jenc5309's review against another edition
3.0
I got this for the Gaiman/Martin stories, but I enjoyed quite a few of the rest. There is a good one from Gillian Flynn.
fae_t's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
fortunesdear's review against another edition
3.0
- Tough Times All Over by Joe Abercrombie (a Red Country story) *3/5
- What Do You Do? (aka The Grownup) by Gillian Flynn *4/5
- The Inn of the Seven Blessings by Matthew Hughes *2/5
- Bent Twig by Joe R. Lansdale (a Hap and Leonard story) *3/5
- Tawny Petticoats by Michael Swanwick *3/5
- Provenance by David Ball *2/5
- The Roaring Twenties by Carrie Vaughn *3/5
- A Year and a Day in Old Theradane by Scott Lynch *3.5/5
- Bad Brass by Bradley Denton *2/5
- Heavy Metal by Cherie Priest *4/5
- The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham *4/5
- A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell (a Jonathan Hamilton story) *2/5
- Ill Seen in Tyre by Steven Saylor *2/5
- A Cargo of Ivories by Garth Nix (a Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz story) *2/5
- Diamonds From Tequila by Walter Jon Williams (a Dagmar story) *4/5
- The Caravan to Nowhere by Phyllis Eisenstein (a Tales of Alaric the Minstrel story) *4/5
- The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives by Lisa Tuttle *4/5
- How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman (a Neverwhere story) *3.5/5
- Now Showing by Connie Willis *3/5
- The Lightning Tree by Patrick Rothfuss (a Kingkiller Chronicle story) *4/5
- The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother by George R.R. Martin (a Song of Ice and Fire story) *5/5
- What Do You Do? (aka The Grownup) by Gillian Flynn *4/5
- The Inn of the Seven Blessings by Matthew Hughes *2/5
- Bent Twig by Joe R. Lansdale (a Hap and Leonard story) *3/5
- Tawny Petticoats by Michael Swanwick *3/5
- Provenance by David Ball *2/5
- The Roaring Twenties by Carrie Vaughn *3/5
- A Year and a Day in Old Theradane by Scott Lynch *3.5/5
- Bad Brass by Bradley Denton *2/5
- Heavy Metal by Cherie Priest *4/5
- The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham *4/5
- A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell (a Jonathan Hamilton story) *2/5
- Ill Seen in Tyre by Steven Saylor *2/5
- A Cargo of Ivories by Garth Nix (a Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz story) *2/5
- Diamonds From Tequila by Walter Jon Williams (a Dagmar story) *4/5
- The Caravan to Nowhere by Phyllis Eisenstein (a Tales of Alaric the Minstrel story) *4/5
- The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives by Lisa Tuttle *4/5
- How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman (a Neverwhere story) *3.5/5
- Now Showing by Connie Willis *3/5
- The Lightning Tree by Patrick Rothfuss (a Kingkiller Chronicle story) *4/5
- The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother by George R.R. Martin (a Song of Ice and Fire story) *5/5
amera314's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is a short story anthology featuring 21 original stories from authors such as Gillian Flynn, George RR Martin, and Joe Abercrombie. When I first picked this up I thought it was mostly fantasy but it is quite a wide range of genres. There are a few stories that stood out to me:
Tough Times Over All by Joe Abercrombie - So so interesting! Abercrombie made you interested in every character that crossed paths with the package even if they only had it for a few minutes. What a great way to start the book. This story was five stars for me!
What Do You Do? by Gillian Flynn - Kept my attention the entire time even if I anticipated a fantasy realm. I always enjoy a good twist at the end of stories and Flynn is always great at that. Four stars.
The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham - Somehow Abraham built up this world in such a short story. This follows a girl who lives in a lawless city and several of her exploits. I always love a creative and witty character. I would love a full length novel following this world. 4.5 stars!
The Lightning Tree by Patrick Rothfuss - While I don't care for the author as a person, his writing skills cannot be denied. This story follows a side character from his main series. Bast is such a great character and I love how everything he did throughout the day came back together at the end. Five stars!
Tough Times Over All by Joe Abercrombie - So so interesting! Abercrombie made you interested in every character that crossed paths with the package even if they only had it for a few minutes. What a great way to start the book. This story was five stars for me!
What Do You Do? by Gillian Flynn - Kept my attention the entire time even if I anticipated a fantasy realm. I always enjoy a good twist at the end of stories and Flynn is always great at that. Four stars.
The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham - Somehow Abraham built up this world in such a short story. This follows a girl who lives in a lawless city and several of her exploits. I always love a creative and witty character. I would love a full length novel following this world. 4.5 stars!
The Lightning Tree by Patrick Rothfuss - While I don't care for the author as a person, his writing skills cannot be denied. This story follows a side character from his main series. Bast is such a great character and I love how everything he did throughout the day came back together at the end. Five stars!
danburn's review against another edition
4.0
This is a collection of short stories about various rogues written by a range of writers, with the notable selling point of containing a World of Ice and Fire historical novel. But it's far from filler - there are some great stories in here. Joe Abercrombie's Tough Times All Over is a whirlwind adventure following a package that is stolen by one rogue after another, and would make a great movie. Carrie Vaughn's "The Roaring Twenties" is a great episode, and made me want to read more of these characters' exploits. George R. R. Martin's The Rogue Prince is written as a history text, and so is rather dry, but adds more interesting depth to the world of A Game of Thrones. I don't think there were any stories in the rather weighty tome that I'd suggest skipping - it's a very solid anthology.
brynebo's review against another edition
3.0
Overall I really only liked a few but I am excited to read more by the authors of the stories I did like. They are… Joe Ambercrombie, Matthew Hughes and Scott Lynch.
