Synopses & Reviews
A collection of new fantasy stories from one of the most popular contemporary fantasy writers in the world. 8 new tales, half of which have never before been published, find the author returning to the genre that made him famous.
-- In "Reave the Just, " a man discovers something of the nature of justice -- and the power of ideas.
-- In "The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed, " a spoiled youngster receives a rather unexpected kind of tuition.
-- In "The Killing Stroke, " Donaldson uses his own considerable knowledge of martial arts to concoct a tale of ideals and of identities, and of how philosophies sometime can and cannot stand up to real life.
-- In "The Kings of Tarshish Shall Bring Gifts, " a young tyrant learns the importance of having dreams -- or, better yet, forgetting them.
-- In "Penance, " Donaldson, in his own words, comes "as close to writing a vampire story as I'm ever likely to get."
-- In "The Woman Who Loved Pigs, " a simple village girl meets her love and nemesis -- i the form of a rather dictatorial porcine.
-- In "What Makes Us Human, " the only science fiction story in the collection, an alien attack gives unexpected hope to a discouraged crew.
-- And in "By Any Other Name, " a hapless merchant crosses a powerful mage -- and finds his life unexpectedly inverted.
Synopsis
The award-winning author of "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" and the "Gap" saga delivers a stunning collection of eight fantasy tales ranging from the philosophical "The Killing Stroke" to the whimsical "The Woman Who Loved Pigs." Three of the stories are brand new.
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Stephen R. Donaldson is the bestselling author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever; The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant; The Gap Cycle; Daughter of Regals and Other Tales; Mordant's Need; and other works, including a mystery series under the pseudonym Reed Stephens. He is the recipient of the first prize of the British Science Fiction Society and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.