The Sword Smith

by Eleanor Arnason

One man and his mythical companion, vividly alive in a wonderful adventure.

This is the legend. Of Limper, a royal sword smith. Of a baby dragon named Nargri. Of a mountainous land, a world of mystery. Of peasants and kings, sorcerers and trolls. It is a tale of fantasy, but it has the earthy reality of a true story of survival. It is a perilous adventure, but it has wit and charm and love. It is a work of uncommon imagination and rare talent.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1978

About the author

Eleanor Atwood Arnason (born 1942) is an American author of science fiction novels and short stories. From 1949 to 1961, Arnason and her parents lived in "Idea House #2," a futuristic dwelling built by the Walker Art Center. Arnason's earliest published story appeared in New Worlds in 1972. Her work often depicts cultural change and conflict, usually from the viewpoint of characters who cannot or will not live by their own societies' rules.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sword Smith by Eleanor Arnason
Condor
1979
208 pages

Uncredited cover art

I’ve been on the lookout for a copy of this book for years. My friend, Ric Croxton sold me his copy. The story and writing reminded me of classic books like The Traveller in Black, The Wizard of Earthsea, and The Tower at Stony Wood. Simple but engaging.

Limper is on the run. The king he used to smith for sorely wants him back. Traveling quietly with his companion, the dragon Nargri, he cannot outrun the word of the bounty for his return. Obstacles prevent him from making much progress. Enterprising men seeking the bounty on his head, an enclave of dragons meting out justice, man-eating troll-like men in need of a name for a child, and a chivalrous hero all seek to detain Limper.

The book is comprised of five interlocking eventful tales of Limper’s trek north. I don’t think that I would recommend this book to just anyone. It wasn’t a page turner but I really enjoyed it.

[Sam Maxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mum bought this for me when I was a teen. I loved it because it's so unusual. I've just re-read it as an (almost) middle-aged adult and still love it. Although it has many of the usual fantasy tropes, it lacks the over-blown tendency towards too much detail and is written in a concise, witty, clean style.

I love the relationship between the main character, Limper and the his travelling companion, a baby dragon called Nargri. Although this concept sounds cliched the treatment of it is far from it.

What is so refreshing about Arnason's adventure is the lack of a central quest. Limper does not go on to discover he is the 'chosen one' or has an inescapable destiny. He is simply looking to escape his old life and find a new one. Nargri is just along for the ride.

The novel is also unsentimental and matter of fact about the tough nature of life, while subtly enforcing the importance of small kindnesses in our relationships with others. Nothing is ever spelled out but is skillfully woven into the text.

The book is also funny, but again the humour is subtle.

If you want a big, bombastic Fantasy adventure this is not for you (I love those too) but if you are prepared to saviour a modestly action-packed, surprising story that questions ideas about gender, social roles and relationships give this a try.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tale of Limper, a renowned smith, and his dragon companion who are fleeing the king Limper has been working for. He isn’t fleeing because the king is evil. He just doesn’t like the work he has been required to do. As they escape, many escapades ensue. There is no deep meaning here, no heroic quest - just some people traveling together, but I liked Limper and Nargri so this entertained me.

This is a standalone novel.

[David H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciated reading the tale of Limper leaving behind his old job with the king of Eshrogin, I can't say that I loved it or could recommend it to most people unless they were Arnason fans. It's written in a fairly barebones and direct style, and I did like both Limper and his dragon companion Nargri. However, the the book is told episodically and the novel ends abruptly.

[Zephyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, at the least, and if it weren't for the ending I would have given it 4 stars (here using the more common meaning of star ratings, not goodreads's 2-stars means liked it system).

Anyhow, this book reminds me of slice-of-life anime more than anything else. There's no real plot, just a couple characters and a journey as Limper flees his old job. They reach a new place, experience some sort of adventure that makes you feel emotions, and then go on to a new place, repeat. It's peaceful and relaxing to read.

It even takes its time with its descriptions of simple things, like the landscape they are walking through or the food they are eating. Normally, this sort of thing would irritate me, but it works in this case.

That said, the ending is an abomination. It's not a conclusion like in a regular book, just another incident, but in this last story the main character behaves entirely out of character, particularly with respect to the way he thinks about and treats his friends and strangers. He allows his dragon friend to be treated like an animal by someone he just met and likes only because they are pretty, is completely okay with the fact that this person owns slaves (this is the first time they have appeared in the book), and makes a trite, ugly justification of slavery by saying that poor people have to work and so aren't really free either. It was jarring and maddening, and I honestly wish the author had just cut the book at the end of the previous adventure and left it at that. It felt almost like something that could have been the beginning of a book, with the character starting out shitty and then having a character development arc, but instead the book has you get attached to this character and then goes, surprise! Here's a few ways in which this person is actually terrible! The End.

[Rick Aucoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book as a teenager and it was very memorable. I've got an old paperback of it, missing the front cover, doesn't even have a copyright page. It just goes straight into the story which is odd, but interesting.

Over 30 years later and that tattered, coverless, paperback is one of the 30 paperbacks I allowed myself to keep in the recent disposal of the 500+ paperbacks in our family library. That's as high praise as I can think of to offer this humble, charming, story.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is "non-grand fantasy" a sub-genre? If it is, "The Sword Smith" is a charming exemplar. Limper is a great sword-smith, but he's annoyed the king, and now he's another man on the road, needing work, dealing with plain folks he meets in his travels. The "non-grand" is an advantage: Without gods and wizards and prophecies and maps propping up the story, the author must rely on solid writing and engaging characters* - and in this book that more than suffices.

* Okay, one of the most engaging characters is a very young dragon. But, as dragons go, she also counts as plain folks.