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Legends 2
Tor Books is proud to present this unique publishing achievement in three mass market paperbacks available in September, November, and February. Each volume contains the first paperback publication of short novels all set in the worlds these master writers have made famous.
Second volume of the three volume mass market reprint of the first Legends anthology.
Debt of Bones (1998) Terry Goodkind
The Hedge Knight (1998) George R. R. Martin
Runner of Pern (1998) Anne McCaffrey
Second volume of the three volume mass market reprint of the first Legends anthology.
Debt of Bones (1998) Terry Goodkind
The Hedge Knight (1998) George R. R. Martin
Runner of Pern (1998) Anne McCaffrey
379 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
52 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,329 books1,627 followersThere are many authors in the database with this name.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 23, 2017
Volume 2 of Legends collections. This one features three more fantasy novellas from different authors. They are:
Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind.
A prequel story where we find out how Zed, as a young man, created The barrier. This probably makes little sense if you havn't read at least the original Sword of Truth. **** (if your a fan).
The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin
A Dunk and Egg story from A Song of Ice and Fire. Probably the first one as it tells the story of how Dunk became a knight. Not bad but I found there were too many names for such a short novella. And, Dunk and Egg have got to be the dumbest names in fantasy fiction. The introduction of this story was pretty funny as it lists the Fire and Ice novels as follows.
A Game of Thrones (1996)
A Clash of Kings (1998)
A Dance with Dragons (forthcoming)
The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
Then the introduction says "George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, which when complete will span four volumes." LOL. **** for story but -1 for confusing/silly names so a *** overall.
Runner of Pern by Anne McCaffrey.
A story that goes back to before the main Pern books when people were thinking that thread may not return. Human couriers called runners were the method of long distance communication and this is the tale on one such. My problem with this is that everyone knows the Dragons can teleport, so why would they send someone running across the continent with urgent communications?
***
Overall 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind.
A prequel story where we find out how Zed, as a young man, created The barrier. This probably makes little sense if you havn't read at least the original Sword of Truth. **** (if your a fan).
The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin
A Dunk and Egg story from A Song of Ice and Fire. Probably the first one as it tells the story of how Dunk became a knight. Not bad but I found there were too many names for such a short novella. And, Dunk and Egg have got to be the dumbest names in fantasy fiction. The introduction of this story was pretty funny as it lists the Fire and Ice novels as follows.
A Game of Thrones (1996)
A Clash of Kings (1998)
A Dance with Dragons (forthcoming)
The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
Then the introduction says "George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, which when complete will span four volumes." LOL. **** for story but -1 for confusing/silly names so a *** overall.
Runner of Pern by Anne McCaffrey.
A story that goes back to before the main Pern books when people were thinking that thread may not return. Human couriers called runners were the method of long distance communication and this is the tale on one such. My problem with this is that everyone knows the Dragons can teleport, so why would they send someone running across the continent with urgent communications?
***
Overall 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
February 10, 2013
The book contains three short stories. Each of the authors has written a multi volume Fantasy saga of some sort and all 3 stories are set in the respective worlds. Each short story has a preface, giving a summary of what those worlds are and the main story line of the actual sagas.
The Sword of Truth: Debt of Bones, Terry Goodkind
A world torn apart by war. A village is ransacked by the enemy and its inhabitants kidnapped. A woman travels to town to find the First Wizard and claim a debt - and his help to get her family back from the enemy.
I did not like the story very much. Part of it was that it reminded me of The Wheel Of Time - which I like - and that bothered me. Also I did not find the story very interesting or original.
A Song of Ice and Fire: The Hedge Knight, George R. R. Martin
An old wandering knight dies. His young squire takes up his weapons, armory and horses and travels to the next town to take part in a tournament and make a name for himself. On the way he picks up a stray boy, some friends and some enemies. And all of a sudden he finds himself in a challenge of life and death.
Now this story I liked a lot. Nice adventure yarn with entertaining and lively characters. I actually ordered the first book of the series, A Game of Thrones, through Amazon.
Pern: Runner of Pern, Anne McCaffrey
The reason I bought the book - I am a big fan of the Pern series. Set just before thread falls again. The only character from the series that popped up - Lord Groghe. The story centers around a young runner on her first big trip. Adventure with a little romance thrown in. Not a very substantial story, but a subject that did not get much coverage in the series. So it was a nice addition.
I don't know what someone, who has not read any of the series, would make of it. There is not much explaining of unusual words or the social structure of Pern, so it might be a bit confusing or unclear.
All in all the book was ok for a lazy afternoon, but nothing too exciting.
The Sword of Truth: Debt of Bones, Terry Goodkind
A world torn apart by war. A village is ransacked by the enemy and its inhabitants kidnapped. A woman travels to town to find the First Wizard and claim a debt - and his help to get her family back from the enemy.
I did not like the story very much. Part of it was that it reminded me of The Wheel Of Time - which I like - and that bothered me. Also I did not find the story very interesting or original.
