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Sword and Sorceress #19
Sword and Sorceress XIV
WOMEN OF COURAGE AND POWER...
...roam lands filled with danger, mystery, and magic. They are sword-wielding defenders or sorcerous spell-casters - roles too often considered the exclusive province of men.
In 26 original stories of bold and talented women, Diana Paxson, Deborah Wheeler, Elisabeth Waters, Adrienne Martine-Barnes and their fellow word-weavers lead their readers through bespelled realms of the imagination into dangers both physical and sorcerous, where all the powers of Avalon lie in a woman's hands...a talisman of love can banish a demon's deadly threat...an otherworldly hunter catches different game than she bargained for...a mother's scorn begets a daughter's magic...
The Bargain • (1997) • short story by Laura J. Underwood
The Impression of Power • (1997) • short story by Lee Martindale
The Naming of Names • (1997) • short story by Adrienne Martine-Barnes
Changelings • (1997) • short story by Diana L. Paxson
Death-Hunt • (1997) • short story by Raul Reyes
A Single Soul • (1997) • short story by Deborah Wheeler
The Needle and the Sword • (1997) • short story by Jessie D. Eaker
Small Considertions • (1997) • short story by Judith Fielder Leggett
If You Can't Stand the Heat… • (1997) • short story by P.E. Cunningham
Silver Bands • (1997) • short story by Syne Mitchell
The Hand of a Lady • (1997) • short story by Anne Cutrell
To Have and To Hold • (1997) • short story by K.D. Barnes
A Knight on Tower Hill • (1997) • short story by Kathrina Bood
The Longest Night • (1997) • short story by Lisa S. Silverthorne
Blood Moon • (1997) • novelette by Cynthia Ward
By the Skin of her Teeth • (1997) • short story by Heather Rose Jones
Friends in High Places • (1997) • short fiction by Christina Krueger
The Blade of Unmaking • (1997) • novelette by Elisabeth Waters
The Stone-Weaver's Tale • (1997) • short story by Cynthia McQuillin
The Hollow Dancer • (1997) • short story by Mary Soon Lee
La Faie Suiateih • (1997) • short story by Lisa Deason
Vengeance • (1997) • short story by Dorothy J. Heydt
The Moongate Troll • (1997) • short story by Patricia Duffy Novak
Lifestone • (1997) • short story by Mary Catelli
White Elephants • (1997) • short story by Christopher Kempke
Traveler's Aide • (1997) • short story by Kathi Thompson
Afterword: The Last Word (Sword & Sorceress XIV) • (1997) • essay by Rachel E. Holmen
...roam lands filled with danger, mystery, and magic. They are sword-wielding defenders or sorcerous spell-casters - roles too often considered the exclusive province of men.
In 26 original stories of bold and talented women, Diana Paxson, Deborah Wheeler, Elisabeth Waters, Adrienne Martine-Barnes and their fellow word-weavers lead their readers through bespelled realms of the imagination into dangers both physical and sorcerous, where all the powers of Avalon lie in a woman's hands...a talisman of love can banish a demon's deadly threat...an otherworldly hunter catches different game than she bargained for...a mother's scorn begets a daughter's magic...
The Bargain • (1997) • short story by Laura J. Underwood
The Impression of Power • (1997) • short story by Lee Martindale
The Naming of Names • (1997) • short story by Adrienne Martine-Barnes
Changelings • (1997) • short story by Diana L. Paxson
Death-Hunt • (1997) • short story by Raul Reyes
A Single Soul • (1997) • short story by Deborah Wheeler
The Needle and the Sword • (1997) • short story by Jessie D. Eaker
Small Considertions • (1997) • short story by Judith Fielder Leggett
If You Can't Stand the Heat… • (1997) • short story by P.E. Cunningham
Silver Bands • (1997) • short story by Syne Mitchell
The Hand of a Lady • (1997) • short story by Anne Cutrell
To Have and To Hold • (1997) • short story by K.D. Barnes
A Knight on Tower Hill • (1997) • short story by Kathrina Bood
The Longest Night • (1997) • short story by Lisa S. Silverthorne
Blood Moon • (1997) • novelette by Cynthia Ward
By the Skin of her Teeth • (1997) • short story by Heather Rose Jones
Friends in High Places • (1997) • short fiction by Christina Krueger
The Blade of Unmaking • (1997) • novelette by Elisabeth Waters
The Stone-Weaver's Tale • (1997) • short story by Cynthia McQuillin
The Hollow Dancer • (1997) • short story by Mary Soon Lee
La Faie Suiateih • (1997) • short story by Lisa Deason
Vengeance • (1997) • short story by Dorothy J. Heydt
The Moongate Troll • (1997) • short story by Patricia Duffy Novak
Lifestone • (1997) • short story by Mary Catelli
White Elephants • (1997) • short story by Christopher Kempke
Traveler's Aide • (1997) • short story by Kathi Thompson
Afterword: The Last Word (Sword & Sorceress XIV) • (1997) • essay by Rachel E. Holmen
348 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1997
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
824 books4,969 followersMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 29, 2022
Pretty good collection of short stories (no novella-length stuff here), if you love wizardy & magic starring the ladies.
Most of the tales tended toward lighter or cute-ish themes; some were darker. Best read a few stories at a time, rather than in a big rush, lest some similar tales here melt together.
VERDICT: 3.5 stars for this sub-genre, or more like a flat 3.0 against magic/sorcery stories in general.
Most of the tales tended toward lighter or cute-ish themes; some were darker. Best read a few stories at a time, rather than in a big rush, lest some similar tales here melt together.
VERDICT: 3.5 stars for this sub-genre, or more like a flat 3.0 against magic/sorcery stories in general.
December 19, 2021
I received this as a gift, and overall, it was a good fit: I like fantasy, I like female protagonists, and I like discovering authors I've never read before. And while I don't have a lot of exposure to short-form fantasy in particular, I was curious to get a taste of some different voices and different worlds.
As with many anthologies, this turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the stories were great, with distinctive characters, grounded settings, and memorable plot twists. Others left something to be desires, while a few felt weirdly ecclesiastical--which I only bring up because it happened more than once, and it's a bit jarring feeling like you're reading a sermon when you go in expecting something more creative. A handful were also entries in ongoing series of stories, whose earlier entries I've never read. Still, the memorable stories outweigh the duds, and I've got a few more authors I can keep an eye out for, the next time I'm at the bookstore.
As with many anthologies, this turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the stories were great, with distinctive characters, grounded settings, and memorable plot twists. Others left something to be desires, while a few felt weirdly ecclesiastical--which I only bring up because it happened more than once, and it's a bit jarring feeling like you're reading a sermon when you go in expecting something more creative. A handful were also entries in ongoing series of stories, whose earlier entries I've never read. Still, the memorable stories outweigh the duds, and I've got a few more authors I can keep an eye out for, the next time I'm at the bookstore.
September 12, 2011
/review to come
Notable stories include:
"Impression of Power" by Lee Martindale | Intro of Merlin, the gendershifting magic user.
"Silver Bands" by Syne Mitchell | Puzzle rings hold fidelity proof.
"Blood Moon" by Cynthia Ward | Outcast magic-user rues her choice when it prevents her from saving her friend.
"By the Skin of Her Teeth" by Heather Rose Jones | Another story in this shapeshifting series.
"The Blade of Unmaking" by Elizabeth Waters | Damned mystical weapon causes suicidal depression.
"The Stoneweaver's Tale" by Cynthia McQuillin | Girl covets blue stone cat that is actually her father.
"La Faie Suiateih" by Deanson | Superfluous vowels are superfluous; also, the unicorn is lonely.
"The Moongate Troll" by Patricia Duffy Novak | Babysitting boyfriends and trolls.
"Traveler's Aid" by Kathi Thompson | I'd've like this better if it wasn't trying so hard for that final line.
Notable stories include:
"Impression of Power" by Lee Martindale | Intro of Merlin, the gendershifting magic user.
"Silver Bands" by Syne Mitchell | Puzzle rings hold fidelity proof.
"Blood Moon" by Cynthia Ward | Outcast magic-user rues her choice when it prevents her from saving her friend.
"By the Skin of Her Teeth" by Heather Rose Jones | Another story in this shapeshifting series.
"The Blade of Unmaking" by Elizabeth Waters | Damned mystical weapon causes suicidal depression.
"The Stoneweaver's Tale" by Cynthia McQuillin | Girl covets blue stone cat that is actually her father.
"La Faie Suiateih" by Deanson | Superfluous vowels are superfluous; also, the unicorn is lonely.
"The Moongate Troll" by Patricia Duffy Novak | Babysitting boyfriends and trolls.
"Traveler's Aid" by Kathi Thompson | I'd've like this better if it wasn't trying so hard for that final line.
July 16, 2020
Antologia curata dalla MZB che ha sperato nel futuro senza tralasciare il mito!
Ecco cosa nasce quando l’amore per la scrittura ed i racconti ti scivola nelle vene fino a non poterne fare più. La Bradley che per me incarna questo significato di mito e di eterno nella sua immensa bontà ha voluto raccogliere racconti su racconti anche di scrittori non noti e renderli tale dando loro la possibilità di emergere dall’ignoto attraverso le sue antologie.
Questa in particolare, senza nemmeno che lo sapessi, oltre a racchiudere in se un racconto della Paxson che io reputo un gradino sotto la Bradley per il dono che mi sta facendo nel proseguire la serie di Avalon con un perfetto sincronismo stilistico o mitologico avanti ed in dietro alle spire della Bradley stessa che pace all’anima sua non ci assiste più ormai da decenni… dicevo, racchiude in se anche un racconto sui vampiri e sui lupi mannari ...ma nulla di eccezionale.
I vari racconti, tra alti e bassi di piacevolezza per i miei gusti narrativi e/o meno sono stati carucci ma non da sfondare le tre stelle…giusto ad avvicinarvisi senza strafare come invece confidavo. Forse rimarrà l’unica antologia tra le altre cinque pubblicate che leggero’ o forse ne scoverò un’altra più intrigante (spero) ma comunque l’occhio critico della Bradley non sbaglia mai il mirino del suo potenziale e di coloro che la attraggono!
Ecco cosa nasce quando l’amore per la scrittura ed i racconti ti scivola nelle vene fino a non poterne fare più. La Bradley che per me incarna questo significato di mito e di eterno nella sua immensa bontà ha voluto raccogliere racconti su racconti anche di scrittori non noti e renderli tale dando loro la possibilità di emergere dall’ignoto attraverso le sue antologie.
Questa in particolare, senza nemmeno che lo sapessi, oltre a racchiudere in se un racconto della Paxson che io reputo un gradino sotto la Bradley per il dono che mi sta facendo nel proseguire la serie di Avalon con un perfetto sincronismo stilistico o mitologico avanti ed in dietro alle spire della Bradley stessa che pace all’anima sua non ci assiste più ormai da decenni… dicevo, racchiude in se anche un racconto sui vampiri e sui lupi mannari ...ma nulla di eccezionale.
I vari racconti, tra alti e bassi di piacevolezza per i miei gusti narrativi e/o meno sono stati carucci ma non da sfondare le tre stelle…giusto ad avvicinarvisi senza strafare come invece confidavo. Forse rimarrà l’unica antologia tra le altre cinque pubblicate che leggero’ o forse ne scoverò un’altra più intrigante (spero) ma comunque l’occhio critico della Bradley non sbaglia mai il mirino del suo potenziale e di coloro che la attraggono!
May 31, 2020
A somewhat decent mix of short stories . The intros are somewhat annoying - very repetitive from previous volumes and saying the same thing
October 27, 2024
Solid collection of fantasy stories, as with every other book of this series.
June 5, 2021
Another enjoyable collection of fantasy short stories
December 25, 2018
Sequel stories and good new ones..made this a lovely read.
September 3, 2015
Fantasy stories with female protagonists. Comparable to stories with male protagonists - some good, some not so good.
January 22, 2016
Short stories of strong female wizards, witches, shapeshifters, etc.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews