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Amazons II
This anthology contains: Nightwork by Jo Clayton; The Soul Slayer by Lee Killough; Who Courts A Reluctant Maiden by Ardath Mayhar; The Borders of Sabazel by Lillian Stewart Carl; The Ivory Comb by Eleanor Arnason; Lady of the Forest End by Gael Baudino; The Robber Girl by Phyllis Ann Karr; Southern Lights by Tanith Lee; For a Daughter by F. M. Busby; The Battle Crow's Daughter by Gillian Fitzgerald; Zroya's Trizub by Gordon Derevanchuk; and In the Lost Lands by George R. R. Martin..
239 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 9, 2011
"For a Daughter," F.M. Busby: A reasonably good tale about an Amazon-like woman, Atla, who has to extricate herself from the chains (figurative) of the man whom she's chosen to bear her child but who has plans of his own for her.
Busby is probably best know for The Demu Trilogy, which I read 30 years ago. I remember liking it, though remembering little enough of the story. This story was good enough that – given the opportunity – I may reread the trilogy and other stuff by this author.
I wish I could say the same about the second story, “The Battle Crow’s Daughter,” by Gillian Fitzgerald. This story lay there like a just-captured fish gasping its life out at the bottom of the fishing boat. There’s no dramatic tension like that found in the first story; I never once thought Maeve was in any serious danger from her oafish husband Harald. And the brothers – Harald and Ingvar – are cardboard caricatures. One too foolish, the other too good to be true. What I found to be especially annoying was that the author felt it necessary to explain what a Valkyrie is, and did it by having Ingvar – a Norseman – explain it to his brother – another Norseman!
“Southern Lights,” Tanith Lee: This story isn’t particularly memorable but Lee is a past master (mistress?) of setting mood and telling a good tale, and she doesn’t disappoint in this one. Jaisel is an interesting hero, what little we get to learn of her, and the nameless town she’s forced to spend the night in is eerie, and the necromancer is subtly threatening.
Lee may be an acquired taste but once acquired she can do little wrong.
“Zroya’s Trizub,” Gordon Derevanchuk: Slavic-flavored tale about a woman whose child is torn from her body and sacrificed by goblins (lisovyki). She resorts to seeking a Baba Yaga’s aid in revenge and winds up paying a steep price. Not badly written; but not goodly remembered.
“The Robber Girl,” Phyllis Ann Karr: Another decent, if not particularly memorable, tale about a girl who robs.
“Lady of the Forest End,” Gael Baudino: Upon glancing over the story while writing this review, I like it better than my initial impression when I finished. It’s about the robustly Amazonian Avdoyta. She escapes rape but one of the men she kills has a death-bed conversion and makes her promise to return a locket from his lover, a powerful sorceress. The ending is moderately subversive enough to make this a stand out among the collection.
“The Ivory Comb,” Eleanor Arnason: This is a straight-up myth about Ropemaker’s quest to retrieve the ivory comb of the Mother, stolen by the Trickster. In its absence, there are no more live births and the world is threatened with destruction.
“The Borders of Sabazel,” Lillian Stewart Carl: Carl writes a tale about the Amazonian queen Danica’s effort to save her kingdom from the predations of Bellasteros. It was unsatisfying because of the resolution but it wasn’t awful.
“Who Courts a Reluctant Maiden,” Ardath Mayhar: Okay effort but like “The Battle Crow’s Daughter,” it lacked any tension.
“The Soul Slayer,” Lee Killough: This story is among the top three of the tales collected here. It’s set in a post-Apocalypse world that has voluntarily given up metal because it truly does steal one’s soul. Kimara’s world is turned upside down when Maldorc’s men destroy her village and kidnap the men, among whom is her husband, to swell the ranks of his soulless armies. Interesting world, interesting heroine, satisfying ending.
“Nightwork,” Jo Clayton: Once more, a decent effort but it’s spoiled by the setting. The author sets it on an alien world and throws out new words whose only purpose seems to be to give it an alien “flavor” – distracting.
“In the Lost Lands,” George R.R. Martin: Yes, children, there was a time when GRRM wrote short stories (e.g., “Tuf Voyaging,” “Sandkings” or “Nightflyers,” et al.). Another cautionary tale about the price we pay for fulfilling wishes.
Overall, nothing here of astonishing originality or memorability but nothing of unreadable dreck either. A lukewarm three stars.
Busby is probably best know for The Demu Trilogy, which I read 30 years ago. I remember liking it, though remembering little enough of the story. This story was good enough that – given the opportunity – I may reread the trilogy and other stuff by this author.
