The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword

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By Garth Nix

Publisher Description

From the international bestselling fantasy author Garth Nix (The Abhorsen Trilogy, The Keys to the Kingdom) comes a Tor.com Original short story "The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword."

Sir Magnus Holmes, cousin to the more famous Sherlock, is asked to investigate the appearance of an otherworldly knight carrying a legendary sword in the cellar of a Victorian London pub.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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23 Reviews

3.5

BeckyReadsEverything

Created 6 months ago

Kevin Xu

Created 6 months ago

Bilbo-Maggins

Created over 1 year ago

“4.6 Stars rounded up to five. Okay, this story was only twenty something pages long and almost got a five star rating out of me. That was how much I liked it. However, it was too short. I could have kept reading The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword for hours, but I couldn't. Seriously, this could have been an entire series and I would have been more than happy to read all of it. In fact, I'm really hoping Garth Nix is planning on turning it into a series, or at least a longer project, because I kind of need more of Sir Magnus Holmes, Susan, and their adventures. This little short story has so much potential I can hardly stand it. I would be overly and stupid excited if Nix decided to turn this into something more than a short story. It was full of great characters, an incredible start for an awesome backstory, wonderful plot, and tantalizing hints of adventures to come. The only thing I didn't like about it (aside from the fact that it was much too short for how deeply attached I became to it) was that it ended so abruptly. It just kind of stopped. I flipped the page expecting more and it was just the blurb for the author, and I was just like, "Wait, that's IT?!" The transition into the end of the story could have been much smoother, but it wasn't... Other than that I liked everything else. Literally. Everything else. If you're looking for something short that packs a lovely punch, then please pick up this story. It's fantastic. (Also, sorry for harping on how short it was... I was just really disappointed. Lol) Happy reading, my friends!”

Koitma

Created almost 2 years ago

Quynh

Created about 2 years ago

“The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword (Vụ án về một thanh kiếm huyền thoại nào đó): Khác với người em họ Sherlock nổi tiếng, Ngài Magnus Holmes chỉ tham gia điều tra các vụ án siêu nhiên. Tại sao bóng ma một hiệp sĩ lại ôm thanh kiếm huyền thoại và trú dưới hầm của một quán rượu London? Ờ, hẳn rồi, việc nhân vật chính có dây mơ rễ má với Sherlock Holmes là để câu người đọc. Mình không khắt khe vụ này, series Judge Dee của Lavie Tidhar còn câu dẫn trắng trợn hơn, nên miễn là truyện đọc ổn áp. Căn bản là truyện cũng ổn, nhưng đáng ra nó phải được phát triển lên thành novelette hoặc dài hơn. Cấu trúc của nó không cân đối, với phần mở đầu khá chi tiết. Tác giả bỏ nhiều công sức để xây dựng bối cảnh và giới thiệu nhân vật, thường thì là điều tốt, nếu như thời lượng dành để giải quyết vấn đề không ngắn đến vậy. Ngoài ra, truyện chuyển tiếp không được mượt. Khi Sherlock Holmes được đề cập tới và không khí ban đầu khá êm ả, mình tự động có kì vọng về một vụ điều tra theo hướng Mystery hơn là Thriller. Chắc chắc là mình không hề chuẩn bị cho một mối hiểm nguy chết người đột ngột ập tới, rồi một phân cảnh hành động kinh dị máu me nữa. Điều này cũng không có gì xấu, song rất lệch tông so với phần đầu và khiến mình bối rối. Phần kết lâm li cũng khó hiểu không kém đối với mình.”

About Garth Nix

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. A full-time writer since 2001, he has worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. His books include the award-winning young adult fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel, and Goldenhand; the dystopian novel Shade's Children; the space opera A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt's Emerald. His fantasy novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series; Frogkisser!; the Troubletwisters series, Spirit Animals: Blood Ties, and Have Sword, Will Travel (with Sean Williams). Garth's other books include Let Sleeping Dragons Lie (with Sean Williams) and Angel Mage. He lives in a Sydney beach suburb with his wife and two children.