What do you think?
Rate this book
Chicks in Chainmail #3
Chicks 'n Chained Males
An anthology of fantasy stories features the writings of Esther Friesner, Elizabeth Moon, Jody Lynn Nye, Harry Turtledove, and Laura Frankos
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1999
14 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Esther M. Friesner
264 books710 followersEsther M. Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A's in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University; within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She has published twenty-seven novels so far; her most recent titles include Temping Fate from Penguin-Puffin and Nobody's Princess from Random House.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Asimov's, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Aboriginal SF, Pulphouse Magazine, Amazing, and Fantasy Book, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book.
Her first stint as an anthology editor was Alien Pregnant By Elvis, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited the Chicks In Chainmail Amazon comedy anthology series for Baen Books, as well as Blood Muse, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc.
"Ask Auntie Esther" was her regular etiquette and advice column to the SFlorn in Pulphouse Magazine. Being paid for telling other people how to run their lives sounds like a pretty good deal to her.
Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, Warchild, made the USA TODAY bestseller list.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children, two rambunctious cats, and a fluctuating population of hamsters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 1, 2010
This creative, funny collection of short stories spoofs the famous plotline of damsels in distress by having women warriors of various types rescuing the males in danger that cross their paths. The settings range from ancient Greece to Africa to the core of the earth and all types of situations are created by the authors included in this third "Chicks" anthology. This humorous collection is certainly worth a read.
August 7, 2014
My top three stories in here that made me laugh at loud whilst reading them over lunch:
"Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe" by Laura Frankos, featuring the invention of the musical comedy and starring a murderous Nora Desmond... in my mind, at least. I loved the touch of Phantom of the Opera, too.
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" by Kevin Andrew Murphy, featuring transformation, my fave theme which did a nice job of explaining the magical physic of magic use with a nice bit of deductive reasoning... although the best parts were the Jacamels. OMG! I want one!
"Cross CHILDREN Walk" by Esther Friesner because it featured a strong submissive man and a great death scene of a talking water dragon. It wasn't quite Douglas Adams, but neither is Douglas Adams these days.
"Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe" by Laura Frankos, featuring the invention of the musical comedy and starring a murderous Nora Desmond... in my mind, at least. I loved the touch of Phantom of the Opera, too.
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" by Kevin Andrew Murphy, featuring transformation, my fave theme which did a nice job of explaining the magical physic of magic use with a nice bit of deductive reasoning... although the best parts were the Jacamels. OMG! I want one!
"Cross CHILDREN Walk" by Esther Friesner because it featured a strong submissive man and a great death scene of a talking water dragon. It wasn't quite Douglas Adams, but neither is Douglas Adams these days.
September 16, 2015
Every story in this anthology has women in (mostly) armor and a man in needing rescue, usually waiting patiently in chains. Everything is humorous. I preferred the later stories, which were more funny life than funny slapstick. The last three stories made me pause and smile as I finished them. Overall a good selection of the Baen's fantasy/sci-fi author line-up from the nineties.
The quality of writing is fairly consistent as this is a main-line publisher book and not an Indie. Other than the "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", I don't think any of the stories are going to stick with me long. The stories felt a little dated (read 2015, written 1999). A light read for a few nights.
I should mention I could not finish the first story - that one was wretched. ("Myth Manners' Guide to Greek Missology #1" by Harry Turtledove). Just skip it and come back when you are done to see if you like it. I haven't found anything from Mr. Turtledove I like, but obviously others like his writing - so you should investigate.Everything else was good, not great, but good.
The standouts
"Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe" by Laura Frankos - The twenty theatrical allusions in this story would make a GREAT game for a reading group. Or provide enjoyment for anyone who loves theatre.
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" by Kevin Andrew Murphy - An African story (in amongst the traditional white "medieval" stuff of chainmail chick genre, and totally awesome!) ... absolutely loved the ending.
"Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows" by K.D. Wentworth - Again a very cool ending, a trifle heavy-handed before.
"Miss Underwood and the Mermaid" by Sarah Zettel - The magic system created for this story was lovely worldbuilding.
The quality of writing is fairly consistent as this is a main-line publisher book and not an Indie. Other than the "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", I don't think any of the stories are going to stick with me long. The stories felt a little dated (read 2015, written 1999). A light read for a few nights.
I should mention I could not finish the first story - that one was wretched. ("Myth Manners' Guide to Greek Missology #1" by Harry Turtledove). Just skip it and come back when you are done to see if you like it. I haven't found anything from Mr. Turtledove I like, but obviously others like his writing - so you should investigate.Everything else was good, not great, but good.
The standouts
"Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe" by Laura Frankos - The twenty theatrical allusions in this story would make a GREAT game for a reading group. Or provide enjoyment for anyone who loves theatre.
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" by Kevin Andrew Murphy - An African story (in amongst the traditional white "medieval" stuff of chainmail chick genre, and totally awesome!) ... absolutely loved the ending.
"Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows" by K.D. Wentworth - Again a very cool ending, a trifle heavy-handed before.
"Miss Underwood and the Mermaid" by Sarah Zettel - The magic system created for this story was lovely worldbuilding.
May 8, 2012
Funny stories that appeal to my feminist side--my favorites were "Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe" by Laura Frankos, a hilarious story about a prima donna princess who can't act and a bodyguard with a theatrical bent, and "Cross CHILDREN Walk" by Esther M. Friesner about a crossing guard who finds her stride by battling dragons and taking down bureaucrats in the town council while restoring the statuses of a schoolgirl and a professor. Oh, I liked them all. Good, fun read.
September 27, 2009
This is the second book I've read in this series. Like the first, it was full of fun stories. No greeat literature here, but definitely alot of enjoyment.
January 25, 2016
Collection of short stories about women warriors. Most are of a humorous bend. Recommended
October 7, 2007
This is a series of short stories. Some I liked some were eh.. The idea of the series is that it's the women who are out there saving the world and not the men. A fun fluffy read but it could have been better.
September 20, 2011
The third collection of humorous Amazon stories collectively called the Chicks Ahoy trilogy. A nice change of pace from Honor Harrington (David Weber) or Ky Vatta (Elizabeth Moon). Read Last of the Amazons (Steven Pressfield) for a serious look at the female warriors.
November 20, 2014
Got this as a free download and it definitely proves the axiom..."You get what you pay for." 2 stars is being generous. Just not any good stories here...not bad per se, just seemed to be on a 6th grade level. I like the concept, just not the result.
December 4, 2008
Fun short stories where the woman saves the day.
August 20, 2010
A great little collection of short stories. Nothing overly remarkable, but a pleasant read.
September 20, 2010
Not really my thing. Some of the stories were entertaining, but I really could have put this book down and never felt the urge to pick it up again, ever.
December 5, 2010
Warped, but hilarious!
May 1, 2013
A +1 for the tittle.
February 6, 2015
Hilarious takes on traditional sword tales
August 24, 2016
Fourth in the series, and the concept's getting a bit old.
June 23, 2024
The thing with comedy anthologies is, it does not always cater to one's taste. And, sadly, this was not the exception to the rule. I've enjoyed some of the stories, but others just fell flat. I also repeatedly struggled to sit down with this book, so it took me almost a year to finish it...
Most of the authors were unknown to me, thus bringing a few rather pleasant surprises, that I might pursue later. Overall, this is a cheeky book full of bite-sized stories, and pretty much worth picking up.
Harry Turtledove - Myth Manners' Guide to Greek Missology #1: Andromeda and Persueus - 5/5
I'll admit outright, that I've giggled through the entirety of this. It's silly and ridiculous in the best possible way - exactly what I've expected of an anthology with this title. I also fully realise that this might not be everybody's cup of tea.
Steven Piziks - Chain, Link, Fence - 4/5
I love both the plot idea and the execution, and the twist at the end that elevated it even more. The sore pity of this story is that it's way too short.
Elizabeth Moon - Fool's Gold - 3/5
Not a bad story per se, just doesn't exactly suit my taste. Although the main quartet of adventuresses were intriguing characters, I rather think it attempted - almost too hard dare I say - to feel like a story from Terry Pratchett, but it missed the delivery quite a bit.
Lawrence Watt-Evans - In for Pound - 3/5
A refreshing take on a suburban werewolf and his problems with animal control.
Marina Frants - Death Becomes Him - 5/5
An intriguing piece inspired by Slavic mythology. I'd love to read more adventures of Baba Yaga and her apprentice Vassilisa.
Susan Shwartz - Straight Arrow - 2/5
Yeah, that... that didn't work for me. At. All. Not that the idea was bad, quite an interesting take on the Amazonian myth, but... Nope.
Rosemary Edghill - Bad Heir Day - 1/5
Another nope for me. Arthurian myth has been done to death, and this did not bring anything new. And wasn't there supposed to be a male in chains (or at least in distress)?
Susan Casper - Why Do You Think They Call It Middle Earth? (or how I slew a dragon and found myself a mate) - 2/5
And nope for the third time! Although the idea wasn't exactly bad, if slightly overdone nowadays, the heroine grated on my nerves from the first moment. But the way she handled the dragon-slaying in the end made me chuckle a bit, so plus points for that.
Laura Frankos - Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe - 5/5
Theatrical troupe in a fantasy setting? Hell yeah. Actually, where's more of that?! And the nod to the Phantom of the Opera at the end was just *mwah*.
Josepha Sherman - Shiftless - 3/5
Not a bad read, straightforward, but enjoyable. I wouldn't be opposed to more stories with this husband-and-wife detective duo.
Brian Dana Akers - May/December at the Mall - 2/5
Um... the hell? I admit it piqued my interest, but I think a longer format would suit it better. This version of the time travel was a bit too chaotic for me (and not explained at all), an idea not brought to its full potential, I'd say.
Jan Stirling - Yo, Baby! - 4/5
Enjoyable and full of twists. This story has the potential to hold its own in a full-length novella.
Jody Lynn Nye - Don't Break the Chain! - 3/5
A possibly cursed chain-mail (pun intended) leads the heroine and the cohort of her trusty friends on a quest to a neighbouring kingdom. Honestly, this story was rather cute. It had a similar feeling as the previous Fool's Gold, but I liked it a lot better.
Esther M. Friesner - Cross CHILDREN Walk - 4/5
Three unlikely allies - a former warrior, now bridge-crossing-guard, a discredited alchemy teacher and a clever, young Mayor's daughter - join forces in an epic trickery to reveal corruption at the magical Overford Academy and the dangerous handling of potion-waste that endangers their riverside city.
Kate Daniel - ... But Comedy is Hard - 3/5
Again, the Amazonian myth, this time heavily intertwined with thespian themes. Two Amazonian warriors are called to investigate the apparent murder of a famous comedian.
Kevin Andrew Murphy - Baubles, Bangles and Beads - 6/5
Straying from the caucasian fantasy tropes into pure awesomeness of African lore-inspired epicness. Can a storyteller and a warrior-woman from her tribe uncover the cause of the mischievous magic that turns everyday utterances into reality?
Hands down the best story in the whole anthology.
K. D. Wentworth - Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows - 4/5
A comedic story done right. Not a rib-threatening variety, but chuckle-worthy. Three potential grooms-to-be of Princess Merrydot had been allegedly kidnapped by a dragon. Could two warrior-women to hire discover what lies behind this?
Sarah Zettel - Miss Underwood and the Mermaid - 5/5
Captain Latimer and her crew are caught in the middle of a dispute - to put it mildly - of two of the faerie-folks over a kidnapped naval officer. A very fine finishing peace.
Most of the authors were unknown to me, thus bringing a few rather pleasant surprises, that I might pursue later. Overall, this is a cheeky book full of bite-sized stories, and pretty much worth picking up.
Harry Turtledove - Myth Manners' Guide to Greek Missology #1: Andromeda and Persueus - 5/5
I'll admit outright, that I've giggled through the entirety of this. It's silly and ridiculous in the best possible way - exactly what I've expected of an anthology with this title. I also fully realise that this might not be everybody's cup of tea.
Steven Piziks - Chain, Link, Fence - 4/5
I love both the plot idea and the execution, and the twist at the end that elevated it even more. The sore pity of this story is that it's way too short.
Elizabeth Moon - Fool's Gold - 3/5
Not a bad story per se, just doesn't exactly suit my taste. Although the main quartet of adventuresses were intriguing characters, I rather think it attempted - almost too hard dare I say - to feel like a story from Terry Pratchett, but it missed the delivery quite a bit.
Lawrence Watt-Evans - In for Pound - 3/5
A refreshing take on a suburban werewolf and his problems with animal control.
Marina Frants - Death Becomes Him - 5/5
An intriguing piece inspired by Slavic mythology. I'd love to read more adventures of Baba Yaga and her apprentice Vassilisa.
Susan Shwartz - Straight Arrow - 2/5
Yeah, that... that didn't work for me. At. All. Not that the idea was bad, quite an interesting take on the Amazonian myth, but... Nope.
Rosemary Edghill - Bad Heir Day - 1/5
Another nope for me. Arthurian myth has been done to death, and this did not bring anything new. And wasn't there supposed to be a male in chains (or at least in distress)?
Susan Casper - Why Do You Think They Call It Middle Earth? (or how I slew a dragon and found myself a mate) - 2/5
And nope for the third time! Although the idea wasn't exactly bad, if slightly overdone nowadays, the heroine grated on my nerves from the first moment. But the way she handled the dragon-slaying in the end made me chuckle a bit, so plus points for that.
Laura Frankos - Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe - 5/5
Theatrical troupe in a fantasy setting? Hell yeah. Actually, where's more of that?! And the nod to the Phantom of the Opera at the end was just *mwah*.
Josepha Sherman - Shiftless - 3/5
Not a bad read, straightforward, but enjoyable. I wouldn't be opposed to more stories with this husband-and-wife detective duo.
Brian Dana Akers - May/December at the Mall - 2/5
Um... the hell? I admit it piqued my interest, but I think a longer format would suit it better. This version of the time travel was a bit too chaotic for me (and not explained at all), an idea not brought to its full potential, I'd say.
Jan Stirling - Yo, Baby! - 4/5
Enjoyable and full of twists. This story has the potential to hold its own in a full-length novella.
Jody Lynn Nye - Don't Break the Chain! - 3/5
A possibly cursed chain-mail (pun intended) leads the heroine and the cohort of her trusty friends on a quest to a neighbouring kingdom. Honestly, this story was rather cute. It had a similar feeling as the previous Fool's Gold, but I liked it a lot better.
Esther M. Friesner - Cross CHILDREN Walk - 4/5
Three unlikely allies - a former warrior, now bridge-crossing-guard, a discredited alchemy teacher and a clever, young Mayor's daughter - join forces in an epic trickery to reveal corruption at the magical Overford Academy and the dangerous handling of potion-waste that endangers their riverside city.
Kate Daniel - ... But Comedy is Hard - 3/5
Again, the Amazonian myth, this time heavily intertwined with thespian themes. Two Amazonian warriors are called to investigate the apparent murder of a famous comedian.
Kevin Andrew Murphy - Baubles, Bangles and Beads - 6/5
Straying from the caucasian fantasy tropes into pure awesomeness of African lore-inspired epicness. Can a storyteller and a warrior-woman from her tribe uncover the cause of the mischievous magic that turns everyday utterances into reality?
