The Misenchanted Sword
The Misenchanted Sword by Lawrence Watt-Evans
The Misenchanted Sword is the story of a young soldier who convinces a wizard to make him a magic sword, but not everything goes as planned. The sword will only let him draw it, and it can’t kill him, but there’s a catch. Several catches, actually, and Valder finds them all out one by one.
It’s an interesting concept, and done relatively well. The magic makes sense, something that is often lacking in books dependent on magic not working right. The plot holds together fairly well, with only a few not-so-obvious holes and no glaring errors. It’s a fun, enjoyable, ride.
The strongest point of The Misenchanted Sword is the characterization. Valder is a very well-developed character, and the sword gives him more depth, forcing him to grow and changebut in a very realistic manner. His friends and companions play smaller roles, so they’re not as well developed as Valder is, but only the most minor supporting characters are “stock characters”. The rest have their own individual personalities and quirks.
The weakest point of this book is the setting. Very little attention was given to it except in the instances that it played directly into the plot, and it is difficult to picture the land that is being talked about and the places that Valder and the other characters are traveling or living. More attention to detail there would have flushed the book out a bit and would also have made things flow a little bit better.
The story itself is entertaining and progresses at a good pace until the end, when things just seem to happen too quickly and too easily. Valder spends years and years struggling with the sword and then one day the solution to his problems just falls into his lap and he’s able to really solve the problem within a few weeks. It’s not entirely impossible, but it was rather dissatisfying that things resolved so quickly. Once he discovered the solution, there were no obstacles to keep him from obtaining it, which just seemed to go against the rest of this book.
Still, those issues aside, The Misenchanted Sword is an enjoyable book. It’s not great, and not something that many people will have as a “must read”, but it is an enjoyable way to pass a few hours, and most fantasy fans will likely come away reasonably satisfied.
The Misenchanted Sword is the story of a young soldier who convinces a wizard to make him a magic sword, but not everything goes as planned. The sword will only let him draw it, and it can’t kill him, but there’s a catch. Several catches, actually, and Valder finds them all out one by one.
It’s an interesting concept, and done relatively well. The magic makes sense, something that is often lacking in books dependent on magic not working right. The plot holds together fairly well, with only a few not-so-obvious holes and no glaring errors. It’s a fun, enjoyable, ride.
The strongest point of The Misenchanted Sword is the characterization. Valder is a very well-developed character, and the sword gives him more depth, forcing him to grow and changebut in a very realistic manner. His friends and companions play smaller roles, so they’re not as well developed as Valder is, but only the most minor supporting characters are “stock characters”. The rest have their own individual personalities and quirks.
The weakest point of this book is the setting. Very little attention was given to it except in the instances that it played directly into the plot, and it is difficult to picture the land that is being talked about and the places that Valder and the other characters are traveling or living. More attention to detail there would have flushed the book out a bit and would also have made things flow a little bit better.
The story itself is entertaining and progresses at a good pace until the end, when things just seem to happen too quickly and too easily. Valder spends years and years struggling with the sword and then one day the solution to his problems just falls into his lap and he’s able to really solve the problem within a few weeks. It’s not entirely impossible, but it was rather dissatisfying that things resolved so quickly. Once he discovered the solution, there were no obstacles to keep him from obtaining it, which just seemed to go against the rest of this book.
Still, those issues aside, The Misenchanted Sword is an enjoyable book. It’s not great, and not something that many people will have as a “must read”, but it is an enjoyable way to pass a few hours, and most fantasy fans will likely come away reasonably satisfied.