The Face of Chaos

Thieves' World #5

by Robert Lynn Asprin (Editor), Lynn Abbey

Welcome to Sanctuary, a city of outlaws and adventurers in a world of war and wizardry, peopled with colorful characters created by today's top fantasy adventure talents, including:

David Drake
C.J. Cherryh
Janet Morris
Diana L. Paxson
Lynn Abbey
Robert Lynn Asprin

In this fierce and fascinating fifth volume, Thieves' World is invaded by the not-quite-human Beysib, golden-skinned conquerors whose taste for evil is equaled only by their thirst for blood.

Contents:
* Dramatis Personae - Lynn Abbey
* Introduction - Robert Lynn Asprin
* High Moon - Janet Morris
* Necromant - C.J. Cherryh
* The Art of Alliance - Robert Lynn Asprin
* The Corners of Memory - Lynn Abbey
* Votary - David Drake
* Mirror Image - Diana L. Paxson

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

242 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 15, 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 3 out of 5]

The Face of Chaos is the fifth volume of the long-running Thieves' World shared-world anthology series, and Lynn Abbey is credited as co-editor with creator Robert Lynn Asprin for the first time. Sanctuary was invaded at the end of the previous book, and this one shows how the citizens deal with that and what changes have been made. (Not too many, actually.) I didn't much care for the first two stories by Janet Morris and C.J. Cherryh, but enjoyed the ones by editors Abbey and Asprin, as well as the one by Diana L. Paxson. My favorite was David Drake's Votary. The books took a different turn starting with this one, a darker and less hopeful tone, and I never liked them quite as well after the invasion.

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good anthology of stories from a good group of authors. No duds here. Nice work.

[Shaitarn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Beysip invaders, who showed up at the end of the last book, have now moved lock, stock and barrel into Sanctuary and are hanging around staring at the locals with their round fish eyes and...not doing much else, seemingly (apart from the odd execution of their own people). Mostly Jabal and the Stepsons are still wagering their tedious battle for the streets.

This volume really disappointed me - the fact that I don't have a favourite story for the first time in this series should say a lot. After the sprawling, wonderful mess of the first few books, it seems someone decided the Thieves' World books needed an overarching storyline, so created the Beysip in an attempt to provide one. I know some readers liked this, but I'm not keen; the slightly chaotic feel of the early books was something that added to their appeal, and this attempt to impose structure on the stories feels as wrong as the square watermelons they grow in Japan.

I wonder if the original writers continue to feature in these volumes - my boy Hanse didn't feature in this volume at all, much to my disappointment. On the plus side, Tempus wasn't in this book either, but I'm sure he and his loathsome crew will be back all too soon. I did intend to read the whole Thieves World series this year, but if more of the older characters start vanishing to be replaced by charmless newer individuals I may drop before I get to book 12.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 5 of the twelve original TW anthology novels starts a plot arc with "mysterious invaders" that show up, look like fish, and don't do much else. TW isn't a series with a big-picture focus, though, so the presence of these invaders is more or less artfully *shown* through the new gritty experiences of the now-familiar cast, though some favorites are missing from this volume.

C.J. Cherryh's "Necromant" is the turd of the bunch, sprawling and hard to focus on. Janet Morris, of whom I am seldom a fan, turns in a palatable entry this time with "High Moon," which dangles a promise that Tempus and her other horrible characters are gone. I'm sure they'll be back though.

The other stories are good little adventures, though as a whole don't give much shape to a story arc; the invading Beysib play roles of varying importance throughout, but of them we're shown no conflict, action, or resolution.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

By this time, Janet Morris is doing some of her best work in the series. This series was my first introduction to her stuff and I found her a superb writer. Other stuff here is good as well, though.

[Brian Schwartz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series really lost focus at this point. Abbey, Asprin, Drake, and Paxson keep their stories focused on the assigned scenario of each book – in this case the occupation of the Beysib. But Morris and Cherryh seem to be clueless about Sanctuary or just didn’t care about the guidelines. Their stories were poorly written, bore little upon the premise, and dragged down the book, making it difficult to read and the worst installment in the series to date.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of Thieves World stories. Evocative, dark, and sometimes so gritty you'll be spitting gravel out as you read it.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that Thieves World has consistently been a strong collection of women-written Sword and Sorcery, and this volume is no exception.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book as all the rest...wish walegrin was in more of it...could have done without the last story, Mirror Image. i like Lalo and Gilla, they are part of Sanctuary, but i just found myself having to really force read that story. Can't wait til the stepsons get back to town.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch fantasy!

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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]

For a more detailed and nuanced review, see ebook omnibus.

The book begins with the Asprin intro and title insert “The Face of Chaos will laugh at us all before the cycle completes its turn!” and touches base with Illyra, Wallegrin’s sister.
High Moon-Janet Morris- This one was confusing but I bet a reread would help.
Necromant- C. J. Cherryh – I think this one is almost a direct next chapter from the previous. As mentioned a reread and notes might be called for here. Art of Alliance- Robert Lynn Asprin The Corners of Memory- Lynn Abbey Votary -David Drake- I don’t think Drake had anything before this and I’m not sure if it was his idea to invade Sanctuary or if he was dealt it by Asprin and Abbey.

[Joelendil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I occasionally dip into this shared world fantasy series for a quick fantasy read. Each volume has a few linked short stories, mostly featuring the the seedy underbelly of the corruption-ridden, gods-haunted city of Sanctuary. Depending on the author, some read more like crime or mobster fiction, some like sword & Sorcery, and some like political intrigue. Occasionally, some of the particularly crime-y ones are a bit too morally gross for me (e.g. treating human trafficking of various kinds in a really offhanded fashion), but for the most part the series provides an interesting blend of dark fantasy. This particular volume focuses quite a bit on a new faction that showed up late in the previous book which bent most of the stories in a more political intrigue direction. The books definitely build on each other, so they should be read in order if you’re interested in crime-ridden shared world fantasy.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always say that I feel the Thieves' World books would have been in Gygax's Appendix N if they had come out a decade earlier than they did - I've always loved these collections. I'm currently re-reading the series as I recently completed my collection in a used book store in Montreal! As anthologies of short stories by varied authors, they often vary greatly in quality and tone - The Face of Chaos is not my favorite collection, by any means! - but they're always good. This volume introduced the Beysib plotline, where Sanctuary was conquered by the fish-like Beysibs - an odd metastory, to be sure! But although Sanctuary didn't really need yet another interfering empire to be interesting, it does provide fodder for some political plotting!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last book cooked up an invasion to shake up life in Sanctuary, but this book finds life under the invaders... much the same as ever, to be honest, which is probably not-great writing but at the same time it seems honestly more realistic than intended. Hanse and Tempus are MIA this book, and while I miss Hanse it does mean the book gets a little more street-level again (although the gods continue to find Sanctuary more interesting than it would seem to merit).

[JW David · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Anthology of Shorts with similar background - the invasion of the Beysib in Sanctuary - I rated them as follows:
**** Janet Morris- High Moon
**** C J Cherryh - Necromant
***** Robert Lynn Asprin - The Art of Alliance
*** Lynn Abbey - The Corners of Memory
**** David Drake - Votary
**** Diana L Paxson - Mirror Image

[Jack Doud · Rating 2 out of 5]

For many of the stories in this book I had a hard time following the plot. There's too many characters with multiple names and monikers and it's been too long since I read the previous book. Some authors were overly florid much of the time I had only a vague notion of who was doing what or why. I don't see myself continuing this series.

[Michael Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best one since the first book. More down to earth and enjoyable stories than in the previous 3 volumes revolving around political interplays in Sanctuary more than silly power fantasies of the authors' avatar characters. Only the last story in the anthology was a dud.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cool concept - combined world building across multiple authors - with some pretty interesting stories. At times a bit too juvenile and too casual with the use/reference to sexual violence and intense "grittiness". I had fun on the whole, though, and will read some more.

[MBybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the progression of the story arc into the 5th collection.



The editing is pretty good, the compilation again remains good. This is one of my favorite and most enduring anthologies.

[Ronald Calbick · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite entries in the series thus far - I love the intrigue and character development.

[Des · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as the fourth, but in for a penny, in for a pound.

[Kendal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few sorties are out of focused, focusing on quick glimpses of broad Sanctuary™. The later ones are more conventional, and thus more enjoyable.

[Charl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read more than the first three books of Thieves' World when they first came out. I'm thrilled that they're maintaining the quality as I continue the series.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beach read. These stories are good but maybe not as good as the previous books.

[Argentrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read all the previous incarnations of Thieves' World, I think this was probably my favorite. The reason for that is that there were other voices that were allowed to shine in this sixth volume--both the characters and the authors.

I am leaving it with only four out of five stars because the final story seemed as though it had been cut short, and it just...ended in an odd way for me.

There is something worthwhile in appreciating a character written from other points of view; you get new ideas and new feelings about an old friend, for instance. And while the themes in this sixth volume are certainly as broad and epic as the previous volumes, I somehow felt the real ground and city and people in which those stories came to be--moreso than in the past two novels.

Maybe it's the current state of affairs in the world that lend themselves to finding some common cause in the stories represented here. But I loved all the various factions that are pitted against one another throughout the book's pages.

In this sixth volume, I really feel like Thieves' World has "become" in a way that its previous novels hinted at. Whereas the previous novels felt vague and sparse, Sanctuary, in these stories, starts to really come alive. And it's more than just new places and street names, though those are certainly welcome additions; it's the breadth and depth that authors are willing to use as they begin to flesh the city, as well as the characters, out.

I love that lives are changing; nothing is stagnant. Nothing stays the same, and this book really speaks to that in a way that the others didn't do as well as I think I would have hoped.

I have since bought both other three-book anthologies, and while I'm taking a little break from Sanctuary for now, I have a feeling that I'll be back to wander its dark and wonderful streets again soon.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to believe, but with Book #5 things have gotten even more violent and chaotic in the bad old town of Sanctuary. The *cough* Innsmouth Samurai *cough* matriarchal Beysib (who arrived at the very end of Storm Season) now dominate the city, but not so much as a calming influence - more the effect of a lid on a pressure cooker. The streets are running red with blood as things heat up between Nisibisi-funded Death Squads (some of whom actually are undead), ex-Hawkmasks, the replacement Stepsons, the "soldiers" of the beggar king, and, of course, your average cut-throats, mercenaries, random magicians and assassins. Overall, this seems to be a basic TW book: none of the stories were really great, none of them really seemed to be filler. I give this one a solid 3 stars.

[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.

[Carlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another visit to Sanctuary (the fifth), which follows the arrival of the Beysib traders/invaders/exiles at the end of the previous collection, Storm Season.
This anthology of short stories advances the history of Sanctuary, but as there are the departures of Tempus and the Stepsons, as well as the Beysib arrivals, the tales feel more disjointed, although the overall narrative arc is maintained.
So enjoyable as another episode in the continuing saga, but not as satisfying as previous books.

My Kindle version, read over 35 years after my original reading, does not have a new story heading for "Votary" by David Drake, which starts at page 382 of my Kindle omnibus edition, and is very annoyingly missing the final story, “Mirror Image" by Diana L. Paxson.

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this book are dark and interesting, especially when you have become familiar with the cast of characters. Some of my favorite authors have contributed stories to this series. I did not care for the first story, it took me a long time to get through, but once past it all of the rest are very good.

[Helga Ganguly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why it took me so long to finish this one. Some of the stories were marvelous. Others simply bored me. Maybe I'm not reading them at a fast enough clip. I any case,I've progressed reading book 6 much fast already than this one. Personal taste?