Book Review – The Second Book of Lankhmar

Author:  Fritz Leiber
Cover Aritist: Chris Moore
Publisher: Gollancz
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: December 6, 2001

During the 1930s, Fritz Leiber and a friend invented the classic sword and sorcery characters, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Leiber quickly took over the characters, penning nearly 40 stories over a 50 year period. “The Second Book of Lankhmar” contains the novel “The Swords of Lankhmar” along with stories (first published in magazines) that had been previously collected in two volumes: “Swords and Ice Magic” and “The Knight and Knave of Swords.”

Many of the comments and criticisms applicable to “The First Book of Lankhmar” are equally applicable here. For example, the publisher provides no commentary on Leiber and his incredible contributions to the genre, leaving the uninitiated reader without a thorough appreciation of the work.

The adventures of Fafhrd (a towering barbarian from the north) and the Gray Mouser (an apprentice hedge wizard turned bravado) contained in this volume were written later than those in “The First Book of Lankhmar,” and Leiber does something with them that’s rarely been repeated—-he aged his heroes. They become progressively more contemplative as the pair of rogues reflect upon their aging, face their regrets, and generally grow up as they turn from the path of roguery to building respectable lives.

Again, readers will note that the stories vary radically in tone. A notable change is the increasingly level of sexuality. “The Second Book of Lankhmar” features detailed scenes of sex, sexual abuse, and voyeurism, among other activities. While it is fairly easy to gloss over these elements in the first book, they are impossible to ignore in the second. Any reader for whom these passages may be a concern is well advised to pass them over and focus instead on Leiber’s commentaries on religion, politics, and other issues and well as his rich characterizations, plot surprises, and clever storytelling.

Despite its drawbacks, “The Second Book of Lankhmar” is a must-read for fantasy (particularly sword and sorcery) fans.

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