Customer Reviews (1)

3rd anthology, 4th volume in the series.
As with the other anthologies in this series, this one is written in a braided format - in fact, more so than the preceding volumes, so that there is a nearly seamless flow from story to story.

Abbey, Lynn: "Strange Bedfellows" - Further development of Marina Kamat's infatuation with Mondragon, mainly from the Kamats' point of view. Once Richard becomes aware of some of what's been going on, he steps in and meets with Mondragon. For one thing, Richard takes action to see that a promise made to Raj by Marina is kept - help getting accepted at the College as a medical student. This story also sets up Richard's working relationship with Mondragon, as Richard works to create the Samurai, a new security force for the merchants' docks and warehouses.

Asire, Nancy: "By a Woman's Hand" - This thread follows Justice Lee, his mentor Father Rhajmurti, and various figures at the College, and introduces his fellow-student Sonja Keisel. She's a wizard at math, willing to tutor Justice at Rhajmurti's suggestion - and the daughter of two families at the top of Merovingen's hierarchy.

Cherryh, C.J.: "Troubled Waters" - This thread weaves in and out of the others, mainly following Jones and Mondragon.

Fish, Leslie: "Treading the Maze" - We find out more about Black Cal, the only honest cop in Merovingen - such as why he only seems to show up when Rif's around, and why the blacklegs at the Signeury know it's time to clean out the blueblood's cell when Cal takes out rookies on his beat. The Janists, Rif among them, are busy trying to get permits for Master Milton's Magic Show - but why? :)

Lackey, Mercedes: "A Tangled Web We Weave" - Raj finally cracks under the strain of letting Marina Kamat think that his love poems actually come from Mondragon (among other things, it's potentially dangerous for Mondragon). Being a Takahashi, Raj does what he considers to be the honorable thing.

We find out a bit more about Raver and May, the swampies who were closest to Raj in his days out there...including that Raver was once Raven, a Janist agent, and that he scooped something very interesting out of the harbor after the 'sharrh overflight' in FEVER SEASON.

Morris, Chris: "Saying Yes to Drugs" - Michael Chamoun, having been introduced to deathangel powder during his catechism sessions with Cardinal Ito Boregy for past-life regression, proceeds to introduce his wife, Cassie Boregy, to the stuff - and she begins to acquire a reputation for prophecy.

Morris, Janet: "The Prisoner" - In case you're wondering why one faction or another never grabbed Jones as leverage against Mondragon, well, everyone in Merovingen knows that it's crazy to lay hands on the Trade; they stick together against landsmen. But Chance Magruder, the Nev Hettek ambassador, doesn't know the rules.

Rogow, Roberta: "Nessus' Shirt" - If the title doesn't mean anything to you, grab a book of Greek mythology and turn to the end of the section on Hercules. (Yes, I read way too much mythology when I was a kid, if there is such a thing as too much.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"he decided upon visiting the Vulgar Unicorn himself"
I have probably mentioned here before that I have a long-standing love that I am nearly able to defend for the Thieves' World series. I have never lost my taste for the chaotic writers' world that started with the eponymous first book and ended with Stealer's Sky. I know that the quality is uneven. I recognize that sometimes the writers liked each other more than they liked us. But that, for me, was part of the fun. Anyhow, I have been rereading the series slowly over the last few years, and am disappointed to report that I am nearly done.

Book 11 is not one of the strongest books in Thieves' World. Although Book 10 is called Aftermath, book 11 has a strong Intermezzo feeling. Evidence, I guess, that the series was winding down. Magic has largely disappeared from Sanctuary; Daphne seems to be gaining a sense of perspective; Prince Kadakithis grows up; Ischade is still tortured. I was particularly fond of the Diana L. Paxson section on "The Vision of Lalo". This gives me hope that someday I will find a book that she has written which I actually enjoy.

Writers in Book 11 are: Robert Lynn Asprin, C.J. Cherryh, Jon DeCles, Chris Morris, C.S. Williams, Robin Wayne Bailey and Diana L. Paxson. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Sanctuary filler stories soldier on the Theives' World tradition
Overall:
The anthology is a solid effort by the various authors and the editor.However, the magic of Sanctuary is not quite there from the original series.Steven Burst's story, 'The Man from Shemhaza' is quite good.

If you are not a hardcore fan of the Thieves' World series, the stories will not make any sense to you.If you are interested in finding out more about Sanctuary, please pick up the 'Sanctuary' and read it-- you will understand why Thieves' World has touch so many fantasy readers.

Details:
Plot: The backstory behind Sanctuary continues to move forward.Magic is slowly coming back to Sanctuary and many powerful kingdoms are starting to show interest in Sanctuary again.The plot advances are not dramatic but clear thought has been given to it.

Prose: The writing style varies quite a bit by each author.The authors do try to avoid using the main characters of the other authors which is counter to the original Thieves' World concept.In the original series, it was always very interesting to see the different takes by each author on a main character.

Action: The action is quite tame for the most part in the stories.You do not have much in the way of high fantasy in the stories.The stories are more about low ranking individuals with limited spheres of influence which is in keeping with the spirit of the original Thieves' World series.