I wish I could say the same about the second story, “The Battle Crow’s Daughter,” by Gillian Fitzgerald. This story lay there like a just-captured fish gasping its life out at the bottom of the fishing boat. There’s no dramatic tension like that found in the first story; I never once thought Maeve was in any serious danger from her oafish husband Harald. And the brothers – Harald and Ingvar – are cardboard caricatures. One too foolish, the other too good to be true. What I found to be especially annoying was that the author felt it necessary to explain what a Valkyrie is, and did it by having Ingvar – a Norseman – explain it to his brother – another Norseman!
“Southern Lights,” Tanith Lee: This story isn’t particularly memorable but Lee is a past master (mistress?) of setting mood and telling a good tale, and she doesn’t disappoint in this one. Jaisel is an interesting hero, what little we get to learn of her, and the nameless town she’s forced to spend the night in is eerie, and the necromancer is subtly threatening.
Lee may be an acquired taste but once acquired she can do little wrong.
“Zroya’s Trizub,” Gordon Derevanchuk: Slavic-flavored tale about a woman whose child is torn from her body and sacrificed by goblins (lisovyki). She resorts to seeking a Baba Yaga’s aid in revenge and winds up paying a steep price. Not badly written; but not goodly remembered.
“The Robber Girl,” Phyllis Ann Karr: Another decent, if not particularly memorable, tale about a girl who robs.
“Lady of the Forest End,” Gael Baudino: Upon glancing over the story while writing this review, I like it better than my initial impression when I finished. It’s about the robustly Amazonian Avdoyta. She escapes rape but one of the men she kills has a death-bed conversion and makes her promise to return a locket from his lover, a powerful sorceress. The ending is moderately subversive enough to make this a stand out among the collection.
“The Ivory Comb,” Eleanor Arnason: This is a straight-up myth about Ropemaker’s quest to retrieve the ivory comb of the Mother, stolen by the Trickster. In its absence, there are no more live births and the world is threatened with destruction.
“The Borders of Sabazel,” Lillian Stewart Carl: Carl writes a tale about the Amazonian queen Danica’s effort to save her kingdom from the predations of Bellasteros. It was unsatisfying because of the resolution but it wasn’t awful.
“Who Courts a Reluctant Maiden,” Ardath Mayhar: Okay effort but like “The Battle Crow’s Daughter,” it lacked any tension.
“The Soul Slayer,” Lee Killough: This story is among the top three of the tales collected here. It’s set in a post-Apocalypse world that has voluntarily given up metal because it truly does steal one’s soul. Kimara’s world is turned upside down when Maldorc’s men destroy her village and kidnap the men, among whom is her husband, to swell the ranks of his soulless armies. Interesting world, interesting heroine, satisfying ending.
“Nightwork,” Jo Clayton: Once more, a decent effort but it’s spoiled by the setting. The author sets it on an alien world and throws out new words whose only purpose seems to be to give it an alien “flavor” – distracting.
“In the Lost Lands,” George R.R. Martin: Yes, children, there was a time when GRRM wrote short stories (e.g., “Tuf Voyaging,” “Sandkings” or “Nightflyers,” et al.). Another cautionary tale about the price we pay for fulfilling wishes.
Overall, nothing here of astonishing originality or memorability but nothing of unreadable dreck either. A lukewarm three stars.
February 26, 2016
What a difference a strong editor makes. In comparison to Barbarians and Barbarians 2, this anthology has a detailed and compelling introduction--examples of "woman warriors" establishing the idea as not a historical oddity--which makes me want to seek out more about them, a specific theme to thread among the stories, a goal to minimize repeat performances by authors between volumes, brief introductory pieces for each work, and a feeling that no piece is out of place in terms of size.
Salmonson does not like the pulp heritage of sword and sorcery--she has sharp words for the laziness and lunkheadedness prevalent in such creations--and prefers folkloric influences and more literary, considered writing. This meshed with my own interests rather well, as she was looking at works just outside the usual, from authors I hadn't read before.
The only story that didn't work for me was Jo Clayton's "Nightwork", which was set in some unspecified alien world for no reason I could figure, the half-detailed background of the setting an unnecessary distraction.
The real gems included George R. R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands", a raw and merciless piece, gorgeously written, that spins something close to myth, and is the one thing in the anthology that is widely reprinted.
Tanith Lee's "Southern Lights" has a slow, patient mood that grows more unsettling as the story progresses. The action is subtle: Jaisel averts catastrophe through her consideration and foresight, rather than blundering through events. I can't help but think that a stereotypically male protagonist would have handled the situation far worse.
Gordon Derevanchuk, sadly, has only a few credits to his name. "Zroya's Trizub" is, interestingly, based on Slavic legends and has a dark and ironic ending that rivals Martin's contribution.
"The Robber Girl" is a childlike whimsy whose narration makes the piece: irreverent and enthusiastic and a bit sociopathic, a tall tale told over mugs of ale in a seedy establishment, just before she robs you blind.
Salmonson does not like the pulp heritage of sword and sorcery--she has sharp words for the laziness and lunkheadedness prevalent in such creations--and prefers folkloric influences and more literary, considered writing. This meshed with my own interests rather well, as she was looking at works just outside the usual, from authors I hadn't read before.
The only story that didn't work for me was Jo Clayton's "Nightwork", which was set in some unspecified alien world for no reason I could figure, the half-detailed background of the setting an unnecessary distraction.
The real gems included George R. R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands", a raw and merciless piece, gorgeously written, that spins something close to myth, and is the one thing in the anthology that is widely reprinted.
Tanith Lee's "Southern Lights" has a slow, patient mood that grows more unsettling as the story progresses. The action is subtle: Jaisel averts catastrophe through her consideration and foresight, rather than blundering through events. I can't help but think that a stereotypically male protagonist would have handled the situation far worse.
Gordon Derevanchuk, sadly, has only a few credits to his name. "Zroya's Trizub" is, interestingly, based on Slavic legends and has a dark and ironic ending that rivals Martin's contribution.
"The Robber Girl" is a childlike whimsy whose narration makes the piece: irreverent and enthusiastic and a bit sociopathic, a tall tale told over mugs of ale in a seedy establishment, just before she robs you blind.
April 21, 2010
The first Amazons! collection of fantasy stories centered on female heroes was groundbreaking when it was published in 1979. I loved it when I discovered it in my teens--pre-Buffy, there were few stories of adventure with strong female heroines. I disagree that this second collection of a dozen stories is weaker--I actually prefer it to the first; I think it's stronger both on average and with more outstanding stories and no real clunkers. It's a bit more gender balanced on the contents page--the first book had only one "token male" author as Salmonson pointed out--and this second book even had stronger, more appealing and complex male characters. It also had the advantage of having more authors I'd consider favorites on the content page. Tanith Lee, a great favorite is the one author with a repeat appearance and also features F.M. Busby, Phylis Ann Karr, and G.R.R. Martin. Not only are all these the authors in the contents page I consider favorites, but all in all I'd say the stories they provided were my favorites in the collection.
Busby's "For a Daughter" has fantasy trappings but could actually be seen as science-fiction set in a post-apocalyptic future--there's no magic involved, and the adversary here is arguably the most complex in the book. Tanith Lee's "Southern Lights" features her Jaisel, who appeared in the first anthology and I think this story stronger--less polemical. Phyllis Ann Karr's "The Robber Girl" not only has a lovely fairy-tale feel, but her central character is more an anti-heroine--an appealing rogue. And I thought George R. R. Martin (yes, that Martin, Game of Thrones Martin) offered the strongest story of the lot in "In the Lost Lands." A great closer.
Busby's "For a Daughter" has fantasy trappings but could actually be seen as science-fiction set in a post-apocalyptic future--there's no magic involved, and the adversary here is arguably the most complex in the book. Tanith Lee's "Southern Lights" features her Jaisel, who appeared in the first anthology and I think this story stronger--less polemical. Phyllis Ann Karr's "The Robber Girl" not only has a lovely fairy-tale feel, but her central character is more an anti-heroine--an appealing rogue. And I thought George R. R. Martin (yes, that Martin, Game of Thrones Martin) offered the strongest story of the lot in "In the Lost Lands." A great closer.
June 4, 2018
Fantastic, very varied collection of stories with an informative introduction that educates readers about Amazonian or ambitious female leaders in history. A collection worthy of the Amazons!
Definitely a must read for anyone who likes warrior women that actually behave like women instead of some male fantasy of bikini armor-clad busty vixens.
It starts off on an excellent note with a historical rundown of different warrior women in history who ruled, fought or conquered. Some of those women are POC, some of them are queer, and all of them are beautiful examples of women in our world who fought and ruled.
The stories don’t shy away from mentioning pregnancy, periods, rape and maiming, so be forewarned if any of those make you squeamish! None of them are in any graphic detail and there are no successful rapes in the book.
In every story, it’s a woman who ends up triumphant at the end - even if it wasn’t necessarily the woman that you were cheering for. It’s an excellent read with a variety of different amazons and a lot of queer main characters! The fantasy settings make it a little difficult to tell if there are POC involved or not, but at least two of the stories definitely have POC roots.
I highly, highly recommend this anthology!
Definitely a must read for anyone who likes warrior women that actually behave like women instead of some male fantasy of bikini armor-clad busty vixens.
It starts off on an excellent note with a historical rundown of different warrior women in history who ruled, fought or conquered. Some of those women are POC, some of them are queer, and all of them are beautiful examples of women in our world who fought and ruled.
The stories don’t shy away from mentioning pregnancy, periods, rape and maiming, so be forewarned if any of those make you squeamish! None of them are in any graphic detail and there are no successful rapes in the book.
In every story, it’s a woman who ends up triumphant at the end - even if it wasn’t necessarily the woman that you were cheering for. It’s an excellent read with a variety of different amazons and a lot of queer main characters! The fantasy settings make it a little difficult to tell if there are POC involved or not, but at least two of the stories definitely have POC roots.
I highly, highly recommend this anthology!
December 14, 2017
this collection hasn't really aged well. the very first story uses the "amazon will only sleep/procreate with a man who defeats her in battle" trope that I find enraging, and the only ones I particularly liked were the Tanith Lee story and the GRRM story.
July 30, 2019
Nice collection of stories ranging from fair to very good. Introduction has a very interesting summary of several historical female warriors. Of note is an early short from "sci-fi writer" George R.R. Martin, as well as entries from F.M. Busby and Tanith Lee.
July 15, 2022
The second of Jessica Amanda Salmonson's collection of female-centered fantasy short stories is stronger than the first. The moods of the collected varied, so there is at least one story that a fantasy reader will enjoy fondly, as it includes traditional high fantasy as well as some that read like traditional folklore and fairy tales. While there were a few fumbled that the ending (Jo Clayton's "Nightwork" was anti-climatic and I felt like Clayton tried too hard to make it alien, and Lillian Stewart Carl's "The Borders of Sabazel" just sort of peters off in spite of a strong story and premise), unlike the first in this collection, I never loathed any of the stories, and the one story in the first Amazons! collection that relied on the "woman becomes a badass after being raped trope" was a slog that left a REALLY bad taste in my mouth.
My favorites are probably "Zroya's Trizub" (strong imagery and the choice to use Slavic lore instead of standard offbrand Medieval Europe is a nice choice), "The Robber Girl" (a fun fairy tale-like romp with a witty protagonist), "Lady of the Forest End" (another fun story with a small twist in the ending), "The Soul Slayer" (a strong adventure in post-apocalyptic Kansas with Fey influences), and "In the Lost Lands." (beautiful prose and it holds up when you reread it a few months later).
I should warn anyone thinking to read this that there is sexual content and that the danger of sexual assault and rape for the protagonist and some of her allies are a major factor in multiple stories. If you want to avoid sexual abuse in your fantasy reads, then only read "Southern Lights", "The Robber Girl," "The Ivory Comb," "The Borders of Sabazel", "Nightwork", and "In the Lost Lands".
My favorites are probably "Zroya's Trizub" (strong imagery and the choice to use Slavic lore instead of standard offbrand Medieval Europe is a nice choice), "The Robber Girl" (a fun fairy tale-like romp with a witty protagonist), "Lady of the Forest End" (another fun story with a small twist in the ending), "The Soul Slayer" (a strong adventure in post-apocalyptic Kansas with Fey influences), and "In the Lost Lands." (beautiful prose and it holds up when you reread it a few months later).
I should warn anyone thinking to read this that there is sexual content and that the danger of sexual assault and rape for the protagonist and some of her allies are a major factor in multiple stories. If you want to avoid sexual abuse in your fantasy reads, then only read "Southern Lights", "The Robber Girl," "The Ivory Comb," "The Borders of Sabazel", "Nightwork", and "In the Lost Lands".
July 12, 2011
I bought this book for the cover and because it was $0.50. The stories are not strictly Amazonian in nature; they are fantasy and have a female protagonist. They are interesting stories, but not really worth discussing.
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August 22, 2008Amazons II by Jessica Amanda Salmonson (1982)
January 18, 2015
Comic, grim, witty in turn. And oh, that last GRRM story - "You can buy anything you might desire from Grey Alys. But it is better not to."
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews