Thieves’ World Book 12, Stealers’ Sky

Thieves’ World Book 12, Stealers’ Sky (1989) edited by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey

Alas, the end of the series.

Introduction by Robert Lynn Asprin
Night Work by Andrew Offutt
The Incompetent Audience by John DeCles
Our Vintage Years by Duane McGowen
Quicksilver Dreams by Diana L. Paxson
Winds of Fortune by C.J. Cherryh
The Fire in a God’s Eye by Robin Wayne Bailey
Web Weavers by Lynn Abbey
To Begin Again by Robert Lynn Asprin

And we end as we began, with the Introduction by Robert Lynn Asprin. Zalbar find his attempts at a peaceful lunch interrupted by the hustle and bustle of Sanctuary–a hustle and bustle that was unforeseen3 even a couple years prior. Things have changed in Sanctuary, and Zalbar wonders where he belongs.

Night Work by Andrew Offutt gives us the last Shadowspawn story.

Markmor has come up with a solution for the problems caused by his apprentice Marype–exchange Marype’s body for his undead one. Unfortunately, the help that remains isn’t much better.

“I want you close by me, Tarkle.”

Immediately Tarkle moved a pace closer.

Markmor took a pace backward and lifted a staying hand. “I don’t mean now, you…” He broke off and sighed. “Be prepared for a new appearance.”

Tarkle looked around as if expecting a new appearance.

The wizard ignored that and wished he knew how to make brains. Or to transfer one from, say, a cat to a human, for instance, this increasing Tarkle’s intelligence severalfold.

We also get a glimpse at how Moonflower’s next daughter is growing up (just like her sister, Minureal) and we get to enjoy our last time with Notable.

The handle clacked and an instant later the door opened. Light burst into the corridor. For once Shadowspawn was not happy to have Notable as company.; Hanse might well have stood as he was and let the mage pass. That was not the way of a startled cat.

Also, those are the two I believe I’ll miss most.

The Incompetent Audience by John DeCles again gives us the acting troupe introduced in the last volume, and they must deal with “the very vilest villain of all…a creature so reprehensible as to make all previous contenders–with the possible exception of Roxane–pale.”

They try very hard to deal with this horror.

Unfortunately, after careful consideration of the situation, Lowan Vigeles could not think of a legal and legitimate way of breaking Chollander’s contract with Vomistritus; at least not one that would keep the gluemaker both alive and adequately reimbursed.

The subject of murder was skirted with the greatest delicacy, and clearly left as a last contingency.

Clearly.

The story does have a somewhat distressing thread, but I think it does a good job dealing with the subject and with an adequate revenge. (This is Sanctuary. Of course there is revenge.)

Our Vintage Years by Duane McGowen introduces new characters–evacuees from the Rankin capital looking to rebuild their lives. And that is truly the theme of this last book: building a future from a tragic past (both the city and the inhabitants.)

Despite this late entrance, the story fits in quite well.

As the giant pinned Sinn to the ground, the bard felt his breath quickly leaving him. He worked his sword arm free and slammed the flat of the blade against the big man’s skull. Had he know Wik any better, he would have aimed for a more vital part of the man’s anatomy.

Quicksilver Dreams by Diana L. Paxson is the last Lalo story, and although it’s good to see Lalo becoming comfortable and even competent with his power, I can’t say it’s one of my favorite stories, that might be A Breath of Power, but I did enjoy this last time spent with Lalo.

Winds of Fortune by C.J. Cherryh sees Ischade and her disparate family sorting themselves out and settling down into… something. Mostly, I liked seeing Stilcho being at the top of the pecking order.

“Don’t trust him,” Stilcho said coldly, Stilcho being at least the most privileged of her servants.

It’s good to see Stilcho on top and happy (or at least have a kind of happiness).

The Fire in a God’s Eye by Robin Wayne Bailey: Chenaya. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I have to say it surprised me how much I really disliked Chenaya. I remembered finding her irritating, but this time through, I found her nigh near unbearable.

Web Weavers by Lynn Abbey brings us Walegrin’s ending. For some reason, I forgot that we didn’t (really) have an Illyra story in the last volume. Probably because she at least makes an appearance.

Some things never change, in Sanctuary, or anywhere.

The cook was dragged from the kitchens. He insisted the flux couldn’t be his fault; the meat was rotten before he cooked it.

“Why did you cook it, if you knew it was rotten?”

The cook said it wasn’t his job to question the meat the stewards provided. He was a cook. He insisted he’d done his job well; after all, the men hadn’t complained while they were eating.

Yeah, that nightmare isn’t limited to Sanctuary. Or the past.

And finally, we close with To Begin Again by Robert Lynn Asprin. Hakiem and Jubal played more in the stories of others than they did in their own stories, but it’s still good to see their resolution as well.

(T)he bulk of diplomacy is making the untrue or unlikely sound plausible, if not desirable.

Makes perfect sense to me.

So, that’s it for Sanctuary this go around. Now I have to decide if I’ll read the two books in the second series, or if their abrupt ending would be more frustrating than enjoyable.

We shall see.
Rating: 7.5/10

Published by Ace Books

 
 

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