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A Fantasy Medley 3 by Kevin Hearne, Jacqueline Carey, Aliette de Bodard, Yanni Kuznia, Laura Bickle
winterreader40's review
4.0
I bought this only to read Jacqueline Carey's story, so it's the only thing I read/rated.
This is a very short quick story that deals with 3 different peoples fighting over one valley.
It's told from the point of view of a member of the enslaved race as she becomes an exalted slave and the rebellion that follows.
This is a very short quick story that deals with 3 different peoples fighting over one valley.
It's told from the point of view of a member of the enslaved race as she becomes an exalted slave and the rebellion that follows.
benlundns's review
4.0
All the stories were good, to varying degrees, they were also very short, took on and off reading of 2 days to get all the way through it. I have the authors on my radar so I am at least aware of their work, I just would have liked a bit more fleshed out stories.
tracey_stewart's review
4.0
I requested A Fantasy Medley from Netgalley pretty much because of Kevin Hearne. Then Laura Bickle rang a bell as the author of The Hallowed Ones, which I liked; and then Jacqueline Carey registered as the author of Kushiel's Dart, which was not to my taste. But, all in all, I asked for it because of the ancient Irish bloke and his dog.
I'm disappointed.
The story – "Goddess at the Crossroad" – was not good. In brief: Atticus tells his apprentice the tale of that time he heard about this Shakespeare bloke and went to England to look him up, and ended up saving his life from witches. I didn't like the tale; I didn't like the way it was told; I didn't like Atticus, Oberon, drunken Shakespeare, or the apprentice whose name I don't remember. I disliked it all so much that I had to go back to my review of Hounded to verify that I actually did like it. And … I loved the dog? Really? Okay. Not this time; without his interjections and interruptions I might feel disposed to rate this higher. Based on this story I would never continue with the series. Two stars for this one.
"Ashes" by Laura Bickle is set in a very different place from The Hallowed Ones, following a pretty unique character ("Detroit arson investigator and powerful spirit medium Anya Kalinczyk" – that's kind of awesome) as she chases down an arsenous elemental before it burns down the city. I liked it. I didn't love it; I was uncomfortable with the main character going about consuming others' souls; but I wouldn't turn down more adventures with Anya and her familiar Sparky. Three and a half stars.
“The Death of Aiguillon” by Aliette de Bodard reminded me of Paula Volsky's [b:Illusion|467457|Illusion|Paula Volsky|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1280002585s/467457.jpg|895830], taking place in the ruins of Paris – of a Paris. It's grim and beautiful, and unpredictable, both gritty and poetic. Impressive. Four and a half stars.
[b:Kushiel's Dart|153008|Kushiel's Dart (Phèdre's Trilogy, #1)|Jacqueline Carey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328168291s/153008.jpg|2990010] was not my cup of tea, but I never argued with the skill of the writing – and Jacqueline Carey's hard-edged lyricism was very much evident in “One Hundred Ablutions”. That was impressive. That was shatteringly impressive. A solid five stars.
The gentleman was very much outclassed by the ladies in this collection – but what a weird collection of stories it is. There's no theme, no rhyme nor reason to their being together in one book except the big umbrella of "fantasy". The first two are borderline comedic, with a talking dog and Sparky the salamander and action movie violence – urban fantasy, though the city of the Hearne story was 17th century London; the second two are elegant and dark, with violence more likely to cost a civilization, or a soul – high fantasy. I suppose one could look at it as a sort of technical overview of what the genre can include. It would be more successful at that task if all four entries were of the same level.
I received the collection from Netgalley for review.
I'm disappointed.
The story – "Goddess at the Crossroad" – was not good. In brief: Atticus tells his apprentice the tale of that time he heard about this Shakespeare bloke and went to England to look him up, and ended up saving his life from witches. I didn't like the tale; I didn't like the way it was told; I didn't like Atticus, Oberon, drunken Shakespeare, or the apprentice whose name I don't remember. I disliked it all so much that I had to go back to my review of Hounded to verify that I actually did like it. And … I loved the dog? Really? Okay. Not this time; without his interjections and interruptions I might feel disposed to rate this higher. Based on this story I would never continue with the series. Two stars for this one.
"Ashes" by Laura Bickle is set in a very different place from The Hallowed Ones, following a pretty unique character ("Detroit arson investigator and powerful spirit medium Anya Kalinczyk" – that's kind of awesome) as she chases down an arsenous elemental before it burns down the city. I liked it. I didn't love it; I was uncomfortable with the main character going about consuming others' souls; but I wouldn't turn down more adventures with Anya and her familiar Sparky. Three and a half stars.
“The Death of Aiguillon” by Aliette de Bodard reminded me of Paula Volsky's [b:Illusion|467457|Illusion|Paula Volsky|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1280002585s/467457.jpg|895830], taking place in the ruins of Paris – of a Paris. It's grim and beautiful, and unpredictable, both gritty and poetic. Impressive. Four and a half stars.
