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Rating: 
Summary: For anyone looking for a highly engaging read.
Review: Firebird, a new imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, offers reprints of classic fantasy and science fiction books for both teenage and adult readers. One of their most recent original releases is a one-of-a kind anthology appropriately titled FIREBIRDS.
This magical collection covers a wide range of genres --- fantasy, romance, time travel, adventure, and suspense. Popular authors such as Garth Nix and Lloyd Alexander contribute tales, along with strong, newer voices Michael Cadnum and Megan Whalen Turner.
A description of a couple of the stories hardly does this vivid collection justice, but it does show that there is something for all readers here. In Nix's "Hope Chest," sixteen-year-old Alice, who is adopted, is surprised when the never-opened magic chest that she was discovered with as a baby springs open to reveal some powerful guns. Her hands know what to do with them but her heart does not, until evil comes to her town. In Turner's "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box," a child is slipped through the slot for night deposits, and is raised by the bank and its workers. The child, Penny, is happy enough until someone comes to claim her "deposit."
Editor Sharyn November is known for seeking input from teens, which is undoubtedly a large part of what makes this collection so strong. FIREBIRDS is a great gift for the many devoted fans of fantasy stories, or for anyone looking for a highly engaging read.
--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio
Rating: 
Summary: "An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction"
Review: Let me begin by saying that I am not a huge fan of short stories: I prefer larger novels that I can really sink into, and of course short stories can only whet one's appetite. But when I saw the calibre of the authors presented here, I had to have a read: Lloyd Alexander, Garth Nix, Diana Wynne Jones, Meredith Ann Pierce, Patricia McKillip - wow! I adore all these authors, but had never experienced any of them in short story format. Maybe because my expectations were too high, or maybe because of my bias against short stories, reading became a little tedious after a while, and though I never regret reading a book, I doubt I'll be picking up this particular anthology again. However, there are some gems spotted in amongst them, and the skill of the authors involved is to be recommended:"Cotillion" Delia Sherman - a retelling of the Tam Lin tale in 1960's New York, with a few tweakings and an unfortunate case of love at first sight. Beautiful imagery though. "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" Megan Whalen Turner - a comic-fantasy tale of a bank that takes an abandoned baby into its care, and the evil enchantress than turns up many years later to "withdraw her niece". "Beauty" Sherwood Smith - a 'sequel' of sorts to "Crown Duel", which was unbeknownst to me when I began reading it. Ironically enough, I had checked out "Crown Duel" from the library at the same time as this anthology and now know how the story ends. Sigh. "Mariposa" Nancy Springer - a nice little story about a young woman searching for her soul, left in the care of the fishes that swim in the stream at her childhood home. "Max Mondrosch" Lloyd Alexander - don't expect Alexander's usual fantasy-comic fare in this story: it's a dark, disturbing tale of a man who does everything he can to succeed, and *still* fails. "The Fall of Ys" Meredith Ann Pierce - one of my very favourite authors retells the legend of sunken Ys from a slightly more feminist point of view. Pierce's stories are always worth while, and her name was the main reason why I picked up this book. "Medusa" Michael Cadnum - a dreamy version of the Medusa myth, more poetry than prose, with a poignant ending. "The Black Fox" Emma Bull and Charles Vess - the adaptation of an old English ballad into comic book form, in which a hunting party comes across a demonic black fox...or is it? "Byndley" Patricia A. McKillip - again, another author that doesn't disappoint, weaving her extraordinary language about a wizard trying to find his way back into Faery, to return something that he once stole. "The Lady of the Ice Garden" Kara Dalkey - try and see how long it takes you to see what European fairytale Dalkey has retold in a Japanese setting. A great idea, though with a rather unexpected ending for her young hero and heroine. "Hope Chest" Garth Nix - as usual his descriptions are detailed and intricate, but the story (a blend of Western and fantasy) rather baffled me, and left about a thousand questions unanswered. Sorry Nix, I love your "Old Kingdom" trilogy, but this just wasn't my cup of tea. "Chasing the Wind" Elizabeth E. Wein - definitely the odd one out, considering that this isn't even a fantasy story. A young girl travels over Africa to join her missionary parents. "Little Dot" Diana Wynne Jones - quintessential DWJ fare: bizarre magics, mythological gods and creatures brought into the modern world, quirky humour, and lots and lots of cats. J. K. Rowling has *definitely* read DWJ. "Remember Me" Nancy Farmer - a nice, but kinda forgettable story of a changeling child and her misunderstanding family. "Flotsam" Nina Kiriki Hoffman - a short story that perhaps tries to squish too much into it: a grieving family, an otherworldly boy, the magical backstory that gives explanation for why he's there, how the family deals with the magics, a high-school crush, and how they get him back home again. "The Flying Woman" Laurel Winter - out of all the stories, this one has the most potential for being expanded into a book. After being abandoned on a desert island (presumably due to their powers) two children fend for themselves until they find a mysterious winged woman washed up on the shore. The editor is Sharyn November (who I've never heard of before!) and after each story is a comment from the author on the stories that they've presented here. Oh, and just in case you get the wrong idea: none of them are about Firebirds - that's the name of the imprint. Looking over my list, I concur that this *is* a decent series of stories, and for those that enjoy the authors or the format, then its well worth exploring.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful reading
Review: There are very few books out there that I can honestly see myself reading multiple times. This, however, is definitely one of them. I had often been recommended books by the various different authors in it but had never wanted to buy their individual books with the possibility that I might not like their styles. This compilation of short stories has really given me a great respect for all of the different writers as it showcases their incredible abilities to keep an audience attentive. No matter how unusual or fanciful each story seemed to me, I was delighted and thrilled to keep reading in order to find out "what happens next?" What I found in Firebirds was an amazing collection of stories, some very fantasy driven while others were more inclined to historical fiction. There was a fun little story by Sherwood Smith that follows the daughter of her Crown Duel characters, a different story about a female sharpshooter who stops a town from being brainwashed by a politician, a story that is unfortunately chilling about the status of unemployment levels, a tale of a young lady's journey to meet her parents in Africa, and a very funny Wicked Witch of the West meets Sleeping Beauty and small town America tale of an abandoned baby who turns out to be a princess (if you read it you will understand... it's a very different but great story). I highly recommend the book to people who normally like authors like Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley or Lloyd Alexander.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I thought it would be...
Review: This anthology has one basic problem, though I guess I should have known better, as the problem is that, as an anthology, there are over a dozen writers who have composed short stories for it. It's hard to like everyone's style of writing, even if the genre is the same. As it was, I only liked three of the stories - Michael Cadnum's Medusa, Sherwood Smith's Beauty, and Kara Dalkey's The Lady of the Ice Garden. Stories like Lloyd Alexander's Max Mondrosch and Nancy Springer's Mariposa I thought were a relentless bore, and there was even a comic strip in the book - totally out of place. This book really gives you a taste of the entire spectrum of sci fi and fantasy. However, if you're like me with your tastes already centered on a certain area of the genre and certain authors, beware. Consider this a warning if you, like me, can't appreciate all aspects of sci fi/fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Spectacular Collection of Stories
Review: This is an amazing collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories. There is a variety of popular authors, and great authors waiting to be discovered. This is sure to attract many fans and make fans of non-believers! The calibre of the stories is excellent all around, there's not just a few good stories. Patricia McKillip's "Byndley", Nancy Springer's "Mariposa", Michael Cadnum's "Medusa" and Sherwood Smith's "Beauty" are among my favourites. Some have sword and sorcery, some are fairy tale or myth retellings, and some have such a subtle ingredient of magic, you have to look closely for it. But they all ask us to believe, even if it's just for the time it takes to read this delicious volume.
Rating:
Summary: "Firebirds" is a Must-Read Anthology
Review: This is the first anthology I have ever read and I absolutely loved it. Almost all of the stories in here are of highest quality. The collection gets off to a great start with "Cotilion" by Nancy Springer, which is an incredible Tam Lin spinoff. "Medusa" by Michael Cadnum is another great piece, told from the title character's point of view. "Max Monderasch" by Lloyd Alexander and "Hope Chest" by Garth Nix are disturbing yet thought-provoking stories. (I personally found "Max Monderasch" eerily realistic yet comically entertaining.) However, my favorite piece is "Floatsam" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman. All in all, this is a must-read collection for YA fantasy fans. Don't miss it!
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