Return to Lankhmar
by Fritz Leiber

It isn't often that you get a chance to re-read an old classic work of Fantasy, much less a series, apart from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (which will probably remain in print forever). Therefore, it was with glee when I learned that White Wolf Publishing is now reprinting Fritz Leiber's classic Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories.

A brief recap: Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two popular fantasy characters created by Leiber. Unlike 'traditional' fantasy heroes who are nobel, upright characters or heroes who were total barbarians, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser were an interesting mix: nobel people who would honour an agreement to the ends of the world (and would fight to get there), yet willing to do some stealing, fighting and wenching along the way if the opportunities present themselves. Both characters inhabit a rich and varied world called Nehwon, with Lankhmar as its cultural and religious heart as well as being the centre for thieves (so to speak).

This book chronicles the further adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and is made up of several tales. The first one, titled "The Swords of Lankhmar," Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are hired by the Lord of Lankhmar to help guard a group of grain ships traveling from Lankhmar. Previous grain ships have been mysteriously lost. One unusual passenger on the ship is a Princess, her servant and a group of performing white mice. Their lives are put in danger when one of the grain ships is sunk and the mice are suspected as the culprits (in a world where magic works, this is possible). When their own ship is attacked, it is saved by a most unusual visitor from a most familiar world.

Later on, Lankhmar comes under attack from a plague of mice. The leaders of Lankhmar have bought in a magician who claims to be able to help them get rid of the mouse (like the Pied Piper of Hamlin). Both Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser have to individually take action to save Lankhmar from the mice as well as thwart the wizard's plans. The solution requires both heroes to take unusual actions, so to speak.

Other tales in the later part of the book chronicle other adventures of the due and are highly amusing. One tale looks at the old warning about being careful about wishing for you may just get what you wish for. Another, darker, tale takes the two adventurers to a journey on an island to protect it from potential invaders. Two old but very familiar gods are involved in protecting the island.

For a person like me who usually prefers to read Science Fiction to Fantasy, I cannot help but recommend not only this book, but the entire series of books about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Fritz Leiber has given the characters a lot of depth and character and its not hard to enjoy the books no matter where in the series your start (I originally started reading the series from the middle).

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Return to Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber

Return to Lankhmar
by Fritz Leiber