Face of Chaos: Thieves World Vol. 5

Face of Chaos: Thieves World Vol. 5
Edited by Robert Asprin
Copyright 1983

Introduction by Robert Asprin
Hakiem the Storyteller relates to several Sanctuary youths the tale of how he was at the beach watching as the Beysib – an amphibious humanoid race came ashore. Sanctuary is now full of the foreign creatures who have brought commerce and wealth to the city. But beneath the booming economy lurks uncertainty of war.

High Moon by Janet Morris
Under a full moon, two Stepsons hunt the witch Roxanne, but are diverted when they learn that some teenagers have wondered into one of the worst parts of Sanctuary. Their pursuit of the teens leads them right to Roxanne and they are captured.

I might be able to give a more complete plot summary if I’d actually have finished the story. However, as it has been with most of Morris’s writing in this series, I’ve found the story too atrociously written to read! It goes on and on, seemingly without purpose or development. It’s entirely too long and covers too much ground and none of it well.

Necromant by C.J. Cherryh
The witch Ishande is at it again. While a militant group called the Beggars kills the feuding Hellhounds and Hawkmasks with equal hatred, Ishande manipulates her involuntary followers into expanding her powers in Downwind.

Another tepid entry by Cherryh that was hard to follow. Perhaps Cherryh’s works suffer so because they follow Morris’. Some of the action in this story was apparently connected to Morris’ horrible story that I could not finish.

Art of the Alliance by Robert Asprin
With the Beysibs mounting a strong presence in Sanctuary, the native Stepsons and Hawkmasks – once bitter enemies – have formed an alliance. But the Stepsons -- the promoters of law and order in Sanctuary are a shadow of their former selves. The real Stepsons have gone north to fight a war. Behind, they have left a group of incompetents who are incapable of fighting. Saliman, right hand man to Jubal, the slaver who runs the Hawkmasks, hopes to use this alliance and “help” to the Stepsons as a means of discrediting them.

It’s becoming clear that Asprin himself is the only person who understands his vision for this series of books. This story is well told with a clear narrative and clear character motivation. It relates directly to the central theme of this book, which is the presence of the Beysibs in Sanctuary and how the population of Sanctuary is reacting to them.

The Corners of Memory by Lynn Abbey
The Beysibs have installed their own government and Prince Kadakathis is a reduced authority in Sanctuary. Someone is assassinating Beysib soldiers in the night. The Beysibs are responding by rounding up residents of Sanctuary and executing them. Meanwhile, someone is also killing Hawkmasks. Cythen, the only female member of the Hawkmasks is directed to an elite group of Beysib assassins who use snake venom to kill. Cythen learns that the assassins were not responsible and that perhaps just one person is responsible for all the murders.

Earlier, I said Asprin was the only person left writing for this short story compilation that still understood its vision. Add Abbey to that equation as this story demonstrates that she, too understands Sanctuary and its characters. She also knows how to write a short story with a strong main character, a riveting plot that contains twists and turns, and a satisfying resolution. Best story in the book.

Votary by David Drake
Samlore Hil Samt returns to Sanctuary to find his niece, Star who was born to his late sister four years prior and put up for adoption. She has disappeared into Sanctuary’s underbelly. After contacting Cappa Varen and the Hawkmasks, he is able to track her to a Beysib cult who is holding her near the waterfront. He sneaks into the cult’s hidden lair inside a cave and rescues her. However, as they are about to escape, their route is cut off. That’s when young Star shows she has some special powers over creatures of the deep.

When I first started the Thieves World series, this is the type of story I was hoping to get over and over again. We learned about Samlore’s ill fated sister in an earlier volume. This is a worthy follow up to that storyline.

Mirror Image by Diana L. Paxson
Lalo the artist paints not what he sees, but what is inside his person so his art reflects the character of the person being painted. This ability has helped him rise above poverty to a better station in life. One day, he decides to look into a mirror and do a self portrait. As he works, he finds himself transported into the world of the gods where he asked to paint a portrait. Meanwhile, his loyal and dutiful wife pulls out all the stops to bring him back.

Lalo is the most interesting of all of the characters in Thieves’ World and his stories are always interesting. Paxson doesn’t do much to develop Lalo more, but spins an interesting and well written yarn that closes the book nicely.

This series really lost focus at this point. Abbey, Asprin, Drake, and Paxson keep their stories focused on the assigned scenario of each book – in this case the occupation of the Beysib. But Morris and Cherryh seem to be clueless about Sanctuary or just didn’t care about the guidelines. Their stories were poorly written, bore little upon the premise, and dragged down the book, making it difficult to read and the worst installment in the series to date.

Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn – Thieves World Vol. 2

Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn – Thieves World Vol. 2
Edited by Robert Asprin
Copyright 1980

Introduction by Robert Asprin
Hakiem the storyteller lounges in the Vulgar Unicorn, noting that its clientele has turned seedier since the disappearance of its proprietor, One Thumb. He tries to remain unnoticed in the crowd, gathering tales he will share for coin later.

