Sword and Sorceress IX (9)
One of the strongest collections of fantasy short stories continues to live up to its well-deserved reputation as 26 veteran and untried authors deliver variations on the woman-as-hero theme. Highlights include Diana L. Paxson's tale of a gladiator's final battle ("Stopthrust"), Elizabeth Waters's comic look at both sides of a magical gift ("The Birthday Gift"), and Josepha Sherman's story of a bird-woman's fear of being tamed ("Red Wings"). Consistently good storytelling makes this a worthwhile purchase for most fantasy collections.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.