Scan barcode
A review by beer_matt
Rogues by George R.R. Martin
4.0
Over 900 pages of roguish behaviour, all wrapped up in a fantasy anthology... that's what I thought when I saw this on the shelf in Tesco and it caught my eye: The striking cover and George RRRR Martinplastered all over it led me to believe this to be a sword and sorcery type of book so i took a closer look.. What really sold it for me was the first 2 stories were by Joe Abercrombie and Gillian Flynn! Hang on a minute, Gillian Flynn writes fantasy? No, she doesn't and actually this isn't a fantasy collection. (I have a confession to make- I didn't finish The Song of Ice and Fire Series).
What this actually was was a miscellany of rogues in all settings and genres.
On the whole I really enjoyed this collection and I came across some authors I'd never read before but that I would read again. If this isn't your usual type of read I would recommend you think again and give it a go...
Tough Times All Over - Joe Abercrombie. 4/5. This was a cracking start, I won't spoil it for you, but it's classic Joe Abercrombie, pacey, gritty, his action scenes are not as violent as they usually are, this isn't a bad thing, I think......4/5.
What Do You Do? - Gillian Flynn. I really liked Gone Girl, I wouldn't say that it changed my life, but it increased my understanding how men and women fundamentally differ. On to this story, I haven't read a short story with this much of a twist in it for a really long while. It fair rattles along, before you know it, it's finished and you want to know more...... 4/5.
The Inn of the Seven Blessings - Matthew Hughes. The third story in the collection, it's OK. A fantasy tale, a fairly generic story, it felt a little rushed at the end. 3/5.
Bent Twig - Joe R. Lansdale. This reminds me of Raymond Chandler, the spare, imitate nature of the narration and the action scenes are told from the point of view from a person who is used to getting the job done. The violence is never glorified, just described as a matter-of-fact manner. 4/5.
Tawny Petticoats - Michael Swanwick. I really enjoyed this one :-) A unusual setting, the story kicks off and you want to know more straight away. 4/5.
Provenance - David W. Ball. Awesome, a Second World War story, my pet period in history! As well as a cracking read, with a finish that raised a smile to my face. 4/5.
Roaring Twenties - Carrie Vaughn. This one is one my favourite stories so far, most of the action takes place in a speak-easy with a limited cast of characters. I'd like to read more from Carrie Vaughn. 5/5.
A Year and a Day in Old Theradane - Scott Lynch. Hmm, I've heard good things about the author, I've so wanted to find a great fantasy series...... even the title grated. This is my least favourite so far. Not quite a 2, maybe a 2.6.....? 3/5.
Bad Brass - Bradley Denton. I've never read a story about a school band blagging it's own instruments and a roguish supply teacher taxing them out of the proceeds, and I quite enjoyed it :-) 4/5.
Heavy Metal - Cherie Priest. An unusual exorcism, good in parts, a few good ideas. 3/5.
The Meaning of Love - Daniel Abraham. A love story (sort of....) set in a classic fantasy world. I didn't think that I was going to enjoy this one, but I did, very much so. 4/5.
A Better Way to Die - Paul Cornell. A science-fiction tale set in an alternate reality. It sort of reminds me of Ian M. Banks, but not as good...... :-( 2/5.
Ill Seen in Tyre - Steven Saylor. It's got Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in it!!!!! Well, I'm lost for words, my all time favourite pair of rogues ever, in a great tale of a con trick set in a tavern in the ancient world. This cross-over amused me greatly. 5/5.
A Cargo of Ivories - Garth Nix. A fantasy heist with complications; a sorcerous puppet henchman, godlets, night-time fights in deserted buildings, incompetent guards, foiled farcical getaways aboard sinking anachronistic ships...... it's got it all! A cross between Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard. 5/5.
Diamonds From Tequila - Walter Jon Williams. A story set in a modern day film set, told from the principal actors point of view. I liked the main character, even though the character isn't likeable...... :-) I enjoyed it, a bit clunky in places, but I would give the author another try. 4/5.
The Caravan to Nowhere - Phyllis Eisenstein. A fantasy tale set in the desert, a caravan master's tragic story. The ending stopped me giving more than a 3/5.
The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives - Lisa Tuttle. What can I say...... I didn't enjoy it, I only finished it out of a sense of completion and because it was short. The characters were two-dimensional, the protagonists aims were vague and there wasn't any atmosphere. 1/5.
How the Marquis Got His Coat Back - Neil Gaiman. ....... hmm..... I find Neil Gaiman's stories a bit like Marmite, I didn't like this one. Set in the world of London Below, too bizarre for my tastes. 2/5.
Now Showing - Connie Willis. A intelligent conspiracy tale set in the modern day. I didn't think that I was going to like this, but the writing style drew me in and the conspiracy about the movie industry was believable and engaging. 4/5.
The Lightning Tree - Patrick Rothfuss. Generally, I sort of enjoyed this generic fantasy tale, but in needed a bit of focus in the telling. I did enjoy this whilst I was reading it, but after I'd finished, I'd felt dissatisfied..... I feel mean to give less than a three (in places I would've rated a 4). 2/5.
The Rogue Prince, or, A King's Brother - George R. R. Martin. I am ashamed to say it, it defeated me! I got five pages in and I said to myself "life's too short.....". It read like it history text, a really dull history text, that really doesn't matter on account that it is made up (I really like reading historical non-fiction by the way). Sorry. 0/5.
What this actually was was a miscellany of rogues in all settings and genres.
On the whole I really enjoyed this collection and I came across some authors I'd never read before but that I would read again. If this isn't your usual type of read I would recommend you think again and give it a go...
Tough Times All Over - Joe Abercrombie. 4/5. This was a cracking start, I won't spoil it for you, but it's classic Joe Abercrombie, pacey, gritty, his action scenes are not as violent as they usually are, this isn't a bad thing, I think......4/5.
What Do You Do? - Gillian Flynn. I really liked Gone Girl, I wouldn't say that it changed my life, but it increased my understanding how men and women fundamentally differ. On to this story, I haven't read a short story with this much of a twist in it for a really long while. It fair rattles along, before you know it, it's finished and you want to know more...... 4/5.
The Inn of the Seven Blessings - Matthew Hughes. The third story in the collection, it's OK. A fantasy tale, a fairly generic story, it felt a little rushed at the end. 3/5.
Bent Twig - Joe R. Lansdale. This reminds me of Raymond Chandler, the spare, imitate nature of the narration and the action scenes are told from the point of view from a person who is used to getting the job done. The violence is never glorified, just described as a matter-of-fact manner. 4/5.
Tawny Petticoats - Michael Swanwick. I really enjoyed this one :-) A unusual setting, the story kicks off and you want to know more straight away. 4/5.
Provenance - David W. Ball. Awesome, a Second World War story, my pet period in history! As well as a cracking read, with a finish that raised a smile to my face. 4/5.
Roaring Twenties - Carrie Vaughn. This one is one my favourite stories so far, most of the action takes place in a speak-easy with a limited cast of characters. I'd like to read more from Carrie Vaughn. 5/5.
A Year and a Day in Old Theradane - Scott Lynch. Hmm, I've heard good things about the author, I've so wanted to find a great fantasy series...... even the title grated. This is my least favourite so far. Not quite a 2, maybe a 2.6.....? 3/5.
Bad Brass - Bradley Denton. I've never read a story about a school band blagging it's own instruments and a roguish supply teacher taxing them out of the proceeds, and I quite enjoyed it :-) 4/5.
Heavy Metal - Cherie Priest. An unusual exorcism, good in parts, a few good ideas. 3/5.
The Meaning of Love - Daniel Abraham. A love story (sort of....) set in a classic fantasy world. I didn't think that I was going to enjoy this one, but I did, very much so. 4/5.
A Better Way to Die - Paul Cornell. A science-fiction tale set in an alternate reality. It sort of reminds me of Ian M. Banks, but not as good...... :-( 2/5.
Ill Seen in Tyre - Steven Saylor. It's got Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in it!!!!! Well, I'm lost for words, my all time favourite pair of rogues ever, in a great tale of a con trick set in a tavern in the ancient world. This cross-over amused me greatly. 5/5.
A Cargo of Ivories - Garth Nix. A fantasy heist with complications; a sorcerous puppet henchman, godlets, night-time fights in deserted buildings, incompetent guards, foiled farcical getaways aboard sinking anachronistic ships...... it's got it all! A cross between Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard. 5/5.
Diamonds From Tequila - Walter Jon Williams. A story set in a modern day film set, told from the principal actors point of view. I liked the main character, even though the character isn't likeable...... :-) I enjoyed it, a bit clunky in places, but I would give the author another try. 4/5.
The Caravan to Nowhere - Phyllis Eisenstein. A fantasy tale set in the desert, a caravan master's tragic story. The ending stopped me giving more than a 3/5.
The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives - Lisa Tuttle. What can I say...... I didn't enjoy it, I only finished it out of a sense of completion and because it was short. The characters were two-dimensional, the protagonists aims were vague and there wasn't any atmosphere. 1/5.
How the Marquis Got His Coat Back - Neil Gaiman. ....... hmm..... I find Neil Gaiman's stories a bit like Marmite, I didn't like this one. Set in the world of London Below, too bizarre for my tastes. 2/5.
Now Showing - Connie Willis. A intelligent conspiracy tale set in the modern day. I didn't think that I was going to like this, but the writing style drew me in and the conspiracy about the movie industry was believable and engaging. 4/5.
The Lightning Tree - Patrick Rothfuss. Generally, I sort of enjoyed this generic fantasy tale, but in needed a bit of focus in the telling. I did enjoy this whilst I was reading it, but after I'd finished, I'd felt dissatisfied..... I feel mean to give less than a three (in places I would've rated a 4). 2/5.
The Rogue Prince, or, A King's Brother - George R. R. Martin. I am ashamed to say it, it defeated me! I got five pages in and I said to myself "life's too short.....". It read like it history text, a really dull history text, that really doesn't matter on account that it is made up (I really like reading historical non-fiction by the way). Sorry. 0/5.