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Sword and Sorceress #22
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress 22
WOMEN OF MAGIC AND VALOR... For over two decades, the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, best-selling and beloved author, discovered and nurtured a grand generation of popular and acclaimed authors including Mercedes Lackey, Jennifer Roberson, and a host of others. Authors who have appeared within the pages of Sword and Sorceress represent the full spectrum of some of the brightest talent working today -- from C.J. Cherryh, Charles de Lint, and Emma Bull... to Laurell K. Hamilton, Diana L. Paxson, and. Deborah J. Ross. We are proud to continue the classic and vibrant feminist tradition with this new volume, edited by Elisabeth Waters, secretary and co-editor to Mrs. Bradley. Here are sixteen original stories of powerful women, swashbuckling and magic, spells and duels, arcane sorcery and heroic sacrifice, written by familiar spell-weavers of adventure and bright newcomers who are sure to become favorites. Enter a wondrous universe... Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress
269 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2007
6 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Elisabeth Waters
133 books57 followersElisabeth Waters sold her first short story in 1980 to Marion Zimmer Bradley for The Keeper's Price, the first of the Darkover anthologies. She then went on to sell dozens of short stories to a variety of anthologies. Her first novel, a fantasy called Changing Fate, was awarded the 1989 Gryphon Award. Its sequel is Mending Fate, published in 2016.
She currently writes short stories and has edited the Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which ended with Sword and Sorceress 34.
She has also worked as a supernumerary with the San Francisco Opera, where she appeared in La Gioconda, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Khovanschina, Das Rheingold, Werther, and Idomeneo.
She currently writes short stories and has edited the Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which ended with Sword and Sorceress 34.
She has also worked as a supernumerary with the San Francisco Opera, where she appeared in La Gioconda, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Khovanschina, Das Rheingold, Werther, and Idomeneo.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 22, 2007
The twenty-first volume of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress came out in 2004, and many readers (myself included) mourned what we thought would be the end of the series. Happily, a new publisher has picked up the torch.
For anyone unfamiliar with the series, the book collects sword & sorcery tales with strong female protagonists, a broad enough theme to encompass a variety of good stories from authors both experienced and new. I settled down, cracked open the book ... and found myself vaguely disappointed. The first few stories didn't satisfy me. Had I romanticized the series so much that nothing could live up to my expectations?
But no, as I read further, I found stories that drew me in. Stories where the struggles felt real, and the heroines fought toward endings both satisfying and believable. I even ended up recommending one (Bearing Shadows, by Dave Smeds) for the Nebula.
After a rocky start, I enjoyed somewhere around half to 2/3 of the stories, which makes for a pretty good collection.
Sword & Sorceress XXII continues the legacy Marion Zimmer Bradley began, presenting stories of strong women (stories that don't bash the reader over the head with "message") by both experienced and new authors. The trade paperback format still feels a little weird, but I can get used to that.
All in all, I'd say this one's worth buying, both for some strong stories, and to support one of the oldest anthology series in the genre.
(Bonus trivia: Norilana Books, the publisher behind Volume XXII, is run by Vera Nazarian, one of the writers Marion Zimmer Bradley mentored years ago.)
For anyone unfamiliar with the series, the book collects sword & sorcery tales with strong female protagonists, a broad enough theme to encompass a variety of good stories from authors both experienced and new. I settled down, cracked open the book ... and found myself vaguely disappointed. The first few stories didn't satisfy me. Had I romanticized the series so much that nothing could live up to my expectations?
But no, as I read further, I found stories that drew me in. Stories where the struggles felt real, and the heroines fought toward endings both satisfying and believable. I even ended up recommending one (Bearing Shadows, by Dave Smeds) for the Nebula.
After a rocky start, I enjoyed somewhere around half to 2/3 of the stories, which makes for a pretty good collection.
Sword & Sorceress XXII continues the legacy Marion Zimmer Bradley began, presenting stories of strong women (stories that don't bash the reader over the head with "message") by both experienced and new authors. The trade paperback format still feels a little weird, but I can get used to that.
All in all, I'd say this one's worth buying, both for some strong stories, and to support one of the oldest anthology series in the genre.
(Bonus trivia: Norilana Books, the publisher behind Volume XXII, is run by Vera Nazarian, one of the writers Marion Zimmer Bradley mentored years ago.)
January 5, 2009
I've been a long time fan of the series, and I was excited to learn that it would be continuing after Bradley's death. A small press release, the quality is quite nice and the stories are varied and satisfying.
Edra's Arrow is a good story whose telling is a bit choppy. The pacing is slow, and the language is easier to read. It took me awhile to settle in, but I liked the ending.
A Nose For Trouble throws you right into the midst of the world. It's a simple story, one that's well paced and twists just at the right places. It was quite enjoyable, and I really liked the setting and would've liked to see more of the world.
Night Watchers was really hard to sink into. The prose really didn't draw me in at all, and made it hard to enjoy the story at all so I ended up skimming most of it. It seemed to relay on you already knowing the characters, so perhaps I'd like it more if I had access to the story that comes before it.
Vanishing Village had an excellent premise that has the promises of being heart touching, but is dragged down by bland characters. A story with a brief moral and barely a glimpse into its world. I liked it, but it could have been better.
Pearl of Fire was an excellent, smooth read. I liked the story and the characters, but it felt like it ended early and the plot didn't really wrap up at the end.
The Ironwood Box drew me along, but had a flat ending . The most fairy tale like story in the anthology.
Bearing Shadows stands out, both in length and quality. It does leave me wanting for a bit more explanation, and it has a slow pace that at times it drags on, but it has a resolution that ties things up even if it leaves me wanting.
Black Ghost, Red Ghost is another with an excellent world that I'd liked to see more of. The plot is a touch predictable, but satisfying in how it wraps up.
The Decisive Princess is short and the distance the narrative keeps from the characters makes it feel more tell then show. I like the deviousness of the characters, and wish I could have gotten closer to them.
Child of the Father is one of my favorites. A detailed world, solid characters, a deeply satisfying ending, and an excellent twist that plays with the basis of the anthology.
Child of ice, Child of Flame should have either had a different title, or placed elsewhere in the anthology. I liked the details of the world, but the plot is confusing and the characters distanced. I like it, but it could have been better.
Skin and Bones has an okay premise, an enthralling world, decent characters, and a twist that makes the story take a turn for the gruesome. Definitely one of the stand-outs for me.
Crosswart Puzzle was confusing and muddled. Who was who? What was going on? The prose is good, but I couldn't make heads or tales of the story and in the end it was just forgettable.
Fairy Debt is cute, quirky, and fun. A fairy tale style story. The premise is amusing, the world rich with clever details, and the plot uplifting and heartwarming with a satisfying ending. One of my favorites.
Tontine has a beautiful premise , and a heartbreaking story I absolutely love. It flashes by quickly and leaves some questions at the end, as well as coming full circle in a bittersweet way. My pick of the anthology.
The Menagerie ends the anthology on a light, humorous tone. It's short, and the prose a bit rough, but it's cute and wraps things up on the right tone with a fun twist.
Edra's Arrow is a good story whose telling is a bit choppy. The pacing is slow, and the language is easier to read. It took me awhile to settle in, but I liked the ending.
A Nose For Trouble throws you right into the midst of the world. It's a simple story, one that's well paced and twists just at the right places. It was quite enjoyable, and I really liked the setting and would've liked to see more of the world.
Night Watchers was really hard to sink into. The prose really didn't draw me in at all, and made it hard to enjoy the story at all so I ended up skimming most of it. It seemed to relay on you already knowing the characters, so perhaps I'd like it more if I had access to the story that comes before it.
Vanishing Village had an excellent premise that has the promises of being heart touching, but is dragged down by bland characters. A story with a brief moral and barely a glimpse into its world. I liked it, but it could have been better.
Pearl of Fire was an excellent, smooth read. I liked the story and the characters, but it felt like it ended early and the plot didn't really wrap up at the end.
The Ironwood Box drew me along, but had a flat ending . The most fairy tale like story in the anthology.
Bearing Shadows stands out, both in length and quality. It does leave me wanting for a bit more explanation, and it has a slow pace that at times it drags on, but it has a resolution that ties things up even if it leaves me wanting.
Black Ghost, Red Ghost is another with an excellent world that I'd liked to see more of. The plot is a touch predictable, but satisfying in how it wraps up.
The Decisive Princess is short and the distance the narrative keeps from the characters makes it feel more tell then show. I like the deviousness of the characters, and wish I could have gotten closer to them.
Child of the Father is one of my favorites. A detailed world, solid characters, a deeply satisfying ending, and an excellent twist that plays with the basis of the anthology.
Child of ice, Child of Flame should have either had a different title, or placed elsewhere in the anthology. I liked the details of the world, but the plot is confusing and the characters distanced. I like it, but it could have been better.
Skin and Bones has an okay premise, an enthralling world, decent characters, and a twist that makes the story take a turn for the gruesome. Definitely one of the stand-outs for me.
Crosswart Puzzle was confusing and muddled. Who was who? What was going on? The prose is good, but I couldn't make heads or tales of the story and in the end it was just forgettable.
Fairy Debt is cute, quirky, and fun. A fairy tale style story. The premise is amusing, the world rich with clever details, and the plot uplifting and heartwarming with a satisfying ending. One of my favorites.
Tontine has a beautiful premise , and a heartbreaking story I absolutely love. It flashes by quickly and leaves some questions at the end, as well as coming full circle in a bittersweet way. My pick of the anthology.
The Menagerie ends the anthology on a light, humorous tone. It's short, and the prose a bit rough, but it's cute and wraps things up on the right tone with a fun twist.
December 8, 2018
Sword and sorcery anthology with female protagonists. ..actually very good stories. Been years, at least fifteen or more, since I read my way through this series of books. The last four I bought but never read..this one published 2007. Usually, I start at number one and work my way up to the latest unread ones but this time I decided to read the latest first. I enjoyed it enough to go on to the next one.
October 24, 2013
Oh, I have to admit while knowing about this long running anthology, I'd never actually read any of its volume - which has clearly been my loss if this one is anything to judge by. A very nice blend of funny, serious and thought provoking stories. And a substantially good ratio of hit to miss stories for me. I've lined all the following volumes to go through and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the entertain me just as much.
And then I'll see about getting the previous volumes.
Recommended for fans of the genre.
And then I'll see about getting the previous volumes.
Recommended for fans of the genre.
October 22, 2007
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress series continues on with a new, strong entry. The anthology covers a lot of topics and ideas, and bounces from one female lead to another with little transition. There's vanishing villages, then evil feng shui, and princesses on a mission. Still, each story stands on its own merits, making this easy to read and even easier to enjoy. Start with "Bearing Shadows" by Dave Smeds though; I promise you it's that good.
May 21, 2012
This was a perfectly serviceable entry in a fine series; it is neither the best nor the worst of the lot. This is true both in terms of the quality of the stories in it, and in terms of the smoothness of the editing.
I am very glad to hear that the series will be continuing; I look forward to reading volume XXIII.
I am very glad to hear that the series will be continuing; I look forward to reading volume XXIII.
April 18, 2016
The stories, like many anthologies, ranged from ho-hum to truly excellent. I felt that "Black Ghost Red Ghost" and "Tontine" fell towards the ho-hum, while "Edra's Arrow" and "Bearing Shadowns" were both excellent. "Child of the Father"fell somewhere in between, as did "Pearl of Fire". Overall, a nice selection of new stories.
May 15, 2008
It seemed to me there was a bit of a range in quality between some of the stories, but overall I really enjoyed this anthology. I'd like to mention specific stories I especially enjoyed, but unfortunately my memory isn't detailed enough and I've already returned the book to the library.
July 28, 2008
I loved this series growing up, but despite a few interesting ideas there wasn't really much that caught my attention in this volume. Technically, I didn't even read all the stories - but I might go back someday and try to.
June 7, 2009
The usual collection of short stories--most of them I really enjoyed. I always look forward to reading the S&S collections since I know I'll be entertained. (Plus several years ago they had the sense to publish one of my sister's stories.)
For 30.
For 30.
January 1, 2010
Nice. I think this anthology should have ended with the second-to-last story, though.
June 22, 2012
great anthologies
April 16, 2015
I've already read the softcover version, working on the kindle edition
April 10, 2016
I love this series, but this one was only OK.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews