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flense_austen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aij's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
My first Leiber, and it's clarified a big blur in my mental history of fantasy stories. It's such a clear ancestor for many more recent books I adore. Amazing influence and impact. But standing alone today these stories didn't seem brilliant - clumsy language, vague characterisation, simple plots and plans.
basbleu_dans_labiblioteque's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I had heard this was early sword-and-sorcery fantasy written in the sixties, and as such expected a little misogyny mixed into a good old-fashioned rollicking fantasy adventure. I was prepared for misogyny and I got it, but what I was not prepared for was how boring this thing was. This book is only 254 pages of large font, but it is still a slog. The first two stories were really bad, in my opinion. Ill-Met in Lankmahr was better, reminding me more of Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, just with two drunken louts instead of some effective thieves. I just can’t abide louts, and boring louts are even worse, so I’m not going to read any more of these books for the foreseeable future.
wizardmacdonald's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
sandygx260's review against another edition
4.0
Along with Lovecraft and Micheal Moorcock's series, this is what I read while in my teens during the 70's. Life was good listening to Bowie, Yes, ELP, Genesis, reading fantasy, sneaking the occasional shot from my parent's liquor cabinet and preparing for art college.
I give the time period and these great writers high marks for fostering my imagination.
I give the time period and these great writers high marks for fostering my imagination.
bobbyzee's review against another edition
4.0
The roots of D&D lie here, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser are right up there next to Conan and Elric as a direct inspiration to Gygax and Arneson. This is a true gem and definitely worth your time if you are into great prose and fantasy.
rbixby's review against another edition
4.0
Such a great duo. I first discovered Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser when I read about Ningauble of the Seven Eyes and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face in the Nehwon chapter of Dieties and Demigods, the infamous AD&D source book that was a constant companion my freshman year of high school.
Just fun reads.
Just fun reads.
twiggysmalls69's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tamararama's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Having heard about the work of Fritz Lieber, I'll admit I had high hopes for my first foray into this particular sword and sorcery oeuvre. And I'll admit that maybe I should've tempered my expectations a little more, as I found myself somewhat let down by the pacing and stories in this first entry.
Overall, my impression of the work as a whole was that perhaps it does Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser a disservice to arrange these stories chronologically (or at least to read them that way.) I found the first two stories rather difficult to get into, a little plodding and expository. The third and final story in this volume, 'Ill-Met in Lankhmar', I found to be much more in the vein of what I wanted from this kind of sword and sorcery story (that is, adventurous and interesting and a little action-y.)
Stylistically, this had the linguistic depth and written tone I was wanting from this kind of fantasy story, and it scratched the itch for that older, American school of fantasy writing (and genre fiction in general) that I do really respect and enjoy. I know this somewhat confected and verbose style isn't for everyone, but I'll admit I'm a fan. Even the stories I found less than engaging weren't particularly badly written, and I do enjoy this written style of characterisation and development (though I won't pretend to be wholly comfortable with the old-fashioned/downright misogynistic way that women are treated by the text - but I knew about that going in.)
I think maybe I ought to have started with the next entry (Swords Against Death) which seems to be more of a collection of the short stories of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser's adventures, rather than being focused on trying to create an origin story for the pair. I probably would've gotten a lot more out of these origin stories (written later than many of the stories in subsequent volumes) if I were already familiar with these characters and this world.
Ultimately I'm not discouraged from giving more of these a go, because I did enjoy the style and substance, despite being somewhat unsated by this first volume.
Overall, my impression of the work as a whole was that perhaps it does Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser a disservice to arrange these stories chronologically (or at least to read them that way.) I found the first two stories rather difficult to get into, a little plodding and expository. The third and final story in this volume, 'Ill-Met in Lankhmar', I found to be much more in the vein of what I wanted from this kind of sword and sorcery story (that is, adventurous and interesting and a little action-y.)
Stylistically, this had the linguistic depth and written tone I was wanting from this kind of fantasy story, and it scratched the itch for that older, American school of fantasy writing (and genre fiction in general) that I do really respect and enjoy. I know this somewhat confected and verbose style isn't for everyone, but I'll admit I'm a fan. Even the stories I found less than engaging weren't particularly badly written, and I do enjoy this written style of characterisation and development (though I won't pretend to be wholly comfortable with the old-fashioned/downright misogynistic way that women are treated by the text - but I knew about that going in.)
I think maybe I ought to have started with the next entry (Swords Against Death) which seems to be more of a collection of the short stories of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser's adventures, rather than being focused on trying to create an origin story for the pair. I probably would've gotten a lot more out of these origin stories (written later than many of the stories in subsequent volumes) if I were already familiar with these characters and this world.
Ultimately I'm not discouraged from giving more of these a go, because I did enjoy the style and substance, despite being somewhat unsated by this first volume.
cameronkobesauthor's review against another edition
3.0
I read this because I'm a fan of George RR Martin, and Fritz Leiber was on a list of GRRM's favorite and most influential authors.
There are three stories in this book. The first, 'The Ice Women', is terrible. It's badly written, it's appallingly misogynist, and most surprising for the genre, it's boring. The second story, 'The Unholy Grail', is a little better. It's not great, but it's not terrible like the first. The third story, 'Ill Met in Lankhmar', is fun, silly, outrageous, all that you hope from sword-and-sorcery/pulp-fantasy. It almost makes up for the first one. I do mean to look for the next in the series.
There are three stories in this book. The first, 'The Ice Women', is terrible. It's badly written, it's appallingly misogynist, and most surprising for the genre, it's boring. The second story, 'The Unholy Grail', is a little better. It's not great, but it's not terrible like the first. The third story, 'Ill Met in Lankhmar', is fun, silly, outrageous, all that you hope from sword-and-sorcery/pulp-fantasy. It almost makes up for the first one. I do mean to look for the next in the series.