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Johannes Cabal #0.5 - "The Ereshkigal Working"
The Way of the Wizard
Power. We all want it. They've got it—witches, warlocks, sorcerers, necromancers: those who peer beneath the veil of mundane reality and put their hands on the levers that move the universe. They see the future in a sheet of glass, summon fantastic beasts, and transform lead into gold... or you into a frog.
From Gandalf to Harry Potter to the Last Airbender, wizardry has never been more exciting and popular. Enter a world where anything is possible, where imagination becomes reality. Experience the thrill of power: the way of the wizard. Acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams (The Living Dead) brings you thirty-two of the most spellbinding tales ever written, by some of today's most magical talents, including Neil Gaiman, Simon R. Green, and George R.R. Martin.
CONTENTS
01 - George R.R. Martin, In The Lost Lands
02 - David Barr Kirtley, Family Tree
03 - Susanna Clarke, John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner
04 - Delia Sherman, Wizard's Apprentice
05 - Jeffrey Ford, The Sorcerer Minus
06 - C.C. Finlay, Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet
07 - Rajan Khanna, Card Sharp
08 - Genevieve Valentine, So Deep that the Bottom Could Not Be Seen
09 - Nnedi Okorafor, The Go-Slow
10 - Krista Hoeppner Leahy, Too Fatal a Poison
11 - Orson Scott Card, Jamaica
12 - Robert Silverberg, The Sorcerer's Apprentice (content warning: sexual assault)
13 - Wendy N. Wagner, The Secret of Calling Rabbits
14 - Kelly Link, The Wizards of Perfil
15 - Neil Gaiman, How to Sell the Ponti Bridge
16 - Christie Yant, The Magician and the Maid and Other Stories
17 - Mike Resnick, Winter Solstice (content warning: dementia)
18 - Cinda Williams Chima, The Trader and the Slave
19 - Adam-Troy Castro, Cerile and the Journeyer
20 - Yoon Ha Lee, Counting the Shapes
21 - Lev Grossman, Endgame
22 - Simon R. Green, Street Wizard
23 - T.A. Pratt, Mommy Issues of the Dead
24 - Jeremiah Tolbert, One-Click Banishment
25 - Jonathan L. Howard, The Ereshkigal Working
26 - David Farland, Feeding the Feral Children
27 - Vylar Kaftan, The Orange-Tree Sacrifice
28 - Desirina Boskovich, Love is the Spell That Casts Out Fear (content warning: sexual assault)
29 - Peter S. Beagle, El Regalo
30 - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Word of Unbinding
31 - John R. Fultz, The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria
32 - Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Secret of the Blue Star
From Gandalf to Harry Potter to the Last Airbender, wizardry has never been more exciting and popular. Enter a world where anything is possible, where imagination becomes reality. Experience the thrill of power: the way of the wizard. Acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams (The Living Dead) brings you thirty-two of the most spellbinding tales ever written, by some of today's most magical talents, including Neil Gaiman, Simon R. Green, and George R.R. Martin.
CONTENTS
01 - George R.R. Martin, In The Lost Lands
02 - David Barr Kirtley, Family Tree
03 - Susanna Clarke, John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner
04 - Delia Sherman, Wizard's Apprentice
05 - Jeffrey Ford, The Sorcerer Minus
06 - C.C. Finlay, Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet
07 - Rajan Khanna, Card Sharp
08 - Genevieve Valentine, So Deep that the Bottom Could Not Be Seen
09 - Nnedi Okorafor, The Go-Slow
10 - Krista Hoeppner Leahy, Too Fatal a Poison
11 - Orson Scott Card, Jamaica
12 - Robert Silverberg, The Sorcerer's Apprentice (content warning: sexual assault)
13 - Wendy N. Wagner, The Secret of Calling Rabbits
14 - Kelly Link, The Wizards of Perfil
15 - Neil Gaiman, How to Sell the Ponti Bridge
16 - Christie Yant, The Magician and the Maid and Other Stories
17 - Mike Resnick, Winter Solstice (content warning: dementia)
18 - Cinda Williams Chima, The Trader and the Slave
19 - Adam-Troy Castro, Cerile and the Journeyer
20 - Yoon Ha Lee, Counting the Shapes
21 - Lev Grossman, Endgame
22 - Simon R. Green, Street Wizard
23 - T.A. Pratt, Mommy Issues of the Dead
24 - Jeremiah Tolbert, One-Click Banishment
25 - Jonathan L. Howard, The Ereshkigal Working
26 - David Farland, Feeding the Feral Children
27 - Vylar Kaftan, The Orange-Tree Sacrifice
28 - Desirina Boskovich, Love is the Spell That Casts Out Fear (content warning: sexual assault)
29 - Peter S. Beagle, El Regalo
30 - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Word of Unbinding
31 - John R. Fultz, The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria
32 - Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Secret of the Blue Star
477 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2010
About the author
John Joseph Adams
348 books954 followersJohn Joseph Adams is the series editor of BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY. He is also the bestselling editor of many other anthologies, such as ROBOT UPRISINGS, DEAD MAN'S HAND, BRAVE NEW WORLDS,WASTELANDS, and THE LIVING DEAD. Recent and forthcoming books include WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?, OPERATION ARCANA, PRESS START TO PLAY, LOOSED UPON THE WORLD, and THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH (consisting of THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NOW, and THE END HAS COME). Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a two-time winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated nine times), is a seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist, and served as a judge for the 2015 National Book Award. John is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines LIGHTSPEED and NIGHTMARE, and is a producer for Wired's THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY podcast. You can find him online at www.johnjosephadams.com and on Twitter @JohnJosephAdams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
January 11, 2021
Disclaimer: there are too many 32 short stories in this collection. I only read one of them. My necromancing boyfriend’s. Because I'm despicably selective like that. And also because DUH.
💀 The Ereshkigal Working by Jonathan L. Howard💀
➽ And the moral of this reread is: O Jojo! My Jojo! Thou art the mostest deliciousest (and hilariousest) heartless bastard in the history of mostest deliciousest (and hilariousest) heartless bastards. Which kinda sorta makes me feel like...
P.S. Killing one's little self twice shows a certain stoicism, just so you know.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[December 2018]body part specialist snatching shopping for his research in a lovely morgue, when he was suddenly and most rudely interrupted. First by a corpse who didn’t even have the common courtesy to wait to be formally reanimated (how positively outrageous indeed. Whatever happened to basic manners, I wonder?), then by a ridiculously overzealous, over-alert police officer.
I’m with you on that one, Bertie. What is the world coming to, I ask you?
A good thing my necromancing boyfriend isn’t easily perturbed and always finds quick solutions to the imbroglios at hand: an “ad-hoc de-animation procedure with the introduction of a .577 bullet” here, a “scientifically applied crowbar” there, and off to resume hisslightly illegal extra curricular activities he is. And that’s usually when villainous villains (one could argue that the most villainous villain of all is my Jojo, but let’s leave the philosophizing for later, shall we?) try to end the world by way of Erishkigal Working, aka Cunning Zombie Apocalypse (CZA™).
Oooooh, is that a new Disneyland ride? Looks like fun and stuff!
You can imagine how Bloody Shrimping Put Out (BSPO™) Jojo got after this last distasteful interruption in his shopping excursion. He quite obviously decided this could not be and this could not do, and proceeded to save the world. Much to his own disgust, obviously. He is a wonderfully selfish bastard after all, and couldn’t care less about the fate of puny humans, so having to rescue them usually gives him a very bad case of indigestion and stuff.
Not a pretty sight, huh? To think my Jojo is usually Super Extra Hot when he is his deliciously egotistical little self. That whole saving the world business really doesn’t sit well with him, poor baby.
What happened after that? Well spoiler spoiler spoiler, obviously.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 3.3: Ouroboros Ouzo ★★★★
· Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
💀 The Ereshkigal Working by Jonathan L. Howard💀
➽ And the moral of this reread is: O Jojo! My Jojo! Thou art the mostest deliciousest (and hilariousest) heartless bastard in the history of mostest deliciousest (and hilariousest) heartless bastards. Which kinda sorta makes me feel like...
P.S. Killing one's little self twice shows a certain stoicism, just so you know.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[December 2018]
“Cabal was most put out.”My poor Jojo. No wonder he’s all put out and stuff. I mean, there he was, doing a little bit of
I’m with you on that one, Bertie. What is the world coming to, I ask you?
A good thing my necromancing boyfriend isn’t easily perturbed and always finds quick solutions to the imbroglios at hand: an “ad-hoc de-animation procedure with the introduction of a .577 bullet” here, a “scientifically applied crowbar” there, and off to resume his
Oooooh, is that a new Disneyland ride? Looks like fun and stuff!
You can imagine how Bloody Shrimping Put Out (BSPO™) Jojo got after this last distasteful interruption in his shopping excursion. He quite obviously decided this could not be and this could not do, and proceeded to save the world. Much to his own disgust, obviously. He is a wonderfully selfish bastard after all, and couldn’t care less about the fate of puny humans, so having to rescue them usually gives him a very bad case of indigestion and stuff.
Not a pretty sight, huh? To think my Jojo is usually Super Extra Hot when he is his deliciously egotistical little self. That whole saving the world business really doesn’t sit well with him, poor baby.
What happened after that? Well spoiler spoiler spoiler, obviously.
· Book 0.5: Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day ★★★★★
· Book 0.75: Exeunt Demon King ★★★★
· Book 1: The Necromancer ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Detective ★★★★★
· Book 2.5: The Ereshkigal Working ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Fear Institute ★★★★★
· Book 3.1: The House of Gears ★★★★
· Book 3.2: The Death of Me ★★★
· Book 3.3: Ouroboros Ouzo ★★★★
· Book 4: The Brothers Cabal ★★★★
December 3, 2010
this antho rocks and not only because i'm in it. :-)
November 29, 2015
Only got this to read Jonathan L. Howard's story "The Ereshkigal Working". As usual, it was an amusing tale of the misadventures of necromancer Johannes Cabal.
Here's hoping that some day all Howard's Cabal short stories will be collected in one volume.
Here's hoping that some day all Howard's Cabal short stories will be collected in one volume.
August 20, 2019
¡No me lo puedo creer! ¡NO ME LO PUEDO CREER! ¡Por fin he terminado el dichoso libro! ¡Dios! ¡Creía que nunca vería llegar este día! ¡Qué he tardado dos años!
El problema de haber tardado tanto es que... Ya no me acuerdo de la mayoría de los relatos que he leído.
Recuerdo que me gustó mucho el primero, de George R.R. Martin,.
Recuerdo que había un relato sobre piratas (sobre una saga ya existente) que me aburrió un poco porque los piratas a mí MEH.
Recuerdo un relato sobre una maga que tenía un aprendiz joven que es idiota (se pasa la vida acosándola con su "amor"), y éste le salva la vida (o al revés, ya ni me acuerdo) y en agradecimiento ella se acuesta con él. No necesito esta clase de mierda machista en un relato sobre magia. NEXT.
No recuerdo el relato de Neil Gaiman.
No recuerdo el relato de Lev Grossman porque creo que lo leí antes de su trilogía de Los magos.
El relato de Ursula K. Le Guin lo leí recientemente y me decepcionó mucho, así que no creo que le dé una oportunidad a sus libros sobre Terramar.
El último relato, de Marion Zimmer Bradley, me ha gustado bastante. Le daré una oportunidad a Las nieblas de Avalon.
Y poco más.
El problema con esta antología es que hay muchísimos relatos, algunos de ellos encima demasiado largos. Se hace pesada la lectura a veces, la verdad (yo he tardado dos años de lo cansina que se me ha hecho).
Sobresaliente en idea, insuficiente en la ejecución.
El problema de haber tardado tanto es que... Ya no me acuerdo de la mayoría de los relatos que he leído.
Recuerdo que me gustó mucho el primero, de George R.R. Martin,.
Recuerdo que había un relato sobre piratas (sobre una saga ya existente) que me aburrió un poco porque los piratas a mí MEH.
Recuerdo un relato sobre una maga que tenía un aprendiz joven que es idiota (se pasa la vida acosándola con su "amor"), y éste le salva la vida (o al revés, ya ni me acuerdo) y en agradecimiento ella se acuesta con él. No necesito esta clase de mierda machista en un relato sobre magia. NEXT.
No recuerdo el relato de Neil Gaiman.
