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A review by fifteenthjessica
Amazons II by Phyllis Ann Karr, Gordon Derevanchuk, Ardath Mayhar, Eleanor Arnason, Jo Clayton, Gillian Fitzgerald, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Gael Baudino, Tanith Lee, F.M. Busby, George R.R. Martin, Lee Killough, Lillian Stewart Carl
5.0
The second of Jessica Amanda Salmonson's collection of female-centered fantasy short stories is stronger than the first. The moods of the collected varied, so there is at least one story that a fantasy reader will enjoy fondly, as it includes traditional high fantasy as well as some that read like traditional folklore and fairy tales. While there were a few fumbled that the ending (Jo Clayton's "Nightwork" was anti-climatic and I felt like Clayton tried too hard to make it alien, and Lillian Stewart Carl's "The Borders of Sabazel" just sort of peters off in spite of a strong story and premise), unlike the first in this collection, I never loathed any of the stories, and the one story in the first Amazons! collection that relied on the "woman becomes a badass after being raped trope" was a slog that left a REALLY bad taste in my mouth.
My favorites are probably "Zroya's Trizub" (strong imagery and the choice to use Slavic lore instead of standard offbrand Medieval Europe is a nice choice), "The Robber Girl" (a fun fairy tale-like romp with a witty protagonist), "Lady of the Forest End" (another fun story with a small twist in the ending), "The Soul Slayer" (a strong adventure in post-apocalyptic Kansas with Fey influences), and "In the Lost Lands." (beautiful prose and it holds up when you reread it a few months later).
I should warn anyone thinking to read this that there is sexual content and that the danger of sexual assault and rape for the protagonist and some of her allies are a major factor in multiple stories. If you want to avoid sexual abuse in your fantasy reads, then only read "Southern Lights", "The Robber Girl," "The Ivory Comb," "The Borders of Sabazel", "Nightwork", and "In the Lost Lands".
My favorites are probably "Zroya's Trizub" (strong imagery and the choice to use Slavic lore instead of standard offbrand Medieval Europe is a nice choice), "The Robber Girl" (a fun fairy tale-like romp with a witty protagonist), "Lady of the Forest End" (another fun story with a small twist in the ending), "The Soul Slayer" (a strong adventure in post-apocalyptic Kansas with Fey influences), and "In the Lost Lands." (beautiful prose and it holds up when you reread it a few months later).
I should warn anyone thinking to read this that there is sexual content and that the danger of sexual assault and rape for the protagonist and some of her allies are a major factor in multiple stories. If you want to avoid sexual abuse in your fantasy reads, then only read "Southern Lights", "The Robber Girl," "The Ivory Comb," "The Borders of Sabazel", "Nightwork", and "In the Lost Lands".