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A review by lizthedragon
Dangerous Women, Vol. 1 by George R.R. Martin
3.0
I'll review each of these short stories individually. The theme of the collection is dangerous women and each of the short stories include an intriguing female character, except this one:
Novella: The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens by George R.R. Martin (ASOIAF)
Rating: 2/5
The only inclusion that I found lackluster was Martin's novella, The Princess and the Queen. I should have paid more attention to the cover before expecting more, it has a quote that says: "Reads like Martin's outline for a Game of Thrones prequel that never was." And that's what it is, a short story written as if by a historian that reads like a short history of a power struggle. There're so many opportunities for interesting description--such as the fights between dragons--and the writing is instead dull. The characters could have been full of nuance, but he uses the "historian's perspective" to excuse not giving them motivations, just actions.
If Martin makes this into a full novel, I'll read it and enjoy it. But this version is just a long outline of a plot and was tedious to read.
On to the short stories, which I did enjoy!
“Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn:
Rating: 3/5
Raisa Stephanova was a perfect length with almost no wasted words. It didn't end in a way that I expected, but it wasn't overall a big surprise. Imagine a female fighter pilot who needs to prove that women can in fact fight during WWII in Russia, and you'll have a good idea of the main character. It was enjoyable to read and I finished it in a sitting.
“I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block
Rating: 5/5
This one was outstanding and as a result I've added some of [a:Lawrence Block|17613|Lawrence Block|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1303856083p2/17613.jpg]'s books to my to-read list. The story is written from the perspective of a man whose character is extremely compelling and downright dirty--I'm not certain I wanted to be in this man's head, but once I was there I couldn't stop reading. Excellently crafted and full of surprises, this story was perfect.
“Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm
Rating: 3/5
Not a whole lot to say about this one. It was fine to read, but it didn't really capture me either. I wasn't really sympathetic to any of the characters in particular and I didn't find the plot that compelling. Not badly written, just not for me.
“Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale
Rating: 4/5
This one stuck with me. It's about two men who fought over a woman in their young age and kept the fighting spirit alive into their eighties and a kid who needed a role model. There's a bit of coming of age, a bit of reconciliation, and some characters that you could imagine sitting down in a coffee shop with to have a long chat. Very well written.
“My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott
Rating: 2/5
Like with neighbors, I don't have much to say here. The plot should have been full of tension and suspense and... but I found I didn't really care. Not for me.
“Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland
Rating: 4/5
This one made me wish I knew more of the history behind it. The perspective character is a boring child, but the struggle between her parents is excellent. We don't get all the details because it's from the child's perspective. I'd love to know what really happened in the history this is based off of. Very well written.
Novella: The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens by George R.R. Martin (ASOIAF)
Rating: 2/5
The only inclusion that I found lackluster was Martin's novella, The Princess and the Queen. I should have paid more attention to the cover before expecting more, it has a quote that says: "Reads like Martin's outline for a Game of Thrones prequel that never was." And that's what it is, a short story written as if by a historian that reads like a short history of a power struggle. There're so many opportunities for interesting description--such as the fights between dragons--and the writing is instead dull. The characters could have been full of nuance, but he uses the "historian's perspective" to excuse not giving them motivations, just actions.
If Martin makes this into a full novel, I'll read it and enjoy it. But this version is just a long outline of a plot and was tedious to read.
On to the short stories, which I did enjoy!
“Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn:
Rating: 3/5
Raisa Stephanova was a perfect length with almost no wasted words. It didn't end in a way that I expected, but it wasn't overall a big surprise. Imagine a female fighter pilot who needs to prove that women can in fact fight during WWII in Russia, and you'll have a good idea of the main character. It was enjoyable to read and I finished it in a sitting.
“I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block
Rating: 5/5
This one was outstanding and as a result I've added some of [a:Lawrence Block|17613|Lawrence Block|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1303856083p2/17613.jpg]'s books to my to-read list. The story is written from the perspective of a man whose character is extremely compelling and downright dirty--I'm not certain I wanted to be in this man's head, but once I was there I couldn't stop reading. Excellently crafted and full of surprises, this story was perfect.
“Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm
Rating: 3/5
Not a whole lot to say about this one. It was fine to read, but it didn't really capture me either. I wasn't really sympathetic to any of the characters in particular and I didn't find the plot that compelling. Not badly written, just not for me.
“Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale
Rating: 4/5
This one stuck with me. It's about two men who fought over a woman in their young age and kept the fighting spirit alive into their eighties and a kid who needed a role model. There's a bit of coming of age, a bit of reconciliation, and some characters that you could imagine sitting down in a coffee shop with to have a long chat. Very well written.
“My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott
Rating: 2/5
Like with neighbors, I don't have much to say here. The plot should have been full of tension and suspense and... but I found I didn't really care. Not for me.
“Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland
Rating: 4/5
This one made me wish I knew more of the history behind it. The perspective character is a boring child, but the struggle between her parents is excellent. We don't get all the details because it's from the child's perspective. I'd love to know what really happened in the history this is based off of. Very well written.