Jessica Amanda Salmonson

The first Amazons! collection of fantasy stories centered on female heroes was groundbreaking when it was published in 1979. I loved it when I discovered it in my teens--pre-Buffy, there were few stories of adventure with strong female heroines. I disagree that this second collection of a dozen stories is weaker--I actually prefer it to the first; I think it's stronger both on average and with more outstanding stories and no real clunkers. It's a bit more gender balanced on the contents show more page--the first book had only one "token male" author as Salmonson pointed out--and this second book even had stronger, more appealing and complex male characters. It also had the advantage of having more authors I'd consider favorites on the content page. Tanith Lee, a great favorite is the one author with a repeat appearance and also features F.M. Busby, Phylis Ann Karr, and G.R.R. Martin. Not only are all these the authors in the contents page I consider favorites, but all in all I'd say the stories they provided were my favorites in the collection.

Busby's "For a Daughter" has fantasy trappings but could actually be seen as science-fiction set in a post-apocalyptic future--there's no magic involved, and the adversary here is arguably the most complex in the book. Tanith Lee's "Southern Lights" features her Jaisel, who appeared in the first anthology and I think this story stronger--less polemical. Phyllis Ann Karr's "The Robber Girl" not only has a lovely fairy-tale feel, but her central character is more an anti-heroine--an appealing rogue. And I thought George R. R. Martin (yes, that Martin, Game of Thrones Martin) offered the strongest story of the lot in "In the Lost Lands." A great closer. show less

I was deeply disappointed by the way that this book seems to have stripped out pretty much all the queerness of the first book. If you were to pick up this book without having read the first, there would be no indication that Tomoe is attracted to women at all. The beautiful ninja who seemed set to become the main love interest doesn't appear and in fact is never even mentioned. Tomoe's tendency to note the beauty of almost every single woman she interacts with is gone; one character who got show more this treatment in book 1 is described a few times as "beautiful" but it comes off as an objective description that comes directly from the narrator, rather than as something that relates Tomoe's point of view. The nature of Tomoe's past relationship with Lady Shigeno is never mentioned either; it's possible that someone who had not read the first book might be able to infer that her decision to cut Tomoe off entirely after Tomoe marries (out of familial duty/filial piety) is in part driven by jealousy and hurt, but the subtext is extremely subtle. The book essentially shoves Tomoe into the closet and shuts the door, which is a jarring change from how explicit and unapologetic the first book is about her sexuality. (There aren't even any mentions of queer relationships/attraction between other women; there are a few brief mentions of such between men, mostly characters who are secondary at best, but that's it.) I don't really have much grounds to speculate, but the only way this makes sense to me is if the original publisher leaned on the author to tone it down--so I don't really blame her, but still, it's a letdown. show less

This book is what happens when someone does research into Japanese history and mythology, and then decides that it would be so much more awesome if there was no difference between them (which I have to admit, is kind of true). Enter Tomoe Gozen, the titular character and alternate reality version of the real life lady-samurai from the Heiki Monogatari. In this first volume of the series, she fights her way out of hell, becomes enslaved by a sorceror from the mainland, and fights show more super-powered ninja-priests. All in the first third of the book.
Needless to say, Tomoe is a completely kick-ass heroine, and this book is a great read for people looking for a cool alternative history of Japan. I'm sure that it would be a good read even to someone with no background in Japanese history or culture, but I must say that I had as much fun spotting the references as I did following the story.

Sadly, this trilogy is now out of print, so if you are cruising through your local used book shop, I strongly recommend you keep an eye out for this series. show less

I don't usually like novels this politically correct, but I have rarely read anything as sad and moving as the plight and fate of Anthony Shriek.