"The Tales of Catt & Fisher" is a captivating collection that strikes a delightful balance between fantasy and humor. With complex characters and riveting storylines, the book takes readers on a memorable journey through magical realms. The chemistry between Catt and Fisher adds depth and charm, making it a compelling read from start to finish. The storytelling is crisp, the worlds vividly imagined, and the adventures both entertaining and thought-provoking. A must-read for fans of the fantasy genre.

"The Tales of Catt & Fisher" is a delightful collection that expertly blends humor, fantasy, and heart. The chemistry between the protagonists is infectious, making for a page-turning experience. The storytelling is crisp, imaginative, and filled with moments that both surprise and satisfy. A must-read for fantasy enthusiasts!

It was a new to me world and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I discovered great characters, a fascinating world and new authors.
It's a fascinating and gripping anthology and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

New world for me, but I adored these stories and want to read more from this universe. I am even trying to convince my non-reader hubby that he would enjoy these stories. Easy recommendation to friends and family.

Hace un tiempo se publicaron dos novelas de distintos autores pero basados en el mismo «universo», concretamente la maravillosa Redemption’s Blade y la mucho más discreta Salvation’s Fire. El plan en un principio era seguir publicando más novelas, pero supongo que las ventas no apoyaron el proyecto. Sin embargo, ahora se ha publicado una recopilación de novelas cortas tomando como protagonistas a dos personajes secundarios de estas novelas, los doctores Catt y Fisher.


Es una lectura muy entretenida viendo qué giro aporta cada autor distintos a unos personajes que al ser secundarios no estaban diametralmente definidos, pero he de reconocer que la que más me ha gustado es «Belt and Bracers» que escribe su creador original, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Supongo que influirá el hecho de que me gusta mucho cómo escribe y que le tiene cariño a los personajes, pero se trata de un relato divertido, en el que además incluyen algunos personajes del bestiario que nos mostraron en las novelas y le dan una conclusión muy satisfactoria a una de las historias más dolorosas y crueles de los libros.

En el segundo relato, «Secrets and Lights» de Freda Warrington aunque también me gusta, los personajes aparece un poco fuera de papel. Resulta más interesante el relato de la creación del faro en una isla remota obligados por una fuerza superior que la intervención de los doctores, aunque evidentemente esta es indispensable. Incluso me atrevería a decir que la relación paterno filial que aparece representada es bastante atractiva, pero esperaba más protagonismo por parte de Catt y Fisher.

La tercera historia del volumen, «Taking Note» de Juliet E. McKenna, habla sobre la recuperación tras los expolios de la guerra y en este sentido es alentadora, dando esperanzas en la recuperación si se hace el suficiente esfuerzo. Y no está de más la aparición estelar al final del relato que vuelve a hacer referencia a una de las características especiales de los doctores, que fue uno de los giros argumentales de la primera entrega que más me llamaron la atención.

Cerrando la recopilación tenemos «The Unguis of Maug» de K.T. Davies, un correcto colofón al libro, con algunos tintes de terror y que vuelve a mostrar el lado más humanos de nuestros dos coleccionistas.

Entiendo que este volumen tendrá un interés prácticamente nulo para quien no haya leído los volúmenes anteriores y algo más para los que conozcan el mundo, ya que estamos ante un libro complementario que difícilmente aguantaría la lectura por sí mismo.

After The War: The Tales of Catt and Fisher: The Art of the Steal is a shared world anthology. It’s set in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s “After the War” universe, which is focused on a world where the great conflict between good and evil is over, but that resolution has left its own issues behind. What, after all, happens to a world once it has defeated its arch villain? What costs have been borne, what trauma created? The reconstruction of a broken world, the collapse or recreation of old power structures, the change - it’s narratively intriguing. There have been several novels set in this world, from several authors - and they were all cracking reads, with interesting things to say.

That pattern continues here. The focal point of each of these stories are Catt and Fisher, nominally antiquarians, but also veteran meddlers. The pair live together in their battered, comfortable shop. The shop is filled with every magical device and desire one might require. In a world where magic is on the wane, these artifacts of power are immensely desirable - and Catt and Fisher try their best to get their hands on as many as possible. Partly that’s to keep dangerous bits and bobs away from various power hungry madmen and wannabe dictators, and partly it’s just acquisitiveness. The two of them work well together; the relationship feels almost Holmesian, albeit less lopsided. Doctor Catt is gregarious, cheerful, occasionally ruthless, but has a soft-hearted streak running through him. Doctor Fisher is quieter, taciturn, with a presence that quietly fills the rooms he’s in. Gruff but humane, Fisher is an excellent foil to Catt’s mor mercurial nature. Both characters turned up in the novels as minor characters, but you don’t need their history to enjoy their role in this book. Just delight in their banter, the gentle needling and comfortable arguments of two people who have been together for a long time. There’s a warmth and obvious bond between the two, and the strength of that relationship radiates out throughout the text. They’re a pair who tend to solve their problems with quick wits and fast talking rather than swords and boards - though the occasional application of an explosively magical item isn’t out of the question. In any event, they’re a delightfully gentle, bickering pair of semi-geriatric Indiana Jones-types, who only occasionally incinerate things which get in their way.

The stories, from a set of delightfully talented writers, are pure, unadulterated fun. They’re full of magic and high adventure. There’s smart-arsed chat, and what one might call outright hijinkery. Moments of poignant sorrow that wrenched at the heart, and revelations that pulled the gut raw. And then, bits of pure joy. I spent a lot of the time reading this book smiling, occasionally chuckling wryly, and, more often than I expected, laughing out loud. I don’t want to talk about the tales themselves, to avoid giving things away. But there’s some genuinely imaginative stuff here, scintillating and clever ideas that combine delightfully human moments with the magic and wonder of an intriguing world to make stories which you won’t want to put down.

Most of all, these stories are fun. They’re adventures, they’re snappy, they don’t outstay their welcome - but they use their time to say interesting things and also keep you so entertained that you can’t stop turning pages. This is another excellent addition to the After The War canon, and if you’re looking for something to give you a dash of excitement, a laugh, and perhaps shed a tear in the space of a few pages, in between shape changers and fireballs - this is the collection for you.

After The War: The Art of the Steal is an anthology of four new novella length works set in the fictional world of Redemption's Blade and After the Fire. Released 1st Dec 2020 by Rebellion on the Solaris imprint, it's 400 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

With shared worlds anthologies, the writing is often hit-or-miss. Authors have widely divergent styles, and collaborative settings don't translate to collaborative, cohesive results. Happily most of the snares seem to have been bypassed in this collection and all four stories are well written, entertaining, and work as standalones. They can be read in any order and don't get in the way of one another at all. The editor says in the foreword that there were some potential continuity pitfalls, but I didn't notice any glaring problems.

There really should be an official delineation for the fantasy subgenre with protagonists who are librarians/antiquarians/collectors/ with or without also being ruffians. This is another such and a delightfully diverting read. I read it without having read the previous "main" stories and had no trouble following along with enjoyment.

I recommend this anthology to fans of the genre as well as readers familiar with the series.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

This was a fascinating concept, as it is always interesting to see different writer's takes on the same characters and this collection didn't disappoint. Each author brought something new to the characters and the setting, and while I certainly preferred some to the others, they were all well-written and entertaining, and overall this was an enjoyable addition to an existing world.

This collection of four novellas following the amusing and somewhat disreputable Doctors Catt and Fisher was a great return to the land created by Adrian Tchaikovsky, first in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2401798513">Redemption’s Blade</a> and expanded upon in Justina Robson's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3659898463">Salvation’s Fire</a>.
I found the pair alternately irritating and funny, as they spied on Celestaine and company, and continually interfered in the heroes' plans so the good Doctors could get their hands on cool magical stuff. And the doctors had me laughing at their obfuscations, verbosity, and their single-minded pursuit of the arcane, when confronted with their shameless treasure hunting, and their view that their prevarications and cheating as simply part of the hunt for new, unique, fun/dangerous objects to add to their carefully sourced collection.
Though Catt and Fisher were supporting characters in both of the novels, they left their mark, and I was eager to read this collection to find out what other adventures they got up to.
The four novellas were:
-<i>Belt and Bracers</i>: 4 stars. This could be either <i>Redemption's Blade</i> or (i>Salvation's Fire</i>, in terms of the timeline, as Catt references the Vathesk at Dorhambri.
This story was very funny as Doctors Catt and Fisher and a colleague, Doctor Crabbe, arrive in Arvenir for Catty and Fishy to give the ruler a magical item. They also become embroiled, very unwillingly, with some local politics.
The dialogue frequently had me grinning, and the ridiculousness of the Doctors’ sense of put-uponness when unfortunate things happen arising from their own actions.

-<i>Secrets and Lights</i>: 4 stars. The story happens post-book two. Catt and Fisher get involved when they’re asked by the daughter of the Arvenir project manager of a new lighthouse for the small island of Fort Isle. She asks them about an obscure reference to a magical something listed on a bill of materials, which naturally gets the Doctors interested. She asks for their help also on protecting the lighthouse from damages
The story is told mostly from young Crombie's perspective; he's naive, is amazed by everything, and kind, and helping around the construction site. The Doctors are in fine form in this story, which left me feeling happy by its end.

-<i>Taking Note: 3.5 stars</i>. My least favourite of the four novellas, not because it’s a bad story, but because Catt lacks some of the circumlocution and verbosity that gives him such charm. This is also a slightly more serious story overall than the previous two, and could take place post book two. This story deals with post-war rebuilding and remediation, and the many ways this can be hindered by foul magics and people hoping to profit from the mess.

-<i>The Unguis of Maug</i>: 4 stars. The good Doctors Catty and Fishy determine they want something magical, of course, and hire a former Iskand Templar, and send him off with Fishy’s new project, a young ragamuffin (and a local gang’s punching bag) he took in off the street. The former Templar has much he feels he needs to atone for, and watching out for the boy actually helps him emotionally.
Despite some of the horror aspects in this story, there’s a return to the humour in Catt’s and Fisher’s sniping at each other, in Catt’s unbridled desire to get his hands on the next shiny thing, and Fisher’s long-suffering attitude.

As soon as I saw this ARC available I jumped at the chance to revisit Rebellion's "After the War" setting, and in particular the two central characters featured here. Doctors Catt and Fisher are wonderful characters, an charming blend of witty banter, extravagant magic, questionable morals, and a knack for getting into (and out of) trouble. When they first appear in Beyond Redemption you feel immediately comfortable with them and want to see more of them (as the author himself apparently discovered). While they echo famous fantasy duos from Fafhrd and Mouser to Tarma and Kehtry to Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, they soon carve out their own space - and the challenge for the three new authors here is to give them the tales they deserves, as well as getting their character right.

On the whole, I'd say it was a resounding success.. The shared world setting is a big help, allowing almost anything within high fantasy, though, as with many of the more generic fantasy settings like D&D this does lead to a certain sense of historical uncertainty. Some of the stories seem almost 19th Century in society - which suits Catt and Fisher - while some have cannons and others plate armour (yes, I know these overlapped, but not quite like this). But that's all in the sense of fun, because, while it does tackle serious subjects and themes, this series doesn't take itself too seriously.

The first story is penned by the original author, so Catt and Fisher are note-perfect, of course. The story itself is the type of playful adventure that the playground of the setting is made for, and there's a sense of unfinished business as Tchaikovsky addresses one of the most memorable - and tragic - creatures from the world's extensive collection. The fact that I'd figured it all out quite early on was just icing on the cake to be honest. In tone and style this is perhaps the lightest of the four, but while it's the prototype it shouldn't assumed the others are trying to match it exactly.

Freda Warrington's style doesn't quite have the deftness of the first, especially in terms of the two main characters, but was still a cracking adventure with monsters galore (insects, which I'm sure Tchaikovsky appreciated!). It focuses on new characters, with C&F more in the background than others, and also strays furthest (both geographically and syle-wise) from the established world. But it's also perhaps the most epic and has some touching - and dark - moments.

Juliet McKenna's story nails the style, with subtler intrigue involving the wider post-war recovery geopolitics, and good use of established nations and races, It's not quite as spectacular as the previous one but I feel that suited C&F very well.

I hadn't read (or even heard of) KT Davies before but their story was perhaps the most impressive, really nailing the central characters as well as introducing a new and entirely fitting dimension, and some good side characters. Probably the smallest in scale, the characterisation was really sharp and the prose delightful. As with McKenna's, there's scope to continue the story and I would have happily kept reading!

All in all, four different takes on two great characters, each author bringing something different and interesting to make a lovely little collection. You don't have to have read the other books to enjoy them, though you probably get a bit more out of them if you do. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review it!

I haven't read "Redemption's Blade" or "Salvation's Fire", so I was a little concerned that I wouldn't fully grasp the characters and world of "After The War: The Tales of Catt & Fisher". I needn't have worried. The skill of the authors really shows itself in this collection of stand-alone stories. The writing, the plots, the characters... all are perfect! This is one of those books that you enjoy so much you want to read it again right away!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

I haven't read either of the books that the characters are from, but enjoyed this nonetheless. I may have to circle back to those books. Fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky, in particular, will likely enjoy this. But Fantasy adventure fans in general should enjoy this.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

The premise intrigued me. Four separate tales about two characters created by Adrian Tchaikovsky, written by different authors. Now, this could have gone horribly wrong but I'm pleased to say that this book is a triumph. The two characters are unique and charming anyway, but they are interpreted and portrayed in different shades and circumstances and come to life because of it.
The four stories are different and engaging in their own way, but are not too short to fade in a snap shot and despite my own reservations about short stories, this book is incredibly enjoyable to read and I tore through it.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really thought it was a great fantasy and scifi novel. I look forward to more from the author.