Not a story as much as it is an mood setter, and as the title states, and introduction to the book.

Spiders of the Purple Mage by Philip José Farmer
A downtrodden woman is on her way home from work in The Maze when a dying man comes upon her and tells her he’s hidden an expensive and stolen jewel in a piece of cheese that was eaten by a rat. The man is covered with spider bites. The woman’s husband hears the story and trades its telling for drinks, which starts a great rat hunt in the city. She is then approached by a mysterious man who tells her the jewel was stolen from a mage who betrayed his religious order. If she’ll help him get into the mages fortress on a remote island, she can have whatever riches she can carry out while he’ll mete out justice. The two confront the mage’s wicked spiders and other minions in their quest.

This story reads like an old fashioned Dungeons and Dragons dungeon crawl. New monsters, traps, and obstacles at every turn. It was great fun. Asprin allowed Mr. Farmer’s story a full 29 percent of the book. This one is long.

Goddess by David Drake
Regli – a Sanctuary nobleman – waits impatiently outside his wife’s room as she endures a second day of labor. His brother in law arrives and is permitted to enter the room to see his sister – much to Regli’s consternation. After the brother in law, Samlor, Regli enters the room and triggers a backdraft. The room has been set on fire. Regli notices that his bride has been stabbed in the abdomen and bled out before the fire started. Meanwhile, Samlor is headed for the catacombs under the city to find a demon who impregnated his sister.

This story shifted gears abruptly and the transition from Regli’s anger at finding his wife dead and Samlor’s underground exploration was hard to understand. At one point, I thought maybe I was reading flashback. The story was too wordy in telling the reader, “he made a right, then a left, and circled around. . .”

The Fruit of Enlibar by Lynn Abbey
Illyra, the half-S’Danzo is visited by her long lost half brother who was with her when their parents were murdered when they were children. He returns to her with her mother’s jewelry and to ask a favor. He wants her to use her powers to move backward in time and decode the magical runes on a shard of pottery. Those runes hold a major clue in the development of a new kind of steel that will make swords more powerful.
Illyra is one of the more intriguing characters inhabiting Santuary and Lynn Abbey has spun her second excellent tale surrounding the S’Danzo. The story is well paced and the development of this new steel and who may wield it promises more great stories in the near future.

The Dream of the Sorceress by A.E. Van Vogt
Many year after the unsolved murder of his father, a Sanctuary healer’s home is invaded. He learns that whomever was in his home exited by simply passing through the door rather than opening it. After consulting a S’Danzo, Stulwig learns that he is caught between warring gods in a lover’s spat.

This story was more cerebral than most in Thieves’ World and was a refreshing change up from the swords and sorcery encountered so far.

Vashanka’s Minion by Janet Morris
Tempus Thales is an immortal mercenary working on behalf of the god of war, Vashanka. His latest mercenary job finds him employed as one of the Hell Hound guards in the employ of the prince. He is dismayed to find that his god, with whom he often quarrels, has spontaneously erected a temple in the Maze of Sanctuary. In that temple, men and women are able to purchase the magical weapons and devices they need to kill more effectively.

This story starts and never finishes entirely too many subplots. While Morris does a nice job of introducing the reader to Tempus who figures in many future Thieves’ World stories, she never really gives us a great deal of insight into the contentious relationship between Tempus and the god he serves.

Shadow’s Pawn by Andrew J. Offutt
Tempus, desperate to retrieve many of the items sold out of Vashanka’s Weather Shop is desperate to retrieve them – particularly the wands. He enlists the aid of Hanse – Perhaps the best thief in Sanctuary to help him. Hanse makes his first attempt and is struck by a wand of fear, causing him to flee. He encounters a S’Danzo who is able to calm him and restore his sanity. Later, he is able to steal a wand of enscolment and return it to Tempus. In exchange for helping Tempus, Hanse has recruited the immortal, mercenary hell hound to accompany him on a treasure hunt.

This second story improves my opinion of the first. It appears that the final three stories in the book are but chapters in long short story. We see now that the weapons initially made their way into the hands of both good and evil. But they are all sure to make their way into evil hands once word of their existence hits the streets.

To Guard the Guardians by Robert Asprin
The commander of the Hell Hounds strikes a deal with the slave trader, Jubal, to stop the murders of Jubal’s spies and henchmen in the city. The Hell Hound, Tempus, hates Jubal and kills his men at every opportunity. The Hell Hound commander asks in return that Jubal shut down the mad scientist conducting horrific experiments on his human slaves. Both men find creative ways to fulfill their bargain.

This was easily the best story in the book and Tempus has developed into a really complex character that will be featured over and over again through the series.

Essay: The Lighter Side of Sanctuary by Robert Asprin
At the end of the book, Asprin laments that most of the stories contained in the first two volumes of Thieves’ World are dark and without humor. So, to lighten the mood, he creates a chamber of commerce marketing piece for Sanctuary that is mildly funny.