great thing about F & GM is that the game's the thing- the money is just a convenient way to keep score (and buy wine and female company of course). Who else in a moment of drunken genius would steal an entire house (not squat, STEAL!)?

Swords and Sorcery at its best.
Bit of a throwback this one and something I would normally have read about twenty years ago, but still, this collection of 4 novels about the adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are written in a high-literary style, reminiscent of the best of Robert E Howard and come recommended if you like the pre-1970's style of sword and sorcery which is invariably darker and distinctly more bloody than its descendents. Generally I prefer the stranger writings of Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, but this collection still hits the spot. This volume actually contains 4 separate books, of which my favourite is the last, with the totally immersive tale of the ascent of Stardock. Loved it.