Rating: Summary: Some advice that may be helpful Review: This version of legends is divided into three parts, if you search for Robert Silverberg you can find it in one volume for about the same price, so that you get all three parts together for about a third of the price As to the book,I can only review the second part (I made the mistake of ordering legends 2 thinking that it was all 11 stories, but it was really just three.) The three stories that were in it were:Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin and Runner of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey Of the three I read, The Hedge Knight was definitely the best, it has alot of action and the grimly real, but exciting story that only Martin can provide. It is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Martin's excellent series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Debt of Bones was good, and it showed me what type of a writer Goodkind is,(I haven't read anything by him but that, but it got me interested and I bought the first book in his series, The Sword Of Truth. Runner of Pern was probably the one I least liked, I knew nothing about Anne McCaffrey, and it was okay, but not nearly as good as The Hedge Knight. Be sure to buy the edition with all 11 stories, I have just ordered the full edition, Most all of the writers in the 11 stories, I have read before and it is interesting to have a short work to read by them, about a different part of their world. This will also help you get aquainted with writers you havn't read before, see their writing style, and decide if you want to read more of them.
Rating: Summary: Great Read! Review: This was a pretty good book. I have the complete version of it though. I liked most of the stories but I think the author's should of written more about, well, their main characters. Most of the stories had nothing to do with the book except that it's in that particular world. I don't know, I don't find that too interesting. It's kind of pointless really. Anyways, I enjoyed the stories anyways because the authors are great writers.
Rating: Summary: Just what you'd expect Review: What would you expect from 11 short stories from 11 of the best selling famous of modern fantasy writers? The stories are set in the same worlds of the original best selling works. The results are pretty much the same as the originals, in other words best selling quality short novels. If you liked the original you'll enjoy the short story. The stories all add something without being crucial. If you're a fan of any of the authors listed, or just wanted to read something by them then you should check out this book. I give it an A on the StuPage Book Reviews.
Rating: Summary: Legends are not born, they are written. Review: Robert Silverberg's idea to collect short stories and novellas from some of this era's most notable and talented Fantasy authors is pure cream-filled joy for fans of the Genre. Despite having read the pertinent series by Stephen King, Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, Terry Goodkind, and Orson Scott Card, this book opened up new worlds to explore and new chapters in some of my favorite series.My favorites were the ones by King, Williams, Silverberg, Feist, and McCaffrey. I have lost all interest in Terry Goodkind mostly because I find his characters to be wooden and uninteresting, and this story was no more compelling than the last book of his that I read. Goodkind also has a penchant for the "gotcha" ending, something that is frustrating to any reader who struggles to find logical connections between events and character motivation. The best of this book, however, is The Hedge Knight by George R. R. Martin. I had never heard of Martin when I picked up Legends, and the first thing I did after finishing The Hedge Knight was to go pick up his novel "A Game of Thrones." Thanks to this book, I am now a fan of what may be the best epic fantasy series ever written, and yes, that includes Tolkien, Goodkind, and Jordan. The Hedge Knight is a simple tale of a young man recently knighted trying to make a name for himself in a tournament. The plain and honest style of Martin's prose hooks you in, and suddenly you care very deeply about this hedge knight, Dunk, and what is to become of him as he runs afoul of a vain and dangerous prince. Set approximately 100 years prior to the events that begin in "A Game of Thrones," this tale is a wonderful introduction to Martin's Westeros and the rich mythology and history he has built into it. I was also intrigued by Feist's The Wood Boy, a tale that, for all it's positioning and setting as a chapter in a tale of strange alien invaders, is about nothing more complex than human nature and the compulsions that make us what we are as a species. Silverberg's Majipoor is also a very intriguing world, and I will be investigating it in the future. Terry Pratchett's entry is also a key one, showing that not all fantasy need to be deadly serious or take itself very seriously at all. Pratchett almost recalls Douglas Adams' contributions to Science Fiction. I think most Fantasy fans will be very happy with this book, largely becuase it is not a one-trick pony. There's something in here for every fan of the genre. Are you into fantastic worlds of extremes and mythology? Try Majipoor. Do you like to read tales that chill you and freeze your blood? The little sisters of Eluria are your ticket. Curious about an America that might have been? Orson Scott Card is yor man. Into knights and jousting, intrigue and politics? Martin and Jordan are for you. You can hardly go wrong buying this book, because if even one of the stories catches your interest, there's a new author for you to love. Thank you, Robert Silverberg.
Rating: Summary: What can I say that hasn't been said? Review: Wow. My dad got me this as a gift a few years ago, and i have been consistently re-reading it since. All of the stories are masterpieces, even more so in that they are all less than a few hundred pages, yet still present a rich, textured world, unique to each story. This book has led me to 5 different series, 3of which i have completed again and again (I just can't seem to find the rest of the other 2). All of the stories are exquisite. New Spring, by Robert Jordan, last story in the book, has affected me the most. It was one of the last stories I read, not just for being last, but I have read the 7000+ page series again and again in the last few years. I have not read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, but the story by Tad Williams is very complex; it took me a few readings to get the full plot. A great older read. The Earthsea story isn't really connected to the other books, but they are good. And Ms. Le Guin has also written a few kids books. The Hedge Knight, by George R.R. Martin, is most likely my favorite story. I haven't gotten around to reading the series yet, but it's on my list. Wonderful storytelling and action. King, as always, is absolutely stunning. Leaving no violence or sex out, this serves as a wonderful intro or stand-alone. The Little Sisters of Eluria is a #1 first story choice. The Feist story was a bit wierd, and kind of unfufilled. The Seventh Shrine was the last story I read. I think i was a bit put off by its length. It was worth the time, and i still have yet to pick up a book of the series. And I won't settle for subliminal messages: BUY AND READ THE BOOK! NOW!! Oops, I seem to have left out the Card story. It is funny, and linked to a wonderful series whose depth so far is rarely equaled in my reprtoire. The Ender series, also by the same author, is much more famous, and about par, on a totally different subject. a very funny yarn, when the rest of the series is slightly more somber.
Rating: Summary: Be careful, the revs & book info for all 3 vols are mixed up Review: I purchased this book looking for the stories by King and McCaffrey, only to find out that they are in a different volume. The reviews and book info are the same for all three volumes, so I suppose this review will also be listed on all three. Anyway, this is a review for LEGENDS 3! There are four stories in Legends 3: New Spring, by Robert Jordan, a Wheel of Time story. Dragonfly, by Ursula K. Le Guin, an Earthsea story. The Burning Man, by Tad Williams, a Memory, Sorrow and Thorn story. The Sea and Little Fishes, by Terry Pratchett, a Discworld story. This is a case where they saved the best for last :) Each story gets progressively better. I thought I would go ahead and read this book rather than return it since I am always on the lookout for new (to me) fantasy writers. After all the hype about Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, I must say I was sorely dissappointed. The story was fairly interesting, and maybe the books are better than this short story, but I can't say I'm in much of a hurry to buy them now. However, I think maybe my daughter might like the children's versions. Dragonfly was better, and the ending was the best part of all. If this was the beginning of the series, I'd be much more likely to want to buy the books, but from what I can figure out, this happens at the end of the series. Will we ever find out what happens next? I kinda doubt it. There hasn't been a new book in this series for a long time. But, I might eventually check this series out. The Burning Man was pretty cool. It seemed to kinda stand alone though. Can't really imagine what the series is like. The Sea and Little Fishes was the coolest. The whole Discworld thing, the world being flat and flying thru space on the backs of four elephants riding on a giant turtle was a little weird, but that hardly had anything at all to do with the story. It was about witches, not so much about magic as how they interacted with one another and with the mortals all around them. I think I'd like to read more of these. I hope you find this helpful and don't make the same mistake that I did, thinking all of these stories are in one book, because they are actually in three. If you did find it helpful, please vote that you did. Thanks!
Rating: Summary: THIS is what we've all been missing! Review: There are many of us who have never read Jordan's "Wheel of Time", who indeed are overawed by the vast mass of his epic work. Herein lies the answer: "New Spring", a single story that can serve as an introduction to the whole of Jordan's world. It is marvelously entertaining in its own right; as well, it contains glimpses of the past and future that no Jordan aficionado should miss.
Within this volume, one can find not one, but eleven novellas by the finest talespinners of our age. Each represents an essential element of one of the world's greatest fantasy series. Were Tolkein alive today, doubtless a tale of Middle-Earth would grace these pages... but surrounded by this awesome store of treasures, his absence can be but scarcely noted.
I have no doubt that this is the finest fantasy anthology yet seen by my generation. Neither the collector nor the serious reader should permit it to pass by.
Rating: Summary: Terry Pratchett Junky Review: Yes I know it's probably outrageous to the other authors of this book (but I don't care); I bought it for the Terry Pratchett short novel. The Terry Pratchett short novel "All the little fishes" (in case your wondering) takes place on discworld, revolving around Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg and the witch trials. These are the trials they have at the Ramtops every year where each witch proves her worth and shows off her magic ability. If you have the Nanny Ogg cookbook or want to learn more about the witch trials there are references to it in there. It is an excellent short story around 80 pages. However what makes it worth reading is that it really has the No-nonsense gritty fun of Granny Weatherwax proving she is the best of all the witches! Nothing like a contest of wills to bring out the wickedness. If you like Granny weatherwax or are at least smart enough to be afraid of her this story is for you! The other authors are worth a glance too, after all they got famous for some reason or other. I do have to admit Anne McAffery also tempted me to get the book as there is a pern dragon saga story as well, and her stuff is also a good read for sci-fi fans.
Rating: Summary: An amazing short story Review: I would have to say Robert Jordan's submission to Legends is perhaps his best work. This was a short story, about 80 pages. It was almost a completely new writing style. Gone were his repetitive descriptions and explanations. For this story, Jordan assumes the Reader has read the series and creates a much more fast paced and interesting plot. It is also a change to able to finish one of his stories in one day. All of the information remains fresh, I never struggled to remember why something was happening. Additionally the plot was well constructed. Reading about Moraine and Lan while they were younger was quite interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Robert Jordan's writing.
Rating: Summary: Jordan's story is worth it alone! Review: If you're at all a fan of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time saga (and how could you not be!) then this book is worth the buy for that story alone. It details how Lan and Moiraine first met...awesome. The story is incredibly detailed and the plot doesn't stop twisting until the final sentence is read. Jordan is truly a modern master. I haven't even read any of the other stories yet but it's got Terry Goodkind, Anne McCaffrey and Stephen King as well as about NINE others. After finishing the Robert Jordan story I immediately hoped on Amazon and bought the other two editions and can't wait to read those!
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