The reluctant swordsman ... - Rambling Readers

326 pages

English language

Published Jan. 29, 1990 by Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-345-35291-0

(1 review)

Wallie Smith can feel the pain. He goes to the hospital, remembers the doctors and the commotion, but when he wakes up it all seems like a dream. However, if that was a dream how do you explain waking up in another body and in another world? Little Wallie finds himself in the physique of a barbarian swordsman, accompanied by both an eccentric priest babbling about the Goddess and a voluptuous slave girl. Is this a rude awakening or a dream come true? What in the world will Wallie do now that he's found himself stranded in a strange realm? Well it just so happens that the Goddess is in need of a swordsman. It won't be easy but if he succeeds he will have everything he wants. If he doesn't, things could get ugly. Wallie is reluctant but sees his chance. If only he had the faintest clue as …

Wallie Smith can feel the pain. He goes to the hospital, remembers the doctors and the commotion, but when he wakes up it all seems like a dream. However, if that was a dream how do you explain waking up in another body and in another world? Little Wallie finds himself in the physique of a barbarian swordsman, accompanied by both an eccentric priest babbling about the Goddess and a voluptuous slave girl. Is this a rude awakening or a dream come true? What in the world will Wallie do now that he's found himself stranded in a strange realm? Well it just so happens that the Goddess is in need of a swordsman. It won't be easy but if he succeeds he will have everything he wants. If he doesn't, things could get ugly. Wallie is reluctant but sees his chance. If only he had the faintest clue as to the adventure he is about to unleash! If only he could imagine the forces that will be out to vanquish him!

3 editions

Sean Randall reviewed The reluctant swordsman ... by Dave Duncan (Seventh sword -- bk. 1)

Review of 'The reluctant swordsman ...' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

As I consumed the opening pages of this fine story, my miserable excuse for a brain could not but help attempt linking this work to [b:The Reluctant Sorcerer|674289|The Reluctant Sorcerer|Simon Hawke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189636524s/674289.jpg|660300] by [a:Simon Hawke|103168|Simon Hawke|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]. Hawke also wrote a trilogy featuring someone from our world forced to adapt in an alternate, medieval one; and its no coincidence that both this trilogy and that have an opening novel with the word reluctant in the title. You must forgive the parallel - I was rather heavily entoxicated at the time. 'tis the little things that amuse.

anyway apart from that similarity the books hold little in common - this title, whilst not devoid of some comedic moments, only fleetingly alights upon the path of amusement. it has a story well told, characters that are clearly going places, and despite the concept of the uprooted earthman in unfamiliar surroundings and a demigod doing …

As I consumed the opening pages of this fine story, my miserable excuse for a brain could not but help attempt linking this work to [b:The Reluctant Sorcerer|674289|The Reluctant Sorcerer|Simon Hawke|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189636524s/674289.jpg|660300] by [a:Simon Hawke|103168|Simon Hawke|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]. Hawke also wrote a trilogy featuring someone from our world forced to adapt in an alternate, medieval one; and its no coincidence that both this trilogy and that have an opening novel with the word reluctant in the title. You must forgive the parallel - I was rather heavily entoxicated at the time. 'tis the little things that amuse.

anyway apart from that similarity the books hold little in common - this title, whilst not devoid of some comedic moments, only fleetingly alights upon the path of amusement. it has a story well told, characters that are clearly going places, and despite the concept of the uprooted earthman in unfamiliar surroundings and a demigod doing whatever he sees fit with no challenge to his authority being a little old-hat, its a cracking good read and I'm already on the next one.