Customer Reviews

Chicks 'N Chained Males

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Chicks 'N Chained Males (1999) is the third Fantasy anthology in the Chicks in Chainmail series, following Did You Say Chicks?!. This humorous anthology contains eighteen short stories about female warriors:

- Introduction by Esther Friesner explains her intent to provide a new view of women warriors. See her story below for her example.

- "Myth Manner's Guide to Greek Missology #1" by Harry Turtledove is about Andromeda doing a job for Zeus, with some help from Hera. The author is a repeat contributor.

- "Chain, Link, Fence" by Steven Piziks concerns a thief and a statue of a god. The author has a story in the previous volume.

- "Fool's Gold" by Elizabeth Moon continues the story of Mirabel. This time, a man becomes a dragon and terrorizes the neighborhood.

- "In for a Pound" by Lawrence Watt-Evans concerns a werewolf with political ambitions. The author has repeatedly contributed to this series.

- "Death Becomes Him" by Marina Frants continues the story of Vassilisa from the second volume. A rider bearing a gift come to Baba Yaga's hut. This time the author does a solo performance.

- "Straight Arrow" by Susan Shwartz concerns a female F-15 pilot whose plane failed over Bosnia. The author contributed to the first volume in this series.

- "Bad Heir Day" by Rosemary Edghill introduces a female heir to the throne of Britain. The author also contributed to the first volume under an assumed name.

- "Why Do You Think They Call it Middle Earth?" by Susan Cooper follows the adventures of a woman who falls through a hole while telling a bum what he can do to get a job. The author is new to this series.

- "Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe" by Laura Frankos involves a very trying princess and the director of a play. The author has repeatedly contributed to this series. So has her husband.

- "Shiftless" by Josepha Sherman presents two licensed shifters with a job investigating a very wealthy wizard. The author has a story in the first volume.

- "May/December at the Mall" by Brian D. Akers brings together two time travelers at the Mall of Alternate Americas. The author is new to this series.

- "Yo, Baby!" by Jan Stirling continues the story of Terion and Feric. This time an older woman leaves a child with Feric.

- "Don't Break the Chain!" by Jody Lynn Nye is about a Lady who receives a chain letter. The author has repeatedly contributed to this series.

- "Cross CHILDREN Walk" by Esther Friesner presents a female crossing guard with a new challenge.

- "...But Comedy is Hard" by Kate Daniel develops a relationship between a young Amazon and an actor, with a little help from a muse. The author is a newcomer to this series, but has novels of her own.

- "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" by Kevin Andrew Murphy divulges the trials of a storyteller and sorceress faced by an angry spearholder. The author is new to this series.

- "Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows" by K.D. Wentworth continues the story of Hallah. In this one, the princes were abducted and the princess is about to become an old maid.

- "Miss Underwood and the Mermaid" by Sarah Zettel tells of ship hired to look for a missing sailor. The author has contributed a story to the second volume.

These stories are punny and hilarious. Several serials continue from the previous volumes. More authors are appearing for the first time. Some also have full-length novels in publication.

How long can the puns continue? The next installment in this series is The Chick Is in the Mail.

Highly recommended for Friesner fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of nontraditional -- and other -- occupations for women. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

This was great - not only do the women have "real" jobs, they get to prove that they have feelings as well (yet don't let them rule their lives). It's nice to see some men in danger for once - and seeing that their rescuers are women with attitude. Definitely something I'll pass on to my nieces and young cousins!

Cute! I like the concept.

Men need to be rescued and then spanked for making us go to the trouble.

Eighteen stories of warrior women who come to men in distress. The tables have been turned! This is the second in, what I hope will be, a series. These women may look like "babes" in very little chain mail, but they show themselves to be able to take care of themselves...and other men. My husband and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

I checked out this book for the one story about the chain letter. I guess, yes, if I lived in a world where magic was commonplace (or, I should say, remotely plausible) then the scare factor of the "forward this or else" clause would be much higher. Because then it might actually be able to curse you, unlike here on Earth. Where it's forwarding the chain letter that will get you cursed... at by everyone you send it to!

But the book itself was adolescent and cliché and boring, something I might have read in middle school. In fact, it did seem very dated. One or two of the stories were cute, but mostly it wasn't worth the time.

A very funny, very enjoyable, not entirely mindless read. An anthology of stories that give the classic sf women in bronze bras someting to do. Which is save the world, save their husbands, save the king, save a knight in shining armor, make the world safe to cross the street.

I have some of the other Chicks books, and while they aren't what I'd call literature (I call them light fantasy), they're fun to read. They are just the thing to read when one is tired of reading about the (male) slave gladiators who win their freedom and the chance to score with another (female) slave by triumphing in the arena. Most of the stories turn the old fantasy tropes on their heads. Not advised for the insecure male.

My order came quickly and was in perfect condition. I have purchased many books by the author and or editors, and enjoyed them all.

Having not liked, in general, Chicks In Chain Mail I'm happy to be able to report that I actually enjoyed this follow up. The stories are definitely of a higher caliber and much more amusing.

In particular I found "Leg-Irons, the Bitch and the Wardrobe" laugh out loud funny due to the theater jokes. As opposed to Chicks in Chain Mail, this entry in the series manages to have a wide variety of stories within the constraints of the rescuing men plot dictated by the title. The definition of rescue may be stretched quite a bit in some of the stories, but it is all to the good and creates a better range of stories.

Despite the title, not every story in this book is full of puns. Not every story is laugh-out-loud funny. Every story IS worth reading, which is not the case with every anthology you might pick up, especially a "theme" anthology. The only mild complaint I would have was there was no Mathemagics story by Margaret Ball. Despite that slight disappointment, I would recommend this installment in what I really hope will be a continuing series.