Swords Against Death is made up of ten short stories, each of which tell a story involving the Gray Mouser and Fafhrd. The two, who in their short stories invariably go on strange, frenetic, and oftentimes dangerous quests in the world of Nehwon, were brought together by tremendous sadness and hardship. They have remained incredibly close friends since then.
Above all, Swords Against Death is a novel made to entertain its readers. While it discusses and explores a few important and complex topics and themes, the novel was predominately written for readers' enjoyment. It has limited academic or literary merit aside from its entertainment value. However, the novel explores important themes like the power and importance of friendship, heeding warnings when they are given, listening to your gut, and how things are oftentimes more complex than they appear to be.
The first short story of the novel, which is called "The Circle Curse," introduces readers to the Mouser and to Fafhrd. In a previous story, the Mouser and Fafhrd's lovers have been murdered by their Thief's Guild. Initially, the two vow to never to return to the town in which they were killed. But they realize their vow is futile and the two return to the town. In that way, the short story is an exploration concerning the sheer power and importance of friendship.
In "The Jewels in the Forest," Mouser and Fafhrd go on one of their signature quests. In "Jewels in the Forest," the two go to a unique dwelling that has unique defenses that they are able to steal something. Once they complete that quest, the two return to go head-to-head with the Thieves Guild that killed their loved ones. They want revenge and want to bring the fight to their former guild ("Thieves' House").
In "Blue Shore," "The Howling Tower," and "The Sunken Land," the next three short stories in the novel, the two embark on other quests involving strange situations, dangerous creatures, and a sunken city that has more than it bargains for. In order to survive, the two must work together to survive. They have power, in other words, in numbers. And without each other, things would have turned out much differently.
The next short story in the novel, called "The Seven Black Priests," the two come face-to-face with a group of priests with an insatiable desire to murder other people - a desire which is engrained into their culture and their religion itself. This short story explores some of the darker aspects of religion and warns readers about the troubles some religions have with violence and exploitation. Thematically, the short story is about the dark unberbelly of religion and how religion influences culture.
"Claws from the Night" shows Gray Mouser and Fafhrd dealing with a magical plague that affects the town of Lankhmar. After they deal with the plague, the two must confront their past and the deaths of their loved ones - deaths which plagued them in the background since their loved ones died ("The Price of Pain Ease"). A poignant short story, "The Price of Pain Ease" is a short story which is about family and dealing with past traumas and grief.
