Rating: 
Summary: Light fantasy of surprising quality
Review: This is not a fantasy in the traditional sense. If you are looking for Tolkien or some other form of High Fantasy then you are looking at the wrong book. On the other hand, this book is an excellent example how light fantasy can still be a very enjoyable read.This books traces the life of Valder, a scout in the army of the Gods who are an in Eons old war with the Northerners supported by the Demons. Through a series of ironic twists Valder becomes the proud owner of a magic sword that gives him near immortality and invulnerability. There are some problems of course, a mad wizard, an aging process which continues long after death should have came and outliving ones descendants. This is a fun, humorous and well-written book. This novel is frequently out of print but it is in my opinion well worth the search to find it.
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Summary: With Friends like THAT Wizard, who needs ...
Review: This is what Watt-Evans does best, the tale of the mistaken enchantment. While some people may thing it's a bit strange, or a bit slow, or perhaps a bit disjoint, what it really is is sly, ironic, and hysterical, and with a wee bit (so to speak) of a pointed ending, or well, a point at the book's ending at least. I suppose in some sense, this is a version of the trite old "be careful what you wish for", BUT such stories can be so very entertaining. This one is.
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Summary: One of the best fantasy books nobody's read.
Review: This little gem is the sort of book that you pick up at the used bookstore with twenty other paperbacks, not expecting much, and then end up treasuring for years.
Much modern fantasy relies on rather generic plot arcs and characterization that substitutes brutality for realism. Lawrence Watt-Evans falls into neither of those traps. The book starts with an apparently rather generic plot -- Joe Average soldier gets trapped behind enemy lines, meets friendly wizard, wizard makes him a magic sword then disappears, turns out sword isn't as beneficial as it first appears, etc.
But the interesting thing about this book is that the decency and common sense of the lead character manage to take the story in a very different direction from where such stories typically go. Rather than a generic plot-driven hero-quest fantasy, this book turns, in a very pleasant surprise, into a very enjoyable character-driven tale, and what's even better, one where all the main characters are likeable and act sensibly.
Far too much modern fantasy seems to be written by authors who think that "realism" means nothing more than an extra helping of cynicism, and 'characterization" means making sure all your characters are either brutal, stupid, or naieve. It's wonderfully refreshing to read fantasy where the lead character is just a sensible, reasonably intelligent man trying to lead his own life as pleasantly as possible with a minimum of fuss -- an ambition I'm sure we can all share.
Rating:
Summary: Belongs in every fantasy lovers collection
Review: This novel goes through several interesting phases in the life of the main character and stands on its own if you can't find the rest of this series. It even has a "building" phase in which he turns a bare plot of ground into a successful inn over the course of a decade. Original storyline, great internal dialog, and timeline spanning a lifetime+ make this a classic page turner you will enjoy rereading every five years until you die.
Rating: 
Summary: A Light Fantasy Classic
Review: This novel is the first of the Ethshar series, though these novels can be read in any order, and takes place as a several centuries' long war is coming to a close. Lost behind enemy lines and with enemy scouts in hot pursuit, the protagonist, Valder, stumbles across the hut of an ancient hermit, who happens to be a wizard, and happens not to be too pleased with the sudden loss of his privacy. He is even less pleased, when in the confrontation with Valder's pursuers that follows, his home and most of his possessions are destroyed. The novel revolves around the consequences of what follows -- the wizard enchants Valder's sword with all the spells he has the supplies to perform as a way of appeasing the soldier and sending him on his way. However, in the dark and with his life turned upside down, he makes a mistake. The novel then follows Valder as he figures out exactly what has been done to his sword, and what the consequences of that enchantment means.
This is not heroic or epic fiction: Watt-Evans writes in a gently mocking way about likable and well-drawn characters just trying to get by. He treats the magic of his world familiarly, but it lacks nothing for not being mysterious. In fact, the qualities that make his books fun to read are traceable to this lack of wonder: the down-to-earth magic creates down-to-earth problems which his characters must then resolve.
An appealing, enjoyable book with a twisted take on a classic fantasy motif, that you might even end up rereading several times over the years. However, don't go into this book expecting an epic journey through another person's imagination, filled with thrilling intrigue, tragic deaths, shocking betrayals, and great voyages. You'll be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: faltering ending
Review: This was a very entertaining book, but I suspect that the author probably wrote himself into a corner. Also the writing was a little uneven at times. Sometimes the action was intense and fast paced and sometimes it was slow and introspective (especially towards the end). The hero was likable and realistic but we never really got to know him too well. And the ending was very deux et machina, but like I said I suspect watt-evans had no choice as he wrote himself into a corner.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating story of wizards and magic!
Review: When a young soldier is cut off from his army by a sudden enemy offensive, he starts to run...natural enough. But when he seeks shelter in a simple hut, he finds that he has led the enemy to the home of a very powerful wizard, one who had no desire to be disturbed. To get rid of young Valder, the wizard enchants his sword, with powerful benefits, and a very powerful penalty. Now, Valder finds himself with a sword that will keep him alive until he has slain one hundred foes...and then it will kill him! His own army has some interesting uses for a man with an unbeatable sword, but he can't live with it, but it appears that he has to. This is the story of a peaceable young man, a victim of a misenchanted sword! This is a great book! Being a fan of stories about wizards, I found this book to be quite interesting. Watt-Evans' world of Ethshar is interesting, and the magical system that he uses in it is fascinating. The story I found to be quite gripping, forcing me to read it all in one sitting! If you like stories of wizards and magic, then I highly recommend this book to you.
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