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Often with short story anthologies, you find several stories that carry the collection, a bunch of good/okay ones, and a handful of duds. I enjoyed every story in "Conservation of Shadows". Ghostweight is brilliant. The themes in Lee's stories are highly compelling. A quote from the introduction: "One thing Lee does not shy from is portraying the harrowing cost of war, genocide, and occupation, whether it is for the occupying forces or for those fighting for peace or independence.... far from glorifying war, Lee provides a thoughtful, nuanced examination of the cost of violence..." Lee explores these issues from different angles than I think are typically considered and does so without resorting to graphic description, a choice which I believe brings even greater weight to the discussion. Lee focuses deeply on the people, the choices they make, and the consequences of those choices. The themes described in the introduction come into play clearly and immediately in Ghostweight, and in each story after that, in the face of this war and violence, I found myself asking, "What is the cost?" And there is always a cost.