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Thieves' World Novels #4
Shadowspawn
Now, in the fourth full-length novel inspired by Thieves World, Andrew J. Offutt--author of the "Cormac Mac Art" series and the "Spaceways" series--takes his beloved character, Shadowspawn, beyond the walls of Sanctuary, into new realms of sorcery and high adventure.
278 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
37 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Andrew J. Offutt
209 books72 followersAndrew Jefferson Offutt was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A.J. Offutt, and Andy Offut. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, had his name in all lower-case letters. His son is the author Chris Offutt.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story And Gone Tomorrow in If. Despite this early sale, he didn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story Blacksword to Galaxy in 1959. His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.
Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the Thieves World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which featured his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His Iron Lords series likewise was popular. He also wrote two series of books based on characters by Robert E. Howard, one on Howard's best known character, Conan, and one on a lesser known character, Cormac mac Art.
As an editor Offutt produced a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.
Offutt also wrote a large number of pornographic works under twelve different pseudonyms, not all of them identified. Those known include John Cleve, J.X. Williams, and Jeff Douglas. His main works in this area are the science fiction Spaceways series, most of whose volumes were written in collaboration, and the historical Crusader series.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 19, 2020
2.5 stars.
Hanse, called Shadowspawn, probably my favourite character from the Thieves World series, features in this modest novel. Fleeing from his home city of Sanctuary with his soon-to-be girlfriend Mignureal in tow, Hanse arrives in the city of Firaqa. Crossing the desert on the way, they're robbed by four desert raiders who leave them with eleven magical silver coins. These coins always reappear in their bag, until people start to die around them, one coin vanishing for every death.
It was okay, just okay. Parts of this story were good, but the ending was too deus ex machina, and the middle of this book really dragged. I like the Shadowspawn stories for the roguish actions and the skulking in the shadows, with the occasional flashes of violence. This book gives us a detailed description of money changing and the interest paid by the banks in the middle, and I mean detailed - it goes on for several pages and I felt like shouting I don't care! part way through.
Honestly, though, a lot of this book - the money issues, Hanse and Mignureal renting an apartment and starting to live together and discovering problems like any young couple - were incredibly dull and totally unnecessary, leading me to the feeling that a quarter of this book could've been cut and it wouldn't have mattered.
I have the sequel on my shelves and no doubt I'll read it sometime in the future, but right now this book has led to me shuffling it further down my TBR stack, so don't expect to see a review for a long while.
Hanse, called Shadowspawn, probably my favourite character from the Thieves World series, features in this modest novel. Fleeing from his home city of Sanctuary with his soon-to-be girlfriend Mignureal in tow, Hanse arrives in the city of Firaqa. Crossing the desert on the way, they're robbed by four desert raiders who leave them with eleven magical silver coins. These coins always reappear in their bag, until people start to die around them, one coin vanishing for every death.
It was okay, just okay. Parts of this story were good, but the ending was too deus ex machina, and the middle of this book really dragged. I like the Shadowspawn stories for the roguish actions and the skulking in the shadows, with the occasional flashes of violence. This book gives us a detailed description of money changing and the interest paid by the banks in the middle, and I mean detailed - it goes on for several pages and I felt like shouting I don't care! part way through.
Honestly, though, a lot of this book - the money issues, Hanse and Mignureal renting an apartment and starting to live together and discovering problems like any young couple - were incredibly dull and totally unnecessary, leading me to the feeling that a quarter of this book could've been cut and it wouldn't have mattered.
I have the sequel on my shelves and no doubt I'll read it sometime in the future, but right now this book has led to me shuffling it further down my TBR stack, so don't expect to see a review for a long while.
April 24, 2020
This novel features offutt's best known character from the Thieves' World series in a solo book-length adventure. Thieves' World was the best-known of the shared-world anthology series that proliferated a few decades ago, in which a varied assortment of authors set stories in a common setting and the same (more or less consistent) continuity. Hanse, known as Shadowspawn, was a thief who matured through a series of engaging adventures through the first several volumes of the series (edited by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey), and his character and circumstances changed convincingly as the time went on. I thought he was one of the best characters from the series, and this was a good continuation. My only reservation is that he left the city of Sanctuary for much of the story, and though he is preparing to return at the end it still seemed a little out of sync.
April 30, 2016
I've always found Offutt's writing to be some of the better in the Thieves' World anthologies, so I wasn't surprised to find that his novel was enjoyable too. It's not particularly deep, but it's quick moving, it has 2 (or 4) fun characters, it has a strong arc, and it manages to convey sorcery as being pretty scary.
Also nice to once more see a bit more of the world of Thieves' World.
Also nice to once more see a bit more of the world of Thieves' World.
October 7, 2017
BACK
While it was many years ago that I ventured in and around Sanctuary, it's great being back. Couldn't find (again) this book for a long time, until finally there it was! Now, if someone wasn't scared of messing with Master Offutt's work, we can get rid of annoying typos...highly recommended
While it was many years ago that I ventured in and around Sanctuary, it's great being back. Couldn't find (again) this book for a long time, until finally there it was! Now, if someone wasn't scared of messing with Master Offutt's work, we can get rid of annoying typos...highly recommended
August 26, 2016
I'm a huge fan of the Thieves' World anthologies, but this was... er... yeah, 3 stars.
(it's not terrible, but dei ex machinae abound, the plot twists are eh, and the characters, while surprisingly believable, are really, REALLY out of place in the series)
(it's not terrible, but dei ex machinae abound, the plot twists are eh, and the characters, while surprisingly believable, are really, REALLY out of place in the series)
April 13, 2015
Was my favorite of the Thieves World spin offs
October 23, 2020
A slow moving but satisfying novel about the Thieves’ World character Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn, as he leaves Sanctuary behind.
