What do you think?
Rate this book
Guardians of the Flame #1-3
Guardians of the Flame: The Warriors
Science Fiction Book Club omnibus containing the first three books in the series: The Sleeping Dragon, The Sword and the Chain, and The Silver Crown.
722 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
21 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Joel Rosenberg
85 books236 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Note: This is a different person than the political/thriller author, Joel C. Rosenberg
Joel Rosenberg was the author of the bestselling Guardians of the Flame books as well as the D'Shai and Keepers of the Hidden Ways series. He made his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Note: This is a different person than the political/thriller author, Joel C. Rosenberg
Joel Rosenberg was the author of the bestselling Guardians of the Flame books as well as the D'Shai and Keepers of the Hidden Ways series. He made his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 29, 2015
The Guardians of the Flame is an epicoid Fantasy I read as the SFBC omnibus editions were released in the '80s. This was my 3 reading. These are typical '80s Fantasies, not complex, good always wins, easy, quick escapist reads. They are simply fun without a lot of philosophical or moral wanderings. I fully enjoyed this 3rd read.
7 of 10 stars for the series. Book #1 of the series is the best, as usual, 7 of 10; books #2 and #3, 6 of 10 stars. .
7 of 10 stars for the series. Book #1 of the series is the best, as usual, 7 of 10; books #2 and #3, 6 of 10 stars. .
March 14, 2017
I originally read this back in middle or high school, when I was a D&D nerd, so the idea of getting sent into a D&D world as the character I played (since that was usually a big ol' barbarian) fit my personal preferences to a T. I picked it up recently to relive the old days and see how it had held up, and I have to say, it's done pretty well, all things considered. The writing itself is pretty solid, and the basic story line is interesting, with a lot of foreground elements to keep the reader in the moment, but also some bigger "long simmer" elements of the story slowly playing out over the course of the series.
Reading this story from the early 80's in 2017, there are definitely some flaws. Different parts of the story are told from different character's points of view; yet despite the fact that there are 5 main characters, two of them female, the story is only ever told from male perspectives. The females are treated pretty brutally, and usually are used to move the story forward, though they do get a little bit developed by the end of the third book. There also seem to be a few details here and there that present some minor continuity errors, but overall, it all holds together pretty decently.
Speaking of the book, this is a collected volume that includes multiple single books collected together. This was a nice way to read the story, as all of the pieces fit together pretty well (with continuity errors, as mentioned above, excepted).
The story revolves around a core group of college students who get magically sent into a D&D-like medieval world where magic is real. As they quickly discover, what seems cool in a game is not nearly as entertaining when you have to live through it (one main character doesn't make it more than a few hours before dying horribly). In the world in which they find themselves, slavery is a going concern, and the major cities are run by self-serving wizards. The first book gets the characters (and readers) used to this world, and sets up the paradigm-breaking that the characters will attempt in later books as they try to bring freedom and science to a world that has been living under the thumb of the strongest and most ruthless.
Reading this book in 2017 was also interesting because each chapter starts with a quotation, many of which deal with the ideals of freedom, leadership, and rulers. There were more than a few I wanted to clip and share with the world at large as reminders of where we've come from, and how far we still have to go.
I have several more books in the series sitting on my shelves, so I'll probably keep going through them, though I recall the quality of the stories dropping off a bit over the course of the series. I guess we'll see how far I get!
Reading this story from the early 80's in 2017, there are definitely some flaws. Different parts of the story are told from different character's points of view; yet despite the fact that there are 5 main characters, two of them female, the story is only ever told from male perspectives. The females are treated pretty brutally, and usually are used to move the story forward, though they do get a little bit developed by the end of the third book. There also seem to be a few details here and there that present some minor continuity errors, but overall, it all holds together pretty decently.
Speaking of the book, this is a collected volume that includes multiple single books collected together. This was a nice way to read the story, as all of the pieces fit together pretty well (with continuity errors, as mentioned above, excepted).
The story revolves around a core group of college students who get magically sent into a D&D-like medieval world where magic is real. As they quickly discover, what seems cool in a game is not nearly as entertaining when you have to live through it (one main character doesn't make it more than a few hours before dying horribly). In the world in which they find themselves, slavery is a going concern, and the major cities are run by self-serving wizards. The first book gets the characters (and readers) used to this world, and sets up the paradigm-breaking that the characters will attempt in later books as they try to bring freedom and science to a world that has been living under the thumb of the strongest and most ruthless.
Reading this book in 2017 was also interesting because each chapter starts with a quotation, many of which deal with the ideals of freedom, leadership, and rulers. There were more than a few I wanted to clip and share with the world at large as reminders of where we've come from, and how far we still have to go.
I have several more books in the series sitting on my shelves, so I'll probably keep going through them, though I recall the quality of the stories dropping off a bit over the course of the series. I guess we'll see how far I get!
October 18, 2012
Started ok but soon wondered off into self-indulgent nonsense. Lead characters are too smug and self-satisfied. You end up not caring what happens to them because they are so unappealing. A waste of time.
March 2, 2025
This book is actually the first three books of Rosenberg’s “Guardians of the Flame” series combined in a single volume. I have reviewed each of them individually, based largely on my reminiscences of reading them as an adolescent. Now, I have gone through the entirety of the three of them as an adult, and I find that my impression of them is a bit different: My review of the first seems overly enthusiastic, and my review of the last seems overly harsh. In all, this is a solidly “good” fantasy series that was written very much for an audience of nerdy gamer-geeks like myself at the time, and today it fills me with a certain nostalgic satisfaction. I wish that my current players would familiarize themselves with it, because it is the kind of campaign I’m trying to run.
I had thought that these three novels were the only ones I ever read, but there’s a scene “missing” from them that I recall, involving Ahira brooding in a Dwarven enclave somewhere. Probably that’s from the next book, which I must have at least started at some time.
I had thought that these three novels were the only ones I ever read, but there’s a scene “missing” from them that I recall, involving Ahira brooding in a Dwarven enclave somewhere. Probably that’s from the next book, which I must have at least started at some time.
March 31, 2014
Hoo boy. Okay, so the only way to get this for Kindle is to get the first three books, and let me tell you, one was quite enough. Ugly, ugly attitudes towards women, and worse, in a way where I suspect the author thought he was being progressive. That was hard to get past. The rest of it is also not great, about a gaming group whose GM, who is also their professor, has them sucked into their game world. So, yeah, we're talking a lot to overcome, here.
October 9, 2013
There's a decades old nostalgia at work here, definitely, but I've read this compilation more time than I can remember since one summer when I was 12 or 13. I love this book and all it's self-assured smarter than the average bear folks trapped in a game world tropes.
July 11, 2018
It's a fantasy a lot of us sword-and-sorcery nuts have had for a while- "what would it be like if I went to the world of my game characters? I bet I'd be so awesome and kick all kinds of butt!"
Well... Karl and his friends end up finding out the hard way of just what can happen when they're all whisked away to the supposed imaginary world of their game, in the personas of their characters, but with their own minds in them- and things quickly go from okay, to kind of good, to rather bad, and then to rather good.
This has always been one of my favorite books on my fantasy shelf- even if I usually end up skipping a hunk of the first book because of a rather disconcerting scene that was fleshed out a bit more than needed, I feel (under the spoiler, if you really want to look:
It's a rather disconcerting part of the book (even if said bunch later get exactly what's coming to them), but it might throw off a number of people.
Out of all the characters, I'd have to say that my favorite is easily Walter. Quick with a knife, even quicker with a quip, he's the one that everyone seems to go to when something needs to be done.
Each of the characters ends up being a major part, even if some of them come much later than others- Karl, Andrea, Walter, Ahira, Andrea, Doria, Louis all form a rather cohesive team, when everything is working in their favor- which it rarely does, unfortunately. (There's one more party member, Jason, who doesn't really have a lot of screentime because he manages to end up dead for doing something rather stupid).
In these three books, the story covers the first chunk of the journey- there are some really low points (the spoiled scene is about the lowest it gets), and there are some really high points, as well- and the book even starts to tackle some interesting ideas on what happens as the Other Siders (as the group tends to name itself) end up doing their damnedest to implement ideas and tech from our own world (specifically things like gunpowder, electricity, and other scientific concepts meant to improve their own little slice of the world), and what happens when these ideas end up raging out of their control.
It's a rather great start to a good series, but I'd avoid recommending it to anyone under the age of maybe fourteen or so because of some intense scenes.
Well... Karl and his friends end up finding out the hard way of just what can happen when they're all whisked away to the supposed imaginary world of their game, in the personas of their characters, but with their own minds in them- and things quickly go from okay, to kind of good, to rather bad, and then to rather good.
This has always been one of my favorite books on my fantasy shelf- even if I usually end up skipping a hunk of the first book because of a rather disconcerting scene that was fleshed out a bit more than needed, I feel (under the spoiler, if you really want to look:
It's a rather disconcerting part of the book (even if said bunch later get exactly what's coming to them), but it might throw off a number of people.
Out of all the characters, I'd have to say that my favorite is easily Walter. Quick with a knife, even quicker with a quip, he's the one that everyone seems to go to when something needs to be done.
Each of the characters ends up being a major part, even if some of them come much later than others- Karl, Andrea, Walter, Ahira, Andrea, Doria, Louis all form a rather cohesive team, when everything is working in their favor- which it rarely does, unfortunately. (There's one more party member, Jason, who doesn't really have a lot of screentime because he manages to end up dead for doing something rather stupid).
In these three books, the story covers the first chunk of the journey- there are some really low points (the spoiled scene is about the lowest it gets), and there are some really high points, as well- and the book even starts to tackle some interesting ideas on what happens as the Other Siders (as the group tends to name itself) end up doing their damnedest to implement ideas and tech from our own world (specifically things like gunpowder, electricity, and other scientific concepts meant to improve their own little slice of the world), and what happens when these ideas end up raging out of their control.
It's a rather great start to a good series, but I'd avoid recommending it to anyone under the age of maybe fourteen or so because of some intense scenes.
April 29, 2020
Good for the standards of the time it was written (early 1980s). Low fantasy before that was a thing, and a decently straightforward "welcome to your D&D world, try not to die" portal fantasy. Do not be fooled by the two prominent ladies on the cover; one of them goes into seclusion for Reasons after book 1, and the other never wanted to be here in the first place (she picked the wrong night to give RPGs a try) and is mostly shoved into the background as Supporto-Lady, while the male main character has a lot of manpain, and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders no matter how many other friends he has to help him.
August 8, 2020
This book is really broken down into three books. I read them when I was in junior high school and thought I'd read them again. I wondered if I would still enjoy it, and it was OK. Not great, not too bad. Given the time it was written it was common to have a group of guys on an adventures with any female characters being decorative (if that). If you can get past that, which is asking a lot, the first book was good, the next two ok. Still, reading this twice is once more than I needed to.
July 14, 2023
I know this whole "DnD/Freaky Friday" thing was a trope even when this book was published but it really is an A1 series! I love this first 3 book set of the Guardians of the Flame series; descriptive without overstaying it's welcome with fresh situations and obstacles for the characters to overcome! Some of the characters can be a bit one note but they develop, it's built into the story! Just wonderful!
September 3, 2017
Books 1 and 2 are 3.5-4 stars, but book 3 is a solid 5 star
August 15, 2018
Really fun and different book. Great fantasy tale, and it was the first 3 books of the series combined into one. I look forward to reading the rest at some point.
December 28, 2020
It's goofy, crazy and fun.
Tearing apart fantasy tropes with glee, while at the same time somehow adhering to the expectation of the genre, this might be the very definition of 'a fun romp'.
Tearing apart fantasy tropes with glee, while at the same time somehow adhering to the expectation of the genre, this might be the very definition of 'a fun romp'.
December 19, 2012
The Guardians of the Flame: The Warriors contain the first 3 books of the series, of which I believe there are 10 total.
I first read these books many years ago and throughly enjoyed them as they gave a somewhat plausible explanation of the two different worlds, and had a raw gritty feel to them that I enjoyed.
Rereading them however, I had a hard time with symphathizing with the characters - the main characters seemed self indulgent and spent most of the time bullying other characters into doing what he wanted. The "takeover" of the fantasy world seemed far to easy, and despite the killing of several characters I really didn't care whether they lived or died.
The world the the author built however was interesting, I particularily liked how magician were portrayed, how spells were learned and how they couldn't be reused until learned again. So while magicians were powerful they were also limited in a significant way.
The ideas of the book, tackling of the slavery issue for example, were of a very serious nature and although I thought its admirable to write a book that addresses some of these issues, it also didn't handle them in a very compelling way.
Regardless, I enjoyed the books.
I first read these books many years ago and throughly enjoyed them as they gave a somewhat plausible explanation of the two different worlds, and had a raw gritty feel to them that I enjoyed.
Rereading them however, I had a hard time with symphathizing with the characters - the main characters seemed self indulgent and spent most of the time bullying other characters into doing what he wanted. The "takeover" of the fantasy world seemed far to easy, and despite the killing of several characters I really didn't care whether they lived or died.
The world the the author built however was interesting, I particularily liked how magician were portrayed, how spells were learned and how they couldn't be reused until learned again. So while magicians were powerful they were also limited in a significant way.
The ideas of the book, tackling of the slavery issue for example, were of a very serious nature and although I thought its admirable to write a book that addresses some of these issues, it also didn't handle them in a very compelling way.
Regardless, I enjoyed the books.
February 25, 2016
A book clearly inspired by (early) Dungeons & Dragons the role playing game with an interesting twist.
Though it started a bit weak and I had trouble getting into it it certainly picked up and by a third to half way through had captured my interest sufficiently that I read through the last half of the book over just a few evenings.
The author tried to be faithful to some of the key tenets of D&D (character classes & levels) which though a bit amusing to see the characters in the fantasy world riding on these rails clearly illustrates that such rules systems do not well translate into telling a story or portraying a world. But for a book written in the 80's during the early years of role playing games I can forgive this and it was an enjoyable enough read. Whether I'll read more in the series is up in the air.
