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%T The Crafters
%A Christopher Stasheff & Bill Fawcett, eds.
%I Ace
%D December 1991
%O paperback, US$4.50
%P 246
%G 0-441-12130-6
Back in seventeenth-century Salem, alchemist Amer Crafter and a
witch named Samona cheat Death, fall in love, and marry. The fruit of
this unlikely union is a line of magic-using descendants -- and ten
upbeat, competently written stories by established fantasy authors
tracing their influence upon history through the generations.
Something (possibly the slogan "The Bewitching New Series!" gracing
the cover in prominent white letters) tells me that this fundamentally
light-hearted volume is destined to spawn a new shared-world series. [CCO]
%T Servant of the Empire
%A Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
%I Bantam
%D December 1991
%O paperback, 691 pp, US$5.99
%G 0-553-29245-5
Do you remember Tekumel, the exotic world that was the playing ground in
the game "Empire of the Petal Throne"? The Tsurani empire Feist and Wurts
depict in "Servant of the Empire" feels a lot like Tekumel (it even
includes a sentient insect species resembling the Pe Choi). But Feist and
Wurts choose to focus, not on demons and sorcerors, but on one Ruling Lady,
of a minor house, whose courage, wit, and willingness to listen to strange
barbarian ideas enable her to unravel the web of intrigues against her. If
you love to lose yourself in tales of exotic, quasi-Oriental empires, you'd
find "Servant" marvelous airplane reading. [CCO]
RECEIVED BUT NOT REVIEWED:
The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey (TOR). YA quest fantasy with cute dragons.
Orc's Opal by Piers Anthony (TOR). Yet another fantasy sequel...
Under Alien Stars by Pamela F. Service (Fawcett). Harmless juvie.
The Changes by Peter Dickinson (Dell). Reissue from 1975.
The Silent Warrior L.E.Modesitt (TOR). Reissue from 1987.
The Ruby Knight by David Eddings (Del Rey)
Up to Eric's Home Page | To Index | Thu Feb 06 16:30:48 EST 1992 |
Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>