No recuerdo el relato de Lev Grossman porque creo que lo leí antes de su trilogía de Los magos.
El relato de Ursula K. Le Guin lo leí recientemente y me decepcionó mucho, así que no creo que le dé una oportunidad a sus libros sobre Terramar.
El último relato, de Marion Zimmer Bradley, me ha gustado bastante. Le daré una oportunidad a Las nieblas de Avalon.
Y poco más.
El problema con esta antología es que hay muchísimos relatos, algunos de ellos encima demasiado largos. Se hace pesada la lectura a veces, la verdad (yo he tardado dos años de lo cansina que se me ha hecho).
Sobresaliente en idea, insuficiente en la ejecución.
December 3, 2021
Lo abandono, a la mitad más o menos. La puntuación es en base a los relatos leídos, que cabalgan entre lo flojo, malo y normalito. No he encontrado ninguno realmente bueno o fascinante. No quiero seguir obligándome a leer este libro teniendo tanto pendiente.
October 25, 2013
A collection of stories about magic users, some new and some many decades old.
George RR Martin, “In the Lost Lands.” A sorceress quests to find a werewolf skin. Purple prose, telegraphed&obvious plot ~twists~. Was not impressed.
David Barr Kirtley, “Family Tree.” Simon is pulled back into the family feud, in which everyone lives in a living tree and fights over which branch is larger. He ends it by killing everyone on the opposing side, including the lady he loved but whose loyalty toward her family was stronger than her love of him. Simon then brings the remaining family to live in his own, independently created tree, and thus the cycle of feuding over branches will continue, I guess. Not sure what the point of this story was.
Susanna Clarke, “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner.” Set decades before Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. A poor old charcoal burner has his house accidentally destroyed by the Raven King’s hunt. For vengeance, he persuades various saints to torment the Raven King. Very funny, and I was immediately pulled back into Clarke’s understated style of magic.
Delia Sherman, “Wizard’s Apprentice.” An abused kid runs away and becomes the apprentice to an evil wizard. Evil and apprenticeships, viewed slightly sideways. I liked it.
Jeffrey Ford, “The Sorcerer Minus.” An evil sorcerer defeats himself. I felt like this story was supposed to be clever, but instead it just felt flat and boring, because I hated Minus and didn’t care what happened to him.
CC Finlay, “Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet.” Two wizards are trapped between a pirate and a tiger in a foggy no-where pocket of existence. Not bad.
Rajan Khanna, “Card Sharp.” There is a kind of magic that uses cards. Each person gets a single deck of 54, each of which will do something different. Every time they use magic, they lose that ability forever. The plot is just your basic revenge plot, but I like the magic system. It feels Tim Powers-y.
Genevieve Valentine, “So Deep that the Bottom Could Not Be Seen.” The last Northern shaman is summoned to attend the First International Magical Congress. Climate change and environmental damage have destroyed Anna’s home, scattered her people, and killed all the narwhals. And only now are the sorcerers taking notice. Anna is deeply angry, but what can she do? The very environmental degradation that she would fight has already taken her magic. Fantastic, with a great mix of magical workings.
Nnedi Okorafor, "The Go-Slow." Nkem is a movie star stuck in traffic. Then an albino bull charges his car, and he's reminded of all the other times white animals have tried to kill him. After a few more incidents that afternoon, its revealed that he has magical powers and his former friends from the spirit realm have been trying to kill him so they can be together again. It's a cool concept, but Nkem is deeply unlikable and the whole thing is told with a casual acceptance of the surreal that doesn't seem likely.
Krista Hoeppner Leahy, "Too Fatal a Poison." One of Odysseus's men tells the true tale of why Elpenor died on Circe's island. Becoming a pig isn't a punishment--it's the men's only escape from their memories of war and PTSD. Great descriptions of life as a pig.
Orson Scott Card, "Jamaica." Jam tries to be good for his single mom and paralyzed brother. But after his science teacher exposes him to a strange rock, Jam begins to suspect there's magic in the world, and he finds it harder to be such a good son. Despite the author I was kind of enjoying this until 2/3rds of the way through, when the twists of the story built to a crescendo of silliness. There's only so many revelations of "But wait! he's really the emperor! and your mom is not your mom! and your brother is a grown man with children! and you're a philosopher's stone!" I can take within a single story before it loses all coherence.
Robert Silverberg, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Gannin apprentices himself to a young and beautiful sorcerer. He sexually harasses and gropes her every chance he gets, despite her perpetual clear denials. Eventually he tries to commit suicide, she saves his life, and they have sex. End of story, I guess. This was a creepy read, because I got the feeling that Silverberg thought this was all just funny shenanigans. The editor seems to have thought so too--it's introduced as "Some aspiring magicians may in fact find themselves apprenticed to attractive female wizards. However, for an amorous young man, this can be a mixed blessing." Sure, life's real hard for the ~amorous young man~, but what about the lady he keeps harassing? All she wants to do is teach, and he's constantly spying on her in the bath, declaring his love, and doing shit like bursting into her room and fondling her. It's rife with scenes like:
Wendy N Wagner, "The Secret of Calling Rabbits." The last dwarf is forced to choose whether to help a little human girl and expose his existence to the humans, or let her die. Nicely done.
Kelly Link, "The Wizards of Perfil." I usually hate Link's stories because they're so surreal and discombobulated, without plot or reason to them. But this one combines Link's trademark woozy dream-logic with solid writing and a truly touching tale about life during wartime.
Neil Gaiman, "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge." Oh man, I feel bad. I was going to rip this story apart and then I saw it was by Neil Gaiman, which makes me feel embarrassed for him. Gaiman's novels are hit and miss with me, but his short stories are usually his strongest work. This, however, is twee bullshit about a conman telling how he tricked a town into bribing him. It's a really, really obvious and stupid con, and yet it's described as "a perfect con" and ends "We were lost in contemplation of the brilliance of the man who sold the Ponti Bridge." If you want to wow me with the cleverness of an idea, having two pages of characters tell me how incredible it is won't do it. Just come up with an actual clever idea.
Christie Yant, "The Magician and the Maid and Other Stories." A cool twist on the ol' "besotted boy seeks his fortune" trope. Audra's boyfriend left years ago, and never returned. She has ventured through planes of existence looking for vengeance,
Mike Resnick, "Winter Solstice." Merlin lives backward, and this tale spells out what that means for him in horrifyingly dismal detail. Very well done, but I am very, VERY over depressing takes on Arthurian tales.
Cinda Williams Chima, "The Trader and the Slave." A deleted scene from the second book in her Heir Chronicles. An enslaved enchantress is commanded to kill a wizard--but she can't help but hope that perhaps, this could be her chance at freedom. As someone who's read and enjoyed the Heir books, I quite liked this.
Adam-Troy Castro, "Cerile and the Journeyer." A man spends a lifetime on a quest to find the witch Cerile
Yoon Ha Lee, "Counting the Stars." Years ago, the lady Biantha escaped her service to the Demon Lord and swore her loyalty instead to the last human king. On the eve of the final battle between demons and humans, Biantha's long lost son, who has served the Demon Lord all this time, defects to her side. But is his change in loyalties real, or a trap? I love the complex, mathematical magic in this story, and the world. I really hope this becomes part of a novel or something, because I'd love to read more of it.
Lev Grossman, "Endgame." The protagonist of The Magicians was disaffected and callous; the protagonist of this short story, set in the same world, is just as jaded and cynical. I have no idea why. She says it's becauseJesusAslan. Voldemort is killed by ) I could buy that one or two people would be so blinkered and unimaginative that they'd think the only point to magic was having wizard battles against Ultimate Evil, but in Grossman's world every.single.magic user thinks this way. It makes no sense! Where are all the wizards who want to explore the moon, feel what it's like to be an animal, or hell, use their magic to help people? Grossman has said he writes a deconstruction of fantasy, but in order to deconstruct something you have to understand it first--and he clearly doesn't.
Simon R Green, "Street Wizard." The London City Council pays men like the narrator to patrol the streets, looking for illicit uses of magic. Poorly thought out magical systems and a self-aggrandizing narrator. Blegh.
TA Pratt, "Mommy Issues of the Dead." Marla Mason knows lots of kinds of magic but hasn't mastered any, and so she's often outclassed magically. Luckily, she's a clever little rogue. I love Marla's sarcastic, no-nonsense style, and this is a great little adventure in which she defeats an immortal cyborg in order to get a snowglobe.
Jeremiah Tolbert, "One-Click Banishment." Through forum posts, a hacker magician (aka m4g1ck pirate) tells the tale of his defeat of a dread demon. Told in the present tense, which makes it completely unbelievable as a forum post, and turgid with unfunny in-jokes. ex:
Jonathan L Howard, "The Ereshkigal Working". A necromancer and a beat cop stop the zombie apocalypse. Delightfully sardonic main character.
David Farland, "Feeding the Feral Children." Huang Fa goes to seek his fortune, but in defending his horse from bandits he becomes the target of a vengeance curse. Extraordinarily clunky dialog, ex "When I return, I will have much silver. Your father will surely agree to the match when he sees what I bring."
Vylar Kaftan, "The Orange-Tree Sacrifice." This story consists of two pages of a girl being tortured to death. The twist--that she has sacrificed herself to kill the demons who are killing her--isn't good enough to make up for it.
Desirina Boskovich, "Love is the Spell that Casts Out Fear." Two entwined stories: a wizard turns an incubus into a stag and herself into a deer, and a young teen tells her youth minister that he shouldn't have kissed her. I have no idea what happened in this story. The intro says its about characters using fantasy worlds to face their problems from a new angle, but let's be real, that's a pretty overplayed angle. If that's all this story has to offer (because goodness knows it lacks plot, characterization, or suspense) then I'm disappointed.
Peter S Beagle, “El Regalo.” Angie’s little brother is a witch, and no one else seems to notice. They have a realistically contentious relationship, but when he tries to do her a favor and something goes magically wrong, Angie has to delve into the world of magic herself. Really well written, and is both believable and sweet in the style of old school YA like Diana Wynne Jones.
Ursula K Le Guin, “The Word of Unbinding.” Festin is captured by the dread wizard Foll. No matter how clever his transformations or how powerful his magics, Festin cannot escape. Beautifully written.
John R Fultz, “The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria.” Jeremy finds an old book and rapidly begins dreaming of a magical land called Arthyria. Soon, he’s living in Arthyria and on a quest that he remembers more clearly with every additional book of magic he reads. The conceit (that the mundane world is the illusion, a trap to prevent wizards from beating the Dead King) is good, but the main character reads like an authorial insert, a self-aggrandizing Mary Sue. Jeremy is the bestest wizard, everyone loves and respects him, the Dead King himself bows before him, and oh yeah, his ex-wife (who wanted him to get a paying job to supplement her income, how DARE she) is totally just a bitchy demon who was trying to trap him.
Marion Zimmer Bradley, “The Secret of the Blue Star.” Lythande is an adept of the Blue Star, whose magical powers are bound into hiding a single Secret. If the secret is ever revealed, all of the adept's powers are given to the one who discovered it. If the story hadn't been all about the incredibly obvious secret, I might have liked it--Lythande is likable enough--but as it was I just felt impatient.
George RR Martin, “In the Lost Lands.” A sorceress quests to find a werewolf skin. Purple prose, telegraphed&obvious plot ~twists~. Was not impressed.
David Barr Kirtley, “Family Tree.” Simon is pulled back into the family feud, in which everyone lives in a living tree and fights over which branch is larger. He ends it by killing everyone on the opposing side, including the lady he loved but whose loyalty toward her family was stronger than her love of him. Simon then brings the remaining family to live in his own, independently created tree, and thus the cycle of feuding over branches will continue, I guess. Not sure what the point of this story was.
Susanna Clarke, “John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner.” Set decades before Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. A poor old charcoal burner has his house accidentally destroyed by the Raven King’s hunt. For vengeance, he persuades various saints to torment the Raven King. Very funny, and I was immediately pulled back into Clarke’s understated style of magic.
Delia Sherman, “Wizard’s Apprentice.” An abused kid runs away and becomes the apprentice to an evil wizard. Evil and apprenticeships, viewed slightly sideways. I liked it.
Jeffrey Ford, “The Sorcerer Minus.” An evil sorcerer defeats himself. I felt like this story was supposed to be clever, but instead it just felt flat and boring, because I hated Minus and didn’t care what happened to him.
CC Finlay, “Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet.” Two wizards are trapped between a pirate and a tiger in a foggy no-where pocket of existence. Not bad.
Rajan Khanna, “Card Sharp.” There is a kind of magic that uses cards. Each person gets a single deck of 54, each of which will do something different. Every time they use magic, they lose that ability forever. The plot is just your basic revenge plot, but I like the magic system. It feels Tim Powers-y.
Genevieve Valentine, “So Deep that the Bottom Could Not Be Seen.” The last Northern shaman is summoned to attend the First International Magical Congress. Climate change and environmental damage have destroyed Anna’s home, scattered her people, and killed all the narwhals. And only now are the sorcerers taking notice. Anna is deeply angry, but what can she do? The very environmental degradation that she would fight has already taken her magic. Fantastic, with a great mix of magical workings.
Nnedi Okorafor, "The Go-Slow." Nkem is a movie star stuck in traffic. Then an albino bull charges his car, and he's reminded of all the other times white animals have tried to kill him. After a few more incidents that afternoon, its revealed that he has magical powers and his former friends from the spirit realm have been trying to kill him so they can be together again. It's a cool concept, but Nkem is deeply unlikable and the whole thing is told with a casual acceptance of the surreal that doesn't seem likely.
Krista Hoeppner Leahy, "Too Fatal a Poison." One of Odysseus's men tells the true tale of why Elpenor died on Circe's island. Becoming a pig isn't a punishment--it's the men's only escape from their memories of war and PTSD. Great descriptions of life as a pig.
Orson Scott Card, "Jamaica." Jam tries to be good for his single mom and paralyzed brother. But after his science teacher exposes him to a strange rock, Jam begins to suspect there's magic in the world, and he finds it harder to be such a good son. Despite the author I was kind of enjoying this until 2/3rds of the way through, when the twists of the story built to a crescendo of silliness. There's only so many revelations of "But wait! he's really the emperor! and your mom is not your mom! and your brother is a grown man with children! and you're a philosopher's stone!" I can take within a single story before it loses all coherence.
Robert Silverberg, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Gannin apprentices himself to a young and beautiful sorcerer. He sexually harasses and gropes her every chance he gets, despite her perpetual clear denials. Eventually he tries to commit suicide, she saves his life, and they have sex. End of story, I guess. This was a creepy read, because I got the feeling that Silverberg thought this was all just funny shenanigans. The editor seems to have thought so too--it's introduced as "Some aspiring magicians may in fact find themselves apprenticed to attractive female wizards. However, for an amorous young man, this can be a mixed blessing." Sure, life's real hard for the ~amorous young man~, but what about the lady he keeps harassing? All she wants to do is teach, and he's constantly spying on her in the bath, declaring his love, and doing shit like bursting into her room and fondling her. It's rife with scenes like:
"that was wonderful!" she cried. "How marvelously you did that! How proud I am of you!"If these two ever got together I'd have assumed it was because Gannin eventually figured out that he was acting like an asshole, but no, she onlly "opened her legs to him" (blegh!) after he tries to kill himself. And Gannin, delightful man that he is, immediately thinks, "however hard she might be battling against it, he knew now that he would go on searching, forever if necessary, for the key that would unlock her a second time." Jesus christ! Twilight had a healthier, less abusive relationship than this!
This is it, he thought, the delirious moment of surrender at last, and slipped his hand between their bodies to clasp her firm round breast, and pressed his lips against hers and drove his tongue deep into her mouth. Instantly she voiced the spell of levitation and sent him crashing miserably to the floor, where he landed in a crumpled heap with his left leg folded up beneath him in a way that sent the fiercest pain through his entire body.
She floated gently down beside him.
"You will always be an idiot," she said, and spat, and strode out of the room.
Wendy N Wagner, "The Secret of Calling Rabbits." The last dwarf is forced to choose whether to help a little human girl and expose his existence to the humans, or let her die. Nicely done.
Kelly Link, "The Wizards of Perfil." I usually hate Link's stories because they're so surreal and discombobulated, without plot or reason to them. But this one combines Link's trademark woozy dream-logic with solid writing and a truly touching tale about life during wartime.
Neil Gaiman, "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge." Oh man, I feel bad. I was going to rip this story apart and then I saw it was by Neil Gaiman, which makes me feel embarrassed for him. Gaiman's novels are hit and miss with me, but his short stories are usually his strongest work. This, however, is twee bullshit about a conman telling how he tricked a town into bribing him. It's a really, really obvious and stupid con, and yet it's described as "a perfect con" and ends "We were lost in contemplation of the brilliance of the man who sold the Ponti Bridge." If you want to wow me with the cleverness of an idea, having two pages of characters tell me how incredible it is won't do it. Just come up with an actual clever idea.
Christie Yant, "The Magician and the Maid and Other Stories." A cool twist on the ol' "besotted boy seeks his fortune" trope. Audra's boyfriend left years ago, and never returned. She has ventured through planes of existence looking for vengeance,
Mike Resnick, "Winter Solstice." Merlin lives backward, and this tale spells out what that means for him in horrifyingly dismal detail. Very well done, but I am very, VERY over depressing takes on Arthurian tales.
Cinda Williams Chima, "The Trader and the Slave." A deleted scene from the second book in her Heir Chronicles. An enslaved enchantress is commanded to kill a wizard--but she can't help but hope that perhaps, this could be her chance at freedom. As someone who's read and enjoyed the Heir books, I quite liked this.
Adam-Troy Castro, "Cerile and the Journeyer." A man spends a lifetime on a quest to find the witch Cerile
Yoon Ha Lee, "Counting the Stars." Years ago, the lady Biantha escaped her service to the Demon Lord and swore her loyalty instead to the last human king. On the eve of the final battle between demons and humans, Biantha's long lost son, who has served the Demon Lord all this time, defects to her side. But is his change in loyalties real, or a trap? I love the complex, mathematical magic in this story, and the world. I really hope this becomes part of a novel or something, because I'd love to read more of it.
Lev Grossman, "Endgame." The protagonist of The Magicians was disaffected and callous; the protagonist of this short story, set in the same world, is just as jaded and cynical. I have no idea why. She says it's because
Being a magician, it turned out, wasn't so much like it was in books. You thought there'd be a Sauron or a White Witch or a Voldemort waiting for you when you graduated, but you know what? Those fuckers could never be bothered to show up. Didn't get the memo.This is such absolute silly bullshit. Who the fuck reads a fantasy book and wants to have magic so they can fight evil wizards? Fighting evil wizards is a price you have to pay in order to have magic, not the prize! (Additionally, I'd like to point out that not a single one of the characters Grossman names was defeated by magic. Sauron is defeated by a hobbit throwing jewelry into a fire, not by a wizard. The White Witch is defeated by children having faith in
Their final betrayal, their ultimate evil, was their refusal to exist. So there she was, a newly minted sorceress, spoiling for a fight, but there was nobody to fight and precious little to fight for.
Simon R Green, "Street Wizard." The London City Council pays men like the narrator to patrol the streets, looking for illicit uses of magic. Poorly thought out magical systems and a self-aggrandizing narrator. Blegh.
TA Pratt, "Mommy Issues of the Dead." Marla Mason knows lots of kinds of magic but hasn't mastered any, and so she's often outclassed magically. Luckily, she's a clever little rogue. I love Marla's sarcastic, no-nonsense style, and this is a great little adventure in which she defeats an immortal cyborg in order to get a snowglobe.
Jeremiah Tolbert, "One-Click Banishment." Through forum posts, a hacker magician (aka m4g1ck pirate) tells the tale of his defeat of a dread demon. Told in the present tense, which makes it completely unbelievable as a forum post, and turgid with unfunny in-jokes. ex:
You know, I never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I don't know any badass moves to take out a demon. (I'm more old-school in my entertainment. I grew up watching a little movie called Monster Squad. You can catch it on cable every once and a while. Check it out.)That is a lot of set-up for one not particularly funny reference. The whole thing is like that: slow-witted, pretentious, and desperately try-hard.
So, lesson number five: like a wolf man, arch-demons have 'nards.
Jonathan L Howard, "The Ereshkigal Working". A necromancer and a beat cop stop the zombie apocalypse. Delightfully sardonic main character.
David Farland, "Feeding the Feral Children." Huang Fa goes to seek his fortune, but in defending his horse from bandits he becomes the target of a vengeance curse. Extraordinarily clunky dialog, ex "When I return, I will have much silver. Your father will surely agree to the match when he sees what I bring."
Vylar Kaftan, "The Orange-Tree Sacrifice." This story consists of two pages of a girl being tortured to death. The twist--that she has sacrificed herself to kill the demons who are killing her--isn't good enough to make up for it.
Desirina Boskovich, "Love is the Spell that Casts Out Fear." Two entwined stories: a wizard turns an incubus into a stag and herself into a deer, and a young teen tells her youth minister that he shouldn't have kissed her. I have no idea what happened in this story. The intro says its about characters using fantasy worlds to face their problems from a new angle, but let's be real, that's a pretty overplayed angle. If that's all this story has to offer (because goodness knows it lacks plot, characterization, or suspense) then I'm disappointed.
Peter S Beagle, “El Regalo.” Angie’s little brother is a witch, and no one else seems to notice. They have a realistically contentious relationship, but when he tries to do her a favor and something goes magically wrong, Angie has to delve into the world of magic herself. Really well written, and is both believable and sweet in the style of old school YA like Diana Wynne Jones.
Ursula K Le Guin, “The Word of Unbinding.” Festin is captured by the dread wizard Foll. No matter how clever his transformations or how powerful his magics, Festin cannot escape. Beautifully written.
John R Fultz, “The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria.” Jeremy finds an old book and rapidly begins dreaming of a magical land called Arthyria. Soon, he’s living in Arthyria and on a quest that he remembers more clearly with every additional book of magic he reads. The conceit (that the mundane world is the illusion, a trap to prevent wizards from beating the Dead King) is good, but the main character reads like an authorial insert, a self-aggrandizing Mary Sue. Jeremy is the bestest wizard, everyone loves and respects him, the Dead King himself bows before him, and oh yeah, his ex-wife (who wanted him to get a paying job to supplement her income, how DARE she) is totally just a bitchy demon who was trying to trap him.
Marion Zimmer Bradley, “The Secret of the Blue Star.” Lythande is an adept of the Blue Star, whose magical powers are bound into hiding a single Secret. If the secret is ever revealed, all of the adept's powers are given to the one who discovered it. If the story hadn't been all about the incredibly obvious secret, I might have liked it--Lythande is likable enough--but as it was I just felt impatient.
November 29, 2012
I’ve always thought wizards are cool. If you walk up to me on the street and utter the word, “Fantasy” to me, the first thing I’ll do is give you a bizarre look and, if I don’t know who you are, probably say something along the lines of, “What?” But the second thing I would do is conjure an image of a slightly stooped old man with a white beard, flowing robes, and yes, an impressive, gnarled staff. From Gandalf to Belgarath to the Order and Chaos mages of Recluce and Candar, wizards have been around for a good amount of my epic fantasy reading. And when it comes to urban fantasy, my favourite such series, the Dresden Files, is all about a wizard. These figures, people who live and breathe magic, capture our imaginations because they embody the quirks and dangers of confronting and using magic on a daily basis. No matter how hard they try, it always changes them.
Not every wizard has to be a greybearded old man, though. The Way of the Wizard is a celebration of the diversity of wizardry in storytelling. John Joseph Adams has curated an impressive number of tales from an equally impressive pantheon of writers, and each of them brings their own concerns, styles, and bailiwicks to the table. George R.R. Martin’s “In the Lost Lands”, with its medieval characters trying to get the better of one another, reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire. Simon R. Green’s “Street Wizard” is reminiscent of his down-to-earth, “street” style. And then you have very non-traditional approaches to wizards, such as Jeremiah Tolbert’s “One-Click Banishment” (which I really enjoyed). This anthology is definitely not a run-of-the-mill sword-and-sorcery book. Combined with the quantity of stories, the names attached to them, and the breadth of themes and subjects they address, this makes The Way of the Wizard a potent anthology.
With any anthology of this size, however, there is wheat and there is chaff. It’s really a numbers game; unless your tastes are remarkably broad, you’ll love a few of the stories here, like many of them, dislike almost as many, and outright hate one or two. Adams has elected to be inclusive, which means there are stories here that just won’t appeal. I’ll highlight a few of my favourites—some of them were easy to love, and others won me over.
I quite enjoyed “How to Sell the Ponti Bridge,” by Neil Gaiman. To call myself a Gaiman fanboy might be a little too accurate, so I shan’t, but this is one of the best stories in the entire book. Reading it reminded me of Mr. Wednesday’s con games in American Gods. Though not strictly involving wizards per se, this story is about what wizards leave behind, and how people can make a profit off it. This is a case where I’m glad Adams was so broad in his selection criteria.
I had previously read “Endgame” when it was nominated for a Hugo. It is, to date, the most enjoyable part of Lev Grossman’s Magicians universe. His two novels have been rather lacklustre, with the second a slight improvement over the first. Grossman seems comfortable writing shorter fiction; or, maybe it’s just that he doesn’t have time to transform all of his characters into whiny, self-entitled prats. Whatever the case, “Endgame” is the perfect combination of clever characterization and action-adventure.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention “The Word of Unbinding”, by Ursula K. Le Guin, because … it’s Le Guin.
“Love is the Spell That Casts Out Fear”, by Desirina Boskovich, is one of those stories that grew on me. At first, I wasn’t a fan: Boskovich’s style of alternating seamlessly between our world and the other world was a little confusing. But her integration of Hannah’s issues between the two worlds was awesome. In the end, Hanna the wizard gives up everything she has and lets go of the world of magic, and it’s tragedy tinged with redemption.
Once in a while I meet a short story in an anthology that really sticks with me. More often, I dredge up the spectre of a short story many years later, when I’m reminded of it by an event or another story. (“Oh yeah, I read a short story about that once….”) All of the stories in The Way of the Wizard are well-written and, in their own way, fascinating. None, in my opinion, are all that memorable (though a few, like “The Word of Binding”, have obviously demonstrated long-lasting appeal). I haven’t read other things by all of these authors, but those I have read have produced better work.
This is a mixed bag of stories. It’s worth reading if you have the time and, like me, are slightly wizard-crazy. That connecting topic is a good idea—why aren’t there more anthologies devoted to wizards‽ And hopefully, among the vast offering in The Way of the Wizard, you’ll find a gem or two that reminds you of those days curled up in a chair, just you and your wizard of choice, working magic to win the day.
Not every wizard has to be a greybearded old man, though. The Way of the Wizard is a celebration of the diversity of wizardry in storytelling. John Joseph Adams has curated an impressive number of tales from an equally impressive pantheon of writers, and each of them brings their own concerns, styles, and bailiwicks to the table. George R.R. Martin’s “In the Lost Lands”, with its medieval characters trying to get the better of one another, reminds me of A Song of Ice and Fire. Simon R. Green’s “Street Wizard” is reminiscent of his down-to-earth, “street” style. And then you have very non-traditional approaches to wizards, such as Jeremiah Tolbert’s “One-Click Banishment” (which I really enjoyed). This anthology is definitely not a run-of-the-mill sword-and-sorcery book. Combined with the quantity of stories, the names attached to them, and the breadth of themes and subjects they address, this makes The Way of the Wizard a potent anthology.
With any anthology of this size, however, there is wheat and there is chaff. It’s really a numbers game; unless your tastes are remarkably broad, you’ll love a few of the stories here, like many of them, dislike almost as many, and outright hate one or two. Adams has elected to be inclusive, which means there are stories here that just won’t appeal. I’ll highlight a few of my favourites—some of them were easy to love, and others won me over.
I quite enjoyed “How to Sell the Ponti Bridge,” by Neil Gaiman. To call myself a Gaiman fanboy might be a little too accurate, so I shan’t, but this is one of the best stories in the entire book. Reading it reminded me of Mr. Wednesday’s con games in American Gods. Though not strictly involving wizards per se, this story is about what wizards leave behind, and how people can make a profit off it. This is a case where I’m glad Adams was so broad in his selection criteria.
I had previously read “Endgame” when it was nominated for a Hugo. It is, to date, the most enjoyable part of Lev Grossman’s Magicians universe. His two novels have been rather lacklustre, with the second a slight improvement over the first. Grossman seems comfortable writing shorter fiction; or, maybe it’s just that he doesn’t have time to transform all of his characters into whiny, self-entitled prats. Whatever the case, “Endgame” is the perfect combination of clever characterization and action-adventure.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention “The Word of Unbinding”, by Ursula K. Le Guin, because … it’s Le Guin.
“Love is the Spell That Casts Out Fear”, by Desirina Boskovich, is one of those stories that grew on me. At first, I wasn’t a fan: Boskovich’s style of alternating seamlessly between our world and the other world was a little confusing. But her integration of Hannah’s issues between the two worlds was awesome. In the end, Hanna the wizard gives up everything she has and lets go of the world of magic, and it’s tragedy tinged with redemption.
Once in a while I meet a short story in an anthology that really sticks with me. More often, I dredge up the spectre of a short story many years later, when I’m reminded of it by an event or another story. (“Oh yeah, I read a short story about that once….”) All of the stories in The Way of the Wizard are well-written and, in their own way, fascinating. None, in my opinion, are all that memorable (though a few, like “The Word of Binding”, have obviously demonstrated long-lasting appeal). I haven’t read other things by all of these authors, but those I have read have produced better work.
This is a mixed bag of stories. It’s worth reading if you have the time and, like me, are slightly wizard-crazy. That connecting topic is a good idea—why aren’t there more anthologies devoted to wizards‽ And hopefully, among the vast offering in The Way of the Wizard, you’ll find a gem or two that reminds you of those days curled up in a chair, just you and your wizard of choice, working magic to win the day.
April 19, 2021
4 stars to "The Ereshkigal Working" by Jonathan L Howard.
January 10, 2021
MacHalo Buddy ReadThe Ereshkigal Working by Jonathan L. Howard. A Johannes Cabal novella.
The Cabal I love and adore is BACK! With all the humor and NECROMANCY stuff! This is, by far, my favorite Johannes Cabal novella.
May 29, 2011
I read this short-story collection because of the astonishingly high number of good writers in it, though it turns out most of the stories are reprints - I was disappointed to find that the Susanna Clarke story was one I'd already read in The Ladies of Grace Adieu, though at least the others were all new to me.
There weren't any bad stories in the collection, though most were pretty forgettable, and the editing in the book is atrocious (words are frequently mistyped as other words in a way that suggests the stories were scanned in and OCRed poorly, like be/he). The Orson Scott Card story, "Jamaica," was the only one that truly kept me riveted, though its ending was disappointing. I enjoyed that the Lev Grossman story was connected to his novel The Magicians, and apparently several of the other stories are also set in worlds their authors have written novels about. However, nothing I read was enough to get me excited about reading more from any of those authors, and I think my biggest disappointment with this book was that it didn't turn me on to any new writers.
This is an engaging enough book if it falls into your hands, but probably isn't worth seeking out unless there's a particular story in it that you want to read.
There weren't any bad stories in the collection, though most were pretty forgettable, and the editing in the book is atrocious (words are frequently mistyped as other words in a way that suggests the stories were scanned in and OCRed poorly, like be/he). The Orson Scott Card story, "Jamaica," was the only one that truly kept me riveted, though its ending was disappointing. I enjoyed that the Lev Grossman story was connected to his novel The Magicians, and apparently several of the other stories are also set in worlds their authors have written novels about. However, nothing I read was enough to get me excited about reading more from any of those authors, and I think my biggest disappointment with this book was that it didn't turn me on to any new writers.
This is an engaging enough book if it falls into your hands, but probably isn't worth seeking out unless there's a particular story in it that you want to read.
June 25, 2020
Well thank Animus THAT'S over. Like any anthology this is a mixed bag, but it felt there were a lot more stories here not to my taste than ones I enjoyed.
Also, the definition of "wizard" is pretty loose: I could've done without a zombie story, thank you.
And of course the one story I really liked is in a series of stories that are not easily located. *sighs*
Also, the definition of "wizard" is pretty loose: I could've done without a zombie story, thank you.
And of course the one story I really liked is in a series of stories that are not easily located. *sighs*
February 2, 2018
Buena seleccion de cuentos. Algunos autores son archi-conocidos (LeGuin, Beagle, Martin, etc.) y otros -por lo que dice el enunciado previo- apenas empezaron a escribir.
Aun así, los cuentos son generalmente muy entretenidos, bastante buenos y originales (con la excepcion de tres o cuatro que me parecieron todo lo contrario).
Muy recomendable, hay de todo y para todos sobre formas de magia y magos.
Aun así, los cuentos son generalmente muy entretenidos, bastante buenos y originales (con la excepcion de tres o cuatro que me parecieron todo lo contrario).
Muy recomendable, hay de todo y para todos sobre formas de magia y magos.
November 8, 2018
Some were really good, some were meh, and some well ....
Was only really interested in the Jonathan L. Howard short that went with the Cabal series, but found some gems in there as well.
Was only really interested in the Jonathan L. Howard short that went with the Cabal series, but found some gems in there as well.
June 7, 2022
"In the lost lands" by George RR Martin - 3/5★
"Family tree" by David Barr Kirtley - 3/5★
"John Uskglass and the cumbrian charcoal burner" by Susanna Clarke - 4/5★
"Wizard's apprentice" by Delia Sherman - 3/5★
"The Sorcerer Minus" by Jeffrey Ford - 2/5★
"Life so dear or peace so sweet" by C.C. Finlay - 3/5★
"Card Sharp" by Rajan Khanna - 2/5★
"So deep that the bottom could not be seen" by Genevieve Valentine - 2/5★
"The Go-Slow" Nnedi Okorafor - 1/5★
"The Fatal Poison" by Krista Hoeppner Leahy - 3/5★
"Jamaica" Orson Scott Card - 1/5★
"The sorcerer's apprentice" by Robert Silverberg - 2/5★
"The secret of calling rabbits" by Wendy N. Wagner - 2/5★
"The Wizards of Perfil" by Kelly Link - 3/5★
"How to sell the ponti bridge" by Neil Gaiman - 2/5★
"The magician and the maid and other stories" by Christie Yant - 3/5★
"Winter Solstice" by Mike Resnick - 3/5★
"The Trader and the slave" by Cinda Williams Chima - 2/5★
"Cerile and the Journeyer" by Adam-Troy Castro - 4/5★
"Counting the Shapes" by Yoon Ha Lee - 2/5★
"Endgame" by Lev Grossman - 2/5★
"Street Wizard" by Simon R. Green - 2/5★
"Mommy issues of the dead" by T.A. Pratt - 2/5★
"One-click banishment" by Jeremiah Tolbert - 2/5★
"The ereshkigal working" by Jonathan L. Howard - 2/5★
"Feeding the feral children" by David Farland - 3/5★
"The orange-tree sacrifice" by Vylar Kaftan - 3/5★
"Love is the spell that casts out fear" by Desirina Boskovitch - 2/5★
"El Regalo" by Peter S. Beagle - 3/5★
"The word of unbinding" Ursula K. Le Guin - 3/5★
"The thirteen texts of Arythia" John R. Fultz - 3/5★
"The Secret of the Blue Star" by Marion Zimmer Bradley - 2/5★
"Family tree" by David Barr Kirtley - 3/5★
"John Uskglass and the cumbrian charcoal burner" by Susanna Clarke - 4/5★
"Wizard's apprentice" by Delia Sherman - 3/5★
"The Sorcerer Minus" by Jeffrey Ford - 2/5★
"Life so dear or peace so sweet" by C.C. Finlay - 3/5★
"Card Sharp" by Rajan Khanna - 2/5★
"So deep that the bottom could not be seen" by Genevieve Valentine - 2/5★
"The Go-Slow" Nnedi Okorafor - 1/5★
"The Fatal Poison" by Krista Hoeppner Leahy - 3/5★
"Jamaica" Orson Scott Card - 1/5★
"The sorcerer's apprentice" by Robert Silverberg - 2/5★
"The secret of calling rabbits" by Wendy N. Wagner - 2/5★
"The Wizards of Perfil" by Kelly Link - 3/5★
"How to sell the ponti bridge" by Neil Gaiman - 2/5★
"The magician and the maid and other stories" by Christie Yant - 3/5★
"Winter Solstice" by Mike Resnick - 3/5★
"The Trader and the slave" by Cinda Williams Chima - 2/5★
"Cerile and the Journeyer" by Adam-Troy Castro - 4/5★
"Counting the Shapes" by Yoon Ha Lee - 2/5★
"Endgame" by Lev Grossman - 2/5★
"Street Wizard" by Simon R. Green - 2/5★
"Mommy issues of the dead" by T.A. Pratt - 2/5★
"One-click banishment" by Jeremiah Tolbert - 2/5★
"The ereshkigal working" by Jonathan L. Howard - 2/5★
"Feeding the feral children" by David Farland - 3/5★
"The orange-tree sacrifice" by Vylar Kaftan - 3/5★
"Love is the spell that casts out fear" by Desirina Boskovitch - 2/5★
"El Regalo" by Peter S. Beagle - 3/5★
"The word of unbinding" Ursula K. Le Guin - 3/5★
"The thirteen texts of Arythia" John R. Fultz - 3/5★
"The Secret of the Blue Star" by Marion Zimmer Bradley - 2/5★
May 2, 2022
Antología algo irregular, pero con unos cuantos relatos que me han gustado mucho:
-Wendy N. Wagner: un enano, el último de su especie, trata de sobrevivir en un mundo dominado por el hombre con lo que le queda del antiguo conocimiento de los suyos, que el tiempo ha ido borrando. Hasta que encuentra a una niña.
Lev Grossman: una maga participa en unos juegos/competiciones de magia muy heavies con un verdadero despliegue de fuegos artificiales literarios la mar de entretenidos.
Pero sin duda el mejor ha sido "Mago callejero" de Simon R. Green. ¡Una maravilla! Se trata de una especie de agente de policía mago que va haciendo su ronda nocturna por el Soho mientras charla con este o aquel conocido, observa el barrio, nos comenta sus peculiaridades y, sobre todo, intenta hacer el bien de la mejor manera posible.
-Wendy N. Wagner: un enano, el último de su especie, trata de sobrevivir en un mundo dominado por el hombre con lo que le queda del antiguo conocimiento de los suyos, que el tiempo ha ido borrando. Hasta que encuentra a una niña.
Lev Grossman: una maga participa en unos juegos/competiciones de magia muy heavies con un verdadero despliegue de fuegos artificiales literarios la mar de entretenidos.
Pero sin duda el mejor ha sido "Mago callejero" de Simon R. Green. ¡Una maravilla! Se trata de una especie de agente de policía mago que va haciendo su ronda nocturna por el Soho mientras charla con este o aquel conocido, observa el barrio, nos comenta sus peculiaridades y, sobre todo, intenta hacer el bien de la mejor manera posible.
October 6, 2019
Hamaika istorio hamaika idazleren eskuetatik. Benetan gustatu zait. Ez bakarrik irakurri nahi izango ditudan liburuak aurkeztu dizkidalako, baizik eta orri gitxitan hainbat istorio magiko ezberdin dagoelako. Magia bakarra ez dalako (adibidez Douglas Adams.ek Dirk Gently.n proposatzen duena) eta berau dauden munduak ezta ere.
April 16, 2020
Excellent collection! A lot of variety on a great theme.
September 23, 2024
התלבטתי אם לתת 4 או 5 כוכבים.
הספר הוא אסופת סיפורים של סופרים שונים בנושא קוסמים. חלקם מצויינים ביותר ומעוררי מחשבה וחלקם פחות. אבל ככלל אסופה מומלצת.
הספר הוא אסופת סיפורים של סופרים שונים בנושא קוסמים. חלקם מצויינים ביותר ומעוררי מחשבה וחלקם פחות. אבל ככלל אסופה מומלצת.
July 8, 2015
This collection of short stories blew me away. I’m used to reading magazines or anthologies where I get a few stories I connect with, a handful I can see are good, and a couple that I didn’t like. While I might not have loved every story, I can’t remember a single one that provoked a negative or “eh” reaction. I received this book as part of my Hugo voting packet, but have purchased the paper copy so my boys can read it.
This collection is a mix of original and reprinted stories that show a wide variety of interpretations for the concept of wizardry. Some are good wizards, some bad, some heroes, some villains. It’s a broad spectrum look at the position of magic and wisdom that the term wizard has come to contain. On top of the stories themselves, each work has an introduction with the usual bio information as well as a lead in to the story that offers some insight into what appealed to the editor, and is usually fun to read.
While I liked all the stories (though The Secret of the Blue Star by Marion Zimmer Bradley I’d read before), here are the ones I think stood out for one reason or another:
In the Lost Lands by George R.R. Martin is written in a nontraditional narrative style. It’s not quite omniscient, but at the same time the POV is not clearly focused on one character over another much of the time. While the narrative style drew me, the story itself is one where I identified too closely with what was going on to feel happy with any possible solution. Not dissatisfied as a reader, but rather I hoped for a different outcome even as I knew the rules had been set. This is part of why the narrative style works. It’s an amalgam between a modern tale and a teaching tale, so it engages as well as teaches.
John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner by Susanna Clarke offers a wonderful retelling of a Northern English folktale in which the wizard’s arrogance blinds him to what is really happening.
Wizard’s Apprentice by Delia Sherman is told in a sideways fashion, initially through the eyes of the townsfolk regarding a bookseller with a reputation for so much more. As the tale goes along, though, the reader learns the truth, and it’s a powerful one.
The Go-Slow by Nnedi Okorafor is a modern-day tale of magic built up on African traditions. The reader learns the truth along with the main character in a way that seems a clash between the now and the mystic, but is not.
Too Fatal a Poison by Krista Hoeppner Leahy is about a victim of sorcery, one of the sailors in the Odyssey. It gives a wonderfully different interpretation to a minor character in that tale.
The Secret of Calling Rabbits by Wendy N. Wagner I’ve already mentioned here:
The Wizards of Perfil by Kelly Link is another case where the story isn’t exactly what it appears, and the main character isn’t exactly who you think it is either. I kept reading with the desire to figure it out, but also because the characters, in all their strengths and follies, drew me on.
Cerile and the Journeyer by Adam-Troy Castro is one of the more literary styled stories in this collection, which means I can’t say much without spoiling it, but the voice is strong, and the story pieces build so that you know what’s coming but half wish it wasn’t true, at the same time as you doubt yourself and start to wonder who the villain is.
Counting the Shapes by Yoon Ha Lee offers a different situation in which the wizard is neither just starting out nor powerful enough to face the current situation. She’s faced with a puzzle she can’t piece together and a deadline that emphasizes the “dead” as in everyone she knows and cares for. There’s more on top of that conflict, but everything is woven together with skill.
Street Wizard by Simon R. Green reminds me of Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch though they’re clearly different interpretations. It’s got a strong voice and I enjoyed the alternate perspective.
El Regalo by Peter S. Beagle is a wonderful tale of the complicated nature of sibling rivalry…with magic tossed in.
The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria by John R. Fultz is another surreal tale where it’s hard to be sure which reality is real. John’s a friend of mine and when he mentioned he had a story in the anthology, I made sure I kept an eye out for it. I was not disappointed, nor do I think you will be.
I used harsh measures to limit my comments because, as I said, none of the stories actually turned me off, and still this has gone on longer than usual. It’s a worthy collection with something from the perspective of almost every possible wizard interpretation out there, including both folktales and histories as well as unique creations. I am impressed by both the quality and breadth of the stories, and think you would be too.
This collection is a mix of original and reprinted stories that show a wide variety of interpretations for the concept of wizardry. Some are good wizards, some bad, some heroes, some villains. It’s a broad spectrum look at the position of magic and wisdom that the term wizard has come to contain. On top of the stories themselves, each work has an introduction with the usual bio information as well as a lead in to the story that offers some insight into what appealed to the editor, and is usually fun to read.
While I liked all the stories (though The Secret of the Blue Star by Marion Zimmer Bradley I’d read before), here are the ones I think stood out for one reason or another:
In the Lost Lands by George R.R. Martin is written in a nontraditional narrative style. It’s not quite omniscient, but at the same time the POV is not clearly focused on one character over another much of the time. While the narrative style drew me, the story itself is one where I identified too closely with what was going on to feel happy with any possible solution. Not dissatisfied as a reader, but rather I hoped for a different outcome even as I knew the rules had been set. This is part of why the narrative style works. It’s an amalgam between a modern tale and a teaching tale, so it engages as well as teaches.
John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner by Susanna Clarke offers a wonderful retelling of a Northern English folktale in which the wizard’s arrogance blinds him to what is really happening.
Wizard’s Apprentice by Delia Sherman is told in a sideways fashion, initially through the eyes of the townsfolk regarding a bookseller with a reputation for so much more. As the tale goes along, though, the reader learns the truth, and it’s a powerful one.
The Go-Slow by Nnedi Okorafor is a modern-day tale of magic built up on African traditions. The reader learns the truth along with the main character in a way that seems a clash between the now and the mystic, but is not.
Too Fatal a Poison by Krista Hoeppner Leahy is about a victim of sorcery, one of the sailors in the Odyssey. It gives a wonderfully different interpretation to a minor character in that tale.
The Secret of Calling Rabbits by Wendy N. Wagner I’ve already mentioned here:
The Wizards of Perfil by Kelly Link is another case where the story isn’t exactly what it appears, and the main character isn’t exactly who you think it is either. I kept reading with the desire to figure it out, but also because the characters, in all their strengths and follies, drew me on.
Cerile and the Journeyer by Adam-Troy Castro is one of the more literary styled stories in this collection, which means I can’t say much without spoiling it, but the voice is strong, and the story pieces build so that you know what’s coming but half wish it wasn’t true, at the same time as you doubt yourself and start to wonder who the villain is.
Counting the Shapes by Yoon Ha Lee offers a different situation in which the wizard is neither just starting out nor powerful enough to face the current situation. She’s faced with a puzzle she can’t piece together and a deadline that emphasizes the “dead” as in everyone she knows and cares for. There’s more on top of that conflict, but everything is woven together with skill.
Street Wizard by Simon R. Green reminds me of Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch though they’re clearly different interpretations. It’s got a strong voice and I enjoyed the alternate perspective.
El Regalo by Peter S. Beagle is a wonderful tale of the complicated nature of sibling rivalry…with magic tossed in.
The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria by John R. Fultz is another surreal tale where it’s hard to be sure which reality is real. John’s a friend of mine and when he mentioned he had a story in the anthology, I made sure I kept an eye out for it. I was not disappointed, nor do I think you will be.
I used harsh measures to limit my comments because, as I said, none of the stories actually turned me off, and still this has gone on longer than usual. It’s a worthy collection with something from the perspective of almost every possible wizard interpretation out there, including both folktales and histories as well as unique creations. I am impressed by both the quality and breadth of the stories, and think you would be too.
March 11, 2017
I've copied the contents from WorldCat and I'll only rate the ones I like.
Contents: Introduction by John Joseph Adams --
In the lost lands / George R.R. Martin -- 5 stars
Family tree / David Barr Kirtley -- 4 stars
John Uskglass and the Cambrian charcoal burner / Susanna Clarke -- 3.5 stars
Wizard's apprentice / Delia Sherman -- 4 stars
The sorcerer Minus / Jeffrey Ford -- 3.5 stars
Life so dear or peace so sweet / C. C. Finlay --
Card sharp / Rajan Khanna -- 4 stars
So deep that the bottom could not be seen / Genevieve Valentine -- 3.5 stars
The go-slow / Nnedi Okorafor --
Too fatal a poison / Krista Hoeppner Leahy --
Jamaica / Orson Scott Card -- 3 stars
The sorcerer's apprentice / Robert Silverberg -- 3 stars
The secret of calling rabbits / Wendy N. Wagner -- 3 stars
The wizards of Perfil / Kelly Link --
How to sell the Ponti Bridge / Neil Gaiman -- 3.5 stars
The magician and the maid and other stories / Christie Yant -- 3 stars
Winter solstice / Mike Resnick -- 3 stars
The trader and the slave / Cinda Williams Chima -- 3.5 stars
Cerile and the journeyer / Adam-Troy Castro -- 3 stars
Counting the shapes / Yoon Ha Lee --
Endgame / Lev Grossman -- Need to read the Magician now. 5 stars
Street wizard / Simon R. Green -- not nightside, but close 4 stars
Mommy issues of the dead / T. A. Pratt -- (Marla Mason) 5 stars
One click banishment / Jeremiah Tolbert -- 4 stars
The Ereshkigal Working / Jonathan L. Howard -- 4 stars
Feeding the feral children / David Farland --
The orange-tree sacrifice / Vylar Kaftan --
Love is the spell that casts out fear / Desirina Boskovich -- 3 stars
El regalo / Peter S. Beagle -- 4.5 stars
The word of unbinding / Ursula K. Le Guin --
The thirteen texts of Arthyria / John R. Fultz -- 3 stars
The secret of the blue star / Marion Zimmer Bradley --
I won a copy of this book through the goodreads first-reads program on 5/31. It came very quickly and was signed by the editor.
Contents: Introduction by John Joseph Adams --
In the lost lands / George R.R. Martin -- 5 stars
Family tree / David Barr Kirtley -- 4 stars
John Uskglass and the Cambrian charcoal burner / Susanna Clarke -- 3.5 stars
Wizard's apprentice / Delia Sherman -- 4 stars
The sorcerer Minus / Jeffrey Ford -- 3.5 stars
Life so dear or peace so sweet / C. C. Finlay --
Card sharp / Rajan Khanna -- 4 stars
So deep that the bottom could not be seen / Genevieve Valentine -- 3.5 stars
The go-slow / Nnedi Okorafor --
Too fatal a poison / Krista Hoeppner Leahy --
Jamaica / Orson Scott Card -- 3 stars
The sorcerer's apprentice / Robert Silverberg -- 3 stars
The secret of calling rabbits / Wendy N. Wagner -- 3 stars
The wizards of Perfil / Kelly Link --
How to sell the Ponti Bridge / Neil Gaiman -- 3.5 stars
The magician and the maid and other stories / Christie Yant -- 3 stars
Winter solstice / Mike Resnick -- 3 stars
The trader and the slave / Cinda Williams Chima -- 3.5 stars
Cerile and the journeyer / Adam-Troy Castro -- 3 stars
Counting the shapes / Yoon Ha Lee --
Endgame / Lev Grossman -- Need to read the Magician now. 5 stars
Street wizard / Simon R. Green -- not nightside, but close 4 stars
Mommy issues of the dead / T. A. Pratt -- (Marla Mason) 5 stars
One click banishment / Jeremiah Tolbert -- 4 stars
The Ereshkigal Working / Jonathan L. Howard -- 4 stars
Feeding the feral children / David Farland --
The orange-tree sacrifice / Vylar Kaftan --
Love is the spell that casts out fear / Desirina Boskovich -- 3 stars
El regalo / Peter S. Beagle -- 4.5 stars
The word of unbinding / Ursula K. Le Guin --
The thirteen texts of Arthyria / John R. Fultz -- 3 stars
The secret of the blue star / Marion Zimmer Bradley --
I won a copy of this book through the goodreads first-reads program on 5/31. It came very quickly and was signed by the editor.
May 18, 2012
This collection didn't impress me much; it seemed to me that a lot of the stories were clumsily and amateurishly written or simply took way too long to get the setup out of the way, and a sense of humor would have been very welcome.
I enjoyed George R.R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands," a demonstration of the importance of being careful what you wish for, and Delia Sherman's "The Wizard's Apprentice," a charming tale of a runaway stumbling into a bookstore run by an evil wizard -- it says so right there on the sign. Kelly Link's "The Wizards of Perfil" was sad and sweet. Susanna Clarke's "John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner" made me laugh.
Is there anybody who hasn't read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Secret of the Blue Star"? Well, it's in here, though the introduction fails to do what the story does so well, namely keep the wizard's secret while not explicitly telling you anything that isn't true. (Sentence left intentionally vague so as not to spoiler anybody.)
Ursula Le Guin, Peter Beagle, and Neil Gaiman offer stories that stand out in this crowd just because they're competently written, but which are very far from being their best.
I enjoyed George R.R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands," a demonstration of the importance of being careful what you wish for, and Delia Sherman's "The Wizard's Apprentice," a charming tale of a runaway stumbling into a bookstore run by an evil wizard -- it says so right there on the sign. Kelly Link's "The Wizards of Perfil" was sad and sweet. Susanna Clarke's "John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner" made me laugh.
Is there anybody who hasn't read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Secret of the Blue Star"? Well, it's in here, though the introduction fails to do what the story does so well, namely keep the wizard's secret while not explicitly telling you anything that isn't true. (Sentence left intentionally vague so as not to spoiler anybody.)
Ursula Le Guin, Peter Beagle, and Neil Gaiman offer stories that stand out in this crowd just because they're competently written, but which are very far from being their best.
March 28, 2022
Fortunately my edition didn't have comments from the anthology editor. Here are my individual reviews for the stories, but to sum it up, a handful of these stories were good, a large amount mediocre, and then a few were absolutely awful.
"In the lost lands" George RR Martin: 4.5/5. A clever mystery with a tragic, extremely fitting solution. Magic is an essential part of the plot.
"Family tree" David Barr Kirtley: 3.5/5. Interesting magic but lackluster characters and a disappointing ending.
"John Uskglass and the cumbrian charcoal burner" Susanna Clarke: 3.5/5. Whimsical and absurd tone but somewhat annoying characters and a pretty abrupt ending.
"Wizard's apprentice" Delia Sherman: 3/5. Sweet but the plot was unsatisfying and the characters very predictable.
"The Sorcerer Minus" Jeffrey Ford: 2/5. Dark tone was interesting but otherwise a completely pointless story.
"Life so dear or peace so sweet" C.C. Finlay: 3.5/5. Interesting setting and okayish characters and even the plot had some exciting sequences but ultimately the ending of the story felt disappointing. Feels like the author tried to strike with a bittersweet tone but the fact of the matter is that they gave their preferred characters a happy ending at the expense of another character that should have had a better fate.
"Card Sharp" Rajan Khanna: 3/5. A very interesting concept for magic that unfortunately felt that the potential wasn't fully utilized. The revenge story wasn't so gripping and and the ending felt abrupt.
"So deep that the bottom could not be seen" Genevieve Valentine: 2/5. The story feels like all those stories that glorify indigenous people as having a special connection to nature or something like that (veering very close to the "magical native American" trope). Also wasn't really clear what the story was trying to say. Feels like the author decided to be vague so that she wouldn't have to commit to actually saying anything meaningful.
"The Go-Slow" Nnedi Okorafor: 1.5/5. The main character was so insufferable that I wanted him to die at the end. The fact that he ends up leaving his wife and going off into the sunset starting a new life and learning magic just left a bad taste in my mouth. Also the way the magic was presented in the story felt kind of underdeveloped or unexplored.
"The Fatal Poison" Krista Hoeppner Leahy: 1/5. Bizarre Odysseus fanfic. Disturbing and gross.
"Jamaica" Orson Scott Card: 1/5. A story that starts in an interesting way and then swerves into a completely bizarre direction that leaves the reader confused and a unsure at what the story was trying to say. Plus there was a disabled character there who was not actually disabled and the whole scenario was presented in a strange somewhat ableist way, I don't know how to describe it.
"The sorcerer's apprentice" Robert Silverberg: 0.5/5. Yet another main character with no redeeming qualities. A story that thinks sexual harassment is romantic, blegh.
"The secret of calling rabbits" Wendy N. Wagner: 3/5. This story was promising and had a sweet moment but ultimately felt like it trying to be bittersweet but it just ended up bitter.
"The Wizards of Perfil" Kelly Link: 3.5/5. The story had some interesting character work and some world-building with potential but unfortunately the twist at the end was both predictable and disappointing.
"How to sell the ponti bridge" Neil Gaiman: 2/5. Unimpressive. Stories about scams can he fun, but treating a pretty pedestrian scam as mind bogglingly brilliant is… lacking.
"The magician and the maid and other stories" Christie Yant: 2.5/5. Mediocre. The characters are boring and the twist was extremely obvious.
"Winter Solstice" Mike Resnick: 2/5. King Arthur story, focusing on Merlin. In theory this story has an interesting concept, but in practice it's just depressing. Plus I hate the Arthurian legend, so not for me.
"The Trader and the slave" Cinda Williams Chima: 4/5. A sweet little story with a pretty dark undertone and a hopeful ending.
"Cerile and the Journeyer" Adam-Troy Castro: 4.5/5. Short and to the point, bittersweet done right.
"Counting the Shapes" Yoon Ha Lee: 3/5. Interesting story, but the main character is disappointing. Resenting a 7 year old child is kind of stupid.
"Endgame" Lev Grossman: 2/5. Very annoying prose style and a dull plot.
"Street Wizard" Simon R. Green: 1.5/5. This tries to be whimsical urban fantasy, but the sparkling of various creatures from various mythologies felt shallow and perfunctory.
"Mommy issues of the dead" T.A. Pratt: 4/5. Decent yarn with a nice intriguing ending. This is how you leave an open ending.
"One-click banishment" Jeremiah Tolbert: 0.5/5. Couldn't get into it, written in too much technobabble.
"The ereshkigal working" Jonathan L. Howard: 2/5. Some elements of the plot were interesting, but were unfortunately shadowed by the arrogant, condescending main character, and cliché setup of anti-social genius and bumbling cop.
"Feeding the feral children" David Farland: 3.5/5. A tragic tale in a vivid setting. Pretty decent characters. But I must have missed something, because I didn't get the point of the monk's character.
"The orange-tree sacrifice" Vylar Kaftan: 2/5. Pointless story, at least it was short.
"Love is the spell that casts out fear" Desirina Boskovitch: 0.5/5
What under the heavens is this: 'Being a woman, her beauty and power were inextricably linked.' ?!
A story that handles sexual assault in a not great way, and talks about "feminine sexuality" as a dark, powerful thing. Subject matter totally mishandled.
"El Regalo" Peter S. Beagle: 4/5. Pretty nice novellette about siblings stumbling through magic and childhood errors. Though it never explains why the parents never noticed.
"The word of unbinding" Ursula K. Le Guin: 5/5. Beautiful and sad. Shows good stories don't have to be complicated.
"The thirteen texts of Arythia" John R. Fultz: 2/5. Pedestrian. And why does the "real" world look so childish/flat
The last story by Marion Zimmer Bradley I didn't even attempt to read, since I try not to read the works of known pedophiles/child abusers.
"In the lost lands" George RR Martin: 4.5/5. A clever mystery with a tragic, extremely fitting solution. Magic is an essential part of the plot.
"Family tree" David Barr Kirtley: 3.5/5. Interesting magic but lackluster characters and a disappointing ending.
"John Uskglass and the cumbrian charcoal burner" Susanna Clarke: 3.5/5. Whimsical and absurd tone but somewhat annoying characters and a pretty abrupt ending.
"Wizard's apprentice" Delia Sherman: 3/5. Sweet but the plot was unsatisfying and the characters very predictable.
"The Sorcerer Minus" Jeffrey Ford: 2/5. Dark tone was interesting but otherwise a completely pointless story.
"Life so dear or peace so sweet" C.C. Finlay: 3.5/5. Interesting setting and okayish characters and even the plot had some exciting sequences but ultimately the ending of the story felt disappointing. Feels like the author tried to strike with a bittersweet tone but the fact of the matter is that they gave their preferred characters a happy ending at the expense of another character that should have had a better fate.
"Card Sharp" Rajan Khanna: 3/5. A very interesting concept for magic that unfortunately felt that the potential wasn't fully utilized. The revenge story wasn't so gripping and and the ending felt abrupt.
"So deep that the bottom could not be seen" Genevieve Valentine: 2/5. The story feels like all those stories that glorify indigenous people as having a special connection to nature or something like that (veering very close to the "magical native American" trope). Also wasn't really clear what the story was trying to say. Feels like the author decided to be vague so that she wouldn't have to commit to actually saying anything meaningful.
"The Go-Slow" Nnedi Okorafor: 1.5/5. The main character was so insufferable that I wanted him to die at the end. The fact that he ends up leaving his wife and going off into the sunset starting a new life and learning magic just left a bad taste in my mouth. Also the way the magic was presented in the story felt kind of underdeveloped or unexplored.
"The Fatal Poison" Krista Hoeppner Leahy: 1/5. Bizarre Odysseus fanfic. Disturbing and gross.
"Jamaica" Orson Scott Card: 1/5. A story that starts in an interesting way and then swerves into a completely bizarre direction that leaves the reader confused and a unsure at what the story was trying to say. Plus there was a disabled character there who was not actually disabled and the whole scenario was presented in a strange somewhat ableist way, I don't know how to describe it.
"The sorcerer's apprentice" Robert Silverberg: 0.5/5. Yet another main character with no redeeming qualities. A story that thinks sexual harassment is romantic, blegh.
"The secret of calling rabbits" Wendy N. Wagner: 3/5. This story was promising and had a sweet moment but ultimately felt like it trying to be bittersweet but it just ended up bitter.
"The Wizards of Perfil" Kelly Link: 3.5/5. The story had some interesting character work and some world-building with potential but unfortunately the twist at the end was both predictable and disappointing.
"How to sell the ponti bridge" Neil Gaiman: 2/5. Unimpressive. Stories about scams can he fun, but treating a pretty pedestrian scam as mind bogglingly brilliant is… lacking.
"The magician and the maid and other stories" Christie Yant: 2.5/5. Mediocre. The characters are boring and the twist was extremely obvious.
"Winter Solstice" Mike Resnick: 2/5. King Arthur story, focusing on Merlin. In theory this story has an interesting concept, but in practice it's just depressing. Plus I hate the Arthurian legend, so not for me.
"The Trader and the slave" Cinda Williams Chima: 4/5. A sweet little story with a pretty dark undertone and a hopeful ending.
"Cerile and the Journeyer" Adam-Troy Castro: 4.5/5. Short and to the point, bittersweet done right.
"Counting the Shapes" Yoon Ha Lee: 3/5. Interesting story, but the main character is disappointing. Resenting a 7 year old child is kind of stupid.
"Endgame" Lev Grossman: 2/5. Very annoying prose style and a dull plot.
"Street Wizard" Simon R. Green: 1.5/5. This tries to be whimsical urban fantasy, but the sparkling of various creatures from various mythologies felt shallow and perfunctory.
"Mommy issues of the dead" T.A. Pratt: 4/5. Decent yarn with a nice intriguing ending. This is how you leave an open ending.
"One-click banishment" Jeremiah Tolbert: 0.5/5. Couldn't get into it, written in too much technobabble.
"The ereshkigal working" Jonathan L. Howard: 2/5. Some elements of the plot were interesting, but were unfortunately shadowed by the arrogant, condescending main character, and cliché setup of anti-social genius and bumbling cop.
"Feeding the feral children" David Farland: 3.5/5. A tragic tale in a vivid setting. Pretty decent characters. But I must have missed something, because I didn't get the point of the monk's character.
"The orange-tree sacrifice" Vylar Kaftan: 2/5. Pointless story, at least it was short.
"Love is the spell that casts out fear" Desirina Boskovitch: 0.5/5
What under the heavens is this: 'Being a woman, her beauty and power were inextricably linked.' ?!
A story that handles sexual assault in a not great way, and talks about "feminine sexuality" as a dark, powerful thing. Subject matter totally mishandled.
"El Regalo" Peter S. Beagle: 4/5. Pretty nice novellette about siblings stumbling through magic and childhood errors. Though it never explains why the parents never noticed.
"The word of unbinding" Ursula K. Le Guin: 5/5. Beautiful and sad. Shows good stories don't have to be complicated.
"The thirteen texts of Arythia" John R. Fultz: 2/5. Pedestrian. And why does the "real" world look so childish/flat
The last story by Marion Zimmer Bradley I didn't even attempt to read, since I try not to read the works of known pedophiles/child abusers.
April 14, 2011
This is a pretty decent anthology; it caught my eye at the library. Almost all of the stories have been collected elsewhere previously, though. Some of them had errors that suggested they had been retyped and that not all the errors stemming therefrom had been caught, particularly the Marion Zimmer Bradley story. (It made me sad. Not because of the typos, because of the subject matter.)
On an unrelated note, I am getting a little irritated at seeing big name fantasy authors take shots at Harry Potter. Not because I'm a huge fan — I think the HP series is workmanlike but not stunningly awesome — but because it frequently sounds like sour grapes. It seems uncollegial, I suppose. Anyway, in this case it was George R.R. Martin, but I've seen Ursula K. Le Guin do it too.
On an unrelated note, I am getting a little irritated at seeing big name fantasy authors take shots at Harry Potter. Not because I'm a huge fan — I think the HP series is workmanlike but not stunningly awesome — but because it frequently sounds like sour grapes. It seems uncollegial, I suppose. Anyway, in this case it was George R.R. Martin, but I've seen Ursula K. Le Guin do it too.
December 31, 2010
These stories are excellent, although I was disappointed that the Susannah Clarke story was a reprint from her book *The Ladies of Grace Adieux*. Most of the others were printed in magazines, which makes them a little harder to come by and more worth reprinting. Mostly I wanted this for Jonathan Howard's new Johannes Cabal short story, which didn't disappoint. There were fewer idiom problems than usual (writers using 20th century Americanisms in pseudo-medieval settings always bothers me) and the quality here was high. I may be turning back towards more fantasy / speculative fiction after a long hiatus in which I read mysteries nearly exclusively (when I was reading fiction at all).
I have to say that the cover art is a turn-off, though. Didn't that kind of over-the-top design end in the early 90s?
I have to say that the cover art is a turn-off, though. Didn't that kind of over-the-top design end in the early 90s?
March 10, 2015
Aunque muchas de las historias ya las había leído (las de Kelly Link, Rober Silverberg, Peter S. Beagle, Neil Gaiman, Lev Grossman y Ursula K. Leguin), dentro de este contexto es una buena selección. Como es habitual en las antologías, tiene sus eslabones débiles.
Lo que mas me gustó es como en pocas historias se puede dar un recorrido entre los diferentes tipos de magos, hechiceros y brujos, todos teniendo varios elementos en común pero siendo tan diferentes como sus autores lo son. También me agradó la introducción, donde se menciona el papel que tienen este tipo de personajes y su magia en un mundo donde la tecnología parece magia suficiente.
Lo que mas me gustó es como en pocas historias se puede dar un recorrido entre los diferentes tipos de magos, hechiceros y brujos, todos teniendo varios elementos en común pero siendo tan diferentes como sus autores lo son. También me agradó la introducción, donde se menciona el papel que tienen este tipo de personajes y su magia en un mundo donde la tecnología parece magia suficiente.
June 18, 2011
Won this a a freereads here on Goodreads.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories by various well-known authors in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. The stories all center on magic in one way or another, though the way it is approached is different depending on the author. There are the classic wizards tales to more modern takes on magic. The stories span time periods from the past all the way to the distant future. Definitely a good read and recommended for those who enjoy fantasy.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories by various well-known authors in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. The stories all center on magic in one way or another, though the way it is approached is different depending on the author. There are the classic wizards tales to more modern takes on magic. The stories span time periods from the past all the way to the distant future. Definitely a good read and recommended for those who enjoy fantasy.
August 23, 2011
One of the best anthologies I've read in a long while. Great mix of classic wizard stories (like "In the Lost Lands by George RR Martin and "The Word of Unbinding" by Ursula K. LeGuin) along with a whole host of exciting new ones. Really liked "One Click Banishment" by Jeremiah Tolbett, "Street Wizard" by Simon R. Green,"The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria" by John R. Fultz, and "Wizards of Perfil" by Kelly Link. "Card Sharp" by Rajan Khanna had a neat system of magic as well.
December 2, 2021
No lo puedo recomendar para nada, se salvan muy poco relatos de esta selección nefasta (en mi opinión). Lo leí en el club de lectura de todoloqueleo, de no ser por el club hubiera abandonado esta lectura a mitad del libro.
June 3, 2018
Only read (listened to) Jonathan L. Howard's "The Ereshkigal Working", which was wonderful as all his Cabal works are.
July 19, 2016
I have little notes about each story. There was also a problem with the book itself that I will explain at the point in the stories that it happened.
In the Lost Lands by George R.R. Martin
I've never read this author before but after reading this story, I can see why people like him so much. There was a full emotional arc packed into a short story. It was excellent and I would definitely read him again.
Quote from the Story: "Those who dealt with Gray Alys did so at their own peril, it was said. Gray Alys did not refuse any of those who came to her, and she always got them what they wanted. Yet somehow, when all was done, those who dealt with Gray Alys were never happy with the things that she brought them, the things that they had wanted."
Family Tree by David Barr Kirtley
It was really good but the ending fell a little flat. I wanted more for Simon.
Quote from the Story: "Meredith stood then, turning to regard Simon. She was tall and grim and wrathful, her hair dancing on ethereal winds, arcs of lightning adorning her fingers, eyes full of a fiery hatred. Simon beheld those eyes and knew there could be no more pleading, no more chances. His dreams had died along with Malcolm."
This is where something bizarre happened. At page 52, partway through the story John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner, the pages turned into a completely different book, Delfina's Gold by Willard Thompson, which isn't a story from the book and actually isn't a short story at all. That continued until page 96 and then the book went back to the correct stories. The end result was that I didn't get the ending of John... or any of the stories Wizard's Apprentice, The Sorcerer Minus, and Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet.
Card Sharp by Rajan Khanna
Very entertaining with a good story arc.
Quote from the Story: "Quentin had played the Fool and luck had carried him through. Now was his time to make a new play. Now he would be the Magician."
So Deep That the Bottom Could Not Be Seen by Genevieve Valentine
The message was given in a lighthearted but powerful way. The ending was a little flat.
Quote from the Story: "The woman sat, amid a chorus of derisive laughter from the spellcasters. James said, "If they had to call their spells from the grass, they wouldn't be laughing." "If they had to call their spells from the grass," Anna said, "we'd still have grass.""
The Go-Slow by Nnedi Okorafor
There were a lot of elements thrown in for a short story. It was fine.
Quote from the Story: "It was amazing how slowly time moved in certain situations, especially ones of deep annoyance. Go-slows were like getting stuck in time warps."
Too Fatal a Poison by Krista Hoeppner Leahy
This one was very short even by short story standards. It had a cliffhanger ending - I hope he found happiness.
Quote from the Story: "Somewhere in the long middle of the war, there came a day when Odysseus ordered the two of us to collect all the eyes from the dead. We never talked about that day. But that was the day we became brothers."
Jamaica by Orson Scott Card
I got lost in the story. It had potential for more; I'd read a full length book about Jam and Gan.
Quote from the Story: ""The only way I'll ever get on the basketball court is if I'm already dead and they're using me for a freethrow line.""
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Robert Silverberg
The ending didn't feel like an ending. I was really into the story but then it just stopped; it's like he hit a max word count and said he was done.
Quote from the Story: "But he wanted to remain her, and so he would do whatever she asked of him, call her by whatever name she requested, and so forth, obeying her in all things. In this ugly, unfriendly city she was the one spot of brightness and warmth for him, regardless of the complexities of the situation."
The Secret of Calling Rabbits by Wendy N. Wagner
That was satisfying. I liked that story.
Quote from the Story: "An odd piece of him wanted to hide and watch her enjoy his disappearing act. But instinct and habit kept him running. Instinct, and a breeze carrying the graveyard smell of mandrake."
The Wizards of Perfil by Kelly Link
The premise was really intriguing but it felt longer than it actually was because I was bored.
Quote from the Story: ""There's a man who comes to the market today, who buys children for the wizards of Perfil. He pays good money and they say the children are treated well.""
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge by Neil Gaiman
This was really intriguing. Although the link to wizards is weak, this may be one of my favorites in the book. It reminded me of a 2 minute mystery.
Quote from the Story: "And there was silence in the Hall of the Lost Carnadine Rogues' Club. We were lost in contemplation of the brilliance of the man who sold the Ponti Bridge."
The Magician and the Maid and Other Stories by Christie Yant
I liked the back and forth between the story and "real life" but there was no twist for me because I was able to predict where it was going.
Quote from the Story: ""A real fairy tale. With wolves and witches, jealous parents, woodsmen charged with murdering the innocent. Tell me a story, Miles...tell me a story that is true.""
Winter Solstice by Mike Resnick
This story was a good length and I really liked it.
Quote from the Story: "Did I love her, the owner of this face? Will we bring joy and comfort to one another, will we produce sturdy, healthy children to comfort us in our old age? I don't know, because my old age has been spent, and hers is yet to come, and I have forgotten what she does not yet know."
The Trader and the Slave by Cinda Williams Chima
The main character is from the Heir series my daughter has recommended to me and based on this story, I'm looking forward to reading them.
Quote from the Story: "Life is a series of trades - a heartstone for an enchanter. New stories for old. Sin for redemption. The devil you knew for the one you didn't. Perhaps an ending for a new beginning."
Cerile and the Journeyer by Adam-Troy Castro
I loved this story!
Quote from the Story: "The journeyer was still a young man when he embarked on his search for the all-powerful witch Cerile. He was bent and gray-haired a lifetime later when he found a map to her home in the tomb of the forgotten kings."
Counting the Shapes by Yoon Ha Lee
Meh, it was okay. I'm not quite sure what happened but it was fine.
Quote from the Story: "A problem may have several solutions, but some solutions can still be wrong."
Endgame by Lev Grossman
It was good until the ending which was abrupt and not really an ending.
Quote from the Story: "Here they were, the winners of humanity's great historical lottery, living in the richest city in the world, in the richest period of human civilization ever, and they were trudging to work in a rat-infested cement cavern on their way to stare at computer screens for eight hours."
Street Wizard by Simon R. Green
I loved the main character and would read an entire series about him. It was an unique, interesting premise and he could have all sorts of adventures. I will read this author again.
Quote from the Story: "Someone has to watch their backs, to protect them from the dangers they don't even know are out there."
Mommy Issues of the Dead by T.A. Pratt
This has the best title of the book. I like his writing style and would like to read his series featuring this character.
Quote from the Story: "And to make matters worse, as Marla clung halfway down a muddy hillside in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, she couldn't stop thinking about her mother."
One-Click Banishment by Jeremiah Tolbert
Nope. This story was only 16 pages long but I had to put it down multiple times before finishing. The ending wasn't bad but there were so many twists and turns that it felt like a ripoff to have the whole thing explained through dialogue at the end.
Quote from the Story: "Yeah, the rumors are true. Big Mother caught me..."
The Ereshkigal Working by Jonathan L. Howard
The story was the perfect length and I liked how it ended with a witty line. It looks like this character is part of a series; I would definitely read about him again.
Quote from the Story: "This was not the first time a corpse had abruptly sat up on the mortuary slab and turned to face Johannes Cabal with murder in its eyes; it was, however, the first time one had done so without waiting to be formally reanimated."
Feeding the Feral Children by David Farland
Their actions throughout the story were a bit of a stretch but it was a good story.
Quote from the Story: "Every soul embodies both the yin and yang, he told himself. Each is balanced between darkness and light. I gave into the darkness for a moment, and now I must seek balance again."
The Orange-Tree Sacrifice by Vylar Kaftan
This 2 page story was the shortest of the bunch. Not a lot of time to form an opinion; it was fine.
Quote from the Story: "She was just alive enough for the pain to crush her thoughts."
Love is the Spell That Casts Out Fear by Desirina Boskovich
The alternating between wizardry and religion was too heavy. I almost didn't finish it in one sitting. Too much was left unanswered; I think I know what happened but it was pretty vague.
Quote from the Story: "A wizard's job is to untangle time, to retie the ropes. And to fight the danger they're facing now."
El Regalo by Peter S. Beagle
It took a long time to tell that story. The plot was decent but it was all details and then the big ending was summed up very quickly.
Quote from the Story: "Witch or no witch, he was still a small boy, with almost no real idea of what he was doing. He was winging it all, playing it all by ear."
The Word of Unbinding by Ursula K. Le Guin
This was a good quick story.
Quote from the Story: "It was up to him to protect the land."
The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria by John R. Fultz
It had a strong start but wrapped up so easily it seemed pointless.
Quote from the Story: "Alone in his bedroom, his feet tucked beneath the warm covers, he began to read about the One True World."
The Secret of the Blue Star by Marion Zimmer Bradley
It went a direction I didn't expect. The story was a little melodramatic but I would read her book about this character.
Quote from the Story: "Painfully, Lythande thought: If she had only loved me, without the spell; then I could have loved."
Find all my reviews at: http://readingatrandom.blogspot.com/
In the Lost Lands by George R.R. Martin
I've never read this author before but after reading this story, I can see why people like him so much. There was a full emotional arc packed into a short story. It was excellent and I would definitely read him again.
Quote from the Story: "Those who dealt with Gray Alys did so at their own peril, it was said. Gray Alys did not refuse any of those who came to her, and she always got them what they wanted. Yet somehow, when all was done, those who dealt with Gray Alys were never happy with the things that she brought them, the things that they had wanted."
Family Tree by David Barr Kirtley
It was really good but the ending fell a little flat. I wanted more for Simon.
Quote from the Story: "Meredith stood then, turning to regard Simon. She was tall and grim and wrathful, her hair dancing on ethereal winds, arcs of lightning adorning her fingers, eyes full of a fiery hatred. Simon beheld those eyes and knew there could be no more pleading, no more chances. His dreams had died along with Malcolm."
This is where something bizarre happened. At page 52, partway through the story John Uskglass and the Cumbrian Charcoal Burner, the pages turned into a completely different book, Delfina's Gold by Willard Thompson, which isn't a story from the book and actually isn't a short story at all. That continued until page 96 and then the book went back to the correct stories. The end result was that I didn't get the ending of John... or any of the stories Wizard's Apprentice, The Sorcerer Minus, and Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet.
Card Sharp by Rajan Khanna
Very entertaining with a good story arc.
Quote from the Story: "Quentin had played the Fool and luck had carried him through. Now was his time to make a new play. Now he would be the Magician."
So Deep That the Bottom Could Not Be Seen by Genevieve Valentine
The message was given in a lighthearted but powerful way. The ending was a little flat.
Quote from the Story: "The woman sat, amid a chorus of derisive laughter from the spellcasters. James said, "If they had to call their spells from the grass, they wouldn't be laughing." "If they had to call their spells from the grass," Anna said, "we'd still have grass.""
The Go-Slow by Nnedi Okorafor
There were a lot of elements thrown in for a short story. It was fine.
Quote from the Story: "It was amazing how slowly time moved in certain situations, especially ones of deep annoyance. Go-slows were like getting stuck in time warps."
Too Fatal a Poison by Krista Hoeppner Leahy
This one was very short even by short story standards. It had a cliffhanger ending - I hope he found happiness.
Quote from the Story: "Somewhere in the long middle of the war, there came a day when Odysseus ordered the two of us to collect all the eyes from the dead. We never talked about that day. But that was the day we became brothers."
Jamaica by Orson Scott Card
I got lost in the story. It had potential for more; I'd read a full length book about Jam and Gan.
Quote from the Story: ""The only way I'll ever get on the basketball court is if I'm already dead and they're using me for a freethrow line.""
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Robert Silverberg
The ending didn't feel like an ending. I was really into the story but then it just stopped; it's like he hit a max word count and said he was done.
Quote from the Story: "But he wanted to remain her, and so he would do whatever she asked of him, call her by whatever name she requested, and so forth, obeying her in all things. In this ugly, unfriendly city she was the one spot of brightness and warmth for him, regardless of the complexities of the situation."
The Secret of Calling Rabbits by Wendy N. Wagner
That was satisfying. I liked that story.
Quote from the Story: "An odd piece of him wanted to hide and watch her enjoy his disappearing act. But instinct and habit kept him running. Instinct, and a breeze carrying the graveyard smell of mandrake."
The Wizards of Perfil by Kelly Link
The premise was really intriguing but it felt longer than it actually was because I was bored.
Quote from the Story: ""There's a man who comes to the market today, who buys children for the wizards of Perfil. He pays good money and they say the children are treated well.""
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge by Neil Gaiman
This was really intriguing. Although the link to wizards is weak, this may be one of my favorites in the book. It reminded me of a 2 minute mystery.
Quote from the Story: "And there was silence in the Hall of the Lost Carnadine Rogues' Club. We were lost in contemplation of the brilliance of the man who sold the Ponti Bridge."
The Magician and the Maid and Other Stories by Christie Yant
I liked the back and forth between the story and "real life" but there was no twist for me because I was able to predict where it was going.
Quote from the Story: ""A real fairy tale. With wolves and witches, jealous parents, woodsmen charged with murdering the innocent. Tell me a story, Miles...tell me a story that is true.""
Winter Solstice by Mike Resnick
This story was a good length and I really liked it.
Quote from the Story: "Did I love her, the owner of this face? Will we bring joy and comfort to one another, will we produce sturdy, healthy children to comfort us in our old age? I don't know, because my old age has been spent, and hers is yet to come, and I have forgotten what she does not yet know."
The Trader and the Slave by Cinda Williams Chima
The main character is from the Heir series my daughter has recommended to me and based on this story, I'm looking forward to reading them.
Quote from the Story: "Life is a series of trades - a heartstone for an enchanter. New stories for old. Sin for redemption. The devil you knew for the one you didn't. Perhaps an ending for a new beginning."
Cerile and the Journeyer by Adam-Troy Castro
I loved this story!
Quote from the Story: "The journeyer was still a young man when he embarked on his search for the all-powerful witch Cerile. He was bent and gray-haired a lifetime later when he found a map to her home in the tomb of the forgotten kings."
Counting the Shapes by Yoon Ha Lee
Meh, it was okay. I'm not quite sure what happened but it was fine.
Quote from the Story: "A problem may have several solutions, but some solutions can still be wrong."
Endgame by Lev Grossman
It was good until the ending which was abrupt and not really an ending.
Quote from the Story: "Here they were, the winners of humanity's great historical lottery, living in the richest city in the world, in the richest period of human civilization ever, and they were trudging to work in a rat-infested cement cavern on their way to stare at computer screens for eight hours."
Street Wizard by Simon R. Green
I loved the main character and would read an entire series about him. It was an unique, interesting premise and he could have all sorts of adventures. I will read this author again.
Quote from the Story: "Someone has to watch their backs, to protect them from the dangers they don't even know are out there."
Mommy Issues of the Dead by T.A. Pratt
This has the best title of the book. I like his writing style and would like to read his series featuring this character.
Quote from the Story: "And to make matters worse, as Marla clung halfway down a muddy hillside in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, she couldn't stop thinking about her mother."
One-Click Banishment by Jeremiah Tolbert
Nope. This story was only 16 pages long but I had to put it down multiple times before finishing. The ending wasn't bad but there were so many twists and turns that it felt like a ripoff to have the whole thing explained through dialogue at the end.
Quote from the Story: "Yeah, the rumors are true. Big Mother caught me..."
The Ereshkigal Working by Jonathan L. Howard
The story was the perfect length and I liked how it ended with a witty line. It looks like this character is part of a series; I would definitely read about him again.
Quote from the Story: "This was not the first time a corpse had abruptly sat up on the mortuary slab and turned to face Johannes Cabal with murder in its eyes; it was, however, the first time one had done so without waiting to be formally reanimated."
Feeding the Feral Children by David Farland
Their actions throughout the story were a bit of a stretch but it was a good story.
Quote from the Story: "Every soul embodies both the yin and yang, he told himself. Each is balanced between darkness and light. I gave into the darkness for a moment, and now I must seek balance again."
The Orange-Tree Sacrifice by Vylar Kaftan
This 2 page story was the shortest of the bunch. Not a lot of time to form an opinion; it was fine.
Quote from the Story: "She was just alive enough for the pain to crush her thoughts."
Love is the Spell That Casts Out Fear by Desirina Boskovich
The alternating between wizardry and religion was too heavy. I almost didn't finish it in one sitting. Too much was left unanswered; I think I know what happened but it was pretty vague.
Quote from the Story: "A wizard's job is to untangle time, to retie the ropes. And to fight the danger they're facing now."
El Regalo by Peter S. Beagle
It took a long time to tell that story. The plot was decent but it was all details and then the big ending was summed up very quickly.
Quote from the Story: "Witch or no witch, he was still a small boy, with almost no real idea of what he was doing. He was winging it all, playing it all by ear."
The Word of Unbinding by Ursula K. Le Guin
This was a good quick story.
Quote from the Story: "It was up to him to protect the land."
The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria by John R. Fultz
It had a strong start but wrapped up so easily it seemed pointless.
Quote from the Story: "Alone in his bedroom, his feet tucked beneath the warm covers, he began to read about the One True World."
The Secret of the Blue Star by Marion Zimmer Bradley
It went a direction I didn't expect. The story was a little melodramatic but I would read her book about this character.
Quote from the Story: "Painfully, Lythande thought: If she had only loved me, without the spell; then I could have loved."
Find all my reviews at: http://readingatrandom.blogspot.com/
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