Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Subterranean Press (2009), Edition: Deluxe, 128 pages
Description
A Fantasy Medley features the superlative storytelling abilities of four diverse authors: In Zen and the Art of Vampirism, Zoe Takano, the only vampire in Toronto, a city filled with supernatural creatures of Kelley Armstrong s Otherworld, finds her place in the hierarchy threatened by two interlopers. Riding the Shore of the River of Death returns us to the world of Kate Elliott s Crown of Stars. Kareka, daughter of the begh of the Kirshat, hunts to take a man s head. It is her last opportunity to prove herself as a man or else she will find herself restricted to the role of woman and wife in the clan forever. Robin Hobb revisits her Farseer world in Words Like Coins. Mirrifen, a failed hedge-witch s apprentice who has married to find security finds that threatened by a severe drought and the appearance of a pregnant female pecksie.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jjmachshev
I liked three of the four stories contained in "A Fantasy Medley", edited by Yanni Kuznia and with stories by Robin Hobb, Kelley Armstrong, C.E. Murphy, and Kate Elliott. What I didn't like was the hardback price for less than 150 pages of reading! Tsk, tsk.
Kelley Armstrong provides "Zen and the
"Riding the Shore of the River of Death" by Kate Elliott is apparently set in her 'Crown of Stars' world. I confess that I haven't read Elliott's series and that may be why I found this story the darkest, and most disappointing. A tale of a woman who risks everything to escape an unwanted life. 39 pages.
A cold and witchy tale about friendship and betrayal, "From Russia, with Love" by C.E. Murphy gives a different look at the Baba Yaga myths. 25 pages.
Robin Hobb completes the foursome with "Words Like Coins". For me, the best of the bunch and a wickedly tight tale that almost reads like a current Aesop offering. Right and wrong, and influence vs reality. 34 pages.
I'm not sorry I read "A Fantasy Medley". It's certainly quite different from the 'normal' offerings by the authors I'm familiar with. It is, however, darker fantasy than I'm used to reading. It's also, as I said before, irritatingly short for the cost.
Kelley Armstrong provides "Zen and the
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Art of Vampirism" which was quite a darkly humorous tale of a pacifist vampire and her non-violent battle to defend her city against two interlopers. 23 pages."Riding the Shore of the River of Death" by Kate Elliott is apparently set in her 'Crown of Stars' world. I confess that I haven't read Elliott's series and that may be why I found this story the darkest, and most disappointing. A tale of a woman who risks everything to escape an unwanted life. 39 pages.
A cold and witchy tale about friendship and betrayal, "From Russia, with Love" by C.E. Murphy gives a different look at the Baba Yaga myths. 25 pages.
Robin Hobb completes the foursome with "Words Like Coins". For me, the best of the bunch and a wickedly tight tale that almost reads like a current Aesop offering. Right and wrong, and influence vs reality. 34 pages.
I'm not sorry I read "A Fantasy Medley". It's certainly quite different from the 'normal' offerings by the authors I'm familiar with. It is, however, darker fantasy than I'm used to reading. It's also, as I said before, irritatingly short for the cost.
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LibraryThing member Jennisis
What a great group of authors to come together in one book. Two stories of high fantasy and two urban fantasy authors weave their tales in this short little appetizer of a book.
Robin Hobb's "Words Like Coins" was the strongest story of the 4 - probably why it was last in the book. Kelley
All in all, the only thing keeping me from rating this 5 stars is the fact that it is so short!
Robin Hobb's "Words Like Coins" was the strongest story of the 4 - probably why it was last in the book. Kelley
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Armstrong's "Zen and the Art of Vampirism", the first story in the collection, is true KA style with a strong female lead, and a dash of humor to temper the macabre. C.E. Murphy's "From Russia with Love" re-introduces Daisani and Janx from her Negotiator series and pits them against the great Baba Yaga and her daughter. Last but not least is Kate Elliot's "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" - the longest story in the book. I think I would have ranked this story higher if I had read more of her other works and was more familiar with her world. Still, an engrossing read.All in all, the only thing keeping me from rating this 5 stars is the fact that it is so short!
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
A Fantasy Medley, published by Subterranean Press and edited by Yanni Kuznia, includes four fantasy stories. Each story is set in the worlds already created in the authors' novels. Having never read an work by the other three authors, I was most excited to be able to read Murphy's story because I
"From Russia, With Love" is a story of the Old Races and is about the rivalry between Janx and Daisani (two of the Negotiator series' most enigmatic characters) as they attempt win the affection of a barmaid, who happens to be Baba Yaga's daughter. As usual, it was fantastic. I most loved the protrayal of Baba Yaga, who is brutal and powerful and wicked, just as she ought to be. I also liked that this story presented witches, and therefore the possibility of other supernatural creatures that exist outside the restrictions of the old races.
I was quite please to discover that the other stories were wonderful, too.
Kelly Armstrong's "Zen and the Art of Vampirism" (set in Otherworld) is a sassy piece about Zoe Takano, a vampire forced to deal with two vampires who want to supplant her in Toronto, a city filled with supernatural creatures. Zoe is exactly the kind bad ass, fast talking heroine that I love. I expect that her novels in which Zoe appears will be just as fun and witty as this story.
"Riding the Shore of the River of Death" (I drool over this title), written by Kate Elliot, revisits the world of her novel The Crown of Stars. In this story, Kareka, the daughter of the of the begh of Kirshat, must succeed in the hunt in order to prove herself a man or she will be forced into the role of woman and wife forever. I love the gender play in this, how manhood and womanhood in this tribe can defined by what you do and how you act rather than sex alone. The culture of these clans is so detailed, even in this small space, that I feel they could be quite real. The tale is deflty weaved, presenting a fascinating look at a dark and brutal world.
Returning to the Farseer world, "Words Like Coins," by Robin Hobb (I almost wrote Robin Hood *sigh*), looks at how precision of speach can mean all the difference in the world. Mirrifen is a failed hedge-witch apprentice, who has married for security, but her sense of safety is jarred by drought and the arrival of a pregnant pecksie. I love the folklore in this story, and how easily and quickly misundertandings and ignorance can lead to dangerous situtions.
I did get a feeling some times while reading the other three stories that I was missing out on some inside joke that only readers of the complete novels would get. But each of these stories made me want to go out and read the novels so that I could further explore the worlds in which they were set. (which I think was the point). All around, I would say that this is a successful, if short, collection of fantasy story. It's just a pity that the books were given such a small run (and are therefore sold out), because I would definitely recommend this book to others.
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already love her Negotiator series, (about a mortal woman getting mixed up in the complexities of the Old Races)."From Russia, With Love" is a story of the Old Races and is about the rivalry between Janx and Daisani (two of the Negotiator series' most enigmatic characters) as they attempt win the affection of a barmaid, who happens to be Baba Yaga's daughter. As usual, it was fantastic. I most loved the protrayal of Baba Yaga, who is brutal and powerful and wicked, just as she ought to be. I also liked that this story presented witches, and therefore the possibility of other supernatural creatures that exist outside the restrictions of the old races.
I was quite please to discover that the other stories were wonderful, too.
Kelly Armstrong's "Zen and the Art of Vampirism" (set in Otherworld) is a sassy piece about Zoe Takano, a vampire forced to deal with two vampires who want to supplant her in Toronto, a city filled with supernatural creatures. Zoe is exactly the kind bad ass, fast talking heroine that I love. I expect that her novels in which Zoe appears will be just as fun and witty as this story.
"Riding the Shore of the River of Death" (I drool over this title), written by Kate Elliot, revisits the world of her novel The Crown of Stars. In this story, Kareka, the daughter of the of the begh of Kirshat, must succeed in the hunt in order to prove herself a man or she will be forced into the role of woman and wife forever. I love the gender play in this, how manhood and womanhood in this tribe can defined by what you do and how you act rather than sex alone. The culture of these clans is so detailed, even in this small space, that I feel they could be quite real. The tale is deflty weaved, presenting a fascinating look at a dark and brutal world.
Returning to the Farseer world, "Words Like Coins," by Robin Hobb (I almost wrote Robin Hood *sigh*), looks at how precision of speach can mean all the difference in the world. Mirrifen is a failed hedge-witch apprentice, who has married for security, but her sense of safety is jarred by drought and the arrival of a pregnant pecksie. I love the folklore in this story, and how easily and quickly misundertandings and ignorance can lead to dangerous situtions.
I did get a feeling some times while reading the other three stories that I was missing out on some inside joke that only readers of the complete novels would get. But each of these stories made me want to go out and read the novels so that I could further explore the worlds in which they were set. (which I think was the point). All around, I would say that this is a successful, if short, collection of fantasy story. It's just a pity that the books were given such a small run (and are therefore sold out), because I would definitely recommend this book to others.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009-04
Physical description
128 p.; 5.75 x 0.5 inches
ISBN
159606224X / 9781596062245
Local notes
A collection of short fantasy novellas, mostly tie-ins to existing series.
Kelley Armstrong - Zen and the Art of Vampirism
Kate Elliott - Riding the Shore of the River of Death
CE Murphy - From Russia, With Love
Robin Hobb - Words Like Coins
Kelley Armstrong - Zen and the Art of Vampirism
Kate Elliott - Riding the Shore of the River of Death
CE Murphy - From Russia, With Love
Robin Hobb - Words Like Coins