Reave the Just and Other Tales
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4.3 • 4 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Stephen R. Donaldson's unique talents have placed his work alongside that of J.R.R. Tolkien and established him as a writer with the rare ability to expand readers' imaginations. Now he presents a magnificent new collection of eight stories and novellas--three of which have never before been published.
This outstanding volume commences with the fablelike title story, "Reave the Just," which highlights one of Donaldson's favorite themes: the individual's power to overcome adversity. This collection also introduces the morbid, soul-taking hero of "Penance," the mysterious beggar woman in the dark fairy tale "The Woman Who Loved Pigs," and the pampered antihero forced to make a choice between virtue and vice in "The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed."
Boasting exotic settings and suspense fueled by sudden plot twists, Reave the Just and Other Tales is a testament to Stephen R. Donaldson's talent to spin unforgettably spellbinding stories, and the astonishing scope of his mastery of magic and myth.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Collecting one SF and seven fantasy stories and novellas, this volume presents the short fiction Donaldson has written in the 14 years since the publication of Daughter of Regals and Other Tales. The best pieces are the novellas "The Woman Who Loved Pigs," which vividly depicts the cunning of dueling magicians who alter the lives of ordinary folk, and "Penance," which sets the redemption of a vampire in a well-drawn medieval setting. The SF story, "What Makes Us Human," a Berserker pastiche, demonstrates that Donaldson is stronger at fantasy than at SF. Some of the other entries, such as "By Any Other Name" and "The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed," use Mideastern culture, history and folklore to great effect. Though these tales do not reach the excellence of Donaldson's most famous works, such as The One Tree or The Mirror of Her Dreams, they are more succinct and their command of description is superior to that of his Gap Cycle. Donaldson's female characters will continue to irritate readers who expect more complex creations from one of the leading American fantasy writers, but, overall, the book does Donaldson proud.
Customer Reviews
Read it in paperback
Good to see this one coming to iBooks. I read it in paperback and found it very enjoyable. Like all such things, some stories are better than others. But Donaldson has some really clever ideas. The titular story is excellent, but there are several within that I'd rank above it. If I recall, one of my favorites was called "The Killing Stroke." A fascinating story.