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The Sword and Sorcery Anthology
Blood will flow, heads will roll, dragons will soar, and the dead shall rise. Journey to ancient cities ruled by sinister mages, storm-tossed seas where monsters dwell, mysterious towers full of ancient secrets and dark dungeons with untold treasures. From Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian to George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire, join the legendary heroes — and villains — of sword and sorcery in nineteen epic adventures that are sure to bring out the barbarian in you: Anti-hero Elric infiltrates a band of mercenaries to match wits with a powerful sorcerer; With her trio of dragons, Daenerys Stormbringer makes a fool’s bargain with slave traders; A mage’s apprentice, the young Grey Mouser uses newfound power to battle an evil Duke; Conan breaks into the Tower of the Elephant to steal a spectacular jewel with a dark secret; Despite her drunkard’s ways, Malmury slays an old sea troll, before facing his powerful daughter. This essential, fast-paced anthology is a chronological gathering of influential, inventive, and entertaining fantasy — sure to appeal to all action-oriented fans.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
71 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
David G. Hartwell
113 books92 followersDavid Geddes Hartwell was an American editor of science fiction and fantasy. He worked for Signet (1971-1973), Berkley Putnam (1973-1978), Pocket (where he founded the Timescape imprint, 1978-1983, and created the Pocket Books Star Trek publishing line), and Tor (where he spearheaded Tor's Canadian publishing initiative, and was also influential in bringing many Australian writers to the US market, 1984-date), and has published numerous anthologies. He chaired the board of directors of the World Fantasy Convention and, with Gordon Van Gelder, was the administrator of the Philip K. Dick Award. He held a Ph.D. in comparative medieval literature.
He lived in Pleasantville, New York with his wife Kathryn Cramer and their two children.
He lived in Pleasantville, New York with his wife Kathryn Cramer and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 29, 2012
A very solid collection that starts off strong (with stories by Robert E. Howard, C.L. Moore and Fritz Leiber) and just keeps going. Mostly reprints but with two original stories -- a new Nifft the Lean tale by Michael Shea, and a new story by Michael Swanwick. Other authors include Michael Moorcock, Joanna Russ and Jane Yolen. Oh, and this promising young newcomer named George R.R. Martin. (The Martin piece I'm pretty sure ended up being incorporated into one of the Ice & Fire novels -- it's about Dany sailing across the sea and getting her army.)
There's always room to quibble in an anthology like this -- either in terms of the authors who were included or excluded, or in terms of the specific stories that were chosen -- but I don't have any real complaints, except possibly about David Drake's introduction, which is strangely rambling and doesn't even touch on all of the stories/authors included -- one of the things I generally enjoy about anthologies like this is getting more insight into the contents. If you want 400+ pages of mostly A-grade sword & sorcery from the 1930's to the present, you could do much worse.
There's always room to quibble in an anthology like this -- either in terms of the authors who were included or excluded, or in terms of the specific stories that were chosen -- but I don't have any real complaints, except possibly about David Drake's introduction, which is strangely rambling and doesn't even touch on all of the stories/authors included -- one of the things I generally enjoy about anthologies like this is getting more insight into the contents. If you want 400+ pages of mostly A-grade sword & sorcery from the 1930's to the present, you could do much worse.
February 18, 2020
David Drake's introduction does it no favors, and the editors included no connective tissue that would make this more than a haphazard pile of stories. This is a problem when you start with Robert E Howard, C L Moore, and Fritz Leiber--all heavily reprinted--and make an implicit historical progression.
The find of this collection is the Dread Empire story with the long title. It reads like a fantasy rework of Shane from the perspective of the mysterious stranger, and has all the politics and geography and history that is entirely in my wheelhouse. I kept going back and forth to see if I completely understood all the details and players in the drama.
Also, "The Coral Heart", which puts Jeffrey Ford's Crackpot Palace on my to-read list, with its setting details and marvelous ideas.
I would quibble with "The Unholy Grail" and "The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams" as not being very representative of the series/characters they represent. "Grail" is the Gray Mouser origin tale that doesn't feature the character dynamic that drives those stories, and "Caravan" is late in the Elric chronology where his attitudes and behavior is strikingly human. Better selections exist.
And then there's "Path of the Dragon", which was detailed and intricate and as talky as I found A Game of Thrones, and is part of a greater narrative that I just never got interested in.
The find of this collection is the Dread Empire story with the long title. It reads like a fantasy rework of Shane from the perspective of the mysterious stranger, and has all the politics and geography and history that is entirely in my wheelhouse. I kept going back and forth to see if I completely understood all the details and players in the drama.
Also, "The Coral Heart", which puts Jeffrey Ford's Crackpot Palace on my to-read list, with its setting details and marvelous ideas.
I would quibble with "The Unholy Grail" and "The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams" as not being very representative of the series/characters they represent. "Grail" is the Gray Mouser origin tale that doesn't feature the character dynamic that drives those stories, and "Caravan" is late in the Elric chronology where his attitudes and behavior is strikingly human. Better selections exist.
And then there's "Path of the Dragon", which was detailed and intricate and as talky as I found A Game of Thrones, and is part of a greater narrative that I just never got interested in.
September 1, 2016
When I was younger I would go to the bookstore and I would be simply overwhelmed. The fantasy section was about as large as any big chain store section today. I didn't have the pedigree or knowledge that I have in my 40's. I was intimidated by all the titles I've never heard of before. My reading choices were based solely on cool covers or established series. (Star Trek, Predator, etc...) I really missed out.
Not as powerful as Hartwell's Dark Descent, but very impressionable nonetheless. I added a lot of TBR to my list today.
Not as powerful as Hartwell's Dark Descent, but very impressionable nonetheless. I added a lot of TBR to my list today.
September 5, 2015
So, sword and sorcery. Like the Special Air Service or the San Antonio Spurs, you expect things with the initials SAS to contain an assemblage of bad-asses. And yet to date I’ve chiefly known the most action-packed branch of the fantasy family tree for its indirect influence on stuff like the Diablo games and 300 films rather than for the written word.
Thus, the inventively titled ‘The Sword & Sorcery Anthology’. I was intending soon to dive into some of these major fantasy series anyway (Conan, Elric, ASOIAF and all that jazz), but I wanted a ‘tasting plate’ to get me in the mood and give me some ideas. I was also hoping to discover some writers who aren’t household names even in nerdy households. In both these respects the book succeeds.
First though, as others have noted the actual anthology elements are poor. David Drake’s introduction is the worst I’ve seen of its type, muttering about some of the authors but not others and having no clear theme or direction. It’s subtitled ‘A Guided Ramble into Sword and Sorcery Fiction’ and he got the ‘ramble’ part right.
It’s also odd that neither of the editors saw fit to contribute to the intro, or to much else. There’s no context given for any of the stories. Sure, we can research them all in our own time but a few short sentences on each to explain roughly where the author and story fit chronologically and how it forms part of a longer series would have bumped the quality up substantially. This is after all primarily a text for newbies.
Anyway, as expected the big names delivered. The book kicks off with one of the most famous Conan stories ‘The Tower of the Elephant’ and it was excellent. The hints of Cthulhu mythos were icing on the cake since I’m a tragic for that stuff.
I enjoyed the partial origin story for the Grey Mouser in Fritz Leiber’s ‘The Unholy Grail’. By contrast, a much later Elric story was chosen in Michael Moorcock’s ‘The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams’ but it worked equally well. With famous characters like these picking an earlier or later story for an anthology both have their pros and cons.
As to discovering other authors, there’s plenty of good material here. I was pleased to learn about C.L. Moore and her ‘Jirel of Joiry’ series by way of ‘The Black God’s Kiss’ as I’m a sucker for any Weird Tales alumni. It’s also cool to know something about one of the earlier women writing in these fields. I wish I could say the same for ‘The Adventuress’ by Joanna Russ, but I seem to be missing the appeal others are seeing in it and on my first read I thought it was a dud.
Poul Anderson’s ‘The Tale of Hauk’ works as a solid piece of Viking-themed historical fiction with a twist of mythology. I’ve since learnt of his book ‘The Broken Sword’ so I’ll be reading that eventually. Charles R. Saunders’ ‘Gimmile’s Songs’ breaks free of the standard European-derived fantasy settings by providing an African flavour. It’s a pity his work seems quite obscure as I would like to get a sense of the broader world glimpsed in this story.
Karl Edward Wagener’s ‘Undertow’ is the only story here to spend any serious word count focusing on the sorcerous villain himself, which is understandable considering ‘Kane’ is the protagonist of a number of his stories. Here he is undoubtedly a baddie but a tragic one. One can at least understand his motivation even if one can’t agree with his actions.
As for Glen Cook’s ‘Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat’, wow. It’s by far the longest story (and title) here but it more than justifies its inclusion. This story ticks every box and then some. The protagonist is of course a suitably formidable warrior but is also a complex, introspective and multi-faceted individual with some genuine vulnerability to temper his strength.
Without spoiling too much, I was also impressed with what little I saw of the magic ‘system’ wherein the approaches to manipulating the underlying force varies by culture, natural affinity and level of training. The mentions of the broader world suggest some Asian and middle-eastern influences alongside the European. This is the kind of story that makes me want to drop everything and immediately find out everything I can about the author. Suffice it to say I’ll be reading more about the Dread Empire and the Black Company.
‘Become a Warrior’ by Jane Yolen is almost a prose poem and a beautiful piece of writing that stands on its own without a broader context. ‘The Sea Troll’s Daughter’ by Caitlin R. Kiernan is another example of her enviable ability to write stories which at first glance would be at home in a 30s issue of Weird Tales but then subvert the form with modern takes on psychology, sexuality and happy endings.
All told, I got what I wanted from this book but the lack of attention paid to anything other than selecting the stories left it a notch below the near-perfect genre introduction and celebration it could have been.
Thus, the inventively titled ‘The Sword & Sorcery Anthology’. I was intending soon to dive into some of these major fantasy series anyway (Conan, Elric, ASOIAF and all that jazz), but I wanted a ‘tasting plate’ to get me in the mood and give me some ideas. I was also hoping to discover some writers who aren’t household names even in nerdy households. In both these respects the book succeeds.
First though, as others have noted the actual anthology elements are poor. David Drake’s introduction is the worst I’ve seen of its type, muttering about some of the authors but not others and having no clear theme or direction. It’s subtitled ‘A Guided Ramble into Sword and Sorcery Fiction’ and he got the ‘ramble’ part right.
It’s also odd that neither of the editors saw fit to contribute to the intro, or to much else. There’s no context given for any of the stories. Sure, we can research them all in our own time but a few short sentences on each to explain roughly where the author and story fit chronologically and how it forms part of a longer series would have bumped the quality up substantially. This is after all primarily a text for newbies.
Anyway, as expected the big names delivered. The book kicks off with one of the most famous Conan stories ‘The Tower of the Elephant’ and it was excellent. The hints of Cthulhu mythos were icing on the cake since I’m a tragic for that stuff.
I enjoyed the partial origin story for the Grey Mouser in Fritz Leiber’s ‘The Unholy Grail’. By contrast, a much later Elric story was chosen in Michael Moorcock’s ‘The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams’ but it worked equally well. With famous characters like these picking an earlier or later story for an anthology both have their pros and cons.
As to discovering other authors, there’s plenty of good material here. I was pleased to learn about C.L. Moore and her ‘Jirel of Joiry’ series by way of ‘The Black God’s Kiss’ as I’m a sucker for any Weird Tales alumni. It’s also cool to know something about one of the earlier women writing in these fields. I wish I could say the same for ‘The Adventuress’ by Joanna Russ, but I seem to be missing the appeal others are seeing in it and on my first read I thought it was a dud.
Poul Anderson’s ‘The Tale of Hauk’ works as a solid piece of Viking-themed historical fiction with a twist of mythology. I’ve since learnt of his book ‘The Broken Sword’ so I’ll be reading that eventually. Charles R. Saunders’ ‘Gimmile’s Songs’ breaks free of the standard European-derived fantasy settings by providing an African flavour. It’s a pity his work seems quite obscure as I would like to get a sense of the broader world glimpsed in this story.
Karl Edward Wagener’s ‘Undertow’ is the only story here to spend any serious word count focusing on the sorcerous villain himself, which is understandable considering ‘Kane’ is the protagonist of a number of his stories. Here he is undoubtedly a baddie but a tragic one. One can at least understand his motivation even if one can’t agree with his actions.
As for Glen Cook’s ‘Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat’, wow. It’s by far the longest story (and title) here but it more than justifies its inclusion. This story ticks every box and then some. The protagonist is of course a suitably formidable warrior but is also a complex, introspective and multi-faceted individual with some genuine vulnerability to temper his strength.
Without spoiling too much, I was also impressed with what little I saw of the magic ‘system’ wherein the approaches to manipulating the underlying force varies by culture, natural affinity and level of training. The mentions of the broader world suggest some Asian and middle-eastern influences alongside the European. This is the kind of story that makes me want to drop everything and immediately find out everything I can about the author. Suffice it to say I’ll be reading more about the Dread Empire and the Black Company.
‘Become a Warrior’ by Jane Yolen is almost a prose poem and a beautiful piece of writing that stands on its own without a broader context. ‘The Sea Troll’s Daughter’ by Caitlin R. Kiernan is another example of her enviable ability to write stories which at first glance would be at home in a 30s issue of Weird Tales but then subvert the form with modern takes on psychology, sexuality and happy endings.
All told, I got what I wanted from this book but the lack of attention paid to anything other than selecting the stories left it a notch below the near-perfect genre introduction and celebration it could have been.
March 17, 2021
The Sword & Sorcery Anthology is a very ambitious title and, as many other reviewers before me have pointed out, this is a mixed bag and the lows probably outnumber the highs. Yet even the more cliché-ridden tales included have some value as entertainment and there are some true gems, including both classics of the genre and others that offer innovative approaches. Perhaps the most outstanding classic, old-school entry in this anthology is the opening tale, "The Tower of the Elephant" by Robert E. Howard: a quintaessential Conan story in which the barbarian and a thief brave the trap-filled tower of an evil wizard. "The Adventuress" by Joanna Russ is an interesting feminist approach to the sword and sorcery genre, but Caitlin R. Kienan's "The Sea Troll's Daughter" actually delivers a more complex female-centered version of the genre and the story's final confrontation is both emotionally and intellectually satisfying. Two of the stories successfully take away the genre from the typical "northern European" settings: "Gimmile's Song" by Charles Saunders and "Soldier from an Empire Unacquainted With Defeat" by Glen Cook. The former takes us to a sub-Saharian world and the other is a great introduction to Cook's Chinese-inspired Dread Empire saga. Curiosly, both stories feature warriors that have, for very different reasons, rejected the ways of their army days and try to start anew (even if their past skills save the day at the end). To finish this review, I would agree once more with other reviewers: the introduction is rather lacklustre and vague and the lack of even a short biography of the authors leaves the reader in the dark (of course, you can google them, but it would be nice and not too complicated to have a few words before each story to give some context).
August 14, 2022
The Tower of the Elephant - Robert E. Howard (1933)
I'm thoroughly unimpressed. What a disappointing showing. Conan in this story at least is quite the letdown. What an easily led fool he is. Its modern influence is evident though.
Blah
Black God’s Kiss - C. L. Moore (1934)
It begins by telling the reader what a mighty woman the protagonist is, the equal to most any man, but alas her foe is so much more than that. But none of that about her matters, because as the titles implies, this begins and ends with kissing.
Blah
The Unholy Grail - Fritz Leiber (1962)
There were bits of unintentional humor in this. For example the villain decries the uselessness of his daughter as compared to her mother who was so fierce that she may have even cuckolded him. A young Gray Mouser is the protagonist and not very fun to read about. There were a few interesting ideas, but little was done with them.
Meh
The Tale of Hauk - Poul Anderson (1977)
This was mostly a historical fiction story about Norsemen before it veered off into fantastical metaphor. The former was nice, the latter not so much. Hauk, the son, returns and must right the wrongs of his father, who was once hale and hearty, but now has grown vicious and callous in his illness.
Ok
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams - Michael Moorcock (1962)
A horde from the east ravages the land and soon shall be where Elric resides. Once he again he must do what he is loathe. This wasn't the first Moorcock story I've finished, but it was the first Elric. Despite how silly this was, it also was somewhat fun. That was exemplified by Elric's beseeching of the God of Cats.
Ok
The Adventuress - Joanna Russ (1967)
A comedic misadventure of a female duo, who are 30 and 18. It would've been enjoyable if it weren't seemingly only a fragment, which upon looking, it is.
Ok
Gimmile’s Songs - Charles R. Saunders (1984)
A culturally African story with a black female protagonist. A quite interesting tale of swords, sorcery, and sex.
Enjoyable
Undertow - Karl Edward Wagner (1977)
An intriguing and amusing gothic horror story. A woman searches out men to have sex with and to take her away from Kane.
Enjoyable
The Stages of the God - Ramsey Campbell (1974)
A strange quasi-religious story of altered consciousness mythmaking.
Blah
The Barrow Troll - David Drake (1975)
The Norseman known as Womanslayer recounts a tale of a woman he killed who told him about a troll and his treasure and that only fire blessed by a priest could defeat it, so he kidnaps the a priest and takes him there to battle the troll.
Meh
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat - Glen Cook (1980)
One of the greatest soldiers of the most powerful empire is immersed in the drama of the farmland frontier of a foreign country.
Ok
Epistle from Lebanoi - Michael Shea (2012)
A man searching for spices becomes part of an apocalyptic battle caused by sexual infidelity.
Ok
==
Become a Warrior - Jane Yolen (1998)
A rather short, though impactful, story of a seven year old princess whose father is killed and kingdom is lost. A very engaging and murderous tale despite its length. The author has apparently written over 400 books.
Enjoyable
The Red Guild - Rachel Pollack (1985)
A young female assassin is contracted to kill a dragon, but it becomes so much more.
Enjoyable
Six from Atlantis - Gene Wolfe (2006)
A man seeking treasure challenges an ape who rules the land.
Blah
The Sea Troll’s Daughter - Caitlín R. Kiernan (2010)
A funny story that subverts the typical monster slaying tale.
Enjoyable
The Coral Heart - Jeffrey Ford (2009)
The man known as The Coral Heart has a sword that turns people into coral. As he wanders around with his tulpa, he meets the perfect woman. He proclaims he'll turn everyone in the world to coral if she won't have sex with him.
Meh
Path of the Dragon - George R. R. Martin (2000)
Daenerys chapters that were put together as promotional material before the release of A Storm of Swords.
The Year of the Three Monarchs - Michael Swanwick (2012)
A brief and silly story of betrayal, murder, and trickery.
Meh
I'm thoroughly unimpressed. What a disappointing showing. Conan in this story at least is quite the letdown. What an easily led fool he is. Its modern influence is evident though.
Blah
Black God’s Kiss - C. L. Moore (1934)
It begins by telling the reader what a mighty woman the protagonist is, the equal to most any man, but alas her foe is so much more than that. But none of that about her matters, because as the titles implies, this begins and ends with kissing.
Blah
The Unholy Grail - Fritz Leiber (1962)
There were bits of unintentional humor in this. For example the villain decries the uselessness of his daughter as compared to her mother who was so fierce that she may have even cuckolded him. A young Gray Mouser is the protagonist and not very fun to read about. There were a few interesting ideas, but little was done with them.
Meh
The Tale of Hauk - Poul Anderson (1977)
This was mostly a historical fiction story about Norsemen before it veered off into fantastical metaphor. The former was nice, the latter not so much. Hauk, the son, returns and must right the wrongs of his father, who was once hale and hearty, but now has grown vicious and callous in his illness.
Ok
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams - Michael Moorcock (1962)
A horde from the east ravages the land and soon shall be where Elric resides. Once he again he must do what he is loathe. This wasn't the first Moorcock story I've finished, but it was the first Elric. Despite how silly this was, it also was somewhat fun. That was exemplified by Elric's beseeching of the God of Cats.
Ok
The Adventuress - Joanna Russ (1967)
A comedic misadventure of a female duo, who are 30 and 18. It would've been enjoyable if it weren't seemingly only a fragment, which upon looking, it is.
Ok
Gimmile’s Songs - Charles R. Saunders (1984)
A culturally African story with a black female protagonist. A quite interesting tale of swords, sorcery, and sex.
Enjoyable
Undertow - Karl Edward Wagner (1977)
An intriguing and amusing gothic horror story. A woman searches out men to have sex with and to take her away from Kane.
Enjoyable
The Stages of the God - Ramsey Campbell (1974)
A strange quasi-religious story of altered consciousness mythmaking.
Blah
The Barrow Troll - David Drake (1975)
The Norseman known as Womanslayer recounts a tale of a woman he killed who told him about a troll and his treasure and that only fire blessed by a priest could defeat it, so he kidnaps the a priest and takes him there to battle the troll.
Meh
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat - Glen Cook (1980)
One of the greatest soldiers of the most powerful empire is immersed in the drama of the farmland frontier of a foreign country.
Ok
Epistle from Lebanoi - Michael Shea (2012)
A man searching for spices becomes part of an apocalyptic battle caused by sexual infidelity.
Ok
==
Become a Warrior - Jane Yolen (1998)
A rather short, though impactful, story of a seven year old princess whose father is killed and kingdom is lost. A very engaging and murderous tale despite its length. The author has apparently written over 400 books.
Enjoyable
The Red Guild - Rachel Pollack (1985)
A young female assassin is contracted to kill a dragon, but it becomes so much more.
Enjoyable
Six from Atlantis - Gene Wolfe (2006)
A man seeking treasure challenges an ape who rules the land.
Blah
The Sea Troll’s Daughter - Caitlín R. Kiernan (2010)
A funny story that subverts the typical monster slaying tale.
Enjoyable
The Coral Heart - Jeffrey Ford (2009)
The man known as The Coral Heart has a sword that turns people into coral. As he wanders around with his tulpa, he meets the perfect woman. He proclaims he'll turn everyone in the world to coral if she won't have sex with him.
Meh
Path of the Dragon - George R. R. Martin (2000)
Daenerys chapters that were put together as promotional material before the release of A Storm of Swords.
The Year of the Three Monarchs - Michael Swanwick (2012)
A brief and silly story of betrayal, murder, and trickery.
Meh
June 20, 2020
19 stories featuring mighty thews and dark arts. Barbarians in mythical lands and knight-errants in medieval Europe clash against doughty warriors, figures from mythology, and sometimes entire armies. Both men and women swing swords and wield magic, sometimes for pay, sometimes for love, sometimes for hate, sometimes for vengeance, and sometimes just because. Dragons, trolls, and ghosts, plus blood, blood, and more blood.
The true masters are represented here. Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Poul Anderson, C.L. Moore. David Drake, Karl Edward Wagner, Michael Moorcock, Michael Shea, Michael Swanwick, Joanna Russ, and many more. Stories both good and great throughout, including a "Game of Thrones" installment from George R.U.R. Martin. Starts with thieves raiding a tower, ends with a thief stealing a crown.
The true masters are represented here. Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Poul Anderson, C.L. Moore. David Drake, Karl Edward Wagner, Michael Moorcock, Michael Shea, Michael Swanwick, Joanna Russ, and many more. Stories both good and great throughout, including a "Game of Thrones" installment from George R.U.R. Martin. Starts with thieves raiding a tower, ends with a thief stealing a crown.
July 31, 2020
This would easily be a five star read if the editor had given some biographical information about the authors, the selected stories and their place in the history/evolution of Sword & Sorcery.
Had this been done, this would be a great introduction to S&S. I’m a long time reader of S&S and I encountered gems I did not know existed.
Regardless, this is a great collection of Sword & Sorcery, from classic to modern.
Had this been done, this would be a great introduction to S&S. I’m a long time reader of S&S and I encountered gems I did not know existed.
Regardless, this is a great collection of Sword & Sorcery, from classic to modern.
November 13, 2014
The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard 4/5
This is the story of how Conan met a thief, killed a god, and broke a tower. Gorgeous imagery and stark details make for a fun read that holds up long after it was first written. (By some accounts, this is the first canonical Conan story.)
Black God’s Kiss by C.L. Moore 3/5
A tale of revenge, possession, and demon lands, in which our heroine makes a classic error and accepts a gift from a demon.
The Unholy Grail by Fritz Leiber 4/5
Mouse is apprenticed to a gentle, white magician. When tragedy strikes, in the form of an evil Duke, Mouse must make hard choices. Not the first published Gray Mouser story, but it’s definitely early.
The Tail of Hauk by Poul Anderson 5/5
Hauk is a warrior and trader, one who makes his way between the Danes, the Norse, and the English and who has the strength to deal with them all. This is the story of how he earned his name.
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams by Michael Moorcock 4/5
Elric! A barbarian horde ravages towards Elric’s newly found home and so Elric takes up sword to stop the brutes. Moonglum and some dragons help him out.
The Adventuress by Joanna Russ 3/5
Full points for style, although I can't say there was much substance. This is much more of a character piece, but she is a fascinating character and therefore, worth reading.
Gimmile’s Songs by Charles R. Saunders 4/5
A warrior finds a treasure in an unexpected place. Really nice sense of place and character in this story. Well written.
Undertow by Karl Edward Wagner 2/5
Lovely setting and detail, but the story was a bit flat for me. It’s about obsessions and games between lovers.
The Stages of the God by Ramsey Campbell 4/5
Just as the title suggests, this is the story of a king becoming something more. Or so say the histories.
The Barrow Troll by David Drake 3/5
Very tense action story about a priest, a barbarian, and, of course, a troll.
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat by Glen Cook 5/5
This is the reason I bought the anthology. A soldier lays down his weapons in search of new tools only to find new reasons for wielding his swords.
Epistle from Lebanoi by Michael Shae 2/5
Although the style is interesting, I was much more interested in the main character when he was looking for spices and lost interest when the story turned.
Become a Warrior by Jane Yolen 3/5
Simple tale of a girl growing into a woman, and a lost child into a warrior. Dreamlike prose, almost like a poem.
The Red Guild by Rachel Pollack 4/5
An assassin takes on a dragon only to find that things are not as they seem. It's a story about love and heartbreak and sacrifices made unwillingly.
Six from Atlantis by Gene Wolfe 2/5
This is an odd story. It’s full of beautiful descriptions and wonder, but it’s a little too out there for me. I want better explanations of who the characters are and why they’ve come into conflict.
The Sea Troll’s Daughter by Caitlin R. Kiernan 3/5
Start with the slaying of a troll by a stranger and throw in a comely barmaid and you have a standard adventure tale, up to a point. That’s the point when the story gets interesting.
The Coral Heart by Jeffery Ford 3/5
A brutal, dark tale of an enchanted sword and those who would possess it.
Path of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin 3/5
This novella is an adaptation of Dany’s chapters from one of the latter books in the Song of Ice and Fire series. Good, but I don’t think there’s anything new here that wasn’t in the novel.
The Year of the Three Monarchs by Michael Swanwick 5/5
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Over and over and over again. Be it wielded by a sorcerer, a swordsman, or a thief.
This is the story of how Conan met a thief, killed a god, and broke a tower. Gorgeous imagery and stark details make for a fun read that holds up long after it was first written. (By some accounts, this is the first canonical Conan story.)
Black God’s Kiss by C.L. Moore 3/5
A tale of revenge, possession, and demon lands, in which our heroine makes a classic error and accepts a gift from a demon.
The Unholy Grail by Fritz Leiber 4/5
Mouse is apprenticed to a gentle, white magician. When tragedy strikes, in the form of an evil Duke, Mouse must make hard choices. Not the first published Gray Mouser story, but it’s definitely early.
The Tail of Hauk by Poul Anderson 5/5
Hauk is a warrior and trader, one who makes his way between the Danes, the Norse, and the English and who has the strength to deal with them all. This is the story of how he earned his name.
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams by Michael Moorcock 4/5
Elric! A barbarian horde ravages towards Elric’s newly found home and so Elric takes up sword to stop the brutes. Moonglum and some dragons help him out.
The Adventuress by Joanna Russ 3/5
Full points for style, although I can't say there was much substance. This is much more of a character piece, but she is a fascinating character and therefore, worth reading.
Gimmile’s Songs by Charles R. Saunders 4/5
A warrior finds a treasure in an unexpected place. Really nice sense of place and character in this story. Well written.
Undertow by Karl Edward Wagner 2/5
Lovely setting and detail, but the story was a bit flat for me. It’s about obsessions and games between lovers.
The Stages of the God by Ramsey Campbell 4/5
Just as the title suggests, this is the story of a king becoming something more. Or so say the histories.
The Barrow Troll by David Drake 3/5
Very tense action story about a priest, a barbarian, and, of course, a troll.
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat by Glen Cook 5/5
This is the reason I bought the anthology. A soldier lays down his weapons in search of new tools only to find new reasons for wielding his swords.
Epistle from Lebanoi by Michael Shae 2/5
Although the style is interesting, I was much more interested in the main character when he was looking for spices and lost interest when the story turned.
Become a Warrior by Jane Yolen 3/5
Simple tale of a girl growing into a woman, and a lost child into a warrior. Dreamlike prose, almost like a poem.
The Red Guild by Rachel Pollack 4/5
An assassin takes on a dragon only to find that things are not as they seem. It's a story about love and heartbreak and sacrifices made unwillingly.
Six from Atlantis by Gene Wolfe 2/5
This is an odd story. It’s full of beautiful descriptions and wonder, but it’s a little too out there for me. I want better explanations of who the characters are and why they’ve come into conflict.
The Sea Troll’s Daughter by Caitlin R. Kiernan 3/5
Start with the slaying of a troll by a stranger and throw in a comely barmaid and you have a standard adventure tale, up to a point. That’s the point when the story gets interesting.
The Coral Heart by Jeffery Ford 3/5
A brutal, dark tale of an enchanted sword and those who would possess it.
Path of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin 3/5
This novella is an adaptation of Dany’s chapters from one of the latter books in the Song of Ice and Fire series. Good, but I don’t think there’s anything new here that wasn’t in the novel.
The Year of the Three Monarchs by Michael Swanwick 5/5
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Over and over and over again. Be it wielded by a sorcerer, a swordsman, or a thief.
March 30, 2023
I don't remember why I decided to review each story individually. I usually don't, but since there are some novellas in here, maybe it makes sense. I think that if you averaged out the individual stories, they would round up to 4 stars, but I think that the anthology itself deserves a solid 4 for bringing together such a good variety of what the genre has to offer and presenting it fairly effectively. It loses a star because I think that a few of these are derived from broader fantasy series of which they aren't particularly good representations. That's not to say that they aren't good, just that I don't know that you can read one and know for sure if you'd want to read the series of stories it's a part of.
______________
The Tower of the Elephant – Robert E. Howard – Better than I ever expected from a Conan story. There were great, purple passages and then stuff would be pretty straight forward. I don't really understand why Conan had to toss away his tunic and run around most of the story in just a loin cloth, but whatever. (3 stars)
The Black God's Kiss – C. L. Moore – Kind of surreal, kind of interesting, but I felt it dragged a bit. It felt fresher than something from the 1930's, though. I looked it up and Jirel is apparently has a series about her and I'd be curious to read some of the others that have a bit more action, even if this one didn't really suit me. (3 stars)
The Unholy Grail – Fritz Leiber – This would have been interesting if there were more to it than cruelty. As it was, it served kind of like a portrait of cruelty creating itself and its own undoing. If it were longer with more of the characters' lives before the mentor's death then the characters might have meant something to me and I might have liked it more. Saying that, though, I've read some of Leiber's works before and I'm not sure that he would have shaped them into characters that I could care about anyway. (3 stars)
The Tale of Hauk – Poul Anderson – Given the title, I'd have expected it to focus a lot more on Hauk. Mostly it's about his father. It's not bad at all, but it took a long time to get to the actual conflict of the story and that was a very small part of it. I'd probably enjoy a novel about Hauk over the period covered in the book that focuses on his adventures as a merchant. I also suspect that I'd have enjoyed it just as much if it had steered clear of archaic language, which didn't really add anything to the telling of the story. (3.5 stars)
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams – Michael Moorcock – I read a couple of the Erekosë books out of curiosity but this was the first of the Elric stories that I've read. It was way less brooding than I'd have expected and even a little funny thanks to the involvement of a cat. I suspect that most of the stories are a lot darker, though. Still, it was a fun read. (4 stars)
The Adventuress – Joanna Russ – I don't entirely know how I feel about this one. It's fairly clever but it's really not terribly much more than that. I kind of feel like it tried too hard to be interesting and, though I like the inversion of gender roles is good, I don't think that it does that great of a job of expressing anything by doing so and I felt that the ending effectively subverted any feminist ideas expressed in the rest of the story. I know that this is the beginning of a series of stories about Alyx and it's possible that the others develop the character and her adventures in a more interesting way but, even though it was kind of a fun read, this particular story doesn't leave me terribly curious about it. (3 stars)
Gimmile's Songs – Charles R. Saunders – This was both fun and charming with a couple of nice battles thrown in for good measure. It was a remarkably robust world described in such a short narrative, too. (4.5 stars)
Undertow – Karl Edward Wagner – I honestly wasn't impressed with this until it got to the end. It felt a little artificial to me, as though the author was writing more because he felt he could write something like the stories he had enjoyed than because he had his own story to tell. But it ultimately came to be a decent tale. I suspect that I'd find more direct tales about Kane to be more interesting, though. (3.5 stars)
The Stages of the God – Ramsey Campbell (as Montgomery Comfort) – This was short and good. A king escaping a coup finds power to protect him and realizes that he must improve himself to be worthy to wield it to take back his land and, thus, becomes a thing of legend. (4 stars)
The Barrow Troll – David Drake – This was good up to the end. If it had committed more clearly and directly to where trolls come from then I think it would have been stronger. (3.5 stars)
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat – Glen Cook – This was really good. It was like a classic western (very Shane-ish) interpreted by Kurosawa to give it depth and set at the decline of a magical version of the Golden Horde at its peak. (5 stars)
Epistle from Lebanoi – Michael Shea – I didn't really enjoy this much, but I also didn't exactly dislike it. The story isn't bad, but I didn't particularly enjoy the narrator's perspective or character. And the whole thing felt a little hollow, somehow. It's possible that there's a context for this in some broader series that would make me enjoy it more, but without that it was merely ok. (2 stars)
Become a Warrior – Jane Yolen – This was a slow boil and delightfully satisfying in a rather gruesome way. (5 stars)
The Red Guild – Rachel Pollack – A bit surreal and a bit tragic and strangely gripping even when I didn't think I was that into the story. (4.5 stars)
Six from Atlantis – Gene Wolfe – This was an odd fragment of a story. I found it somehow more evocative than interesting. (2.5 stars)
The Sea Troll's Daughter – Caitlín R. Kiernan – I learned two lessons from this: 1) if you kill a monster for the bounty, be sure to get an easily identifiable trophy or nobody will believe you; and 2) don't leave slain monsters out unrefrigerated too long. This was a fun and funny read. (4.5 stars)
The Coral Heart – Jeffrey Ford – Good but also a little...eh. The basic story is really good but I didn't particularly like the characters enough to care about the development of the relationships nor the conflicts. (3.5 stars)
Path of the Dragon – George R. R. Martin – Apparently this is basically the chapters featuring Daenerys from the third book from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Having never read the series, this definitely feels like an excerpt: it's readable without any background but it's obvious that there is a lot more going on than the reader can pick up from the story itself. She's a good character and I like the general story, but the lack of context left it feeling kind of overdone and certain things felt a bit extraneous. (3.5 stars)
The Year of the Three Monarchs – Michael Swanwick – This was pretty clever and had a nice bit of implicit silliness to it that I thought came out well, though I felt that the third monarch could have wrapped up better. (3.5 stars)
______________
The Tower of the Elephant – Robert E. Howard – Better than I ever expected from a Conan story. There were great, purple passages and then stuff would be pretty straight forward. I don't really understand why Conan had to toss away his tunic and run around most of the story in just a loin cloth, but whatever. (3 stars)
The Black God's Kiss – C. L. Moore – Kind of surreal, kind of interesting, but I felt it dragged a bit. It felt fresher than something from the 1930's, though. I looked it up and Jirel is apparently has a series about her and I'd be curious to read some of the others that have a bit more action, even if this one didn't really suit me. (3 stars)
The Unholy Grail – Fritz Leiber – This would have been interesting if there were more to it than cruelty. As it was, it served kind of like a portrait of cruelty creating itself and its own undoing. If it were longer with more of the characters' lives before the mentor's death then the characters might have meant something to me and I might have liked it more. Saying that, though, I've read some of Leiber's works before and I'm not sure that he would have shaped them into characters that I could care about anyway. (3 stars)
The Tale of Hauk – Poul Anderson – Given the title, I'd have expected it to focus a lot more on Hauk. Mostly it's about his father. It's not bad at all, but it took a long time to get to the actual conflict of the story and that was a very small part of it. I'd probably enjoy a novel about Hauk over the period covered in the book that focuses on his adventures as a merchant. I also suspect that I'd have enjoyed it just as much if it had steered clear of archaic language, which didn't really add anything to the telling of the story. (3.5 stars)
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams – Michael Moorcock – I read a couple of the Erekosë books out of curiosity but this was the first of the Elric stories that I've read. It was way less brooding than I'd have expected and even a little funny thanks to the involvement of a cat. I suspect that most of the stories are a lot darker, though. Still, it was a fun read. (4 stars)
The Adventuress – Joanna Russ – I don't entirely know how I feel about this one. It's fairly clever but it's really not terribly much more than that. I kind of feel like it tried too hard to be interesting and, though I like the inversion of gender roles is good, I don't think that it does that great of a job of expressing anything by doing so and I felt that the ending effectively subverted any feminist ideas expressed in the rest of the story. I know that this is the beginning of a series of stories about Alyx and it's possible that the others develop the character and her adventures in a more interesting way but, even though it was kind of a fun read, this particular story doesn't leave me terribly curious about it. (3 stars)
Gimmile's Songs – Charles R. Saunders – This was both fun and charming with a couple of nice battles thrown in for good measure. It was a remarkably robust world described in such a short narrative, too. (4.5 stars)
Undertow – Karl Edward Wagner – I honestly wasn't impressed with this until it got to the end. It felt a little artificial to me, as though the author was writing more because he felt he could write something like the stories he had enjoyed than because he had his own story to tell. But it ultimately came to be a decent tale. I suspect that I'd find more direct tales about Kane to be more interesting, though. (3.5 stars)
The Stages of the God – Ramsey Campbell (as Montgomery Comfort) – This was short and good. A king escaping a coup finds power to protect him and realizes that he must improve himself to be worthy to wield it to take back his land and, thus, becomes a thing of legend. (4 stars)
The Barrow Troll – David Drake – This was good up to the end. If it had committed more clearly and directly to where trolls come from then I think it would have been stronger. (3.5 stars)
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat – Glen Cook – This was really good. It was like a classic western (very Shane-ish) interpreted by Kurosawa to give it depth and set at the decline of a magical version of the Golden Horde at its peak. (5 stars)
Epistle from Lebanoi – Michael Shea – I didn't really enjoy this much, but I also didn't exactly dislike it. The story isn't bad, but I didn't particularly enjoy the narrator's perspective or character. And the whole thing felt a little hollow, somehow. It's possible that there's a context for this in some broader series that would make me enjoy it more, but without that it was merely ok. (2 stars)
Become a Warrior – Jane Yolen – This was a slow boil and delightfully satisfying in a rather gruesome way. (5 stars)
The Red Guild – Rachel Pollack – A bit surreal and a bit tragic and strangely gripping even when I didn't think I was that into the story. (4.5 stars)
Six from Atlantis – Gene Wolfe – This was an odd fragment of a story. I found it somehow more evocative than interesting. (2.5 stars)
The Sea Troll's Daughter – Caitlín R. Kiernan – I learned two lessons from this: 1) if you kill a monster for the bounty, be sure to get an easily identifiable trophy or nobody will believe you; and 2) don't leave slain monsters out unrefrigerated too long. This was a fun and funny read. (4.5 stars)
The Coral Heart – Jeffrey Ford – Good but also a little...eh. The basic story is really good but I didn't particularly like the characters enough to care about the development of the relationships nor the conflicts. (3.5 stars)
Path of the Dragon – George R. R. Martin – Apparently this is basically the chapters featuring Daenerys from the third book from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Having never read the series, this definitely feels like an excerpt: it's readable without any background but it's obvious that there is a lot more going on than the reader can pick up from the story itself. She's a good character and I like the general story, but the lack of context left it feeling kind of overdone and certain things felt a bit extraneous. (3.5 stars)
The Year of the Three Monarchs – Michael Swanwick – This was pretty clever and had a nice bit of implicit silliness to it that I thought came out well, though I felt that the third monarch could have wrapped up better. (3.5 stars)
August 28, 2014
I don't normally read Anthologies because I like my fantasy in larger doses, but I have to give kudos to the group of editors for putting together a good sampling of authors and stories that flow very well from one to the other. I had the opportunity to read some authors that I had not previously read and found it very helpful to me. It gave me the chance to read some different styles of writing and solidified those styles that I found seamless and even those that I maybe did not particularly care for that style I got a taste of that authors' book. A good Anthology that was put together well!
January 16, 2015
This is a collection of fine, classic stories. Unfortunately, as an anthology it totally fails because nothing is given any context, narrative or historical. Meant to present a primer of The Classic Sword & Sorcery stories, a beginner would be left wanting, not knowing that many of these stories are parts of greater arcs for their characters, referencing other stories, or continue elsewhere.
May 25, 2022
Image Friendly Version
Undertow by Karl Edward Wagner ★★★★½
Oh friends, a full short story: beginning, middle, and oh-shit ending. We start with stereotypes and bloom into layered, desperate, characters. This is my favorite “green ribbon” story.
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams by Michael Moorcock ★★★★½
Decades before the Targaryens hit the shelves there was “a race which loved pleasure, cruelty, and sophistication for its own sake. The race of Melnibonéans.”
I have had my eye on reading about Elric of Melniboné ever since Centipede Press came out with this gem: http://www.centipedepress.com/fantasy...
These stories have definitely moved up my mental TBR!
The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard ★★★★☆
My first Conan story! I enjoyed the adventure as much as the sexualized clever barbarian. The combination of Yog-Sothoth and Ganesh gave the story a charming otherworldly quality. Conan didn’t get the gem but made the world a better place.
Become a Warrior by Jane Yolen ★★★★☆
Sweet little story of a young girl choosing the forest over the invading hordes that killed her father. The wild sees her grow strong and beautiful: ready for retribution.
The Red Guild by Rachel Pollack ★★★★☆
Red Guild Assassins have the Force, if the Force was a rabid werewolf. Here great power means great control, and great loneliness. As a young assassin, Coriia is tricked by greater magic and finds love in Nowhere. But Nowhere is not a place to spend the rest of your life.
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat by Glenn Cook ★★★★☆
A dreaded Centurion from a vast undefeated Eastern Empire, newly fallen into civil war, has abandoned his nation in search of a peaceful, noble, life in foreign lands. It’s not easy to leave war behind, but it’s better when you can pick your own battles.
The Black God’s Kiss by C. L. Moore ★★★ ½☆
After her lands are invaded and subjugated Jirel ventures to the underworld to seek a weapon rather than be raped by Guillaume and his men.
The underworld parts of the story were pleasantly Lovecraft-y, but the ending… This is my second read and I’m not only disappointed but confused. Were demons twisting her great love into seeming like a great enemy?
The Coral Heart by Jeffrey Ford ★★★½☆
Not sure how I feel about this. A warrior with a sword that can turn anyone to red coral falls in love with mysterious princess. This was a good setup for a revenge story but was ensues is just a never ending bloodbath. That’s neither fun nor fulfilling.
Gimmile’s Songs by Charles R. Saunders ★★★½☆
This was a tough one to grade, it runs afoul of animal violence and dubious consent. On the other hand, there was an awesome war-bull, a Dora Milaje style warrioress, and quite the thoughtful ending. Doussouye was right, white hot vengeance was an expensive club when there were other deft, effective, options for comeuppance.
The Unholy Grail by Fritz Leiber ★★★☆☆
When Mouse’s master is killed by Duke Janarrl, hate fills the young wizard and with it the gateway to black magic. This tale of vengeance is circuitous, but gives agency to Janarrl’s beaten down daughter, Ivrian.
The Tale of Hauk by Poul Anderson ★★★☆☆
I’ve heard a historian refer to the Viking Age as the age of the pig farmer: most Scandinavians were not Vikings. Hauk, our fair hero, is the son of a Viking who decided trading was more his speed. You still have to be tough to not get robbed, but it’s not the same thing. This was just ok.
Six From Atlantis by Gene Wolfe ★★★☆☆
Well, that was harsh. This is about a pirate type named Thane from Atlantis(?). There is an exciting name drop, Red Sonja, but that was the highlight. The ending reminded me of that poor girl who got dumped for dating Fabio.
The Sea Troll’s Daughter by Caitlín R. Kiernan ★★★☆☆
A benign offering from Kiernan. A drunken noble warrior woman slays a troll for its bounty and chaos ensues.
The Barrow by David Drake ★★½☆☆
A terrible man named Womanslayer, yes it fits, kidnaps a priest to help steal gold from a troll. He succeeds, then becomes the troll.
The Year of the Three Monarchs by Michael Swanwick ★★½☆☆
Three people seek to rule the land and armies of The Floating City with similar results.
The Stages of the God by Ramsey Campbell ★★☆☆☆
An expelled king finds a shrine which gives him both limited and limitless power. The king decides to devote himself to himself for centuries.
The Adventuress by Joanna Russ ★☆☆☆☆
I have read, and enjoyed, a tale of Alyx the warrior thief before, but this was not worth the time she took to write it.
Path of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin (Skip)
”Daenerys Targaryen was as happy as she could ever remember being.”
That was in the first paragraph and I decided to leave it there. Dae deserves to be happy.
Epistle from Lebanoi by Michael Shea DNF
Skipped. It did not catch my interest.
There were some excellent stories here! I read 17/19 stories for an average of 3.26 stars.
Undertow by Karl Edward Wagner ★★★★½
Oh friends, a full short story: beginning, middle, and oh-shit ending. We start with stereotypes and bloom into layered, desperate, characters. This is my favorite “green ribbon” story.
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams by Michael Moorcock ★★★★½
Decades before the Targaryens hit the shelves there was “a race which loved pleasure, cruelty, and sophistication for its own sake. The race of Melnibonéans.”
I have had my eye on reading about Elric of Melniboné ever since Centipede Press came out with this gem: http://www.centipedepress.com/fantasy...
These stories have definitely moved up my mental TBR!
The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard ★★★★☆
My first Conan story! I enjoyed the adventure as much as the sexualized clever barbarian. The combination of Yog-Sothoth and Ganesh gave the story a charming otherworldly quality. Conan didn’t get the gem but made the world a better place.
Become a Warrior by Jane Yolen ★★★★☆
Sweet little story of a young girl choosing the forest over the invading hordes that killed her father. The wild sees her grow strong and beautiful: ready for retribution.
The Red Guild by Rachel Pollack ★★★★☆
Red Guild Assassins have the Force, if the Force was a rabid werewolf. Here great power means great control, and great loneliness. As a young assassin, Coriia is tricked by greater magic and finds love in Nowhere. But Nowhere is not a place to spend the rest of your life.
Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat by Glenn Cook ★★★★☆
A dreaded Centurion from a vast undefeated Eastern Empire, newly fallen into civil war, has abandoned his nation in search of a peaceful, noble, life in foreign lands. It’s not easy to leave war behind, but it’s better when you can pick your own battles.
The Black God’s Kiss by C. L. Moore ★★★ ½☆
After her lands are invaded and subjugated Jirel ventures to the underworld to seek a weapon rather than be raped by Guillaume and his men.
The underworld parts of the story were pleasantly Lovecraft-y, but the ending… This is my second read and I’m not only disappointed but confused. Were demons twisting her great love into seeming like a great enemy?
The Coral Heart by Jeffrey Ford ★★★½☆
Not sure how I feel about this. A warrior with a sword that can turn anyone to red coral falls in love with mysterious princess. This was a good setup for a revenge story but was ensues is just a never ending bloodbath. That’s neither fun nor fulfilling.
Gimmile’s Songs by Charles R. Saunders ★★★½☆
This was a tough one to grade, it runs afoul of animal violence and dubious consent. On the other hand, there was an awesome war-bull, a Dora Milaje style warrioress, and quite the thoughtful ending. Doussouye was right, white hot vengeance was an expensive club when there were other deft, effective, options for comeuppance.
The Unholy Grail by Fritz Leiber ★★★☆☆
When Mouse’s master is killed by Duke Janarrl, hate fills the young wizard and with it the gateway to black magic. This tale of vengeance is circuitous, but gives agency to Janarrl’s beaten down daughter, Ivrian.
The Tale of Hauk by Poul Anderson ★★★☆☆
I’ve heard a historian refer to the Viking Age as the age of the pig farmer: most Scandinavians were not Vikings. Hauk, our fair hero, is the son of a Viking who decided trading was more his speed. You still have to be tough to not get robbed, but it’s not the same thing. This was just ok.
Six From Atlantis by Gene Wolfe ★★★☆☆
Well, that was harsh. This is about a pirate type named Thane from Atlantis(?). There is an exciting name drop, Red Sonja, but that was the highlight. The ending reminded me of that poor girl who got dumped for dating Fabio.
The Sea Troll’s Daughter by Caitlín R. Kiernan ★★★☆☆
A benign offering from Kiernan. A drunken noble warrior woman slays a troll for its bounty and chaos ensues.
The Barrow by David Drake ★★½☆☆
A terrible man named Womanslayer, yes it fits, kidnaps a priest to help steal gold from a troll. He succeeds, then becomes the troll.
The Year of the Three Monarchs by Michael Swanwick ★★½☆☆
Three people seek to rule the land and armies of The Floating City with similar results.
The Stages of the God by Ramsey Campbell ★★☆☆☆
An expelled king finds a shrine which gives him both limited and limitless power. The king decides to devote himself to himself for centuries.
The Adventuress by Joanna Russ ★☆☆☆☆
I have read, and enjoyed, a tale of Alyx the warrior thief before, but this was not worth the time she took to write it.
Path of the Dragon by George R. R. Martin (Skip)
”Daenerys Targaryen was as happy as she could ever remember being.”
That was in the first paragraph and I decided to leave it there. Dae deserves to be happy.
Epistle from Lebanoi by Michael Shea DNF
Skipped. It did not catch my interest.
There were some excellent stories here! I read 17/19 stories for an average of 3.26 stars.
January 23, 2015
A lot of classic shorts that I have already read, but a few clunkers that ruined the whole book.
February 4, 2016
If you're looking for an introduction to Sword & Sorcery, this one is pretty solid. Not the best the genre has to offer, but a good overview and start.
January 11, 2018
As with most anthologies and short story collections this was a mixed bag. Standouts for me included the stories by Charles R. Saunders, Glen Cook, Jane Yolen, Rachel Pollack and Michael Swanwick. There were another four or five stories that I enjoyed almost as much. As other reviewers have noted I wish the introduction focused a bit more on the various authors and had more of a general overview of this sub-genre. I'm not saying that the ramble of the introduction was bad, just that I wanted more out of it. Overall I did enjoy it and I would recommend it.
January 24, 2022
A truly fantastic anthology of sword & sorcery fiction!
Most anthologies are pretty hit-or-miss affairs, but this felt like all hits. Some really great stuff here, including some authors I'm just now really discovering (e.g. Joanna Russ), some classic and some more recent, and even a scene from G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire that has since been immortalized on television.
Most anthologies are pretty hit-or-miss affairs, but this felt like all hits. Some really great stuff here, including some authors I'm just now really discovering (e.g. Joanna Russ), some classic and some more recent, and even a scene from G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire that has since been immortalized on television.
February 10, 2022
Nice mix of old and new stories. My only complaint about it (and it's a weird one that has nothing to do with the actual collection) is that my Kindle app couldn't read it in dark mode because the file was created with preset grey text that wouldn't be overridden. So in dark mode it's grey text on a black background and therefore illegible. This is an odd complaint, but I did not hold it against the collection, which was excellent.
May 12, 2017
A pretty great anthology showing the evolution of the genre over the decades. I'm not a short fiction person so there were a few stories that I couldn't finish. Overall it was really good and I'm eager to read more anthologies.
Reviews at ReadingOverTheShoulder.com
Reviews at ReadingOverTheShoulder.com
June 19, 2020
I enjoyed this anthology of short stories. Not every story was as good as other ones, But overall I enjoyed them.Sword and sorcery story telling is a lost art and it is difficult to find new material to read.
December 28, 2020
Some of these were fine, and the language of most was evocative. But the format meant that I didn't care about the characters or the plot, and in some cases, I plainly needed to know what was going on in the author's greater works in order to understand the included story.
January 27, 2018
No pretension, just good fun story-telling. I'm tempted to read some more Conan books for fun.
September 29, 2020
A pretty good anthology collection, but as is typical, suffers from high highs and low lows.
A few of the stories could stand to be shorter, others could stand to be a short novel of their own.
A few of the stories could stand to be shorter, others could stand to be a short novel of their own.
January 16, 2021
Great selection of stories, some better than others.
May 26, 2021
Some stories were for, some weren't as good. Geys a little long towards the second half, as it's not easy to read many short stories at once, at least for me.
October 15, 2021
Some fantastic short stories in this volume. Check out the ones by Jane Yolen, Gene Wolfe and George RR Martin, no surprise, for the best in the volume.
July 10, 2018
Absolutely loved this book. As with most anthologies, the best stories are near the front. But this is still a top-notch collection of exciting sword and sorcery fiction. Highly recommended.
May 24, 2016
The literary equivalent of comfy sweats for fantasy lovers. Not a complaint.
Sometimes you just want a book you know you're going to love. Fans of the wandering-dude-with-a-sword-who-is-often-also-a-wizard trope are going to love this set of short stories. How could you not, when it kicks off with a Conan tale from Robert E. Howard AND also contains an Elric story from Michael Moorcock? Some of the earlier stories are, um, products of their time, and may cause offense. However, they are redeemed by later tales that breathe new life into old patterns (Jane Yolen's "Become A Warrior" is the finest example of this). Other standouts include Rachel Pollack's "The Red Guild" and "Jeffrey Ford's "The Coral Heart." Hands down, though, the best one of the set is Karl Edward Wagner's "Undertow," which will chill you right to the bones when you cop to what's going on. Other contributors include Caitlin Kiernan, George R.R. Martin (Daenerys, woo!), Fritz Leiber, Joanna Russ, and C.L. Moore (with a story I loved right up until the last paragraph, at which point I flung down the book and said "Oh come ON."--product of its time).
It's good to have the go-to books for hard-core genre readers, and this is the kind of thing you'll want lots of in your fantasy section. You might even want to skim it yourself if you feel your RA chops are weak in this area. You won't have to hand-sell this at all, though, because its intended audience will be drawn to it like moths to flame, or maybe sweatpants to the couch. Recommended if you don't have it, and for the love of god, please don't weed it.
Sometimes you just want a book you know you're going to love. Fans of the wandering-dude-with-a-sword-who-is-often-also-a-wizard trope are going to love this set of short stories. How could you not, when it kicks off with a Conan tale from Robert E. Howard AND also contains an Elric story from Michael Moorcock? Some of the earlier stories are, um, products of their time, and may cause offense. However, they are redeemed by later tales that breathe new life into old patterns (Jane Yolen's "Become A Warrior" is the finest example of this). Other standouts include Rachel Pollack's "The Red Guild" and "Jeffrey Ford's "The Coral Heart." Hands down, though, the best one of the set is Karl Edward Wagner's "Undertow," which will chill you right to the bones when you cop to what's going on. Other contributors include Caitlin Kiernan, George R.R. Martin (Daenerys, woo!), Fritz Leiber, Joanna Russ, and C.L. Moore (with a story I loved right up until the last paragraph, at which point I flung down the book and said "Oh come ON."--product of its time).
It's good to have the go-to books for hard-core genre readers, and this is the kind of thing you'll want lots of in your fantasy section. You might even want to skim it yourself if you feel your RA chops are weak in this area. You won't have to hand-sell this at all, though, because its intended audience will be drawn to it like moths to flame, or maybe sweatpants to the couch. Recommended if you don't have it, and for the love of god, please don't weed it.
October 19, 2020
I did not get to every story in this collection. The stories I got read are pretty well written with few exceptions and capture the Bronze Age glory of sword and sorcery. Definitely the S&S collection.
February 16, 2017
More interesting than great outstanding literature besides two notable stories:
The Sea Trolls Daughter & The Adventuress.
Strangely enough the only two stories on here written by women I believe. Make of that what you will, haha.
The Sea Trolls Daughter & The Adventuress.
Strangely enough the only two stories on here written by women I believe. Make of that what you will, haha.
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