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Books of Swords
An Armory of Swords
Saberhagen has brought together some of the best fantasy writers in the field to create their own stories within the universe of his Lost Swords series. This book features works by Walter Jon Williams, Sage Walker, and a new tale by the master himself--Fred Saberhagen's "Blind Man's Blade"--reveals how the Swords were originally thrust into the human realm. Tor.
317 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
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215 people want to read
About the author
Fred Saberhagen
335 books494 followersFred Saberhagen was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his ''Beserker'' and Dracula stories.
Saberhagen also wrote a series of a series of post-apocalyptic mytho-magical novels beginning with his popular ''Empire of the East'' and continuing through a long series of ''Swords'' and ''Lost Swords'' novels. Saberhagen died of cancer, in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Saberhagen was born in and grew up in the area of Chicago, Illinois. Saberhagen served in the [[U.S. Air Force]] during the Korean War while he was in his early twenties. Back in civilian life, Saberhagen worked as an It was while he was working for Motorola (after his military service) that Saberhagen started writing fiction seriously at the age of about 30. "Fortress Ship", his first "Berserker" short shory, was published in 1963. Then, in 1964, Saberhagen saw the publication of his first novel, ''The Golden People''.
From 1967 to 1973, he worked as an editor for the Chemistry articles in the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' as well as writing its article on science fiction. He then quit and took up writing full-time. In 1975, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He married fellow writer Joan Spicci in 1968. They had two sons and a daughter.
Saberhagen also wrote a series of a series of post-apocalyptic mytho-magical novels beginning with his popular ''Empire of the East'' and continuing through a long series of ''Swords'' and ''Lost Swords'' novels. Saberhagen died of cancer, in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Saberhagen was born in and grew up in the area of Chicago, Illinois. Saberhagen served in the [[U.S. Air Force]] during the Korean War while he was in his early twenties. Back in civilian life, Saberhagen worked as an It was while he was working for Motorola (after his military service) that Saberhagen started writing fiction seriously at the age of about 30. "Fortress Ship", his first "Berserker" short shory, was published in 1963. Then, in 1964, Saberhagen saw the publication of his first novel, ''The Golden People''.
From 1967 to 1973, he worked as an editor for the Chemistry articles in the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' as well as writing its article on science fiction. He then quit and took up writing full-time. In 1975, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He married fellow writer Joan Spicci in 1968. They had two sons and a daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 21, 2013
I consider the idea behind Fred Saberhagen's SWORDS series to be one of the coolest concepts in all of fiction--right up there with THE HIGHLANDER. Unfortunately, as with all those HIGHLANDER spin-offs and sequels, it's a series that often missed the mark and failed to live up to the promise of its ingenious premise. Still, it was always a world I couldn't wait to go back and revisit.
Which is why I was so happy to stumble upon AN ARMORY OF SWORDS. Somehow, I overlooked this volume until now...possibly because I was under the impression that it was a non-fiction "reader's companion" to the series, or some such thing. Actually, though, it's a short story collection in which Saberhagen allows other talented fantasy writers to contribute their own takes on Saberhagen's SWORDS universe. The result is far better than I would have ever guessed. Turns out, the SWORDS concept works just as well for short stories as it does for novels. And the contributors to this volume do an exceptional job of exploring the functions of the Swords in creative new ways. I especially like that these tales are all very character driven, and that the Swords themselves enrich the stories without coming to dominate them.
That's not to say this book fires on all cylinders. Sage Walker's story is pretty darn boring, despite being well-written. Thomas Saberhagen's is just awful, and it's obvious that he was allowed to contribute because of his status as Fred Saberhagen's son, and not because of his actual writing skill.
But even a couple of misfires aren't enough to sour the overall experience.
Which is why I was so happy to stumble upon AN ARMORY OF SWORDS. Somehow, I overlooked this volume until now...possibly because I was under the impression that it was a non-fiction "reader's companion" to the series, or some such thing. Actually, though, it's a short story collection in which Saberhagen allows other talented fantasy writers to contribute their own takes on Saberhagen's SWORDS universe. The result is far better than I would have ever guessed. Turns out, the SWORDS concept works just as well for short stories as it does for novels. And the contributors to this volume do an exceptional job of exploring the functions of the Swords in creative new ways. I especially like that these tales are all very character driven, and that the Swords themselves enrich the stories without coming to dominate them.
That's not to say this book fires on all cylinders. Sage Walker's story is pretty darn boring, despite being well-written. Thomas Saberhagen's is just awful, and it's obvious that he was allowed to contribute because of his status as Fred Saberhagen's son, and not because of his actual writing skill.
But even a couple of misfires aren't enough to sour the overall experience.
September 17, 2020
WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS(?)
In An Armory of Swords, by Fred Saberhagen, you immediately get a feel for what the layout of the book is. There is an abrupt start to the story, and the beginning of every chapter is the same, with no lead into it, and sometimes just pure action. Don’t get me wrong though, I really like this book because of these qualities just as much as I dislike it for these qualities. I personally feel like I will not remember characters that I need to later on in the series due to this layout, but it really does fit the vibe of the book. Twelve swords, all with different stories. It makes sense why there is a lot of jumping around since there is a lot to cover. Still, that doesn’ mean I have to like it, and I don’t particularly like it. The author’s objective is to describe a story to the reader about the start of a game created by the gods, and how these tools for the game, the 12 swords, landed in the hands of humans. His audience generally would be those interested in fantasy or fiction books with a theme of greek and roman gods.
Some things I really enjoyed about the book are the fact that there seemed to be a wide variety of characters, with all the main characters having one thing in common, as well as how at the end of each chapter it's almost setting up a further story for each of the swords. The main characters all are of varying sexes, social classes, and mindsets at the beginning of the story, but throughout each chapter you learn about something that has burdened them in life, something that seemingly makes it miserable for them to continue on the way they are. At these low points in their life, somehow one of the twelve swords makes itself known, and are taken by the characters, or given to them. I believe that this is a great way to introduce the swords because it makes the reader feel like they are in good hands, at least for the time being. This helps to reassure the reader, until the next book. I like how each chapter is set up for the rest of the swords story because, since the reader knows this is what is happening, it drives the curiosity of the reader and encourages them to continue reading, even though they get no resolution in this book.
Something that I don’t like about the book is how little influence the gods seem to have in the story. The first chapter shows them fawning over their new swords, and throwing fits when they get lost, but then through the rest of the book there is no mention of the gods even looking for these swords that were once theirs. I know that the gods are fickle creatures, especially in Greek and Roman mythology, but even this change in action seems too extreme for the gods. The swords are powerful enough to take on a god, so why would they not want to try and get the swords back to stop humans from possibly hurting them. It's a bit strange to me.
Overall the book was good and one that I would recommend to others, but only if they are willing to read the entire 4 to 5 book series, since it is just the background to the swords (I was told to read it first). It also is easy to pick up and put down at anypoint which is a feeling I rarely get with books that I do appreciate. The story is intriguing and hooks readers into it, and I am very excited to see what happens next in the story.
In An Armory of Swords, by Fred Saberhagen, you immediately get a feel for what the layout of the book is. There is an abrupt start to the story, and the beginning of every chapter is the same, with no lead into it, and sometimes just pure action. Don’t get me wrong though, I really like this book because of these qualities just as much as I dislike it for these qualities. I personally feel like I will not remember characters that I need to later on in the series due to this layout, but it really does fit the vibe of the book. Twelve swords, all with different stories. It makes sense why there is a lot of jumping around since there is a lot to cover. Still, that doesn’ mean I have to like it, and I don’t particularly like it. The author’s objective is to describe a story to the reader about the start of a game created by the gods, and how these tools for the game, the 12 swords, landed in the hands of humans. His audience generally would be those interested in fantasy or fiction books with a theme of greek and roman gods.
Some things I really enjoyed about the book are the fact that there seemed to be a wide variety of characters, with all the main characters having one thing in common, as well as how at the end of each chapter it's almost setting up a further story for each of the swords. The main characters all are of varying sexes, social classes, and mindsets at the beginning of the story, but throughout each chapter you learn about something that has burdened them in life, something that seemingly makes it miserable for them to continue on the way they are. At these low points in their life, somehow one of the twelve swords makes itself known, and are taken by the characters, or given to them. I believe that this is a great way to introduce the swords because it makes the reader feel like they are in good hands, at least for the time being. This helps to reassure the reader, until the next book. I like how each chapter is set up for the rest of the swords story because, since the reader knows this is what is happening, it drives the curiosity of the reader and encourages them to continue reading, even though they get no resolution in this book.
Something that I don’t like about the book is how little influence the gods seem to have in the story. The first chapter shows them fawning over their new swords, and throwing fits when they get lost, but then through the rest of the book there is no mention of the gods even looking for these swords that were once theirs. I know that the gods are fickle creatures, especially in Greek and Roman mythology, but even this change in action seems too extreme for the gods. The swords are powerful enough to take on a god, so why would they not want to try and get the swords back to stop humans from possibly hurting them. It's a bit strange to me.
Overall the book was good and one that I would recommend to others, but only if they are willing to read the entire 4 to 5 book series, since it is just the background to the swords (I was told to read it first). It also is easy to pick up and put down at anypoint which is a feeling I rarely get with books that I do appreciate. The story is intriguing and hooks readers into it, and I am very excited to see what happens next in the story.
December 2, 2023
An interesting look at the world before the series began, but not all that interesting.
July 17, 2024
I haven't read these in decades
May 12, 2025
It's been a long time since I've been so disappointed in a book. I was very much looking forward to reading it because I loved most of the Swords series. (Biggest letdown: Shieldbreaker's Story - it felt very rushed with a lot of actions out of keeping with prior established character traits. But that's a different review.)
My take on this whole book: It was all about the money. Getting one last book out to the fanbase with fairly guaranteed sales. One or two of the stories were interesting, even engaging. Most of them were not. A couple were outright bad/boring.
My biggest complaint about the book, however, is that it feels like the authors were giving a couple paragraphs about what the Swords were and nothing else. Nothing indicated that any of the writers had read even a single Sword book. The opening story completely changes how the Swords were distributed in the first place from Book One (with one character having had access to three different Swords in a very short period of time). These writers had Swords acting in ways well outside or even actively against established canon. For example, one wielder telling Coinspinner exactly what misfortunes his enemies should be having, when not once in the 11-book entire series - where Coinspinner made frequent appearances - was there any indication that the fortune or misfortune caused by that Sword was in any way directable by the wielder. (We also saw Coinspinner flying away in a streak of light, when only Farslayer ever did anything like that; Coinspinner just vanishes when it's done.) Magic isn't treated the same way (especially magic during combat, once weapons are drawn). Demons and management of is treated differently. Mention of dwarfs in the mines (I was waiting for Elves in the forests next). The mere presence of some Swords - such as Townsaver, about which we know nearly 100% of its history from creation to destruction - was jarring against canonical stories - especially since for the most part, the prior Swords books all took place in the same region of the world, and not one familiar place name was mentioned in this book.
What this really felt like was a handful of people writing fantasy stories into which they inserted one or more Swords, with no intention of or effort put into incorporating the tales into the wider Empire/Swords world. It says it was "edited by" Saberhagen, but if so, it was edited very loosely, with little concern for making sure it fit into the world he'd crafted over the prior 12 books (including Empire of the East).
My take on this whole book: It was all about the money. Getting one last book out to the fanbase with fairly guaranteed sales. One or two of the stories were interesting, even engaging. Most of them were not. A couple were outright bad/boring.
My biggest complaint about the book, however, is that it feels like the authors were giving a couple paragraphs about what the Swords were and nothing else. Nothing indicated that any of the writers had read even a single Sword book. The opening story completely changes how the Swords were distributed in the first place from Book One (with one character having had access to three different Swords in a very short period of time). These writers had Swords acting in ways well outside or even actively against established canon. For example, one wielder telling Coinspinner exactly what misfortunes his enemies should be having, when not once in the 11-book entire series - where Coinspinner made frequent appearances - was there any indication that the fortune or misfortune caused by that Sword was in any way directable by the wielder. (We also saw Coinspinner flying away in a streak of light, when only Farslayer ever did anything like that; Coinspinner just vanishes when it's done.) Magic isn't treated the same way (especially magic during combat, once weapons are drawn). Demons and management of is treated differently. Mention of dwarfs in the mines (I was waiting for Elves in the forests next). The mere presence of some Swords - such as Townsaver, about which we know nearly 100% of its history from creation to destruction - was jarring against canonical stories - especially since for the most part, the prior Swords books all took place in the same region of the world, and not one familiar place name was mentioned in this book.
What this really felt like was a handful of people writing fantasy stories into which they inserted one or more Swords, with no intention of or effort put into incorporating the tales into the wider Empire/Swords world. It says it was "edited by" Saberhagen, but if so, it was edited very loosely, with little concern for making sure it fit into the world he'd crafted over the prior 12 books (including Empire of the East).
August 6, 2024
You know those collections of short stories where you have to wade through garbage to find one worth your time? (Best American sci-fi 2020). Well this isn't one of those, all the stories are worth reading if you like the swordsverse. 85/100
April 27, 2019
Seemed to have the same flow; no really variation to the stories. 👾
January 1, 2020
Very much enjoyed this series.
June 7, 2022
An anthology of short stories in the Swords setting written by other authors. Most of the stories (except the one my Saberhagen himself) were really good.
September 20, 2022
Great return to the world of swords I read a long time ago. Interesting short stories completely removed from the main trilogy. Loved it.
August 7, 2023
A good book - compilation of a bunch of short stories by several different authors in the "Swords" milieu.
Entertaining, and gave me just the right taste for the genre.
Entertaining, and gave me just the right taste for the genre.
July 16, 2024
Some good, some great stories here.
October 22, 2012
Had this book for ages but never got around to reading it, maybe because I knew it was the last of any Sword stories I'd have a chance to read. Was interesting to revisit the Swords' world again after all these years. I really love seeing what can be done with the Swords, in what ways they can be used or fought against. As with any collection of short stories, some are really good and some are so-so but over all I enjoyed the book. Worth picking up by anyone who enjoyed the series or enjoys fantasy.
July 9, 2012
I am irrationally fond of the Swords books, and Saberhagen's original story is a nice addition to the canon, but this is not a fantastic collection. The stories are competent, on the whole, but far from inspired - they really don't do anything interesting with the concepts. The little background on Doomgiver and the scattering of the Swords is welcome - it makes a single very brief appearance in the series (although this story suggests it's actually one of the most powerful Swords) - but otherwise this collection is only for completists.
January 19, 2013
I totally enjoyed these short stories set in Fred Saberhagen's Lost Swords realm.
It's always amazing to see how much story can be effectively packed into a few pages and none of the contributing authors disappointed.
It's always amazing to see how much story can be effectively packed into a few pages and none of the contributing authors disappointed.
January 15, 2016
This collection of short stories contains some real gems - "Glad Yule" and "Stealth and the Lady" really stand out. Most of the stories are original and interesting. But the collection as a whole is uneven and in a few cases fails to really build on Saberhagen's excellent "Swords" foundation.
February 12, 2010
Collection of short stories. Some were good, some not so good.
September 22, 2014
This is a rather odd fantasy setting, but I really enjoy these books.
November 25, 2012
The 12 Swords books are a great read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews