Swords and Deviltry

The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

By: Fritz Leiber

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Neil Gaiman (introduction)

Neil Gaiman Presents: the first book in Fritz Leiber's classic sword-and-sorcery series, which includes the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella, Ill Met in Lankhmar.

In the ancient city of Lankhmar, two men forge a friendship in battle. The red-haired barbarian Fafhrd left the snowy reaches of Nehwon looking for a new life, while the Gray Mouser, apprentice magician, fled after finding his master dead. These bawdy brothers-in-arms cement a friendship that leads them through the wilds of Nehwon, facing thieves, wizards, princesses, and the depths of their desires and fears.

The late Fritz Leiber's tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser launched the sword-and-sorcery genre, and were the inspiration for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction by Neil Gaiman.

Epic edge: download more tales of Lankhmar.©1995 The Estate of Fritz Leiber (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"It's, like all of Fritz Leiber's fiction, delightful and, like all of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, a wonderful place to go." (Neil Gaiman)
"Fritz Leiber's tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are virtually a genre unto themselves. Urbane, idiosyncratic, comic, erotic and human, spiked with believable action and the eerie creations of a master fantasist!" (William Gibson)

Classic Fantasy Sword and Sorcery

The Narrators voice is wonderful to listen to and varried enough that characters feel unique. A top preformance.

The stories themselves are also engaging and exciting with an array of classic fantasy archetypes. This book feels very much like an introductory set of stories for the rest of the books. Swords and Deviltry did its job for me and has me looking forward to reading more about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

A nostalgic journey with barbarians and wizards

If you love swords and magic, Conan the barbarian and d&d this it's your book.

Still good even decades later

It's been 40 years or so since I last read this book. Surprisingly, it's still quite good.

Excellent character design and development and an interesting world. The plotting is a bit weak, but otherwise solid.

Where we’ve been in Fantasy

I’m not sure if he’s ever said so, but I can see Michael J Sullivan’s inspiration all over this. The genre of fantasy wouldn’t be where it is today without stories like this.

Mandatory for all fans of the genre

A true classic in genre fiction. It's a timeless tale and one that can be enjoyed over and over again. Narration was superb with incredibly smooth transitions between voices. However, and I cannot pin point why, I found myself loosing attention after about 10-15 min every time I listened to this story. I'm not sure if the narrator's voice was so relaxing that I drifted off or perhaps it was a matter of volume (I found myself frequently adjusting the volume up and down. It ended up taking almost twice as long to listen to the audiobook as expected. Still well worth the listen.

Unexpectedly sad

Ending was a downer that came out of nowhere. Overall a great read until the sudden rainstorm ending.

incredible writing!

fantastic craftsmanship. the turn of phrase and descriptions are perhaps the most imaginative I have ever heard. loved every minute of it.

A magnificent classic!!! Required Reading!!!

Required reading for any student of sword & sorcery literature!

This is how all great books should be written!

Overlooked Classics!

If you love sword and wizardry style fantasy,vthen this is a must read. I also very glad I did. There's real magic in these pages! Don't miss out.

classic pulp sword and sorcery

bring a fan of Howard, I was excuted to find the works of Leiber existed. I was not disappointed in the slightest