Comments on: Thieves’ World (review)

By: Edward G Gordon

Edward G Gordon — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:15:30 +0000

I know I’m living in the wilderness now, as I have not even heard of any of these books nor the author Robert Aspin. I live in a very rural community in Northern Ireland with only one major two half decent bookstores within a fifty mile radius. I guess you always assume that whats on the shelf is what is current. I’m glad I found this site as it offers a portal to books and authors I have never heard of.

Your writing style is excellent. I love the way you convey enthusiasm without giving away details or spoiling in any way. Thanks.

By: Christopher Heath

Christopher Heath — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:42:36 +0000

I only read the first one; enjoyed it well enough.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:20:29 +0000

I totally agree with Ty. The first four books were really good — a lot of variety in a consistent setting, with interplay between authors’ pet characters developing nicely.

After that, the whole damn series falls apart. Editorial control seems to fall by the wayside, and a small handful of authors seem to be running the entire show. Plots — when there are plots — become convoluted, and the whole thing seems to smack of “Twin Peaks/X Files” disorder: So many oddities piled upon oddities that none of it can ever be resolved in any rational way, so it all gets disguised in a murkiness that no force can ever pierce.

By: Bill Ward

Bill Ward — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:24:41 +0000

Thank for posting Ty — I especially like to hear your perspective as someone that picked Thieves’ World up when it came out. I never got around to reading it until just now, and wish I had been able to find in in the library as a kid in the mid-eighties when the fantasy selection was really only marginally better than what you describe.

And thanks for the recommendation on the first four — as big as the series is its good to narrow down what’s really worth pursueing in the short term.

By: Ty

Ty — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:37:36 +0000

Ah, yes. Thieves’ World. I loved, absolutely loved, the first four books of the original series. The rest of the books had their moments, but they couldn’t compare to the earliest four. I still have my original copy of the first book, a paperback picked up nearly 30 years ago. At a time when Tolkein and a young Terry Brooks were the only fantasy to be found in many book stores, Thieves’ World really shined, and opened my eyes to S&S for the first time.