| Lords of Swords provides all the trappings of heroic fantasy with its 13 tales of valor, honor, and glory. Avoiding the tendencies of many modern fantasy writers to make their stories either highly convoluted or to add modern socio-political sensibilities to fantasy settings, this collection presents fantasy stories in the classic vein. Heroes are heroes. Villains are villains. And honor is about keeping your oath and holding fast to tradition, not being politically correct. |
| The opening tale, John C. Hocking's Vali's Wound, sets the stage for the rest of the collection. A young Viking confronts one of the Valkyries to defend a fellow warrior. His own weapon having been destroyed in a previous battle, he attempts to stand against the Chooser of the Slain with a borrowed weapon. Intrigued by his bravery, she makes him an offer that would spare the life of his friend. |
| The second story, D.K. Latta's Something Dwells 'Neath Hannah Town, is a gorgeously dark and exciting tale. When Kainar, Guardsmaster of Hannah Town, begins investigating a series of grisly murders, he uncovers a strange underground hideaway full of terrifying creatures. But are these creatures truly monsters, or are they only seeking to protect their own? Latta does a wonderful job creating a sense of place for the reader, carefully crafting each sentence to build the tension and move along the story. |
| My favorite story in the collection was Vera Nazarian'sThe Slaying of Winter. Nazarian's tale of vengeance, honor, and forgiveness centers on Iliss, a young woman who seeks revenge against the Northsmen who killed her brother and slaughtered her people by killing the very god they worshipped. She finds an unlikely, and unwelcome, ally among the Northsmen, and together they seek out the god Trei. But gods are only found when they want to be, and the ending is poignant and profound. This collection also features an interesting little tale by Vampire Earth series author E.E. Knight. That of the Pit introduces us to Knight's new fantasy hero, The Blue Pilgrim., and a strange but entertaining story of commerce, intrigue, and adventure. Fans of the genre will find stories from popular favorites such as Tanith Lee to fresh new voices like Beth Scope (definately a new writer to watch). |
| The editor has done a wonderful job with the story selection. Each story both compliments the others in the collection and yet stands out on its own as an exciting journey for the reader. This is a must-have collection for fans of fantasy fiction. |
| Lords of Swords Edited by Daniel E. Blackston Pitch-Black Books Paperback, 301 pgs ISBN 097588400X |