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The Darksword #1
Forging the Darksword
From the bestselling authors of The Rose of the Prophet and The Death Gate Cycle, the first in a majestic saga of magic, fantasy, and adventure In the enchanted realm of Merilon, magic is life. Born without magical abilities and denied his birthright, Joram is left for dead. Yet he grows to manhood in a remote country village, hiding his lack of powers only through constant vigilance and ever more skillful sleight-of-hand. Forced to kill a man in self-defense, Joram can keep his secret from the townspeople no he has no magic, no life. Fleeing to the Outlands, Joram joins the outlawed Technologists, who practice the long forbidden arts of science. Here he meets the scholarly catalyst Saryon, who has been sent on a special mission to hunt down a mysterious “dead man” and instead finds himself in a battle of wits and power with a renegade warlock of the dark Duuk-tsarith caste. Together, Joram and Saryon begin their quest toward a greater destiny—a destiny that begins with the discovery of the secret books that will enable them to overthrow the evil usurper Blachloch . . . and forge the powerful magic-absorbing Darksword.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
306 people are currently reading
4561 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Weis
675 books5,828 followersMargaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
started-and-not-finished
April 11, 2015This isn't an actual review of the book (since I only read the first six chapters), just a short explanation of why I didn't finish it. This is one I was reading out loud to my wife, but neither of us were getting into it. (As Barb put it, "It's not getting any worse, but it's not getting any better, either.")
Normally, we both like the fantasy genre, so we were game to experiment with two new-to-us authors, having found the trilogy at a yard sale. But to me, the world-building here wasn't very plausible, in several respects, and the world Weis and Hickman create isn't inviting or appealing. I also didn't connect emotionally with any of the characters. Granted, six chapters in, main character Joram isn't introduced yet. But that points up another problem I had: the story structure and pacing is VERY slow and ponderous (and I have a higher tolerance for that sort of thing than most readers!). The authors were obviously intending to develop a magic vs. technology theme, and maybe other serious themes; but while I'm not sure where they were going with any of these ideas, I wasn't interested enough to find out. Facing a whole trilogy written like this was too daunting a prospect.
Weis and Hickman have an enormous following, so obviously there are readers who really like this. Barb and I just aren't in that company.
Normally, we both like the fantasy genre, so we were game to experiment with two new-to-us authors, having found the trilogy at a yard sale. But to me, the world-building here wasn't very plausible, in several respects, and the world Weis and Hickman create isn't inviting or appealing. I also didn't connect emotionally with any of the characters. Granted, six chapters in, main character Joram isn't introduced yet. But that points up another problem I had: the story structure and pacing is VERY slow and ponderous (and I have a higher tolerance for that sort of thing than most readers!). The authors were obviously intending to develop a magic vs. technology theme, and maybe other serious themes; but while I'm not sure where they were going with any of these ideas, I wasn't interested enough to find out. Facing a whole trilogy written like this was too daunting a prospect.
Weis and Hickman have an enormous following, so obviously there are readers who really like this. Barb and I just aren't in that company.
January 25, 2016
I keep acquiring these Weis books out of some misplaced nostalgia or unknowable impulse. Perhaps because I liked the Dragonlance characters, but never read her books. I never finish them. I've tried at least four. I asked a friend why this might be. She said, "Well, didn't they suck? Quit buying everything with a sword and a logo."
March 4, 2016
En mi opinión, es un excelent libro, a pesar de las malas críticas que llegue a leer aqui. Demasiado bien escrito, lleno de intriga y una buena historia, recomendado al 100%.
Excelent book, perfectly written, with an amazing story! 100% must read if you like fantasy!
Excelent book, perfectly written, with an amazing story! 100% must read if you like fantasy!
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October 2, 2019Si por algo se caracterizan los mundos que crea Margaret Weis, con cualquiera de sus múltiples colaboradores, es por el detalle con el que desarrolla las partes divina y ritualística de sus religiones. Así, varias de sus sagas se centran precisamente en esa dimensión como zona de conflicto, lo que no quita para que incluso en aquellas en que no sucede acabe teniendo bastante peso. Para que podáis verlo, voy a hacer un repaso sobre la religión y cómo se trata el tema en relación a la trama principal en sus obras menos conocidas.
Su cosmogonía más conocida es la de la Dragonlance, aunque cabe resaltar que se basaron en la existente en el juego de rol Dungeons and Dragons para, a partir de ahí, sugerir algo nuevo. Aunque hay muchas más deidades en el mundo, como Mishakal, el combate se centra en Takhisis y Paladine en un primer momento para, en la segunda trilogía, hablar de la hibris humana, encarnada en el personaje de Raistlin y su búsqueda de la deificación. Puede parecer poca cosa, ya que no trabajó sola, pero plantear un mundo sin clérigos o cuyos clérigos saben que sus deidades son falsas, así como el resentimiento completo de los seres inferiores hacia las divinidades debido al Cataclismo, fueron detalles que alejaron al mundo de la Dragonlance en sus inicios de otros mundos más clásicos, como pueden ser Reinos Olvidados o Greyhawk (Falcongrís, que se tradujo en España). Sin embargo, es un panteón “de encargo”, por decirlo de algún modo.
[...] La espada de Joram tiene una aproximación muy distinta, ya que no hay religión con divinidad como tal, sino que todo se centra en la capacidad de todos los que tienen magia de volar, pero donde los catalistas, que no tienen magia propia, han hecho de su necesidad de andar por el mundo una seña de identidad, formando una Iglesia que conserva los preceptos según los transmitió Merlín, más o menos. Es interesante cómo se acerca esto a la visión de la Iglesia que tienen donde los curas de los pueblos son buena gente preocupada por sus feligreses, mientras que en la ciudad y en la propia Iglesia tienen gente con poder político cuya mayor preocupación es mantener incólume el statu quo amenazado por una profecía. Y, sin embargo, es precisamente uno de ellos el protagonista que va a tener que cuestionarse toda su escala de valores.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2018/01/2...
Su cosmogonía más conocida es la de la Dragonlance, aunque cabe resaltar que se basaron en la existente en el juego de rol Dungeons and Dragons para, a partir de ahí, sugerir algo nuevo. Aunque hay muchas más deidades en el mundo, como Mishakal, el combate se centra en Takhisis y Paladine en un primer momento para, en la segunda trilogía, hablar de la hibris humana, encarnada en el personaje de Raistlin y su búsqueda de la deificación. Puede parecer poca cosa, ya que no trabajó sola, pero plantear un mundo sin clérigos o cuyos clérigos saben que sus deidades son falsas, así como el resentimiento completo de los seres inferiores hacia las divinidades debido al Cataclismo, fueron detalles que alejaron al mundo de la Dragonlance en sus inicios de otros mundos más clásicos, como pueden ser Reinos Olvidados o Greyhawk (Falcongrís, que se tradujo en España). Sin embargo, es un panteón “de encargo”, por decirlo de algún modo.
[...] La espada de Joram tiene una aproximación muy distinta, ya que no hay religión con divinidad como tal, sino que todo se centra en la capacidad de todos los que tienen magia de volar, pero donde los catalistas, que no tienen magia propia, han hecho de su necesidad de andar por el mundo una seña de identidad, formando una Iglesia que conserva los preceptos según los transmitió Merlín, más o menos. Es interesante cómo se acerca esto a la visión de la Iglesia que tienen donde los curas de los pueblos son buena gente preocupada por sus feligreses, mientras que en la ciudad y en la propia Iglesia tienen gente con poder político cuya mayor preocupación es mantener incólume el statu quo amenazado por una profecía. Y, sin embargo, es precisamente uno de ellos el protagonista que va a tener que cuestionarse toda su escala de valores.
Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2018/01/2...
May 10, 2023
3.5/5
This book and Weis and Hickman seem to get a lot of hate these days and I'm not sure why. The characters are decently written and the world is fleshed out if a bit unusual, most of the book is set up to the point that the whole thing feels like a prologue but I was okay with that since the story was planned as a trilogy from the start. Now a story like this would've been either a single 900-page tome or stretched out into a 5-7 book series maybe even with a couple of novellas thrown in. I enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading the second volume.
This book and Weis and Hickman seem to get a lot of hate these days and I'm not sure why. The characters are decently written and the world is fleshed out if a bit unusual, most of the book is set up to the point that the whole thing feels like a prologue but I was okay with that since the story was planned as a trilogy from the start. Now a story like this would've been either a single 900-page tome or stretched out into a 5-7 book series maybe even with a couple of novellas thrown in. I enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading the second volume.
August 13, 2022
Nota real : 9/10
Hace 25 años ya leí este primer volumen con intención de leerme la trilogía (después tetralogía) pero me quedé en este primer volumen, y ahora debe ser el momento para hacerlo, el otro día por arte de magia me encontré la trilogía en mis manos.
Entonces ya encontré que era una saga diferente, alejada en parte de las características predominantes de la fantasía épica del momento, los grupos de héroes o compañías viajando a través del mundo en cuestión, el mentor que los guía, todo el grupo de razas habituales que se iban encontrando, etc. Aquí nos encontramos un mundo básicamente de humanos, aunque aparecen algunas criaturas mitológicas menos habituales y con un papel bastante secundario en la historia.
La premisa de inicio ya aporta la novedad, un mundo donde todos nacen con la capacidad de usar la magia y aquellos que nacen sin ella se los considera muertos y deben morir. La magia no puede ser utilizada directamente por los mag@s, sino que necesitan la ayuda de los catalistas que no pueden usar la magia directamente, absorben la magia del entorno y la transmiten a los magos para que la utilicen para cualquier ámbito de la vida. Los catalistas a parte de proporcionar la magia, son los sacerdotes de la iglesia que lo controla todo y que se asegura que nadie tenga contacto físico de ningún tipo, de que no se utilicen ningún tipo de herramientas, porqué quien lo hace es un hechicero y estos deben ser perseguidos. Un acercamiento a lo que llamaríamos integrismo religioso, bien tratado y sin que sea en un principio el problema central de la historia.
Y en este mundo nos encontremos con Joram, un “muerto” que en su día consiguió huir de su trágico destino por haber nacido sin magia, que conseguirá contactar con aquellos que practican las artes arcanas (lo que nosotros llamaríamos artesanos). La historia todo y estar centrada en Joram que da nombre a la trilogía, en esta primera parte juega hábilmente con diversos personajes, que permite dar amplitud a la historia, así como ir desgranando este mundo de forma eficaz, con perspectivas diferentes y sin que cueste apenas hacerse con todo el sistema tanto de magia, gobierno y religión.
El uso que se hace de la magia, que es finita y tiene sus límites, que tiene sus contrapartidas, y donde los mag@s necesitan de otras personas para poder utilizarla, le da mucho más juego a la historia y la aproxima a narrativas más actuales.
En cambio más cercano a la épica clásica, es recrear con similitudes como su lenguaje (latin), su organización la iglesia que nos presentan, con la iglesia católica una práctica habitual (con la iglesia y otros estamentos) de la narrativa de esos momentos, para facilitar al lector entrar en un mundo nuevo, una práctica que actualmente está más alejada y se buscan modelos más ingeniosos y creativos. Igualmente es una obra de estilo clásico en cuanto a la casi totalidad de personajes principales masculinos.
En global, como historia, no le ha pasado como tantas otras escritas en aquellos años, La espada de Joram sigue siendo una historia que se lee bien, te adentras en ella y te puede sorprender con sus tramas. Como el buen vino, ha envejecido bien.
Hace 25 años ya leí este primer volumen con intención de leerme la trilogía (después tetralogía) pero me quedé en este primer volumen, y ahora debe ser el momento para hacerlo, el otro día por arte de magia me encontré la trilogía en mis manos.
Entonces ya encontré que era una saga diferente, alejada en parte de las características predominantes de la fantasía épica del momento, los grupos de héroes o compañías viajando a través del mundo en cuestión, el mentor que los guía, todo el grupo de razas habituales que se iban encontrando, etc. Aquí nos encontramos un mundo básicamente de humanos, aunque aparecen algunas criaturas mitológicas menos habituales y con un papel bastante secundario en la historia.
La premisa de inicio ya aporta la novedad, un mundo donde todos nacen con la capacidad de usar la magia y aquellos que nacen sin ella se los considera muertos y deben morir. La magia no puede ser utilizada directamente por los mag@s, sino que necesitan la ayuda de los catalistas que no pueden usar la magia directamente, absorben la magia del entorno y la transmiten a los magos para que la utilicen para cualquier ámbito de la vida. Los catalistas a parte de proporcionar la magia, son los sacerdotes de la iglesia que lo controla todo y que se asegura que nadie tenga contacto físico de ningún tipo, de que no se utilicen ningún tipo de herramientas, porqué quien lo hace es un hechicero y estos deben ser perseguidos. Un acercamiento a lo que llamaríamos integrismo religioso, bien tratado y sin que sea en un principio el problema central de la historia.
Y en este mundo nos encontremos con Joram, un “muerto” que en su día consiguió huir de su trágico destino por haber nacido sin magia, que conseguirá contactar con aquellos que practican las artes arcanas (lo que nosotros llamaríamos artesanos). La historia todo y estar centrada en Joram que da nombre a la trilogía, en esta primera parte juega hábilmente con diversos personajes, que permite dar amplitud a la historia, así como ir desgranando este mundo de forma eficaz, con perspectivas diferentes y sin que cueste apenas hacerse con todo el sistema tanto de magia, gobierno y religión.
El uso que se hace de la magia, que es finita y tiene sus límites, que tiene sus contrapartidas, y donde los mag@s necesitan de otras personas para poder utilizarla, le da mucho más juego a la historia y la aproxima a narrativas más actuales.
En cambio más cercano a la épica clásica, es recrear con similitudes como su lenguaje (latin), su organización la iglesia que nos presentan, con la iglesia católica una práctica habitual (con la iglesia y otros estamentos) de la narrativa de esos momentos, para facilitar al lector entrar en un mundo nuevo, una práctica que actualmente está más alejada y se buscan modelos más ingeniosos y creativos. Igualmente es una obra de estilo clásico en cuanto a la casi totalidad de personajes principales masculinos.
En global, como historia, no le ha pasado como tantas otras escritas en aquellos años, La espada de Joram sigue siendo una historia que se lee bien, te adentras en ella y te puede sorprender con sus tramas. Como el buen vino, ha envejecido bien.
May 4, 2008
God, I KNOW Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman suck. Man, my middle school obsession was Dragonlance, for goodness' sake! But it was just sitting there in my office while I was babysitting the copy machine, so I picked it up. And, just as I remember, every character is undeveloped, every event forced, the only thing they've got going on is some half-decent worldbuilding and the sorta pathetic twist that the "evil Sorcerors" (secretly the good guys, right?) are actually NON-magic users in a world of magicians. Color me unimpressed. Still, it was more interesting than watching the copy machine copy for four hours, so I'll give it at least one star.
November 25, 2020
Not Recommended.
There is a lot to say about Forging the Darksword, but it would be impossibly to start anywhere but how utterly, unashamedly ridiculous and nonsensical the world is. Forging the Darksword feels like it's set in a Parody world, except neither the book nor the authors realize it. Being a Typical Fantasy Novel, Magic exists, and is split into several arts - There are the Stone-shapers who can form stone into any shape, the Field Magi who tend to agriculture, the weather Magi that make it rain, snow, or shine - so far, so generic. And then there is Dark Magic, the Dark Arts - Also known as 'Technology,' whose dark sorcerers cast their spells in a strange language, known as 'Mathematics.' What? As far as themes go, Magic Versus technology is a pretty common one, but this book takes Clarke's Third law a step too far by claiming technology is Dark magic, indistinguishable from the casting of fireballs. Technology is a forbidden art because it involves imparting 'Life' - magic - to that which does not innately have it, which is somehow different from stone-shapers moving and molding rocks, but it's not explained how.
For me, this 'Technology is literally a Forbidden dark art' is a little vague and too far gone for me, but I was interested to see just how far it goes -- and oh, Forging the Darksword does not disappoint! At one point a character uses a stick as a lever to facilitate moving a rock, and everyone looks on in horror -- the Dark Arts! A character throw's a stone, a deviant Dark Magic spell! A godly priest shudders at seeing a wicket dark sorcerer engaged in the dark arts... laying bricks with cement. It is absolutely farcical.
To be honest, the majority of my enjoyment through the first third of the book was mocking intrigue, just to see exactly how farcical this rabbit-hole of 'Technology is actually dark magic' would go, and it's a good thing the mocking was carrying me along, since there wasn't much else to. In typical fantasy style, Forging the Darksword is paragraph and paragraph of exposition, long, detailed histories of the world forced in at every opportunity. It's filled to the brim with the typical fantasy cohort of unpronounceable invented names and words that all blend together and become meaningless gibberish. All in all, the entire first book reads like a prologue to a bigger story, and the first 2/3rds of the book read like a prologue to a prologue , and don't get me started on the explicit prologue itself. By my honest accounting, the actual plot doesn't start until 300 pages in, of the 390-something page book! Maybe around page 200 if you want to be generous and have a less strict definition of 'plot' than I do.
And yet looking back, I found I genuinely enjoyed it in the end. Somewhere a long the way I fell in with the plot, engaged with the characters, and let the hilariously inconsistent and absurd magical worldbuilding behind and enjoyed myself. It's not 'Good,' in fact it's thoroughly generic, aside from the magical absurdities, but once I got past the encyclopedic exposition and the characters began to come to life, I let myself get carries along with the narrative.
I wouldn't recommend Forging the Darksword, and I will not be reading the Sequel, but I can't say I regret reading it, Either. Perhaps it's a Sunk-cost fallacy.
There is a lot to say about Forging the Darksword, but it would be impossibly to start anywhere but how utterly, unashamedly ridiculous and nonsensical the world is. Forging the Darksword feels like it's set in a Parody world, except neither the book nor the authors realize it. Being a Typical Fantasy Novel, Magic exists, and is split into several arts - There are the Stone-shapers who can form stone into any shape, the Field Magi who tend to agriculture, the weather Magi that make it rain, snow, or shine - so far, so generic. And then there is Dark Magic, the Dark Arts - Also known as 'Technology,' whose dark sorcerers cast their spells in a strange language, known as 'Mathematics.' What? As far as themes go, Magic Versus technology is a pretty common one, but this book takes Clarke's Third law a step too far by claiming technology is Dark magic, indistinguishable from the casting of fireballs. Technology is a forbidden art because it involves imparting 'Life' - magic - to that which does not innately have it, which is somehow different from stone-shapers moving and molding rocks, but it's not explained how.
For me, this 'Technology is literally a Forbidden dark art' is a little vague and too far gone for me, but I was interested to see just how far it goes -- and oh, Forging the Darksword does not disappoint! At one point a character uses a stick as a lever to facilitate moving a rock, and everyone looks on in horror -- the Dark Arts! A character throw's a stone, a deviant Dark Magic spell! A godly priest shudders at seeing a wicket dark sorcerer engaged in the dark arts... laying bricks with cement. It is absolutely farcical.
To be honest, the majority of my enjoyment through the first third of the book was mocking intrigue, just to see exactly how farcical this rabbit-hole of 'Technology is actually dark magic' would go, and it's a good thing the mocking was carrying me along, since there wasn't much else to. In typical fantasy style, Forging the Darksword is paragraph and paragraph of exposition, long, detailed histories of the world forced in at every opportunity. It's filled to the brim with the typical fantasy cohort of unpronounceable invented names and words that all blend together and become meaningless gibberish. All in all, the entire first book reads like a prologue to a bigger story, and the first 2/3rds of the book read like a prologue to a prologue , and don't get me started on the explicit prologue itself. By my honest accounting, the actual plot doesn't start until 300 pages in, of the 390-something page book! Maybe around page 200 if you want to be generous and have a less strict definition of 'plot' than I do.
And yet looking back, I found I genuinely enjoyed it in the end. Somewhere a long the way I fell in with the plot, engaged with the characters, and let the hilariously inconsistent and absurd magical worldbuilding behind and enjoyed myself. It's not 'Good,' in fact it's thoroughly generic, aside from the magical absurdities, but once I got past the encyclopedic exposition and the characters began to come to life, I let myself get carries along with the narrative.
I wouldn't recommend Forging the Darksword, and I will not be reading the Sequel, but I can't say I regret reading it, Either. Perhaps it's a Sunk-cost fallacy.
March 13, 2019
I've been meaning to pick this book up since I first discovered Dragonlance back in the early 90s.
Honestly, I'm a little embarrassed that it took me this long. That said, though, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more then.
Not that it isn't a good story.
Okay, the audiobook I got ahold of is quite old. As such, the narrator leaves a lot to be desired. Although it isn't, he sounds just like John Polk, who did the original Dragonlance Chronicles audiobooks.
Imagine listening to your flat-voiced, tone deaf uncle reading a book with no vocal or inflection changes and no pacing changes and you'll be pretty close to the mark.
Okay, the story is reasonably entertaining. It's better than some I've read recently.
Unfortunately, the world building is very heavy handed and done as almost pure exposition. And we spend a lot of time in the beginning with characters that completely disappear after their small part.
That said, I find the culture of the world interesting, as is the magic system. In some ways, I almost think the Dungeons & Dragons movie world was based on this one.
Anyhow, the biggest problem I have is none of the characters were really memorable. None really felt distinct or real to me.
Hopefully the next book is better.
Honestly, I'm a little embarrassed that it took me this long. That said, though, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more then.
Not that it isn't a good story.
Okay, the audiobook I got ahold of is quite old. As such, the narrator leaves a lot to be desired. Although it isn't, he sounds just like John Polk, who did the original Dragonlance Chronicles audiobooks.
Imagine listening to your flat-voiced, tone deaf uncle reading a book with no vocal or inflection changes and no pacing changes and you'll be pretty close to the mark.
Okay, the story is reasonably entertaining. It's better than some I've read recently.
Unfortunately, the world building is very heavy handed and done as almost pure exposition. And we spend a lot of time in the beginning with characters that completely disappear after their small part.
That said, I find the culture of the world interesting, as is the magic system. In some ways, I almost think the Dungeons & Dragons movie world was based on this one.
Anyhow, the biggest problem I have is none of the characters were really memorable. None really felt distinct or real to me.
Hopefully the next book is better.
February 5, 2018
I generally love pulp fantasy (see definition in other reviews). Unfortunately, this dark, foreboding entry into the Dark Sword Series by the generally bankable duo Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman really disappointed.
A solid start and premise meandered into a slow plot caught in a snail pace with unlikeable characters that couldn't break the constraints of their archetypes.
For pulp fantasy it committed the cardinal sin of being boring and burdensome.
Definitely not pure escapism...
A solid start and premise meandered into a slow plot caught in a snail pace with unlikeable characters that couldn't break the constraints of their archetypes.
For pulp fantasy it committed the cardinal sin of being boring and burdensome.
Definitely not pure escapism...
July 8, 2021
Well written fantasy, bringing in religion and magic without being preachy.
October 15, 2009
I got this trilogy from a rental store. I wasn't expecting much of it given it's poor condition at the time but I decided to try it as I noted that it was written by the ones who wrote the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy.
Boy was I surprised. It turned out to be another original work coming from those two and it was an atypical fantasy story. The protagonist and the supporting characters are very well fleshed out and very interesting - the bitter and unloved Joram, the amusing but enigmatic Simkin, the amoral Bishop Vanya, and the empathic flaws and burdens of Saryon. Add powerful characters to a very well described society and culture made the story that much more evocative and intriguing. Definitely a good read.
Boy was I surprised. It turned out to be another original work coming from those two and it was an atypical fantasy story. The protagonist and the supporting characters are very well fleshed out and very interesting - the bitter and unloved Joram, the amusing but enigmatic Simkin, the amoral Bishop Vanya, and the empathic flaws and burdens of Saryon. Add powerful characters to a very well described society and culture made the story that much more evocative and intriguing. Definitely a good read.
February 28, 2011
Of all the Weis & Hickman books, this trilogy was my favourite. Looking back, it was the most original and interesting (in terms of characters, world building and premise). Far outshining the much beloved (and far more well known), formulaic "Dragonlance" books that preceeded it. Freed from the shackles of having to write a fantasy trilogy as a companion piece to the D&D module packs, they were able to explore their imagination more fully and structure the plot more appropriately.
Okay, if I read it now I probably wouldn't rate it quite as highly but I still think that it stands up fairly well, unlike most other books they wrote before or since.
Okay, if I read it now I probably wouldn't rate it quite as highly but I still think that it stands up fairly well, unlike most other books they wrote before or since.
January 12, 2011
I wasn't going to write a review on this book since I had a negative experience with it, but after a look at the other negative reviews I felt the need to give an educated opinion on Forging the Darksword. The sequence of events in the beginning of the novel is a bit hard to get into, but I enjoyed the events being presented, so I continued reading. Though I usually don't like books that start when an ending and then go back in time, I continued with this one because it wasn't really the ending, but the middle that the novel started with. Even after the way the novel opened, the plot was interesting. The magic system was explained, and an interesting character was described. I lost a bit of interest when the book changed point of view to the child Joram. His upbringing was of little consequence and lasted far to long for me. My interest was lost completely when fairies were thrown into the equation. Strange babbling Simkin and the outlaw camp plot was extremely boring to me. The evil mage felt flat, he was certainly evil, but when the time came for him to do something bad I was so uninterested that it hardly phased me. I knew that a sword would be created, and that it would be evil. The war that was hinted at a few times did not seem important, and it didn't really seem to involve the characters of the story either, so I see no reason to continue this series. All of the events that occur in this novel are summarized on the jacket, and I feel that nothing special was added by reading it. Another disappointing Weis/Hickman read.
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June 8, 2015Nope, don't remember this one at all. Clearly recommended to me in 1995 by my boyfriend, Joey...hee hee he's my husband now...this is not the type of book I typically chose then or now. I have a list that says I finished it on 7/14/1995, so I'll go ahead and believe that. But, since it's a trilogy and I never read anymore books in the trilogy...not sure how much I enjoyed it. Good to see I was branching out back then, though!
entered into goodreads: 6/7/2015
PS Just asked my former boyfriend if he remembers the book, and he went on to describe it capably according the the summary on goodreads. He's probably read 1000+ books since then, so the fact that he can remember this one totally blows my mind. It may have been the first fantasy trilogy he ever read. <3
entered into goodreads: 6/7/2015
PS Just asked my former boyfriend if he remembers the book, and he went on to describe it capably according the the summary on goodreads. He's probably read 1000+ books since then, so the fact that he can remember this one totally blows my mind. It may have been the first fantasy trilogy he ever read. <3
June 15, 2017
This book called to me as a teenager. Sadly, a teenager with very little money for books, and my friend's library, which I continually raided, didn't include this one. It was me, afterall, who had the slight Dragonlance fetish. It seems too easy to get hold of these things these days and so perhaps slightly obscure books with butch men forging swords on the cover have lost their otherworldly charm and mystique a little, and yet I still felt a l little boyish excitement picking this up, despite the inevitability that it would just provide another 3* time filler as opposed to great literature.
Well, I plumped for 4 stars in the end and I have a little smirk on my face. No, of course this book isn't that good, but blow me if Weis and Hickman didn't shoot for something a little more earthy here, that you could get your teeth into away from the cliched types and exclamations of "look, a dragon!!! "look, a villain!!!!! Look, a MAGIC SWORD!!" Yes, despite being called "Forging the Darksword" this book is a conscious attempt by the authors to, not exactly subvert fantasy cliche, but at least to sidestep it a little and bring it along only where it suits the story they are trying to tell. And it's a roaring success -
that is, if you're a little patient.
See, it's not really structured like a typically fantasy saga either, even though it's ostensibly the tale of an orphan finding he's part of a prophecy ETCETERA There's an odd, awkward, preamble involving other characters that sortof feels gratuitous, but isn't. There's a prologue and then another semi-prologue There's then a jump back to the orphan-figure, but the story then shifts back elsewhere and doesn't ever seem to decide if it wants to be full of subtler intrigue and psychology or rootin-tootin' adventure. You could argue that Weis and Hickman are just plain confused, or you could suggest that they are trying to weave in elements to their tale previously missing. Well, personally I would argue that those elements are not entirely missing from their Dragonlance stories, it's just that people didn't notice that they were there, through the fog of all that fantasy cliche and high adventure. Subsequently, what Forging the Darksword feels like to me is both a progression and more the sort of book that the authors always wanted to try and write.
It's really not perfect. The narrative doesn't feel stable, and whilst the viewpoint switching does add another dimension to the storytelling it also alienates us from the characters a little. By the end I didn't feel that I loved either Joram or Saryon but I'd been asked to adventure along with them in the second book. However. I did feel that I had a strong sense of their situation and their motivations and how the world works. I didn't feel engaged with the world politically or geographically, but I did feel enough of a connection that I wanted to know more. (Interestingly, the Death Gate Cycle really does go on to perfect the sense of place that's lacking here). I think what surprised me the most is that this duo can write, and write well once they drop the cliche. No, the prose doesn't hit you with its lyrical description, but W@H have finally developed an uncluttered, unobtrusive style that serves their narrative beautifully. It's blissfully free from the pretension of worse fantasy writers, - if the overall structure of the book feels wonky, on a chapter-per chapter basis it reads like a charm.
What of the central conceit. A world where everyone is filled with magic, such that if one is without it one is considered "dead". I doubt this is entirely original but it worked as a spin on the tropes going around nevertheless and if nothing else it allowed that really nicely written prologue about the perfectly alive baby being declared dead that, for my money, showed that Margaret Weis is indeed in love with Charles Dickens and those odd little bizarre occurrences whereby he shows what ought to be abnormal as normal. It got me on board with the whole saga. In terms of characters, Joram is also a fairly interesting anti-hero. he's sympathetic, but not loveable and seems to be dabbling with powers outside of his control. There's little gung-ho about him and he's not naively charming; he wants revenge for his mother's death but his impulses and dramatic urges are never painted as ridiculous Saryon's lack of courage, or his failure to see through on his initial rebellious streak makes him a character with also a little more to offer and as a sidekick for Joram it should go on to make for some unusual situations and interactions. The main villain of this piece is slowly revealing his true colours, whilst the side-quest bad guy in the final third I really warmed to as a nasty piece of work. it was fun seeing him brought down and our "heroes" bonding over his downfall.
I don't like reviewing book one of a trilogy - I don't know where the story is going or how it will progress. Maybe book 2 will tear down all of the good things this opening entry in the series has set up. It's tough writing 1,000 pages of solid story, though and that's one reason I can forgive a little narrative jumpiness here (or an apparent slow pace that others have commented on - it's not slow, it's about right for a 1,000 page epic). Weis and Hickman's catalogue is variable, that's for sure, but I'm quietly confident that book 2 will deliver the goods.
Well, I plumped for 4 stars in the end and I have a little smirk on my face. No, of course this book isn't that good, but blow me if Weis and Hickman didn't shoot for something a little more earthy here, that you could get your teeth into away from the cliched types and exclamations of "look, a dragon!!! "look, a villain!!!!! Look, a MAGIC SWORD!!" Yes, despite being called "Forging the Darksword" this book is a conscious attempt by the authors to, not exactly subvert fantasy cliche, but at least to sidestep it a little and bring it along only where it suits the story they are trying to tell. And it's a roaring success -
that is, if you're a little patient.
See, it's not really structured like a typically fantasy saga either, even though it's ostensibly the tale of an orphan finding he's part of a prophecy ETCETERA There's an odd, awkward, preamble involving other characters that sortof feels gratuitous, but isn't. There's a prologue and then another semi-prologue There's then a jump back to the orphan-figure, but the story then shifts back elsewhere and doesn't ever seem to decide if it wants to be full of subtler intrigue and psychology or rootin-tootin' adventure. You could argue that Weis and Hickman are just plain confused, or you could suggest that they are trying to weave in elements to their tale previously missing. Well, personally I would argue that those elements are not entirely missing from their Dragonlance stories, it's just that people didn't notice that they were there, through the fog of all that fantasy cliche and high adventure. Subsequently, what Forging the Darksword feels like to me is both a progression and more the sort of book that the authors always wanted to try and write.
It's really not perfect. The narrative doesn't feel stable, and whilst the viewpoint switching does add another dimension to the storytelling it also alienates us from the characters a little. By the end I didn't feel that I loved either Joram or Saryon but I'd been asked to adventure along with them in the second book. However. I did feel that I had a strong sense of their situation and their motivations and how the world works. I didn't feel engaged with the world politically or geographically, but I did feel enough of a connection that I wanted to know more. (Interestingly, the Death Gate Cycle really does go on to perfect the sense of place that's lacking here). I think what surprised me the most is that this duo can write, and write well once they drop the cliche. No, the prose doesn't hit you with its lyrical description, but W@H have finally developed an uncluttered, unobtrusive style that serves their narrative beautifully. It's blissfully free from the pretension of worse fantasy writers, - if the overall structure of the book feels wonky, on a chapter-per chapter basis it reads like a charm.
What of the central conceit. A world where everyone is filled with magic, such that if one is without it one is considered "dead". I doubt this is entirely original but it worked as a spin on the tropes going around nevertheless and if nothing else it allowed that really nicely written prologue about the perfectly alive baby being declared dead that, for my money, showed that Margaret Weis is indeed in love with Charles Dickens and those odd little bizarre occurrences whereby he shows what ought to be abnormal as normal. It got me on board with the whole saga. In terms of characters, Joram is also a fairly interesting anti-hero. he's sympathetic, but not loveable and seems to be dabbling with powers outside of his control. There's little gung-ho about him and he's not naively charming; he wants revenge for his mother's death but his impulses and dramatic urges are never painted as ridiculous Saryon's lack of courage, or his failure to see through on his initial rebellious streak makes him a character with also a little more to offer and as a sidekick for Joram it should go on to make for some unusual situations and interactions. The main villain of this piece is slowly revealing his true colours, whilst the side-quest bad guy in the final third I really warmed to as a nasty piece of work. it was fun seeing him brought down and our "heroes" bonding over his downfall.
I don't like reviewing book one of a trilogy - I don't know where the story is going or how it will progress. Maybe book 2 will tear down all of the good things this opening entry in the series has set up. It's tough writing 1,000 pages of solid story, though and that's one reason I can forgive a little narrative jumpiness here (or an apparent slow pace that others have commented on - it's not slow, it's about right for a 1,000 page epic). Weis and Hickman's catalogue is variable, that's for sure, but I'm quietly confident that book 2 will deliver the goods.
March 1, 2011
I enjoyed this book and read it only because it was given to me as a gift. The beginning was great.. though I will say the end kinda slowed down. I will read the next two books. Glad for once a series does not go on and on and on. I am interested to see how the "prince" was saved from being killed.
December 1, 2010
The trilogy that got me into reading as a teenager. My rating probably reflects this. It's a great one for teenagers just getting into fantasy books etc...
April 12, 2023
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. In some ways, with its detailed system of magic, it feels like a precursor to Sanderson's style. The small cast of characters worked to the story's advantage. After re-reading the first and second Dragonlance trilogies, and now reading this for the first time, I think the large number of characters in the first Dragonlance trilogy really worked against it.
July 4, 2021
muy buen libro!! me ha encantado
December 20, 2021
Interesting premise (technology is actually dark magic) but that's about it. The characters are underdevelopped, the story too slow, what's seen as technology is absurd and I just couldn't believe in any of it.
May 29, 2024
I actually really enjoyed this book (although it was a 4 week period I read it over). It was something I had never really tried - a classic heroes journey story. I loved the character Simkin, I think he was a great addition that actually made me laugh a few times. I was wary when I first started reading it as I though it would be kind of basic and boring, but the world and character building was great! It reminded me of the hunger games (the setting)
July 24, 2019
An old fave. I really enjoyed the new world and rules for magic.
November 21, 2025
Una segunda lectura que deja una mejor sensación de la que esperaba. Aún así, va de más a menos.
February 23, 2020
Super early Weis and Hickman book. Just what I would expect from their other fantasy books. I’ve read 4 death gate cycle books and this one was similar writing style. Simple story, but I thought the magic system was very interesting and the idea of forging weapons as the old dark magic was interesting. It was a fun read.
April 21, 2013
A very different fantasy novel set in a world where magic is the norm and the non-magical is considered an abomination. This is the reason fantasy exists. To examine issues that occur in modern times, but without all the baggage and politics that comes with those issues in reality. This is usually more effective than writing about an issue straight forwardly and allows readers and writers to explore the theme in safety.
From what I've read, this was inspired by groups which targeted Dungeons and Dragons in the 80s as being Satanic without really understanding or having played the game. But the ideas can be pretty applicable to many modern controversial subjects.
While there isn't much in the way of action in this volume (at least not until the very end), I was compelled to continue reading for the unfolding of the culture and the world building aspect. I have already started to read the second book now that I have a handle on this fantasy world and look forward to the character arcs and growth.
From what I've read, this was inspired by groups which targeted Dungeons and Dragons in the 80s as being Satanic without really understanding or having played the game. But the ideas can be pretty applicable to many modern controversial subjects.
While there isn't much in the way of action in this volume (at least not until the very end), I was compelled to continue reading for the unfolding of the culture and the world building aspect. I have already started to read the second book now that I have a handle on this fantasy world and look forward to the character arcs and growth.
December 21, 2017
I really liked the premise/setting, and the overall arc was quite decent, but felt a bit bogged down getting through the detail. I also have no idea what the hell that chapter with the faeries was about. I assume it comes back in the sequel but it really doesn't work in the context of this one book.
I generally liked the characters. Simkin was entertaining, Vanya was great, Blackloch was surprisingly subtle for a moustache twirling villain. Saryon and Joram were just ok, but I give the book points for giving the 'chosen-one/farm boy' character a different personality than usual and not making him the main character.
There are barely any women in this story and the ones that are mentioned are either ambiguously evil, on the brink of insanity or just plain nasty. Par for the course for pulpy fantasy I guess, but surprised me coming from a book written by a woman and a man with a woman's name...
I generally liked the characters. Simkin was entertaining, Vanya was great, Blackloch was surprisingly subtle for a moustache twirling villain. Saryon and Joram were just ok, but I give the book points for giving the 'chosen-one/farm boy' character a different personality than usual and not making him the main character.
There are barely any women in this story and the ones that are mentioned are either ambiguously evil, on the brink of insanity or just plain nasty. Par for the course for pulpy fantasy I guess, but surprised me coming from a book written by a woman and a man with a woman's name...
August 16, 2012
Very good. These two writer are a great pair. This one reminds me of their other books, which just made me content. Theme was dark and ... damp. Deliberate tempo, filling it with explanations and character building which I enjoyed, with pace raising at the end. They created an interesting and believable form of magic, called "Life" and showed how this reality developed routines, predigests (against those who were Dead") even changed architecture by never cutting wood, stone but growing it instead. (They grew the trees into huts, loved that picture.) I have the next 2 in the series at the library. Cant wait to devour them.
March 2, 2015
special snowflake protagonist is mundane, whereas entire setting is sorcerous. protagonist is the subject of an apocalyptic prophecy. he is both hidden monarch and embodiment of industrial development over magocratic stagnation.
anyway, he is tried and convicted of being a dick, but escapes punishment by letting his friend be petrified in his stead. good job!
anyway, he is tried and convicted of being a dick, but escapes punishment by letting his friend be petrified in his stead. good job!
January 3, 2013
The Darksword Trilogy pull you into a world in need of a hero. Things aren't what they should be, but as it gets darker and darker under the pressure of the evil forces at hand, is there a light on the horizon?
I loved these books, and sadly, finished them within a week. They just pulled me in and made me a strange hermit recluse that only surfaced for meals. Enjoy!
I loved these books, and sadly, finished them within a week. They just pulled me in and made me a strange hermit recluse that only surfaced for meals. Enjoy!
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