Rating: 
Summary: Junk, junk, junk
Review: The first third of this book is decent: the hero flees enemies, gets a badly enchanted sword to save his hide, and battles his way back to his army. Fine. But the rest is nothing but an amazingly plotless, incredibly repetitive snorefest. Yes, we KNOW the sword is supposed to kill him someday--do we have to be told every second page? Yes, we KNOW he doesn't know what to do with his now-endless life--do we have to be told every THIRD page? Anything that seems interesting, like the various assasinations he embarks upon or the destruction of his homeland by demons, is completely glossed over in favor of dull dialogue and pages and pages of description. (Example: Everyone runs around screaming, "The demons have attacked!", and a few pages later, someone proclaims, "We won the war! The gods came down and saved us!" Why couldn't we SEE all that? That's Writing 101, people--show, don't tell.) I don't require my fantasy to be heavy and serious, but I do require that it at least tell an interesting story.
Rating: 
Summary: A good fun story
Review: The Misenchanted Sword is a fun story to read. I highly recommend it for teens as one of a few different books that really make reading fun. I think I stumbled upon it probably in my early 20's. The other Esthar books are more or less as good as this one. With a Single Spell is also every bit as good.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost, but not quite
Review: The Misenchanted Sword is an excellent book. The plot twists and turns. The innocent bystander Valder's reactions and thoughts are believable as Wirikidor the sword drags him into its magic. There is even a happy ending. But for all the qualities which make the book a great read, it lacks the scope in subject matter and eloquence of language found in books like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. I may be able to relate what happens in The Misenchanted Sword, but I doubt I would be able to quote it spontaneously the way I could quote certain lines from Tolkien. Overall, the book is worth the effort to find and read. I look forward to reading other books from Mr. Watt-Evans.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoroughly Mediocre
Review: THE MISENCHANTED SWORD is the first of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar novels. The world is soaked in magic - one of those mid-'80s creations of heavily D&D-influenced fantasy. The attitude can, perhaps, best be summed up by a quote from the book itself: "They wanted to believe in heroes, not ordinary, everyday magic." (Think about it.) The concept of the plot is a fairly clever twist on familiar themes: The main character, trapped in the middle of a generational religious war between the followers of the gods and the northern demon-worshippers, is gifted with a magic sword. Unfortunately, as the character rapidly learns, the sword's enchantments include some rather annoying side-effects - among them the fact that the main character can't get rid of it. (One might even say it was cursed.) The back cover blurb on my copy of the book gives the impression that this will all result in something of a farce - like Asprin or Anthony in their prime. In reality, there's nothing particularly funny about the book at all, and it's rather clear that Watt-Evans never meant it to be. The story would better be described as something of a melancholic character drama. The prose (or, perhaps more appropriately, the storytelling) can be awkward at times: There seems to be no trust that the reader will hold on to certain concepts (like the emerging nature of the sword's enchantment), and thus the same information will be repeated incessantly. In fact, there is a general lack of authorial confidence: Even the smallest details are given awkward justifications (as if the author were constantly fearful that someone were going to shout "gotcha!"). Every fact is repeated, and the main character goes round in circle after circle as he considers every possibility two or three times before finally taking action. The setting also poses some problems. Ethshar is formed on the foundation of some rather intriguing and unique ideas, but the details seem to vary randomly between cleverly suggestive and puzzlingly vague. Ultimately, the biggest problem is that the story seems to simply meander without much of a point. On the one hand, the most interesting sequences are simply glossed over - probably because the book is meant to be a character drama, not an adventure book. On the other hand, the main character never seems to achieve that vivid depth which would make his story interesting in-and-of itself. And, on the gripping hand, the flaws in the storytelling cause the entire book to wander with wild abandon. All in all, I found this to be a solidly mediocre book - neither exceptional nor horrendously flawed. It would be a better book if it had been ruthlessly trimmed of its repetitive elements, with the freed-up space being used to move several incidents banished to exposition into the active narrative. As it is, this isn't a book I'll caution you against - but it's not a book I'd recommend, either. I'm glad that this wasn't my first Watt-Evans, because otherwise I might draw very different conclusions about his quality as an author. (Instead my first was NIGHTSIDE CITY, and that's an excellent book.) As it is, I'll almost certainly check out the second Ethshar book at some point to see how the intriguing and cleverly suggestive elements of the setting develop in the hands of a more mature author.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Mediocre
Review: THE MISENCHANTED SWORD is the first of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar novels. The world is soaked in magic - one of those mid-'80s creations of heavily D&D-influenced fantasy. The attitude can, perhaps, best be summed up by a quote from the book itself: "They wanted to believe in heroes, not ordinary, everyday magic." (Think about it.) The concept of the plot is a fairly clever twist on familiar themes: The main character, trapped in the middle of a generational religious war between the followers of the gods and the northern demon-worshippers, is gifted with a magic sword. Unfortunately, as the character rapidly learns, the sword's enchantments include some rather annoying side-effects - among them the fact that the main character can't get rid of it. (One might even say it was cursed.) The back cover blurb on my copy of the book gives the impression that this will all result in something of a farce - like Asprin or Anthony in their prime. In reality, there's nothing particularly funny about the book at all, and it's rather clear that Watt-Evans never meant it to be. The story would better be described as something of a melancholic character drama. The prose (or, perhaps more appropriately, the storytelling) can be awkward at times: There seems to be no trust that the reader will hold on to certain concepts (like the emerging nature of the sword's enchantment), and thus the same information will be repeated incessantly. In fact, there is a general lack of authorial confidence: Even the smallest details are given awkward justifications (as if the author were constantly fearful that someone were going to shout "gotcha!"). Every fact is repeated, and the main character goes round in circle after circle as he considers every possibility two or three times before finally taking action. The setting also poses some problems. Ethshar is formed on the foundation of some rather intriguing and unique ideas, but the details seem to vary randomly between cleverly suggestive and puzzlingly vague. Ultimately, the biggest problem is that the story seems to simply meander without much of a point. On the one hand, the most interesting sequences are simply glossed over - probably because the book is meant to be a character drama, not an adventure book. On the other hand, the main character never seems to achieve that vivid depth which would make his story interesting in-and-of itself. And, on the gripping hand, the flaws in the storytelling cause the entire book to wander with wild abandon. All in all, I found this to be a solidly mediocre book - neither exceptional nor horrendously flawed. It would be a better book if it had been ruthlessly trimmed of its repetitive elements, with the freed-up space being used to move several incidents banished to exposition into the active narrative. As it is, this isn't a book I'll caution you against - but it's not a book I'd recommend, either. I'm glad that this wasn't my first Watt-Evans, because otherwise I might draw very different conclusions about his quality as an author. (Instead my first was NIGHTSIDE CITY, and that's an excellent book.) As it is, I'll almost certainly check out the second Ethshar book at some point to see how the intriguing and cleverly suggestive elements of the setting develop in the hands of a more mature author.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Mediocre
Review: THE MISENCHANTED SWORD is the first of Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar novels. The world is soaked in magic - one of those mid-`80s creations of heavily D&D-influenced fantasy. The attitude can, perhaps, best be summed up by a quote from the book itself: "They wanted to believe in heroes, not ordinary, everyday magic." (Think about it.) The concept of the plot is a fairly clever twist on familiar themes: The main character, trapped in the middle of a generational religious war between the followers of the gods and the northern demon-worshippers, is gifted with a magic sword. Unfortunately, as the character rapidly learns, the sword's enchantments include some rather annoying side-effects - among them the fact that the main character can't get rid of it. (One might even say it was cursed.) The back cover blurb on my copy of the book gives the impression that this will all result in something of a farce - like Asprin or Anthony in their prime. In reality, there's nothing particularly funny about the book at all, and it's rather clear that Watt-Evans never meant it to be. The story would better be described as something of a melancholic character drama. The prose (or, perhaps more appropriately, the storytelling) can be awkward at times: There seems to be no trust that the reader will hold on to certain concepts (like the emerging nature of the sword's enchantment), and thus the same information will be repeated incessantly. In fact, there is a general lack of authorial confidence: Even the smallest details are given awkward justifications (as if the author were constantly fearful that someone were going to shout "gotcha!"). Every fact is repeated, and the main character goes round in circle after circle as he considers every possibility two or three times before finally taking action. The setting also poses some problems. Ethshar is formed on the foundation of some rather intriguing and unique ideas, but the details seem to vary randomly between cleverly suggestive and puzzlingly vague. Ultimately, the biggest problem is that the story seems to simply meander without much of a point. On the one hand, the most interesting sequences are simply glossed over - probably because the book is meant to be a character drama, not an adventure book. On the other hand, the main character never seems to achieve that vivid depth which would make his story interesting in-and-of itself. And, on the gripping hand, the flaws in the storytelling cause the entire book to wander with wild abandon. All in all, I found this to be a solidly mediocre book - neither exceptional nor horrendously flawed. It would be a better book if it had been ruthlessly trimmed of its repetitive elements, with the freed-up space being used to move several incidents banished to exposition into the active narrative. As it is, this isn't a book I'll caution you against - but it's not a book I'd recommend, either. I'm glad that this wasn't my first Watt-Evans, because otherwise I might draw very different conclusions about his quality as an author. (Instead my first was NIGHTSIDE CITY, and that's an excellent book.) As it is, I'll almost certainly check out the second Ethshar book at some point to see how the intriguing and cleverly suggestive elements of the setting develop in the hands of a more mature author.
Rating:
Summary: Just the beginning
Review: This book marks the beginning of my favorite series of all time. I read this book many years ago. At the time I was fairly reluctant. I had enjoyed Tolkien and other epic fantasy, but this book didn't look like it had the same qualities. I was right, it wasn't the same. It was better. Instead of heroes holding the fate of the world, this book focused on a single person. That person was thrust into a situation that nothing could have prepared him for and which he alone had to live with. This book has lots of action and an intriguing plot but it doesn't get hung up in gratuitous violence. Instead the author concentrates on the irony and humor of the situation. The story also deals with some tricky moral dilemmas without ever getting preachy. Once I picked up this book I hardly put it down and once I finished it, I started scouring used book stores and reading everything I can find by this author. He is by far my favorite and I anxiously await every new story.
Rating:
Summary: What went wrong?
Review: This book started so well. A lost scout for the good side gets caught behind enemy lines. He accidentally becomes the wielder of an amazing sword, but doesn't know what it does. He is able to get back to his own forces. His own magicians study and discover some of the features of the sword. The generals decide this will be their secret weapon. The scout becomes their designated assasin. Wonderful! Then something goes wrong. Characters are talked about without any contribution to the storyline. The focus becomes the dull time spent between assasinations. Then the war ends by an act of god with no involvement by the main character! But that's not where the book ends. After a wonderful start that leaves open so many avenues for weaving an intricate tale, the author seems to have given up. Just like a wood chip thrown into a river, the hero is a victim of circumstances even though he has possibly the most powerful weapon on the planet
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Ever
Review: This has got to be one of the best fantasy books i have ever read. Watt-Evans has a real talent writing books about believable heros with realistic problems without losing that fantasy touch! quite unusual, let me tell you. Watt-Evans writes like this frequently, and his newest book, "Dragon Weather" is also good. But this is his best.
Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: This is a classic read for me as it was my first fantasy novel. Hence it is a classic novel for me and very sentimental. I recently hunted down a reprint as I had lost a large volume of my original reads and re read the book. The story is a light fantasy read, but extremely entertaining. The plot and characters are creative, and the writing is descriptive and enjoyable. Lawrence portrays the main character as distinctly human in his attributes and flaws which is a breath of fresh air from other novels. Presenting a character that could be you or me or anyone, thrust into an adventure unwillingly and forced to play the cards as fate deals them. I also enjoy Lawrence' very non-linear and unorthodox story lines. He's very creative with coming up with non-traditional fantasy elements and weaving them together into a very solid story. You can see more of this in his other novels such as "cyborg and the sorcerers", or the overman series, but also here as well. I recommend this novel to anyone.
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