Books like Swords in the Mist

This may be my favorite "Swords" volume. This--in spite of the fact that it is designated #3 in the series--is as good a place for new readers to begin their journey through the marvelous kingdom of Lankhmar.Two of the short stories develop familiar fantasy and horror themes--a malevolent meteorological phenomenon ("The Cloud of Hate") and a temporary entrance to an undersea kingdom ("When the Sea Kings Away")--with such precisely-imagined detail that they become startlingly original. "Lean Times in Lankhmar" is quintessential Leiber, featuring a memorable evocation of the city's "Street of the Gods," and a superb narrative exposition in which details that first appear merely descriptive all contribute to an exciting--and hilarious--denouement. Finishing off the collection is the original Fafhrd and Mouser novelette--written by Leiber and his original collaborator Fischer in 1936--"Adept's Gambit," which is witty, sexy, exciting, and filled with the enthusiasm of youth.