Five Magics

- What will a man do for power? - How much is freedom worth? - What will it take to bring an end to a curse that will destroy an entire family line? - When is it time for an apprentice to make his own life? - What secrets lie in the bones of a raptor? Award-winning author Ron Collins brings you "Five Magics," a collection of swords, sorcery, and wonder that explores the human side of magic. Inside its pages, you'll find: A young sorcerer takes his father's place on a quest to help his king. What secrets will he find? Is blood thicker than water? Find out in "A Gathering of Bones," which earned a mention in Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling's Year's Best Fantasy & Horror. Chains or not, a gladiator can live a fine enough life until it's no longer fashionable that he win. "Ties That Bind" pits today's champion against the next of the chosen. A centuries-old curse threatens a family, and the entire race of dryads, in "The Family Tree," recognized with a Cauldron award by readers of Marion Zimmer Bradley's FANTASY Magazine. "True Power" is attainable for one willing to risk everything. But is it worth the price? "The Time of Leaving" finds an apprentice given an unexpected test. Will he pass? And, perhaps more important, what's the question? ----------- "Collins's characterization goes a long way towards making (Ties That Bind) enjoyable." - Steven Sawicki, Absolute Magnitude The story ("Ties that Bind") is nicely written and worth reading. - Crystal Forkan, Tangent Online The ("Family Tree's") resolution (is) a pleasant surprise. - John Everson, Tangent The darkest and, for me, best piece in this genre in Flights of Fantasy was "A Gathering of Bones" by Ron Collins. It is a first-person story of a young sorcerer alone after his father's death, whose presence is required at the king's palace where the princess lies dying. He will discover much of his father's dark past under the prodding of his hawk, Kiva, who is herself much more than she looks. "A Gathering of Bones" had a nice, lightly Gormenghastish streak of nastiness throughout, something the other stories lacked in their largely good vs. bad dichotomy. - George T. Dodds, SF Site