Product Description

Here in one affordable volume is the best short fantasy of the year as selected from magazines, anthologies and journals. It includes stories by Jack O'Connell, Brian Hopkins, Rosemary Edghill and many more. It is the first in a prestigious new series from ibooks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
The first of the iBooks Year's Best Fantasy series, and a good book, too, making it over the 3.50 mark at 3.55, and with no dodgy stories.

Quite a pleasing volume, even if no standout quality stories.

Fantasy Best of 2001 : The Bones of the Earth - Ursula K. Le Guin
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Legerdemain - Jack O'Connell
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Diving the Coolidge - Brian A. Hopkins
Fantasy Best of 2001 : The Mould of Form - Rosemary Edghill
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Eternity and Afterward - Lucius Shepard
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Wolves Till the World Goes Down - Greg van Eekhout
Fantasy Best of 2001 : The Lady of the Winds - Poul Anderson
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Ave de Paso - Catherine Asaro
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Grass - Lawrence Miles
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Slipshod at the Edge of the Universe - Robert Thurston
Fantasy Best of 2001 : Hell Is the Absence of G0d - Ted Chiang

Local mastery.

4 out of 5


Refugee book experience recovery.

3.5 out of 5


Ghost rescue, with cat.

4 out of 5


Goodfellow pirate Hooked.

3.5 out of 5


Magic mafiya's dead dude disco.

4 out of 5


No End Of the World Blues.

4 out of 5


"Aialas glance lingered more than it pierced. I do not really wish to destroy you, Cappen Varra, she told him slowly. You have a rather charming way about you. Butshould you disappoint meyou will understand that one does have ones position to maintain."

3.5 out of 5


Earth Lord demons.

3 out of 5


Presidential mammoth herd.

3 out of 5


We might find out. Or not.

3 out of 5




... Read more

Product Description
Norilana Books proudly presents the debut title of our new romantic fantasy imprint Leda...

Introducing LACE AND BLADE -- an original new anthology series of elegant romantic fantasy, edited by Deborah J. Ross, premiering on Valentine's Day 2008.

In the spirit of classic period swashbucklers, Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and D'Artagnan, brimming with romantic courtly intrigue and dangerous liaisons, with cloak and dagger and perfumed handkerchiefs, the language of the fan and stolen glances, with the manners of Jane Austen and the sparkling rapier wit of Oscar Wilde, here are nine fantastic stories of adventure, derring-do, love, and glamorous yet subtle magic, by such stellar authors as Tanith Lee, Catherine Asaro, Diana L. Paxson, Madeleine E. Robins, Robin Wayne Bailey, Dave Smeds, Mary Rosenblum, Chaz Brenchley, and Sherwood Smith.

Don't hesitate another moment... step into a sophisticated other world where passion is a courtly mistress, mystery is moonlight on steel, and magic is the god of love.

En garde, mon amour!

"LACE AND BLADE offers a banquet of adventure, intrigue and romance. There's something here to delight the palate of every reader's inner swashbuckler!"
-- Jacqueline Carey

"A fun ride from beginning to end, with engaging characters and an interesting setting."
-- S. M. Stirling ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

pretty good!
I got this for the Catherine Asaro story. But I did enjoy a few of the other ones as well. Especially The Beheaded Queen by Dave Smeds. I really enjoyed that one. That was one that I wished continued into a book. I wanted to know more and how things went on from where it left off. I felt the same with The Topaz Desert by Catherine Asaro. I love her work. This is a short story based in the same world as her Lost Continent series. Ive read them all and have re read a few of them. I love the whole series. It's fantastic. The short story in this book though ends very abruptly for obvious reason. It's a short story, not a novel. But it could be one, it has the potential. I liked the set up and what it was getting to. I wanted to know what happened to them in the end and where things ended up.

Excellent new collection of mannered fantasy
I really enjoyed almost every story in this anthology, most of which have a charming swashbuckling quality to them. These are very mannered fantasy/romance stories, reminiscent of the writings of Tanith Lee, Jack Vance, Alexei Panshin or Ellen Kushner's "Swordspoint." Looking forward to reading Volume 2, which is just out.

Romance, Adventure and Magic--Well Worth the Read
Highwaymen, court intrigue, romance, derring-do, swash-buckling adventure--along with other worlds and magic; it's a potent mix.And a more varied and interesting mix of tales and settings than one would think.There are swordswomen and unwise ingenues, Brazilian magic, werewolves, duels, demons, horrific spells, obsession, betrayal, jewels, unexpected love, dastardly lords, slavery, eunuchs, and royal intrigue; nine tales crafted by Tanith Lee, Catherine Asaro, Sherwood Smith, Diana L. Paxon, Chaz Benchley, Mary Rosenblum, Dave Smeds, Robin Wayne Bailey and Madeleine E. Robins.

I am usually not a huge fan of story anthologies, but I found the theme intriguing and well represented by these stories.I found this collection well worth the read and will definitely look for the second collection of LACE AND BLADE.

Sword and Socery lives!
It's diverse, fun, frightening in places and often sexy.What a good literary party this is!The stories are all well done, though a couple of them didn't appeal to me personally.That's the advantage of anthologies, though:you get to pick and choose.

I hope Norilana keeps on doing these.

Could have been better
I was so excited to get this book, but after I read it I found myself disliking it enormously. I am a huge fan of court politics, Scarlet Pimpernelesque adventures, and sweeping romance and the stories themselves were all well-written. But I cringed every single time that out of the characters that these fabulous writers created almost all seemed to be after loose sex. That's the impression that I got when I walked away from the book. Are these things truly necessary? I really don't think so. I think that people who write about trash like that don't show their true talent as a writer.
The ideas behind the stories were good and they were well-written but the sex in the book was too huge of a turn-off to positively recommend this book of anthologies. ... Read more

Product Description
Nebula Award winner Catherine Asaros tales of the Skolian Empire have earned tremendous acclaim and a devoted following. War between the Eubian Concord and the Skolians has devastated the galaxy before. Now another epic clash is brewing, and the leaders of both empires might be powerless to stop it. Further complicating matters, both men hide shocking secrets that could spell their doom.Asaro uses dazzling imagery, superb storytelling ability, interesting science and intriguing drama ...Publishers Weekly ... Read more