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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
The thing about an anthology is that some stories are good, some less so and some you just plain don't connect with. It's tough to give an overall impression. However there is some clever stuff here. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek, a little sass and enough innuendo that you shouldn't hand it to a teenager. And guys - this wasn't written for you. You've been warned.
I love that there's basically an entire series of anthologies that came about because a group of authors finally said ENOUGH with the chainmail bikinis. Absolutely incredible. As with all anthologies there were some stories I liked more than others, but this was overall really great and challenged and poked fun at a lot of really annoying stereotypes that have unfortunately invaded fantasy books in the last century. It's definitely not at all subtle, but it IS hilarious. I mean it literally starts with a story about a man who has to disguise himself as a woman to be taken seriously as a warrior. Amazing.
It is also just SUPER 90s, which I guess might be off-putting for some younger readers but I absolutely loved it. Like, there's a story in here about Hilary Clinton and the Valkyries [which is totally the name of my new punk band]. Love it! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who has wanted to throw certain fantasy books across the room because of how horribly female characters are treated, it's very vindicating.
[edit 2/26/21: Despite really enjoying this first volume I think I have to accept that I won't be continuing with this series. I've just really fallen off anthologies hard in the past few years and I think I've put it off long enough that I should just mark this as abandoned series]
It is also just SUPER 90s, which I guess might be off-putting for some younger readers but I absolutely loved it. Like, there's a story in here about Hilary Clinton and the Valkyries [which is totally the name of my new punk band]. Love it! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who has wanted to throw certain fantasy books across the room because of how horribly female characters are treated, it's very vindicating.
[edit 2/26/21: Despite really enjoying this first volume I think I have to accept that I won't be continuing with this series. I've just really fallen off anthologies hard in the past few years and I think I've put it off long enough that I should just mark this as abandoned series]
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
There certainly where chicks in chainmail and armor lol. Overall, what you'd expect from high fantasy that was written in the 1990s, I don't think some of the stories aged particularly well though. All in all though, it was a fun little read. I'd probably borrow this from my roommate again just for the laughs.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The 90s were a different time I think. I was expecting a bunch of swashbuckling femme fatales but it's a lot of geeky niche humour. The Harry Turtledove one was probably my favourite, but the oddest one is definitely the one where Hilary Clinton takes over Valhalla.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Super fun! A great collection. My favorite was the story about taxing bras. Even reading it in 2024, I felt the themes, stories, and characters still carried well (Aside from perhaps the "Hilary Clinton goes to Valhalla" story, which is choke full of references to her political career that was probably most relevant in the 90's. Nowadays it feels strange and distant to read about what the narrative was surrounding her then compared to a post-2016 election world). In general though, I was surprised how despite the implied time period, many of the stories grapple with very modern themes and structures, both with time-travel or world-hopping mechanics, and by having long boring wizard paperwork that any modern person could relate to. There were also multiple stories that were refreshingly explicit about topics like periods and sex.
Basically, if you want a fun anthology focused on women, check this out! Even almost thirty years since its initial publication, I've enjoyed it!
Basically, if you want a fun anthology focused on women, check this out! Even almost thirty years since its initial publication, I've enjoyed it!
I'm not normally a fan of humorous fantasy and after reading this collection...I maintain my stance. There are some good stories here, and some that are definitely humorous, but somehow I felt like I was wasting my time while I could have been reading other stuff.
The premise of this book and its sequel collections is, of course, the ludicrous idea of female fantasy warriors performing their deeds of daring do in nothing but chainmail bikinis. Okay, it's a good launching pad for funny take-offs on that concept. The best stories of the lot are by the big names of the genre, including Roger Zelazny, Elizabeth Moon, and Lawrence Watt-Evans. They were very enjoyable. I also like the last one in the collection (mostly) even though it poked fun at my own D&D role playing past.
I've read two books now in this series, both acquired free of charge, but doubt I'll return for more.
The premise of this book and its sequel collections is, of course, the ludicrous idea of female fantasy warriors performing their deeds of daring do in nothing but chainmail bikinis. Okay, it's a good launching pad for funny take-offs on that concept. The best stories of the lot are by the big names of the genre, including Roger Zelazny, Elizabeth Moon, and Lawrence Watt-Evans. They were very enjoyable. I also like the last one in the collection (mostly) even though it poked fun at my own D&D role playing past.
I've read two books now in this series, both acquired free of charge, but doubt I'll return for more.
Eh it was time. This has been sitting as “currently reading” for a while.
I’ll come back to it! Still love the cover.
I’ll come back to it! Still love the cover.