There are three separate but interconnected stories in this book.
First, there is Fafhrd's origin story. We see him as a tall but slender youth among his barbarian fellows. He already yearns for a civilization that exists only in his imagination. There is quite a bit of action and intrigue. Since we know that he winds up finding his way to Lankhmar and the corruption of the south, there is no surprise involved. However, we see that his barbarian fellows are no more innocent and their milieu no less corrupt, albeit in different ways, than the lands to the south. I did get tired of the "snow oaks" and "snow vipers," etc.
Then there is the Mouser's origin story. Even though most of us started reading these stories after the characters were established, there is no surprise that Mouse is an apprentice mage.
Finally, there is the segment called "Ill-Met in Lankhmar," the story of the beginning of their partnership. It also contains the end of each man's youthful love affair and the reasons for their feud with the Thieve's Guild. There is a great deal of action and magic and humor, and some tragedy. And the offer to share the loot: "Sixty-Sixty?"
But mostly there is Lankhmar. "The City of Seventy Score Thousand Smokes" is ancestral to Terry Prachett's Ankh Morpork, Steve Brust's Adrilankh and dozens of other fantasy cities whose authors don't make it quite so clear. Sure, there are similar cities in earlier fantasy, especially in the Conan novels but there is nothing quite as exciting as walking up to the Silver Eel of an evening.
More good fantasy harkens back to this series than to Tolkien. It would be impossible to say whether I liked Fafhrd and the Mouser better than _The Lord of the Rings_ but much of the work inspired by the latter is predictable and dull while those who take their inspiration on the corner of Cash Street and Whore Lane tend to deliver.
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Top reviews from other countries
Travis Johnson
Decent intro, but not the all timer I expected
Reviewed in Australia on March 8, 2021