Fritz Leiber's Ill Met in Lankhmar

of 4.

	"Close by the southern side of the road a rather large, rounded hut stood on five narrow posts. . . Blue lightning glared, revealing with great clarity a hooded figure croutched inside the low doorway. . . But the lightning showed nothing whatsoever inside the hood, only inky blackness."
	-Fritz Leiber, The Circle Curse

This is the first volume in the projected 4 volume series from White Wolf. The intention of this series is to reprint the entire seven volume Lankhmar collection which chronicle the trials and travails of Fafhrd, the great Northern barbarian warrior, and the Gray Mouser, the mage/theif who dresses only in gray. These two are Nehwon's greatest lovers, swordsmen, and theives who can escape any scrape and worm their way through any bind.
This first volume reprints the novels Swords and Deviltry and Swords Against Death. These two books are excellent. I just recently completed this wonderful showcase of true 'pulp fiction,' and found myself amazed. There is a quality which permeates these works. It is obvious in the dialogue and the descriptions that Leiber studied the classics and old rules of writing. This is a collection that is difficult to surpass in quality. These works are on a level with those of Lovecraft and are not to be missed.
In the first novel, Swords and Deviltry, we are introduced to each Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in turn. We are also introduced to their first great loves, Vlana and Ivrian respectively. The second novel, Swords Against Death, involves the two heroes travels across the world and their multiple encounters with death. These books, if found in their original volumes, should be read in order. Occurances in the second book are based almost purely on the events of the first, and reveal the ending too.
As I said before, these are excellent novels. At times, they become somewhat predictable, which is why I gave it only 3 dots (I'd have given 3 1/2, but I don't have a 1/2 dot gif). However, the stark originality of the ideas in the books make up for any problems anyone could have. These are books every fantasy fan should read. Those who hate fantasy should read these books and use their quality as evidence in their attacks on modern fantasy. Truly, books for everyone.

An excellent Lankhmar page.