AN ARMORY OF SWORDS

Eight substantial tales set in the same world, and employing the same devices, as Saberhagen's generally above-average Lost Swords tales (concluded with The Last Book of Swords, 1993). Here, Saberhagen himself sets the scene with a nifty tale of how the 12 magic Swords, wrought by the god Vulcan and each given its own particular magical attributes, became scattered and fell into human hands. Walter Jon Williams describes how an unknown Sword—it turns out to be Woundhealer—brings about the cure of a sickly yet deserving second son, along with the downfall of his cowardly elder brother and their drunken, cruel father. Pati Nagle offers a tale involving three Swords and characters imported from Saberhagen's novels. And so forth—you'll get the idea. Nonessential but agreeable entertainment for Lost Swords fans, with Saberhagen himself—perhaps inevitably—stealing the show.