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Hawk & Fisher #4-6
Guards of Haven
He's Hawk. She's Fisher. They're cops, patrolling the mean streets of the ancient city misnamed Haven, a sinister place where demons, thieves, sorcerers, and murderers own the night and anything can be bought-except justice.
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
41 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,212 followersSimon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 26, 2011
This book includes Three stories in one book: Wolf in the Fold, Guard Against Dishonor, The Bones of Haven. It is my understanding that all three have been previously published under a different title (Fear and Loathing in Haven) so if you’ve read that, you’ve already read this.
Though I’m not usually a sword and sorcery/cop story type of reader, this book surprised me with its wry wit and offbeat humor. I was drawn in from the first line and enjoyed the stories immensely. They are set in a modern medieval world where magic is acceptable, fighting is done with swords (or in the case of Hawk, an axe), and corruption rules the land – or at least, the city of Haven. Hawk and Fisher, husband and wife Guards, are the two best crime fighters in the city. The worst area, the Northeast Corridor, is their beat and nobody crosses them. In a city where crime is the norm, they can’t be bought. Together, they attempt to bring order to chaos.
With a plot that is straightforward with just enough of a small twist to keep you interested, characters that are slightly stereotypical, but still fun, this is a lighthearted book that doesn’t take much thought. It’s pure entertainment. The only caveat I offer is one of copyediting. There are enough areas where a good grammarian would have been an asset, but it’s not enough of a problem to completely detract from the enjoyment of the story. If you like sword and sorcery, cops, wizards, and good vs. evil stories, but don’t want to have to work at the story, definitely pick this one up.
July 1, 2022
I liked this far more than I expected to (with the exception of the third entry), and probably more than it deserves.
Hawk and Fisher are guard captains in a medieval setting that is written like a buddy cop serial, right down to the wisecracks, the though-as-nails protagonists in the middle of the worst crimes the human race has to offer, and the wish fulfillment/defiance toward authority we all love and hope for. What's refreshing is that they're a husband and wife team where the gender/married politics are nowhere to be found. Hawk doesn't mull over dating while on the job or gripe about her being a ball and chain. Fisher doesn't become a strong female protagonist that overpowers the men around her to take charge. And neither of them treat the situation as anything other than "just another day at the office." The relationship worked and wasn't played for drama and I can't describe how refreshing that was. The romance is scattered through the book, just enough to be heartwarming and genuine without being overbearing or absent, and we don't need to worry about a partner being corrupt or shady because they're both solid at what they do. "The last good cops on the force," and all that, and having a team act like a proper team was a welcome shift from all the needless drama was come to expect from pairings like this.
But, nothing is perfect, and this is certainly no exception. My inner editor was going crazy when I read this. Green doesn't deviate from the most basic of punctuation more than twice in the entire book, using whole sentences for side points that would have benefited from semi-colons or m-dashes, and whoever let him publish a work with so much unnecessary capitalization should keep their name hidden from posterity. I enjoyed the (first two) stories thoroughly enough to not notice after a while, but if that drives you crazy, dear reader, then buyer beware.
Next, I describe this as a serial, and that's how the characterization feels. Fisher's described as an excellent sword fighter, and she can more than hold her own with the boys (which is never played up to be more than it is, thankfully), but she doesn't do much aside from be there and kick ass. To be fair, neither does Hawk. These two aren't detectives, and that shows pretty early on when they need to think together and go through a lot of crap just to get to the bottom of the case they're working. Neither thinks on the go, and the stories are written with Fantasy's oh-so-beloved excess of character description which takes away from the chances for things to happen at any fast pace at all. I get that a serial needs to be bland on extraneous goals as to not throw the reader or push the writer into a corner, but a bit more characterization of our heroes would have been appreciated.
That said, what does get described is usually quite fun. There are disastrous cases that usually set the tone for the story to come, and those always have a high body count worthy of a grimdark title but without all the teenage angst and pretense. Sorcerers and mob bosses, haunted towers and monsters in the walls, there's a lot of variety here that keeps the reader guessing, even if it doesn't add to the coherent world very much. Magical pocket dimensions are a thing, until they aren't. A mob boss is the biggest, baddest name in town, until we need a newer, bigger, badder one, then he's nowhere to be found. The serial formula's great for focused writing, but the lack of worldbuilding hurts Green's approach.
For all the great stuff in the first 2 1/4 books, however, it's the lion's share of the third one that I disliked the most. After two cases of espionage and investigation, both of which tied neatly into a thread of approaching change in politics (a great way of doing it), we get a story where Hawk and Fisher are only kind of in it. It starts off with a prison wing filled with magical creatures, and the potential for some monster horror was fantastic here. A big crisis with magical beasts and a specialized team brought in to deal with them, this should have been incredible. Then, however, we split into an extremist terrorist cell where the most interesting thing about them is their fanaticism, and then we follow an out-of-time Robin Hood with superhuman strength, and because we need to describe everything, Hawk and Fisher are relegated to hangers-on and secondary cast in their own book. We have to plod through Robin Hood's angsting over his hard lot in life, see him fumble through his rationalizations, and it all culminates in a chance to kill two kings at... a slaughterhouse. Involving the spirits of dead animals. I wish I was making this up.
Without spoiling anything, I'll say that the third story was the least engaging and by far the most disappointing. It had incredible potential, but it meandered, it felt obligatory, and it was ham-fisted in its execution. The big bads were much less menacing than in the second title, the premise utterly fell flat, and the potential for soul-sucking ghosts and invisible creatures of pure malice was wasted for a three-page tie-up at the end of an advertisement for PETA. Yeah. Riveting stuff.
Much as it sounds like I'm ragging on this book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading most of it. The focus on the drudgery of the job Hawk and Fisher are on, the extreme challenges and small victories, how it gets a lot of things right by not falling into the pitfalls of unnecessary politics or cheap drama, Green does a lot by (mostly) not falling into familiar traps, and that was a breath of fresh air. The third story to the book prevented this from the full five stars I wanted to give it - and I did want to give it all five stars - but I would recommend this to anyone who likes cop partner stories mixed with fantasy and magic, topped up with a dose of dry humor and the good guys unreservedly kicking ass and taking names.
4/5. Can't wait to read the other books.
Hawk and Fisher are guard captains in a medieval setting that is written like a buddy cop serial, right down to the wisecracks, the though-as-nails protagonists in the middle of the worst crimes the human race has to offer, and the wish fulfillment/defiance toward authority we all love and hope for. What's refreshing is that they're a husband and wife team where the gender/married politics are nowhere to be found. Hawk doesn't mull over dating while on the job or gripe about her being a ball and chain. Fisher doesn't become a strong female protagonist that overpowers the men around her to take charge. And neither of them treat the situation as anything other than "just another day at the office." The relationship worked and wasn't played for drama and I can't describe how refreshing that was. The romance is scattered through the book, just enough to be heartwarming and genuine without being overbearing or absent, and we don't need to worry about a partner being corrupt or shady because they're both solid at what they do. "The last good cops on the force," and all that, and having a team act like a proper team was a welcome shift from all the needless drama was come to expect from pairings like this.
But, nothing is perfect, and this is certainly no exception. My inner editor was going crazy when I read this. Green doesn't deviate from the most basic of punctuation more than twice in the entire book, using whole sentences for side points that would have benefited from semi-colons or m-dashes, and whoever let him publish a work with so much unnecessary capitalization should keep their name hidden from posterity. I enjoyed the (first two) stories thoroughly enough to not notice after a while, but if that drives you crazy, dear reader, then buyer beware.
Next, I describe this as a serial, and that's how the characterization feels. Fisher's described as an excellent sword fighter, and she can more than hold her own with the boys (which is never played up to be more than it is, thankfully), but she doesn't do much aside from be there and kick ass. To be fair, neither does Hawk. These two aren't detectives, and that shows pretty early on when they need to think together and go through a lot of crap just to get to the bottom of the case they're working. Neither thinks on the go, and the stories are written with Fantasy's oh-so-beloved excess of character description which takes away from the chances for things to happen at any fast pace at all. I get that a serial needs to be bland on extraneous goals as to not throw the reader or push the writer into a corner, but a bit more characterization of our heroes would have been appreciated.
That said, what does get described is usually quite fun. There are disastrous cases that usually set the tone for the story to come, and those always have a high body count worthy of a grimdark title but without all the teenage angst and pretense. Sorcerers and mob bosses, haunted towers and monsters in the walls, there's a lot of variety here that keeps the reader guessing, even if it doesn't add to the coherent world very much. Magical pocket dimensions are a thing, until they aren't. A mob boss is the biggest, baddest name in town, until we need a newer, bigger, badder one, then he's nowhere to be found. The serial formula's great for focused writing, but the lack of worldbuilding hurts Green's approach.
