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A review by alexctelander
Warriors by George R.R. Martin
3.0
When you purchase a copy of Warriors, even if you don’t get around to reading it right away, with its mighty girth it can serve a number of alternate uses such as a doorstop, a paperweight, a bookend, or anything else you can use a large brick-shaped object for; it is after all a 700+ page hardcover. But once you start reading this epic anthology of great storytelling, you won’t want to use it for anything else until you get to that last page.
In an interview (coming in August), editor Gardner Dozois reveals that the anthology was mainly George R. R. Martin’s idea, to request a specific group of authors to write a story about “warriors through the ages,” from a variety of different genres. The result is a massive anthology that features bestselling authors such as Diana Gabaldon, Robin Hobb, Peter S. Beagle, Steven Saylor, S. M. Stirling and Robert Silverberg; both Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin also have stories featured in this collection.
The anthology begins with a story from Cecilia Holland, entitled “The King of Norway,” revealing the tough world of the Vikings. There are some fantasy stories about classic warriors, but also fiction stories about people being warriors in different ways. One of the most unusual stories comes from James Rollins in “The Pit,” told from the viewpoint of a dog who has gone through a terrible life, kidnapped as a puppy and driven to madness and anger to be a fighting dog with the goal of killing its fellow kind and winning its master lots of money; but then it is rescued and doesn’t know if it can have a normal life again, until its master comes back to haunt its life.
The best and most interesting story of the collection, without a doubt, comes from an unlikely author in Carrie Vaughan with “The Girls from Avenger.” This is the story of the women of World War II that little is known about: the Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASPs. They were never allowed to fight in combat, but they were a necessary part of the military machine in flying planes to specific bases, testing and making sure they were all working fine. In this story a friend of a close group of WASPs dies under strange circumstances, while the military does everything it can to cover it up and pretend it didn’t happen; Em is not going to let that happen, and is going to do everything she can to get to the bottom of why one of her good friends is now dead.
Whatever type of story you’re looking for, you will find it in this wonderful collection. The idea of the warrior has many different meanings, and with the great variety of talented authors featured in Warriors, they all have a very unique story to tell.
For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.
In an interview (coming in August), editor Gardner Dozois reveals that the anthology was mainly George R. R. Martin’s idea, to request a specific group of authors to write a story about “warriors through the ages,” from a variety of different genres. The result is a massive anthology that features bestselling authors such as Diana Gabaldon, Robin Hobb, Peter S. Beagle, Steven Saylor, S. M. Stirling and Robert Silverberg; both Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin also have stories featured in this collection.
The anthology begins with a story from Cecilia Holland, entitled “The King of Norway,” revealing the tough world of the Vikings. There are some fantasy stories about classic warriors, but also fiction stories about people being warriors in different ways. One of the most unusual stories comes from James Rollins in “The Pit,” told from the viewpoint of a dog who has gone through a terrible life, kidnapped as a puppy and driven to madness and anger to be a fighting dog with the goal of killing its fellow kind and winning its master lots of money; but then it is rescued and doesn’t know if it can have a normal life again, until its master comes back to haunt its life.
The best and most interesting story of the collection, without a doubt, comes from an unlikely author in Carrie Vaughan with “The Girls from Avenger.” This is the story of the women of World War II that little is known about: the Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASPs. They were never allowed to fight in combat, but they were a necessary part of the military machine in flying planes to specific bases, testing and making sure they were all working fine. In this story a friend of a close group of WASPs dies under strange circumstances, while the military does everything it can to cover it up and pretend it didn’t happen; Em is not going to let that happen, and is going to do everything she can to get to the bottom of why one of her good friends is now dead.
Whatever type of story you’re looking for, you will find it in this wonderful collection. The idea of the warrior has many different meanings, and with the great variety of talented authors featured in Warriors, they all have a very unique story to tell.
For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.