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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
ok - certainly not the best of the series,
By A Customer
This review is from: Sword and Sorceress VI (Paperback)
This anthology was just ok. There wasn't much kick to most of the stories. If I weren't collecting the whole series, I probably wouldn't keep it. The stories are:Diana L. Paxson: "Equona's Mare" - a woman and her horse, sort of Shariann Lewitt: "The Hand of Fatima" Lynne Armstrong-Jones: "Commencement" Morning Glory Zell: "A Lesser of Evils" - a somewhat preachy story about ecology-conservation Kier Neustaedter: "And Saavuld Danced" - blah Linda Gordon: "Stone of Light" Nancy Jane Moore: "Change of Command" Vera Nazarian: "The Starry King" Nina Boal: "Mirror Image" Jennifer Roberson: "Sleeping Dogs" - I liked this one. The inside front cover text says "Summoned by the king when his favorite hound was about to bear a litter, the witch woman used all her arts in vain. To save the only surviving pup, she revealed an ancient knowledge that would forever change the king's own life..." Elisabeth Waters: "Shadowlands" - I liked it. The inside front cover text says "Her husband killed in an accident, Oriana would do anything - even spell travel to the Shadowlands - to bring him back to life..." Mercedes Lackey: "The Making of a Legend" - A Tarma & Kethry story, republished in the book "Oathblood". The first appearance of the bard Leslac. I like most of Lackey's work, and this is no exception. Mary Fenoglio: "Burnt Offerings" - not bad Doroth J. Heydt: "Ratsbane" - The third story of the Greek sorceress Cynthia published in S&S, and my favorite so far. Bobbi Miller: "Wolf Hunt" Carl Thelen: "Pearl" - This one's cute and funny. Jessie D. Eaker: "Name of the Demoness" Lois Tilton: "Hands" - not bad Mary E. Choo: "Wolfrunner" J.A. Brebner: "Until We Meet Again" - A not bad story about a sword & sorceress pair. Gemma Tarlach: "Black Wolf" - I liked this one. The first story sold by this author, but hopefully not the last.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stick with it,
By
This review is from: Sword and Sorceress VI (Paperback)
An anthology, by its nature, is a conglomeration, and every reader will have individual favorites among its offerings. My experience with this one is a good example of the notion that it's well to have patience and give each story its chance: I enjoyed the first story, Diana L. Paxson's "Equona's Mare" (warrior-princess Shanna finds her consciousness transferred to that of her warhorse after losing temporary custody of the animal on a bet), then went through eight more before I found another I could mark as "worth rereading," and ended up so marking nine of the last ten in the book. If I'd given up on it after story #3, or #4, or #5, I'd have missed out on some good heroic fiction.
Among the high points here are Jennifer Roberson's "Sleeping Dogs" (a veterinarian-witch, summoned to help the young king's favorite bitch deliver her litter, finds the only surviving pup the catalyst for revelations she never expected); Mercedes Lackey's "The Making of a Legend" (heroines Tamra and Kethry wander into the town of Viden, whose overlord is a petty despot--but is he really as bad as they think?); Mary Fenoglio's "Burnt Offerings" (the story of a peculiar alliance between a wandering (male) warrior and a slightly inept (female) magic-user); Dorothy J. Heydt's "Ratsbane" (in which Greek sorceress Cynthia, to combat a Carthaginian sorcerer who's taken rat form to spread the Plague, tries to transform herself into a terrier and becomes a cat instead); Bobbi Miller's "Wolf Hunt" (a female outlaw in Medieval France seeks a ravening werewolf); Jessie D' Eaker's "Name of the Demoness" (a new mother must save her just-born child from a hungry malevolence); and Lois Tilton's "Hands" (a young thief, deprived of both her hands by the law, is rescued by a sorcerer who provides her with an invisible set of replacements, but he has an agenda of his own). As is usual in MZB's anthologies, all of them are competently written, some are superior, and a few have flashes of wry humor. The editor's introduction is something of a diatribe against romance novels (I think she overreacts: they're escapism, just as fantasy is), but like all her introductions it helps us understand something of where she was coming from. On balance this collection is at least as good as most of the rest of the series, and worth your time if you like strong, competent women in a variety of fantasy settings.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love the series!,
By
This review is from: Sword and Sorceress VI (Paperback)
Love this series. To bad MZB has passed on - I'd love to see more anthologies like this. Very interesting stories - always a variety of stories. So what if you don't like one or two stories, there are always some you love. I highly recommend collecting the series. Liked "Burnt Offerings" - wish there was a follow-up story to let you know who she is. I think the princess of a country - or a witch passing her finals? "A Lesser of Evils" about "industrialization" vs a basilisk was very good. And the Cynthia story was great as always. Wish Dorthy Heydthad been able to find a publisher for her collection of stories - any out there listening? Book left me wanting more (as always).
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