A Song of Ice and Fire: The Hedge Knight, George R. R. Martin
An old wandering knight dies. His young squire takes up his weapons, armory and horses and travels to the next town to take part in a tournament and make a name for himself. On the way he picks up a stray boy, some friends and some enemies. And all of a sudden he finds himself in a challenge of life and death.
Now this story I liked a lot. Nice adventure yarn with entertaining and lively characters. I actually ordered the first book of the series, A Game of Thrones, through Amazon.
Pern: Runner of Pern, Anne McCaffrey
The reason I bought the book - I am a big fan of the Pern series. Set just before thread falls again. The only character from the series that popped up - Lord Groghe. The story centers around a young runner on her first big trip. Adventure with a little romance thrown in. Not a very substantial story, but a subject that did not get much coverage in the series. So it was a nice addition.
I don't know what someone, who has not read any of the series, would make of it. There is not much explaining of unusual words or the social structure of Pern, so it might be a bit confusing or unclear.
All in all the book was ok for a lazy afternoon, but nothing too exciting.
Want to read
June 16, 2016Was pretty happy to find this, mainly just because I wanna read the GRRM story ;)
October 19, 2022
My favorite fantasy anthology of all time. I read this book back in 2014 for the first time. Reading these stories again after 8 years was so nostalgic. The book contains 3 novellas by 3 great authors of modern fantasy. Back when I was reading this for the first time, I didn't even know who George R.R. Martin was. Even though I'm not a fan of Terry Goodkind's work, I loved his story they have picked for this book. Same with Anne McCaffrey's novella. These are 3 completely different fantasy stories set in 3 worlds vastly different from each other. These stories posses the power to transfer you to their worlds, specially when read together. So beware!
November 25, 2014
Sacrificing nerd credibility, I'll admit that of the three authors included in this collection, I was only familiar with George RR Martin. This made for an uneven reading experience. Even with introductions to get the reader grounded in each fictional universe, there's a tricky balance here to giving enough context for the story to make sense within the limited scope of the short works while not boring those who are already familiar with the universe, so the volume was a bit uneven.
Goodkind's Debt of Bones was probably the weakest story, but only in comparison to the others. It suffered most for the form- from awkward exposition shoehorned in as dialogue to the nagging sensation throughout that this would be far more interesting if I had read Goodkind's other books.
Martin's The Hedge Knight (more a novella than a short story) was a delight. Not sure how to talk about it without spoilers, but it's vintage George RR Martin: fully realized, fascinating characters, intrigue, high drama, and of course unanticipated deaths that leave you clamoring for a) the author's head and b) more stories, please.
I admired the world building in McCaffrey's Runner of Pern, but was ultimately disappointed that it served as a backdrop for a rather pedestrian meet-cute romance. Of the three stories, I was most interested to learn about the world of Pern, and instead we get a harvest festival and the charming and handsome son of a noble falling for the plucky and tempestuous runner... meh.
Goodkind's Debt of Bones was probably the weakest story, but only in comparison to the others. It suffered most for the form- from awkward exposition shoehorned in as dialogue to the nagging sensation throughout that this would be far more interesting if I had read Goodkind's other books.
Martin's The Hedge Knight (more a novella than a short story) was a delight. Not sure how to talk about it without spoilers, but it's vintage George RR Martin: fully realized, fascinating characters, intrigue, high drama, and of course unanticipated deaths that leave you clamoring for a) the author's head and b) more stories, please.
I admired the world building in McCaffrey's Runner of Pern, but was ultimately disappointed that it served as a backdrop for a rather pedestrian meet-cute romance. Of the three stories, I was most interested to learn about the world of Pern, and instead we get a harvest festival and the charming and handsome son of a noble falling for the plucky and tempestuous runner... meh.
September 7, 2015
DEBT OF BONES: I read this one many years ago as a stand-alone hardcover. I remember thinking Goodkind must have a pretty devoted fanbase if he can get away with selling them a mediocre novella for $20 a pop. It's a decent fairy tale-type story, short and sweet. The twists at the end are a bit cheesy, and it's not really very well written, but it does contain a bunch of neat concepts.
THE HEDGE KNIGHT: Since I live under a rock, this was my first time delving into the GAME OF THRONES universe. THE HEDGE KNIGHT started out slow but eventually had me on the edge of my seat. A very visceral and satisfying read.
RUNNER OF PERN: A little too feminine for my taste. McCaffrey establishes an interesting mythos in which "runners" basically serve as the Pony Express of their world. However, the second half of the story is basically a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy.
THE HEDGE KNIGHT: Since I live under a rock, this was my first time delving into the GAME OF THRONES universe. THE HEDGE KNIGHT started out slow but eventually had me on the edge of my seat. A very visceral and satisfying read.
RUNNER OF PERN: A little too feminine for my taste. McCaffrey establishes an interesting mythos in which "runners" basically serve as the Pony Express of their world. However, the second half of the story is basically a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy.
April 28, 2022
Three excellent stories from three excellent authors. Beg, borrow, or cast a spell to get your copy. And make sure your armour is polished to a really high sheen to blind your opponent(s) so they can't deprive you of your book.
September 28, 2011
Only reading the George R.R. Martin part
November 7, 2016
hhhmm. I liked the George Martin story best, then the pern. never really was a fan of goodkind
March 30, 2026
George R. R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight" is among his best work, eclipsing almost every SONG OF ICE AND FIRE novel as well as every other short story he's written. It's a masterpiece.
And it's tied here to a garbage Terry Goodkind story and a rare misfire from Anne McCaffrey that was so dull I couldn't finish the tale.
Dunk and Egg deserve better company.
And it's tied here to a garbage Terry Goodkind story and a rare misfire from Anne McCaffrey that was so dull I couldn't finish the tale.
Dunk and Egg deserve better company.
July 12, 2024
Same 3 stories as in Volume 1. Only finished 2 Runner of Pern,
Debt of Bones. These were all good.
Debt of Bones. These were all good.
December 25, 2010
This was one of the most important books that I read years ago that sparked my interest in some authors that I was not aware of. I had been out of the fantasy loop for quite a few years. I am from the Tolkien, McCaffrey, Brooks, Donaldson era, and I was out of touch. This book and the second volume, as well as the Legends II books of the last decade are essential if you want to jump into fantasy but do not know where to start. Start with vol. 1! What follows are my brief reviews of the stories in this volume:
Terry Goodkind's DEBT OF BONES is a nice little prequel to the The Sword of Truth. Once I read this, I was intrigued enough to hunt down a copy of WIZARD'S FIRST RULE. I have been a big fan ever since!
THE HEDGE KNIGHT by George R.R. Martin was my first story from the series known as A Song of Ice and Fire. I loved this little tale and I am reading it right now (December 24, 2010) again for the third time!
RUNNER OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey where she takes us back to Pern. This was the only one of these legends that I was already familiar with and I loved this new tale.
Terry Goodkind's DEBT OF BONES is a nice little prequel to the The Sword of Truth. Once I read this, I was intrigued enough to hunt down a copy of WIZARD'S FIRST RULE. I have been a big fan ever since!
THE HEDGE KNIGHT by George R.R. Martin was my first story from the series known as A Song of Ice and Fire. I loved this little tale and I am reading it right now (December 24, 2010) again for the third time!
RUNNER OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey where she takes us back to Pern. This was the only one of these legends that I was already familiar with and I loved this new tale.
July 7, 2023
This is a misleading title
Legends. Originally, published in 1998 and featuring 11 stories by established authors in their established worlds. This is 3 of those stories and is marketed as if it were an actual follow-up to that.
The Sword of Truth: Debt of Bones Terry Goodkind
A Song of Ice and Fire: The Hedge Knight George R. R. Martin Pern:
Runner of Pern Anne McCaffrey
Why would it be called Legends 2 and not Legends {Vol 2}?
Legends. Originally, published in 1998 and featuring 11 stories by established authors in their established worlds. This is 3 of those stories and is marketed as if it were an actual follow-up to that.
The Sword of Truth: Debt of Bones Terry Goodkind
A Song of Ice and Fire: The Hedge Knight George R. R. Martin Pern:
Runner of Pern Anne McCaffrey
Why would it be called Legends 2 and not Legends {Vol 2}?
September 29, 2013
Three short novels from Terry Goodkind, George R. R, Martin, and Anne McCaffrey are well written and provide a nice fantasy fix in small doses.
Each tell a full story and leave the reader wanting just a bit more information even though the story is complete.
Each tell a full story and leave the reader wanting just a bit more information even though the story is complete.
October 17, 2013
an inspiring collection of stories, that started me reading books like the Game of Thrones, and Wild cards... I bought it originally because of the anne mccaffrey Robert silverberg stories.
September 8, 2011
A good story and interesting insight into the history of Westeros, the Targaryen dynasty, and some characters we've grown to love.
November 1, 2011
Novellas which fit existing series of works by well known authors:
Terry Goodkind; George R.R. Martin and Anne McCaffrey.
Terry Goodkind; George R.R. Martin and Anne McCaffrey.
March 21, 2012
I have only read two of the stories here, none of the other's interested me. The ones i read are by Robin Hobb and George RR Martin.
Read
February 21, 2012Legends 2 : Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy by Terry Goodkind (1999)
January 6, 2013
Excellent.
January 19, 2014
I only read "The Hedge Knight." It was the only story I was interested in. I loved it. It was too short. It was cool reading about a Westeros in which all the Targaryans haven't been killed.
June 3, 2014
Enjoyed all three stories, but The Hedge Knight was definitely the standout.
February 26, 2014
Great short tales of modern fantasy. George R.R. Martins "The Hedge Knight" is the clear standout.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews