Jack of Shadows in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Nov 06, 2011 Joseph rated it really liked it

One of Zelazny's standalones; a dark and finely-faceted jewel of a book.

(Oh, OK, fine. The world is fixed; the East Pole points ever towards the sun, and the eastern hemisphere is forever in daylight and ruled by science. The West Pole is in eternal darkness, and the Darkside is ruled by magic. In between, of course, is a narrow strip of twilight. Shadowjack is a thief (the greatest in all of the Darkside? well, certainly, he has an opinion on the subject) who draws power from shadows (as oppose ...more

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Jan 23, 2014 Derek rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: appendix-n

I got it into my head that this was a "dying earth" style of book, in either homage to or imitation of Jack Vance, and found myself at odds with the style of writing and the way the story plays out. The finely-polished writing is minimalist in comparison, and while the darksiders live in a sort of civilized rivalry of false or real politeness, their language and interactions don't have the same sense of play or ornateness. I missed Vance's embellishment, and found that while there were moments o ...more

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Dec 07, 2015 Karl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: roger_zelazny-own

Roger Zelazny (1937–1995).

This first hardcover edition is signed by Roger Zelazny.

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Nov 17, 2011 Haaze rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was a book that mesmerized me as a teenager and was a pathway into fantasy and science fiction. Reading it now years later I find myself much more critical. Zelazny had an amazing imagination as he created a world where one side is in the dark and the other is in light with a twilight zone in-between. Magic rules on the dark side and science on the other. He focuses on Jack of Shadows as the main character which gains his power from shadow. Regardless, as a reader we follow the many adventu ...more

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Apr 13, 2024 Lúcio Pimentel rated it liked it

Shelves: appendix-n

“Eu sou Jack das Sombras!” gritou ele. “Senhor da Guarda das Sombras! Eu sou Sombra-Jack, o ladrão que caminha no silêncio e na penumbra! Fui decapitado em Igles e ressurgi nos Fossos de Esterco de Glyve. Bebi o sangue de um vampiro e devorei uma pedra. Sou o traidor do Pacto. Aquele que forjou um nome no Livro Vermelho de Ells. Sou um prisioneiro na jóia. Enganei uma vez o Senhor de Alto Calabouço, e voltarei para levar minha vingança a ele. Sou o inimigo dos meus inimigos. Venha me pegar, imun ...more

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