Hands down the best story in the whole anthology.
K. D. Wentworth - Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows - 4/5
A comedic story done right. Not a rib-threatening variety, but chuckle-worthy. Three potential grooms-to-be of Princess Merrydot had been allegedly kidnapped by a dragon. Could two warrior-women to hire discover what lies behind this?
Sarah Zettel - Miss Underwood and the Mermaid - 5/5
Captain Latimer and her crew are caught in the middle of a dispute - to put it mildly - of two of the faerie-folks over a kidnapped naval officer. A very fine finishing peace.
January 4, 2024
I recently picked up the package deal of three of the Chicks in Chainmail anthologies on Kindle. I'm disappointed that the first two haven't gone electronic.
The general idea is fantasy stories featuring women warriors saving males in distress. The various titles in the series have had word plays on the original title, and this one plays that straight with just about all the stories having a man in literally in chains at some point (though some merely settle for a more figurative side). Also, the usual anthology editing applies here, one strong story to lead with, then several secondary stories, leading to a series of better ones, and the best for last. And the tone of the series is generally humorous.
There's eighteen stories here, most of which are authors I know to one extent or another, and all are enjoyable. The starting story by Harry Turtledove is a lighthearted look at Greek myth with a bit of role reversal, and certainly has some good lines along with setting a good mood for the rest of the book. The next three add to this, with good Elizabeth Moon and Lawrence Watt-Evans stories (I think I've seen "In For Pound" elsewhere).
The final story, "Miss Underwood and the Mermaid", really brings home the classic 80s/90s fantasy feel, and has a good climax, but isn't actually the best of the lot. Other reviews have rightly pointed out "Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe", "Cross CHILDREN Walk", and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", the last of which is my favorite.
Esther Friesner is a good editor, with an eye for humor. This isn't all time greats, it's not pretentious like Dangerous Visions (and doesn't want to change SF like it), but it fills its intended role very well.
The general idea is fantasy stories featuring women warriors saving males in distress. The various titles in the series have had word plays on the original title, and this one plays that straight with just about all the stories having a man in literally in chains at some point (though some merely settle for a more figurative side). Also, the usual anthology editing applies here, one strong story to lead with, then several secondary stories, leading to a series of better ones, and the best for last. And the tone of the series is generally humorous.
There's eighteen stories here, most of which are authors I know to one extent or another, and all are enjoyable. The starting story by Harry Turtledove is a lighthearted look at Greek myth with a bit of role reversal, and certainly has some good lines along with setting a good mood for the rest of the book. The next three add to this, with good Elizabeth Moon and Lawrence Watt-Evans stories (I think I've seen "In For Pound" elsewhere).
The final story, "Miss Underwood and the Mermaid", really brings home the classic 80s/90s fantasy feel, and has a good climax, but isn't actually the best of the lot. Other reviews have rightly pointed out "Leg Irons, the Bitch, and the Wardrobe", "Cross CHILDREN Walk", and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", the last of which is my favorite.
Esther Friesner is a good editor, with an eye for humor. This isn't all time greats, it's not pretentious like Dangerous Visions (and doesn't want to change SF like it), but it fills its intended role very well.
dont-actually-want-to-read
March 8, 2023I have no intention of reading one of these, but whoever was titling them deserves a nobel prize
September 18, 2025
The third book in an anthology series focusing on warrior women. The series is more light hearted than other sword and sorcery stories and they can fall more on the comedic side, but the women are never the butt of the jokes. These are light, entertaining stories that can give you a chuckle after reading something heavier.
Read
January 9, 2010baen ebook
August 22, 2017
The title sounds terrible I know but its not what you think. It's a bunch of different authors writing different stories about warrior women saving men who've been captured or just got caught for being idiots (my opinion by the way). I'd actually read this years ago but I only remember it was a year or two after Katrina....I think. I found it again just a few days ago so I decided to read it again. Was just as good as before!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews