The Book of Swords Hardcover – 19 Oct. 2017

I will take the liberty of offering a score and brief review of each story as follows:The Best Man Wins - 4/10-----------------------------------Well written revenge story, but the ending becomes obvious far too early.His Father's Sword - 3/10----------------------------------I could read this story again (but I don't want to) and still have not the faintest idea what it's about.The Hidden Girl - 5/10------------------------------Slightly weird assassin trope story.The Sword of Destiny - 6/10-------------------------------------An interesting series of events, but I had little sense of characterization.“I am a Handsome Man,” said Apollo Crow - 8/10-----------------------------------------------------------------Rome with magical beings: an interesting story.The Triumph of Virtue - 5/10--------------------------------------Lots going on, but sadly no magicThe Mocking Tower - 6.5/10---------------------------------------There's a message buried somewhere in this story, but I couldn't find it.Hrunting - 8.5/10-----------------------A good story set in the Beowulf universe about a young lad who goes to retrieve a sword.A Long Cold Trail - 8/10--------------------------------Good and entertaining tale about knightly deeds. One of the best stories here.When I was a highwayman - 6/10--------------------------------------------A fairly good story that ended too abruptly for me.The Smoke of Gold is Glory - 9/10----------------------------------------------Without doubt the best story in the book - but they do rely on that sorceress a lot.The Colgrid Conundrum - 9/10-----------------------------------------Another great story, this one about a pair of adventurers.The King's Evil - 9/10----------------------------Good story that failed to make its point clear to me.Waterfalling - 4/10------------------------Too illogical for me - and I found those one-sentence chapters irritating.The Sword Tyraste - 6.5/10------------------------------------A revenge story - nothing out of the ordinary.The Sons of the Dragon - 4.5/10-------------------------------------------Another of GRRM's histories; flat and irrelevant to the main series. The time spent on this could have been far better used finishing "Winds of Winter."As one can see, the overall quality of the stories is quite indifferent, with the better ones in the latter part of the collection. My usual measure of a good book is that I would read some or all of it again; if it's really good then over and over again. I can't see myself doing so with this. I feel this anthology to be a little overpriced due to the GRRM name at the top; one wonders what price it would command without that and with consideration of the content.Overall it's worth a read, and like all anthologies, uneven.

I bought this, like many I suspect, as it contains a new GRRM tale but read the others as I knew many of the other names. It is definitely worth a read with the tales varying from above average to excellent. The anthology approach is always a mixed bag but this is a good assortment and worth trying them all.

I mainly bought this book to read GRRM's section. But this collection of tales introduced me to so many amazing talented writers that I'm now bound to read and explore their fantasy world.

So much fun. Thank you mr. Dozois

As it says on the tin

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

brilliant

good wee anthology