#24 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Silverberg, Robert
#36 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( W ) > Williams, Tad
#40 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( F ) > Feist, Raymond E.

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Brimming with action and energy, wit and charm, pathos and joy, Silverberg's anthology of short novels from 11 masters of fantasy, six of whom contributed to the original Legends (1998), provides a dazzling display of the genre's variety and versatility. Otherland fans will welcome Tad Williams's The Happiest Dead Boy in the World as a chance to visit with an old friend they never thought to see again. George R.R. Martin's The Sworn Sword, which continues the story of Dunk and Egg that he began in the first Legends, will also please his readers. All the returning authors more than live up to their reputations, except for Anne McCaffrey, whose Beyond Between, an ill-conceived explanation of what happens when a dragon fails to return from between, strikes the book's lone sour note. Yet for all the returnees' star power, it's the new authors who truly shine here. Elizabeth Haydon's entry, Threshold, follows five doomed friends left to guard the remnants of a civilization about to be destroyed in a cataclysm after most of the populace has already fled to a safe haven: a stunning tale of courage and honor, duty and friendship, it may be the book's best entry. Robin Hobb's Homecoming, the story of the settlement of the Rain Wild River and one woman's journey to independence, is the other contender. Terry Brooks, Diana Gabaldon, Raymond E. Feist, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman and Silverberg round out the all-star cast.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

A two-course fantasy/sci-fi offering, Legends II features a theme of dragons. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire: The Sworn Sword offers a tale of both noble and ignoble knights and squires and a medieval-style turf war. Graeme Malcolm brings warmth, humor, and fluid characterization to each colorful player. Pern: Beyond Between, voiced by Alyssa Bresnahan with theatric ease, presents a gentler, more reflective view of a future planet populated by dragons and the colonists who coexist with them. Warmly recorded escapism for fans of fantasy. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly the masters, Mar 19 2004

By	Joe Williams (Plano, Texas) - See all my reviews

One reviewer asked why various authors including Mary Gentle and C J Cherryh were not included in this book of master of fantasy. I agree that they should not have been. The people listed here write fantasy for the most part, not science fiction or horror, and are for the most part better and certainly more popular authors than those. The only possible exceptions I see is Silverberg, who writes Sci Fi but is definitely a master of it, McCaffrey, who has lost her touch in a big way, and Gabaldon, who writes romance and should have been left off the roster altogether.

It's always wonderful to read Orson Scott Card when he writes the Alvin Maker stories. George Martin has a style that transcends much of the genre. I am really sorry that Stephen King didn't do another Dark Tower tale, as that is probably my favorite from the last book. Robin Hobb did a credible job, and Elizabeth Haydon was by far the hands down winner of this collection.

These definitely are the masters, if you can overlook a few of them. I recommend it as a great read if you are into series fantasy. If you aren't, you may still find it entertaining, but you have to really follow the series to get the ultimate enjoyment out of seeing these side tales.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Report this

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth it!, Feb 16 2004

By	Dave Liles (Mansfield, Oh) - See all my reviews

This book has definitely rekindled my interest in Fantasy. While I have not finished it yet, I found the works by Robin Hobb (my first time here), Raymond Feist, and, of course, the great Silverberg to be especially good. I look forward to reading he rest. I recommend it.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Report this

3.0 out of 5 stars Legends II, Feb 3 2004

By A Customer

Here's a caveat: I only read about half of the stories in this anthology, because only about half of the authors do work that interests me. I don't know exactly why the "masters of modern fantasy" couldn't include CJ Cherryh, or Tanith Lee, or Mary Gentle, or Ellen Kushner, or Chaz Brenchley. But apparently they don't.

Quibbles with the selection process aside:

I liked Robin Hobb's Rain Wild story. Though it doesn't reveal anything readers of the novels won't know, it is a strong character-driven work with plenty of tension.

I was a bit disappointed in George Martin's Ice & Fire story. It is well-written, but it doesn't attain the level of grimth his work often does. (Though there is a very cool fight scene.) The twist ending happens a bit too fast and wraps things up a bit too neatly for me.

Diana Gabaldon's Lord John story also disappointed me a bit, for three reasons: no actual speculative element; a somewhat confused plot that feels not quite put together yet; and NO romance, despite tantalizing hints. Unfair! Still, it's an interesting time period and a character with a lot of potential. I didn't know about the novel and I mean to go read it now.

Don't read Anne McCaffrey's Moreta story. That's all I can say. It totally spoils the tragedy of the novel Moreta, it has several internal inconsistencies, and it lacks tension. I'd reread the novel instead.

Neil Gaiman's Shadow story is very good -- in fact I think I liked it better than I did American Gods. It's atmospheric and skillfully written. I wanted to know more about the significance of the ritual, and more about what the freeing of the gods would mean, but it's still a good one.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Report this

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 8 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Legends is one of the best fantasy collections
In 1998 Robert Silverberg edited a collection of fantasy stories titled "Legends". That collection included stories by some of the best and most popular fantasy authors of the... Read more

Published on Jan 30 2004 by Joe Sherry

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot and Cold
This book was recommended to me by a librarian friend. It is about 50-50 good and not-so-good. The stories that are worth reading are Elizabeth Haydon's, Robin Hobb's, Diana... Read more

Published on Jan 14 2004 by Amy Rittenaur

5.0 out of 5 stars A tasty appetizer
The best part of this book is reading new stories by some of my favorite authors while waiting for their new books to be released. Especially Diana Gabaldon and George R. Read more

Published on Jan 4 2004 by Supervallie