I have the israeli version of part one - so read only Disc world,Pern, Martin,Jordan and silverberg

I had picked up this book from the library as it contained the first Dunk and Egg story, 'The Hedge Knight' by George R. R. Martin. Originally I'd meant to read this anthology cover-to-cover, but I honestly couldn't be bothered to tough it out through the stories that weren't to my taste or which didn't offer what I wanted from fantasy fiction. So instead, I knocked off a couple as selected reading and moved along fairly quickly. So, three stars for the book itself, but five stars for the stories I actually stuck it out through. But hey, they can't all be gems, right?

Pratchett amazing as ever. The rest? Meh.

Alright. That last story was set in the Wheel of Time. Whenever I tell people I read fantasy, they all me if I read this series. I can now say I tried. There certainly were a lot of words in it. And characters. And descriptions. But plot? Eh.

Overall, an enjoyable mix of stories. From true legends. But I'm also glad to be over it.

Read this for my Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Class

The sea and little fishes: 4/5. Short and enjoyable, told in typical Pratchett style. Don't need to have read any granny weatherwax novels to appreciate.

Runner of pern: 3/5. It was ok, but didn't make me want to go read more of her books.

The hedge night: 4/5. My favourite of the 5 stories. I havent actually read any George R. R. Martin before this but if this is anything to go by I need to move him up my to read list a bit. Theres references to families and people that I didn't really get as I haven't the series but didn't need to understand these to enjoy the story.

The burning man: 2.5/5. Didn't really like it, but can't put my finger on why, so maybe it just wasn't really my thing.

New spring: 2/5. I had no idea what was happening for a good portion of this. Perhaps someone who has read other wheel of time books would feel differently, but the references to countries and battles and customs got boring and I started skimming to finish this story quicker. Also, I think there was maybe too many characters for a short story, and they all had stupid names which I was never sure how to pronounce.

So, overall 3/5 stars. It's a shame the better stories are at the beginning as it just seamed to go downhill.

Robert Silverberg (ed.), Legends, vol. 2 (Tor, 1998)

This is water in the desert for fans of fantasy series whose books have a tendency to have a long time between releases. Anne McCaffrey (Pern), George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), and Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth) all contribute short novels to this volume in the Legends series, and all are well worth your time.

Goodkind's story, "Debt of Bones," leads off the trilogy, and deals with a time when Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander was much younger than he is in the Sword of Truth novels. Here, he's pitted against Panis Rahl, and must decide whether to put himself, and the fate of the Midlands, in danger in order to fulfill a debt of bones to the daughter of a deceased sorceress. One has come to expect strong storytelling and easy turning of pages from Goodkind, and he does not disappoint here. Martin's story, "The Hedge Knight," follows. Again taking place some time before the events in the Song of Ice and Fire books, "he Hedge Knight" follows the squire of a newly deceased mercenary, who has a desire to make his name in a tournament against some of the biggest names in the business (including a number of Targaryens, who at the time of this story have not yet been banished; in fact, they play a major part in the story, which should be a pleasant surprise to many Ice and Fire fans). Martin's work on this series is always a pleasure, and once again, the is no disappointment to be found here, though one wonders about the loose end to be found.

The biggest surprise of the bunch, to me, was McCaffrey's "Runner of Pern." I've always shied away from the Pern books, for no real reason. This story is a welcome change of pace from the two that precede it; rather than battles, jousting, and the rest, this is a quiet romantic coming-of-age tale that hits just the right spot, like a lemon ice after a boeuf bourguignon. It's convinced me to go back and try the Pern novels, as McCaffrey's style is simple and engaging. Like the others, she keeps the pages turning.

Definitely a worthwhile piece of work. I shouldn't have to sell those who are already enmeshed in the various series covered here, but others will find it a perfect sampling to see if the three titans covered here are to their tastes. I can almost guarantee they will be. ****

Zbiór opowiadań o podobnie zróżnicowanym poziomie, jak czytany przeze mnie wcześniej drugi tom niniejszej antologii. Obok świetnych, dających apetyczny przedsmak (dla tych, którzy z poszczególnymi autorami nie mieli wcześniej się okazji zapoznać) i jednocześnie poszerzających wiedzę o uniwersach przez nich stworzonych (dla osób, które twórczość pisarzy publikujących w "Legendach" znają doskonale) nowel Terry'ego Pratchetta, Stephena Kinga, Orsona Scotta Carda czy Georga R. R. Martina, znajdują się tu opowiadania zaledwie dobre i często nazbyt sztampowe, zwłaszcza jeśli oczekujemy od fantasy czegoś więcej niż skleconej od linijki opowieści o czarodziejach i rycerzach.

Historie, które mają zachęcić do sięgnięcia po któryś z reprezentowanych tu cykli powinny pokazać wszystko, co dana seria ma najlepszego do zaoferowania. Tymczasem większość z nich po prostu nudzi, albo wyświechtaną fabułą, albo ocierającą się o infantylizm formą. Najsłabiej wypada tu, po raz kolejny, Anne McCaffrey - takiego stężenia słodkości w fantastyce nie zaznałem od czasu (nie)miłego obcowania z Sagą Recluce, L.E. Modesitta Juniora.

Gdyby nie znakomite "występy" Kinga, Pratchetta i Martina, zbiór polecałbym tylko osobom, które dopiero zaczynają swoją przygodę z fantasy, by mogły zyskać one orientacje, co do tego, który z dominujących (choć trzeba zauważyć, że w chwili obecnej "rządy" większości z nich złożone zostały w ręce młodszego pokolenia) pisarzy tego gatunku. Bardziej obeznani, tudzież fani poszczególnych autorów opowiadania tu zawarte znajdą pewnie w innych publikacjach, tym samym lekturę "Legend" mogą sobie raczej darować.

It was okay, I really enjoyed the Discworld story and the Pern story, but I'd already read the George R R Martin story and I was bored by the other 2.