[b:Kushiel's Dart|153008|Kushiel's Dart (Phèdre's Trilogy, #1)|Jacqueline Carey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328168291s/153008.jpg|2990010] was not my cup of tea, but I never argued with the skill of the writing – and Jacqueline Carey's hard-edged lyricism was very much evident in “One Hundred Ablutions”. That was impressive. That was shatteringly impressive. A solid five stars.
The gentleman was very much outclassed by the ladies in this collection – but what a weird collection of stories it is. There's no theme, no rhyme nor reason to their being together in one book except the big umbrella of "fantasy". The first two are borderline comedic, with a talking dog and Sparky the salamander and action movie violence – urban fantasy, though the city of the Hearne story was 17th century London; the second two are elegant and dark, with violence more likely to cost a civilization, or a soul – high fantasy. I suppose one could look at it as a sort of technical overview of what the genre can include. It would be more successful at that task if all four entries were of the same level.
I received the collection from Netgalley for review.
acrisalves's review
3.0
A Fantasy Medley 3 compiles four new stories from four known fantasy writers that are set in universes and with characters that are explored in other stories, but unfortunately they some of them lack the ability to create empathy or any sense of credibility. That was my impression of the first story, Goddess at the crossroads, an adventure with too many contrived points. In the other hand, Ashes from Laura Bickel is a tiresome adventure with few interesting points but with too many overturns.
Fortunately, there are two more stories, two enjoyable stories. The Death of Alguillon presents rivalry between powerful Houses by the eyes of the week. Strong in creating empathy it’s a closed story were the events almost escape the will of the main character. Well written and giving just enough details of the reality, The Death of Alguillon is the best story from this book.
One Hundred Ablutions is also a good story. The opening lines are common. I can easily recall a handful of stories with a similar beginning – a chosen girl picked for some glorious but unwanted destiny. This time the destiny of several girls is the seed for rebellion and we see them grow, slowly. At the edge of becoming a fantasy love story, the tale draws back and finishes wisely.
Em português no blogue Rascunhos
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/a-fantasy-medley-3/
Um dos problemas de se apresentarem episódios de universos mais vastos é poderem deixar o sentimento de histórias incompletas, ou às quais falta o total enquadramento ou conclusão. Esta compilação apresenta apenas quatro histórias longas, histórias de universos que parecem não ser novos- talvez por isso, nem todos se aguentam como histórias isoladas.
Goddess at the crossroads de Kevin Hearne abre o conjunto apresentando um druida com vários séculos de idade que, ouvindo parte da conhecida canção das três bruxas (Fire burn and cauldron bubble…), recorda um episódio que o arrepia. Questionado pelos amigos conta a pequena aventura onde conheceu Shakespeare e que originou a cantiga.
Esta necessidade de pegar em personagens muito conhecidas e de tentar criar episódios para justificar as suas criações ou acontecimentos nem sempre funciona bem. Neste caso houve alguns factos que me pareceram forçados e demasiado coincidentes.
Há muitas décadas o druida, interessado em Shakespeare, mascara-se de nobre e conhece-o numa taberna. Claro que, precisamente naquela noite, o escritor irá procurar o local onde terão sido avistadas bruxas, para dar maior vivacidade à cena de uma peça. O druida resolve acompanhá-lo.
Depois de enfrentarem um pequeno grupo de bandidos encontram três poderosas bruxas que estarão, naquela noite, a conjurar um feitiço para chamar uma antiga e maléfica deusa grega. Na altura chave do feitiço os bandidos que tinham derrotado irrompem pela clareira – mesmo a tempo do sacrifício. E na medida exacta em que são necessários – 3.
Existem várias histórias que aproveitam personagens ou momentos importante para os seus episódios. Muitas com sucesso. Neste caso, mesmo sendo uma aventura movimentada, apresenta os factos de forma forçada, com coincidências pouco agradáveis. Detalhes que poderiam passar despercebidos se ocorressem apenas uma vez.
Ashes de Laura Bickel também nos apresenta uma personagem que, se percebe pelas falas das personagens, terá sido usada em outras aventuras. Anya será uma investigadora capaz de engolir fantasmas, e trazer, desta forma, alguma paz aos locais onde se encontram.
Mas desta vez não é um fantasma que procura, antes uma criatura sobrenatural que estará relacionada com a mitologia daquela cidade, iniciando incêndios e provocando catástrofes. Depois de demasiadas reviravoltas acompanhada por um demónio, que se alongam por demasiadas páginas, encontra a criatura e descobre uma verdade sobre a sua própria natureza.
A terceira história é The Death of AIguillon de Aliette de Bodard, uma história mais interessante do que as anteriores, que nos apresenta uma cidade devastada por uma guerra entre Casas. Esta rivalidade entre Casas, seja apenas política ou assemelhando-se a guerra de gangs, é um factor que está presente em quase todas as histórias de Bodard.
As Casas representam famílias poderosas que protegem um conjunto de empregados da casa que, desta forma, estão socialmente acima dos comerciantes ou dos agricultores. Neste caso a história centra-se numa jovem, ajudante na cozinha, que conseguiu escapar à destruição da sua Casa. Quando retorna para recolher algo precioso, como outros tantos, percebe que um dos elementos poderosos da Casa se esconde através da magia, ferido e a precisar de ajuda.
Criando empatia através de uma única personagem central, é uma história fechada, ainda que dê dicas de poderem existir outras no mesmo Universo. A magia tem um papel diferenciador na sociedade, distinguindo os nobres da casa da classe trabalhadora, mas tem um papel bastante reduzido nesta história.
A última história é de Jacqueline Carey, One Hundred Ablutions, retratando um mundo com, pelo menos três, espécies humanóides. A personagem central, uma rapariga da espécie conquistada, é uma das sorteadas para seguir uma vida de quase reclusão, com a honra de servir uma família da espécie conquistadora. Com detalhes que recordam alguns relatos de escravatura, segue a semente de revolta que irá dar origem a uma reviravolta de poder.
Empático e sem se perder em detalhes desnecessários, não tem um início muito original (rapidamente consigo lembrar-me de algumas histórias recentes com um começo semelhante) mas compensa em desenvolvimento. Os elementos que originam a reviravolta encontram-se ao longo da história, conseguindo ser credível sem grande previsibilidade. Existe algum romantismo, mas apenas no final da história, o que não a chega a tornar como fantasia romântica.
Contendo quatro longas histórias de quatro autores diferentes. Os dois primeiros achei-os fracos. Ambas são episódios de uma série de aventuras de personagens usadas recorrentemente pelos autores. O primeiro força coincidências e factos, alienando o leitor. Já o segundo perde-se em reviravoltas inconsequentes. Talvez por se tratarem de episódios, não desenvolvem a personagem e não deixam um sentimento conclusivo.
Felizmente, gostei mais das duas histórias seguintes. A terceira é uma historia empática de final pouco previsível que foge do engrandecimento fácil da personagem principal. A última história é a única que não contem referência a magia, envolvendo o leitor no conflito da personagem principal, sem demasiados detalhes ou grandes lamentos, mas levando a uma reviravolta interessante.
(cópia fornecida pela editora Subterranean Press através de NetGalley).
Fortunately, there are two more stories, two enjoyable stories. The Death of Alguillon presents rivalry between powerful Houses by the eyes of the week. Strong in creating empathy it’s a closed story were the events almost escape the will of the main character. Well written and giving just enough details of the reality, The Death of Alguillon is the best story from this book.
One Hundred Ablutions is also a good story. The opening lines are common. I can easily recall a handful of stories with a similar beginning – a chosen girl picked for some glorious but unwanted destiny. This time the destiny of several girls is the seed for rebellion and we see them grow, slowly. At the edge of becoming a fantasy love story, the tale draws back and finishes wisely.
Em português no blogue Rascunhos
https://acrisalves.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/a-fantasy-medley-3/
Um dos problemas de se apresentarem episódios de universos mais vastos é poderem deixar o sentimento de histórias incompletas, ou às quais falta o total enquadramento ou conclusão. Esta compilação apresenta apenas quatro histórias longas, histórias de universos que parecem não ser novos- talvez por isso, nem todos se aguentam como histórias isoladas.
Goddess at the crossroads de Kevin Hearne abre o conjunto apresentando um druida com vários séculos de idade que, ouvindo parte da conhecida canção das três bruxas (Fire burn and cauldron bubble…), recorda um episódio que o arrepia. Questionado pelos amigos conta a pequena aventura onde conheceu Shakespeare e que originou a cantiga.
Esta necessidade de pegar em personagens muito conhecidas e de tentar criar episódios para justificar as suas criações ou acontecimentos nem sempre funciona bem. Neste caso houve alguns factos que me pareceram forçados e demasiado coincidentes.
Há muitas décadas o druida, interessado em Shakespeare, mascara-se de nobre e conhece-o numa taberna. Claro que, precisamente naquela noite, o escritor irá procurar o local onde terão sido avistadas bruxas, para dar maior vivacidade à cena de uma peça. O druida resolve acompanhá-lo.
Depois de enfrentarem um pequeno grupo de bandidos encontram três poderosas bruxas que estarão, naquela noite, a conjurar um feitiço para chamar uma antiga e maléfica deusa grega. Na altura chave do feitiço os bandidos que tinham derrotado irrompem pela clareira – mesmo a tempo do sacrifício. E na medida exacta em que são necessários – 3.
