Reave the Just and Other Tales

by Stephen R. Donaldson

Stephen R.  Donaldson is known for weaving brilliant tales of worlds so real, they come vividly to life.  His unique talents have placed his work among J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth stories, Frank Herbert's Dune trilogy, and C.S. Lewis's classic Chronicles of Narnia --and established him as a writer with the rare ability to expand readers' imaginations as he deepens their understanding of the human spirit.  

This magnificent new collection of eight stories and novellas--three of which have never before been published--commences with the exceptional title story, "Reave the Just." This fablelike masterpiece entertains as it deftly highlights one of the major themes in all of Donaldson's work: the innate and extraordinary power of the individual to overcome adversity.  "The Killing Stroke" concerns perhaps the ultimate quest for meaning and honor, as three warriors desperately attempt to escape a doorless room, a war between mages, and even death.

The morbid, soul-taking hero of "Penance" and the mysterious beggar woman in the dark fairy tale "The Woman Who Loved Pigs" are both plagued by the double-edged sword of love.  And a pampered antihero is forced to make a choice between virtue and vice in "The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed." Boasting exotic settings and suspense fueled by sudden plot twists, the stories in this must-have anthology feature tormented practitioners of mystical martial arts, the perils of wizardry, and the exploits of imperfect heroes embarking on marvelous quests.

Most of all, Reave the Just and Other Tales is a testament to the astonishing scope of Stephen R.  Donaldson's mastery of magic and myth, as well as his talent to spin unforgettably spellbinding stories.  A lavish reading experience for his many fans and a superb introduction for readers just discovering him, this collection beautifully does something that only the very best fiction can: inspires readers to dream the most fabulous dreams.

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

370 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Stephen Reeder Donaldson is an American fantasy, science fiction, and mystery novelist; in the United Kingdom he is usually called "Stephen Donaldson" (without the "R"). He has also written non-fiction under the pen name Reed Stephens.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:

Stephen R. Donaldson was born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled in making or fitting prosthetic devices). Donaldson spent the years between the ages of 3 and 16 living in India, where his father was working as an orthopaedic surgeon. Donaldson earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University.

INSPIRATIONS:

Donaldson's work is heavily influenced by other fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and William Faulkner. The writers he most admires are Patricia A. McKillip, Steven Erikson, and Tim Powers.

It is believed that a speech his father made on leprosy (whilst working with lepers in India) led to Donaldson's creation of Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of his most famous work (Thomas Covenant). The first book in that series, Lord Foul's Bane, received 47 rejections before a publisher agreed to publish it.

PROMINENT WORK:
Stephen Donaldson came to prominence in 1977 with the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which is centred around a leper shunned by society and his trials and tribulations as his destiny unfolds. These books established Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy fiction.

PERSONAL LIFE:
He currently resides in New Mexico.

THE GRADUAL INTERVIEW

Reviews

[A. Dawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donaldson was a power-force in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s. He brought a dark edge to the fantasy genre. I admired his uniquely verbose style. At times he was Kafkaesque, at other times like Chekov, and at the time he held his own in the shorter form against most other writers. His detailed descriptions weren't be for everyone's liking, but I enjoyed the fact that you were not on a roller coaster ride with turns on every single page.

This is an excellent collection.

But the fact does remain. Donaldson may feel heavy handed in terms of language for modern day readers. Having recently read Abercombie, I could really feel the difference in eras.

4.5* "By Any Other Name" Long winded at times and entertaining at other times, which really is emblematic of Donaldson's writing as a whole.
4* "Penance" Details the specifics and horrors of torture. Told in an older style narration reminiscent of a Victorian work, whereby a shunned vampire tells his sad tale to the gentry of the era. A good story, but may be tiring for some who aren't used to this style of narrative.
5* "Reave the Just" The title story is a winner. Strong fantasy tale, which is what Donaldson does best.
5* "The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed" What's not to love? The title says it all.
4.5* "The Killing Stroke" This one drags at times, but is also original and v. clever. Worth the lulls in pacing as it is a rewarding story by the end.
4*"The Kings of Tarshish Shall Bring Gifts" Another strong work.
4* "The Woman Who Loved Pigs" Unusual ending but a great journey until then.
3.5* "What Makes Us Human" This sci-fi felt out of place here, but it does showcase Donaldson's versatility. I don't think he writes as well in this genre, but it's still better than many others.

Despite the pace problems, which may be an issue for modern readers, I'd still happily recommend this collection for fans of fantasy.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a Donaldson fan, so there really wasn't any doubt that I'd enjoy this collection of novellas and short stories, but I didn't realize that it would be as good as it was. Honestly, Mr. Donaldson did a wonderful job mixing classic fantasy and grimdark-esque themes with some memorable characters to produce a great fantasy work. Just my initial thoughts. I'll write a proper review later.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

No clue why I declared this a “keeper” and five stars. Using today to clear off my “keepers” bookcase, which is so overloaded it is tipping forward.

