The Swords of Lankhmar (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #5)

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The Swords of Lankhmar (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser #5)

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 984 ratings · 33 reviews

The longest story in the saga of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser in the Land of Nehwon. Part of it was originally published in Fantastic as *Scylla's Daughter*; the remainder is original to this publication.

Hardcover, 222 pages

Published December 1970 by Mayflower (first published 1968)

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Mar 13, 2009 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sword-sorcery

I recently re-read for the Pulp Fiction group. Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser are certainly 2 of the most entertaining of all sword & sorcery heroes. Their faults are legion, but their hearts are usually in the right place, unless of course there's money or sex to be had. Then they make horrendous mistakes, scramble frantically to extricate themselves from their current mess & swagger off, chalking it all up to experience. Of course, they promptly get into another mess shortly after that,...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Werner rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Swords-and-sorcery fans

Recommended to Werner by: It was a common read in one of my groups

Shelves: fantasy

In creating the barbarian soldier of fortune Fafhrd and his partner, the short-statured swordsman known only by his nickname the Gray Mouser, and the fantasy world of Nehwon that they inhabit, Leiber was influenced by his sword-and-sorcery sub-genre predecessors, notably Robert E. Howard and E. R. Eddison. But he also wanted (according to his preface for this novel) to create "fantasy heroes closer to true human stature" than the likes of Conan. He also approached their stories with a sense of h...more In creating the barbarian soldier of fortune Fafhrd and his partner, the short-statured swordsman known only by his nickname the Gray Mouser, and the fantasy world of Nehwon that they inhabit, Leiber was influenced by his sword-and-sorcery sub-genre predecessors, notably Robert E. Howard and E. R. Eddison. But he also wanted (according to his preface for this novel) to create "fantasy heroes closer to true human stature" than the likes of Conan. He also approached their stories with a sense of humor that's usually lacking in the work of the first generation of writers in this tradition --this isn't "humorous fantasy" as such, and people and animals can die violent and sometimes very unpleasant deaths in it, but it does have a comic leavening at times that ably relieves the tension.

Concerning his pairs' moral qualities, Leiber also wrote that they "are rogues through and through, though each has in him a lot of humanity and at least a diamond chip of the spirit of true adventure. They drink, they feast, they wench, they brawl, they steal, they gamble, and surely they hire out their swords to powers that are only a shade better, if that, than the villains.... yet I don't think they're touched with evil as [two Eddison antiheroes:], rather they're rouges in a decadent world where you have to be a rogue to survive...." They're also brave, loyal to each other, and honorable in their own way; they don't rob the poor or bully the weak, and at various times Leiber shows one or the other of them rescuing an innocent at risk to himself, showing kindness and consideration, or being willing to forgive a wrong suffered. The author depicts (and implicitly condemns) genuine evil very clearly in his sadistic, power-mad, treacherous villains; and when the chips are down, this is the sort of evil that Fafhrd and the Mouser instinctively line up against.

As a prose stylist. Leiber is the equal of any writer that I've read; his descriptions and narration are full of sensory appeal and telling details that ably limn a scene or a character, create a mood, or evoke the reader's emotions. In this novel, he created what has to be one of the most original premises the fantasy genre has ever known; and he develops it, and the other details of his fantasy world, with a richly exuberant imagination. IMO, on the strength of this work alone, he shows himself worthy to stand in the very first rank of sword-and- sorcery authors.(less)

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Sep 22, 2010 Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, novel, reviewed, american, sword-and-sorcery

When I first started reading Leiber, my expectations were pretty low. He is often praised along with the other 'giants', but the fantasy genre is awash with unwarranted praise: the barely-differentiated is lauded as revolutionary, and many of its 'giants' are giant only in disappointment. But Leiber surprised me. Throughout the Lankhmar series, he has shown a lively, stylized voice, an eye for character and suspense, and an evocative sense of wonder.

Unfortunately, he begins to fall off his pace...more When I first started reading Leiber, my expectations were pretty low. He is often praised along with the other 'giants', but the fantasy genre is awash with unwarranted praise: the barely-differentiated is lauded as revolutionary, and many of its 'giants' are giant only in disappointment. But Leiber surprised me. Throughout the Lankhmar series, he has shown a lively, stylized voice, an eye for character and suspense, and an evocative sense of wonder.

Unfortunately, he begins to fall off his pace in this volume. He is fearless in his approach, which is great when he's on top of his game, but when he errs, causes him to stumble incautiously. Likewise, his light, laughing tone can be asset or flaw, dependent on how solid the pacing is beneath it.

Early on, we get an uncharacteristically wild choice, almost a non sequitur, which never ties back into the plot. The entire structure is unusual for the series, eschewing loosely-connected episodes for a more linear novel. The length and focus on one single story doesn't mesh well with Leiber's lilting style, and his imaginative, sometimes lovely asides are sadly absent.

I've seen the same thing happen before, from Mignola to Poe: the change from short and vibrant stories to long, sustained plot arcs is not easy to manage. Leiber doesn't really update his style to match the new length, which leaves us with a long, overly-involved short story.

The reason for greater length in writing is to add more depth, allowing the story to unfold gradually. Previously, these Lankhmar collections have achieved depth by the wild variance of the stories. Though all are loosely connected in an overarching plot, each one presents an opportunity for Leiber to play with tone, setting, character, and purpose in a different way. This makes sense, because they were written at different times--sometimes decades apart--at different points in Leiber's career.

This untethered, multihued style of world-building is very Howardian, and Howard used it deliberately to let his world unfold naturally, through many tales, only vaguely connected, filling some areas in with great detail, and leaving others as half-heard mysteries. Unlike the straightforward, encyclopedic style of most doorstop fantasies (appendices included, thank you J.R.R.), we learn about the worlds of Howard and Leiber like students of history, which makes sense, because it was a voracious study of detached pieces of history lent whimsy to both authors' creations.

It's a pity that he abandons this organic system for something so linear, especially as his struggles with pacing undermine his wit. With a less varied tale, he has less to play with, and starts to resemble his later imitators, like Pratchett, writing a fairly simple, amusing story with a few high points, but numerous low points where humor is not adequately supported by insight.

There are also some problems with sexual politics here, which is all the more disappointing because of Leiber's previously good track record with women who were both independent and unique. It's not a complete reversal, but Leiber's focus grows considerably more one-sided, and consequently, his women lose dimension.

This is amplified by the rather silly fetishism which continually crops up throughout the book, yet the sexuality is rarely either humorous, realistic, or enticing enough to overcome its superfluity. I'd heard that a previous Leiber fantasy story had been censored for overt sexuality, and I was disappointed to hear it, but reading this book, perhaps it was for the best. Sexuality shouldn't be edited out, but awkward writing should.

Overall, it's not a bad book. even though it isn't Leiber's best, it's still solid, with good high points, and fun to read. Unfortunately, his later works grow even more stilted, sexually awkward, and drawn out. This one, at least, has a rising plot and some amusing twists, which cannot be said of the books that close out the series.

My List of Suggested Fantasy Books (less)

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Nov 20, 2011 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

I never get tired of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser — I adore those two rogues! In The Swords of Lankhmar (a full novel rather than the usual story collection), the boys have been hired as guards for a fleet of grain shipments because several ships have recently disappeared. Aboard the ship they meet a couple of enchanting women who are escorting a troupe of performing rats across the sea. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser soon discover that these are not ordinary wo...more

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May 08, 2013 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can see why Neil Gaiman felt that Fritz Leiber deserved to have some of his work brought to the attention of 21st century readers in audio form. This book is a delight, a mix of classic swords-and-sorcery adventure, sardonic, dark fairytale, and imaginative world creation, with a little tales-of-ribaldry kinkyness thrown in. While it's fifth in a series, I don’t see any reason you can’t start here. The hairy barbarian Fafhrd and the small, quick-witted Gray Mouser are two instantly familiar ro...more I can see why Neil Gaiman felt that Fritz Leiber deserved to have some of his work brought to the attention of 21st century readers in audio form. This book is a delight, a mix of classic swords-and-sorcery adventure, sardonic, dark fairytale, and imaginative world creation, with a little tales-of-ribaldry kinkyness thrown in. While it's fifth in a series, I don’t see any reason you can’t start here. The hairy barbarian Fafhrd and the small, quick-witted Gray Mouser are two instantly familiar roguish heroes, no introduction required beyond the first chapter, and Lieber quickly pulled me into their world with his deliciously visual, textured descriptions and playful, literate command of language. Fans of Jack Vance will find his style familiar, though it’s less absurdist.

The story here has Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser low on cash, and compelled to take a commission guarding a grain barge for the amusingly decadent ruler of the impressive, seedy city of Lankhmar. Once out to sea, they learn that their convoy is also carrying a not particularly innocent maiden and her collection of preternaturally intelligent rats. Soon, things go amiss, and our heroes find themselves headed, by separate routes, back to Lankhmar, which is now having some serious rat problems. Any not just any rats, but ones that seem to be more and more humanlike, and to be coming from somewhere under the city. I won’t spoil what happens next, but before all is said and done, there will be duels, ill-advised romances, spying in magical disguise, battles, grotesque sorcerers, strange creatures, otherworldly travelers, and a few mildly naughty scenes.

IMO, this is fantasy that’s a happy medium between the grimness of Howard / ponderousness of Tolkien and the silliness of Vance, pulpy but actually creative. It’s not hard to to see the influence Leiber had on more modern writers in the genre, from Terry Pratchett to David Eddings to China Mieville (particularly the weird romance) to Neil Gaiman himself. Audiobook narrator Jonathan Davis does a fine job as usual, his calm, arch style a great fit for Leiber’s writing (though his scene switches are a little abrupt).(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 charta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Quella fu l'estate della fantascienza e del fantasy. Oltre diecimila pagine lette in meno di un mese, sotto lo sguardo compiaciuto dei miei anfitrioni, che mi avevano lasciato mano libera con la loro sterminata e variegatissima libreria.
Il ciclo della Fondazione di Asimov, Leiber in tutte le salse, la trilogia del Signore degli anelli - di proprietà del loro pargolo, allora ottenne (prometteva bene essendo figlio d'arte, infatti scriveva già).
L'amaca del giardino terrazzato il mio punto d'appogg...more Quella fu l'estate della fantascienza e del fantasy. Oltre diecimila pagine lette in meno di un mese, sotto lo sguardo compiaciuto dei miei anfitrioni, che mi avevano lasciato mano libera con la loro sterminata e variegatissima libreria.
Il ciclo della Fondazione di Asimov, Leiber in tutte le salse, la trilogia del Signore degli anelli - di proprietà del loro pargolo, allora ottenne (prometteva bene essendo figlio d'arte, infatti scriveva già).
L'amaca del giardino terrazzato il mio punto d'appoggio, svago e svacco, letteralmente, lasciando agli altri il (dis)piacere di godersi il mare del Conero, poco limpido per i miei severissimi gusti. quando rientrava la truppa sgraffignavo un filone di pane, un tocco abbondante di ciauscolo e mi inguattavo nel passaggio segreto, dentro l'architrave che ornava la principale porta d'accesso al paese e univa la zona padronale - purtroppo semidiroccata - a quella riservata alla servitù, dove abitavamo. Le piccole bifore garantivano luce sufficiente, al resto suppliva l'energia e la perfezione della estrema gioventù.
Dimenticavo di dirlo, era la magione dell'antico signorotto locale, quarti di nobiltà forse un po' annacquati dal tempo ma fortune economiche decisamente intatte. E tanti, tantissimi libri...
Se faceva troppo caldo gli ippocastani del giardino a pianterreno, ombrosi sopra il pozzo dell'antica corte, erano l'ideale. Anche per gli scorpioni grigi, purtroppo, non soltanto per me, come appurai dopo aver scoperto un enorme ponfo sulla caviglia destra (ecco cos'era stata quella punturina a cui avevo dato poca importanza dato che ero letteralmente catafratta non solo con il naso ma tutti e cinque i sensi nella mia occupazione preferita).
Dispiace solo di non essermi procurata copia di quelle antiche letture, a parte La Fondazione, ma l'abitudine di comprarmi i prestiti è sorta dopo.
Buffo mi sembrava il gigantesco Fafhrd, e un po' tontolone, per soprammercato. Il Grey Mouser, invece, era un furbone sopraffino e raffinato, gelido e fascinoso me l'immaginavo. All'epoca mi sembravano storielle incongrue ma divertenti, dopo Oliwaw e le tre leggi della robotica forse era naturale.
Quattro stelle sulla fiducia e sul bellissimo ricordo, ma prima o poi me lo riprocuro. Giuro.