The first section is scene setting, reminding readers of the adventures of Shadowspawn in the Thieves’ World anthologies which have brought him to his current position, trekking across the desert with bags of silver, and with Mignureal, his girlfriend.
Although slow moving the passage through the forest and settling in the city of Firaqa are nicely done and reasonably in-depth explorations of new locations, which is rarely done in fantasy fiction. It is only a pity that this is narrated largely from Hanse’s viewpoint and not more from Mignureal’s.
The final section, the main “action” of the story is marred at the outset by Hanse being uncharacteristically open about his previous career as a thief, whereas he had been very cautious previously. Although necessary for the story, this was impatient storytelling and disappointingly heavy handed after the care taken to create the setting of Firaqa.
There is unfinished business at the end, so I will have to find out whether this was followed through in later Thieves’ World stories.
The conversion to Kindle is adequate, although the repeated substitution of an “m” instead of “rn” is annoying, as it could easily have been corrected following proof reading.
The first section is scene setting, reminding readers of the adventures of Shadowspawn in the Thieves’ World anthologies which have brought him to his current position, trekking across the desert with bags of silver, and with Mignureal, his girlfriend.
Although slow moving the passage through the forest and settling in the city of Firaqa are nicely done and reasonably in-depth explorations of new locations, which is rarely done in fantasy fiction. It is only a pity that this is narrated largely from Hanse’s viewpoint and not more from Mignureal’s.
The final section, the main “action” of the story is marred at the outset by Hanse being uncharacteristically open about his previous career as a thief, whereas he had been very cautious previously. Although necessary for the story, this was impatient storytelling and disappointingly heavy handed after the care taken to create the setting of Firaqa.
There is unfinished business at the end, so I will have to find out whether this was followed through in later Thieves’ World stories.
The conversion to Kindle is adequate, although the repeated substitution of an “m” instead of “rn” is annoying, as it could easily have been corrected following proof reading.
October 10, 2023
Fantasy series - the fourth book in the Thieves' World series. It is about Hanse (Shadowspawn) and his adventures as he escapes Sanctuary with his soon to be girlfriend. Lots of swordplay but it has not aged well. The female characters are always being "Protected" by the male characters. It is still an interesting series written by several different authors focusing on different characters.
No Canadian or pharmacy references.
No Canadian or pharmacy references.
April 13, 2020
I enjoyed this book, but was hoping for a little more action and more of a connection to the other “Thieves World” books.
The cover art by Gary Russell, though excellent, seems to have nothing to do with this book except for the few coins seen. The forward character looks like Tempus from the previous TW books.
The cover art by Gary Russell, though excellent, seems to have nothing to do with this book except for the few coins seen. The forward character looks like Tempus from the previous TW books.
June 4, 2017
I really could not quite get into this book.
September 28, 2017
I remember these books fondly from my early twenties. I still enjoyed it but I wish I could find the rest of the series in eBook form.
November 23, 2022
It wasn’t a classic masterpiece but it had some good moments and was enjoyable overall because my expectations for this book were minimal.
October 27, 2024
Tongue-in-cheek sword & sorcery, I really liked its abnormalcy.
September 25, 2025
Stand alone novel in Thieves's World universe. Decent read.
October 8, 2014
A novel set in the Thieves' World setting.
March 19, 2014
Awesome!
March 30, 2017
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2017/03/3...
Publisher: Venture
Publishing Date: 1987
ISBN: 9780441760398
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.3/5
Publishers Description: Mignureal is the daughter of the first person to show Hanse kindness in his harsh upbringing. He was once a lonely and ostracized orphan who was denied food by all those around him save her mother.
Review: This was an oldy but a goody. A sort of whimsical tale about two people traveling from their homeland, across a desert and all the perilous conditions they fall into. There is really no discussion in the review section of Goodreads, mostly that this is a spinoff of Thieves World.
Mignureal really sucked as a character. Just not believable with all her “Darling this” and “Darling that” and “Oh my, I must run into my man’s hunky arms and cry blubbery tears over his near death battle with ruffians…boo hoo, look at my boobs”. Fug. She wears ten layered skirts IN THE DESERT cause she is a gypsy seer, but that’s ok because she is the most beautiful VIRGIN woman on the planet. And why don’t they travel at night?
Hanse stole the show, as he should. He mentally converses about the idiocy of his traveling companion but is wise enough to keep those thoughts to himself lest he miss out on the booty, Mignue. He is mysterious and honorable while holding to a certain thieving standard.
The world building is pretty good and the story line, entertaining . Just don’t take it too seriously.
Publisher: Venture
Publishing Date: 1987
ISBN: 9780441760398
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.3/5
Publishers Description: Mignureal is the daughter of the first person to show Hanse kindness in his harsh upbringing. He was once a lonely and ostracized orphan who was denied food by all those around him save her mother.
Review: This was an oldy but a goody. A sort of whimsical tale about two people traveling from their homeland, across a desert and all the perilous conditions they fall into. There is really no discussion in the review section of Goodreads, mostly that this is a spinoff of Thieves World.
Mignureal really sucked as a character. Just not believable with all her “Darling this” and “Darling that” and “Oh my, I must run into my man’s hunky arms and cry blubbery tears over his near death battle with ruffians…boo hoo, look at my boobs”. Fug. She wears ten layered skirts IN THE DESERT cause she is a gypsy seer, but that’s ok because she is the most beautiful VIRGIN woman on the planet. And why don’t they travel at night?
Hanse stole the show, as he should. He mentally converses about the idiocy of his traveling companion but is wise enough to keep those thoughts to himself lest he miss out on the booty, Mignue. He is mysterious and honorable while holding to a certain thieving standard.
The world building is pretty good and the story line, entertaining . Just don’t take it too seriously.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews