Fantasy fans, rejoice! Seven years after writer and editor Robert Silverberg made publishing history withLegends, his acclaimed anthology of original short novels by some of the greatest writers in fantasy fiction, the long-awaited second volume is here.Legends IIpicks up where its illustrious predecessor left off. All of the bestselling writers represented inLegends IIreturn to the special universe of the imagination that its author has made famous throughout the world. Whether set before or after events already recounted elsewhere, whether featuring beloved characters or compelling new creations, these masterful short novels are both mesmerizing stand-alones—perfect introductions to the work of their authors—and indispensable additions to the epics on which they are based. Beyond any doubt,Legends IIis the fantasy event of the season. ROBIN HOBBreturns to the Realm of the Elderlings with “Homecoming,” a powerful tale in which exiles sent to colonize the Cursed Shores find themselves sinking into an intoxicating but deadly dream . . . or is it a memory? GEORGE R. R. MARTINcontinues the adventures of Dunk, a young hedge knight, and his unusual squire, Egg, in “The Sworn Sword,” set a generation before the events inA Song of Ice and Fire. ORSON SCOTT CARDtells a tale of Alvin Maker and the mighty Mississippi, featuring a couple of ne’er-do-wells named Jim Bowie and Abe Lincoln, in “The Yazoo Queen.” DIANE GABALDONturns to an important character from her Outlander saga—Lord John Grey—in “Lord John and the Succubus,” a supernatural thriller set in the early days of the Seven Years War. ROBERT SILVERBERGspins an enthralling tale of Majipoor’s early history—and remote future—as seen through the eyes of a dilettantish poet who discovers an unexpected destiny in “The Book of Changes.” TAD WILLIAMSexplores the strange afterlife of Orlando Gardiner, from his Otherland saga, in “The Happiest Dead Boy in the World.” ANNE McCAFFREYshines a light into the most mysterious and wondrous of all places on Pern in the heartwarming “Beyond Between.” RAYMOND E. FEISTturns from the great battles of the Riftwar to the story of one soldier, a young man about to embark on the ride of his life, in “The Messenger.” ELIZABETH HAYDONtells of the destruction of Serendair and the fate of its last defenders in “Threshold,” set at the end of the Third Age of her Symphony of Ages series. NEIL GAIMANgives us a glimpse into what befalls the man called Shadow after the events of his Hugo Award–winning novelAmerican Godsin “The Monarch of the Glen.” TERRY BROOKSadds an exciting epilogue toThe Wishsong of Shannarain “Indomitable,” the tale of Jair Ohmsford’s desperate quest to complete the destruction of the evil Ildatch . . . armed only with the magic of illusion. From the Hardcover edition.