The Tales of Catt and Fisher: The Art of the Steal

After the War #3

by Justina Robson (Editor), Adrian Tchaikovsky, Freda Warrington

A brand-new collection of stand-alone stories featuring the return of two fan-favourite characters from the world of the critically acclaimed Redemption’s Blade and Salvation’s Fire novels. 

Four new tales of Doctors Catt and Fisher…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of war and peace. It was the epoch of acquisition and of generosity, it was the season of magic and of mundanity.

Join Catt and Fisher as a werewolf falls upon the first thief of spring, the winter of six kinds of duck gravy, the feast of a lifetime at the end of an aeon of starvation, and an unmissable, once-in-a-thousand-years auction of the most valuable objects in the world. Not to mention the one about the lighthouse made out of a moth’s wing.

“Robson writes a tense, fast-paced quest adventure... I hope to see more like it.” -- Liz Bourke

“If you’re looking for something that celebrates the genre, while working to interrogate and question how that genre works, look no further than Redemption’s Blade.” -- Martin Cahill, Tor.com

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies

434 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

About the author

Justina is from Leeds, a city in Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to write and always did. Other things sometimes got in the way and sometimes still do...but not too much.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of four novellas following the amusing and somewhat disreputable Doctors Catt and Fisher was a great return to the land created by Adrian Tchaikovsky, first in Redemption’s Blade and expanded upon in Justina Robson's Salvation’s Fire.
I found the pair alternately irritating and funny, as they spied on Celestaine and company, and continually interfered in the heroes' plans so the good Doctors could get their hands on cool magical stuff. And the doctors had me laughing at their obfuscations, verbosity, and their single-minded pursuit of the arcane, when confronted with their shameless treasure hunting, and their view that their prevarications and cheating as simply part of the hunt for new, unique, fun/dangerous objects to add to their carefully sourced collection.
Though Catt and Fisher were supporting characters in both of the novels, they left their mark, and I was eager to read this collection to find out what other adventures they got up to.
The four novellas were:
-Belt and Bracers: 4 stars. This could be either Redemption's Blade or (i>Salvation's Fire, in terms of the timeline, as Catt references the Vathesk at Dorhambri.
This story was very funny as Doctors Catt and Fisher and a colleague, Doctor Crabbe, arrive in Arvenir for Catty and Fishy to give the ruler a magical item. They also become embroiled, very unwillingly, with some local politics.
The dialogue frequently had me grinning, and the ridiculousness of the Doctors’ sense of put-uponness when unfortunate things happen arising from their own actions.

-Secrets and Lights: 4 stars. The story happens post-book two. Catt and Fisher get involved when they’re asked by the daughter of the Arvenir project manager of a new lighthouse for the small island of Fort Isle. She asks them about an obscure reference to a magical something listed on a bill of materials, which naturally gets the Doctors interested. She asks for their help also on protecting the lighthouse from damages
The story is told mostly from young Crombie's perspective; he's naive, is amazed by everything, and kind, and helping around the construction site. The Doctors are in fine form in this story, which left me feeling happy by its end.

-Taking Note: 3.5 stars. My least favourite of the four novellas, not because it’s a bad story, but because Catt lacks some of the circumlocution and verbosity that gives him such charm. This is also a slightly more serious story overall than the previous two, and could take place post book two. This story deals with post-war rebuilding and remediation, and the many ways this can be hindered by foul magics and people hoping to profit from the mess.

-The Unguis of Maug: 4 stars. The good Doctors Catty and Fishy determine they want something magical, of course, and hire a former Iskand Templar, and send him off with Fishy’s new project, a young ragamuffin (and a local gang’s punching bag) he took in off the street. The former Templar has much he feels he needs to atone for, and watching out for the boy actually helps him emotionally.
Despite some of the horror aspects in this story, there’s a return to the humour in Catt’s and Fisher’s sniping at each other, in Catt’s unbridled desire to get his hands on the next shiny thing, and Fisher’s long-suffering attitude.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read either of the books that the characters are from, but enjoyed this nonetheless. I may have to circle back to those books. Fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky, in particular, will likely enjoy this. But Fantasy adventure fans in general should enjoy this.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a new to me world and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I discovered great characters, a fascinating world and new authors.
It's a fascinating and gripping anthology and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jerome Rondeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

What started as a pair of secondary characters now have their own book. Doctors Catt and Fisher are collectors of all thing magical. Sometimes they get them legally. Sometimes they have to bend a few ... guidelines. These are the stories of some of those more... less saluatory adventures. Just reading Catt's speeches and thoughts is totally worth it. I gave it a four, but it deserves a 4.5!

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars. The editor, Justina Robson, did a good job with the intro: there was a modestly funny introduction to the characters and situation in the voice of Dr. Catt that made it worth the read. The stories themselves were a mixed bag and, over all, I think that only two of the four really felt like they were telling stories in the world built up by the series so far. The two that did, though, were very enjoyable..

Belt and Bracers – Adrian Tchaikovsky: (4 stars) This was a fun story and I like the way that it tells a little more about what happened to the Vathesk. It does a good job of showing how veterans' experiences fighting side by side with other cultures in the war affected them and their attitudes toward how their own culture treats people. I also really liked how everything turned out in the end. Tchaikovsky originated the characters, so they were on the nose of what I expected.

Secrets and Lights – Freda Warrington: (3 stars) I didn't think that this one was as fun nor did it feel as canonical. It deals with the Arvenir, just like the first story, and contradicts it slightly by giving them a king, which the first story says they didn’t have at the moment. Of course, this could be taking place in a different time period, but it was still a bit off-putting to read that directly after finishing the previous story. The facts around Galt's mother's necklace were a bit unbelievable and Drs. Catt and Fisher seemed more wizardly than they did in either of the previous novels or the first story. I’m not sure that Fisher really seemed very much like the same character nor that Catty sounded as loquacious as in the previous stories. It wasn't a bad story overall and it was enjoyable, but it was wanting a little bit more thought and consistency.

Taking Note – Juliet E. McKenna: (2.5 stars) This wasn't a bad story, but it was pretty uneven and really didn't hew closely to the established universe for these stories. Drs. Catt and Fisher weren't particularly prominent characters in much of the story and their dialogue, behaviors, and knowledge when they were present simply didn't match the characters' previous portrayals (e.g. Catt wasn't loquacious or fond of large words and he knew that Fisher was a Guardian). While the cultures and characters seemed to be based in this universe, they seemed more tacked on to bring it into compliance with the rules of the collection rather than being part of a story genuinely born of their world. I can't help but suspect that the author based their story on a precis rather than actually reading the previous novels. As far as the story itself went, it started off potentially funny and I thought it might be leading into some kind of heist story, but it went rather serious very suddenly in a way that didn't mesh well with what had come before. Then the ending came out of nowhere, kind of sitting at the end without really having much to do with the whole story of the Lentir that came before it, and concluded with a sort of diablo ex machina. The whole thing was clumsy and poorly put together.

The Unguis of Maug – K.T. Davies: (4.5 stars) This is my favorite of the bunch. The story built up steadily into a really good fantasy adventure. In some ways it's a cliché story of a former warrior beset by guilt for his past, but it's told well and it does a good job of taking on the theme of the after effects of the war that defines the series. It only loses half a star because Davies couldn't write Dr. Catt's dialogue quite as well as you get in Tchaikovsky and Robson's takes on the character.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

After The War: The Tales of Catt and Fisher: The Art of the Steal is a shared world anthology. It’s set in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s “After the War” universe, which is focused on a world where the great conflict between good and evil is over, but that resolution has left its own issues behind. What, after all, happens to a world once it has defeated its arch villain? What costs have been borne, what trauma created? The reconstruction of a broken world, the collapse or recreation of old power structures, the change - it’s narratively intriguing. There have been several novels set in this world, from several authors - and they were all cracking reads, with interesting things to say.

That pattern continues here. The focal point of each of these stories are Catt and Fisher, nominally antiquarians, but also veteran meddlers. The pair live together in their battered, comfortable shop. The shop is filled with every magical device and desire one might require. In a world where magic is on the wane, these artifacts of power are immensely desirable - and Catt and Fisher try their best to get their hands on as many as possible. Partly that’s to keep dangerous bits and bobs away from various power hungry madmen and wannabe dictators, and partly it’s just acquisitiveness. The two of them work well together; the relationship feels almost Holmesian, albeit less lopsided. Doctor Catt is gregarious, cheerful, occasionally ruthless, but has a soft-hearted streak running through him. Doctor Fisher is quieter, taciturn, with a presence that quietly fills the rooms he’s in. Gruff but humane, Fisher is an excellent foil to Catt’s mor mercurial nature. Both characters turned up in the novels as minor characters, but you don’t need their history to enjoy their role in this book. Just delight in their banter, the gentle needling and comfortable arguments of two people who have been together for a long time. There’s a warmth and obvious bond between the two, and the strength of that relationship radiates out throughout the text. They’re a pair who tend to solve their problems with quick wits and fast talking rather than swords and boards - though the occasional application of an explosively magical item isn’t out of the question. In any event, they’re a delightfully gentle, bickering pair of semi-geriatric Indiana Jones-types, who only occasionally incinerate things which get in their way.

The stories, from a set of delightfully talented writers, are pure, unadulterated fun. They’re full of magic and high adventure. There’s smart-arsed chat, and what one might call outright hijinkery. Moments of poignant sorrow that wrenched at the heart, and revelations that pulled the gut raw. And then, bits of pure joy. I spent a lot of the time reading this book smiling, occasionally chuckling wryly, and, more often than I expected, laughing out loud. I don’t want to talk about the tales themselves, to avoid giving things away. But there’s some genuinely imaginative stuff here, scintillating and clever ideas that combine delightfully human moments with the magic and wonder of an intriguing world to make stories which you won’t want to put down.

Most of all, these stories are fun. They’re adventures, they’re snappy, they don’t outstay their welcome - but they use their time to say interesting things and also keep you so entertained that you can’t stop turning pages. This is another excellent addition to the After The War canon, and if you’re looking for something to give you a dash of excitement, a laugh, and perhaps shed a tear in the space of a few pages, in between shape changers and fireballs - this is the collection for you.

[James Latimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw this ARC available I jumped at the chance to revisit Solaris's "After the War" setting, and in particular the two central characters featured here. Doctors Catt and Fisher are wonderful characters, an charming blend of witty banter, extravagant magic, questionable morals, and a knack for getting into (and out of) trouble. When they first appear in Redemption's Blade you feel immediately comfortable with them and want to see more of them (as the author himself apparently discovered). While they echo famous fantasy duos from Fafhrd and Mouser to Tarma and Kehtry to Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, they soon carve out their own space - and the challenge for the three new authors here is to give them the tales they deserves, as well as getting their character right.

On the whole, I'd say it was a resounding success.. The shared world setting is a big help, allowing almost anything within high fantasy, though, as with many of the more generic fantasy settings like D&D this does lead to a certain sense of historical uncertainty. Some of the stories seem almost 19th Century in society - which suits Catt and Fisher - while some have cannons and others plate armour (yes, I know these overlapped, but not quite like this). But that's all in the sense of fun, because, while it does tackle serious subjects and themes, this series doesn't take itself too seriously.

The first story is penned by the original author, so Catt and Fisher are note-perfect, of course. The story itself is the type of playful adventure that the playground of the setting is made for, and there's a sense of unfinished business as Tchaikovsky addresses one of the most memorable - and tragic - creatures from the world's extensive collection. The fact that I'd figured it all out quite early on was just icing on the cake to be honest. In tone and style this is perhaps the lightest of the four, but while it's the prototype it shouldn't assumed the others are trying to match it exactly.

Freda Warrington's style doesn't quite have the deftness of the first, especially in terms of the two main characters, but was still a cracking adventure with monsters galore (insects, which I'm sure Tchaikovsky appreciated!). It focuses on new characters, with C&F more in the background than others, and also strays furthest (both geographically and syle-wise) from the established world. But it's also perhaps the most epic and has some touching - and dark - moments.

Juliet McKenna's story nails the style, with subtler intrigue involving the wider post-war recovery geopolitics, and good use of established nations and races, It's not quite as spectacular as the previous one but I feel that suited C&F very well.

I hadn't read (or even heard of) KT Davies before but their story was perhaps the most impressive, really nailing the central characters as well as introducing a new and entirely fitting dimension, and some good side characters. Probably the smallest in scale, the characterisation was really sharp and the prose delightful. As with McKenna's, there's scope to continue the story and I would have happily kept reading!

All in all, four different takes on two great characters, each author bringing something different and interesting to make a lovely little collection. You don't have to have read the other books to enjoy them, though you probably get a bit more out of them if you do. Recommended!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

After The War: The Art of the Steal is an anthology of four new novella length works set in the fictional world of Redemption's Blade and After the Fire. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Rebellion on the Solaris imprint, it's 400 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

With shared worlds anthologies, the writing is often hit-or-miss. Authors have widely divergent styles, and collaborative settings don't translate to collaborative, cohesive results. Happily most of the snares seem to have been bypassed in this collection and all four stories are well written, entertaining, and work as standalones. They can be read in any order and don't get in the way of one another at all. The editor says in the foreword that there were some potential continuity pitfalls, but I didn't notice any glaring problems.

There really should be an official delineation for the fantasy subgenre with protagonists who are librarians/antiquarians/collectors/ with or without also being ruffians. This is another such and a delightfully diverting read. I read it without having read the previous "main" stories and had no trouble following along with enjoyment.

I recommend this anthology to fans of the genre as well as readers familiar with the series.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

[Justin Sarginson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise intrigued me. Four separate tales about two characters created by Adrian Tchaikovsky, written by different authors. Now, this could have gone horribly wrong but I'm pleased to say that this book is a triumph. The two characters are unique and charming anyway, but they are interpreted and portrayed in different shades and circumstances and come to life because of it.
The four stories are different and engaging in their own way, but are not too short to fade in a snap shot and despite my own reservations about short stories, this book is incredibly enjoyable to read and I tore through it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read "Redemption's Blade" or "Salvation's Fire", so I was a little concerned that I wouldn't fully grasp the characters and world of "After The War: The Tales of Catt & Fisher". I needn't have worried. The skill of the authors really shows itself in this collection of stand-alone stories. The writing, the plots, the characters... all are perfect! This is one of those books that you enjoy so much you want to read it again right away!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[K.J. Charles]

I loved Catt and Fisher in Redemption's Blade, and so did a lot of people obviously, hence this shared world collection. The Tchaikovsky story is terrific; the others didn't quite land for me in varying ways, mostly because the authors were going off in different directions (some inconsistent with the original, which bugged me) and that just wasn't quite what I was after (ie more of the original). I don't think I'm a very good shared-world reader, frankly. If you were reading this for the world, which is a marvellously conceived one, it would be a different experience.

[Scott Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

It'll sound like a backhanded compliment, but isn't meant to be: this book was better than I expected. I mean, I like fantasies and heists so I figured it sounded vaguely like those things (though in the end: no real heists), but the stories were each in their own way engrossing, and I love the characters. Figured I"d do a couple chapters a night, but couldn't put it down, which is all you can ask from a book!

I hope this is not the last we see of Doctors Catt and Fisher.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating concept, as it is always interesting to see different writer's takes on the same characters and this collection didn't disappoint. Each author brought something new to the characters and the setting, and while I certainly preferred some to the others, they were all well-written and entertaining, and overall this was an enjoyable addition to an existing world.

[Donald Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, to me, I liked Drs. Catt & Fisher more after reading these well written short stories. These showed a slightly kinder side of the characters which, for me anyway, was a welcome update. Great book, recommended.

[Brian Clapton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic

What a great group of stories. Really enjoyable. The Characters are full of life and really make the stories tic.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book in the series. This one is a collection of stories by different authors.