Masters of Fantasy - Hardcover

Adult/High School–This volume presents new stories set in several series of proven and lasting popularity, by some of the best writers in the genre. They include Mercedes Lackey ("Valdemar"), Andre Norton ("Witchworld"), Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye ("Myth Adventures"), Alan Dean Foster ("Spellsinger"), Christopher Stasheff ("Warlock"), and David Drake ("Isles"). Other selections by Mickey Zucker Reichert, Margaret Weis and Don Perrin, Janny Wurts, Elizabeth Moon, Mike Resnick, and David Weber round out this impressive collection. Most of the stories manage the tricky task of introducing a whole new universe with economy while telling a story that is amusing, compelling, interesting, spellbinding, or all of the above. Though anthologies can be difficult for libraries to merchandise, this one could be very useful. Novice fantasy readers who liked J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" series or Marion Zimmer Bradley's TheMists of Avalon (Ballantine, 1984) often find the search for "more like this" both frustrating and disappointing; though there are many other series, packaged similarly, they vary widely in style and quality. In this collection, readers who are not familiar with particular series are given an excellent sample of each, to see whether it suits their interests and tastes, and of course experienced fans of the genre will welcome these new outings in familiar universes.–Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.