BookkooB : Legends Volume 2 - Anne McCaffrey, George R R Martin, Editor Robert Silverberg : Compare Book Prices

	title:	Legends Volume 2
	author:	Anne McCaffrey, George R R Martin, Editor Robert Silverberg
	format:	Mass Market Paperback
	publisher:	Tor Books
	released:	November 1, 1999
	isbn:	0812575237
	isbn-13:	9780812575231

Click here to get the latest prices for Legends Volume 2 ->

store	availability	item price	delivered
Amazon UK
The Hut
Sprint Books
Blackwells
WH Smith (collect in store)
Base
The Book Place
WH Smith
Pick a Book
Global Investor
Waterstones
The Book People
zavvi
Play.com
Another Bookshop
History Bookshop
Tesco Books
BookFellas
Foyles
Samedaybooks

Above you will see price and availability details for Legends Volume 2 by Anne McCaffrey, George R R Martin, Editor Robert Silverberg from the leading UK book stores.

To allow you to quickly compare prices, the stores are arranged in order of delivered price, cheapest first. Click on a store name to buy this book or to view further details.

Books Related to Legends Volume 2 Anne McCaffrey, George R R Martin, Editor Robert Silverberg - ISBN: 0812575237
View other editions of Legends Volume 2. View books by Anne McCaffrey, George R R Martin, Editor Robert Silverberg.

Customer Reviews
A great selection of modern fantasy. - Rated THE STORY: Eleven stories in which authors add a new tale to their famous series'. Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. Orson Scott Card's Tales of Alvin Maker. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Robert Silverberg's Majipoor. Tad Williams' Otherland. Anne McCaffrey's Pern. Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar. Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages. Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Terry Brooks' Shannara. WHAT'S GOOD: This is a good book for people wanting to branch out in the fantasy genre, as it gives a broad range of the talent and series' available to read. Hobb's 'Homecoming' is an exceptionally well written story taking you into the damp and deadly Rain River Wilds and discovering ancient ghosts. Martin, Feist and Silverberg all bring us new stories which make the best of their exceptional talents. Brooks' 'Indomitable' is effectively an epilogue to 'The Wishsong of Shannara' and, in my opinion, is better told than the novel itself. Finally, the surprise gem is Gaiman's story which involves a cult in a remote part of Scotland and blurs the line between man and monster. WHAT'S BAD: Most obviously, many of the first 'Legends' anthologies' authors have been replaced with what is effectively a b-list. Card's 'Yazoo Queen' seemed to be just a chance to drop in a few famous historical names, 'Beyond Between' is an awful story by McCaffrey and Diana Gabaldon's contribution, whist a good story, has no right to be in a FANTASY anthology. Why any budding fantasy fan should buy this - Rated Since reading a couple of the really big names in fantasy (Tolkien, Robert Jordan) I have been hooked on the genre. I'm sure that like me, many people don't know quite where to go next in such (what seemed to me) a saturated genre. This book does exactly that, it gives links to some of the best autors of fantasy writing. The 11 Authors have written short stories (about 50 pages each) that give a glipse into the worlds they created. Most of the stories don't require any previous knowlege of the authors work, it really is just a chance to sell themselves. I'm not saying every book in here is a classic - Orson Scott Card's story i found particually hard going. My favorite stories were no doubt Robin Hobb's 'Homecoming' - A story written in the style of a Diary depicting the hardships of a group of exiles. George RR Martain's 'The Sworn Sword' was a fantastic story about 2 bickering kingdoms. I loved this sotry especially because in the course of about 70 pages I grew so fond and attatched to the characters, Dunk and Egg. So now I have a whole list of books I can't wait to read by authors i know i'm going to love. If your new to fantasy, or if you have read story by some of these autors, BUY THIS BOOK! Anthology of Interest - Rated I am already a big fan of Tad Williams, George RR Martin and Neil Gaiman so was delighted to find an anthology containing new stories by them. All three were fantastic - the stand out had to be Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman though. A fantastic follow on from American Gods - he relocates the action to Scotland with the same premise - the old gods and monsters still live amongst us. A real thinker - and really develops the character of Shadow. Anyone who loved American Gods has to read this story. The George R R Martin story again mocks the conventions of fantasy writing - a friend of mine is convinced that the moment when Dunk cuts the red widow's braid of is a direct swipe at Robert Jordan! - and constantly challenges and changes our perspective. What I like about the Song of Ice and Fire world - unlike with other much less talented fantasy writers (ahem David eddings ahem) is that it is not a fight between good and evil - morality is unclear as the backdrop of the Backfyre Rebellion proves. Who would have been the better king Daeron or Daemon Blackfyre? The warrior or the thinker? Also the plucky don't win in the face of adversity, the grioup of villagers Dunk trains up remain pitiful and never get to fight. And I really hope in a future Dunk and Egg tale we get to meet Lord Bloodraven. Tad Williams also does well to develop his fantastic Otherwold saga further - the best science fiction saga of recent years - it was to simple to give Orlando a happy ending and he writes an interesting story of some interesting developments Orlando discovers in the Otherworld. I also very much enjoyed the Raymond Feist story and will definately read the Riftwar novels novel - it was well written and well paced story with a character you really cared about. Also interesting was Diana Gabaldon's Lord John story - though I have real doubts about classifying it as fantasy, and I will definately explore a writer I had never heard of before Elizabeth Haydon - though unsure about wiriting with a "rhapsody of music" Disappointing was Silverberg's entry - an interesting tale in itself - but I just do not take to the world of Majipoor. And he hints at a fantastic history of battles and intrigue but concentrates on the dull moments in its history. I would love him to actually write about the planet's conquest and if its settlers came from Earth on space ships - where has the technology gone?! Orson Scott Card - like the idea of the maker - but don't take to the setting - alternative American history - characters speeakijg like they are in a Mark Twain novel? No thanks! Yet to read Terry Brooks, Robin Hobb or shudder Anne McCaffrey but hopefully will enjoy those as well. Future anthologies might consider giving David Gemmil a call - the collection could do wtih a short story about Druss the Legend - maybe at Anne McCaffrey's expense! A great collection for the most part - Rated How wonderful again to see the Legends collection, with a few new names this time. Though I really missed Stephen King's DARK TOWER offering, the addition of Elizabeth Haydon to the roster more than made up for it. Her entry, THRESHOLD, was dark and unapologetically depressing, and yet uplifting at the same time. Likewise Robin Hobb, Neil Gaiman, George R R Martin, Tad Williams and, to my surprise, Orson Scott Card, turned in novellas that made me want to go back and reread all their series. On the other hand, I could have happily lived without the offerings of Terry Brooks, Raymond Feist, and Robert Silverberg, which all were fairly dull [or in Brooks' case, poorly written.] Anne McCaffrey should have been passed over after her awful turn in the first anthology, and Diana Gabaldon has no place in this field, let alone with this group. At least we were spared another piece of tripe by Terry Goodkind, whose turn in the last book was dreadful. On balance, it's a good book with moments of greatness and sheer drivel, but the greatness makes it almost worth the price. Not what I expected - Rated Although good, this book was no-where near the standard I thiught it would be. The stories are too short really and definitly none of their best works. A good book but I wouldn't recomend it.

Customer Reviews

A great selection of modern fantasy. - Rated 4/5
THE STORY:
Eleven stories in which authors add a new tale to their famous series'. Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. Orson Scott Card's Tales of Alvin Maker. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Robert Silverberg's Majipoor. Tad Williams' Otherland. Anne McCaffrey's Pern. Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar. Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages. Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Terry Brooks' Shannara.

WHAT'S GOOD:
This is a good book for people wanting to branch out in the fantasy genre, as it gives a broad range of the talent and series' available to read. Hobb's 'Homecoming' is an exceptionally well written story taking you into the damp and deadly Rain River Wilds and discovering ancient ghosts. Martin, Feist and Silverberg all bring us new stories which make the best of their exceptional talents. Brooks' 'Indomitable' is effectively an epilogue to 'The Wishsong of Shannara' and, in my opinion, is better told than the novel itself. Finally, the surprise gem is Gaiman's story which involves a cult in a remote part of Scotland and blurs the line between man and monster.

WHAT'S BAD:
Most obviously, many of the first 'Legends' anthologies' authors have been replaced with what is effectively a b-list. Card's 'Yazoo Queen' seemed to be just a chance to drop in a few famous historical names, 'Beyond Between' is an awful story by McCaffrey and Diana Gabaldon's contribution, whist a good story, has no right to be in a FANTASY anthology.

Why any budding fantasy fan should buy this - Rated 5/5
Since reading a couple of the really big names in fantasy (Tolkien, Robert Jordan) I have been hooked on the genre. I'm sure that like me, many people don't know quite where to go next in such (what seemed to me) a saturated genre. This book does exactly that, it gives links to some of the best autors of fantasy writing. The 11 Authors have written short stories (about 50 pages each) that give a glipse into the worlds they created. Most of the stories don't require any previous knowlege of the authors work, it really is just a chance to sell themselves.
I'm not saying every book in here is a classic - Orson Scott Card's story i found particually hard going.
My favorite stories were no doubt Robin Hobb's 'Homecoming' - A story written in the style of a Diary depicting the hardships of a group of exiles. George RR Martain's 'The Sworn Sword' was a fantastic story about 2 bickering kingdoms. I loved this sotry especially because in the course of about 70 pages I grew so fond and attatched to the characters, Dunk and Egg.
So now I have a whole list of books I can't wait to read by authors i know i'm going to love.
If your new to fantasy, or if you have read story by some of these autors, BUY THIS BOOK!

Anthology of Interest - Rated 4/5
I am already a big fan of Tad Williams, George RR Martin and Neil Gaiman so was delighted to find an anthology containing new stories by them. All three were fantastic - the stand out had to be Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman though. A fantastic follow on from American Gods - he relocates the action to Scotland with the same premise - the old gods and monsters still live amongst us. A real thinker - and really develops the character of Shadow. Anyone who loved American Gods has to read this story.

The George R R Martin story again mocks the conventions of fantasy writing - a friend of mine is convinced that the moment when Dunk cuts the red widow's braid of is a direct swipe at Robert Jordan! - and constantly challenges and changes our perspective. What I like about the Song of Ice and Fire world - unlike with other much less talented fantasy writers (ahem David eddings ahem) is that it is not a fight between good and evil - morality is unclear as the backdrop of the Backfyre Rebellion proves. Who would have been the better king Daeron or Daemon Blackfyre? The warrior or the thinker? Also the plucky don't win in the face of adversity, the grioup of villagers Dunk trains up remain pitiful and never get to fight. And I really hope in a future Dunk and Egg tale we get to meet Lord Bloodraven.

Tad Williams also does well to develop his fantastic Otherwold saga further - the best science fiction saga of recent years - it was to simple to give Orlando a happy ending and he writes an interesting story of some interesting developments Orlando discovers in the Otherworld.

I also very much enjoyed the Raymond Feist story and will definately read the Riftwar novels novel - it was well written and well paced story with a character you really cared about.
Also interesting was Diana Gabaldon's Lord John story - though I have real doubts about classifying it as fantasy, and I will definately explore a writer I had never heard of before Elizabeth Haydon - though unsure about wiriting with a "rhapsody of music" Disappointing was Silverberg's entry - an interesting tale in itself - but I just do not take to the world of Majipoor. And he hints at a fantastic history of battles and intrigue but concentrates on the dull moments in its history. I would love him to actually write about the planet's conquest and if its settlers came from Earth on space ships - where has the technology gone?!

Orson Scott Card - like the idea of the maker - but don't take to the setting - alternative American history - characters speeakijg like they are in a Mark Twain novel? No thanks!

Yet to read Terry Brooks, Robin Hobb or shudder Anne McCaffrey but hopefully will enjoy those as well.

Future anthologies might consider giving David Gemmil a call - the collection could do wtih a short story about Druss the Legend - maybe at Anne McCaffrey's expense!

A great collection for the most part - Rated 4/5
How wonderful again to see the Legends collection, with a few new names this time. Though I really missed Stephen King's DARK TOWER offering, the addition of Elizabeth Haydon to the roster more than made up for it. Her entry, THRESHOLD, was dark and unapologetically depressing, and yet uplifting at the same time. Likewise Robin Hobb, Neil Gaiman, George R R Martin, Tad Williams and, to my surprise, Orson Scott Card, turned in novellas that made me want to go back and reread all their series.

On the other hand, I could have happily lived without the offerings of Terry Brooks, Raymond Feist, and Robert Silverberg, which all were fairly dull [or in Brooks' case, poorly written.] Anne McCaffrey should have been passed over after her awful turn in the first anthology, and Diana Gabaldon has no place in this field, let alone with this group. At least we were spared another piece of tripe by Terry Goodkind, whose turn in the last book was dreadful.

On balance, it's a good book with moments of greatness and sheer drivel, but the greatness makes it almost worth the price.

Not what I expected - Rated 3/5
Although good, this book was no-where near the standard I thiught it would be. The stories are too short really and definitly none of their best works. A good book but I wouldn't recomend it.