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The Reluctant Swordsman

(The Seventh Sword #1)

Dave Duncan

3.91 · Rating details · 3,848 ratings · 171 reviews

Wallie figured it was fever when he awoke, not in his hospital, but in the body of a brawny barbarian. A swordsman of the seventh rank, Wallie was now the master of a beautiful slave girl and a cunning blade. His mission: to serve a Goddess--even though he had never fought before! Original.

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Paperback, 326 pages

Published April 12th 1988 by Del Rey Books (first published 1988)

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Sep 09, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Yes, I'm giving this the rare 5 star rating. I'm a bit surprised I decided to go that high...but it's a good read. No deep emotional depths here, no great philosophical insights just a good adventurous read.

Wally is dying, well actually he seems to be dead. But instead of heading off to the after life he gets a bit...side tracked. See Wally is inside the body of a large, skilled swordsman in a completely different world.

Not a new plot device. As a matter of actual fact if you're a fantasy fan ...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013

Portal fantasy appears to be quite popular for the 1980's. The ones I'm familiar with (debuts or ongoing series) include : The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny (1985 for the second series), Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson (starts in 1977 but continue), Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984), Videssos by Haryy Turtledove (1987). I'm adding now my first Dave Duncan from 1988, and I must say I'm impressed by the narrative drive and by the nuanced characterization of this latest
Portal fantasy appears to be quite popular for the 1980's. The ones I'm familiar with (debuts or ongoing series) include : The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny (1985 for the second series), Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson (starts in 1977 but continue), Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay (1984), Videssos by Haryy Turtledove (1987). I'm adding now my first Dave Duncan from 1988, and I must say I'm impressed by the narrative drive and by the nuanced characterization of this latest addition.

What sets Dave Duncan apart from the examples above is a tighter focus, away from the big epic canvas and into the story of one character and the moral implications of the actions he is forced to undertake. Wally Smith is a more or less ordinary Earthman (an engineer working in the oil industry, like the author, and like me ;-)) who has fallen gravelly ill and wakes up in a secondary fantasy world, in a new body that carries the tattoo of a master swordsman. This is not his only surprise, as he must come to terms with the fact that in this new World gods are real, and They have a plan for him: he's the Chosen One and, in the best tradition of fantasy yarns, he receives a prophecy, a legendary sword and the ability to wield it. I've simplified the elements to the bare minimum in order to avoid spoilers, but the story evolves mostly around Wally coming to terms with the basic nature of the sword fighter, which is to kill. The most dramatic revelation being that he's not in Kansas (Earth) anymore, and the rules / ethics that governed his previous life may not apply to the new challenges he faces, including the fact that misguided mercy can be seen as a weakness and invite retaliation from ruthless and opportunistic adversaries.

The limited geographic setting of this opening volume helps in maintaining the focus on Wally and on his transformation from builder to destroyer. The force of destruction being here seen in its Oriental incarnation as clearing the weeds and making place for renewal / rebirth. Basically we have an ancient temple to the Goddess, a military barracks guarding it and a city servicing the religious establishment. There are hints at the larger picture, at the mythology and the social structures of the world (including slavery), but the reader only learns about them gradually, at the same pace as the outsider Wally. The world has a definite Oriental flavour in the naming conventions, in the animist pantheon (River Goddess, Fire demigod), in the caste system, and most of all in the martial code, set up like Bushido in sutras / tenets around the concepts of honour and duty and obedience. To continue the analogy, the book includes some very well written action sequences that reminded me of classic Kurosawa / Mifune samurai movies.

Another element that makes the story closer in style to the classic high fantasy epics of Tolkien et Co. is the establishment of a fellowship on a yet undefined quest. Seven is the magic number in the World ruled by the Godess, and Wally has to discover and recruit six companions while he is kept in the dark about their identity and about his patron God final purpose. His fellowship is a rather unconventional one (view spoiler) , and their coming together offers the chance for Duncan to show off his comedy talents, already hinted at in Wally's irreverent atitude towards magic and towards the social conventions of his adopted World. The romantic angle in Wally's new identity is also played very well, never gratuitous or taking precedence over the larger issues, but providing a new angle in understanding his motivations and atitudes.

This was an easy read, fast and engaging with some very well plotted situations highlighting the ethical dillemas arising from the use of violence. The story of Wallysmith and of his fellowship is only beginning, and I am looking forward to the next book. And probably to other works by Dave Duncan. ...more

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Sep 28, 2016 Kathleen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, series-opener, fantasy-scifi, asian-themes

3.75 stars. I was drawn by the positive reviews, even though I usually avoid anything resembling time travel or world portals. But this author handled it beautifully, with nuance and gradual revelation. No big info dumps. No jittery scene hopping.
Intelligent plot, likable but textured characters, interesting world, some philosophy, with humor, science, swords, sorcery, gods, faith, friendship, and some romance.
This book is good, but a bit slow. The next one is even better.
Excellent narration!
...more

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May 19, 2009 Leon Aldrich rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, fantasy-and-science-fiction

Wallie Smith can feel the pain. He goes to the hospital, remembers the doctors and the commotion, but when he wakes up it all seems like a dream. However, if that was a dream how do you explain waking up in another body and in another world? Little Wallie finds himself in the physique of a barbarian swordsman, accompanied by both an eccentric priest babbling about the Goddess and a voluptuous slave girl. Is this a rude awakening or a dream come true? What in the world will Wallie do now that ...more

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Mar 28, 2008 Sbuchler rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Sbuchler by: Sabrina

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, read-in-2008, audio-books, re-read, read-in-2014

Genre: High Fantasy

A very fast-paced tale of a modern fellow (Wallie Smith) who's brain/mind/soul is transplanted into a sword-swinging hero's body due to a meddlesome Goddess. The world he's cast into is lush, succeeding in being both foriegn and envoking the "Age of Legends" - a bronze age culture from before writing is discovered/invented.

There are some wonderful bits both of his trying to grapple with the idea that gods are real and miracules exist and realizing that many emotions are ...more

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Aug 13, 2014 Monica rated it liked it

I read this book about a year ago, and I enjoyed it, but not enough to want read the rest of the books in this series. I think it may be one of those novels that I will have to give another try, or at the very least try another one of Duncan's series.

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Jul 18, 2008 Brett rated it it was amazing

Few authors in the fantasy genre are capable of coming up with as many unique magic concepts as Dave Duncan and his very best work is the Seventh Sword Trilogy. Book 1 is The Reluctant Swordsman and I remain as blown away today as I was when I first read it 10 years ago.

The Reluctant Swordsman is, at its heart, a tale of faith, miracles, and duty. It is much deeper than most fantasy novels yet Duncan keeps his tale crisp and avoids getting too metaphysical or theological. Although much of the ...more

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Dec 21, 2015 Justyna added it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-give-it-another-try

DNF

I tried it and I have a problem with the god interfering in the life of people too much...something just annoys me with the way this book is written but I got to about 7%, so maybe I'm not giving it enough chance...sometimes it's not the book's fault, I'm just not in the mood;)...anyway, I will probably wait until some of my GR friends read this book and I read their reviews...otherwise it's at the bottom of the list of the books I want to give another chance...

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Nov 12, 2010 Allyson rated it it was amazing

This one starts a bit slow, and I remember at one point, when I realized what the goal of the action was, I was like, really? We're going to spend the whole book doing *that*? But I think he uses this slow action successfully to pack in a lot of information about the world, which our hero is discovering along with us, the readers. Stick with it, there is a definite pay off at the end of all three books, with lots of swashbuckling action and interesting characters to enjoy along the way.

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May 25, 2015 Metaphorosis rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2015-rev

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3 stars

Wallie Smith has died. Much to the surprise of all concerned, however, he's turned up in the body of Shunso, Seventh-level swordsman in a world of temples, slaves, and duels. Wallie tries to do good, but then a god steps in, and Wallie has to re-evaluate his choices.

I'm not generally a fan of sidewise type - where an ordinary guy suddenly finds himself in another time or dimension. There have been good ones - Narnia, "Sidewise in Time", Barsoom, "A Connecticut
reviews.metaphorosis.com

3 stars

Wallie Smith has died. Much to the surprise of all concerned, however, he's turned up in the body of Shunso, Seventh-level swordsman in a world of temples, slaves, and duels. Wallie tries to do good, but then a god steps in, and Wallie has to re-evaluate his choices.

I'm not generally a fan of sidewise type - where an ordinary guy suddenly finds himself in another time or dimension. There have been good ones - Narnia, "Sidewise in Time", Barsoom, "A Connecticut Yankee", Thomas Covenant, Amber - but generally I lack interest. I am, on the other hand, a fan of Dave Duncan, and The Seventh Sword is a series I haven't previously read. Based on this first book, he succeeds with the concept - partially.

Duncan doesn't waste a lot of time on the setup, and none at all on the preliminaries. Wallie Smith is dead, then he's in Shonsu, then Shonsu is effectively out. Smith accepts his new status fairly readily, and that's that. Fine by me; we all know pretty well how these things work, by now. To his credit, Duncan focuses much more on the moral and philosophical aspect of it. Smith avoids violence; Shonsu's world accepts it. Smith abhors slavery; in Shonsu's world, it's a fact of life. Smith tries to follow his original ideals, and in his new world, that's not always the right choice. Duncan returns to this idea throughout the book. Smith makes choices that trouble him, and he stays troubled, even as he begins to see things in part by local standards.

That makes slavery a difficult issue. Smith meets a sex slave, and makes an effort to do what he thinks is right. Sometimes. Early on, Smith has sex with his new slave, and I found his acceptance of the situation both uncomfortable, and not credible for his character. That discomfort continues, but it's also true that Smith himself is uncomfortable. It's not the one-off rationalization I feared, but a continuing examination of what to do with a slave in a world where slaves cannot be freed.

I wish that Duncan had made some different choices for his character, and it's true that Duncan stays well within his accustomed light fantasy lane. But I give him credit for at least considering how to handle slavery and for having that worry be a continuing theme throughout the book. On the upside, "How do you know when your slave is happy?" is a multifaceted question. On the other hand, the key slaves are all women, and their role is largely sex and decoration oriented. I'm hopeful that will change in later books.

All in all, an interesting and surprisingly thoughtful swords-and-muscles fantasy, but one that presents some moral obstacles to enjoyment.
...more

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May 14, 2011 Marko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Review written for the last book in the series:
This is the third and final book in the Seventh Sword trilogy. I read the entire trilogy over the past couple of weeks and I take that as proof that it had gripping power and was well enough written to keep me hooked until I had finished all the books. While trying not to spoil anything, the story is about a swordsman who is given a task in the form of a riddle and who then ventures to explore the world and finds love, power and sadness on the way.

...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Sean Randall rated it really liked it

As I consumed the opening pages of this fine story, my miserable excuse for a brain could not but help attempt linking this work to The Reluctant Sorcerer by Simon Hawke. Hawke also wrote a trilogy featuring someone from our world forced to adapt in an alternate, medieval one; and its no coincidence that both this trilogy and that have an opening novel with the word reluctant in the title. You must forgive the parallel - I was rather heavily entoxicated at the time. 'tis the little things that ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 Steven rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Got this as part of the complete set, but am reviewing it separately because each book deserves its own rating. This first one in the series in the best of the bunch. The writing is good, the characters believable, and the plot interesting. Not high art, but a very, very good read. The plot is reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian, but with a twist of "Quantum Leap" (that old TV series where a guy ends up in other bodies) thrown in. Wallie Smith, a 20th century manager at a pharmaceutical plant, ...more

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Feb 24, 2017 Debrac2014 rated it liked it

Good story, tho I found Wally very annoying! The book did end well.

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Aug 03, 2015 Megan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: humble-bundle

I spent so much time wishing the story would get on with itself that I really couldn't enjoy it that much. I had problems with the master/slave sex relationships that seemed like they were supposed to be loving and/or funny but which were still master/slave relationships. The main character even called it rape, and then went ahead and did it anyway simply because he was told he couldn't free his slave. The fact is, she's still his slave. And then his protege buys a sex slave, and his antics with ...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Doc Opp rated it liked it

I find myself with little to say about this book. It was perfectly adequate, and I didn't feel I was wasting my time by reading it. But it didn't move me, make me think all that much, or otherwise strike me as all that memorable.

The series spends a lot of time on the topic of faith - particularly willingness to blindly place one's deity's will before his/her own. Throughout the book, the protagonist routinely was asked to do things that violated his own ethical/moral code at the bequest of a ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Alexis rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

Almost done with this and while I like Wallie's story, I can't help but be distracted by the way women are portrayed. If an author can't write women in a unique and non-offensive way, then it is really better to just leave them out, IMO. I fully understand that the book is purposefully set in a place quite different from this world, and with a different culture. But there doesn't seem to be any redeeming purpose to the way the women are portrayed, and there is the implicit difference in how men ...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Alan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-lendable, fantasy, alternate-worlds

I enjoyed this one very much,it was kind of a change of pace for me as I've been reading mainly drama/action books, and this one made me a laugh a little.

This book follows a guy who has died in our world and get transported into the body of the greatest swordsman in an alternate world where your skill with a sword determines your rank in society. The good swordsmen take what they want without any repercussions or remorse. Now comes Wallie from a different world with different ideals and morals. ...more

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Apr 08, 2010 Justus rated it it was ok

Felt like a Robert E. Howard (Conan) take on the "modern American transplanted to fantasy world" theme. Had some potential but in the end everything is motivated by deus ex machinas. It almost felt like a Christian polemic with the constant refrain of "God(dess) moves in mysterious ways" and "have faith". What started out as an interesting moral struggle about the contrast between the two worlds simply gets thrown away when the protagonist gets tortured enough.

Not keen enough to bother reading ...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Diana rated it really liked it

Another good series from Duncan. Sometimes I find it hard to get started on his books. He takes awhile to set the scene, and numerous characters are usually involved. But once I'm in, it's always a good time. This series has a man from Earth finding himself transferred into the body of a Swordsman from another world and expected to complete a quest for that world's Goddess.

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Nov 27, 2014 Andy rated it liked it

The first book in this series is really enjoyable. Just don't read books 2 or 3.

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Sep 27, 2009 Peterwilliam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Review located HERE .

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Dec 03, 2015 Camille Siddartha rated it it was amazing

absolutely love this book...about wallie who is shonsu and is put to the test to test his value and brain in a time where there was none...like earth...lol

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Jun 05, 2019 Bryce rated it it was amazing

The Seventh Sword series went on sale on Amazon a while ago, and so I picked it up. (Four books for $3 total? Why would I pass that chance up?) It was well-reviewed on Goodreads, though almost none of my friends had read it, but I grew up reading 80s fantasy, and this was an author I'd missed. Still, high fantasy can be a real time commitment, and so I kept passing the series by, waiting for a better time.

At last, I started the book on Sunday. I finished it on Tuesday, which is really all the The Seventh Sword series went on sale on Amazon a while ago, and so I picked it up. (Four books for $3 total? Why would I pass that chance up?) It was well-reviewed on Goodreads, though almost none of my friends had read it, but I grew up reading 80s fantasy, and this was an author I'd missed. Still, high fantasy can be a real time commitment, and so I kept passing the series by, waiting for a better time.

At last, I started the book on Sunday. I finished it on Tuesday, which is really all the endorsement you need from me. I couldn't put it down. Of course, some of that is because much of it was right up my alley: it's got a straightforward premise that's executed in ways that are surprising. A normal man from our world finds himself transported into a fantasy world, where he's put into the body of the best sword fighter in that world. Sounds great, except right before he was put there, the best sword fighter in the world got himself into an almost certain death situation, full of political intrigue the guy from our world knows nothing about.

Adventure ensues.

Along the way, there's some discussion of religion and free will, plenty of fascinating world building, portrayal of different societies and how they function, and more. I was kept moving not just by the plot, but by the desire to know more about the world and how it functioned. The writing is immersive, doing an excellent job of describing the land without bogging you down with too much detail. It's a fast read, and a ton of fun.

That said, it does have some issues that might be major stumbling blocks for some. Its portrayal of women leaves much to be desired. Maybe the series improves in this aspect later on, but for the first book at least, they're often viewed much more as objects than as individuals. Yes, the protagonist does object to this, so it's not a complete fiasco, but the objections feel more like window dressing than anything else. If that's an issue that would massively interfere with your ability to read and enjoy a book, this isn't the book for me.

Then again, it's a class sword and sorcery book, and the portrayal is typical to the genre and the time it appeared. I was able to read around it, though that might say something about me. Not sure, but I'm not going to read too heavily into it. I viewed this book as escapist, and it scratched that itch perfectly. There's some adult content, but it doesn't delve into the details the way so many modern books do.

If any of this sounds remotely interesting to you, I encourage you to give it a shot. I'm already well into book two and still enjoying myself immensely. ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Ashley Lambert-Maberly rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-own, milieu-asian, plot-heist-or-big-plans, year-2019, features-gods, plot-swashbuckling, 2-own-on-kobo, genre-fantasy, mood-frustrating, genre-fantasy-weird

Weird book. I was very enthusiastic about his Man of his Word series (and am enjoying, not quite as much, its follow-up), so I thought I'd try this other work. The first book is very strange. Almost nothing happens, and it takes a while to have this not-a-lot happen. It's like watching a movie where midway through you realise you've seen as much of the set as you ever will, because they simply don't have the budget to tell a larger story ... except this is a book, so his budget is unlimited, so ...more

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Aug 03, 2019 Ramsey Meadows rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, made-a-video-on-it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Understanding that this is one of Dave Duncan's first books, I really enjoyed it. It was definitely one of my fantasies as a kid to become an awesome swordsman. Duncan really showed how hard it would be to get thrown into a world you know nothing about. I loved the relationship between Wallie and Nnanji and with Jja. Very quickly you see the respect Wallie has for Nnanji grow when his amazing memory is revealed. Also the temple politics are fun as we learn with Wallie his mistakes seem very ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 Nealis rated it really liked it

The book is great, I am on a portal fantasy kick. There are a lot of portal fantasy tropes that the author either makes tolerable with his own flair or completely avoids. I didn't like the main character at first, he was the very definition of stupidity and arrogance. Americans seem to have a pathological need to loudly condemn and be obnoxious about the moral failing of people completely ignoring the time and place. It is ironic to see in the age of social media decades later from the ...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Julie Thomas rated it liked it

Meh. HE's a good writer and the story flows along a at good rate but when I think of the problems that the protagonist encounters they are not very suspenseful for the reader because this world has so many rules and we do not know them until they come up. So there will be a problem (and often it seems a strange problem to us, like who cares if he does or says this or that?) but the reader is really just strapped in along for the ride rather than interacting with the story because the solutions ...more

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Apr 27, 2018 Dan Lewis rated it liked it

This book is well written medieval fantasy, but problematic. It's the familiar tale of a civilian transported to another world, and given a quest by the gods. Much of the interest comes from taking the mundane perspective on the magical world and society.

Here, mild mannered Wallie is sent to a caste society where life is nasty, brutish, and short. But he experiences that society from a position of power and privilege, a master swordsman in a sculpted body. He is reluctant to play into his given ...more

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May 12, 2019 Logan Horsford rated it it was amazing

This is a review for all three - I've not yet read the later 4th book in the series.

No spoilers - I want you to enjoy these books.

I was delighted that these came out on audio - and by a competent narrator.

Warning - there is plenty of nostalgia in my review. I first read these (remember old fashioned paper books?) back in the '80's.

I like the MC plenty. He is competent and kind within his areas of expertise but is then put into a completely new situation.

He has a lot of different problems to ...more

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About Dave Duncan

Dave Duncan

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Originally from Scotland, Dave Duncan lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds were more satisfying than the real one, he published more than 60 novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical.

He wrote at times under the pseudonym ...more