Who doesn't love a rogue? This collection focuses on thieves, con-arts, private thugs, monster hunters, and all manner of scoundrels. Stories range from high fantasy to straight modern detective stories. There are enough masters of the genre for anyone to find something that they love in here. I think Joe Abercrombie kills the opening, with a story about a package being stolen from a series of couriers, and the anthology is off running. Scott Lynch and Michael Swanwick have the next best stories, but they're all pretty strong, with the exception of a hard-boiled small-town Texas punch out by Joe Lansdale, a story by Connie Willis, and GRRM's own contribution, a history in Westeros that leads up to a massive civil war.

Lots of great authors and great stories. I just wish they'd included at least a little cyberpunk or straight scifi. Fantasy is good, but citing Han Solo in the intro and then not having a single galactic smuggler just seems a little odd.