An anthology containing Terry Pratchett and George R R Martin? You think I could ever resist that?
And even when put alongside 3 other renown fantasy and science fiction masters, their short novels shine through and resonate with their unique power and eloquence, which probably can't be matched by any other writer of the genre. Obviously the 3 stars represent the entire collection, because otherwise, Pratchett's and Martin's stories would get full stars before you can say 'magic'.
I loved that both stories were set in a universe we are already familiar with [Discworld and Granny Weatherwax in Pratchett's section; Westeros and all the familiar titles and names of the Game of Thrones series] so it pretty much felt like diving back under a warm and beloved quilt after standing knee deep in mushy, blackened snow for hours. And while both pieces were new, with novel characters, situations and settings, with their unique way of writing, the story sweeps along and whisks you off your feet. Am I waxing lyrical about these authors? Absolutely. Am I planning on doing so for much longer? Definitely. Is it worth wasting your time doing? Doing otherwise is inconceivable. kthxbai.