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The Bent Sword
Steffin is just an average peasant who has big dreams of becoming a knight and saving the world from the dangerous Lord Bore and his Box of Boredom. Too bad Lord Bore is just a made-up nemesis from Steffin's childhood--or is he?
When a crazy old storyteller insists that Lord Bore is real, Steffin must take things in his own hands and begins a quest that will forever change his destiny. With the help of a few friends, Steffin is soon running away from bad guys, escaping prison, and infiltrating castles to woo princesses, all in the pursuit of adventure. But when his friends grow weary of the journey, Steffin is left to pull them back together in order to defeat Lord Bore before it's too late.
When a crazy old storyteller insists that Lord Bore is real, Steffin must take things in his own hands and begins a quest that will forever change his destiny. With the help of a few friends, Steffin is soon running away from bad guys, escaping prison, and infiltrating castles to woo princesses, all in the pursuit of adventure. But when his friends grow weary of the journey, Steffin is left to pull them back together in order to defeat Lord Bore before it's too late.
- GenresFantasy
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2010
1 person is currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 20, 2011
As they got closer to the river, they noticed that there was something in the middle of the ford. By the time they had reached the bank, they could see that it was a huge fish.
"Good morning, Steffin!" boomed the fish. "I am Kilgore Trout. I am a Science-Fiction Writer Who Had Ideas, But Didn't Know How To Write Them Down."
The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Steffin couldn't quite place it. He also wondered what a Science-Fiction Writer was.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Trout?" he asked, as politely as he could.
"Steffin," continued the fish, "I have some important advice for you. Listen carefully."
Steffin was by now tired of being given advice by well-meaning sages, but he couldn't see an alternative. He sighed.
"Okay, Mr. Trout, why don't you tell me?"
The fish looked at him disapprovingly.
"I can see you aren't taking me seriously," he said. "But I know all about you. Steffin, you and your friends are searching for Lord Bore. You intend to challenge his domination of the world, and destroy the Box of Boredom."
"Hey!" said Mammoth. "How come you told this fish what we were doing, and not us? Your loyal followers?"
Steffin felt extremely awkward. "I was going to," he stammered, "but it didn't seem to be the right..."
The fish ignored him, and continued.
"All this world you see around you, you have made up by telling stories. But, without realising it, you are carrying out Lord Bore's work for him!"
He paused for dramatic effect.
"You're supposed to say 'How?'" he whispered, holding a fin to his mouth.
"How?" mumbled Steffin, now completely bemused.
"Well may you ask!" answered the fish. "You neglect Style. Your story is Stylistically Dull. It's Boring. You are Lord Bore's greatest servant and helper."
Steffin felt completely crushed. Tears sprang to his eyes.
"Is there anything I can do?" he said.
"Ah, indeed there is!" said the fish in an unpleasantly paternal tone. "Study the classics, my lad! Homer! Cervantes! Chaucer! They have all had the very thoughts you are having now, but they knew how to turn them into beautiful language. Read their books carefully, and you, too, will learn their secrets!"
"So," said Steffin, "you read this... Homer... and you..."
"Well," said the fish hastily, "I haven't actually got around to reading him yet. But I have seen Troy on DVD. That Diane Kruger. Phwoarr!"
He lapsed into a meditative silence.
"Alright," said Steffin, "Sir Vantes. How about him?"
"Okay, okay!" said the fish, plainly irritated. "He's on my list. Don't be so damn literal. It's the idea that counts."
Mammoth and Garrick had been nudging each other. Now Garrick spoke up for the first time.
"I'm hungry!" he said. He moved closer to the water.
"Me too!" agreed Mammoth, as he followed him. "And I've got almonds in my backpack."
There was suddenly a great deal of splashing and screaming.
An hour later, Steffin wiped the last of the delicious truite aux amandes off his plate with a piece of bread, and belched contentedly.
"What was that he was saying about Style?" he asked in a sleepy voice.
"God knows!" answered Garrick.
"Amen!" agreed Mammoth piously.
Within a minute, they were all snoring soundly.
"Good morning, Steffin!" boomed the fish. "I am Kilgore Trout. I am a Science-Fiction Writer Who Had Ideas, But Didn't Know How To Write Them Down."
The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Steffin couldn't quite place it. He also wondered what a Science-Fiction Writer was.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Trout?" he asked, as politely as he could.
"Steffin," continued the fish, "I have some important advice for you. Listen carefully."
Steffin was by now tired of being given advice by well-meaning sages, but he couldn't see an alternative. He sighed.
"Okay, Mr. Trout, why don't you tell me?"
The fish looked at him disapprovingly.
"I can see you aren't taking me seriously," he said. "But I know all about you. Steffin, you and your friends are searching for Lord Bore. You intend to challenge his domination of the world, and destroy the Box of Boredom."
"Hey!" said Mammoth. "How come you told this fish what we were doing, and not us? Your loyal followers?"
Steffin felt extremely awkward. "I was going to," he stammered, "but it didn't seem to be the right..."
The fish ignored him, and continued.
"All this world you see around you, you have made up by telling stories. But, without realising it, you are carrying out Lord Bore's work for him!"
He paused for dramatic effect.
"You're supposed to say 'How?'" he whispered, holding a fin to his mouth.
"How?" mumbled Steffin, now completely bemused.
"Well may you ask!" answered the fish. "You neglect Style. Your story is Stylistically Dull. It's Boring. You are Lord Bore's greatest servant and helper."
Steffin felt completely crushed. Tears sprang to his eyes.
"Is there anything I can do?" he said.
"Ah, indeed there is!" said the fish in an unpleasantly paternal tone. "Study the classics, my lad! Homer! Cervantes! Chaucer! They have all had the very thoughts you are having now, but they knew how to turn them into beautiful language. Read their books carefully, and you, too, will learn their secrets!"
"So," said Steffin, "you read this... Homer... and you..."
"Well," said the fish hastily, "I haven't actually got around to reading him yet. But I have seen Troy on DVD. That Diane Kruger. Phwoarr!"
He lapsed into a meditative silence.
"Alright," said Steffin, "Sir Vantes. How about him?"
"Okay, okay!" said the fish, plainly irritated. "He's on my list. Don't be so damn literal. It's the idea that counts."
Mammoth and Garrick had been nudging each other. Now Garrick spoke up for the first time.
"I'm hungry!" he said. He moved closer to the water.
"Me too!" agreed Mammoth, as he followed him. "And I've got almonds in my backpack."
There was suddenly a great deal of splashing and screaming.
An hour later, Steffin wiped the last of the delicious truite aux amandes off his plate with a piece of bread, and belched contentedly.
"What was that he was saying about Style?" he asked in a sleepy voice.
"God knows!" answered Garrick.
"Amen!" agreed Mammoth piously.
Within a minute, they were all snoring soundly.
July 15, 2010
This has got to be one of the funniest books I have ever read. One thing I really like is that not only is the book highly entertaining it is also very insightful. A little slow in the first few pages the book quickly picks up and sucks you in completely. The main character Steffin is a complete contradiction. I have never, with all the books I have read, and that is a lot, found a character I have both loved and disliked so much. One moment he has you banging your head against the wall in frustration and the next cheering him on with all your heart. The book will strike a chord with both the grown-up and the child within everyone who reads it.
July 19, 2010
Hilarious and a great read.
This book is pleasantly aware of itself, much like the voice in "The Princess Bride". The humor and characters were unpredictable and hilarious. The Bent Sword made a ridiculous sounding subject, boredom, a serious problem, and it made me wonder whose side of the battle I'm sitting on. It inspires real adventures and dreams.
This book is pleasantly aware of itself, much like the voice in "The Princess Bride". The humor and characters were unpredictable and hilarious. The Bent Sword made a ridiculous sounding subject, boredom, a serious problem, and it made me wonder whose side of the battle I'm sitting on. It inspires real adventures and dreams.
February 16, 2015
What I find intriguing about this book is that Steffin is a fairly flawed protagonist, and yet he is likable at the same time. I am the wife of the author, and Steve based Steffin off of himself. I like how this book hits on boredom as being a real enemy and threat, and that dream is the only way to overcome boredom. This was written for young adults, but adults will certainly enjoy it too.
July 2, 2010
This book is so unique and unlike anything I've read before. Creative, at times bizarre but full of twists and turns to keep you in the "what's going to happen next?" state of mind! A bit of a Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Don Quixote.
August 27, 2010
Fun book. I had a great time reading it. Favorite part: that it doesn't take itself too seriously.
Want to read
August 7, 2010I'm so excited! I can't wait to read The Bent Sword!
August 15, 2010
this is a good book to read hard to put down.
August 19, 2010
Open honest voice, interesting plot, sincere characters.
August 9, 2010
My mom won this book from firstreads. It was GREAT!
September 13, 2010
Hmmm...Where to begin. Firstly, I love that the chapter numbers are all out of whack, and that the story is so clearly an instance of the author writing for his own joy. It is well written and, though I do not care for the style the book was written in, it managed to engage me pretty well. My favorite part was when Steffen would tell Porkatha that he might not win and she responded that he didn't have to. That seems so authentic. We don't always have to win, we just have to try.
Negatives would be that I think the religion was a touch to strong, and that it is so satirical.
It is a thinking book, remarkably enough, not a fluff book. It seems like there are a hundred hidden messages and everything really stands for something else. If you enjoyed Hitchhiker's Guide and don't mind a lot of religion in your books, I recommend this book.
Negatives would be that I think the religion was a touch to strong, and that it is so satirical.
It is a thinking book, remarkably enough, not a fluff book. It seems like there are a hundred hidden messages and everything really stands for something else. If you enjoyed Hitchhiker's Guide and don't mind a lot of religion in your books, I recommend this book.
January 1, 2011
Gashler wove two stories in one. The fantasy and the reality, different yet the same in one element: magic. Clever and humorous, the story assumed a life of its own and thrived within our inner child-selves, rekindling a passion for creation. Impossibilities are twisted into possibilities in this debut. It makes one wonder about the logic of children, whether they do not have basis or have the wrong basis or adults simply have lost their imaginative logic.
Steffin, a simple peasant from Peaville, is a dreamer. With a burning passion for wondrous and epic quests, living in a very boring neighbourhood has proven to be difficult and his life has become a series of routines until he meets a mysterious sage who tells him about his destiny. Energized and thirsty for adventures, he sets out to figure out things and truths about his fate and his world. But not all things are as they seem. Future is both predestined and changeable, bending to our will and fighting spirit. Together with his recruits they set out to fulfil their quest in a reckless and passionate attempt, battling their nemesis on the way.
It was a bit difficult for me to really get into the story. But as I watched Steffin’s journey and began to see how the line between fantasy and reality blurred, I found myself wanting to find out more about the fates of the characters. The world of dreams was a very interesting place to be in. It was filled with the stuff that cartoons are made up of, something so pure and untainted by the defiant logic of reality. I loved the twists and turns of the story. They kept the plot interesting. The sarcasm and humor of the characters brought a great deal of entertainment.
The Bent Sword is completely hilarious, inspirational, unpredictable and original. Sometimes it is downright weird. But it eventually summed up to a story filled with the dreams and nightmares that make up our lives. In the end, it is not God who is responsible for our downfalls but us. We write our own stories.
Steffin, a simple peasant from Peaville, is a dreamer. With a burning passion for wondrous and epic quests, living in a very boring neighbourhood has proven to be difficult and his life has become a series of routines until he meets a mysterious sage who tells him about his destiny. Energized and thirsty for adventures, he sets out to figure out things and truths about his fate and his world. But not all things are as they seem. Future is both predestined and changeable, bending to our will and fighting spirit. Together with his recruits they set out to fulfil their quest in a reckless and passionate attempt, battling their nemesis on the way.
It was a bit difficult for me to really get into the story. But as I watched Steffin’s journey and began to see how the line between fantasy and reality blurred, I found myself wanting to find out more about the fates of the characters. The world of dreams was a very interesting place to be in. It was filled with the stuff that cartoons are made up of, something so pure and untainted by the defiant logic of reality. I loved the twists and turns of the story. They kept the plot interesting. The sarcasm and humor of the characters brought a great deal of entertainment.
The Bent Sword is completely hilarious, inspirational, unpredictable and original. Sometimes it is downright weird. But it eventually summed up to a story filled with the dreams and nightmares that make up our lives. In the end, it is not God who is responsible for our downfalls but us. We write our own stories.
November 29, 2010
Twisted timeline, fantasy, imagination and reality converging before one realizes it. I thought to have discovered the plot at least three times but Gashler toyed with mu guesses till the very end. Loved the language and description of the dream world?
September 8, 2019
The story was written in a professional, creative and unique style. I found it fun to read and interesting, and parts of it made me laugh. I think that teenagers with the desire or inkling of wanting to become writers or artists or creators in some way would enjoy this book.
However, as a reader, I did not like the characters who I had a hard time relating to. Even though I like to write my own stories, I found Steffin to be immature and a horrible person. He wasn't likable at all and didn't have the characteristics of what I want to see in a protagonist. On top of that, I kept expecting the story to actually take place in modern times considering that the beginning of the story portrays a Dungeons and Dragons feel as well as a lot of the language was modern. However, I was disappointed in that it seemed to remain in some medieval era time, which threw me off. If it was a fantasy world that had no ties to ours, I would have been fine with it, but the combination and style Gashler chose for this book, I didn't like.
The ending of the book also left much to be desired. I felt as if the author was trying for something deeper, something to inspire his readers, but it fell flat by turning it into a joke that didn't seem all that funny.
To sum up: Good writer, good book, but it wasn't the book for me. I didn't like the style. I almost didn't finish it.
However, as a reader, I did not like the characters who I had a hard time relating to. Even though I like to write my own stories, I found Steffin to be immature and a horrible person. He wasn't likable at all and didn't have the characteristics of what I want to see in a protagonist. On top of that, I kept expecting the story to actually take place in modern times considering that the beginning of the story portrays a Dungeons and Dragons feel as well as a lot of the language was modern. However, I was disappointed in that it seemed to remain in some medieval era time, which threw me off. If it was a fantasy world that had no ties to ours, I would have been fine with it, but the combination and style Gashler chose for this book, I didn't like.
The ending of the book also left much to be desired. I felt as if the author was trying for something deeper, something to inspire his readers, but it fell flat by turning it into a joke that didn't seem all that funny.
To sum up: Good writer, good book, but it wasn't the book for me. I didn't like the style. I almost didn't finish it.
February 10, 2018
I wanted to love this book, but didn't. I can handle a flawed protagonist, but perhaps I draw the line at a coward who never tells the truth. I tried to push through, but ended up having to put the book down for several months before picking it back up to finish it. I will say, I mostly liked the ending even though I predicted it halfway through the book. It was a silly adventure, and if you are not put off by the cowardly lying, you might enjoy this book.
July 1, 2011
Very unusual and thought provoking. Includes some very good insights. Part of me wants to very much dislike the book, and the main character, Steffin, because he seems to struggle to know what even his core beliefs are or how to identify how his actions will come across to others... until after he's committed them. And then he does it over and over again with delusions of how it will turn out (assumptions they'll forgive him simply because he's said in his mind, "I don't really mean it..." thinking somehow if he thinks it, they'll understand him.)
But I do like the idea that life will be boring unless you're looking for adventure... and like the storyteller piece, sometimes it's the way you remember it and tell it to others that makes it an adventure. Most any story can be made boring... see the United States public education on history via textbooks. Then go read about the history of bicycles on wikipedia online. The first is super dry, the second, fascinating... why? Because it includes minuet details of how this lead to that and the other... and had real people personalities attached to those details.
But I do like the idea that life will be boring unless you're looking for adventure... and like the storyteller piece, sometimes it's the way you remember it and tell it to others that makes it an adventure. Most any story can be made boring... see the United States public education on history via textbooks. Then go read about the history of bicycles on wikipedia online. The first is super dry, the second, fascinating... why? Because it includes minuet details of how this lead to that and the other... and had real people personalities attached to those details.
June 6, 2011
Once I had the pleasure to hear Stephen Gashler read a piece of this book and what a difference it makes. All books should be read by their authors and even your worse reader will want to go and finished by themselves. It really becomes alive in their voices. It is clear, easy to follow, and funny. It’s a clean book that will bring families closer together and give hope to young man that they can defeat their worst enemy—Boredom or anything else in life.
The story begins with four friends on a quest to save their kingdom. They honor and love their princess and will do anything to be heroes. That is, until three of the friends decide it is time to change the rules. Two want a more active role in the quest and the other wants to find a real girl to love. The leader of the quest is forced to see his friends desert him and pursue their own quests on life’s battlefields.
This is a well written book that will entertain anyone, from your pre-teen to you. It is a great choice for your personal library.
The story begins with four friends on a quest to save their kingdom. They honor and love their princess and will do anything to be heroes. That is, until three of the friends decide it is time to change the rules. Two want a more active role in the quest and the other wants to find a real girl to love. The leader of the quest is forced to see his friends desert him and pursue their own quests on life’s battlefields.
This is a well written book that will entertain anyone, from your pre-teen to you. It is a great choice for your personal library.
April 28, 2012
I had an advanced copy from goodreads.
I was incredibly excited when I won the book and could not wait to read it. However, I soon became so bored that I could not finish. It's quite ironic that the main story is based on Steffin fighting Lord Bore, and I became bored about half-way through.
Overall, I was disappointed because I was so excited to read it.
I was incredibly excited when I won the book and could not wait to read it. However, I soon became so bored that I could not finish. It's quite ironic that the main story is based on Steffin fighting Lord Bore, and I became bored about half-way through.
Overall, I was disappointed because I was so excited to read it.
July 21, 2011
Interesting book - it doesn't start out in chapter 1. It took me a little while to get invested in this book though. At times was a little hard to follow what was happening. The story grew on me though and then left me hanging at the end. Really hope that this story continues on in another book.
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