Though it started a bit weak and I had trouble getting into it it certainly picked up and by a third to half way through had captured my interest sufficiently that I read through the last half of the book over just a few evenings.
The author tried to be faithful to some of the key tenets of D&D (character classes & levels) which though a bit amusing to see the characters in the fantasy world riding on these rails clearly illustrates that such rules systems do not well translate into telling a story or portraying a world. But for a book written in the 80's during the early years of role playing games I can forgive this and it was an enjoyable enough read. Whether I'll read more in the series is up in the air.
August 28, 2012
As someone who enjoys fantasy roleplaying games, I enjoyed reading this anthology, which contains the first three books in The Guardians of the Flame series. I definitely thought of some of my fellow roleplayers with some of the things which went on, and I'm definitely planning to get the next book in the series because I want to know more of what's going on with some of the more powerful characters and what's going to happen with the main characters - Rosenberg gives you intriguing glimpses, but he's definitely left questions in my mind after reading the first three books.
April 14, 2014
if u plan on reading this book, plan on a long read, there are 10 books total in this series but the 10th book does end with everything working out. now on with my review. great 1st 3 books of the flames series. the last book the author doesnt quite finish the tale but doesnt leave u hanging either if that makes any sense so u will need to read the 4th book in the series to know how the full story goes. its a fast paced read. once u start reading it u wont want to put the book down. lots of action in all 3 books. its a balance of dialog and description blending well together.
June 20, 2015
This was very enjoyable with well developed characters and a nice story line. It was fast paced and kept my interest. This is actually three books in one with each book separated. I especially liked the way the author was able to create the concept of having characters from our timeline and society into those of a fantasy and how he made them into dwarfs and wizards and warriors. Though they remembered where they had come from they also knew who they were in this other fantasy world. I would recommend this to anyone that likes the fantasy genre.
May 30, 2012
Excellent old school D&D style series. What sets it apart is that the characters make a moral decision to save one of their own and sacrifices are required...
The later books in the series lose some of their charm as a few of the core characters move out of the main storyline.
Great action, biting humor and endearing characters.
Joel Rosenberg's passing was a great loss. Condolences to his family and friends.
The later books in the series lose some of their charm as a few of the core characters move out of the main storyline.
Great action, biting humor and endearing characters.
Joel Rosenberg's passing was a great loss. Condolences to his family and friends.
June 6, 2008
These are really fun books - for those that like fantasy and even for those who don't - like me. I think the clincher for me is how well Rosenberg writes his characters. They all have a fantastic voice and are very real. The language can sometimes be questionable, depending on the character, but I still really like these books.
September 30, 2015
I first read this book in the 80's. I loved it then, I love it now. I passed it down to my children and they all have read and love it as well.
The character motivations are easily understood and their actions never make you question why they would do them. I believe this type of story gets old and the author demonstrates how a well written story can always be enjoyed.
The character motivations are easily understood and their actions never make you question why they would do them. I believe this type of story gets old and the author demonstrates how a well written story can always be enjoyed.
July 15, 2021
As a kid I didn't like to read that much, then I discovered Fantasy & Science Fiction. I received this as the book of the month from the SFBC (never seem to remember to send the card back in time.) For 15 year old me, this book really solidified a lifetime love of Fantasy. I've read this omnibus at least 5 times since then and maybe its nostalgia but I still love it today.
June 25, 2025
Guardians of the Flame: The Warriors (Guardians of the Flame, #1-3)
by Joel Rosenberg\
This book a great tale from the d and d era. Taking the idea of D and D gaming to an adventure that reader can find challenging and exciting.
July 20, 2013
I have read this book before back in the 80's, and am currently reading it again. It was actually 3 books in the 80's, but all 3 of them are in this single volume. I loved it back then, and love it now.
September 1, 2013
A very good premise and interesting characters, but doesn't hold my focus very well. I managed to read it through, and very much enjoyed the evolution of the characters in the first book. But by the second book it just got hard got to stay involved in the story. Not a bad read, but not the best.
January 29, 2014
I read this as a teenager.
At the time it was a pretty damn good read but I fear it does not hold up well with time.
It's very easy to read and has an interesting premise and while there is some unpleasantness it is most definitely light fantasy and a bit simplistic.
At the time it was a pretty damn good read but I fear it does not hold up well with time.
It's very easy to read and has an interesting premise and while there is some unpleasantness it is most definitely light fantasy and a bit simplistic.
June 25, 2016
Only read the first book. I realized when starting the second that the characters no longer interested me. Unlike my first read through of this series twenty years ago the simplistic nature of the quest did not appeal to me.
November 26, 2009
1st 3 books in guardians of the flame series
Read
January 9, 2010baen ebook
December 11, 2012
Very Fun Fantasy Book .... includes all three books in the series The Sleeping Dragon, The Sword and the Chain and The Silver Crown.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews