Rereading them now, having recently read Janet Morris’ Tempus novels which are set in the same world, these original short stories are an enjoyable introduction to Thieves’ World, but are more memorable for each story being told from a different character’s point of view in the same setting, rather than the originality of the stories themselves.
( )įirst read in 1982 I remember being really impressed with these morally ambiguous fantasy stories, an anthology with characters inhabiting a shared universe (Thieves’ World) and all stories occurring in the down-at-heel town of Sanctuary, which is similar to Leiber’s Lankhmar, but with a seedier feel. Smells thickened the air, of flesh, sweat, roast meat and nuts, aromatic drinks, leather, wool, dung, smoke, oils, cheap perfume. Vendors proclaimed the wonders of their wares from booths, neighbours shouted at each other, and devotees chanted from flat rooftops. Music tinkled and tweedled from wine-shops. Horsemen, camel-drivers, waggoners pushed through, raising waves of curses.
Merchants, artisans, porters, servants, slaves, wives, nomads, courtesans, entertainers, beggars, thieves, gamblers, magicians, acolytes, soldiers, and who knew what else mingled, chattered, chaffered, quarrelled, plotted, sang, played games, drank, ate, and who knew what else. This one paragraph from Anderon's story says more about the series then 10,000 words from myself could ever say.īeneath a westering sun, the bazaar surged and clamoured. My favorite stories from this first volume are Poul Anderson and Marion Zimmer Bradley, my favorite character is the thief Shadowspawn by Andrew Offutt who went on to write a standalone novel Shadowspawn.
This is the first shared world anthology I've ever read back in the late 1970's, it may be the first ever published, lots followed like Wild Cards and Merovingen Nights two of my favorites.
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