Status Updates From Swords & Larceny

"The Shrine of Lost Stars:" I'm getting annoyed at this one. Two much unrelated background, and partial information - Adaman's inhuman powers, his unclarified past that I don't care about, Azara (page 230) with no context. "Godmake." Just too much world-building without useful context. That doesn't make for an easy read, and it doesn't pique my interest to learn more. It just irritates me.

"The House of Fame" by James Enge was interesting, very Spencerian in its allegorical House of Fame, without the allegorical knights learning a lesson of their own virtue, but with a cyclops and its allegory intact.

"Black Bones of the White Hypaethral" by Edward M. Erdelac was much more my speed. I enjoyed the descriptions and the characters - and the humor of the situation was real without being jokey, cutesy, or just bad dialogue. This story had real atmosphere.

"Just a Bit of Smoke" by Jim Zub wasn't to my taste - the falling scene was just too unrealistic (it takes 1.36 seconds to fall 30 feet - and she got a lot done in 15 feet (0.97 seconds) of free fall, including opening a pack, getting out a rope, attaching the rope, and throwing the rope), and the attempted humor fell flat for me. It felt more like a Tom & Jerry cartoon than a serious attempt to tell a story.

"To Steal a God" by Tim Akers was a good story, but it felt off-point for this collection. It didn't feel like a team of thieves, a heist, or even larceny. But the angel powers angle was interesting, and the description of the evil goddess was incredible.

"The Darkflame Deception" by John C. Hocking is everything I expect from a Hocking story. Great characters, and interesting plot, great descriptions, and a lived-in world. I thought the mystery was intriguing - and I have a soft spot for alliterative titles for detective/crime fiction. Great story.

"Five Beneath the Palace of Kalgranis" by Adrian Simmons was much more to my taste! This one was atmospheric and had a world that felt lived in. It was nice seeing a band of rival wizards functioning as thieves, and I liked how limited their resources felt. This is my favorite story in the book so far.

"The Orpheus Job" by A. Lee Martinez was about an unlikely band of goblins invading the afterlife. At first, I thought I wasn't going to like this one - it felt cutesy and artificial on the outset, but darn it if the writing and characters didn't drag me right in. It turned out to be a charming, and fun, and gripping story.

"Legacy of Dragons" by Wen Spencer was a lot of fun, filled with magic, wonder, thievery, a kitty race (the kissa), and some great locations. I enjoyed this story a lot.

"The Unworthy" by Stephen Aryan turned out to be a tragic horror story, which I liked. It had an unfortunate "as you know, Bob" moment on the first page, which almost soured me on the story, but it carried itself through. Not a great story, but I did like the tragic, horrific ending.

"Gilt and Glamour" by Tracy S. Morris was a decent enough of a D&D style adventure for some thieves hired to steal some compromising documents. I liked the stakes. I didn't like how easy the magic worked (but that's a taste thing, not a real critique of the writing, YMMV). I liked the characters. Some of the bickering and back-story techniques felt..."obvious"? Maybe I'll find the right word when I write my review

"The Mistress of Spiders and the Hooded Crow" by Bill Willingham was an excellent story, with wonderful atmosphere and wording. Honestly, it was so well done that I felt myself immersed to the point that I forgot I was reading a book about larceny and heists, so the ending honestly took me by surprise!

"The Beer Run" by Mark Finn was a delightful romp, with goblins, dwarves, and other D&D-type races all living together in a campaign world. The narrator has pulled together a heist involving a beer auction and a system of laundering money for a network of criminals. Of course, things went sidewise, and some quick-thinking goblins, competent protagonists, and a lot of mayhem may well save the day.

Tim Akers has the best story this far

This book is pretty damned sweet! Reading the 3rd story now, Gilt and Glamor by Tracy S. Morris. I figured I'd like it, but the setting isn't usually my thing. But holy$#!+ , this is a great story, beautifully written, and from different points-of-view - but truly from different personalities. Each character is the lead in his or her own mind. Genius!!!!