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| 3 out of 5 stars |
SWORDS IN THE MIST, book three in the Lankhmar series,
thrusts our indentured sword-swinging servants into the question of
hate, its power and its purpose. You see, it happens to be lean times in
Lankhmar, illuminating that link between money and love. Luckily,
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser don't always believe in love. When Lankhmar
gets too gritty, our travelers take to their other, less harsh mistress,
the Sea. But the Sea can play tricks on men, and so can the Sea King.
He can break a man or worse yet, curse him. But when he's away it's all
play for the formidable swordsmen and the Triple Goddess...and two
luscious sea queens. But luck may not always be there as they discover
on the way to Ningauble, their wizard employer. After a long journey in
defense of their control over their own fates, Fafhrd and the Gray
Mouser find themselves pawns in a life and death chess game, all of
Lankhmar being the pieces. How many pawns will be left on the board
before someone wins?
This third book in the series was slightly less enjoyable for me than
the first two--but I still found it easy to read and inviting to return
to after setting it down to attend to life. I think that's because of
Leiber's writing--the man had a vocabulary and wasn't afraid to use it.
Plus he takes well-worn story lines and give them his own spin.
It also doesn't hurt that Fafhrd and the Mouser are good-hearted
rogues. Despite a parting of the ways between them in this volume, it
becomes obvious that they are still, in fact, a team. They may live on
the wrong side of the law, but their loyalties to friends, employers,
and each other hold solid.
Beautiful writing always wins my heart.
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