Summary:
If you like Thieves' World, you should give this a read if you can pick it up cheap as a used book.

very pleased
My order was received before the estimated arrival time and I saved money because there were no shipping fees! Love Amazon for that!
Thanks!

Not Free SF Reader
Around about what you would expect, from one of these anthologies.Although it would seem to be a bit smaller scale than some of the early volumes, and less dark, as far as Sanctuary and various characters go.Story average 3.23, and basically this is a tweener, in the middle of 3 and 3.5, but not good enough in this case to round up to a 4.

Offutt and Grubb the picks of this bunch, I think.

Enemies Of Fortune : Introduction - Lynn Abbey
Enemies Of Fortune : Widowmaker - C. J. Cherryh and Jane Fancher
Enemies Of Fortune : Deadly Ritual - Mickey Zucker Reichert
Enemies Of Fortune : Pr1cks and Afflictions - Dennis L. McKiernan
Enemies Of Fortune : Consequences - Jody Lynn Nye
Enemies Of Fortune : Good Neighbors - Lynn Abbey
Enemies Of Fortune : Gathering Strength - Selina Rosen
Enemies Of Fortune : Dark of the Moon - Andrew Offutt
Enemies Of Fortune : Protection - Robin Wayne Bailey
Enemies Of Fortune : Legacies - Jane Fancher and C. J. Cherryh
Enemies Of Fortune : Malediction - Jeff Grubb
Enemies Of Fortune : The Ghost in the Phoenix - Diana L. Paxson and Ian Grey
Enemies Of Fortune : The Ballad of Shemhaza - Steven Brust

Never good when your strangler ex-wife comes back to town.

3.5 out of 5


Giving up piracy is an option, you know.

3.5 out of 5


Stunted mama's boy.

3 out of 5


Hornets, snakes, whichever.

3 out of 5



Healer choices.

3.5 out of 5


Froggin' drugs.

3 out of 5


Hope she doesn't frog me to death.

3.5 out of 5


Shadowspawn's apprentice's new lover and jewellery are more than they seem.

4 out of 5


Racket's moggie rebound.

3.5 out of 5


Chameleon amnesia.

2.5 out of 5


The Vulgar Unicorn leads to Hell, thanks to a small-codded frog-rooter.

4 out of 5


Spirit separation accident.

2.5 out of 5


Musician not so nice.

3.5 out of 5

A More Mature Vision
Many moons ago a fantasy anthology written by many top authors was conceived and Thieves World was born.The idea was that the City of Sanctuary would be the base with the various characters from the authors inhabiting this place.The idea was that the characters could be borrowed among the authors and you would get various perspectives of each character from different points of view.What the anthology turned into was a wonderful rollicking mess and one of the most important antholgy series to ever have been written for the fantasy world.The final book from the original series was published in 1989.

13 years later and Sanctuary rises again under Lynn Abbey's editorial control.This time it is a more mature version of theives world.The stories are every bit as good as the original, but a bit more polished this time around.Abbey must have learned hard lessons from the first anthology.There is a better focus and the story line is more organized.While the first anthology is going to be hard to match, the second anthology is starting off right.

The second book, "Enemies of Fortune" is very very good.There isn't a bad story or filler here.The book has both light and very dark stories.You feel bad for the various characters and yet laugh at them too.You find both love and gallantry among the denizons as well as honesty among thieves.The stories warn of the dangers of drug use "Good Neighbors" as well as not kidnapping the wrong woman "Protection".My personal favorites are "Ghost in the Pheonix" a light hearted story about possesion and "The Man from Shemhaza" which is anything but lighthearted.

"Enemies of Fortune" shows there are growng clouds for the future, which makes me want to read the next book before it is published.For those of you who have not read the original series, buy them if you can or at least read "Sanctuary", which will provide you a working knowledge betweent the old series and the new version.Highly Recommended.

A Great Deal of Fun!
I just picked up this book and have enjoyed it greatly.Thieves' World and the city of Sanctuary are such rich settings, and these authors explore that setting to great effect.I've only read about half the volume thus far, but highly recommend it based on what I have read.You'll enjoy this especially if you enjoy the whole 'shared world' concept (like I do).The stories are solid and the characters well-written.I strongly recommend the stories by Jody Lynn Nye, Robin Wayne Bailey, the 2 by CJ Cherryh & Jane Fancher, and Selina Rosen.And by all means, if you enjoy these stories, check out these authors' other works.Each one has a unique and entertaining style.

Congratulations and a hearty 'thank you' to Lynn Abbey for reviving the wonderful and engaging Thieves' World! ... Read more

Product Description
As the Walensor Web, a magical artifact that joins together the souls of gods and humans, begins to die, only Berika, a young shepherdess with untried magical powers, can stop the destruction of her world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sequel to The Wooden Sword
It is in 'Beneath the Web' that the whole story really gets going, as set up in 'The Wooden Sword'.In the world patiently crafted Lyn Abbey lets her characters lose to solve the mystery of 'Dart' and wether he is man, demon, fetch, or who knows what.Berika the sheperdess came off relativelypoorly in the first book, still gaining her feet. As she finds her powerthat changes.The obsessive reader of science fiction for some thirty fiveyears, I rarely find a book who's ending I can't guess, but Lyn Abbey makesthe whole thing a unique experience with her depth of detail andcharacterization.I only wish I could say of her that 'she doesn't knowwhen to end a series', as two books seems to be her limit.A pity, becausethe rich worlds she carves out have the potential for much more.These twobooks are worth finding.END ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Awsome book with awsome memories
It is a very scary book that is one of those that is hard to put down.

Pagans: For those of you who are pagans it portrays pagans in a good light. As it was published in 1982 which it was still far less acceptable than it is today.I myself am not pagan, but I am pagan friendly. I was initialy suprised at a book that had witches as "the good guys".

Horror: This book is S C A R Y! My first experience with this book was when I was around the age 16 and we had a blackout and a beautiful lightning storm.My mom lit candles around the kitchen, which was extremely creepy quiet because of the lack of any electrical background noise, and read this book by candlelight.I had plenty of nightmares over it. Several years later I read it again without the blackout/storm and it was still super creepy and left me with nightmares. Because of a recent blackout, I decided to look this book up and buy myself a copy... I am not a heavy reader, but it really is that incredible.

The Guardians
Though I haven't read this book in ages, it was one of the first urban magic fantasy dramas I had ever read, and I was surprised to see it unlisted and with no pictures. So I'm adding a picture and the back of the book text below. It was a good book, at least I remember enjoying it. And seeing how popular this genre is now, perhaps people may be interested.

There's a witch on Riverside Drive...
Lise Brown was thrilled with her new apartment; it was more than anyone fresh from the Midwest had a right to expect in Manhattan. She loved it for the river view and the high old ceilings, but even more for the unexpected way she felt instantly at home there - as if the place had been waiting for her.
She could not know that apartment 647 contained a rift into another world, a frightening world of malevolent spirits kept contained only by the rituals of the previous tenant. She can feel the evil on the other side of the rift, growing stronger, feeding on her fear, waiting for the momentwhen it will be powerful enough to break through into a helpless world. To stop it, Lise must learn what it means to be a witch... ... Read more

Product Description
The first book by Paul Kidd in the exciting newshared-world series, "Tales of the Mornmist", created by Lynn Abbey(creator of "Thieves' World") and Ed Greenwood (creator of TSR's"Forgotten Realms" series), "The Rats of Acomar" tells of the bleak,broken wasteland of Acomar, where corrosive metal salts have poisonedthe ground, and starvation keeps constant company with death.There,the Rats live... live and die.The bones of their bodies litter thewaste, victims, devoured by their brethren, fallen in the endlessbattles fought over territory and food.The survivors are only thestrongest, honed to a razor's edge by the constant struggle tosurvive... to live, to grow... to breed.In terror of the Rats, aftera bloody war, the other races built the great wall, holding them back,keeping them imprisoned in the hellish waste that is Acomar.But withthe rising of the Overlord, G'kaa, everything is changing.The clansare uniting, joining together under one massed banner, drenched in the ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Enjoyable but Nothing Special
Paul Kidd seems to have problems starting books; "The Rats of Acomar" is weighed down at first both by the overuse of adjectives and scene-setting description, and the initially annoying characters Tupan and Surolf.He settles down once the initial scene is set, however, and the characters involved begin to grow on you (and grow a little in general).

The world in "Rats of Acomar" is one populated entirely by anthropmorphized animals - dogs, coyotes, horses, cats, and the rats the book's central movement is about.The rats are violent and warlike, trapped in the wasteland region of Acomar by a heavily guarded wall; constant deprivation and intraspecies warfare has left them a culture and existence that would devour the land if they ever breached the wall.Naturally one rat - G'kaa - is trying to do just that.

The book is frequently lighthearted; the scenes with Tupan (a carefree coyote) and the young rats that start to follow Ra'hish (a loner rat) usually so. There's nothing that stands out about these passages, and Tupan's attitude is overplayed at first, but they're amusing enough and the book keeps moving. G'kaa is a ok, if somewhat standard, villain; a secondary villain introduced later does nothing more than nibble on the scenery.

The odd mythology of the Giants and the odd pillars in Acomar are interesting, especially as they become key to the plot; as is the insight that the rats must not only be defeated, but changed, so that the constant violence and pressure to invade are eased and removed.They're dealt with fairly shallowly, however; the book is quite short (just under 200 pages).

Once Kidd gets his writing legs, there's nothing about the book - or the accompanying illustrations - that's especially bad.It just never really gets above adequate.

An Entertaining Read
Another wonderful offering from the master of Furry fiction, Paul Kidd brings the two contrasting worlds of Acomar and the Mornmist to life. His stories are filled with personable characters, humour, excitement and also sorrow. Although not so much of the latter in this one as his excellent "Whisper of Wings". "Rats..." is a somewhat lighter read, and very entertaining.

In the desolate plains of Acomar we have the Itheem; rats - breeding, fighting, scavenging and living a brutal and cruel, and short, existence. Amongst these is warrior rat Ra'hish, a dedicated lone-rat, who suddenly finds himself having to look after a dozen youngsters. We also have the albino Oosha and her sister Teela, two young female rats determined to find a beauty in their desolate life. And G'Kaa, warlord, who dreams of leaving the wretched plains of Acomar and invading the beautiful valleys.

On the other side of the border wall we have the Uruth, the canines, keeping their land safe from the "goblin hoards" beyond the wall. One such character is Tupan, a lively and impulsive coyote that has left her wanderer roots and sought out civilisation. Her unwilling companions in her undying endeavours to "fix things" are the grim greyhound, Surolf, and his rather friendlier pony, Hern.

Together these two very different groups will be brought together in alliance, and find out that despite outward appearances, they are not really all that different.

All in all, another grand offering from Paul Kidd. Alas, the other "Mornmist" books appear to not exist (despite having titles and ISBN numbers), so it seems Vision books have evaporated. This is a pity, because I rather liked the world. The "Mornmist" was intended to be one of those "Shared worlds" with books by Elaine Cunningham (who wrote "Daughter of the Drow") amongst others. Alas. But at least they got the first one out

Wonderful!
In the broken wasteland of Acomar, a land teeming with starvation and death, the rat Itheem live.Their bones litter the waste, fallen in the endless battles over territory and food.In terror of the Itheem, the canine Uruth built the great wall to keep them imprisoned in Acomar.But with the rising of an overlord, G'Kaa, everything is changing.The Itheem clans are uniting, planning to take the lands of the other races.But what can a free-spirited coyote, Tupan, her greyhound companion Surolf, the pony Hern, and the rebal rat Ra'sish do to stop them?A very good read, simultainously exciting, sad, and laugh out loud funny.Terrie Smith's illustrations are excellent as well.:-)

Paul Kidd's on a roll...
After reading Paul Kidd's other new book, "A Whisper of Wings", I did a search here on Amazon and came up with The Rats of Acomar.After the delightful experience I had with Whisper, I picked this one up at Barnes & Noble, too.Talk about a slam-bam exciting storyline that grabs you in its teeth and runs!This book is the first in a new series, and if they're all half as good as this one, I suspect it'll be one of the best sellers ever.This series is sort of like, well, a really COOL version of Brian Jacques' Redwall series... but with ten times the excitement and none of the boring food fetish that chokes his books (and their readers) from stem to stern.This story has it all... action, adventure, humor, great villains, quirky heroes and a rich, detailed world.Paul Kidd really seems to have a talent for bringing characters to life, which is only helped by all of the full-page illustrations in the book!You just never see that in most books these days.As a matter of fact, Whisper, Paul Kidd's other novel, was the only other book I've seen with that sort of thing in my last five years of reading.This book, and Whisper, are the two best Paul Kidd books I have read since "Mus of Kerbridge", from TSR.I totally recommend this book.Five gold stars!

An Exciting New World Fantasy !!
This is a brand new book by Paul Kidd, the author of numerous popular novels.The Rats of Acomar is fast reading, with vivid word pictures of the events taking place when the mythical Rats rise up to take what they feel is rightfully theirs.I enjoyed reading this science fiction, fantasy and could readily relate to how the mythical events described, really remind one of events actually taking place in real life.Only the players have been changed. Worth reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lynn Abbey don't leave us Hanging!
Great follow up to a strong first volume. The only negative is she leaves you wanting for the third volume that never got written. the characters are well fleshed out and interesting. In the vein of Diane Paxon's White raven.Good stuff.

Good story line, but could of been written better
I didn't like this book much because, the writer skipped between the characters minds and I had a hard time following everytime she skipped between.

The story plot, in its self, was good.I liked the way the plot ran and how it kept you wondering at the end.

The only problem that I had was the writing.I would settle into the story as one persons point of view and then she would change it.

Over all if you could deal with re-reading paragraphs to find out how shes talking about, the book it worth reading.I wouldn't read it again though. ... Read more

Product Description
Aristocratic twin siblings--Kyle, a young Hart-lord, and his sister Kiera, haunted by a dream of Rapture--set out to solve the mystery of the Siege of Shadows, a golden throne rumored to hide the mystery of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Delightfully addicting read.....
A wonderful involving book, well-realized characters, and quite the plot twist at the end...but oh, Lynn, where is the rest of the story?!Iunderstand the philosophy of leaving your readers wanting more, but c'mon -that was an honest-to-God cliffhanger!You've had four years - Spielburgmakes sequels faster than you!!Please, please finish the story.

Leaves you wanting more.
I found siege of shadows to be entertaining, cant put it down reading. Itleft you at the end eagerly awaiting the sequel, which never showed up.Well developed charactors with an interesting storyline.....but whathappens next ?

Excellent fantasy novel
Lynn Abbey is one of my favorite writers, and she's done a beautiful job with this one. You will take Kyle and Kiera into your heart the moment you begin and I guarentee that you won't be able to put this one down until you are finished! I would definitly class this as a must read for fantasy nuts like me! :) (oh, and if you want to read the BEST thing by Lynn Abbey, check out "Jerlayne", a tale in the anthology Elf Fantastic) ... Read more

Product Description
Three exciting follow-up novels in Robert Asprin's "Sanctuary" series which gave us "Thieves' World", "Tales of the Vulgar Unicorn", "Shadows of Sanctuary" and "Storm Season". "The Face of Chaos" will laugh at us all before the cycle completes its turn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I can attest that it is unforgettable.
I dug up my old copy of this book at my Father's house where it has been moldering in the basement for the last 20 years. Out of curiosity, I brought it back with me to Holland because I had the notion that I remembered it.

Funny how *well* I remembered it. As I turned the pages, I could clearly remember what I was reading and had a sense of what was coming next. Rifkind is a loner in a tribe of loners-- outcast from her desert tribe, she turns to her goddess to help her find her destiny.

I'm not sure how well it holds up over time (my real review is something more like 3.5 stars) but there was a fair amount to hold an adult's interest, just like there was enough to hold that of a teenager. Some of the aspects feel visionary in light of the fiction that came after this book and others simply fall flat.

Worth reading if you can find it.

TWO THUMBS UP!!!!
I read this book many!!! years ago and regret I ever loaned it to a friend. (they never returned it) It took me a long time to ever find it again as it is out of print. I think this is her best work and there shouldbe more writers with her talent

Don't overlook this Book!!!!
Let me explain my enthusiasm. In some ways I want to give this book five stars, and in others, two, because some elements of it were absolutely fantastic (the culture-building) while others made me wince (some of thecharacters are quite stereotypical, as is the lack of "fill").Abbey always seems to write unforgettable stuff, though, and she has withthis book. There are components of swordplay, magic, and gritty realismthat is lacking in much of today's fantasy, or else poorly done, that makeit a refreshing change-of-pace. She successfully creates a world you canbelieve in, but almost seems to place random characters within it that areacted upon, rather than act out of personal and true-to-life motivation. Onthe other hand, her characters don't do anything out of sync with theirpersonalities, although this indeed may be part of the problem (again,stereotypes). For all of this, Daughter of the Bright Moon is a rare andinteresting find certainly worthy of any avid fantasy-reader's attention.

Witch/warrior campaign against evil
Unfortunately I have not read this book in too long. However, it has beenone of my favorites, and I have read it many times.It's a fabulous bookand I've always been unhappy that there werent more sequels. Lyn Abbeybrought a new world, a new magic system to life, as she does so well, andcharacters that are believable and act true to their nature.It seems tobe a flaw of hers (the wooden sword, beneath the web) that she gets megoing and then wont write the rest of the sequels!any of these books isworth an eddings like string of sequels to further develop the world. myone complaint is that lynn abbey doesnt write more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Quite good ONLY if you have the next book
"You can't judge a book by it's cover" is all well and good, but all we have is blurbs and recommendations if we do not wish to read every single book in any given store.
So I bought it because the blurb and the cover were interesting.
After reading it, I was very disappointed to be left hanging in the midst of the story!I can get that in real Life!I want my happy ending! Sheesh!
Now I find there Is Indeed a following book "Under the Web".I'll bite.But I really wold have prefered to have known ahead of time I was only getting half the story.
My recommendation is to only purchase this book If you can get it with it's follow up, otherwise, skip it.
The characters are good from my point of view because they do stupid things at the wrong time, act like idiots, but have a greater depth to themselves ... pretty much like real people.Sometimes they say one thing, and do another, while trying to be good, honorable people to their own minds.Just like the rest of us.
It is my fervent wish that books were always offered bundled with the others in their series, not as an only point of sale, but for those of us who are interested, but dislike being left hanging.They could at least Mention it.
Thank you for reading my two cents worth (grin)
~Mariance

Abbey hits bottom with rotten story, loathsome characters
The Wooden Sword collapses under the weight of an uninteresting plot and unlikable, often depressing characters whose behavior and motivations are confused and inconsistent. Berika is a young woman who lives in Walensor, which is ruled by an enormous pantheon of dieties with whom people communicate through the Web of Walensor, a field of magic power made up of energy called basi. Everyone on Walensor is born with some basi, and people have learned how to store basi in material objects, but very few people actually are able to become true mages and use basi to commune with the gods.Berika lives in a tiny rural community where she has been betrothed in marriage to a dispicable cretin. Naturally, she is frantic to find a way out, and one day offers up a desperate prayer to her local diety. The surprising result is that she summons up a "fetch," who turns out to be a young man named Dart, who possesses a strange harp that is brimming over with basi. Deciding the harp is the real answer to her prayer of deliverance, Berika plans to sneak away with it, not to learn how to harness its magic, but simply to sell it for enough gold to move so far away no one can ever find her. Yet it turns out that Dart is really after all a human being, who was spirited away by the goddess Weycha many years before to act as her champion. Now Weycha charges Dart with protecting Berika and getting her safely to Eyerlon, the city where the Web of Walensor is generated. So, after several distinctly unpleasant scenes in which Dart must not only deal with the nearly psychotically superstitious people of Berika's village, but save Berika from her doubly psychotic husband, Dart and Berika find themselves on the road to Eyerlon. I would have to look long and hard to find a less pleasurable reading experience than witnessing Dart's having to deal with villagers shouting "Demon!" at him when he's never done anything the least bit threatening, or putting up with the weirdly inconsistent behavior of Berika and her mother, who seem gentle and loving one moment and almost monstrously hostile the next. Berika is hopelessly confused, which, at first, is fine, because of the situation she finds herself in. But she never seems to change. One minute she's desperate to flee her village, the next she's utterly resigned to her lot in a way that resembles clinical depression. Then back again! Abbey wants us to sympathize with her by ruthlessly depicting all her beatings and implied rapes by her vile husband; but when Dart retrieves the titular weapon from a magical tree and finally does the creep in, she's suddenly afraid of him. This is one fantasy heroine who doesn't need magic; she needs Prozac! Abbey herself even describes Berika as a "snarling girl," leaving me to wonder why the hell she thought any reader would find Berika a sympathetic fantasy heroine in the first place. Helpful hint to writers: causing your reader to actually hope something ill befalls your protagonist is not the idea. Berika is unforgivably spiteful and stupid. Despite her life of abuse and terror back home, she is for reasons hard to make out deeply resentful towards Dart for taking her on this journey to Eyerlon, a trip that she initially wanted to make anyway, and at one point she even whines in self-pity, "Without Dart, I wouldn't be here at all. I'd be safe at home..." Excuse me? Safe at home? Where she has been thrown against walls hard enough to crack plaster? Where she has been threatened with disfigurement? At times like these it is hard to tell whether or not this is a case of of Berika's being an idiotic character, or Abbey simply not knowing what the heck she is doing as a writer. Whatever the case, misguided characterizations and joyless storytelling rob the reader of any reason to read this novel......

Wonderful but loses momentum and interest near the end
"Of all the living things in Eyerlon, the trees were the oldest... and the wisest. A generation ago, the ancient forests of Walensor swallowed up the young princeling Dart. All the kingdom presumed him dead. But, enclosed in the bark of the oldest tree, Dart was still alive--a human vessel of the trees' greatest secrets ... and most powerful magic. Twenty years later, Dart was released. The trees had given him the most precious of gifts: A wooden sword, a harp, and timeless wisdom. The trees also gave him a great and terrible mission: To save his world from a powerful tyrant, a dark wizard of smoke... and fire."

When I began reading this book I could not put it down. Following Berika and her frustration at not being able to reach the Web, her meeting with Dart, and their subsequent journey... this all was wonderful. However, about halfway through the book it began to lose the charm and style of the beginning and I began to lose interest. A good book for fantasy lovers, if you can pick a copy up.

A new world, and an unused plot
Running away from a marriage she does not want, Berika daughter of a shepard,prays to the forest goddess and finds Dart. Man, demon, fetch, you don't know, and the whole story takes you on a trip where you can notpreguess the plot or the ending. The only problem with this book is thatit is very much a lead in to the next book. Fortunately Lyn Abbey wrote thesequel 'Under the Web' instead of leaving us hanging.My big regret isthat there isn't a whole series of these books. Lyn Abbey has a tendency tocreate a fascinating new world, write a book or two, and then drop it.Onthe other hand, Lyn Abbey's books never seem to accumulate the fame thatthey deserve, so perhaps somewhere there IS a third book, waiting to bepublished. ... Read more

Product Description

A Fantasy Masterpiece by LYNN ABBEY, the co-creator of Thieves' World!

Wolves are loose in the English countryside. A dying monarch cannot enforce the laws, and his heirs are circling like vultures. The small castle that is Hafwynder Manor is thrown into chaos by the arrival of a mysterious young stranger, too badly wounded to explain his plans. The forces of 11th century history invade Hafwynder Manor. Its safety -- and perhaps the fate of all England -- may depend on the deeds of the blonde, impulsive Alison and her sister, the dark-haired and cunning Wildecent. With the forces of the outside world raging at the castle walls, the two young women must learn to shape their own destiny! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Quite possibly the worst book ever written...
This book was absolutley dead.The writing could have been a lot better.It seemed to me that the author figured out the plot as she wrote--never really getting to the intended point.Mindless ramblings highlight numerous chapters and confusing descriptions abound.Characters never seem quite as real as they should be and it all develops into a lousy book.Don't read it.... trust me.You're wasting your time.

Don't even be tempted by this one
It's rare that I get upset enough to actually write a review for a book, but I figured I'd better pass a warning along before other well-meaning readers get sucked into this.

The full story can be found on Lynn Abbey's site...if you are interested. But the highlight is that this series was originally supposed to be at least a trilogy (although Lynn says she had it outlined through at least book 5). This book contains the first 2 books of a trilogy THAT WAS NEVER FINISHED, AND PROBABLY WON'T EVER BE! So if you like to be left hanging in the middle of a story with loose ends flying all over the place, then this is definately the book for you. But for the rest of us, this is one book that you should probably steer clear of.

If the 3rd book is ever published, I'll eagerly buy it because I want to know how the story ends!

don't bother with this one
I purchased this book with anticipation as it is of a genre that I thoroughly enjoy but was very disappointed in this book - the book was 'slow' and disjointed and the ending - well, there's no other words for it - it sucked!I couldn't believe that it ended without any real resolution to any of the main character's issues.I would have expected better from Lynn Abbey.

Winter Solstice Before the Norman Conquest
The year is 1065.The winter is cold and wolves lurk in the forest, some on four legs, some on two.Edward, King of England is dyingand the vultures gather around his bed waiting to see who will claim the crown.Will it be William, Duke of Normandy, or Harold Godwineson-- in defiance of his oath to help William to the crown?What about the claim of Norway?Meanwhile in Wessex, Godfrey Hafwynder, shire reeve, strives to preserve his household against an uncertain future.

Stephen, a young Norman, on an errand to deliver a message from his uncle to Duke William's man at Pevensey is harried by outlaws and wolves.Wounded, he seeks shelter at Godfrey's hall and is cared for by Godfrey's daughter, Alison, her foster sister Wildecent and their aunt, Ygurna.Ygurna is one of the last of the priestesses of the ancient Celtic religion, Alison has been trained to be her sucessor.Alison has the wild magic, Wildecent does not.

However, Stephen was accompanied into England by his former tutor, Ambrose, an unordained deacon of the Roman Church and an adept of sorcery, trained in its mysterious arts by the Magi of the east.Ambrose using his talents to locate Stephen incidentally finds Ygurna and her apprentice.However, it is Wildecent, the headblind, that he tempts with his offer of a power that does not require the wild magic she cannot control.

This story of the Christmas before the Conquest is a fine blending of fantasy and history.Abbey does an excellent job of portraying the basic conflict faced by men like Godfrey, whose King abandoned his earthly responsibilities to seek religious solace.This is also echoed in the conflict between the wild magic of the old gods and the disciplined sorcerous power of Ambrose.Abbey skillfully weaves a tale of beginnings and endings, of the death of the old and the birth of the new.

Magic and history merge
I stumbled across this novel recently and found an interesting historical fantasy.The setting is England in 1065 as the Saxon and Norman tensions are escalating.The focus is on a Saxon family stronghold and the events that occur as war inches closer to their home and old way of life.

While the book has all of the raw details of such a rough age such as bloody fighting and the rowdy drinking of warroirs, the story is tamed and made interesting in that the women of the house are the main characters.The two daughters, Alison and Wildecent, and their aunt, Lady Ygurna, are the ones who truly run the place and keep the men in order.One reads of their story as their lives are changed by the shifting politics of the country.This occurs quite suddenly when a young Norman, Stephen, is brought wounded into their home.Both girls discover what intrigue and love mean as the result of his presense.

While the characters try to occupy the modern world of politics and Christianity, one soon realizes that an ancient Celtic magic is practiced secretly by the women.This magic is hinted at throughout the book, but is shown fully as everything climaxes at the end.

Lynn Abbey has created a very realistic world in this novel.One gets a good picture of Saxon life during this period.The characters are personal and believable.I think that this is a good read for anyone interested in this period where England hovered on the brink of a new era. ... Read more

Product Description
Science Fiction ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good not Great
I am a long time fan of the Thieves world books, and I have allways loved the feel of the books, and the use of differeant authors. I loved how each author could take an event and see it and convey it in a unique manner. However this book was dissapointing. The sand storm played a crucial role, and I liked how they used it as a catalyst for the story line.

Saying that, the writing in this one was frankly mediocre at best, and the story line was under huge stress as it seemed like they were just putting this one out because it was time to put another book out. Thieves world is a GREAT series but one that needs to creative and varying influences of authors who are willing to really pull the reader into the world. I liked this book, but frankly it will sit on my shelf as a valued addition to my collection, but it will be a boring day indeed when I remove to read it again.

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


LYNN ABBEY
ROBERT LYNN ASPRIN
C.J. CHERRYH
ANDREW J. OFFUTT

In this dramatic final adventure, clouds of war gather over Sanctuary once again.And as warriors prepare for battle, thieves eagerly await a great dust storm to envelop the city.For then they can silently strike, slipping in and out of the raging currents of the storm...
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Description:
Welcome to SANCTUARY, a city of outlaws and adventurers in a world of war and wizardry, peopled with colorful characters created by today's top fantasy adventure talents, including: C.J. Cherryh, Janet Morris, Andrew Offutt, Diana L. Paxon, Robert Lynn Asprin, and Lynn Abbey.
In this tempestuous fourth volume, the Rankan Empire goes to war with a sorcerous enemy that uses weather as a weapon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Losing focus
The Thieve's World idea is a great one - get a collection of top story tellers to tell tales about a common location. Therefore there are rules to be followed and even common characters - but you get to see how each writer deals with the same ideas in their own, unique, and creative ways.

Unfortunately, this book is the weakest so far. In previous volumes, there was always a central focus or idea that made the collection a collection. Whether it was Vashanka the storm god, or curses and their effects, each of the stories hewed to that focus. In this volume that focus is lost.

At the end of the last book, a mysterious fleet appeared off the shore of Sanctuary. So, one would suppose that this volume would be all about the newcomers. How disappointing then to read all the stories and see those newcomers be very much in the background to almost not being mentioned in any story at all! Oh, we learn that they are called the Beysib ... and they are featured in a couple of entries ... but there is no mention of how they came to rule Sanctuary; why Kadakithis lets them do what they want (can you believe that they routinely conduct executions on city streets without the local government interfering in any way?); and what the rest of the empire may be doing about this invasion.

Instead we read about Tempus leaving; About Ischade and her moment of pity for a human being; etc. Now, don't get me wrong; some of the stories are very entertaining and enjoyable to read. But that's why I gave this book three stars rather than some lower rating!

Many of the characters from previous books return - although not all. In addition to the two I named above, your read a fun story about Lola the painter and his wife; Samlor the trade is back; Mradhon Vis makes an inexplicable return; Enos Yarl is more fully examined; and, of course, Hakiem appears in the Prologue to set the tone for the book. So, there are good stories here. The unfortunate part is that the book as a whole seems out of focus. Too bad.

One of the Better Thieves' World Books
This fifth volume in the Thieves' World series contains stories by Janet Morris, C.J. Cherryh, Asprin, Lynn Abbey, David Drake, and Diana Paxson - with Andrew Offut noticeably and thankfully absent.The stories range from the grotesquely gripping to the merely entertaining, and overall are more enjoyable than most of the previous Thieves' World books.The highlight is Paxson's "Mirror Image," which features the two only endearing characters in all of Thieves' World, the painter Lalo and his wife, Gilla.Lalo, you see, had been cursed/blessed.His portraits revealed the inner soul of the subject, not the exterior facade (thus his large, domineering wife appears as a goddess).In "Mirror Image," Lalo paints a self-portrait and the result is a very moving tale.Despite the false packaging (the "invasion" referenced in the title is hardly that, just an omnipresence of mysterious, powerful foreigners), The Face of Chaos is, perhaps, the first Thieves' World book I'd recommend without reservations.

Theives World Is Invaded!
A collection of top fantasy writers have contributed to this unique experience of tales. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Slow stories with little remarkable happening
Aftermath is the name of the book and an aftermath of sorts it is. In this 10th book in the series, there are only a few stories, and only a few of the characters that have made this series so memorable and interesting to read. As usual, there are contributions here from various authors with the proviso that while they use the same city, locations, and characters, none of the authors can kill the others' folks.

This book starts after Tempus and his two or three gangs leave the city and it is trying to recover from the wars of the gods that destroyed big portions of it in previous volumes. There are a couple of new characters being introduced, and several of the main ones from previous books show up, yet many of the mainstays make small cameo appearances - if they show up at all.

The pace of the stories is quite slower than the last few volumes and nothing much of substance takes place. Illyra coming to terms with her adopted baby, and prince Kitty Cat emerging from his shell are about the only two storylines that make any progress. On the other hand, the introduction of characters like Cade and the Shepherd makes an interesting new direction. Would you believe that Sanctuary is actually trying to improve and become a city that people might want to live in? How about building a new defensive wall around it as some people might wish to attack it?

In general I thought this book was relatively weak - which is why I gave it only three stars. Unfortunately, it appears that even the illustrator did not bother to read the book - or even any one story - as he depicts a situation that does not occur in the book. While we are told that the Basilisks do guard Enas Yorl's house, they are not depicted as birds, nor are they attacked by any man wielding a sword. This kind of sloppiness is what turns me off of series and it was a shame to see that in this one. I am also wondering if the novelty has worn off as there are significantly less contributors to this book.

So, to suammarize, a middling contribution to the series and a book that is basically filler material. If you are not already a fan of the series, then there is no reason for you to read it. If you are, then you want to read this to have a complete set.

Nearly perfect Thieves' World volume-- 4 and 1/2 stars.
Sometimes I think that the Thieves' World editions that work the best are the books with the least number of contributors. Whatever the formula, Aftermath functions beautifully as a book and has a lot of the good stuff that makes the series so addictive. There are a handful of really interesting new characters put into play (Star, Samlor, Cade). Additionally, a number of the more established dramatis personae makes some significant steps forward (Illyra, Kama and Hans).

Writers in this volume include: Asprin & Abbey, David Drake, Mark C.Perry, Janet Morris, John Brunner and Andrew Offutt.

After the minor disappointment of Book 8 and the more hopeful turn in Book 9, Thieves' World readers should really enjoy Aftermath. As usual, begin this series at the beginning. It will be too much work to catch up with the backstory if you try to jump in so late in the series.

Welcome to Santuary ~ Keep your hand on your wallet!
This is #10 in the Thieves World series and a fine explosive volume it is too.

We find Tempus and the Stepsons abandoning the war torn city of Sanctuary (can you believe the irony of the name?) as vicious rivalriesemerge from the rubble. The fate of the city hangs in the balance as thestruggle for power lurches on.

So come join this city of outlaws andadventurers in a world of war and wizardry, peopled with colorfulcharacters created by a legion of today's top fantasy adventure writers:Lynn Abbey, Robert Asprin, John Brunner, David Drake, Janet Morris, AndrewOffutt, Mark Perry and more. ... Read more