Rules of
Enchantment by David Klecha & Tobias S Buckell
The Damned One
Hundred by Jonathan Maberry
Blood, Ash, Braids
by Genevieve Valentine
Mercenary’s Honour
by Elizabeth Moon
The Guns of the
Waste by Django Wexler
The Graphology of
Hemorrhage by Yoon Ha Lee
American Golem by
Weston Ochse
Weapons in the
Earth by Myke Cole
Heavy Sulfer by
Ari Marmell
Steel Ships by
Tanya Huff
Seal Skin by
Carrie Vaughn
Pathfinder by T.C
McCarthy
Bomber’s Moon by
Simon R Green
In Skeleton Leaves
by Seanan McGuire
Bone Eaters by Glen
Cook
The Way Home by
Linda Nagata
This anthology is connected by 2 things: soldiers and
speculative fiction. Which is a pretty broad remit which I think is probably
the main flaw of this book. It isn’t a major flaw because there is a lot of
overlap in the speculative fiction fandom, but the bringing of high fantasy,
sci-fi and urban fantasy together with such little connection doesn’t make it
that coherent but I don’t think that’s especially needed; though some of the
stories seem a bit out of place. I think it also helped that there are only 16
stories in this anthology – I’ve read a few lately that have a truly immense
number of stories that tend to leave me thoroughly sick of the book before I’m
half way through (and the fact I say “only” with 16 tells you how long they’ve
been).
I’ll be honest, I kind of expected lots of action scenes
and little in the way of plot – short stories and big epic fights don’t leave
much room for anything else. Yes, I had low expectations (and a little
semi-guilty expectation of shameless epicy action which, yes, I like, I admit
it) and they were countered – a lot of these stories are surprisingly deep with
either very original settings or fascinating conflicts.
In terms of original setting, I’m most impressed by In
Skeleton Leaves by Seanan McGuire. A truly dark and downright
disturbing retelling of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys war against the pirates.
It’s dark, draws on some excellent elements of the Fisher King and is
wonderfully thematic and dark and just plain eerie and slightly horrifying. It
also has a fascinating retake on Wendy and Pan, turning them into titles – with
male Wendys and female Pan being possible. It’s creepy and wonderful and
shuddery-awesome
The Graphology of Hemorrhage by Yoon
Ha Lee isn’t exactly an original setting per se – but the magic style of
calligraphy presented is the most original concept in the book and related to,
but utterly unlike anything I’ve read before. The art of written magic, of
literature and culture and writing all underpinning magic which, in turn, comes
at a terrible price for the caster is eerie and original and beautiful and,
ultimately, tragic. The ending is desperately sad and bleak in its power. The
wizard is a woman as well – and the characters are all East Asian.
I think Rules of Enchantment by David Klecha
& Tobias S Buckell is probably the story I’d most want to see develop into
a full novel and full series. Earth with portals opening up to a High Fantasy
world with trolls and orcs invading Earth and human soldiers having to make
alliances with elves and battle against the invaders. What I really like about
it is the interesting way magic and technology meet – from helicopter gunships
shooting trolls to using magic to give a military squad a more unified viewpoint
and almost a hive mind. What I absolutely hate about this story, though, is it
is written in the second person. This never ever ever ever works – I’ve never
liked it. We follow one squad which includes a female soldier (who uses her
mind bond to keep wandering-eyed men to focus) and it has a latino character as
well.
