Dead of Winter

It's taken seven books, but it is becoming clear that the Thieves' World series deserves the praise it has received from the fantasy cognoscenti. Volume seven continues the tale of a city in decay, this time, mercifully, with an index of characters. Most of the usual suspects contribute here, including Asprin, Abbey, C.J. Cherryh, Andrew Offut, Diana Paxson, Janet Morris, and Diane Duane. Duane's story is the highlight, as she sends three characters and a dog on journey to Hell. Duane provides a wonderful example of what the Russians call "ostranyenye" or "estrangement", as she gives us the dog's perspective on life, death, and society in general.There is a world of difference between book seven and book one. One can read book one and think, as I did, that it's not a big deal, just a few loosely connected stories. The first book is just the prologue, however, and watching the characters, series, and, above all, Sanctuary, evolve is a disturbing delight. Disturbing because Sanctuary is not a nice place, and the people with very few exceptions are not nice people, but a delight because several talented authors are playing off each other, inspired by each other, and ultimately fusing their several parts into an intriguing whole. The series continues to be worth the price of admission.

The Dead of winter is an anthology, with several writers exchanging character information. The stories themselves are interesting to say the least. The world in which it is set is as dark, dank and disturbed as anyone could imagine. Theft, murder and worse are common exoeriences here, and taken by the citizens in the same way that a new yorker takes a trafic jam at 5:30. The characters have developed a lot over the past 6 books in the series, and you get a real sense of their plight. Sanctuary the city the book is about is going strait down the toilet, and in many rather intresting ways. A new eliment of the world of sanctuary is the waring factions, which have made the city even more dangerous. Magic, ganges, political intreague, gods, and a pleasent trip to hell, this one has it all.