(less)

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Apr 17, 2012 Jean-marcel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh man, I can't stress enough that I had more fun reading this than I have with anything in a long time, except maybe for some of the other Lankhmar stuff, like the classic "Lean Times in Lankhmar", which everyone with a taste for satire and mockery of religion should definitely read. This is the one and only Lankhmar novel (the rest are of course all short stories) and starts with the two rogues already in some serious trouble as they return to the grimy and beloved city of Lankhmar to find all...more Oh man, I can't stress enough that I had more fun reading this than I have with anything in a long time, except maybe for some of the other Lankhmar stuff, like the classic "Lean Times in Lankhmar", which everyone with a taste for satire and mockery of religion should definitely read. This is the one and only Lankhmar novel (the rest are of course all short stories) and starts with the two rogues already in some serious trouble as they return to the grimy and beloved city of Lankhmar to find all their creditors and many enemies amassed to put an end to them at last. The feebly sadistic duke of the city rescues them, though, to send them on a mission with a ship carrying some precious cargo to a foreign land .. cargo which includes an alluring seductress and twelve incredibly clever rats. What he doesn't tell them of course is that all other ships sent on this mission have been lost! The fun starts right at the outset with the Mouser deflecting magic bolts with a metal rod and the two of them sparring about women and bar tabs as they try to figure out how the hell they'll get out of this one. Then it's a crazy sea voyage, our heroes get separated in the most hilarious circumstance and there's trekking, ghouls, swordfights, and the coolest wizards ever, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face and Ningauble of the Seven eyes, who don't really like each other but seem to be temporarily in truce to help out their two prodigies and to save Lankhmar from a danger that slowly makes its presence known. In the end it's a pitch battle between intelligent rats with swords, some riding on unwilling humans, thirteen fearsome war cats, dire skeleton gods, and ghouls, with the Mouser mouse-sized (he still thinks he's the cleverest thing in the universe) and Fafhrd breathlessly chopping off heads everywhere. There are also quite a number of naked wenches in this one! Crazy, in the best possible way. Of course, those wishing to journey to Nehwon should start with the beginning and make their way chronologically with these characters....trust me, this is the way to have the most fun with them as they grow up and gain adventuresome experience.(less)

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May 31, 2012 Algernon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Reaching the fifth installment of the ongoing saga of Fafhrd and Grey Mouser, I thought for a while that I'm approaching saturation point, or that the author is better suited to the short form rather than this attempt at a full blown novel featuring his pair of lovable scoundrels. It took a German speaking traveller between parallel universes, riding a double headed sea serpent and searching for his misplaced spaceship to get me in the right mood for tackling Swords of Lankhmar . I believe th...more

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May 11, 2012 Leilani rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A rollicking adventure with luridly colorful prose - not my sort of thing at all. I'd heard these characters praised for years, but wasn't able to get into the short story collection I'd tried years ago, so gave this Neil Gaiman-approved audiobook a try. It lingered on my Ipod for months, but eventually I was able to force myself to finish it thanks to the excellent narrator and the vivid writing style.

It was a painfully long slog. The sea voyage described in the first part was eerie and kept my...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Dave/Maggie Bean rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Leiber at his best -- and worst. The first half drags on interminably: Fafhrd an' the Mouser sailing the bounding main; playing the consummate, pussy-whipped, gobshite eejits, an' playin th' muthafuckin' foo's.

The dragon-mounted German? Let's leave that for tomorrows beyond tomorrows, shall we?

The second half of the nov sees our boys transmuting the base metal of their unforgivable character flaws into moral gold -- with the aid of a surly kitten, a magic flute, a potion or two, and a refreshin...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Manny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, science-fiction

This classic sword-and-sorcery novel contains a rather unusual scene involving a threesome. The hero has made a romantic tryst with the mysterious woman he's been pursuing. He's surprised when she turns up together with her faithful maidservant, and even more surprised when she tells him what the deal is. He can kiss HER all he wants, but he has to do it while embracing the other chick. This unorthodox arrangement works out surprisingly well.

It turns out later that the mysterious woman had her r...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Larou added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The Swords of Lankhmar, fifth volume in Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser books, stands out among the others by being the only novel in the series. It has often been remarked upon that this form is not really suited to the tales Leiber tries to tell, and I am finding myself in agreement with this. Not that The Swords of Lankhmar wasn’t a fun to read, but it does drag a bit in places, in particular during the sea voyage described in its first part which is almost a standalone tale.

Most of tha...more The Swords of Lankhmar, fifth volume in Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser books, stands out among the others by being the only novel in the series. It has often been remarked upon that this form is not really suited to the tales Leiber tries to tell, and I am finding myself in agreement with this. Not that The Swords of Lankhmar wasn’t a fun to read, but it does drag a bit in places, in particular during the sea voyage described in its first part which is almost a standalone tale.

Most of that voyage is given to Fafhrd’s and the Gray Mouser’s courting of a female passenger, trying to outdo each other in gaining her affections and generally behaving in a way that is very reminiscent of adolescent teenagers. This is somewhat mitigated by the sheer outrageousness of their behaviour which raises suspicion that maybe they are not quite serious about it all and only play-acting to pass the time on a boring sea-voyage, but even so it does appear rather out of character – while this is certainly not the first time that our two protagonists have fallen for a pretty face I cannot remember any previous instance where they forgot themselves quite as much as here with Hesvit.

Although I have to admit that I found Hesvit rather enjoyable myself – it is clear pretty early on that she is up to no good and one of the novel’s bad guys, and while she does not exactly have a lot of character depth beyond her being evil for evil’s sake, what there is is quite fascinating, mysterious and aloof, always dancing just out of everyone’s grasp and generally a very colourful villain who gives our heroes – the Mouser in particular – quite the run for their money.

The novel becomes markedly more lively from its second third onwards, when the location shifts to Lankhmar. Or at least the Mouser’s location shifts, for once again our protagonists are going separate ways for most of the story. Unlike previous instances, though, it has to be said that the split in The Swords of Lankhmar is not quite symmetrical – while Fafhrd’s long detour towards Lankhmar is mostly devoid of events and, while fun to read, is only marginally related to the central plot, the Gray Mouser has all the excitement, magic and adventure in his chapters. He really steals the spotlight from Fafhrd this time round and The Swords of Lankhmar is very much the Gray Mouser’s novel – which, in a way, is even fitting, seeing how the novel’s main antagonists are rats.

The Swords of Lankhmar is the most fanciful instalment in the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series (or the silliest, if you are feeling less generous) – with people shrinking down to the size of and dressing up as rats, rats growing to the size of men and getting into fencing duels and lots of other bizarre and colourful shenanigans, the reader at times almost feels like having strayed into a Sword & Sorcery version of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Nußknacker und Mäusekönig. And maybe this is another reason why this novel made me once again think a lot of Terry Pratchett – at times, The Swords of Lankhmar seems to switch entirely into comical mode and Leiber seems to play it entirely for laughs, even more so than in stories like “Lean Times in Lankhmar” where the sharp satirical thrust kept things from becoming merely quirky, humoristic Fantasy. Which is not a bad thing in and of itself, but I have to admit that at times I rather missed the realistic edge that usually even the most outré and over the top Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories have somewhere. There is almost no sense of menace in this novel, and the villains, while bizarre and fascinating never really come across as threatening.

This installment of Fafhrd and Gray Mouser is a bit of a mixed bag, then; it does not quite live up to the best volumes in the series but still is very enjoyable to read. The Swords of Lankhmar is also the final volume of the original series, the remaining two volumes are later additions and everyone seems to agree that they mark a distinct drop in quality. Only one way to find whether that is true or not, I suppose…(less)

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Aug 14, 2008 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: conan fans

Shelves: fantasy, swords-and-sorcery

Although this book is the fifth of six collecting the original tales of Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser, it also happens to be their first and (as far as I know) only novel length adventure. A fun and breezy read with a rather dark sense of whimsy. Lankhmar is under siege by a very unusual foe, and only the two greatest swordsmen--and greatest rogues--in all of Newhon can save it. The plot is much more epic in scope, but also, perhaps due to length, a bit stretched thin in places. The essence of Fa...more

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Oct 10, 2010 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of fantasy, sci/fi, swords and sorcery, and role players

There are several well done reviews here. This is the Fafrd/Gray Mouser book that I kept coming back to and re-reading more than any of the others. The detail on Lankhmar, the detail on the world under Lankhmar is captivating. Hisvet is one of the best of Leiber's Leading Ladies, as well.

A great read that doesn't slow down from start to finish. Again, as I've noted in prior reviews, this is a must read for any fan of fantasy or Sci/Fi.

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Feb 06, 2013 Derek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: appendix-n, sword-and-sorcery, pulp-fantasy-library

This is the first volume where the reader gets to truly savor the outré, decadent delights of Lankhmar, a city that is wealthy and metropolitan more or less in spite of itself, and this alone is worth the price of admission for the novel.

This type of setting has been done more extensively elsewhere (see New Crobuzon), but I'm curious: was this the first? What came before Lankhmar?

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Nov 11, 2009 Damon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This really took me a long time to slog through. It's not because it was bad, or really even that I wasn't enjoying reading it, it just wasn't really what I was expecting. I really like Fafhrd and the Mouser, but all the previous books have been soft of a loosely-related series of short adventures, so it was maybe 20 or 30 pages of one thing and then on to the next. This one, though, was one solid novel, and was also about 100 pages longer than any of the previous volumes. So it seemed to lose s...more

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Jan 20, 2009 Ed Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Leiber is among the best of science fiction and fantasy writers. It would be hard not to notice the influence his body of work has had most especially on the fantasy genre. The only other writer of such notable import is Marion Zimmer Bradley.

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Jul 17, 2011 Maxwell Heath rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sword-and-sorcery

The use of rats as villains is interesting, especially since Leiber manages to make them a credible threat. The sequences of a magically shrunken Mouser exploring the rat city are amazing.

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Jun 03, 2008 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read

Possibly the best fantasy novel of all time. I grabbed it randomly off a bookshelf one night, maybe a month ago, before going to bed, and re-read it for the 3rd or 4th time in my life. It's a quick and amazing read. Swords, sorcery, rats... humorous and even kinda sexy... the only flaw in this book is the dumb part about the interdimensional traveler -- I think this was filler material recycled from another story. Anyhow this is the only full-length Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser novel, and it is no...more

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Aug 11, 2010 Travis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, manly-literature, sf-fantasy

More clever fantasy adventure stories featuring one of the greatest duos in literature.
Great stuff. There are no bad 'Fafhrd and the Mouser' stories.

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Aug 13, 2012 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just listened to this. I had read it LONG ago, but not re-visited it lately. Excellent sword and sworcery. Intelligent and funny.

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Aug 28, 2012 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was afraid Fafhrd and Grey were going to be diluted in novel form, but Leiber wrote the hell out of this thing. Insane, goofy premises were piled on top of bowel loosening hilarity. The weird is a great touch, but it's the solid characteriztion and original plot details that make this entry shine.

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May 07, 2009 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I rated this one under the collected heading of Swords' Masters.

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Sep 14, 2010 Bill Kerwin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is a great fantasy novel, containing sword fights, magic potions, ancient gods awake and wrathful, super-intelligent rats, a time-traveller riding a sea serpent, a whistle for summoning mystic war cats, transparent but still attractive lady ghouls whose bones gleam provocatively in the moonlight, lovely femme fatales and (of course) deluded males, nudity, copious drinking, overt sadism involving whips and chains, and just a hint of masochism for good measure. In other words: a thoroughly en...more

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Mar 26, 2009 Vulgrin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read this as suggested by a friend. I doubted him two thirds of the way through the book, as it seemed to drag on with no end in sight. (Even though its a short book.) I put it down for a month or so, and then decided to just finish the dang thing off.

I'm glad I did. The last third of the book makes up for the rest. Though I'm not a huge fan of the writing, I was sucked into the book and had to finish it that night.

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Aug 04, 2008 Nathan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fantasy Fans

Shelves: reviewed-2008, fantasy

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The characters (Fafhard and the Grey Mouser) are figures out of my childhood, where I spent many hours with the Dungeons and Dragons Lankhmar materials.

The reality was kinda disappointing. The language of the books is wonderful, but dated. The action scenes are good, but arranged pretty haphazardly. It doesn't flow as well as it could.

The two rating doesn't mean I won't scavenge more of these books to read in the future, it just means they won't be at...more

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May 12, 2011 Eli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, favorite

Great book.

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Jun 21, 2009 Brett added it · review of another edition

Fantasy

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Nov 29, 2009 Keith Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The only novel length story in the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. I loved (and by loved I mean was sickened by) the rat invasion and then the Gods of Lankhmar which are not worshiped, only feared and loathed.

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Feb 09, 2013 Bob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am loving this series and this one is among the best. The prose is beautiful, the characters both fantastical and grounded, and the world is as deep and wondrous as the best fantasy. Highly recommended.

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About Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber was one of the more interesting of the young writers who came into HP Lovecraft's orbit, and some of his best early short fiction is horror rather than sf or fantasy. He found his mature voice early in the first of the sword-and-sorcery adventures featuring the large sensitive barbarian Fafhrd and the small street-smart-ish Gray Mouser; he returned to this series at various points in...more

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Books by Fritz Leiber

Swords and Deviltry (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #1)

Swords Against Death (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #2)

Swords in the Mist (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #3)

Swords Against Wizardry (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #4)

Ill Met in Lankhmar (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, #1-2)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1735413.The_Swords_of_Lankhmar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1314121281l/1735413.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1735413.The_Swords_of_Lankhmar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber[/url]

The Swords of Lankhmar (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser #5)

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