A few years ago, a new imprint called Firebird emerged to help sate the rising demand among young adults for quality fantasy and science fiction. As an introduction of sorts to the flavors it had to offer, Firebird editor Sharyn November assembled the anthology FIREBIRDS. Short story even shorter, it was good.

Now three years later, the YA genre market is even bigger than ever. Thus, FIREBIRDS RISING, the inevitable sequel. Though November’s introduction suggests otherwise, it is not as good as its big brother.

But it’s not so much bad as it is full of stories that don’t rise to the challenge of being different and wildly imaginative. Luckily, there are a few true gems that redeem the entire thing, making it worthy of a purchase. Tamora Pierce’s lead piece “Huntress” takes school cliques to an ultimate (and frighteningly plausible) extreme, that of menacing lesser peers in the park in the dark of night. (Pierce’s story is not the only one to deal with the cruelty of today’s students, as Kara Dalkey also delves into this dark corner, although – I would argue – not as effectively.)

I also enjoyed Francesca Lia Block’s brief “Blood Roses,” about two girls seeking a celebrity crush they’ll regret, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s “Unwrapping.” Every bit as concise as Block’s story, this also centers around two girls, but concentrates on their relationship and how it changes when one reveals a secret (and, no, it’s not that, you perv). But clearly the gold medal falls on the shoulders of “In the House of the Seven Librarians” by Ellen Klages, an utterly charming tale of a baby left behind in a library all but abandoned except for the handful of eccentric bibliophiles who inhabit its aisles. The girl grows up amongst the books, not knowing anything of the outside world except what she reads; the wonder she encounters is infectious as it floats directly off each page.

“Librarians” is reminiscent of the first anthology’s “The Baby in the Night Deposit Box” by Megan Whalen Turner, which was a highlight of that volume. But other standouts from the original fail to claim a counterpart in RISING, whether the overt update of a classic fairy tale or a comic by Charles Vess (since collected in his BOOK OF BALLADS). The absence of similar material in RISING is notable, and a detriment to its variety.

Instead, you’ll find stories about furry dinosaurs and orphans adopted by wizards, and odd rituals and an even odder boy entranced by two-dollar words. The contributors include such names as Alan Dean Foster, Tanith Lee, Carol Emshwiller and Kelly Link (who, for all the hype surrounding her in the past year, didn’t do anything for me). Being about double the age of the target market (okay, a hair above double), I suspect young adults will treasure this brick of a book more than I did. (Though I wonder if it’s entirely appropriate, given the number of F-bombs dropped.)

November promises a third anthology, and even seeks a title. I suggest, via logical progression, FIREBIRDS SOARING. If the material for that one steps up a notch, it’d be apt on two levels. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.