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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
An anthology of twenty short stories about warriors from every genre — paranormal to historical, western to science fiction to…
In 2011, Warriors won the Locus Award for Best Anthology.
Series:
"Custom of the Army" (Lord John Grey, 2.75)
"Mystery Knight: A Tale of the Seven Kingdoms (The Tales of Dunk and Egg, 3; Hedge Knight, 3)
The Stories
Cecelia Holland's "King of Norway" is a heroic look at an honorable Viking warrior who holds his king and his leaders to account. Tricky little ending!
Joe Haldeman's "Forever Bound" is a futuristic look at soldiering in the army. Reminds me of John Ringo's enhanced soldiers in his Posleen series. In this case, Haldeman's soldiers are a lot more tuned in to each other and the trauma hits harder. Very well done. Another new author for me!
Robin Hobb's "Triumph" is truly a different sort of triumph in the proud, very slow death of a Roman Consul seen primarily through the eyes of his friend, an escaped slave who remembers their lives together from their childhood through the defeat of the Roman army. Excellent and so very sad. Another new author for my list.
Lawrence Block's "Clean Slate" turns out to be a gruesome glimpse into a psychotic's mind…a shrink would have a field day with this one!
Tad Williams' "And Ministers of Grace" is a look from the other side in a religious war. It was surprisingly easy to empathize with Kane and his religious fervor until Williams turns the tide on us with fresh perspective. The Covenant's enemies have my favor. Another author to add to my list.
Joe R. Lansdale's "Soldierin'" is a snapshot at a group of Buffalo soldiers caught in an Apache attack in the frontier with a snippet about how they got their name — fascinating.
Peter S. Beagle's "Dirae" is excellent. An odd beginning and a barely understood ending that kept me reading at speed. I must read more Beagle!
Diana Gabaldon's "Custom of the Army" is a mini-adventure for Lord John Grey from the electric eel attack to his brief Indian affair to General Wolfe's successful attack on Quebec all with the purpose of upholding his old friend, Charlie Carruther's honor when he is accused of not preventing a mutiny…with cause.
Naomi Novik's "Seven Years from Home" was an excellent story incorporating underhanded political maneuvering by a government wanting to colonize a new planet and how one of the sides outmaneuvers them. Go TEAM! Nice bit of ecological underpinning in this.
Steven Saylor's "Eagle and the Rabbit" is a tale of honor and betrayal when Carthaginians in hiding are captured by slavers. Their captain plays psychological games with them but honor wins out.
James Rollins' "Pit" is the most depressing tale of two puppies kidnapped for a brutal dog fighting fate. Rollins tells this tale from the perspective of the dog and while the ending is good, the bits in between will make you feel murderous.
David Weber's "Out of the Dark" has a strong flavor of John Ringo's Posleen invasion as dog-like beings decide that Earth is ideal for their purposes. Their low-level of development makes them an easy conquest with their emperor able to benefit from the humans' obvious ingenuity. Hah! I'm wondering if Weber is a Karen Chance fan with his incorporation of Mircea Basarab as the Romanian soldier Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky encounters after he and his team are stranded after the invaders initial attack. Great ending!!
Carrie Vaughan's "Girls from Avenger" tells of the dreams and frustrations of the WASPs who ferried warplanes for the military during World War II. The focus here is on the death of one of their own and its military coverup. Very good!
S. M. Stirling's "Ancient Ways" is an excellent little adventure for Sergey Ivanovitch when he encounters a lone Kalmyk, Dorzha, racing from pursuing Tartars. Turns out Dorzha, bodyguard to the Princess, has lost his charge to Tartars and is attempting to rescue her. Anxious to escape the harangue he faces at home, Sergey joins Dorzha only to go further than he had planned. Nice little surprises at the end! Stirling's going on my reading list.
Howard Waldrop's "Ninieslando" is an odd little twist when a dying soldier knowing Esperanto gets rescued by an unsuspected group of revolutionaries hiding beneath the trenches of World War I.
Gardner Dozois' "Recidivist" is a post-apocalyptic tale of men subjugated by machines. While the AI are planning a little earth-shattering entertainment for themselves, a small group of humans are plotting an assassination. Interesting…another new author to explore.
David Morrell's "My Name is Legion" is a sad look at how the French Foreign Legion operates and how their honor clashes in World War II as seen through the eyes of one of the legion.
Robert Silverberg's "Defenders of the Frontier" is another sad tale. This one of abandonment as we eavesdrop on the conflict between 11 remaining soldiers out of thousands still protecting a fort despite 20 years of no communication from their superiors.
David Ball's "Scrolls" is well-written and absolutely disgustingly depressing story of an engineer is forced to take lives by Moulay Ismail in order to save many others. Enslaved, tortured, and tormented until Ismail pushes too far.
George R. R. Martin's "Mystery Knight: A Tale of the Seven Kingdoms" is a tale of stumbling good luck by Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, "Egg". On their way to Winterfell, Ser Duncan decides to try his luck at a tourney being held for the wedding of Lord Butterwell only to discover a plot to overthrow King Aerys.
The Cover and Title
The cover is fairly plain with a central gradient of yellows fading out to golden browns with a sword athwart the front. Nice job on the sword the way it fades in the center to allow the text to show through.
The title is extremely apt as every tale is of Warriors, whatever their sex.
In 2011, Warriors won the Locus Award for Best Anthology.
Series:
"Custom of the Army" (Lord John Grey, 2.75)
"Mystery Knight: A Tale of the Seven Kingdoms (The Tales of Dunk and Egg, 3; Hedge Knight, 3)
The Stories
Cecelia Holland's "King of Norway" is a heroic look at an honorable Viking warrior who holds his king and his leaders to account. Tricky little ending!
Joe Haldeman's "Forever Bound" is a futuristic look at soldiering in the army. Reminds me of John Ringo's enhanced soldiers in his Posleen series. In this case, Haldeman's soldiers are a lot more tuned in to each other and the trauma hits harder. Very well done. Another new author for me!
Robin Hobb's "Triumph" is truly a different sort of triumph in the proud, very slow death of a Roman Consul seen primarily through the eyes of his friend, an escaped slave who remembers their lives together from their childhood through the defeat of the Roman army. Excellent and so very sad. Another new author for my list.
Lawrence Block's "Clean Slate" turns out to be a gruesome glimpse into a psychotic's mind…a shrink would have a field day with this one!
Tad Williams' "And Ministers of Grace" is a look from the other side in a religious war. It was surprisingly easy to empathize with Kane and his religious fervor until Williams turns the tide on us with fresh perspective. The Covenant's enemies have my favor. Another author to add to my list.
Joe R. Lansdale's "Soldierin'" is a snapshot at a group of Buffalo soldiers caught in an Apache attack in the frontier with a snippet about how they got their name — fascinating.
Peter S. Beagle's "Dirae" is excellent. An odd beginning and a barely understood ending that kept me reading at speed. I must read more Beagle!
Diana Gabaldon's "Custom of the Army" is a mini-adventure for Lord John Grey from the electric eel attack to his brief Indian affair to General Wolfe's successful attack on Quebec all with the purpose of upholding his old friend, Charlie Carruther's honor when he is accused of not preventing a mutiny…with cause.
Naomi Novik's "Seven Years from Home" was an excellent story incorporating underhanded political maneuvering by a government wanting to colonize a new planet and how one of the sides outmaneuvers them. Go TEAM! Nice bit of ecological underpinning in this.
Steven Saylor's "Eagle and the Rabbit" is a tale of honor and betrayal when Carthaginians in hiding are captured by slavers. Their captain plays psychological games with them but honor wins out.
James Rollins' "Pit" is the most depressing tale of two puppies kidnapped for a brutal dog fighting fate. Rollins tells this tale from the perspective of the dog and while the ending is good, the bits in between will make you feel murderous.
David Weber's "Out of the Dark" has a strong flavor of John Ringo's Posleen invasion as dog-like beings decide that Earth is ideal for their purposes. Their low-level of development makes them an easy conquest with their emperor able to benefit from the humans' obvious ingenuity. Hah! I'm wondering if Weber is a Karen Chance fan with his incorporation of Mircea Basarab as the Romanian soldier Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky encounters after he and his team are stranded after the invaders initial attack. Great ending!!
Carrie Vaughan's "Girls from Avenger" tells of the dreams and frustrations of the WASPs who ferried warplanes for the military during World War II. The focus here is on the death of one of their own and its military coverup. Very good!
S. M. Stirling's "Ancient Ways" is an excellent little adventure for Sergey Ivanovitch when he encounters a lone Kalmyk, Dorzha, racing from pursuing Tartars. Turns out Dorzha, bodyguard to the Princess, has lost his charge to Tartars and is attempting to rescue her. Anxious to escape the harangue he faces at home, Sergey joins Dorzha only to go further than he had planned. Nice little surprises at the end! Stirling's going on my reading list.
Howard Waldrop's "Ninieslando" is an odd little twist when a dying soldier knowing Esperanto gets rescued by an unsuspected group of revolutionaries hiding beneath the trenches of World War I.
Gardner Dozois' "Recidivist" is a post-apocalyptic tale of men subjugated by machines. While the AI are planning a little earth-shattering entertainment for themselves, a small group of humans are plotting an assassination. Interesting…another new author to explore.
David Morrell's "My Name is Legion" is a sad look at how the French Foreign Legion operates and how their honor clashes in World War II as seen through the eyes of one of the legion.
Robert Silverberg's "Defenders of the Frontier" is another sad tale. This one of abandonment as we eavesdrop on the conflict between 11 remaining soldiers out of thousands still protecting a fort despite 20 years of no communication from their superiors.
David Ball's "Scrolls" is well-written and absolutely disgustingly depressing story of an engineer is forced to take lives by Moulay Ismail in order to save many others. Enslaved, tortured, and tormented until Ismail pushes too far.
George R. R. Martin's "Mystery Knight: A Tale of the Seven Kingdoms" is a tale of stumbling good luck by Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, "Egg". On their way to Winterfell, Ser Duncan decides to try his luck at a tourney being held for the wedding of Lord Butterwell only to discover a plot to overthrow King Aerys.
The Cover and Title
The cover is fairly plain with a central gradient of yellows fading out to golden browns with a sword athwart the front. Nice job on the sword the way it fades in the center to allow the text to show through.
The title is extremely apt as every tale is of Warriors, whatever their sex.
subparcupcake's review against another edition
3.0
I hoped to like this a lot more than I did. I liked a few of the stories, but in general, they were kind of dry and boring. Most 2 stars, a couple 3 stars, maybe one or two edging on 4 stars.. I'm going with 3 stars for my rating, but it's really barely 2.5. Definitely not my favorite short story collection.
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
4.0
As the other reviewer said, nothing special. I get the impression that fans of the "Forever War" would be wild for this companion piece, but coming in blind, it's meh. About the only thing I can think to comment is that it seems Scalzi got some serious inspiration for his "Old Man's War" series from this. Soldiers jacked into one another and communicating via thought? Yep.
Merged review:
So, first of all, this anthology contains a prequel piece to the Song of Ice and Fire. So you're guaranteed to have people raving for it just from that. But, let me say, that was not the best piece in this collection, in my opinion. I am far more partial to Gabaldon's "The Custom of the Army," which follows the enthusiastically (but quietly) queer Lord John in another short adventure. While I'd read the Outlander books before, reading this story finally pushed me into enjoying the Lord John books.
Another stand-out is "The Eagle and the Rabbit," about young men captured by slavers, one elevated to a status nearly in line with the slavers themselves (the Eagle), while the other is treated far more harshly than the other slaves, almost to the point of death (the Rabbit). They are played off one another brilliantly, leading to a fascinating conclusion.
If you're interested in other reviews I did for this anthology, just look around. If they were on Goodreads, I wrote a piece.
So, in general, good stories, not always the best, but I'm glad I own this book.
Merged review:
So, first of all, this anthology contains a prequel piece to the Song of Ice and Fire. So you're guaranteed to have people raving for it just from that. But, let me say, that was not the best piece in this collection, in my opinion. I am far more partial to Gabaldon's "The Custom of the Army," which follows the enthusiastically (but quietly) queer Lord John in another short adventure. While I'd read the Outlander books before, reading this story finally pushed me into enjoying the Lord John books.
Another stand-out is "The Eagle and the Rabbit," about young men captured by slavers, one elevated to a status nearly in line with the slavers themselves (the Eagle), while the other is treated far more harshly than the other slaves, almost to the point of death (the Rabbit). They are played off one another brilliantly, leading to a fascinating conclusion.
If you're interested in other reviews I did for this anthology, just look around. If they were on Goodreads, I wrote a piece.
So, in general, good stories, not always the best, but I'm glad I own this book.
spikeanderson1's review against another edition
4.0
Very very good a solid collection of writing based on various interpretation of warriors: stories of note: 'The triumph'-Robin Hobb; 'And Ministers of Grace'- Tad Williams; 'The Eagle & The Rabbit'-Steven Saylor; 'The Pit'-James Rollins;Defenders of the Frontier'- R Silverberg; 'The Scroll'-david Ball; 'The Mystery Knight'- RR Martin. Of the 20 stories, only 5 were not good; the rest ranged from solid to amazing (and that's pretty good!)
lisawreading's review against another edition
3.0
This is a massive short story anthology... of which I read exactly one story. I took Warriors out of the library specifically to read Diana Gabaldon's "The Custom of the Army," which focuses on her recurring character Lord John Grey. Since this is the only place that I know of to find the story, I had no choice. I can't tell you anything about the rest of the book (which is why I gave it only an average rating), but Gabaldon fans who enjoy the Lord John stories should check this one out.
bkeving_74's review against another edition
4.0
I have now finished the trifecta of Warriors, Dangerous Women, and Rogues anthologies and I enjoyed the collection of stories immensely. I will provide a story-by-story review.
The King of Norway by Holland. Fantastic read! I love historical fiction and the action-packed content in this story was engrossing. I will definitely plan to read more from this author.
Forever Bound by Haldeman. This one left no lasting impression on me.
The Triumph by Robin Hobb. I enjoyed this story. It was different from other stories I've read by her. If you're a fan of Robin Hobb, check out her story under her real name Megan Lindholm in Dangerous Women.
Clean Slate by Block. I read another story by this author in Dangerous Women and both stories were not to my taste. The one in Dangerous Women was too sadistic for me and the one in this anthology was too sleazy for me. I'll pass.
And Ministers of Grace by Tad Williams. I have read his Otherland series which took some work to get through but was mostly an enjoyable series for me. On the flip side his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series was difficult for me to get into. This story, while enjoyable, was a little too much anti-religion for me.
Soldierin' by Lansdale. I've never been one much for western tales but the story was moderately enjoyable. I really enjoyed his story in Warriors, not so much the story in Dangerous Women.
Dirae by Beagle. Okay, it does take a little time to really get a feel for this story but once it clicks, the story is interesting with a somewhat predictable outcome.
The Custom of the Army by Gabaldon. Disappointingly, I had to read three stories by this author in the above mentioned anthologies. This is my least favorite author I have read in these anthologies.
Seven Years from Home by Novik. I do enjoy old earth stories but this one was difficult to follow and a little too alien for me.
The Eagle and the Rabbit by Saylor. Have I said already that I love historical fiction when it's done well? This is a great story that gripped my attention from the beginning. I look forward to checking out more works from this author.
The Pit by Rollins. I guess if there is a story that's supposed to tick you off this would be one of them. I didn't particularly like the story but maybe it was more what happened in the story, not sure which.
Out of the Dark by Weber. This was a pretty cool story with lots of action and a bizarre ending. I have some unread books by this author that I wasn't sure I wanted to read, but now I very well may!
The Girls from Avenger by Vaughn. It is interesting to read the intro to this author and a couple of the stories I have read by her now. There are a couple of really good historical fiction pieces I have enjoyed but her intro seems to indicate that she is better known for dark magic kind of stories.
Ancient Ways by Stirling. I read another of this author's stories in Dangerous Women. As I mentioned in my review of that story, while the stories are interesting, the author doesn't explain very much about the Changing which is referred to in both stories. I would be interested to know more of what that entailed.
Ninieslando by Waldrop. I loved this story about trench warfare in World War I. And it is interesting where this author took the story to some strange other place.
Recidivist by Dozois. The story was interesting, if not original. I would have appreciated more character development.
My Name Is Legion by Morrell. Good storyteller! This highlights man's search for redemption in the midst of war and the strange twists of fate. It's pretty heart wrenching!
Defenders of the Frontier by Silverberg. Having read previous anthologies (Legends and Legends II)Silverberg has edited (and written stories in), I have enjoyed his world-building stories that have to do with the old earth theme. This was no different. A thoroughly enjoyable story! He is really adept with connecting the reader to his characters.
The Scroll by Ball. Excellent story with numerous elements of heart rending choices and the main character's pain in the choices he makes.
The Mystery Knight by Martin. I have now read all of the prequels to Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Dunk the Lunk is such an enjoyable character to read and there is plenty of enjoyment to be had from reading his Dunk and Egg prequels. With Winds of Winter still not published (come on already) it has been nice to have these prequels, in addition to the two histories in Rogues and Dangerous Women, as well as World if Ice and Fire, to read in the meantime.
The King of Norway by Holland. Fantastic read! I love historical fiction and the action-packed content in this story was engrossing. I will definitely plan to read more from this author.
Forever Bound by Haldeman. This one left no lasting impression on me.
The Triumph by Robin Hobb. I enjoyed this story. It was different from other stories I've read by her. If you're a fan of Robin Hobb, check out her story under her real name Megan Lindholm in Dangerous Women.
Clean Slate by Block. I read another story by this author in Dangerous Women and both stories were not to my taste. The one in Dangerous Women was too sadistic for me and the one in this anthology was too sleazy for me. I'll pass.
And Ministers of Grace by Tad Williams. I have read his Otherland series which took some work to get through but was mostly an enjoyable series for me. On the flip side his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series was difficult for me to get into. This story, while enjoyable, was a little too much anti-religion for me.
Soldierin' by Lansdale. I've never been one much for western tales but the story was moderately enjoyable. I really enjoyed his story in Warriors, not so much the story in Dangerous Women.
Dirae by Beagle. Okay, it does take a little time to really get a feel for this story but once it clicks, the story is interesting with a somewhat predictable outcome.
The Custom of the Army by Gabaldon. Disappointingly, I had to read three stories by this author in the above mentioned anthologies. This is my least favorite author I have read in these anthologies.
Seven Years from Home by Novik. I do enjoy old earth stories but this one was difficult to follow and a little too alien for me.
The Eagle and the Rabbit by Saylor. Have I said already that I love historical fiction when it's done well? This is a great story that gripped my attention from the beginning. I look forward to checking out more works from this author.
The Pit by Rollins. I guess if there is a story that's supposed to tick you off this would be one of them. I didn't particularly like the story but maybe it was more what happened in the story, not sure which.
Out of the Dark by Weber. This was a pretty cool story with lots of action and a bizarre ending. I have some unread books by this author that I wasn't sure I wanted to read, but now I very well may!
The Girls from Avenger by Vaughn. It is interesting to read the intro to this author and a couple of the stories I have read by her now. There are a couple of really good historical fiction pieces I have enjoyed but her intro seems to indicate that she is better known for dark magic kind of stories.
Ancient Ways by Stirling. I read another of this author's stories in Dangerous Women. As I mentioned in my review of that story, while the stories are interesting, the author doesn't explain very much about the Changing which is referred to in both stories. I would be interested to know more of what that entailed.
Ninieslando by Waldrop. I loved this story about trench warfare in World War I. And it is interesting where this author took the story to some strange other place.
Recidivist by Dozois. The story was interesting, if not original. I would have appreciated more character development.
My Name Is Legion by Morrell. Good storyteller! This highlights man's search for redemption in the midst of war and the strange twists of fate. It's pretty heart wrenching!
Defenders of the Frontier by Silverberg. Having read previous anthologies (Legends and Legends II)Silverberg has edited (and written stories in), I have enjoyed his world-building stories that have to do with the old earth theme. This was no different. A thoroughly enjoyable story! He is really adept with connecting the reader to his characters.
The Scroll by Ball. Excellent story with numerous elements of heart rending choices and the main character's pain in the choices he makes.
The Mystery Knight by Martin. I have now read all of the prequels to Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Dunk the Lunk is such an enjoyable character to read and there is plenty of enjoyment to be had from reading his Dunk and Egg prequels. With Winds of Winter still not published (come on already) it has been nice to have these prequels, in addition to the two histories in Rogues and Dangerous Women, as well as World if Ice and Fire, to read in the meantime.
ericbuscemi's review against another edition
4.0
The stories I read from this collection are:
'The Triumph', by Robin Hobb:
Reading this reminded me why I love [a:Robin Hobb|25307|Robin Hobb|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1397885202p2/25307.jpg]. What a great story from a great story-teller.
'Clean Slate', by Lawrence Block
[a:Lawrence Block|17613|Lawrence Block|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1303856083p2/17613.jpg] writes serial killers so well, it makes me seriously wonder about his personal life.
'The Mystery Knight', by George R.R. Martin
This is the first thing I've read by [a:George R.R. Martin|346732|George R.R. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351944410p2/346732.jpg], and I really enjoyed it. I only wish I started with the first short story featuring the characters Dunk and Egg, 'The Hedge Knight.' I am definitely going to get the two [b:Legends|77232|Legends|Robert Silverberg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388468028s/77232.jpg|1046727] anthologies to read the first two Dunk and Egg short stories, and I'll probably get the graphic novels they were turned into, also.
'The Triumph', by Robin Hobb:
Reading this reminded me why I love [a:Robin Hobb|25307|Robin Hobb|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1397885202p2/25307.jpg]. What a great story from a great story-teller.
'Clean Slate', by Lawrence Block
[a:Lawrence Block|17613|Lawrence Block|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1303856083p2/17613.jpg] writes serial killers so well, it makes me seriously wonder about his personal life.
'The Mystery Knight', by George R.R. Martin
This is the first thing I've read by [a:George R.R. Martin|346732|George R.R. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1351944410p2/346732.jpg], and I really enjoyed it. I only wish I started with the first short story featuring the characters Dunk and Egg, 'The Hedge Knight.' I am definitely going to get the two [b:Legends|77232|Legends|Robert Silverberg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388468028s/77232.jpg|1046727] anthologies to read the first two Dunk and Egg short stories, and I'll probably get the graphic novels they were turned into, also.
_b_a_l_'s review against another edition
5.0
I read this ages ago - but just finished 'Rogues' and was comparing the two books...
Tbh I don't remember any of the stories except The Pit by James Rollins - this 5 star rating is entirely for him.
The Pit is one of the saddest stories I've ever read and it still haunts me enough that if I think about it too hard I get misty eyed (at the time when I read it I sobbed for ages).
In retrospect I might actually never get over having that story in my heart, and James Rollins probably deserves a kick in the shins as much as these 5 stars for hurting me like that ;P
Tbh I don't remember any of the stories except The Pit by James Rollins - this 5 star rating is entirely for him.
The Pit is one of the saddest stories I've ever read and it still haunts me enough that if I think about it too hard I get misty eyed (at the time when I read it I sobbed for ages).
In retrospect I might actually never get over having that story in my heart, and James Rollins probably deserves a kick in the shins as much as these 5 stars for hurting me like that ;P
jazzhands35's review against another edition
3.0
Several of the stories deserve 5 stars, but some were unbearable. Going to give it 3 stars overall.
Forever Bound by Joe Haldeman
The Triumph by Robin Hobb
And Ministers of Grace by Tad Williams
Out of the Dark by David Weber
Defenders of the Frontier by Robert Silverberg
The Mystery Knight by George RR Martin
The Pit by James Rollins
20 stories in total. The 7 listed above are good to excellent and worth reading. The Triumph by Robin Hobb is my personal favorite from the collection.
Forever Bound by Joe Haldeman
The Triumph by Robin Hobb
And Ministers of Grace by Tad Williams
Out of the Dark by David Weber
Defenders of the Frontier by Robert Silverberg
The Mystery Knight by George RR Martin
The Pit by James Rollins
20 stories in total. The 7 listed above are good to excellent and worth reading. The Triumph by Robin Hobb is my personal favorite from the collection.