The Price of Victory

Thieves' World #10-12

by Robert Lynn Asprin (Editor), Lynn Abbey (Editor), Mark C. Perry (Contributor)

The fourth (and final) set of three short story collections from the Thieves' World shared universe series. Includes:
Aftermath
Uneasy Alliances
Stealers' Sky

Contents:
Aftermath: Dramatis personae / Lynn Abbey ; Introduction / Robert Lynn Asprin ; Cade / Mark C. Perry ; Wake of the riddler / Janet Morris ; Inheritor / David Drake ; A mercy worse than none / John Brunner ; Seeing is believing (but love is blind) / Lynn Abbey ; Homecoming / Andrew Offutt --
Uneasy alliances: Dramatis personae / Lynn Abbey ; Introduction / Lynn Abbey ; Slave trade / Robert Lynn Asprin ; The best of friends / C.J. Cherryh ; The power of kings / Jon DeCles ; Red light, love light / Chris Morris ; A sticky business / C.S. Williams ; The promise of heaven / Robin Wayne Bailey ; The vision of Lalo / Diana L. Paxson --
Stealers' sky: Dramatis personae / Lynn Abbey ; Introduction / Robert Lynn Asprin ; Night work / Andrew Offutt ; The incompetent audience / Jon DeCles ; Our vintage years / Duane McGowen ; Quicksilver dreams / Diana L. Paxson ; Winds of fortune / C.J. Cherryh ; The fire in a god's eye / Robin Wayne Bailey ; Web weavers / Lynn Abbey ; To begin again / Robert Lynn Asprin

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Anthologies

592 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1990

About the author

Robert (Lynn) Asprin was born in 1946. While he wrote some stand alone novels such as The Cold Cash War, Tambu, and The Bug Wars and also the Duncan & Mallory Illustrated stories, Bob is best known for his series fantasy, such as the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve, the Phule's Company novels, and the Time Scout novels written with Linda Evans. He also edited the groundbreaking Thieves' World anthology series with Lynn Abbey. Other collaborations include License Invoked (set in the French Quarter of New Orleans) and several Myth Adventures novels, all written with Jody Lynn Nye.

Bob's final solo work was a contemporary fantasy series called Dragons, again set in New Orleans.

Bob passed away suddenly on May 22, 2008. He is survived by his daughter and son, his mother and his sister.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book envelopes three Thieves' World short story collections. The writing method behind Thieves' World is fascinating to me: A pretty regular fantasy setting in a city full of thieves, heroes, magic, and violence, and several writers who share the milieu, the characters and who continue the life of the town from where the last writer left it.

I remember the earlier Thieves' World stories as deliciously dark but full of points of humane interest. This collection did not quite live up to the memory - the streaks are dark, the plots interesting, all the characters shown from both sides of the rivalries, so that you don't know who's "good" and who's "bad" anymore, but all in all, everything seems so... harmless. I want more edge!

Anyway, a world full of interest, not least to people who write themselves.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good shared world book series. The variety of writers keeps the stories fresh. Recommended