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The Book of Swords

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The Book of Swords

By: Gardner Dozois - editor
Narrated by: Arthur Morey, John Lee, Katharine McEwan, Kim Mai Guest, Elliot Hill, Steve West, Richard Brewer, Nicholas Guy Smith, Kirby Heyborne, Ralph Lister, Mark Deakins, Julia Whelan
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About this listen

An epic collection of fantasy tales in the grand tradition, including a never-before-published A Song of Ice and Fire story by George R.R. Martin and an introduction by Gardner Dozois.

Fantasy fiction has produced some of the most unforgettable heroes ever conjured onto the page: Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Classic characters like these made sword and sorcery a cornerstone of fantasy fiction, and an inspiration for a new generation of writers, spinning their own tales of magical adventure.

Now, in The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and bestselling author Gardner Dozois presents an anthology of sixteen original epic stories by a stellar cast of modern masters, including George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix, Ken Liu, Daniel Abraham, Scott Lynch, Cecelia Holland, Ellen Kushner, and more on journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid adventure, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel.

 Action & Adventure Anthologies & Short Stories Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Short Stories Magic Adventure Mythology

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR GARDNER DOZOIS’S PREVIOUS COLLECTION, DANGEROUS WOMEN:

‘This meaty collection delivers something for nearly every reader’s taste as it explores the heights that brave women can reach and the depths that depraved ones can plumb’
Publisher’s Weekly
All stars
Most relevant
Anthologies are mixed bags by nature, so I rate them based on how much I enjoyed my favourite entry. And I REALLY enjoyed 'The Mocking Tower'. You can also find it free to read online, and can listen to it in 'The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year: Volume Twelve 10'. I strongly recommend doing both. It's a great story, clever, enticing, and rich in its fantasy as well as its character and thematic work.

Regarding the other entries in this particular collection, only George R. R. Martin's really stuck with me, and I'd say it's a solid 4 stars.

4.5 stars for 'The Mocking Tower'

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