The Dead of Winter: Thieves' World, Book 7 [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Lynn Asprin (Editor), Lynn Abbey (Editor)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: Ace Fantasy; First Edition edition (November 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441140890
• ISBN-13: 978-0441140893
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for fantasy fans, September 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dead of Winter: Thieves' World, Book 7 (Mass Market Paperback)

The Dead of winter is an anthology, with several writers exchanging character information. The stories themselves are interesting to say the least. The world in which it is set is as dark, dank and disturbed as anyone could imagine. Theft, murder and worse are common exoeriences here, and taken by the citizens in the same way that a new yorker takes a trafic jam at 5:30. The characters have developed a lot over the past 6 books in the series, and you get a real sense of their plight. Sanctuary the city the book is about is going strait down the toilet, and in many rather intresting ways. A new eliment of the world of sanctuary is the waring factions, which have made the city even more dangerous. Magic, ganges, political intreague, gods, and a pleasent trip to hell, this one has it all.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Quality Outing, September 22, 2003

By 

jrmspnc (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dead of Winter: Thieves' World, Book 7 (Mass Market Paperback)

It's taken seven books, but it is becoming clear that the Thieves' World series deserves the praise it has received from the fantasy cognoscenti. Volume seven continues the tale of a city in decay, this time, mercifully, with an index of characters. Most of the usual suspects contribute here, including Asprin, Abbey, C.J. Cherryh, Andrew Offut, Diana Paxson, Janet Morris, and Diane Duane. Duane's story is the highlight, as she sends three characters and a dog on journey to Hell. Duane provides a wonderful example of what the Russians call "ostranyenye" or "estrangement", as she gives us the dog's perspective on life, death, and society in general.

There is a world of difference between book seven and book one. One can read book one and think, as I did, that it's not a big deal, just a few loosely connected stories. The first book is just the prologue, however, and watching the characters, series, and, above all, Sanctuary, evolve is a disturbing delight. Disturbing because Sanctuary is not a nice place, and the people with very few exceptions are not nice people, but a delight because several talented authors are playing off each other, inspired by each other, and ultimately fusing their several parts into an intriguing whole. The series continues to be worth the price of admission.

3.0 out of 5 stars In the dead of winter a war starts..., July 19, 2008

By 

Naor Wallach (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Dead of Winter: Thieves' World, Book 7 (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the seventh volume in the Thieves' world anthology series and as in other ones we are treated to a whole bunch of short stories written by some of the leading lights in fantasy and science fiction tied together by the world of Sanctuary during a single season. In this book, Sanctuary is deteriorating even more (if you can believe that!) into a vicious cycle of war and darkness as winter lays its deadly grip on the world.

All of the stories share the same location - the city of Sanctuary - and many of the main characters, time and even events. However, the fun of the books is in how each author twists his or her interpretation of what is taking place into the viewpoint of their protagonist. No different is this book. The various factions are either making alliances or fighting against each other and the battle lines are literally drawn in colored lines in the streets of the city. However, the alliances are constantly shifting and it is never really clear what they are fighting for and with or against whom.

A big portion of the book is dedicated to the magical fights that pit Roxanne, Ischade, and the other gods or wizards against each other while using the HellHounds, Stepsons, Beysibs, and other groups. We are getting more and more the sense that the battles in Sanctuary are a reflection of the greater events that are unfolding as a result of the breaking up of the Rankan Empire. The individual stories take a look at individual events and tell the stories of individuals at times, but also look at the great scope of events. So, Kadakithis is still enthralled with his Beysib conqueror queen who he adores, but she is put to shame when it comes out that his wife, the Princess Daphne is still in town. There are also stories of hell, perdition, and the life of zombies and other nameless critters.

As is usual in these volumes, the stories are very dark and even deranged as Sanctuary is a very bad place. If you can put up with the darkness, gore, bloodthirstiness, and general evil of the place, you can enjoy the collaboration, the points of view, and the general fun of the idea embodied in these books.