Trigger warning: stories are violent and rape is in more than one story. It isn’t graphically described, but it is present and obvious.

So far the first two stories employ rape as a plot point. First story (Reave the Just) is the continue abuse of a woman, the second one (The Djinn who Watches over the Accursed) is the abuse of a man. Equal opportunity abuse to both a biological male and female, however it’s not a good start to my re-read.

The third story (The Killing Stroke) had no sexual abuse, but was violent and made some sense, but not enough for me to enjoy it.

Fourth story (The Kings of Tarshish Shall Bring Gifts), almost immediately we go into the sexual explorations of the MC, who ended up being a tyrant. Not what I want to read, skipping to the next story.

Fifth story (Penance). Oh goody, the Church is the Big Bad AND we get to see them torture a woman, with rape being prevented at the last moment? Where do I sign up?

Sixth story (The Woman Who Loved Pigs). Guess what?!? ANOTHER unwilling woman! Who sacrifices herself for the man? Or some weird hybrid? What even WAS that ending?!?

Seventh story (What Makes Us Human). Sex in space. Seriously, only two stories without sex (at least it is consensual here, small mercies) and the last story it would have happened if they had one more hour…face palm.

Ok, not even going to bother with the last story.

Demoted from five stars to 2 and I have saved space on my bookcase. Win-win as far as I am concerned.

[Rose Vane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best collections of fantasy tales I've ever read. But I fully expected it - with a writer of Donaldson's calibre. I don't think I can pick a favourite here - every story in the book has something unique and provoking. And so memorable. I read this book several years ago, but I vividly remember each and every tale. If I were to pick one, I'd pick Penance, because of the chivalresque/Arthurian atmosphere it brings into a raw and stirring vampire tale.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all Donaldson's work. This is a collection of novellas, not really short stories. They are mostly fantasy and I enjoyed them all.

I would definitely recommend.

Blood, gore, torture - not too terrible though. I don't think there was any sex in any of them.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a long time to finish but that isn't a bad thing. Each story is long, often a bit cerebral but is set in such a fully-realized and developed setting that completing one felt the same as completing a novel. One 40-page story offers more character, more history and more interest in its setting than I ever had from 2.3 Game of Thrones novels. And while there is the escapism and imaginative wonder in the tales, they also have a literary edge to them and a fairy-tale or Chekhov-esque tone to them. This book is a prime example of what I consider to be good fantasy fiction.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donaldson absolutely refuses to absolve characters of their own responsibility. Which is really rather refreshing.

[Conchita Matson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donaldson is an underrated writer. His themes are presented in a highly intelligent way that makes you think about wrong and right, how they are perceived and what the true definition is of both.

[Russell Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catching up on some old fantasy short stories in preparation for a class of mine, I was reminded of just how full, ripe, bloody, crude, and intense Donaldson's prose and plotting can be. Like too many writers from the 1970s through the 2000s, his characters are too often a little too rapey, without strong female characters or a sense of overall morality to balance the stories' vibes out, but I can't deny the man knows how to set a scene, and how to executive a tight, satisfying tale.

[Martin Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1999 with the stories written between 1984 and 1995. If you are looking for a light book to read then look elsewhere. if you’ve read any of Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant books, you’ll know that the chief battle in his books is Hope v Despair. And usually Despair is in the ascendant.

That is certainly the case here, with one or two of the stories having a lightness of touch, especially in the way they end. But you don’t read Stephen Donaldson with the expectation of laughing out loud. And i didn’t with any of the stories, maybe a wry smile at the end of a couple of the stories.

Stephen Donaldson isn’t an author for everyone. I can understand some people thinking his writing is a little bleak and depressing. I don’t agree I think good books are more about hope and redemption but each to their own opinion.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A diverse collection of short stories/novellas. The only one I had previously read was "That Which Makes Us Human", a sci-fi story produced for a compilation helmed by Fred Saberhagen.
The remainder have more of a fantasy/magic element. An over arching theme is characters who may not be the most powerful, or who are in a situation over their head, rising to meet the dangers they face with determination and courage.

[Mike Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is because Stephen Donaldson has it in him to write books like this one that I rated The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through so poorly. I loved 90% of the stories in this book. Not just liked but loved.

[Mean Mr. Mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. Solid read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection

[JT Neville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good, some not so good short stories.

[Des · Rating 2 out of 5]

Next time, see if you can make them even longer and more unnecessarily sluggish, Steve...

[Ian Willey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as difficult to read as Thomas Covenant and not as rewarding

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Thomas Covenant Chronicles by this author when I was much younger, so when I came across a book of his short stories, I was intrigued. His verbosity made one or two of the stories almost unreadable: he likes to use ten of fifteen paragraphs when a sentence or two might do. But his writing is lovely, and his imagination rich. Many of the parables had a dessert-nomadic-ancient middle-eastern feel to them, complete in some cases with harems, genies, and camel caravans. One sci fi story seemed quite out of place amid so many magical tales of the desert, or of small medieval villages. The title story was the most fascinating to me of all the stories in the collection.

I enjoyed the tales and am glad to have read them.

That said, this collection is full of rape, sodomy, slavery, murder, torture, heinous ways to die, and more, so it is NOT for children.

[Joe Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reread is the final book I'll finish in 2021, and since that's a bit of an occasion and author Stephen R. Donaldson is one of my favorites, I decided to review each of the stories in the collection individually. As a whole, though, I would say it's a big step up from his previous anthology Daughter of Regals, which in my opinion has a wide range of hits and misses. Here, even the weaker efforts are pretty good. So without further ado...

Reave the Just: A phenomenal choice for title story and volume opener. I love the folkloric campfire tone and the characters that only Donaldson could write, following their obscure moral strictures to a natural conclusion that still manages to surprise. The worldbuilding would be stronger without the mentions of Satan and Hell, but that's a minor critique. ★★★★★

The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed: I like the sense of place and the surprising narrator, but the scenes of slaughter get a bit repetitive and the closing beat of logic doesn't quite track for me. As a result it feels both too long and unfinished, I think. ★★★☆☆

The Killing Stroke: Sharp characters, a society that feels fully crafted despite how little we get to see of it, a plot with unexpected depth and twists, and interesting philosophical conversations. As in his novel The Man Who Fought Alone, Donaldson's own experience with martial arts is invaluable for presenting these schools of fighting and how their differing perspectives would affect combat with one another. This is just all-around great. ★★★★★

The Kings of Tarshish Shall Bring Gifts: I think this one relies a bit too heavily on implicature, but only just. It has the structure of a fable, which helps, and a few striking visuals. I wish the characters had more heart to them, as they never quite feel like real people to me, but as figures for embodying a moral theme, they serve the plot well. ★★★★☆

Penance: I don't love that the only woman in this tale is relegated to the protagonist's recounting of his backstory, where she's horribly abused and ultimately fridged to fuel his manpain. But that unfortunate and overused trope aside, it's a phenomenal piece and a great spin on the classic vampire mythos. It's also a seriously pointed jab at abuses of organized religion like the Inquisition that diverge from the traditional tenets of faith to suit the corrupted whims of the powerful. I think Scriven is probably tied in my mind with the nameless narrator of Unworthy of the Angel from the writer's previous collection as the quintessential Donaldson hero, a downtrodden figure striving endlessly for redemption. And in that context, the twist at the end delivers stunning catharsis. I want this to be a whole novel, to see how the wider conflict resolves once this particular crisis has passed. ★★★★★

The Woman Who Loved Pigs: An interesting fantasy version of Flowers for Algernon that casts the transformation as a violation of consent and refuses to ever let its perpetrator off the hook. Considering abuse in terms of personal autonomy and disability rights allows Donaldson to explore the topic without overtly sexualizing the victim here, a feat that sometimes gives him difficulty elsewhere. I don't exactly love the ambiguous ending, though. ★★★★☆

What Makes Us Human: This is a solid piece of science-fiction, but it doesn't quite have enough depth or plot to it, at least presented in isolation like this. I haven't read any of the other stories that make up the loose multi-author novel Berserker Base from which this chapter is excerpted, let alone the rest of Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series. Perhaps the entry would work better situated in that broader context, but here, it seems a pretty straightforward tale of a colony-world spaceship encountering a malevolent AI out in deep space. ★★★☆☆

By Any Under Name: I like the decision to bookend the volume with its title story and this parallel one, each of which deals with a figure of mystery and power who willingly takes on a debt to a seemingly undeserving protagonist. Yet the comparison inevitably hurts the latter tale, as the nameless stranger is so much more inscrutable in his sense of justice and the nature of his obligation than Reave. The desert setting and the creepy necromancy of the villain are effective, but hero and reader alike spend the entire time confused about the savior's intentions, which cuts against the narrative overall. ★★★☆☆

[Content warning for torture, gore, slavery, rape, victim-blaming, necrophilia, and animal abuse.]

Average rating for the book: ★★★★☆

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[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little collection of shorts from one of my favorite authors. Well worth the read.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in May 2000.

After enjoying the Thomas Covenant and Mordant's Need novels, and then finding the Gap series unreadable, I wasn't quite sure whether Reave the Just would be worth reading or not. Having read it, I now feel that some of the stories were worth reading, others not, much like Donaldson's only other collection of short stories, Daughter of Regals.

All the stories, written over a fourteen year period, pick up on the major theme of Donaldson's writing - the freedom to choose and the physical or metaphorical rape that is its removal. It is a fruitful theme, as the different ways that Donaldson has tackled it in his career testify, but its continued presence in his work is sometimes rather disturbing. The ironic theme of what is real is less obvious than in his early writing, though it remains there - in the way in which a tale shapes events in the title story, for example.

Most of the stories have something that grabs the reader, though they are of variable quality. Interestingly, the title story was among those I liked least. A major problem is that Donaldson is incurably prolix, a flaw which mars his novels - though to a lesser extent in the longer form. Some of these "short" stories are over seventy pages in length and yet cry out for shortening (one of the biggest culprits, with a particularly loose structure, is The Killing Stroke, a story which could be described in a short phrase as a homage to martial arts films).

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is one of Donaldson's weakest books. I liked a lot of these short stores, especially "The Woman Who Loved Pigs" and "What Makes Us Human." However, a lot of the stories were slow in getting to the point, or seemed over long for the story they were trying to tell. I especially disliked "Penance," which seemed to me just an excuse to detail a horrific torture. The rest of the story was so cheesy and conventional that I didn't bother to finish it. I actually bought this book when it came out about 10 years ago, but I got about halfway through the title story before abandoning it. "Reave the Just" takes so long to get going that I got bored before it resolved. The book at on my shelf until recently, when I didn't have anything else to read and felt I should take another stab at this one, since Donaldson is one of my favorite authors. I found "Reave the Just" just as difficult to get through the second time, but I pushed on and am glad I did as I enjoyed the rest of the story. But it proved to me that 10 years really didn't make this a better collection.

[Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to come up with an overall rating for a collection of short stories, but I'll rate it a solid 4, as several shorts were superb:

Reave the Just - 5 stars

The Djinn Who Watches over the Accursed - 5 stars

The Killing Stroke - 3 stars - plot dragged

The Kings of Tarshish Shall Bring Gifts - 4 stars

Penance - 3 stars - Had to deduct a star because there's no way a vampire who is shunned by society is eloquent enough to hold a ballroom of nobles enraptured for hours with his tale of woe.

The Woman Who Loved Pigs - 2 stars - Promising beginning, but fell apart in the end.

What Makes Us Human 1 star - Stick to fantasy, Steve! Sci-fi didn't work out so well.

By Any Other Name - 3 stars - amusing, but again, pacing problems.

[Jon Lederman]

Interesting short stories that serve as precusors to Donaldson's later fantasy/adventure masterpieces, especially The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, which he has been writing for almost 20 years (one book to go). Lot's of kings, princes, princesses and wizards, but also an intersting way (in some of his work) of merging the present and the past -- and despite the adventure aspects, his goals are not so much about good vs evil, but about the human condition and the struggle to recognize good from evil in ourselves.

[Samadhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite books. It's a collection of short stories, each one a tasty piece that can be read in one sitting. As is typical of Donaldson, each story has some moral statement to it but he doesn't beat you over the head with it. The endings of all of them are quite satisfying and in some cases worth a good chuckle. I wish the rating scale was on 10 points because this would be one of the very few that would get 10.

[Derrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories for Donaldson fans. A intriguing departures from his usual Donaldsonian (yeah, I just made that up) conventions, showing some fantastic talent outside of his usual box. Highly recommended for Donaldson fans. (However, the story from which the collection gets its name — Reave the Just — is the worst, or second worst, of the bunch. I think it was chosen because it was the most intriguing title.)

[Ramoths Own · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly? Meh, I am not that huge a fan of the short story form but since I really enjoy SRD's writing style and loved most of his work, I thought i would read this collection.

I did like a few stories more than others but in general I only thought it was okay. I will give it to hime though, I rarely get through one of his novels/stories without having to use my dictionary. Something that I am never averse to doing.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donaldson is one of my absolute favorite authors. That said, I didn't really care for most of these stories. Too many of them seemed to drag on or get repetitive within them. They weren't bad necessarily, but they weren't really all that good either. Just made it almost hard to read. I'll have to dig out the Covenant series again someday soon just to get back to what I loved about him.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed these stories. My favorites are Penance, The Killing Stroke and By Any Other Name which was clever in the surprise tie in to another story in this book. What Makes Us Human just didn't fit in this book. Threw me off my game. Lol. I love Donaldson! Recently finished my 20 yr. romance with Thomas Covenant, it was worth it.

[Eric Maier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked some of the stories: ""Reave the Just and "By Any Other Name" were my favorites. The others were still well written but I didn't like them as much. It was neat to see fantasy short stories though - I normally only see sci-fi ones.