Wings of Omen

Thieves' World #6

by Robert Lynn Asprin (Editor), Lynn Abbey (Editor), Joe Haldeman

Keep one hand on your money and the other on your sword! Wings of Omen (original anthology 6) moves the town of Sanctuary into an open guerilla conflict on the street. The city of Sanctuary, located on Thieves' World at the edge of the Rankan Empire, is a city of outlaws and adventurers in a world of war and wizardry... a place where many are downtrodden and where the invading Rankan gods and the Ilsigi gods they had ousted struggle for primacy.
Contents:
Editorial Clarification • essay by editors
Thieves' World (map) • interior artwork by James Odbert [as by Jim Odbert]
Introduction (1979) (Wings of Omen) / short fiction by Robert Asprin
What Women Do Best (1984) [The Sacred Band of Stepsons] / novelette by Chris Morris and Janet Morris
Daughter of the Sun (1984) / novelette by Robin W. Bailey]
A Breath of Power (1984) / novelette by Diana L. Paxson
The Hand That Feeds You (1984) / novelette by Diane Duane
Witching Hour (1984) / novelette by C. J. Cherryh
Rebels Aren't Born in Palaces (1984) / novelette by Andrew J. Offutt
Gyskouras (1984) [Thieves' World] / novelette by Lynn Abbey
A Fish Without Feathers Is Out of His Depth (1984)/ short story by Robert Asprin
A Special Note from the Editors • essay by Lynn Abbey and Robert Asprin

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Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction, Sword and Sorcery

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

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

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

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

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wings of Omen is the sixth anthology in the Thieves' World shared-world series, one of the most successful and popular ever created. There are eight stories in this one, and three new authors are introduced, Diane Duane, Robin W. Bailey, and Chris Morris as a collaborator with his wife, Janet. The other returning authors are editors Lynn Abbey and Robert Lynn Asprin, C.J. Cherryh, Diana L. Paxson, and andrew j. offutt (who was using capital letters by then, but what the heck). The Beysib invasion of Sanctuary has become an occupation, and we see how the citizens continue to adapt. My preferred stories continue to be the ones contributed by Abbey and Asprin, and offutt's latest Hanse adventure was my favorite. The book is prefaced by a note titled "Editorial Clarification" which cites the works that are authorized as Thieves' World canon, including a list of board games, perhaps in response to Marion Zimmer Bradley's continuing and evidently troubling use of her character in other works from the initial book. By this time the background had become so convoluted that it would be necessary to go back and read at least a couple of the earlier books to know what was happening in this one, but it's still a fun and interesting series.

[Shaitarn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Better than the last volume, but not reaching the heights of the first few books.

The big news this volume is civil war back in Ranke, which means that the Emperor and most of his family have been killed, leaving the Prince-Governor Kadakithis ('Kitty-Cat') the legitimate heir to the imperial throne - or dead, if the new Emperor has his way. However, this is far away and Sanctuary's current problem is the fish-eyed Beysib who are still occupying the city in a 'not-really-doing-anything' sort of way.

As always, the stories are of varying quality; Janet Morris, thankfully still giving us a break from the insufferable Tempus, has a story about the resistance movement growing in Sanctuary (unfortunately it's called the Popular Front for the Liberation of Sanctuary, so I couldn't read it without having Life of Brian flashbacks); a new writer, Robin W Bailey, provides a story about a new character who's interesting if rather overpowered, Diana Paxson gives us another story about her artist Lalo, which is darker than his previous tales; Andrew Offutt turns in another story about Hanse, in which it seems the thief is bowing out - at least for now - and Robert Lynn Asprin turns in a nice little funny story about one of the baysib trying to woo the lady he loves with the gift of a pet bird (naturally things don't go to plan).

The other stories (there are eight in total, plus the introduction) were of less interest to me, featuring characters that I was either unfamiliar with (Harran) or sick of (Ischade, Mor-am and his tiresome allies). One problem with most of these stories is the level of power: with gods getting involved, doling out wishes and (possibly) raising characters to divinity themselves, the series occasionally resembles a long running D&D campaign where the characters have become so powerful they're taking on the gods - and winning.

I'll probably continue the series, but looking ahead I'm carrying on with grim determination rather than pleasure. I can see volume 8 only features stories by Lynn Abbey, C J Cherryh and Janet Morris, and as two of those are my least favourite writers for this series I might ditch it. Onward and (hopefully) upward.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ratings for the Thieves' World series of mosaic novels has been pretty consistent at three stars, which if not ambivalent is at least a rating that justifies the continued if slow progress through the series' dozen volumes.

This entry, Wings of Omen is the sixth in the series and apparently the first one to really break away from the pack and deliver a nearly flawless plate of low-fantasy adventure from eight different authors.

Omen seems tightly plotted, with a lot more characters recurring and appearing in multiple stories than usually seems the case, which gives the anthology more of the feel of a novel. Important things seem to happen, and in some cases it is the scale of these Important Things that makes this low-fantasy book cross an alternative high-fantasy line, which I don't always appreciate in this particular series. Characters who confer with gods is one thing, but characters revealed to be of gods is another.

Two newcomers to the series, Robin W. Bailey and Diane Duane turn in solid work and looking ahead it appears they stick around for a while, too. They are welcome additions to Asprin's stable of tale-tellers. Duane in particular delivers a tale that is visceral with its depiction of occult ritual magic and ironic in its final twists.

Some of Sanctuary's familiar names include Andrew Offut, whose Shadowspawn character features in several stories and headlines one of his own; Diana L. Paxson delivers a relatively standalone story peppered with some of that High Fantasy stuff; Chris and Janet Morris have the honor of kicking the thing off with one of the lengthier stories that set some of the threads for the rest of the mosaic's plots; C. J. Cherryh's story, while Important, is the one that feels the most like work to read (this is not the first time I've felt this way about Cherryh). Of course editors Lynn Abbey and Robert Asprin also contribute engaging tales. Asprin in particular is always a joy to read; his is the last story in the bunch and he provides a well-placed dose of humor at the end of a relatively downbeat run of stories.

Plotwise, Wings of Omen concerns the once-free city of Sanctuary as it grapples with occupation by the weird Beysib people (introduced in Volume 5, I believe) as the ruling Rankan empire appears to be crumbling from pressures abroad. The friction between these three factions (Free Sanctuary!-types being the third after Beysib and Rankan) drives a lot of the drama here. We are treated to assassinations gone bad, heists gone well, and multiple attempts to gain the upper hand in these conflicts by resurrecting dead gods or willing new ones into being. It's a good balance of story archetypes with a clear sense of plot advancement; I really applaud Abbey and Aspirin's editorial guidance here.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

another great Thieves World. the Stepsons are slowly making thier way back to Sanctuary. The Hand That feeds You, and Rebels Aren't Born in Palaces were great stories. You see a whole different side of Hanse here, it was amazing. I still wish Walegrin was a bigger charactor. I only give 3 stars tho, because I am sorry, i just still find myself lost alot of the time. There are so many characters, places, and Gods. Where many, i should say most, of the stories, people and events do eventually tie in together, there are a few that seem out of place, or like the only thing that really links them to anywhere is that they are from 'Sanctuary'. and that just makes for too much. i would seriusly love to see a real map of Sactuary tho. The Maze, Downwind, the Wharf, Where is The Vulgar unicorn, Slys Place, The Aphrodisia House?

[Brian Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wings of Omen is significantly superior to Face of Chaos . The stories are more independent of each other and can be enjoyed on their own merits (with a couple exceptions). Authors do not appear to be laboring to advance a preconceived plot and are free to work with their characters and their own plots.

The best stories are front loaded and the book becomes a bit of a chore to read as it goes along. While none of the books that have followed have lived up to the expectations created by the first one (since the notoriety and quality of the authors has decreased substantially), Wings of Omen is one of the better installments in the series.

[Wendy]

I read this book and its companions back in the 1980s.

The idea of a Shared World apparently started at one of the many scifi conventions that were popular in the 1980s. It was a novel concept. There had always been anthologies - short stories or novellas written by authors from the same genre writing about the same Theme. But there had never been anthologies based on the same Fantasy World.

Thieves World is a world: " a city of outlaws and adventurers in a world of war and wizardry, peopled with colorful characters". What made these books work was the authors' characters all wandered in and out of the same taverns, encountered the same corruption, and once in awhile authors' borrowed one anothers characters for their story. It was clever. It worked.

I need to confess, I am an avid reader. However, short stories HAVE not and ARE not my favorite writing format. As a rule, I am usually wanting more character development, more information than what a short story can give. But Thieves' World worked and worked well. I do not recall any other short stories I enjoyed more.

The editors went on to publish 12 books. I personally stopped reading at about book 6. The concept started getting tired and the books were not as clever and exciting to me after #6. But seeing this being offered as a ebook is getting me excited again. I just might revisit Thieves World.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wings of Omen Thieves’ World®, Book 6 starts with the familiar Introduction from Robert Lynn Asprin
“The birds of Sanctuary are black. From the hawk-like predators to the small seed-eaters the native birds are black as the heart of a thief.”

What Women Do Best- Chris and Janet Morris Daughter of the Sun -Robin W. Bailey- introduces a very Red Sonja character that I don’t think we see again. Sadly. A Breath of Power -Diana L. Paxson- I liked this character and the idea of someone else knowing Lythande’s secret. The Hand That Feeds You -Diane Duane Witching Hour -C.J. Cherryh Rebels Aren’t Born in Palaces -Offutt Gyskouras – Lynn Abbey -
Asprin finishes us up with A Fish Without Feathers Is Out of His Depth

[Raymond Rugg · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the sixth book of the collection, the friction between the residents of Sanctuary and the invading Beysib heats up and makes for some exciting reading again. Its story count is back up to eight, Offut’s character Shadowspawn gets some good coverage, and a few fresh new characters also get some play, as well as new-to-the-series authors Robin Bailey and Diane Duane.

As we finish with what will ultimately be the first half of the series, Thieves’ World has grown into a real presence in the fantasy genre. As Asprin mentions in his Afterword in Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn, “[A]nthologies in general don’t sell and … fantasy anthologies specifically are sudden death,” yet the sales of the first few collections generated not only a thriving series and a number of authorized spin-off novels, but also a board game, a role-playing game, and a number of RPG supplements. In fact, at the time of Wings of Omen, the very words “Thieves’ World” and “Sanctuary” had been trademarked for the franchise by Asprin and Abbey.

[Harold Citron · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I last picked up the Thieves World series, so it was going to be an intriguing ride as a result of the novels' anthology short-story style.

While most of the main characters came back relatively readily, the overriding theme of a Beysib invasion, remained more a distant background matte than a deeper part of the individual stories. That in itself is not a bad thing, but a realization that this is series is not a novel with one story, but stories characters interwoven through the city.

As for the stories themselves, it was a mixed bag, with some better than others, not surprising for this style of book. The ones I enjoyed were quite good, the ones that were less enjoyable were still quite readable.

I have book 7 lined up, and it will be interesting to see how it compares with the underlying themes now readily in the forefront of my mind.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest frustration with this book was realizing I couldn’t easily tell the two femmes fatale, Ischade and Roxane, apart easily, despite them being enemies. Two femmes fatale in the same run-down noir town is probably one too many. I suppose the writers realized this, because one of them was eliminated this book, albeit probably temporarily. Most of the stories are solid and enjoyable, though I was sorry once again to see Hanse leave town and go straight to Tempus—why would anyone seek out Tempus, one of the most unlikeable characters in this or any world? I do not know and it remains a mystery.

My reviews of Thieves’ World have mostly become Slagging on Tempus, which I’ve managed in my review for this book despite him only appearing for a paragraph. What can I say, my grudge burns on across the decades.

[Garth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although at times it felt as if the narrative was a bit too forced this was still a splendid read. Not as good as the first volume but still very enjoyable. I am delighted that these books have aged so well since the first time I read them forty years ago. They added a plethora of flavour to our D&D campaigns we ran back in high school. Foremost was running the campaign in a world that several of us had invented with painstaking detail to every facet of the social, economic, and religious ideologies of different regions. We have Robert Lynn Asprin and the idea of Thieves World to thank for that.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent installment in the brilliant Thieves' World series, which I have often believed would have been on Gygax's Appendix N list had it been published just a decade earlier. This one continue the plotline in which the strange, alien, fish-like Beysib have come to dominate Sanctuary, and a war of succession rages in Ranke. I've been enjoying a re-read of the series since I recently acquired a complete collection on a trip to Montreal (previously, I had only volumes 1-6). This represents as far as I have ever read in the series, and I'm looking forward to my first glance at #7!

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read of Thieves World post-Beysib occupation, the more astounding it is. A shared universe anthology pre-modern internet is already an amazing feat, but to then upend everything, across numerous authors, characters, and plotlines, that was a truly audacious move.

[Ronald Calbick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in the series, although I found a few of the stories a bit disjointed and difficult to follow in relation to everything else going on.

[Michael Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven mix of stories. A couple of very good ones mixed with some of the worst in the series so far.

[Des · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep 'em coming.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the stories picked up a bit since the last book. I am once again enjoying all the action in Thieves World!

[Kendal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good concept. Some of the stories are hit and miss, and sometimes they are confusing. At this point, it is so complex, the series needs an appendix like LOTR and Dune.

[Charl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unexpected revelations, plenty of chaos and adventure, and Shadowspawn's in action again.

[Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth Thieves World anthology set in Sanctuary and the first that I didn’t read thirty odd years ago. To best appreciate this, you definitely need to have read the previous stories, as characters from earlier stories are met in passing, adding to the depth and enjoyment of the tales. Indeed, the the feeling of these being further adventures, developing existing characters greatly added to the stories. (I have read novels about individual characters out of sequence, and this anthology “filled in” the return of the authentic Stepsons from Wizardwall, the arrival of members of the Rankan 3rd Commandos and Shadowspawn’s adventures).
Much is happening, with changes in Ranke impacting upon Sanctuary, as well as further resistance to the Beysib invaders. As others have commented, these stories stand out from other fantasy stories that I have read in that they collectively form a sense of a greater life (world building) than that glimpsed in the individual stories. As also noted, they are not of the greatest literary style, but they work for me, and are all the more impressive for creating a generally coherent narrative whilst being written by different authors from different characters’ points of view.
There is no contents page in my Kindle copy, so for completeness, this anthology includes:
Introduction by Robert Lynn Asprin
"What Women Do Best" by Chris and Janet Morris
"Daughter of the Sun" by Robin W. Bailey
"A Breath of Power" by Diana L. Paxson
"The Hand That Feeds You" by Diane Duane - without heading and starts on page 515 of Kindle anthology
"Witching Hour" by C. J. Cherryh
"Rebels Aren't Born in Palaces" by Andrew J. Offutt
"Gyskouras" by Lynn Abbey
"A Fish With Feathers is Out of His Depth" by Robert Lynn Asprin

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid edition in the Thieves' World series. Things continue to get worse in Sanctuary, anus of the Rankan Empire, but, to be honest, a lot of the Empire is going down the toilet simultaneously: war in distant Wizardwall is going poorly, the effects of the death of the Rankan wargod are still being felt, and the Emperor (the Prince-Governor's half-brother) has been assassinated and the throne seized in a coup. Locally, a new force has entered the already vicious and confusing streets, the Rankan 3rd Commando, allegedly responsible for putting the usurper in power and then exiled (Or were they?) and the Beysib invaders, after a book's worth of moderate restraint (in Face of Chaos) are now fighting back, using their brutal and arbitrary judicial system against the inhabitants of the city. Wings of Omen has various stories that expand on Zip and his Popular Front for the Liberation of Sanctuary. Storywise, I very much liked The Hand That Feeds You (Diane Duane) and the newest Hanse installment Rebels Aren't Born in Palaces (Andrew Offutt). I also enjoyed the more light-hearted A Fish With Feathers is Out of His Depth (Asprin), which is one of the few tales that show the Beysib in a more sympathetic light. Wings of Omen also features an interesting Lalo the Limner story (The Breath of Power), an adequate installment in the Ischade plot-line (Witching Hour), and a tale where Illyra and her child become more central to major events in Sanctuary (Gyskouras). What Women Do Best (Chris and Janet Morris) and Daughter of the Sun (Robin Bailey) introduce some new powerful female characters (Tempus' daughter Kama and Kadakithis' cousin Cheyna).

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readability 8. Rating 6. Date estimated. One of the Thieves' World series of books, which collect short stories from a range of science-fiction and fantasy writers. The interesting aspect of these stories is the common setting (the City of Sanctuary) and the overlapping of characters and events. At it's best, the series provides multiple viewpoints in very different styles of events that impact each character's life to varying extents. The series also does an excellent job of maintaining a historical flow throughout the series. At this point (I am writing this well after the time I read the books), I cannot differentiate among the early books in this series. Note also, that this is the second reading for the first eight in the series.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have come to accept that any Thieves' World anthology will be very uneven, and this sixth volume is no exception. What was unexpected was that the stories I didn't like were all in the first two-thirds of the book, while the last third had all of the more enjoyable stories. Or, at least those were comprehensible. Some of the earlier stories jumped around so much that I couldn't figure out what was actually happening. I don't plan to continue this series any more.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok here we go! This one I remember bringing back the tense narrative and overarcing story that I love. It was kind of a response to the previous book, wherein the city of Sanctuary is raided and bad things began to happen. Where that book was a bit disappointing, this one kicks you in the teeth with each story. It demands your attention and I remember being so sad that I had to wait for the next anthology, over a year later, or maybe two. Ugh.....

Danny

[Helga Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took longer than usual to read this because I squeezed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in over Christmas. It was a decent read. As usual,I prefer some authors over others. I Again,I was tempted to stop reading or finishing the first 12 but am really curious how some of the story lines will resolve. Gotcha!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is often the case, the overall anthology is uneven, but generally these stories are good fun to read, with the setup also good (if starting to get a little overly complex as *too* many groups converge on Sanctuary).

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this strange and provocative sixth volume, the Wizardwall War brings undreamed-of horrors as the invaders invoke their powers to raise the very dead...

[Kurt Vosper · Rating 3 out of 5]

see book 1