The Sellsword

Dragonlance: The Anvil of Time #1

by Cam Banks

Strike the Anvil of Time! Vanderjack is a mercenary with a troubled past and a sword haunted by ghosts. Hired to rescue a nobleman's daughter from behind enemy lines, the sellsword finds himself a pivotal player in the liberation of Nordmaar from the Red Dragon army. The Chronicler is charged to use the ancient Anvil of Time to travel back along the river of time and find the lost stories that fell between the pages of the history books of Krynn in this new series created and guided by the creative mind of Tracy Hickman. Together with a group of exciting new voices for the fantasy genre, Tracy Hickamn Presents the Bridges of Time breathes all new life into the venerable Dragonlance world.

Genres: Dragonlance, Fantasy, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

I am an expatriate New Zealander who fell in love with an American and moved to the USA in 1996. We are now married and have two boys. I've fulfilled my lifelong dream to become a game designer and writer and after 22 years I've moved back to New Zealand with my family. I work for Fandom Tabletop as a creative director, leading the charge on new projects powered by the Cortex system that I have spent much of my career developing as a tabletop roleplaying game toolkit.

Reviews

[Cam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi folks! This is Cam Banks, author of The Sellsword. You can read a sample chapter on the Wizards of the Coast website, here: http://ww2.wizards.com/books/Wizards/...

I'm proud to continue the tradition of action adventure stories set in the world of Krynn. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did writing it.

[Nimrod Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last Dragonlance book I read was about 10 years ago, and in a burst of nostalgia, I decided to read another Dragonlance novel. After some thought, I chose this book and I'm glad I did.
I listened to the Audible version narrated by James Langton. I'm familiar with his narration, and it's quite good, though his narration of female characters is somewhat lacking.

From the very beginning, I saw the book's potential. We're immediately introduced to Vanderjack's sword and its power, which is very cool. It reminded me of "Legion" by Brandon Sanderson.
It's definitely a fun adventure featuring a group of unlikely heroes, filled with good humor and interesting twists and revelations.

4.0/5

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea of a haunted sword, but the story itself was so twisted and convoluted that by the end it had simply left me confused.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really grew on me. Didn't know what to expect during the first few chapters. After reading on and learning more about the magic involved involved with both the main artifact, that was central to the story, and with the competing antagonists the story developed into quite something enjoyable. Throw in the very likable sellsword and his band of adventurers and it became a solid story.

We'll see what the rest of the Anvil of Time books entail...

[Rob Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cam Banks gave a wonderful story right out of anyone's tabletop game. Saving or failing on the roll of the dice throughout the entire tale.

This book is read by James Langton who's voice is amazing. But, once again no editing or team listening to what was produced that had listened to any of the previous books in the series. There were words that were pronounced incorrectly in normal British English or American English, and the names of standard characters referenced throughout the Dragonlance series were pronounced in very unique ways. (I cannot say these are wrong but different from all other readings.)

Producing these books in audio is very wonderful. And I am thankful to have audio versions that I can use to "re-read" these but a Continuity team would be amazing!

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is 3.5 stars.

This book is part of the world of Dragonlance. It tells the story of a mercenary who is hired to rescue a baron's daughter from an occupied castle. He meets up with an old friend and together they partake of this adventure that turns into so much more.

This was an enjoyable book. It has no connection with other books of this world so it can be read without any prior knowledge. It is your basic fun adventure from a character who is an unlikely hero. It has plenty of action, magical spells, and twists and turns to keep the reader interested throughout.

If you are a fan of fantasy and need a quick adventure novel where the fate of the world isn't at hand, this is that book. It is a quick read that has some exciting concepts that was a pleasure to read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the main character, Vanderjack, a cynical sellsword with a haunted weapon and a chorus of ghosts aiding him in his adventures, and I liked the detailed look at Nordmaar. However, some parts of the writing confused me, which is unusual because I’ve read 100+ Dragonlance books. Maybe it was a stylistic thing. Anyway, I did enjoy the story and will give the rest of the Anvil of Time series a read. On a side note, this cover, while lovely, seems wrong. The main character is described several times as having dark skin or being black. The cover definitely doesn’t reflect that.

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best things about this story was the haunted sword and a gnome that studied and experimented with pole axe fighting technics.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book.

[Girish Mani]

Interesting read

[Tom Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

After this reread I’ll fully admit I was wrong. I was young and apparently dumb lol.