- Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
- Publisher: Baen (May 1 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0671578693
- ISBN-13: 978-0671578695
- Product Dimensions: 16.8 x 10.2 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,532,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
THIS TIME, THEY WOULD MAKE A KILLING
Join master thief Nifft the Lean with his companion-at-arms, mighty barbarian Barnar Hammer-Hand, as they trust to their wits and their luck. Once Nifft and Barnar were hired by the ghost of a dead woman to kidnap the man who betrayed her and drag him down to hell to join her. A simple task -- or so they thought at first....
Another time, the pair lucked into an even more lucrative proposition, when they were shipwrecked on the way to work in Costard's sap mine -- very dangerous and sometimes nauseating work far below ground -- and were hired by Bunt to bring back twenty gills of the ichor exuded only by the monstrous insectile queen. It seemed like easy money -- they wouldn't have to go to hell! Of course, the best laid plans sometimes do go astray, but this time they were sure they would...make a killing.
Publisher's Note: Parts of this work were previously published as Nifft the Lean and The Mines of Behemoth.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Miles ahead of most other SF/Fantasy,
By Happy Jack (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Incompleat Nifft (Mass Market Paperback)
I rarely review a book, but I am compelled to review this one. This book so captivated me from the beginning, that I was shocked at how deeply involved in the story, characters, and description I became. It was hypnotic.First, the author has almost a Tolkien-like ability for description, without losing his sense of pacing. Imagine suddenly waking up in a strange room and your mind races to absorb the details. What made this book succeed where most others fail, was the bridge from the recognizable to the comicly foreign and demented. Too often fantasy writers just expect the reader to follow them into their artificial world that looks all-too-familiar. Expect to be blown away with Nifft. Its that dusty attic door you were always too afraid to open. Nifft opens it for you, and pushes you in, but comes along for support. Second, the characters. Again, I refer to Tolkien only to say this book is decidedly un-Tolkienlike in that there are very few characters. The two main characters (Nifft and his friend Barnar) have quite a bit of dialog. They joke with each other, get on each other's nerves, anger each other, and sacrifice themselves for the other. Somehow, Shea has included a very nice "buddy" story amid the horrors of imagination. Never seen it before, and it works beautifully. Third, the imagination of Shea is almost too wild to comprehend. Who would of thought sneaking into Hell with your buddy would be so shocking and revolting, yet so much fun? Shea struck a perfect balance between dread and absurdity. Its as if he took the dare other fantasy writers wouldn't take, and blew through the artificial ceiling of "fantastical" thought. As I recall, this book is actually four separate stories. This works actually better than one very large novel as it gives broader scope to the characters. Things take place in different times and places. My personal favorite is "Fishing in the Demon Sea". I still have memories of it, even though its been a few years. This book really isn't SF or Fantasy. Its literature. Its high-level reading. If you can survive the opening chapters, you'll love the book. Unfortunately, I now have a much higher standard for authors who attempt new realities. You will find many other authors utterly fail to live up to your new standards after you read this book. That's okay, competition is good. I just wish Shea would write more.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting!,
By
This review is from: The Incompleat Nifft (Mass Market Paperback)
This is an excellent, excellent book. The Nift stories are sort of a darker version of Jack Vance, with a similar level of creativity and gripping imagery.The only thing to be careful about is if you are buying this book because you loved the other two Nift Books (Raiders of the Infernal Domain and Mines of Behemoth), because there is no new material in this book.
4.0 out of 5 stars
When O When Will Shea Return To SF?,
By William Polhemus "Polhemus Engineering Company" (Katy, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Incompleat Nifft (Mass Market Paperback)
I first read Shea in the form of his award-winning story "Polyphemus". I read but little fantasy, prefering SF. Shea is a HELLUVA Science Fiction writer, but he is NOT the most prolific around! Trying to get Shea and Vernor Vinge to step up their output is a task dear to my heart!
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