Tortall and Other Lands

Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy.
from amazon.com

Beth says 5 Stars...

I will make absolutely no effort to hide my absolute adoration of Tamora Pierce here. I've loved her books since I stumbled upon them in my middle school library and refuse to stop reading them now, more than a few years later. Somehow she always manages to make the characters insanely believable without sacrificing the plot. This book is a collection of her short stories, some old and some new. There's one that has no magical elements at all, but the rest fall within the realm of fantasy. I'd read some of these before (The Dragon's Tale rather recently), but that doesn't make the book any less amazing.

I will say that my favorite story was the one about Nawat because it offered a return to the Copper Isles and some beloved characters. Honestly, how can you not love the combination of a crow-man and his wife the spy. I also found it particularly interesting because we finally got to see something from Nawat's point of view. It was definitely different than any other voice I'd read and completely made sense for him. Some of the other stories centered around themes of how to be a woman in an oppressed world, with two girls taking completely different approaches to how to do just that. I really loved the story Lost, which involved a math genius and an adorable Darking. What's not to like? There weren't any stories that I didn't appreciate, but I did find Time of Proving to be rather odd and short. I would have enjoyed it more had it been fleshed out a bit as the characters felt slightly underdeveloped.

Overall this is something that no Tammy fan can miss! As an added bonus there's a brief excerpt from Mastiff in the back, which is just enough to make you want the rest immediately. If there's someone here who hasn't read any of her books, shame on you. Go buy Alanna: the First Adventure as soon as possible, and get on with the glories of Tamora Pierce. Now to begin the agonizing wait for a new book of hers anew...
Book from Library

The Dragon Book

Whether portrayed as fire-breathing reptilian beasts at war with humanity or as noble creatures capable of speech and mystically bonded to the warriors who ride them, dragons have been found in nearly every culture's mythology. In modern times, they can be found far from their medieval settings in locales as mundane as suburbia or as barren as post-apocalyptic landscapes-and in The Dragon Book, today's greatest fantasists reignite the fire with legendary tales that will consume readers' imaginations.

With original stories by New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Stroud, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Diana Gabaldon, Tamora Pierce, Harry Turtledove, Sean Williams, and Tad Williams as well as tales by Naomi Novik, Peter Beagle, Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, Cecelia Holland, Kage Baker, Samuel Sykes, Diana Wynne Jones, Mary Rosenblum, Tanith Lee, Andy Duncan, and Bruce Coville.
from amazon.com

Beth says 4 Stars...
So, I know this isn't strictly YA, but there are a few heavyweights with stories in this anthology. Reading a short story collection is a completely different monster than dealing with a novel. The theme of dragons was taken in a multitude of different ways, some were very classical and others less so. The worlds were all as diverse as the writers who created them.

Now, to move onto the stories themselves. There were a few authors who disappointed me. I expected a great deal from Garth Nix, and while his story wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't good. Jane Yolen's story was really really long, and just didn't capture my attention. At times I really wasn't clear on the point of the story, and it was a flat out drag. The final story by an author I knew that let me down was Jonathan Stroud's. It was just strange, and not in a good way. However, the good outweighed the bad. My favorite by far was Tamora Pierce's story, which centered on Kitten, a familiar young dragon. It was so interesting to hear things from her point of view. There were also cameos by characters that I love; Spots, Daine, and Numair all play a part. This made picking up the book worth it, but it wasn't the only good one. Dianna Wynne Jones and Gregory Maguire both had fun stories.

Overall, the anthology is fun. There are some good, some not so good, and a whole lot of dragon stories. This is a great read for any lover of fantasy!
book from library