The stories by Gaiman and Rothfuss were, not surprisingly, well worth the read; they only reason they are not included in my statement above is that they are not new to me.
The Rogues anthology contains following stories:
- “Tough Times All Over” by Joe Abercrombie - A Red Country story
[Bryn] fantastic characters; the story was a bit overly cyclical - I would definitely try this author again
- “What Do You Do?” by Gillian Flynn
[Bryn] well written but as with Gone Girl I didn't like any of the characters, which means I can't love the story - it's just the way I'm wired. Also not a fan of horror, even in this PG form. I think its time to write Ms. Flynn out of my repertoire.
- “The Inn of the Seven Blessings” by Matthew Hughes
[Bryn] classic fairytale meets mythology - good character development and well written - this author deserves further exploration
- “Bent Twig” by Joe R. Lansdale - A Hap and Leonard story
[Bryn] dark subject and slow to start. Pass.
- “Tawny Petticoats” by Michael Swanwick
[Bryn] Zombies. A nonstarter. Pass again.
- “Provenance” by David Ball
[Bryn] got lost in the descriptives, perhaps unique to listening versus reading - but also not an art lover so this was not immediately engaging for me
- “The Roaring Twenties” by Carrie Vaughn
[Bryn] the narrator of this story had an this strange breathy but clipped voice - I persevered because the characters were interesting. But the story didn't do much for me. Probably not a repeat without further recommendation.
- “A Year and a Day in Old Theradane” by Scott Lynch
[Bryn] Hands down favorite so far! Smart, funny female lead with kick-ass friends. Loved it!
- “Bad Brass” by Bradley Denton
[Bryn] Not into it. Not likely a future avenue of exploration.
- “Heavy Metal” by Cherie Priest
[Bryn]. Too dark and slow. Skip.
- “The Meaning of Love” by Daniel Abraham
[Bryn] Asa has potential to be a good character but again too slow and medieval
- “A Better Way to Die” by Paul Cornell - A Jonathan Hamilton story
[Bryn]. Too old world. Skip.
- “Ill Seen in Tyre” by Steven Saylor
[Bryn] too slow and lacking in character development
- “A Cargo of Ivories” by Garth Nix - A Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz story
[Bryn] An animate puppet. Um, no.
- “Diamonds From Tequila” by Walter Jon Williams - A Dagmar story
[Bryn] Drugs. More drugs. I seem to be getting pickier, or perhaps the quality of this compendium is taking a dive.
- “The Caravan to Nowhere” by Phyllis Eisenstein - A Tales of Alaric the Minstrel story
[Bryn] Finally one I listened to all the way through. Not my favorite though. And the ending wasn't much of an ending.
- “The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives” by Lisa Tuttle
[Bryn] A dead but not dead girl. Just not into it.
- “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back” by Neil Gaiman - A Neverwhere story
[Bryn] Gaiman knows his stuff. His character development is awesome. Imagination fierce. Storytelling lyrical. I'm not always a fan of his choices - I like my stories a bit lighter - but I can appreciate why he is one of the best.
- “Now Showing” by Connie Willis
[Bryn] I almost dismissed this due to the teen drama, but the character development pulled me in.
- “The Lightning Tree” by Patrick Rothfuss - A Kingkiller Chronicle story
- “The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother” by George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire story
The stories by Gaiman and Rothfuss were, not surprisingly, well worth the read; they only reason they are not included in my statement above is that they are not new to me.
The Rogues anthology contains following stories:
- “Tough Times All Over” by Joe Abercrombie - A Red Country story
[Bryn] fantastic characters; the story was a bit overly cyclical - I would definitely try this author again
- “What Do You Do?” by Gillian Flynn
[Bryn] well written but as with Gone Girl I didn't like any of the characters, which means I can't love the story - it's just the way I'm wired. Also not a fan of horror, even in this PG form. I think its time to write Ms. Flynn out of my repertoire.
- “The Inn of the Seven Blessings” by Matthew Hughes
[Bryn] classic fairytale meets mythology - good character development and well written - this author deserves further exploration
- “Bent Twig” by Joe R. Lansdale - A Hap and Leonard story
[Bryn] dark subject and slow to start. Pass.
- “Tawny Petticoats” by Michael Swanwick
[Bryn] Zombies. A nonstarter. Pass again.
- “Provenance” by David Ball
[Bryn] got lost in the descriptives, perhaps unique to listening versus reading - but also not an art lover so this was not immediately engaging for me
- “The Roaring Twenties” by Carrie Vaughn
[Bryn] the narrator of this story had an this strange breathy but clipped voice - I persevered because the characters were interesting. But the story didn't do much for me. Probably not a repeat without further recommendation.
- “A Year and a Day in Old Theradane” by Scott Lynch
[Bryn] Hands down favorite so far! Smart, funny female lead with kick-ass friends. Loved it!
- “Bad Brass” by Bradley Denton
[Bryn] Not into it. Not likely a future avenue of exploration.
- “Heavy Metal” by Cherie Priest
[Bryn]. Too dark and slow. Skip.
- “The Meaning of Love” by Daniel Abraham
[Bryn] Asa has potential to be a good character but again too slow and medieval
- “A Better Way to Die” by Paul Cornell - A Jonathan Hamilton story
[Bryn]. Too old world. Skip.
- “Ill Seen in Tyre” by Steven Saylor
[Bryn] too slow and lacking in character development
- “A Cargo of Ivories” by Garth Nix - A Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz story
[Bryn] An animate puppet. Um, no.
- “Diamonds From Tequila” by Walter Jon Williams - A Dagmar story
[Bryn] Drugs. More drugs. I seem to be getting pickier, or perhaps the quality of this compendium is taking a dive.
- “The Caravan to Nowhere” by Phyllis Eisenstein - A Tales of Alaric the Minstrel story
[Bryn] Finally one I listened to all the way through. Not my favorite though. And the ending wasn't much of an ending.
- “The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives” by Lisa Tuttle
[Bryn] A dead but not dead girl. Just not into it.
- “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back” by Neil Gaiman - A Neverwhere story
[Bryn] Gaiman knows his stuff. His character development is awesome. Imagination fierce. Storytelling lyrical. I'm not always a fan of his choices - I like my stories a bit lighter - but I can appreciate why he is one of the best.
- “Now Showing” by Connie Willis
[Bryn] I almost dismissed this due to the teen drama, but the character development pulled me in.
- “The Lightning Tree” by Patrick Rothfuss - A Kingkiller Chronicle story
- “The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother” by George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire story
carolinethereader's review against another edition
3.0
QUITE a good book overall. A few excellent stories and a few not so much. Individual ratings and thoughts down below.
Tough Times All Over by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5/5 stars
First time reading a story by this author and I really enjoyed it! We follow a package as it changes hands many, many times. The perspective shifts and follows the package. I enjoyed that we got to see each characters motivations in such a short story and it was a bit of fun.
What Would You Do? by Gillian Flynn - 4/5 stars
An enjoyable story about a 'spiritual cleansing' of a woman's house where the woman doing the cleansing is in well over her head. The tension was held really well but the ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
The Inn of Seven Blessings by Matt Hughes - 3/5 stars
Pretty entertaining story. I didn't mind it and the concept was fun. The narrator kind of annoyed me because every time he saw the female lead there would be an observational comment about her breasts which is never great.
Bent Twig by Joe R. Lansdale - 3/5 stars
I didn't mind this story but in the grand scheme of the book it kinda faded into the background. I was also really confused about when this story was occuring; it is mentioned that the characters use cell phones but also that a black man almost wasn't let into an inn. Was a little odd.
Tawny Petticoats by Michael Swanwick - 3.5/5 stars
This was a really fun story! Loved the dynamic of the characters and the badass female character. Some real cool elements to the story that intrigued me even though they were a little weird.
Provenance by David W. Ball - DNF at 10%
Started this and within ten minutes I was bored near to death. Just not the story for me.
The Roaring Twenties by Carrie Vaughn - 4/5 stars
Great story, lovely and strong characters. Amazing setting that I would love to know more about because it was a great foundation for a wider story.
A Year and a Day in Old Theradane by Scott Lynch - 5/5 stars
Scott Lynch is excellent! Loved seeing him write a story setting with so much magic in it, lots of fun. Characters were well developed and had a wonderful dynamic. Would definitely do back and read this again.
Bad Brass by Bradley Denton - DNF at 55%
I listened to a fair bit of this story but found the main character really difficult to care about. He's very "I'm a cool teacher" and "Look at these kids on their cell phones, I can outsmart them. Granted I don't know how the story ends so maybe they outsmart him but it was very grating having the main character be so...eugh. This is also the longest story in the collection and it really isn't worth it.
Heavy Metal by Cherie Priest - 3.5/5 stars
For a quite simple story about a monster hunter doing some work in a small town, this was very entertaining. Some powerful passages. Nothing special but still good.
The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham - 3.5 stars
A prince is in hiding and falls in love with a young woman about to be sold as a slave. I didn't mind this story. There were some good characters and the shenanigans were a lot of fun.
A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell - ???
I have nothing written down for this one in my notes? I literally can't remember it so I have no idea if it was a DNF or if I made it to the end, sorry y'all.
Ill Seen in Tyre by Steven Saylor - 3/5 stars
Very funny story. I don't think it's particularly remarkable but it was entertaining enough while I listened.
A Cargo of Ivories by Garth Nix - 3/5 stars
Great action scenes, lots of tension and the characters were cool. Annoying repetition of certain phrases was a little frustrating once I noticed it.
Diamonds from Tequila by Walter Jon Williams - 1/5 stars
Hated it. Insufferable main character and underdeveloped characters. Wish I gave up instead of toughing it out.
The Caravan to Nowhere by Phyllis Eisenstein - 4/5 stars
A journey through sand dunes to a mysterious place for some mysterious goods. I enjoy simpler stories with good characters and this was definitely one.
The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives by Lisa Tuttle - 3.5/5 stars
Excited to have finally read something by Lisa Tuttle! Liked this one because it had such a Sherlock Holmes vibe (but interestingly took place in a world where the Sherlock Holmes books also exist). A bit of an obvious mystery and conclusion but I still had a good time reading it.
How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman - 4.5/5 stars
This was great! Loved the main character and the world. Didn't love the accent the narrator did for the Marquis (kinda terrible French accent) but still overall great.
Now Showing by Connie Willis - 2.5/5 stars
Quite a cool concept to have a mega cinema complex. Didn't love the amount of movie references because it became kind of exhausting and it was so much of the dialogue between characters.
The Lightning Tree by Patrick Rothfuss - 5/5 stars
AMAZING! Would read his shopping list. Loved reading about Bast and a day in his life, he's such a fascinating character from The Name of the Wind. Beautifully written.
The Rogue Prince by George R.R. Martin - 5/5 stars
Loved it! Narrated by Iain Glenn (Ser Jorah) which was an excellent choice. It's a great piece of history from a clever and well developed world. Great read.
Tough Times All Over by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5/5 stars
First time reading a story by this author and I really enjoyed it! We follow a package as it changes hands many, many times. The perspective shifts and follows the package. I enjoyed that we got to see each characters motivations in such a short story and it was a bit of fun.
What Would You Do? by Gillian Flynn - 4/5 stars
An enjoyable story about a 'spiritual cleansing' of a woman's house where the woman doing the cleansing is in well over her head. The tension was held really well but the ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
The Inn of Seven Blessings by Matt Hughes - 3/5 stars
Pretty entertaining story. I didn't mind it and the concept was fun. The narrator kind of annoyed me because every time he saw the female lead there would be an observational comment about her breasts which is never great.
Bent Twig by Joe R. Lansdale - 3/5 stars
I didn't mind this story but in the grand scheme of the book it kinda faded into the background. I was also really confused about when this story was occuring; it is mentioned that the characters use cell phones but also that a black man almost wasn't let into an inn. Was a little odd.
Tawny Petticoats by Michael Swanwick - 3.5/5 stars
This was a really fun story! Loved the dynamic of the characters and the badass female character. Some real cool elements to the story that intrigued me even though they were a little weird.
Provenance by David W. Ball - DNF at 10%
Started this and within ten minutes I was bored near to death. Just not the story for me.
The Roaring Twenties by Carrie Vaughn - 4/5 stars
Great story, lovely and strong characters. Amazing setting that I would love to know more about because it was a great foundation for a wider story.
A Year and a Day in Old Theradane by Scott Lynch - 5/5 stars
Scott Lynch is excellent! Loved seeing him write a story setting with so much magic in it, lots of fun. Characters were well developed and had a wonderful dynamic. Would definitely do back and read this again.
Bad Brass by Bradley Denton - DNF at 55%
I listened to a fair bit of this story but found the main character really difficult to care about. He's very "I'm a cool teacher" and "Look at these kids on their cell phones, I can outsmart them. Granted I don't know how the story ends so maybe they outsmart him but it was very grating having the main character be so...eugh. This is also the longest story in the collection and it really isn't worth it.
Heavy Metal by Cherie Priest - 3.5/5 stars
For a quite simple story about a monster hunter doing some work in a small town, this was very entertaining. Some powerful passages. Nothing special but still good.
The Meaning of Love by Daniel Abraham - 3.5 stars
A prince is in hiding and falls in love with a young woman about to be sold as a slave. I didn't mind this story. There were some good characters and the shenanigans were a lot of fun.
A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell - ???
I have nothing written down for this one in my notes? I literally can't remember it so I have no idea if it was a DNF or if I made it to the end, sorry y'all.
Ill Seen in Tyre by Steven Saylor - 3/5 stars
Very funny story. I don't think it's particularly remarkable but it was entertaining enough while I listened.
A Cargo of Ivories by Garth Nix - 3/5 stars
Great action scenes, lots of tension and the characters were cool. Annoying repetition of certain phrases was a little frustrating once I noticed it.
Diamonds from Tequila by Walter Jon Williams - 1/5 stars
Hated it. Insufferable main character and underdeveloped characters. Wish I gave up instead of toughing it out.
The Caravan to Nowhere by Phyllis Eisenstein - 4/5 stars
A journey through sand dunes to a mysterious place for some mysterious goods. I enjoy simpler stories with good characters and this was definitely one.
The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives by Lisa Tuttle - 3.5/5 stars
Excited to have finally read something by Lisa Tuttle! Liked this one because it had such a Sherlock Holmes vibe (but interestingly took place in a world where the Sherlock Holmes books also exist). A bit of an obvious mystery and conclusion but I still had a good time reading it.
How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman - 4.5/5 stars
This was great! Loved the main character and the world. Didn't love the accent the narrator did for the Marquis (kinda terrible French accent) but still overall great.
Now Showing by Connie Willis - 2.5/5 stars
Quite a cool concept to have a mega cinema complex. Didn't love the amount of movie references because it became kind of exhausting and it was so much of the dialogue between characters.
The Lightning Tree by Patrick Rothfuss - 5/5 stars
AMAZING! Would read his shopping list. Loved reading about Bast and a day in his life, he's such a fascinating character from The Name of the Wind. Beautifully written.
The Rogue Prince by George R.R. Martin - 5/5 stars
Loved it! Narrated by Iain Glenn (Ser Jorah) which was an excellent choice. It's a great piece of history from a clever and well developed world. Great read.
jcovey's review against another edition
3.0
Solid mix of stories. When I pick up a collection like this, it's usually because there's one or two stories I'm picking it up for, and this time there were three:
As a big Neverwhere fan, How the Marquis Got His Coat Back was the reason I bought this collection, and it did not disappoint.
The Lightning Tree is the first Rothfus I've read, and I was very curious to get a taste. Very cozy, very sexy, can see why he's so popular.
And the big draw, The Rogue Prince. To be honest this was slightly disappointing, but only because it very much reads like a short bit from a larger history, which I believe it is, but it's as sharp and clever and engrossing as any bit of Westeros.
But while those may have been why I started the book, the hope is always to discover something new and exciting that wasn't on my radar at all, and to my delight this book once again delivered with another trio of stories:
First was the energetic and delightful fantasy heist, A Year and a Day in Old Theradane by Scott Lynch. This was my first taste of the Gentleman Bastard series, but it won't be my last.
Second was A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell. A melancholic and psychedelic spy yarn, part of the Jonathan Hamilton short story sequence. Apparently these have just been collected into one book. Good timing.
Lastly was Caravan to Nowhere, part of the Alaric the Minstrel series, by Phyllis Eisenstein. A straightforward and earnest story in the classical fantasy mode, but captures perfectly all that makes the classical mode so enchanting. The romance of adventure, of the wonder of what's over the horizon.
Additional shout outs to Ill Seen in Tyre by Steven Saylor, a lovely ode to two classic heroes of the genre, Diamonds From Tequila by Walter Jon Williams, a charmingly oddball thriller in the vein of the sun-drenched neo-noirs of the 90s (a la Miami Blues), and Gillian Flynn's dark and twisty What Do You Do?
As a big Neverwhere fan, How the Marquis Got His Coat Back was the reason I bought this collection, and it did not disappoint.
The Lightning Tree is the first Rothfus I've read, and I was very curious to get a taste. Very cozy, very sexy, can see why he's so popular.
And the big draw, The Rogue Prince. To be honest this was slightly disappointing, but only because it very much reads like a short bit from a larger history, which I believe it is, but it's as sharp and clever and engrossing as any bit of Westeros.
But while those may have been why I started the book, the hope is always to discover something new and exciting that wasn't on my radar at all, and to my delight this book once again delivered with another trio of stories:
First was the energetic and delightful fantasy heist, A Year and a Day in Old Theradane by Scott Lynch. This was my first taste of the Gentleman Bastard series, but it won't be my last.
Second was A Better Way to Die by Paul Cornell. A melancholic and psychedelic spy yarn, part of the Jonathan Hamilton short story sequence. Apparently these have just been collected into one book. Good timing.
Lastly was Caravan to Nowhere, part of the Alaric the Minstrel series, by Phyllis Eisenstein. A straightforward and earnest story in the classical fantasy mode, but captures perfectly all that makes the classical mode so enchanting. The romance of adventure, of the wonder of what's over the horizon.
Additional shout outs to Ill Seen in Tyre by Steven Saylor, a lovely ode to two classic heroes of the genre, Diamonds From Tequila by Walter Jon Williams, a charmingly oddball thriller in the vein of the sun-drenched neo-noirs of the 90s (a la Miami Blues), and Gillian Flynn's dark and twisty What Do You Do?
toeffy's review against another edition
4.0
A really good anthology! I've reviewed each story individually below, but the book itself deserves a couple words as well.
On the positive side, the overall theme was great, just as the introduction says "Who doesn't love a rogue?" The stories selected were all high in writing quality and of several genres (incl. fantasy, thriller, detective stories, etc.)
On the negative side, fantasy dominated heavily and I'd really wished for more genre diversity. Also, the authors' introductions were mostly long lists of awards and nominations, naming pretty much every book and story they've ever published. I'd really have preferred a short selection of best known works (especially since most of the author's were new to me) and maybe a few personal words by the authors themselves.
Overall, I really recommend this book, although people who don't like fantasy will have a hard time with most of the stories.
Below are short and highly subjective (!) individual reviews for each story (spoiler free).
***
Joe Abercrombie - Tough Times All Over
I was very excited for this one, because I've heard a lot about Joe Abercrombie and wanted to read him for a while now. Unfortunately, his story didn't grip me. Technically it was flawless - the POV shifts, the excellent characterizations, the atmosphere and intrigue. I felt that the story had everything to be great, but... wasn't. Personally, I blame it on too many "gritty fantasy" tropes: the friendly debt-collector with hidden talents, the sleazy child molester without redeeming qualities, the physically strong and sexual demanding woman, the mandatory lesbian couple,...
3/5
***
Gillian Flynn - What Do You Do?
Came in without any expectations and was deeply impressed. Awesome narrative, specks of humour and sarcasm, great characterizations - the author got me hooked. Then it got suspenseful and creepy, and I found that I couldn't put it down despite of being pretty unnerved (I'm a wuss, objectively it's really not that scary). It was over pretty quick, the ending twisted and twisted again - in retrospect, if you've seen/read Gone Girl you'll probably know what to expect. Still, for me it was a nice surprise and a great read altogether.
5/5
***
Matthew Hughes - Inn of the seven blessings
A nice and entertaining story with well-developed characters and a twist. I would've given it 4 stars, but I absolutely hate the "brutal fairytale à la Jack Vance" writing style. Not as bad as Vance himself, but still very annoying for my taste.
3/5
***
Joe R. Lansdale - Bent Twig
A gritty and very American detective story with a touch of noir. A bit drawn out at times, but really nice overall.
3/5
***
Michael Swanwick - Tawny Petticoats
I loved it! The world was refreshingly original, the tone delightfully humorous, and the characters charmingly wicked. It has been a very entertaining and pleasant read. I should check out the author's other works some day.
5/5
***
David W. Ball - Provenance
Quite the surprise of a story! For the first quarter of it I was rather bored and occasionally drifting off while reading. The style reminded me of Dan Brown's works and I fully expected some religious conspiracies to be uncovered by a quirky art and/or history enthusiast - which is not an inherently bad genre, but somewhat predictable. But the historical flashbacks along with a bit of art history pulled me in and halfway through the story I was fully engaged and genuinely interested in the final twist (because there's always a twist in these stories.)
4/5
***
Carrie Vaughn - Roaring Twenties
Mixed feelings about this one. The world, the characters, and the atmosphere were convincing and intriguing. I loved the touch of magic in an otherwise real-world setting. But overall it felt lacking something. Maybe the pacing was off, I can't really put a finger on it. The story felt out of context, like a slow, vague chapter of a longer novel. If there was a longer novel, I'd love to read it, but on it's own this story didn't quite deliver.
3/5
***
Scott Lynch - A Year and a Day in Old Theradane
Ooh, I loved this one! A great piece of fantasy with an interesting world, fleshed-out characters, and the overall light and humorous tone. I really enjoyed the writing style and that the story doesn't take itself too seriously. I guess, I now understand the hype around the Gentleman Bastard series and will have to check it out some day.
5/5
***
Bradley Denton - Bad Brass
Another great one! It started off rather grim and hinted at drug deals gone awry, but then took a twist towards weird comedy (which is a huge improvement in my eyes). The story was an easy and entertaining read. I especially loved the protagonist, who had a mostly narrating and observing role for many things that happened, and overall acted very human and relatable.
5/5
***
Cherie Priest - Heavy Metal
Somehow, I just couldn't connect with this one. I've found the writing style lacking, it was not a smooth read, I was constantly distracted by minor details. Also, the protagonist's modus operandi appeared superficial and generic, mainly because his thought process was not described and the whole finale felt like a lucky guess with a touch of deus ex machina.
2/5
***
Daniel Abraham - Meaning of Love
Another one I didn't like, although with this story it wasn't the writing (which was decent). I guess, I'm just really really tired of dark and gritty fantasy with its vivid descriptions of dirt, gore, and violence. Also, the characters annoyed me - one of them for being a spoiled whiny brat and the other for tolerating that behaviour.
3/5
***
Paul Cornell - A Better Way to Die
Nope, not my cup of tea. While the idea of 19th century Britain with advanced technologies and parallel worlds was fresh and exciting, I absolutely couldn't handle the writing style. It has been an exasperating and exhausting read with too long sentences, far too many pompous words, and a stream-of-consciousness-like inner monologue of the protagonist. The action did fortunately pick up towards the end, otherwise this really would have been just 1 star.
2/5
***
Steven Saylor - Ill Seen in Tyre
A nice one. The historical digressions were interesting, the characters well written. About halfway through it was pretty obvious where the story was going, but still overall it has been an entertaining read. I can imagine, that history enthusiasts and/or Fafhrd and Gray Mouser fans could enjoy it more than I did ('cause I'm neither).
3/5
***
Garth Nix - A Cargo of Ivories
Once again, a nice and entertaining piece of fantasy with well-written action scenes, an interesting magic system, and a curious world. Something lacked though, but I can't put a finger on it. Maybe the characters were a tad generic, maybe the overall plot somewhat simple - overall still quite nice, though.
3/5
***
Walter Jon Williams - Diamonds from Tequila
I loved the first two thirds of the story with its great narrative, interesting movie-making details, a charismatic jerk of a protagonist, the promising build-up. But in the end it kinda didn't deliver. The protagonist's solution of walking up to the bad guy and telling him to stop seemed too idealistic - especially since he pulled it off twice. Also the running joke of the protagonist looking 'intimidating' got quite repetitive by the end.
4/5
***
Phyllis Eisenstein - The Caravan to Nowhere
A beautiful tale! I loved everything about it: the believably used superpower, the charismatic characters (the protagonist is not a rogue though), the bittersweet ending. A truly beautiful piece of fantasy. I hope I'll get around to read the other Alaric novels some day.
5/5
***
Lisa Tuttle - The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives
Although a great mystery tale altogether, the ending was somewhat disappointing in its vagueness. The suspense, the slow build-up, the supernatural allusions - all to end up being a criticism on patriarchal polygamy? Meh.. The rest was really great though.
4/5
***
Neil Gaiman - How the Marquis Got His Coat Back
Well... There is this genre I call "grotesque fairytale", best example of which would be pretty much any Tim Burton movie, and this short story fits that style quite well. Unfortunately I absolutely hate the genre, I find it as repulsive and disgusting as a medieval circus with its grotesque freakshows. Therefore, while no doubt of very high writing quality (and this is the only reason for the 2nd star), this story was not my cup of tea at all. Too bad, I was really looking forward to it. I hope I'll like Gaiman's other works better.
2/5
***
Connie Willis - Now Showing
A brilliant piece! It's set in a not-so-distant and creepily believable future, has lots and lots of cinematic references, a charmingly stubborn protagonist, a nice romantic plot, and a how-do-you-think-it-really-was-type ending (which can be frustrating, but in this story it felt natural to leave some things open for the reader). I loved it and I'm definitely checking out the author's other works!
5/5
***
Patrick Rothfuss - The Lightning Tree
I haven't read Kingkiller Chronicles (because I want ASOIAF to be my only mistake of reading an unfinished series EVER), so I was very excited to get a glimpse of Rothfuss' much acclaimed writing. It was great, really. It's one of the longer stories in the book and not even packed with action, but so very full of life. A day in the life of a village, with its inhabitants and rumours and little secrets and children... So sweet and positive, in contrast to all the gritty, brutal fantasy out there (guess I really need to switch genres for a while). I loved it. I really hope the series will be completed some day.
5/5
***
George R. R. Martin - The Rogue Prince, or, A King's Brother
Hmm, not really what I expected and rather disappointing. It didn't feel like a story, even, more like a Wikipedia article on some medieval dynasty. Names and more names, dates and titles, a war here, a betrayal there, and lots and lots of court intrigue. Even though I am familiar with ASOIAF and usually able to follow complex plot lines, keeping track of by the end about 9 similar Targaryen children's names was a bit much. And the rather dry and matter-of-fact narrative, overall just a tad more emotional than a history book, didn't make it any better. I can't even say I didn't like it, it just didn't feel like a story at all. If I wanted to read up some ASOIAF lore, I'd have done so on a designated wiki page. And now I'm confused about how to rate it, because a bad rating feels just as unjustified as a good one. Therefore no rating from me, since it was not a short story to begin with.
-/-
On the positive side, the overall theme was great, just as the introduction says "Who doesn't love a rogue?" The stories selected were all high in writing quality and of several genres (incl. fantasy, thriller, detective stories, etc.)
On the negative side, fantasy dominated heavily and I'd really wished for more genre diversity. Also, the authors' introductions were mostly long lists of awards and nominations, naming pretty much every book and story they've ever published. I'd really have preferred a short selection of best known works (especially since most of the author's were new to me) and maybe a few personal words by the authors themselves.
Overall, I really recommend this book, although people who don't like fantasy will have a hard time with most of the stories.
Below are short and highly subjective (!) individual reviews for each story (spoiler free).
***
Joe Abercrombie - Tough Times All Over
I was very excited for this one, because I've heard a lot about Joe Abercrombie and wanted to read him for a while now. Unfortunately, his story didn't grip me. Technically it was flawless - the POV shifts, the excellent characterizations, the atmosphere and intrigue. I felt that the story had everything to be great, but... wasn't. Personally, I blame it on too many "gritty fantasy" tropes: the friendly debt-collector with hidden talents, the sleazy child molester without redeeming qualities, the physically strong and sexual demanding woman, the mandatory lesbian couple,...
3/5
***
Gillian Flynn - What Do You Do?
Came in without any expectations and was deeply impressed. Awesome narrative, specks of humour and sarcasm, great characterizations - the author got me hooked. Then it got suspenseful and creepy, and I found that I couldn't put it down despite of being pretty unnerved (I'm a wuss, objectively it's really not that scary). It was over pretty quick, the ending twisted and twisted again - in retrospect, if you've seen/read Gone Girl you'll probably know what to expect. Still, for me it was a nice surprise and a great read altogether.
5/5
***
Matthew Hughes - Inn of the seven blessings
A nice and entertaining story with well-developed characters and a twist. I would've given it 4 stars, but I absolutely hate the "brutal fairytale à la Jack Vance" writing style. Not as bad as Vance himself, but still very annoying for my taste.
3/5
***
Joe R. Lansdale - Bent Twig
A gritty and very American detective story with a touch of noir. A bit drawn out at times, but really nice overall.
3/5
***
Michael Swanwick - Tawny Petticoats
I loved it! The world was refreshingly original, the tone delightfully humorous, and the characters charmingly wicked. It has been a very entertaining and pleasant read. I should check out the author's other works some day.
5/5
***
David W. Ball - Provenance
Quite the surprise of a story! For the first quarter of it I was rather bored and occasionally drifting off while reading. The style reminded me of Dan Brown's works and I fully expected some religious conspiracies to be uncovered by a quirky art and/or history enthusiast - which is not an inherently bad genre, but somewhat predictable. But the historical flashbacks along with a bit of art history pulled me in and halfway through the story I was fully engaged and genuinely interested in the final twist (because there's always a twist in these stories.)
4/5
***
Carrie Vaughn - Roaring Twenties
Mixed feelings about this one. The world, the characters, and the atmosphere were convincing and intriguing. I loved the touch of magic in an otherwise real-world setting. But overall it felt lacking something. Maybe the pacing was off, I can't really put a finger on it. The story felt out of context, like a slow, vague chapter of a longer novel. If there was a longer novel, I'd love to read it, but on it's own this story didn't quite deliver.
3/5
***
Scott Lynch - A Year and a Day in Old Theradane
Ooh, I loved this one! A great piece of fantasy with an interesting world, fleshed-out characters, and the overall light and humorous tone. I really enjoyed the writing style and that the story doesn't take itself too seriously. I guess, I now understand the hype around the Gentleman Bastard series and will have to check it out some day.
5/5
***
Bradley Denton - Bad Brass
Another great one! It started off rather grim and hinted at drug deals gone awry, but then took a twist towards weird comedy (which is a huge improvement in my eyes). The story was an easy and entertaining read. I especially loved the protagonist, who had a mostly narrating and observing role for many things that happened, and overall acted very human and relatable.
5/5
***
Cherie Priest - Heavy Metal
Somehow, I just couldn't connect with this one. I've found the writing style lacking, it was not a smooth read, I was constantly distracted by minor details. Also, the protagonist's modus operandi appeared superficial and generic, mainly because his thought process was not described and the whole finale felt like a lucky guess with a touch of deus ex machina.
2/5
***
Daniel Abraham - Meaning of Love
Another one I didn't like, although with this story it wasn't the writing (which was decent). I guess, I'm just really really tired of dark and gritty fantasy with its vivid descriptions of dirt, gore, and violence. Also, the characters annoyed me - one of them for being a spoiled whiny brat and the other for tolerating that behaviour.
3/5
***
Paul Cornell - A Better Way to Die
Nope, not my cup of tea. While the idea of 19th century Britain with advanced technologies and parallel worlds was fresh and exciting, I absolutely couldn't handle the writing style. It has been an exasperating and exhausting read with too long sentences, far too many pompous words, and a stream-of-consciousness-like inner monologue of the protagonist. The action did fortunately pick up towards the end, otherwise this really would have been just 1 star.
2/5
***
Steven Saylor - Ill Seen in Tyre
A nice one. The historical digressions were interesting, the characters well written. About halfway through it was pretty obvious where the story was going, but still overall it has been an entertaining read. I can imagine, that history enthusiasts and/or Fafhrd and Gray Mouser fans could enjoy it more than I did ('cause I'm neither).
3/5
***
Garth Nix - A Cargo of Ivories
Once again, a nice and entertaining piece of fantasy with well-written action scenes, an interesting magic system, and a curious world. Something lacked though, but I can't put a finger on it. Maybe the characters were a tad generic, maybe the overall plot somewhat simple - overall still quite nice, though.
3/5
***
Walter Jon Williams - Diamonds from Tequila
I loved the first two thirds of the story with its great narrative, interesting movie-making details, a charismatic jerk of a protagonist, the promising build-up. But in the end it kinda didn't deliver. The protagonist's solution of walking up to the bad guy and telling him to stop seemed too idealistic - especially since he pulled it off twice. Also the running joke of the protagonist looking 'intimidating' got quite repetitive by the end.
4/5
***
Phyllis Eisenstein - The Caravan to Nowhere
A beautiful tale! I loved everything about it: the believably used superpower, the charismatic characters (the protagonist is not a rogue though), the bittersweet ending. A truly beautiful piece of fantasy. I hope I'll get around to read the other Alaric novels some day.
5/5
***
Lisa Tuttle - The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives
Although a great mystery tale altogether, the ending was somewhat disappointing in its vagueness. The suspense, the slow build-up, the supernatural allusions - all to end up being a criticism on patriarchal polygamy? Meh.. The rest was really great though.
4/5
***
Neil Gaiman - How the Marquis Got His Coat Back
Well... There is this genre I call "grotesque fairytale", best example of which would be pretty much any Tim Burton movie, and this short story fits that style quite well. Unfortunately I absolutely hate the genre, I find it as repulsive and disgusting as a medieval circus with its grotesque freakshows. Therefore, while no doubt of very high writing quality (and this is the only reason for the 2nd star), this story was not my cup of tea at all. Too bad, I was really looking forward to it. I hope I'll like Gaiman's other works better.
2/5
***
Connie Willis - Now Showing
A brilliant piece! It's set in a not-so-distant and creepily believable future, has lots and lots of cinematic references, a charmingly stubborn protagonist, a nice romantic plot, and a how-do-you-think-it-really-was-type ending (which can be frustrating, but in this story it felt natural to leave some things open for the reader). I loved it and I'm definitely checking out the author's other works!
5/5
***
Patrick Rothfuss - The Lightning Tree
I haven't read Kingkiller Chronicles (because I want ASOIAF to be my only mistake of reading an unfinished series EVER), so I was very excited to get a glimpse of Rothfuss' much acclaimed writing. It was great, really. It's one of the longer stories in the book and not even packed with action, but so very full of life. A day in the life of a village, with its inhabitants and rumours and little secrets and children... So sweet and positive, in contrast to all the gritty, brutal fantasy out there (guess I really need to switch genres for a while). I loved it. I really hope the series will be completed some day.
5/5
***
George R. R. Martin - The Rogue Prince, or, A King's Brother
Hmm, not really what I expected and rather disappointing. It didn't feel like a story, even, more like a Wikipedia article on some medieval dynasty. Names and more names, dates and titles, a war here, a betrayal there, and lots and lots of court intrigue. Even though I am familiar with ASOIAF and usually able to follow complex plot lines, keeping track of by the end about 9 similar Targaryen children's names was a bit much. And the rather dry and matter-of-fact narrative, overall just a tad more emotional than a history book, didn't make it any better. I can't even say I didn't like it, it just didn't feel like a story at all. If I wanted to read up some ASOIAF lore, I'd have done so on a designated wiki page. And now I'm confused about how to rate it, because a bad rating feels just as unjustified as a good one. Therefore no rating from me, since it was not a short story to begin with.
-/-