metaphorosis's review
3.0
reviews.metaphorosis.com
3.5 stars
A collection of speculative (though not necessarily 'magical' stories).
It's hard to put together a really outstanding anthology. At least, few people seem to do it, and naturally the editor's tastes often won't match that of all readers. In addition, anthology themes are pretty hit or miss; few stories really fit well unless the parameters are broad.
In this latter sense, Fearsome Magics is a pretty standard anthology. The title is vague, and most of the stories fit the theme only vaguely; they could all have fit equally well under any of a hundred titles. If you're looking for stories about really dangerous or scary magic, this isn't it.
Leave aside the thematic quibbles, though, and you'll find that the stories collected here are largely good. Just as important, none of them is really bad, and all but one are above average. I wasn't thunderstruck by any, but I had a good time reading them, and there are one or two new authors I might investigate. A few stories are clearly drawn from the author's existing universes, but in most cases they stand alone reasonably well.
The best stories are:
Safe House by K. J. Parker - a condemned man faces the gallows and worse. If you know K. J. Parker's work, you know exactly what you're getting here. Parker has been doing pretty much the same trick for years now, but doing it so well that it's a pleasure to read in every new incarnation.
Migration by Karin Tidbeck - a group of refugees move from their place of safety only to find themselves lost. This is one of the best kinds of stories - the kind that stick with you and that make you think. It's a bit of a gimmick story, but handled very nicely. There are a couple of missing pieces, but largely Tidbeck does a great job.
Where Our Edges Lie by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - twins begin to draw apart. There's nothing really new about this story, but Hoffman handles it very nicely.
NB: Received free copy from Net Galley.
trackofwords's review
4.0
Magic can mean a great many things, and take endless forms; from legerdemain to magic rings, from hidden worlds to hiding in plain sight, a system of magic is a stock tool for many a writer, fantasy or otherwise. In Fearsome Magics, the latest Solaris Book of Fantasy, Jonathan Strahan collects together stories from fourteen authors, each dealing with magic in their own way. Given free reign to incorporate the theme into their stories however they wish, the authors involved here have contributed tales ranging right across the spectrum of styles and settings, showcasing breathtaking variety in the resulting collection.
Read the rest of the review at http://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/fearsome-magics-edited-by-jonathan-strahan/
Read the rest of the review at http://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/fearsome-magics-edited-by-jonathan-strahan/
alexanderpaez's review
3.0
Reseña completa: http://dondeterminaelinfinito.blogspot.com.es/2014/09/fearsome-magics-de-vvaa-resena.html
una antología muy curiosa y con una variedad temática muy amplia. A pesar de que no he encontrado relatos brillantes quitando los tres comentados anteriormente, creo que es muy interesante descubrir nuevos acercamientos a la fantasía sin necesidad de las figuras y clichés típicos del género. Además el trabajo de Strahan como antólogo me parece muy curioso pues como he notado (y he leído en varias reseñas) su gusto es muy peculiar y los cuentos y autores escogidos por él suelen o gustar mucho o todo lo contrario. Por mi parte ya son más de dos las antologías que he leído de Strahan y no Fearsome Magics no será la última.
una antología muy curiosa y con una variedad temática muy amplia. A pesar de que no he encontrado relatos brillantes quitando los tres comentados anteriormente, creo que es muy interesante descubrir nuevos acercamientos a la fantasía sin necesidad de las figuras y clichés típicos del género. Además el trabajo de Strahan como antólogo me parece muy curioso pues como he notado (y he leído en varias reseñas) su gusto es muy peculiar y los cuentos y autores escogidos por él suelen o gustar mucho o todo lo contrario. Por mi parte ya son más de dos las antologías que he leído de Strahan y no Fearsome Magics no será la última.
thiefofcamorr's review
3.0
This anthology is in the same 'series' of sorts - before we had Fearsome Journeys, and now we have Fearsome Magics. As one may guess, we go from an anthology of journeys to one of magic, whether it's about different worlds joined by bridges or what consequences great power can bring, we have an anthology that investigates the many paths and questions magic itself can raise.
Jonathan Strahan is well known in the anthologies sense world-wide, so one can expect, when picking up one of his works, to settle in for an excellent, engaging read.
"The Dun Letter" by Christopher Rowe
Tansie lives in a house that looks like one young children or teens would bet each other to creep into or even spend a night on on a dare. She lives there with her grandmother. Her grandfather is long gone, and her mother somewhere unknown (but could perhaps drop by for Thanksgiving), so Tansie is left alone to struggle to pay the bills, and care for her ailing grandmother.
This is quite a good start to an anthology of magic, because it contains receiving a letter, letting the protagonist know that there may be a lot more to her than she's ever known. Like anyone who's loved Harry Potter and wished they'd received their own letter at age 11, this story fills you with a touch of excitement.
Sadly it has a bit of a lacklustre ending. Amusing, to be sure, but...
"Home is the Haunter" by Garth Nix
A Sir Hereward and Master Fitz tale once again. Though I love Nix's writing in general, I'm not really a fan of these two characters, one being a magical puppet, and both who have a way of getting into strife at all times. This is one that relies on humour, so if it misses you then there's a bit too much world building in this to be interesting as a short story.
Really, it was just a little too long for the plot and ability to hold your attention.
"Grigori's Solution" by Isobelle Carmody
Straight up - I'm not a maths person. As such, this one was a little boring whilst it was an interesting concept - I just couldn't grasp how magic would have the ability to do such a thing - erase the world - and so I couldn't get invested in the danger. This anthology shows a lot of discussion on the rules that set magic up in each world, yet in this piece it seemed to be a bit wobbly.
The use of language in the writing itself is excellent though - it's Carmody after all. I just couldn't identify with the self-important narrator, though I did like how he presented his findings to the reader. I also found the 'resolution' a bit underwhelming.
"Dream London Hospital" by Tony Ballantyne
Unfortunately the anthology continues to spiral into weaker plots. This one had the feel of horror to it, and the magic was quite lacking. It's effective in how illogical it is - keeping you reading to try to figure out what on earth is going on and how it'll all tie in at the end with the big reveal. This was all a bit like a nightmare, and would probably work better as a novella. In a short story format it didn't really get to set the tone and draw the reader in.
"Safe House" by K.J. Parker
This brought us back to some better reading - though the use of 'hung' rather than 'hanged' was a bit jarring. Yes, it may seem odd but 'hanged' is the correct term. An item can be hung, a person is always hanged.
That aside - this was good. I always love pieces that show the consequences and balance of magic when used, and this showed the results in fine form. We see the struggle that one would still have even if they had magical ability, but it wasn't over-the-top like a comedy; this felt well thought-out.
This makes me certain that I need to pick up a book by K. J. Parker sometime. I'm sure I've said that before, too... I need to just make it happen!
"Hey, Presto!" by Ellen Klages
A daughter of a world-famous magician who attends boarding school, and has no interest in having any attention at all. This is another brilliant piece that lifts the anthology up a little, the writing is encouraging and reassuring, and the little hints we see of London in war around this piece give it something a bit extra.
This one had excellent plot and characters, excellent idea seen safely through to the end, and a fitting and dramatic conclusion. Easily my favourite piece in the anthology so far.
"The Changeling" by James Bradley
The anthology swings towards horror with this one once again. A mother's fears about their young child hits home with such deep instincts in most people - you read on, but you're so wary for what will happen. This didn't really have much of a magic-sense to it, but remained well written and gripping.
"Migration" by Karin Tidbeck
This one was a little odd and disjointed - saying one thing, but I'm sure it was hinting at something deeper in a bizarre kind of way - it didn't really hold my attention, and I found myself skimming through - but the ending grabbed me back, as it certainly packs a punch.
"On Skybolt Mountain" by Justina Robson
I found the writing style on this one a little jerky, and seemed to jump around a bit, skipping bits of logic which would have made it all so much smoother - almost like it had been edited down for length, but lost a bit of depth which would have made it more readable along the way. I just couldn't get why she didn't escape in the first place, which made the story a bit confusing throughout and kept throwing me from the narrative.
It was all just a bit confusing.
"Where Our Edges Lie" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
An interesting twist on the usual magic and twins story at play, though I found at times one of the twins was acting a bit unreasonably. Being that close, sure you can be prone to outbursts but surely you'd still listen and talk things through a bit more than we saw.
This had the same idea that the first story did, but I found the resolution much more reasonable and satisfying.
"Devil's Bridge" by Frances Hardinge
This piece was excellent. Crisp, with wifts of magic akin to Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, with excellent lines in it about what magic costs such as the protagonists loss of colour from her hair, her ability to lie, her singing voice, an hour of sleep each night, and so on. These were the things that build this short up to be one of my favourites,
"The Nursery Corner" by Kaaron Warren
Hurrah for Kaaron Warren! You can always depend on Kaaron to set things straight. This was another surreal piece, but the wonder it keeps you in, along with the characters and the setting that most of us are far too acquainted with, makes it hit home rather well. This is horror done well, where it creeps along, almost up upon you unsuspecting, with the little bits of plot it drops on you from afar to build the scene.
This takes things that can usually be so normal, and manages to twist them into something a bit uncanny and unsettling. While I can't say this was my favourite piece in the anthology (because I can't ever enjoy being creeped out!) this was one of the most effective and most readable. Kaaron is just too awesome.
Eugh, old people.
"Aberration" by Genevieve Valentine
This one was again surreal, but didn't have the readability that Kaaron has, perfectly juxtaposing the two by being one right after the other. This one is all about mood and if it doesn't hit you right, the whole piece will be lost.
The idea is interesting, don't get me wrong. Just sadly didn't connect with me in the slightest.
"Ice in the Bedroom" by Robert Shearman
Fingers crossed to end on a high note at least. Sadly, this wasn't really a magic or speculative fiction piece really - which is a shame, as I love Shearman's work. This is a sad and low piece to end on, as we see the protagonist try to cope with his wife's suicide.
~
I would recommend this anthology to those who want a dependable anthology that is certainly readable. This isn't my favourite of Strahan's anthologies, and overall I found it too easy to leave between each short story - nothing wrong with that for the casual reader, who is more than happy to pick it up every so often to read one short story before bed, then putting it down. I thank Rebellion for offering me a copy to review.
To continue reading this review, or to see others, please click here.
yazerk's review
4.0
I really liked this anthology. There are some great stories in it.
A more-detailed review will follow soon...
A more-detailed review will follow soon...
pers's review
3.0
The trouble with reading anthologies which feature several different authors is that it's always a bit hit-and-miss (for me at least) whether I'll like (m)any of the stories.
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