Existem várias histórias que aproveitam personagens ou momentos importante para os seus episódios. Muitas com sucesso. Neste caso, mesmo sendo uma aventura movimentada, apresenta os factos de forma forçada, com coincidências pouco agradáveis. Detalhes que poderiam passar despercebidos se ocorressem apenas uma vez.
Ashes de Laura Bickel também nos apresenta uma personagem que, se percebe pelas falas das personagens, terá sido usada em outras aventuras. Anya será uma investigadora capaz de engolir fantasmas, e trazer, desta forma, alguma paz aos locais onde se encontram.
Mas desta vez não é um fantasma que procura, antes uma criatura sobrenatural que estará relacionada com a mitologia daquela cidade, iniciando incêndios e provocando catástrofes. Depois de demasiadas reviravoltas acompanhada por um demónio, que se alongam por demasiadas páginas, encontra a criatura e descobre uma verdade sobre a sua própria natureza.
A terceira história é The Death of AIguillon de Aliette de Bodard, uma história mais interessante do que as anteriores, que nos apresenta uma cidade devastada por uma guerra entre Casas. Esta rivalidade entre Casas, seja apenas política ou assemelhando-se a guerra de gangs, é um factor que está presente em quase todas as histórias de Bodard.
As Casas representam famílias poderosas que protegem um conjunto de empregados da casa que, desta forma, estão socialmente acima dos comerciantes ou dos agricultores. Neste caso a história centra-se numa jovem, ajudante na cozinha, que conseguiu escapar à destruição da sua Casa. Quando retorna para recolher algo precioso, como outros tantos, percebe que um dos elementos poderosos da Casa se esconde através da magia, ferido e a precisar de ajuda.
Criando empatia através de uma única personagem central, é uma história fechada, ainda que dê dicas de poderem existir outras no mesmo Universo. A magia tem um papel diferenciador na sociedade, distinguindo os nobres da casa da classe trabalhadora, mas tem um papel bastante reduzido nesta história.
A última história é de Jacqueline Carey, One Hundred Ablutions, retratando um mundo com, pelo menos três, espécies humanóides. A personagem central, uma rapariga da espécie conquistada, é uma das sorteadas para seguir uma vida de quase reclusão, com a honra de servir uma família da espécie conquistadora. Com detalhes que recordam alguns relatos de escravatura, segue a semente de revolta que irá dar origem a uma reviravolta de poder.
Empático e sem se perder em detalhes desnecessários, não tem um início muito original (rapidamente consigo lembrar-me de algumas histórias recentes com um começo semelhante) mas compensa em desenvolvimento. Os elementos que originam a reviravolta encontram-se ao longo da história, conseguindo ser credível sem grande previsibilidade. Existe algum romantismo, mas apenas no final da história, o que não a chega a tornar como fantasia romântica.
Contendo quatro longas histórias de quatro autores diferentes. Os dois primeiros achei-os fracos. Ambas são episódios de uma série de aventuras de personagens usadas recorrentemente pelos autores. O primeiro força coincidências e factos, alienando o leitor. Já o segundo perde-se em reviravoltas inconsequentes. Talvez por se tratarem de episódios, não desenvolvem a personagem e não deixam um sentimento conclusivo.
Felizmente, gostei mais das duas histórias seguintes. A terceira é uma historia empática de final pouco previsível que foge do engrandecimento fácil da personagem principal. A última história é a única que não contem referência a magia, envolvendo o leitor no conflito da personagem principal, sem demasiados detalhes ou grandes lamentos, mas levando a uma reviravolta interessante.
(cópia fornecida pela editora Subterranean Press através de NetGalley).
valjeanval's review
4.0
First off, I have to say that it's pretty neat to find a fantasy collection that, while not devoted to female authors, has 75% content from female authors. This makes me happy.
Second, I ordered this copy from Subterranean Press about whom I've heard nothing but wonderful things, and all those wonderful things are true. These are publishers devoted to taking good stories and creating really beautiful books out of them. As a cheap person, I ordered the cloth-bound version of this collection, and it's a really lovely little thing. When Kevin Hearne's next novella comes out, I may spring for the leather.
Now to the content. I bought this because Kevin Hearne said it was currently the only way to read "Goddess at the Crossroads" and I wasn't willing to wait for his next collection to read more Iron Druid. The story tells about how Atticus met and saved the life of Shakespeare, and for fans of the series, it's a fun little injection to fill the void until book 9 comes out. While it could use more Oberon (what couldn't?) it has been vetted by proper Shakespearean scholars and is a delightful aside. You don't need to have read the series to enjoy it, but chronologically it takes place after Tricked, so it's good to have read that far.
The other three stories were authors I've never read before and a distinct mix of styles. I think I enjoyed "The Death of Aiguillon" the most as it combines Vietnamese fantasy with fallen angels on earth and just what is not to love about that? Jacqueline Carey (who I've always neglected reading as probably too racy for me) contributes a story that I attached to right away with its themes of a woman's rights to her own life, her own choices. I may have misjudged the author due to cheesy covers in the past.
The fourth story "Ashes" was probably my least favorite. It has some cool elements in it, but they seem like elements that belong in a novel, not a short story. Also, that novel would be fairly formulaic. It has nods to both Buffy and Noir stories and a pet fire salamandar, but I think it just wasn't enough space to tell the story properly.
This collection is a hundred percent worth it for Iron Druid fans, but I think, surprisingly, it's also a hundred percent worth it for fantasy fans looking for unconventional social fantasy. A quick but enjoyable read.
Second, I ordered this copy from Subterranean Press about whom I've heard nothing but wonderful things, and all those wonderful things are true. These are publishers devoted to taking good stories and creating really beautiful books out of them. As a cheap person, I ordered the cloth-bound version of this collection, and it's a really lovely little thing. When Kevin Hearne's next novella comes out, I may spring for the leather.
Now to the content. I bought this because Kevin Hearne said it was currently the only way to read "Goddess at the Crossroads" and I wasn't willing to wait for his next collection to read more Iron Druid. The story tells about how Atticus met and saved the life of Shakespeare, and for fans of the series, it's a fun little injection to fill the void until book 9 comes out. While it could use more Oberon (what couldn't?) it has been vetted by proper Shakespearean scholars and is a delightful aside. You don't need to have read the series to enjoy it, but chronologically it takes place after Tricked, so it's good to have read that far.
The other three stories were authors I've never read before and a distinct mix of styles. I think I enjoyed "The Death of Aiguillon" the most as it combines Vietnamese fantasy with fallen angels on earth and just what is not to love about that? Jacqueline Carey (who I've always neglected reading as probably too racy for me) contributes a story that I attached to right away with its themes of a woman's rights to her own life, her own choices. I may have misjudged the author due to cheesy covers in the past.
The fourth story "Ashes" was probably my least favorite. It has some cool elements in it, but they seem like elements that belong in a novel, not a short story. Also, that novel would be fairly formulaic. It has nods to both Buffy and Noir stories and a pet fire salamandar, but I think it just wasn't enough space to tell the story properly.
This collection is a hundred percent worth it for Iron Druid fans, but I think, surprisingly, it's also a hundred percent worth it for fantasy fans looking for unconventional social fantasy. A quick but enjoyable read.
almo's review
4.0
Aight, even though I only gave it 3.5 stars in total, I immensely enjoyed reading Rogues last year. I always thought I wasn't into short stories, yet not only Rogues but also this Fantasy Medley proved otherwise.
This short story collection contains four stories by four different writers. The fact that it's called a medley made me think it were four similar stories, but none of that was true. Each story is quite different from the others, which was something I really enjoyed. I'm going to rate each story separately:
"Goddess at the Crossroads" by Kevin Hearne (3 stars)
A story based around the protagonist of the Iron Druid Chronicles: a male druid called Atticus. It starts off with him sitting by a campfire with his apprentice. He's telling her a story of how, in 1604, he disguised himself as the French Marquis de Crèvecoeur so he could get near to Shakespeare. After he succeeded in this, he and Shakespeare went on a witch hunt together in the middle of the night and here we are told of how Shakespeare used this experience for writing about Hecate and the three other witches in his 'MacBeth'.
I have to shamefully admit that I'm quite ignorant when it comes to Shakespeare. I have a few books of him on my shelves but never came to reading them. So when someone mentions Shakespeare, I can only think of the movie Shakespeare in Love or conjure up an image of Leonardo DiCaprio in his early years. But I'm digressing...My point was that I've only heard of MacBeth, but don't know what it actually entails, which I guess kinda sucks when it comes to fully appreciating this story.
However, I liked it anyways. Sentences like: " "You don't read Hamlet and think, "This man could not avoid stepping in shit every day of his life." " are priceless to me.
It didn't really strike my definition of Fantasy, but there was paranormal stuff, gory stuff, humour and druid powers. Healing charms? Awesome! Makes me interested in reading the Iron Druid Chronicles for sure.
"Ashes" by Laura Bickle (3 stars)
A very different story involving Anya, an arson investigator for the Detroit Fire Department who also happens to be a powerful spirit medium who can literally devour spirits! She has a salamander familiar named Sparky, who can track down spirits and is invisible to the regular human eye.
When Detroit is celebrating yet another year of banishing the evil Nain Rouge (Wikipedia: "In 2010, a community-based movement began a tradition of a costumed community parade in the Midtown/Cass Corridor neighborhood. Called the Marche du Nain Rouge. At the conclusion of the parade, an effigy of the imp was destroyed, thus banishing the evil spirit from the city for another year. Each year, parade participants and spectators are encouraged to wear costumes so that when the Nain Rouge next returns, he will not recognize the persons who once again ousted him from the city limits and thus will not be able to seek personal vengeance."), Anya spots a gnome running through the streets while setting things on fire with his glowing hands. It soon turns out she's pursuing the ACTUAL Nain Rouge, who's now a destructive fire elemental.
Along the pursuit, she meets up with Charon, a paranormal something guy who's job is to bring bad spirits and demons to Hell.
While I enjoyed this story in general, there were some aspects that threw me off a little. Like a few revelations that were made which were quite a big of a deal, but a bit out of proportion for a short story. While I'm sure the fans of the Anya Kalinczyk-series, where this story is set in, will appreciate these facts, new readers like me are just bound to be a tat bit baffled by it. It's like showing someone who's never heard of Star Wars the few seconds where Darth Vader tells Luke he's his father. It's seemingly a very important piece of information, but all you can do is shrug then, right?
Reasons I did enjoy this story is that it's fast-paced and fun and reminded me of this at one point:
Damn, I never noticed she was this busty before
(Anya is nothing like April O'Neil, but badass chick running through a sewer mkay.)
The ending was pretty cool as well and a giant invisible pet salamander just screams awesomeness.
"The Death of Aiguillon" by Aliette de Bodard (4 stars)
This story takes place sixty years prior to the start of the Dominion of the Fallen-series. The first book came out in August 2015 and I'm very curious about it after reading 'The Death of Aiguillon'.
It's a dystopian story set in a Paris which is suffering from a big war, a magical war between the Houses spread out over the city. Houses are like factions, living in mansions, each mansion occupied with a rich, magical 'family'. Huyen, a kitchen maid at the House of Aiguillon has been able to escape while soldiers murdered pretty much the rest of her House...except for a Fallen called Mandias, a bit of a dark angel you might say.
Houseless people now live a grim life, having to live in camps and kill and scavenge things just to survive.
It's not easy to describe what this story is about without giving too much away. All I can say is that this is some fantastic world building with such a grim atmosphere, you can't help but being dragged into it.
"One Hundred Ablutions" by Jacqueline Carey (4 stars)
This is the only story which isn't part of a series and also the only story which is set in a different world than the one we live in. It tells the tale of Dala, a young woman chosen by her people’s overlords, the Shaladan, to be an exalted slave among slaves.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable story. At first, I assumed all the characters were human, but it turned out they are part of completely different races. The author lets you discover these things bit by bit, which is great for building up the plot.
I loved the world setting. It reads a bit like it's taking place in some Arabic country, with a desert close by and the Shaladan all having Arabic names. The characters were well defined, especially for a short story, and everything just adds up in the end. There are no cliffhangers, open endings or whatnot; just a finished story.
That doesn't mean there isn't a possibility of delving deeper into this world. I know I, for one, would love to read more about it!
One of the races is the Jagan, which reminded me a lot of the Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls video game series. That certainly adds another factor of coolness to the story.
All in all, I don't know why this book has such low ratings on Goodreads. I certainly liked it and if you're into Fantasy or just paranormal stories, I would definitely recommend reading it when you get the chance. It might even get you to love short stories as much as I do! I'm giving it 3.5 stars in total.
Edit: I do have to say I think the cover is a bit shite, but that might just be me.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This short story collection contains four stories by four different writers. The fact that it's called a medley made me think it were four similar stories, but none of that was true. Each story is quite different from the others, which was something I really enjoyed. I'm going to rate each story separately:
"Goddess at the Crossroads" by Kevin Hearne (3 stars)
A story based around the protagonist of the Iron Druid Chronicles: a male druid called Atticus. It starts off with him sitting by a campfire with his apprentice. He's telling her a story of how, in 1604, he disguised himself as the French Marquis de Crèvecoeur so he could get near to Shakespeare. After he succeeded in this, he and Shakespeare went on a witch hunt together in the middle of the night and here we are told of how Shakespeare used this experience for writing about Hecate and the three other witches in his 'MacBeth'.
I have to shamefully admit that I'm quite ignorant when it comes to Shakespeare. I have a few books of him on my shelves but never came to reading them. So when someone mentions Shakespeare, I can only think of the movie Shakespeare in Love or conjure up an image of Leonardo DiCaprio in his early years. But I'm digressing...My point was that I've only heard of MacBeth, but don't know what it actually entails, which I guess kinda sucks when it comes to fully appreciating this story.
However, I liked it anyways. Sentences like: " "You don't read Hamlet and think, "This man could not avoid stepping in shit every day of his life." " are priceless to me.
It didn't really strike my definition of Fantasy, but there was paranormal stuff, gory stuff, humour and druid powers. Healing charms? Awesome! Makes me interested in reading the Iron Druid Chronicles for sure.
"Ashes" by Laura Bickle (3 stars)
A very different story involving Anya, an arson investigator for the Detroit Fire Department who also happens to be a powerful spirit medium who can literally devour spirits! She has a salamander familiar named Sparky, who can track down spirits and is invisible to the regular human eye.
When Detroit is celebrating yet another year of banishing the evil Nain Rouge (Wikipedia: "In 2010, a community-based movement began a tradition of a costumed community parade in the Midtown/Cass Corridor neighborhood. Called the Marche du Nain Rouge. At the conclusion of the parade, an effigy of the imp was destroyed, thus banishing the evil spirit from the city for another year. Each year, parade participants and spectators are encouraged to wear costumes so that when the Nain Rouge next returns, he will not recognize the persons who once again ousted him from the city limits and thus will not be able to seek personal vengeance."), Anya spots a gnome running through the streets while setting things on fire with his glowing hands. It soon turns out she's pursuing the ACTUAL Nain Rouge, who's now a destructive fire elemental.
Along the pursuit, she meets up with Charon, a paranormal something guy who's job is to bring bad spirits and demons to Hell.
While I enjoyed this story in general, there were some aspects that threw me off a little. Like a few revelations that were made which were quite a big of a deal, but a bit out of proportion for a short story. While I'm sure the fans of the Anya Kalinczyk-series, where this story is set in, will appreciate these facts, new readers like me are just bound to be a tat bit baffled by it. It's like showing someone who's never heard of Star Wars the few seconds where Darth Vader tells Luke he's his father. It's seemingly a very important piece of information, but all you can do is shrug then, right?
Reasons I did enjoy this story is that it's fast-paced and fun and reminded me of this at one point:
Damn, I never noticed she was this busty before
(Anya is nothing like April O'Neil, but badass chick running through a sewer mkay.)
The ending was pretty cool as well and a giant invisible pet salamander just screams awesomeness.
"The Death of Aiguillon" by Aliette de Bodard (4 stars)
This story takes place sixty years prior to the start of the Dominion of the Fallen-series. The first book came out in August 2015 and I'm very curious about it after reading 'The Death of Aiguillon'.
It's a dystopian story set in a Paris which is suffering from a big war, a magical war between the Houses spread out over the city. Houses are like factions, living in mansions, each mansion occupied with a rich, magical 'family'. Huyen, a kitchen maid at the House of Aiguillon has been able to escape while soldiers murdered pretty much the rest of her House...except for a Fallen called Mandias, a bit of a dark angel you might say.
Houseless people now live a grim life, having to live in camps and kill and scavenge things just to survive.
It's not easy to describe what this story is about without giving too much away. All I can say is that this is some fantastic world building with such a grim atmosphere, you can't help but being dragged into it.
"One Hundred Ablutions" by Jacqueline Carey (4 stars)
This is the only story which isn't part of a series and also the only story which is set in a different world than the one we live in. It tells the tale of Dala, a young woman chosen by her people’s overlords, the Shaladan, to be an exalted slave among slaves.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable story. At first, I assumed all the characters were human, but it turned out they are part of completely different races. The author lets you discover these things bit by bit, which is great for building up the plot.
I loved the world setting. It reads a bit like it's taking place in some Arabic country, with a desert close by and the Shaladan all having Arabic names. The characters were well defined, especially for a short story, and everything just adds up in the end. There are no cliffhangers, open endings or whatnot; just a finished story.
That doesn't mean there isn't a possibility of delving deeper into this world. I know I, for one, would love to read more about it!
One of the races is the Jagan, which reminded me a lot of the Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls video game series. That certainly adds another factor of coolness to the story.
All in all, I don't know why this book has such low ratings on Goodreads. I certainly liked it and if you're into Fantasy or just paranormal stories, I would definitely recommend reading it when you get the chance. It might even get you to love short stories as much as I do! I'm giving it 3.5 stars in total.
Edit: I do have to say I think the cover is a bit shite, but that might just be me.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
verkisto's review
2.0
Last year, I splurged on a Subterranean Press mystery box, where I paid a flat price and received several books from their back catalog. It was a fun experiment, and I received a number of odd books, some from authors I knew and liked, others from authors I knew but hadn't read, and then others like A Fantasy Medley 3, where I only had a passing interest in them. I'm knocking out the novellas in my collection, though, and this one, at just 151 pages, qualified, so I spent much of a Sunday afternoon reading it. And it was ... okay.
