New Amazons

by Margaret Weis (Editor / Contributor), Jane Lindskold (Contributor), Linda Baker (Contributor)

From modern-day shapeshifter to a daughter ready to walk the lands of death, and a devoted sister willing to face a dragon's wrath in her brother's stead, this compelling anthology features stories by Nancy Springer, Jo Clayton, Kevin T. Stein, Gary Braunbeck, and Jane Lindskold.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction Fantasy, Anthologies, Fiction

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Margaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first picked up this book and hestitated to read it right away because of the title involving Amazons. You see, I'm in the middle of writing a trilogy about Amazon warrior women and didn't want my own story influenced.

But then this trip to Germany came along and I brought it with me. Glad I did. New Amazons turned out to be an anthology of stories about women--strong women. All of them science fiction or fantasy, few about Amazons themselves. The anthology was done as a way to raise awareness about breast cancer. The Amazon theme comes from the misbelief that Amazon women cut off a breast which parallels the loss of a breast due to cancer.

I have an affinity for anthologies because I like to read a story a day. I did enjoy most of the tales in New Amazons. They crossed many cultures, including Native Americans in the U.S and fantastical lands ruled by wizards. Two of the stories had the sweetest twist endings. No matter whether the heroine is a paladin, slave, healer or unappreciated daughter, they all find their inner strengths.

I do recommend this book to women especially. Not all of the stories are written by women. One of my favorite authors, Gary Braunbeck is in this anthology.

[Emily O · Rating 2 out of 5]

New Amazons is an anthology of short stories written and collected around the theme of women's sacrifice to win through a struggle. The introduction reinforces this with a personal story about the authors' intent to raise awareness of breast cancer around 2000.

The grim, if heartfelt, introduction made me expect stories of sadness and loss. While each one does include the element of sacrifice, many of them have hopeful or happy endings. One of my favorites was "Hannegan's Health" by Nick O'Donohoe. It is a bit of a fairy tale and a bit of a fable, sweetly teaching lessons with a princess thrown in. Another, "Emrys", quickly showcases the strength of brave women in the face of tormentors.

Other stories took a dark turn for the characters, even if in the face of evil. "Gifts of Wonder and of Darkness" was about the life-alterning decisions of a mother for the good of all her children.

Overall, the book wasn't very memorable as I look back several weeks later. Some stories stood out more than others, but only after flipping through the pages. Despite the short story format, I was not motivated to finish it quickly. I'm glad to have read it, but there are chunks I'd certainly skip over again.

[Shaitarn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

This is an anthology of stories about heroines (mostly), edited by Margaret Weis of Dragonlance fame, many (but noy all) written by female authors. It was okay. As with all anthologies, it was of varying quality. A couple of the stories were very good, but most were fairly average, with a couple that I ended up skipping over.

Passes the time, but not an enthralling or particularly exciting read. As I'm only keeping books that I'm sure to reread on my shelves, this one has been removed.

[Mark Isaak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were written for this book, rather than being a best-of collection, so they tend towards run-of-the-mill. All but one are in the fantasy genre, and all show creativity. As the title promises, all the stories center on strong women characters; perhaps the best part of the book is seeing how the various Amazons show different strengths.

[SBC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book about female warriors and there were some interesting stories but it just didn't really hang together well for me as a collection. I picked it up and put it down many times. I think the stories were just all too different in setting, mood and style to gel well together and the New Amazons theme was super-subtle in some of them! 17 stories and 1 poem.

R. Davis - Sacrifices - poem about cancer.
Nancy Springer - Emrys - I liked this story about a fae shapechanger who has to hide her glamour to survive in the city but with a lover who doesn't feel she should have to
Jo Clayton - Prices - I liked this story about a girl adopted into a new culture who has magical powers fromt he old one that enable her to save her family
Linda Baker - Sleep with one eye open - Quite good story about a girl who has a terrifying gift/ability
Robyn McGrew - Messenger's Plight - Good. A girl takes over for her brother in delivering an important war message and is helped by a god
Kathleen M Massie-Ferch - Gifts of Wonder and Darkness - good story about a woman who can tell that her unborn son is going to be evil and has to face a dilemma about what to do to help/stop him
Lawrence C Connolly - On the Brink - a woman drinks an odd herbal tea and it gives her hallucination that helps her deal with the grief that was blocking her from living
Janet Pack - Society of the Knife - Interesting story about a healer recovering from surgery who needs to learn how to be a surgeon to help others but is frightened of the idea and who has sacrificed love and life for her gift but might not need to anymore
Cynthia Ward - Brass in Pocket - I really liked this story about a lonely, bitter woman in a small town who can read people's minds and is convinced they're bad but needs a wake up call
John Tigges - Move .. Tomorrow - a flat time travel story with no clear warrior message since the character seemed to give up all her agency
Kate Novak-Grubb - Demon Drink - imagine if you could see the physical forms of the demons you carry around with you
Livia and James Reasoner -Look you on beauty and death - ok story about a female warrior goes back to her village to help her sister avoid a forced marriage to a wizard
Nick O'Donohue - Hannegan's Health - I really liked this story about a princess who is spoiled and needs to learn to be a better person and becomes one by being sent on a quest
Kevin T. Stein - Seven grains- an interesting story about a world of mystical sheriffs and one who ends their reign
Linda Mannheim - Love, Trouble and Time - a realist story about a lesbian woman whose lover has been in jail for some political ecowarrior activity and now has broken out to say farewell to her dying grandmother; it was ok but the protag was a bit hapless
Gary A. Braunbeck - Rights of Memory - an ok story about a young woman whose aunt is dying of alzheimers and she is contemplating euthanizing her; at the same time, her aunt is a witch who wants to pass on her magic to her and the woman isn't sure if she wants it
Felicia Dale - Shadow - I quite liked this story about a young slave girl who is befriended by a magical healing boy when they are enslaved together, then has to help his parents find him again
Jane Lindskold - Three choices: the story of Lozen - a story about a famous native American woman and how she helped her people

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at a thrift store and what a find! There were very few stories in this anthology that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. Each one was a story with a heroine at the center of it, but it wasn't like it was uber-feminist which would have been a turn off for me. Both male and female readers will thoroughly enjoy the stories. They are diverse and unique and some are so absorbing that you race along with the characters and find the book impossible to put down. I recommend this book for anyone who considers themselves a SFF fan.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories about women in highly intense situations--and how they overcome fear, danger, and harm. "Women who make sacrifices in order to gain victory over a foe."

The connection in this anthology is cancer--a personal connection to the disease--either the author or someone close to him/her--breast cancer in particular.

The stories themselves cover the range of what is fantasy--modern and past settings, magic, dragons, etc. Overall they are OK--none stand out in particular, although they do, for the most part, each resonate.

[Diz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites.