Swordplay is a collection of 17 stories revolving around the
world of swords. These stories range from ancient samurai
swords to long medieval swords cast by mythical dwarves.
Swordplay gives one of the deadliest weapons a center stage
in multiple time periods (past and present) and various
locations around the world (from Basra to Hollywood).This
wide variety of stories about cursed daggers and famous
cutlasses opens the imagination of readers to a much broader
perspective of swords in our everyday lives. These stories
show swords as great weapons, invaluable artifacts, and
centerpieces of incredible legends.
What impressed me most about Swordplay is the ability of the selected authors to compose such a broad center for stories about swords. A
small proportion of the stories in this book is epic tales
of a majestic sword in a fantasy realm. Instead, most of
these stories take place in the present day but discuss a
historical sword. One example is a story about the
excavation by a U.S. soldier in Iraq of the sword that
protected the Garden of Eden. Another example is the
ignorant sale of the sword belonging to the Musketeer
D'Artagnan. Despite my hope for more epic sword tales, this
change in the way swords are viewed was very refreshing and
enjoyable. My favorite story in the book was about the
origin of the tale of King Arthur and Excalibur. What
intrigued me was the unique way the author approached the
legend, and this creative approach to sword tales is what
makes this book so enjoyable. I recommend Swordplay to
those with a vivid imagination and an interest in ancient
weaponry.
Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden, Minnesota USA
