Legends-Volume 3 Stories by the Masters of Modern Fantasy Read online

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “All the writing is of the highest caliber; and each of the tales is compelling. To top it off, artists such as Michael Whelan, Keith Parkinson, and Erik Wilson have contributed illustrations that become icing on the cake. Legends makes for a fine road map to the worlds of masters of the genre and serves as a perfect milestone for future fantasy anthologists. Silverberg has put together an anthology of which he and his fellow writers can be justly proud.”

  —Des Moines Daily Register

  “Superb Baedeker to the fantasy worlds of the field’s finest writers.”

  —Dallas Morning News

  “A collection of short novels by legends in the field writing about the imaginary worlds and characters that made them famous.”

  —Sentinel (Orlando, Florida)

  “An enjoyable sampler of the best high fantasy available today.”

  —San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle

  “An appetizer plate of good-quality fiction … This would be a good primer for anyone interested in the works of any of the authors included.”

  —San Diego Union-Tribune

  “They are full-fleshed, full-blown entries in each of the series of stories. Full of the action, setting, and character that have made each of these writers, as the title boldly states, modern legends in their genre. There isn’t a misfire in the bunch, a rarity in anthologies, and very much a rarity in the fantasy field. This is a collection of grace, style, and substance.

  “So if you are a follower of any of these series, you need this book. And if you’ve never tried modern fantasy, this is a wonderful place to be introduced to its masters.”

  —The Statesmen Journal (Salem, Oregon)

  “This is an excellent way to visit old friends, or get clued in on some multivolumed epics.”

  —The Denver Post

  “A collection of short novels by some of the biggest names in fantasy, all set in their best-known secondary worlds. There are delights aplenty in this huge volume.”

  —Edmonton Journal

  “Legends more than lives up to its name. Its purpose is to bring us those writers who have created modern-day legends with such skill that they became what they created, and it does its job. To put it bluntly, everyone involved with this book did one hell of a job.”

  —Queen’s College Quad

  “A fascinating assortment of short novels by fantasy’s powerhouse authors, set in the most-loved world each created. Each tale stands alone, which is an added bonus for those readers who may not have read every series represented. Every tale in Legends is original, high-quality, and adds gloriously to the world in which it is set. Some are amusing and charming, others tragic, but all reflect the nobility of the human spirit.”

  —The Herald (Rock Hills, South Carolina)

  “In addition to its obvious appeal to confirmed series readers, this tour de force serves as a superb introduction to the genre’s most memorable sagas. A priority purchase.”

  —Liberty Journal

  “This is an altogether impressive volume, completely approachable. The illustrations and maps included throughout are certainly a lovely bonus, but quite unnecessary in a volume that sells itself by the fifth page and holds to its early promise all the way through.”

  —VOYA

  “An essential for every fantasy fan.”

  —SFX

  COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The Sea and Little Fishes, copyright © 1998 by Terry & Lyn Pratchett; p. 351 illustration courtesy of Paul Kidby

  Dragonfly, copyright © 1998 by Ursula K. Le Guin; p. 153 illustration courtesy of the author

  The Burning Man, copyright © 1998 by Tad Williams; p. 261 illustration courtesy of the author

  New Spring, copyright © 1998 by Robert Jordan; pp. 2–3 illustration by Ellisa Mitchell, courtesy of Tor Books, publishers of The Wheel of Time

  All other in-text illustrations copyright © 1998 by Michael Whelan.

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  LEGENDS: VOLUME 3

  Copyright © 1998 by Agberg, Ltd.

  All rights reserved.

  A Tor Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates. LLC

  175 Fifth Avenue

  New York, NY 10010

  www.tor.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

  ISBN: 0-812-56664-5

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-23593

  First edition: October 1998

  First mass market edition: February 2000

  eISBN 9781466844223

  First eBook edition: April 2013