This is one of the best collections of fantasy short stories I have found in a very long time. With great authors like Lloyd Alexander, Garth Nix and Patricia A. McKillip it is a treasure trove of original fiction. I thought "The Lady of the Ice Garden" by Kara Dalkey reminded me alot of the chilling greatness I feel when I read books by Angela Carter. ( )

Patricia McKillip's 'Byndley', Delia Sherman's 'Cotillion' and Sherwood Smith's 'Beauty' were ultimately my favourites of this collection, although Diana Wynne Jones' 'Little Dot' was fantastic, and 'The Baby in the Night Deposit Box' by Megan Whalen Turner was really good.

'Byndley' was almost everything I love about McKillip's writing; it was not just the story itself but her use of language I admired. I enjoyed 'Cotillion' partly because of what it was a retelling of, and I kept coming back to reread 'Beauty' (then read the novel Crown Duel, which is set a generation beforehand, and had to come back to reread 'Beauty' again.)

Some of the other stories I did enjoy, or find interesting, or even just consider a good story, but none were particularly memorable. That said, I definitely enjoyed the collection, and it has given me some more authors to look out for. ( )

False advertising you could call this. The cover says Fantasy and Science Fiction, except there is none of the latter.

Unless you call the plane story a really inconsequential sort of alternate history perhaps, or Garth Nix's superhero Western.

If you are looking for SF, do not buy this book.

Whoever wrote the cover needs a whack upside the head.

On the whole it appears to be aimed at kids going by what the editor is saying, and that appears to be the case as this is very lightweight stuff.

Firebirds : Cotillion - Delia Sherman
Firebirds : The Baby in the Night Deposit Box - Megan Whalen Turner
Firebirds : Beauty - Sherwood Smith
Firebirds : Mariposa - Nancy Springer
Firebirds : Max Mondrosch - Lloyd Alexander
Firebirds : The Fall of Ys - Meredith Ann Pierce
Firebirds : Medusa - Michael Cadnum
Firebirds : Byndley - Patricia A. McKillip
Firebirds : The Lady of the Ice Garden - Kara Dalkey
Firebirds : Hope Chest - Garth Nix
Firebirds : Chasing the Wind - Elizabeth E. Wein
Firebirds : Little Dot - Diana Wynne Jones
Firebirds : Remember Me - Nancy Farmer
Firebirds : Flotsam - Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Firebirds : The Flying Woman - Laurel Winter

Hell boy tithe grapple rescue.

3 out of 5

Bank life inheritance withdrawal.

3 out of 5

Tree bloke.

2.5 out of 5

Soulless upbringing.

3 out of 5

Job description.

3.5 out of 5

Riddle me this deadman.

2.5 out of 5

Reptile garden ornament.

2.5 out of 5

Wizard vs King and Queen a bit rough.

2.5 out of 5

Tengu shafting.

3.5 out of 5

Superspeed shootist sheriff slays sister on the way to silver bullet showdown with supervillain shyster.

3.5 out of 5

Plane advance.

3 out of 5

Cat overload.

3 out of 5

Soul asylum.

3 out of 5

Elfgate.

3 out of 5

Magic, the gathering.

2.5 out of 5

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/11...
( )

I bought this for the Sherwood Smith and Diana Wynne Jones stories, the Smith was excellent but left me wanting more than I had after Crown Duel. The DWJ was lovely and many of the others were great too. Overall, worth reading, particularly if you're a fan of any of the authors in the anthology.

Nicely put together anthology of young adult fantasy short stories. (Despite the subtitle, there's one "mundane" story and no science fiction here.) More often than not the leads are young women - always nice to see.

Since I can't fit all the authors' names in the "Other authors" box, I'll do it here:

Delia Sherman - Cotillion
Megan Whalen Turner - The Baby in the Night Deposit Box
Sherwood Smith - Beauty
Nancy Springer - Mariposa
Lloyd Alexander - Max Mondrosch (darkest thing evah by Mr. Alexander)
Merdith Ann Pierce - The Fall of Ys
Micahel Cadnum - Medusa
Emma Bull - The Black Fox (adaptation)
Charles Vess - The Black Fox (illustration)
Patricia A. McKillip - Byndley
Kara Dalkey - The Lady of the Ice
Garth Nix - Hope Chest
Elizabeth E. Wein - Chasing the Wind
Diana Wynne Jones - Little Dot (features talking cats and cameos by a magical negress, blech. My least favourite of the bunch)
Nancy Farmer Remember Me
Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Flotsam
Laurel Winter - The Flying Woman ( )