Swords in the Mist

The next stop in my project of re-reading the whole of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser books is Swords in the Mist, the third volume, which contains one lengthy early novella, three mid-period stories from the fifties and sixties, and two bridge vignettes Leiber wrote for this volume to bring his stories into some kind of continuity.

This collection contains what might very well be my favourite story in the series, “Lean Times in Lankhmar”. It probably is also the most satirical, even more so than “Bazaar of the Bizarre”, the barbs this time chiefly aimed at religion. Not only does that story have almost none of the usual Fantasy trappings, it also finds Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser working separately, even against each show more other, and seeing how their friendship persists and makes itself felt even when they are at cross-purposes with each other, is just one of the many delights this story provides the reader. The satire itself is rather mild, although I suppose your mileage may vary if you happen to be a deeply religious person – Leiber is unambiguously poking some fun at institutionalized religion here, the way a religion does become an institution, the role money plays in that, and the way belief can spring from the most unlikely of sources. If your are not offended by it, it is a very funny story indeed, and definitely confirms Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser as a major source for Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.

That story alone might have made Swords in the Mist one of the best volumes in the series – if it was not for what must surely be one of the most blatant “What the hell was the author thinking?” moments of WTF-ery in all of Fantasy literature. I am, of course, referring the novella “Adept’s Gambit” (which takes up about half of this volume) and the vignette leading up to it, “The Wrong Branch”. There, Leiber transports his heroes for absolutely no good reason that I was able to conceive of from Nehwon to our Earth. The story could just as have well taken place in Nehwon with just the change of a few names, instead we get an elaborate setup that is full of holes and inconsistencies (do they remember their previous lives or not? Leiber actually claims both in different places) and just does make any sense. The result is that the reader gets thrown off completely and spends the time they should be enjoying the novella with scratching their head wondering where that came from and what the hell Leiber was thinking. You can probably tell by now that I was majorly annoyed at this sudden, unmotivated shift, and it seems almost as if Leiber was somewhat embarrassed by it himself, at least he does not even attempt to explain how Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser got back to Nehwon, but just opens up the next volume in the series with them being back in their familiar world.

As for “The Adept’s Gambit” itself, it is an okay story, not one of the best in the series but not one of the worst either, with some lovely touches (like the curse that gets put on Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, transforming their lovers into pigs or snails), some padding (the chapters that tell the backstory do drag a bit) but overall a decent fun factor. Despite an excellent first half, Swords in the Mist does not quite live up to the previous volume, though - or indeed to the next one. show less

I'm a sucker for these books. Leiber's heroes are made real just as they are archetypes for the sword and sorcery genre in general. His phrases had me saying them back out loud and I found myself turning the pages in genuine excitement to see what happens next. A rare thing for a reader as jaded as I.
Seriously, every fan of fantasy should read this series and this is one of the strongest entries.

This book rates an extra star by virtue of the last story in it: The Adept's Gambit. I felt more excited about continuing to read the series at the end of that tale, incidentally the last in the book, than at any other time. Part of the reason for that -- a big part -- was the character of Ahura, who was clearly and strongly hinted as being a continuing/returning character when the adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser would continue in the next book, something never seen before in this series (though there were characters other than the central pair who continued across the stories within the first book, at least). Ahura not only appeared to be the promise of a continuing character, but a continuation of a character that interested show more me at least as much as Fafhrd and the Mouser themselves (particularly the Mouser, who I find more interesting than his partner).

I had some doubt that Ahura would turn out to be a continuing character, though. It just felt like I was ready to be let down in the next book and, sadly, I was right. Even so, Ahura made Swords in the Mist worth reading all by herself, an intriguing presence in the tale from her first appearance. show less

This one starts out well, is muddled in the middle, and then ends a bit disappointingly.

"Cloud of Hate" opens this collection. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are hanging out on guard duty for a benevolent patron when a malevolent fog rolls in. It seems that an enemy of the patron has invoked the god of Hate to murder said patron. Leiber switches back and forth from our heroes arguing over their financial predicament to the Cloud of Hate as it flows through the city, recruiting dangerous men for its violent task. Leiber excels here, juxtapositioning the witty exchange between our heroes with the visceral violence of the malevolent deity.

"Lean Times in Lankhmar" follows. While Fafhrd and Mouser are not strangers to bickering and arguing, it show more is a rare instance when the two let it overwhelm their friendship. In this story the two part ways. Mouser goes to work for a crime lord while Fafhrd forswears all of his indulgences and takes up a life of religious poverty, working as an acolyte for the sole priest of Issek of the Jug, a very minor god in Lankhmar (There's a bit explaining the difference betweens gods in Lankhmar and gods of Lankhmar). Mouser's boss gets a sizable chunk of his revenue via the protection racket. And as the religions in Lankhmar grow in popularity, so does his interest. Ultimately, Mouser is forced to target Fafhrd's newfound religion to exact tribute. This is another great one for Leiber. He crafts an excellent piece from start to finish.

But then the rest of the stories decline in quality.

"Their Mistress, the Sea" picks up right where "Lean Times..." leaves off. Herein it serves as a bridge to the next story. It's not really a story at all, just Leiber telling us what happened between stories.

"When the Sea-King's Away" is an odd tale. Fafhrd and Mouser hit a doldrum in the sea. No wind, no currents. They're stuck. Overnight, a hole in the ocean has appeared. Fafhrd wants to explore it in hopes of finding treasure and mermaids. Mouser is too nervous about drowning when the magic that holds the hole open collapses. Mouser stays on the boat while Fafhrd climbs down a rope to the bottom.

While there was some intriguing mystery, the storytelling dragged. The story is primarily told from Mouser's POV, and since he stayed on the boat, much of it is him fretting about his friend. When he does finally decide to follow Fafhrd, it's a little dull. There were some intriguing details, and I felt that maybe Leiber was trying to channel Lovecraft (He was a fan), but there just wasn't enough splendor amidst the muck. "The Sunken Land," which can be found in Swords Against Death was a far better usage of Lovecraftian elements and the sea.

"The Wrong Branch" is like "Their Mistress..." in that it serves as a bridge to the next big story. Leiber tells us what happened to our heroes as they sailed in a roundabout way across the sea back to Lankhmar, seeking out Ningauble of the Seven Eyes for help with their bad luck.

In "Adept's Gambit," Fafhrd and Mouser leave the world of Lankhmar and find themselves on Earth in Medieval times. Finding themselves cursed, the duo seek help from Ningauble in lifting the curse, which takes the rest of the story. Discovering their curse was humorous, at first, but then got tiring. The exchange with Ninguable restored the humor, but the quest to lift the curse went on for far too long. The antagonist was annoying, his story told by his sister. The story that was told smacked of Lovecraft in both style and substance. Now, I'm a fan of Lovecraft. When he had a character go off on a long-winded tale-telling, there was a payoff at the end that made it all worth it. What Leiber gave us lacked that. After building up to the climax, it fell flat.

Two great stories to start. Two disappointing stories to finish. Average of stories presented: 3 stars show less

Much like with he previous book, I didn't love it but I enjoyed it. Leiber has a very distinctive and elaborate way of writing. One may call it more literary than average in the genre, which for me it's not necessary a good thing in this case, since it means longer descriptions and more adjectives, which can get in the way of the fluidity of the story, but it gives the text more personality.

This collection has the funniest story so far in the series, the one with Fafhrd as acolyte of a god that starts getting more followers thanks to him (Lean Times in Lankhmar). In some way it reminded me of Pratchett.

Then it has the sorcery-driven stories that are typical of the series, which don't completely work for me because of how the show more characters always react rather than control the action. But they are good swords & wizards stories, and you can see why they were so influential in the genre.

In one of them, the two heroes visit the Earth, although the adventure they have in our world could as easily have taken place in Nehwon, as all the others.

The Grey Mouser and Fafhrd complement each other well, and their roguishness and philosophizing is always enjoyable.

So, not perfectly aligned with my personal taste, but quality swords & sorcery. show less

This is another compilation of short stories/novellas. There is sword and sorcery, but some stories are touched by a darker fantasy, bordering on horror.

The Cloud of Hate was the one that sent chills down my back. The idea that enough people can create a palpable hate rings too true. Lean Times in Lankhmar had me shaking my head, wondering how Fafhrd and Grey Mouser would get out of this one! The Adept's Gambit was one that I found interesting. Ningauble's messages had me snickering throughout.

If you like the Lankhmar books, you will probably enjoy this book. It isn't necessary to read them in order, so feel free to pick this one up and read away.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Swords in the Mist (1968) is Fritz Leiber’s third collection of stories about Fafhrd, the big northern barbarian, and the Gray Mouser, his small wily companion who has a predilection for thievery and black magic. The tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser originally appeared in pulp magazines, short novels, and story collections between 1939-1988. Swords in the Mist contains:

* "The Cloud of Hate" (1963) — This is a short eerie metaphor in which hate becomes a mist that reaches out in tendrils throughout Lankhmar to find corruptible souls to use for evil deeds.
* "Lean Times in Lankhmar" (1959) — In this novelette, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser part ways and find themselves at odds when Fafhrd show more becomes an acolyte and the Mouser is hired to extract money from Fafhrd’s cult. Humorous and cynical, this story makes fun of Lankhmar’s polytheism and makes the seediness, decadence, and corruption of the city come alive. The ending is hilarious.
* "Their Mistress, the Sea" (original publication) — This story makes a nice bridge between “Lean Times in Lankhmar” and “When the Sea-King’s Away” but it’s entertaining in its own right.
* "When the Sea-King's Away" (1960) — This is a fun fantastical story with a great setting (under the sea!) in which Fafhrd has a sword fight with an octopus.
* "The Wrong Branch" (original publication) — This is a bridge between the previous story and the following novella:
* “Adept's Gambit” (1947) — Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser arrive in our world (Macedonia) in this novella. There are some funny parts here — Fafhrd kissing pigs and analyzing Socrates, but mostly I found this story dull. The sorcerer Ningauble of the Seven Eyes has sent the boys on a near-impossible quest, but the exciting parts are quickly skipped over and too much of the story is spent with an unpleasant character’s excruciatingly long autobiography.

I love Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser because they’re intelligent rogues. They look like a big dumb barbarian and a sneaky little street urchin, and they love nothing more than drinking, fighting, and wenching, yet they’ve got big vocabularies, make glorious similes and metaphors, and enjoy philosophizing. When they’re doing these things, they’re irresistible, especially in the audiobook versions narrated by Jonathan Davis (Audible Frontiers).

However, half of Swords in the Mist consists of a novella that was not as fun as I’ve come to expect from Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar stories (perhaps this is partly because it doesn’t take place in Lankhmar). I would suggest that, unless you consider yourself a completist, you find “Lean Times in Lankhmar” and “When the Sea-King’s Away” and skip the rest of Swords in the Mist. show less