For all the great stuff in the first 2 1/4 books, however, it's the lion's share of the third one that I disliked the most. After two cases of espionage and investigation, both of which tied neatly into a thread of approaching change in politics (a great way of doing it), we get a story where Hawk and Fisher are only kind of in it. It starts off with a prison wing filled with magical creatures, and the potential for some monster horror was fantastic here. A big crisis with magical beasts and a specialized team brought in to deal with them, this should have been incredible. Then, however, we split into an extremist terrorist cell where the most interesting thing about them is their fanaticism, and then we follow an out-of-time Robin Hood with superhuman strength, and because we need to describe everything, Hawk and Fisher are relegated to hangers-on and secondary cast in their own book. We have to plod through Robin Hood's angsting over his hard lot in life, see him fumble through his rationalizations, and it all culminates in a chance to kill two kings at... a slaughterhouse. Involving the spirits of dead animals. I wish I was making this up.
Without spoiling anything, I'll say that the third story was the least engaging and by far the most disappointing. It had incredible potential, but it meandered, it felt obligatory, and it was ham-fisted in its execution. The big bads were much less menacing than in the second title, the premise utterly fell flat, and the potential for soul-sucking ghosts and invisible creatures of pure malice was wasted for a three-page tie-up at the end of an advertisement for PETA. Yeah. Riveting stuff.
Much as it sounds like I'm ragging on this book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading most of it. The focus on the drudgery of the job Hawk and Fisher are on, the extreme challenges and small victories, how it gets a lot of things right by not falling into the pitfalls of unnecessary politics or cheap drama, Green does a lot by (mostly) not falling into familiar traps, and that was a breath of fresh air. The third story to the book prevented this from the full five stars I wanted to give it - and I did want to give it all five stars - but I would recommend this to anyone who likes cop partner stories mixed with fantasy and magic, topped up with a dose of dry humor and the good guys unreservedly kicking ass and taking names.
4/5. Can't wait to read the other books.
August 17, 2023
The second and final bind-up of the Hawk & Fisher novels. Overall, these stories are better written and more entertaining than the three in the first omnibus however the final story has a decidedly lack of the two leads instead having them be side characters to a new, albeit interesting character Wolf.
June 20, 2007
Simon R. Green has never done me wrong
I discovered Green at Coliseum books in NYC (Now sadly closed) when I just wanted something similar to mental popcorn to pour through on the odd quiet night. Boy was I in for a shock. I'm now a slavish devotee of his work in any setting, but it was Hawk and Fisher that laid the bait. An effortless wordsmith, Green blends humor and turn of phrase in a way that just delights. The plots may not always be convoluted or hard to decipher, but I have never ever cared. It's always been about how we got there. Do yourself a favor and pick up Green.
I discovered Green at Coliseum books in NYC (Now sadly closed) when I just wanted something similar to mental popcorn to pour through on the odd quiet night. Boy was I in for a shock. I'm now a slavish devotee of his work in any setting, but it was Hawk and Fisher that laid the bait. An effortless wordsmith, Green blends humor and turn of phrase in a way that just delights. The plots may not always be convoluted or hard to decipher, but I have never ever cared. It's always been about how we got there. Do yourself a favor and pick up Green.
September 20, 2019
continuation of the first series. same genre. same characters. same rating.
December 9, 2019
I loved this book.
May 18, 2023
A re read for me of what is probably the best pulp fiction/fantasy mash up around. Brilliant.
November 21, 2025
"When in doubt fight dirty"
30 years old and still a great read! Classic swords and sorcery, dark humor, bloody sword fights and unexpected magic when you need it.
30 years old and still a great read! Classic swords and sorcery, dark humor, bloody sword fights and unexpected magic when you need it.
June 10, 2013
"Swords of Haven and Guards of Haven are a collection of six related mystery novels written by Simon Green. Each has three of the novels in it, and I'm going to write one review for the entire collection. This series follows up on two characters that were introduced in his earlier novel, "Blue Moon," though they've come a long way in their lives. Guards Hawk and Fisher are husband and wife, as well as partners, and attempt to patrol the most crime-ridden area of the most crime-ridden city in the lower kingdoms. Each novel in the collection contains a standalone mystery these characters tackle.[return][return]Hawk and Fisher are great characters, and the town of Haven is squarely in the tradition of Green's other settings: widely imaginative, gritty, violent, and often gruesome. I enjoyed the traditional mystery-novel stereotypes set in a fantasy/horror world with the added twist of magical rules that the Guards must deal with when solving crimes. As for the stories, Green attempts a couple of locked-house mysteries that are below par for him. The situations stretch credibility and the charaters do stupid things to move the plot along that I found very annoying. The other stories, however, are quite good, especially the final entry in the series.[return][return]I think the main interest in these books is as antecedant to Green's later, greater "Nightside" and "Deathstalker" series. You can see him trying out some of the ideas that will make those other works so unique and entertaining. I recdmmend reading Green's other series first and then reading these books to explore his development as an author."
January 6, 2009
This is good popcorn stuff. The stories are short, the characters are simple and the setting is rich with possibilities. I'm naturally inclined to like books like this because of the swords-and-sorcery themes but what drew me in particular was the parallel to the old "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" stories. The Hawk and Fisher books are basically a medieval, cop, buddy movie in which Fritz Leiber's characters work for the law instead of against it. It lends these stories an old school feel and the short story format suits Green well, allowing him to throw lots of ideas out there without exceeding their freshness date.
Do the usual Simon Green tendencies of thin characters with oft-repeated catch phrases emerge? Yes, of course they do, but when Hawk and Fisher utter their "I knew you were going to say that" tag-lines it's a little like Murtagh and Riggs in "Lethal Weapon" -- the setting allows for it.
These are good for a quick skim and won't burden you with any heavy ideas but I like reading these on vacation in my cloak and tunic.
Do the usual Simon Green tendencies of thin characters with oft-repeated catch phrases emerge? Yes, of course they do, but when Hawk and Fisher utter their "I knew you were going to say that" tag-lines it's a little like Murtagh and Riggs in "Lethal Weapon" -- the setting allows for it.
These are good for a quick skim and won't burden you with any heavy ideas but I like reading these on vacation in my cloak and tunic.
August 27, 2020
I'd forgotten about this book until I was digging deeper through my bookshelf the other day.
Hawk & Fisher are guards in the city of Haven, patrolling the North Side, which happens to be the nastiest and dirtiest part of an already nasty and dirty town.
I'm not sure if these were originally stand alone novels, but there are three in this book. They all follow on nicely from one another (and likewise from the first collection in this series).
Simon Green has a good eye for characters, and there are plenty in this book. There is also a good sense of humour running through them, without being as in your face as Terry Pratchett (more the throwaway kind of lines that James Bond comes out with sometimes).
Plenty of action, with Hawk & Fisher throwing themselves in the way in the line of duty, not always willingly.
Would appeal to someone who wants a low/mid level fantasy with interesting people, places and ideas.
Hawk & Fisher are guards in the city of Haven, patrolling the North Side, which happens to be the nastiest and dirtiest part of an already nasty and dirty town.
I'm not sure if these were originally stand alone novels, but there are three in this book. They all follow on nicely from one another (and likewise from the first collection in this series).
Simon Green has a good eye for characters, and there are plenty in this book. There is also a good sense of humour running through them, without being as in your face as Terry Pratchett (more the throwaway kind of lines that James Bond comes out with sometimes).
Plenty of action, with Hawk & Fisher throwing themselves in the way in the line of duty, not always willingly.
Would appeal to someone who wants a low/mid level fantasy with interesting people, places and ideas.
September 20, 2011
The set of next 3 novels about Hawk and Fisher that continue from where "Swords of Haven" ended. They are:
- Wolf in the Fold (or Vengeance for a Lonely Man)
- Guard Against Dishonour
- The Bones of Haven (or Two Kings in Haven)
IMHO there is a bit stronger emphasis on social and moral issues in these books comparing to Swords of Haven set. There are also a bit more relations between Hawk and Fisher too. By these I mean they have dialogues that extend the usual search for clues discussions. The other things are just the same: lots of adventures, humor and plot twists. Can't say the plots are really complicated because the reader usually guesses the killer/traitor/other bad guy before the protagonists do. But it is nonetheless nice reading especially after a tiring day.
- Wolf in the Fold (or Vengeance for a Lonely Man)
- Guard Against Dishonour
- The Bones of Haven (or Two Kings in Haven)
IMHO there is a bit stronger emphasis on social and moral issues in these books comparing to Swords of Haven set. There are also a bit more relations between Hawk and Fisher too. By these I mean they have dialogues that extend the usual search for clues discussions. The other things are just the same: lots of adventures, humor and plot twists. Can't say the plots are really complicated because the reader usually guesses the killer/traitor/other bad guy before the protagonists do. But it is nonetheless nice reading especially after a tiring day.
August 4, 2015
I made it through about 50% of this book. Through story 1, and half of story 2, and I couldn't get into it.
The book reads like a tough guy crime drama, only set in a semi-medieval world where the paranormal occurs. But it read really flat to me, the two main characters are married, and they rarely had any personal interactions. There was hardly any mention made of their personal lives at all.
I like books that are a little more introspective, that delve into the characters and how they are the way they are.
Also parts were a little too...inner city cop, roughing people up, their reputation proceeds them, it seemed so rote, so taken out of every TV show I've ever watched. I lost interested and decided to cut my losses.
The book reads like a tough guy crime drama, only set in a semi-medieval world where the paranormal occurs. But it read really flat to me, the two main characters are married, and they rarely had any personal interactions. There was hardly any mention made of their personal lives at all.
I like books that are a little more introspective, that delve into the characters and how they are the way they are.
Also parts were a little too...inner city cop, roughing people up, their reputation proceeds them, it seemed so rote, so taken out of every TV show I've ever watched. I lost interested and decided to cut my losses.
January 13, 2015
This is really three novels rolled into one book. This book covers the adventures of Hawk and Fisher, a husband and wife team of City Guard captains in the City of Haven. Together they are the two toughest and the most honest guards in the city. Since this was originally published as three separate books, you will the same descriptions of the characters early on the book (Hawk is dark and no longer handsome and Fisher is tall and more handsome that beautiful), that is my only real complaint about the book. Other wised, this is fun, fast-pasted fantasy in a pseudo medieval city.
August 9, 2016
Although somewhat gory in parts, I like these books for their sarcastic humour and the love shown one another by the two main characters, Hawk and Fisher. All the stories are also murder mysteries, and quite twisty ones which were difficult to figure out before the answers were provided.
So, I would recommend these only to people who enjoy supernatural mysteries, with plenty of gore, and a leavening of humour.
So, I would recommend these only to people who enjoy supernatural mysteries, with plenty of gore, and a leavening of humour.
January 4, 2009
As always, Simon R Green delivers a strong fantasy book, tightly written, continuing the adventures of Hawk and Fisher. A recommended read for any fan of action series; or of his Nightside series - its clear that Haven, esp. the Northside, was inspiration for many settings and characters of the Nightside.
November 16, 2011
These are basically police procedurals with magic involved. I really like the characters of Hawk and Fisher and the stories keep your attention (despite the fact that I had this book on hiatus for many moons, that first book in the collection was actually my favorite).
I just ordered the previous collection (books 1-3) and I'm looking forward to those.
I just ordered the previous collection (books 1-3) and I'm looking forward to those.
Read
January 3, 2015Love'em, read an old paperback given to me, and was hooked. found this 1999 set; Simon Green had a good thing going with them, then stopped writing about them. Would make a great fantasy movie series, why it's not been done before, don't know. Maybe the use of axe weapon might be too gory or could encourage wanna-be's in real life. Otherwise, enjoyed ea story.
October 5, 2007
Ah, that's the Simon Green I remember liking when I was younger. Not great but not as overwrought as his other stuff. Fewer Beings spelled with Capital Letters and all.
September 4, 2010
I thought they were dead - phew, close one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2011
Hawk and Fisher are two amazing characters you'll love to cheer on. I recommended this series to my son and he really enjoys them too.
September 27, 2011
I enjoyed the first two stories alot. The 3rd one was ok.
Read
July 3, 2017I've actually only read books #4 and #5, but they haven't been added individually to goodreads, and I don't have the edition information.
January 14, 2013
Again I love Simon R. Green's books.
Want to read
October 23, 201415.1 - Take a Risk; Play it Safe book one
April 10, 2016
Hawk & Fisher are fun characters. I really want to read their earlier stories.
June 19, 2016
Hawk & Fisher at their best! Remember that no matter how bad it is, they have always seen worse!
October 26, 2016
Wish Simon R. Green would write more Fisher and Hawk. Really loved this Series!
October 22, 2015
Wolf in the Fold - 4 Stars
Guard Against Dishonor - 4 Stars
The Bones of Haven - 5 Stars
Guard Against Dishonor - 4 Stars
The Bones of Haven - 5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews