Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #409148 in Books
• Published on: 1986-11-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Customer Reviews

Unsung hero of Swords and Sorcery
I first bought this book back in the mid eighties and come back to it every couple of years. It opens a ten book series of which number 4 is often praised as the best for its wit etc - but this is my favourite. In common with the later books, the characters are well drawn, the prose is good and the storyline crackles along. The difference is that the underlying themes are more serious and sombre. There is some humour, but not too much and for the most part its about comradeship, the corrupting influence of power and the consequences of betrayal. Add in some almost mystical observations on the human condition and you've got something unique.
This is no ordinary swords and sorcery slash fest then, but the beginning of an awesome epic, a decent novel in its own right and a satisfying read in terms of length and resolution. You will learn to like the characters who are all pretty ordinary joes, shoved into weird situations (well except maybe Phyphor the Wizard of Arl) and you'll hate it when some inevitably come to grief. Read the books - and someone, buy the film rights!

This makes me ashamed for my genre of choice
I have to speak up after being flabbergasted at the five star reviews on here.

This is the kind of fantasy that would put someone off the genre forever. Where do I start? The bland, unbelievable and unsympathetic characters? The dreadful plotting? The 'TELL, no showing!' writing style? Good grief.

The writing is littered with pointless repetition and plot threads that wander off, end, and leave you wondering what the point was? And there are very odd (thankfully occasional) sections where he appears to think he's writing a comedy-fantasy - don't worry, these sections are so out-of-sync with the rest, you'll see them coming.

I can't believe there are further books in the series. Avoid! Please!

A great read.
This is one of the best fantasy novels I have read. It is well written and with great humour!! The characters are brilliant!

This book is best read before "The Walrus and the Warlord" as the two stories run symultaneously and intertwine. Hugh Cook does a really good job of bringing the tow stories together.

The rest of the series is not up to the standard of these two cracking books but is worth a read.