The first story, "Goddess at the Crossroads", is a story set in the world of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, which means nothing to me. I know Hearne's name because he's written a book in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, but that's about it. The story is serviceable enough; it's engaging, and it's well told. It didn't wow me, and I felt a disconnect with the outside characters. It's a story told around a campfire, and the characters around said campfire are probably familiar to readers of the rest of Hearne's series, but for me, they're just a wrapping device. They seem lively enough, but they aren't particularly defined. Plus, the narrator seems to be long-lived, since the story he's telling is about how he saved Shakespeare from bandits and witches. There are more questions than answers at the end of this story, though I expect readers of the series would know the answers to those questions.
Laura Bickle's "Ashes" follows, and it, too, is part of a larger series (Anya Kalinczyk), though it does a better job of showing the characters. You still get the feeling that Bickle is relying on her existing series to carry the bulk of the characterization and exposition, but the story feels more engaging because she still gives us the bare bones of her character and what she means to the world she's created. In the story, Anya is racing to catch the Red Dwarf, a fire elemental that's wreaking havoc in modern-day Detroit. She's joined by her familiar, a salamander named Sparky (oh, I forgot to mention there's a strong vein of irreverence running throughout the story), and Charon, from Hell. Again, it feels like this is a small part of a larger story that readers of the series would already know, and it feels most apparent in the ending. I feel like it should have been more emotional, and it likely is, for those who know the rest of the story. As it is, I feel like the ending is rushed and unemotional, and raises more questions that readers familiar with her other books already understand.
The third story, "The Death of Aiguillon", by Aliette de Bodard, is yet another story that's part of a larger arc. In this case, the story is a prequel to The House of Shattered Wings. Again, this is a book (and author) with which I'm unfamiliar, so I'm going into an established story without any point of reference. Compared to the other two stories, this one feels the most self-contained. It's about a young woman who has survived a magical battle, and how she continues to survive in the battle-ravaged city of Paris. de Bodard spends more time on character and setting here, though she seems to sacrifice plot in their favor. The language is lyrical and provoking, but it doesn't feel as much like a story as the preceding two stories. Honestly, it feels like the prologue to a novel, which is exactly what it is. It's also intriguing enough to make me look into de Bodard's novel.
"One Hundred Ablutions" is Jacqueline Carey's contribution to the collection, and is the one stand-alone story out of all four. I haven't read anything by Carey yet, but I do have Kushiel's Dart in my to-read stack, and this was the one story I was looking forward to reading. It's a short, fantasy version of The Handmaid's Tale, where lower-class citizens serve as religious handmaids for the higher-class families. It captures the helplessness and despair of Atwood's tale, but redefines the roles of the handmaids in the tale. It's a powerful, effective story, and touches on themes of independence, responsibility, and rebellion. It's the best story of the collection.
As the title of the collection suggests, this is a medley of different kinds of fantasy, from urban fantasy to alternate worlds, and like most collections, it's uneven. The volume is a mixed bag, with the first two stories being the least interesting of them all, but the last two stand out, with Carey's story making it worthwhile. I won't be seeking out the previous volumes in this series, but I don't regret reading this one.
The first story, "Goddess at the Crossroads", is a story set in the world of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, which means nothing to me. I know Hearne's name because he's written a book in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, but that's about it. The story is serviceable enough; it's engaging, and it's well told. It didn't wow me, and I felt a disconnect with the outside characters. It's a story told around a campfire, and the characters around said campfire are probably familiar to readers of the rest of Hearne's series, but for me, they're just a wrapping device. They seem lively enough, but they aren't particularly defined. Plus, the narrator seems to be long-lived, since the story he's telling is about how he saved Shakespeare from bandits and witches. There are more questions than answers at the end of this story, though I expect readers of the series would know the answers to those questions.
Laura Bickle's "Ashes" follows, and it, too, is part of a larger series (Anya Kalinczyk), though it does a better job of showing the characters. You still get the feeling that Bickle is relying on her existing series to carry the bulk of the characterization and exposition, but the story feels more engaging because she still gives us the bare bones of her character and what she means to the world she's created. In the story, Anya is racing to catch the Red Dwarf, a fire elemental that's wreaking havoc in modern-day Detroit. She's joined by her familiar, a salamander named Sparky (oh, I forgot to mention there's a strong vein of irreverence running throughout the story), and Charon, from Hell. Again, it feels like this is a small part of a larger story that readers of the series would already know, and it feels most apparent in the ending. I feel like it should have been more emotional, and it likely is, for those who know the rest of the story. As it is, I feel like the ending is rushed and unemotional, and raises more questions that readers familiar with her other books already understand.
The third story, "The Death of Aiguillon", by Aliette de Bodard, is yet another story that's part of a larger arc. In this case, the story is a prequel to The House of Shattered Wings. Again, this is a book (and author) with which I'm unfamiliar, so I'm going into an established story without any point of reference. Compared to the other two stories, this one feels the most self-contained. It's about a young woman who has survived a magical battle, and how she continues to survive in the battle-ravaged city of Paris. de Bodard spends more time on character and setting here, though she seems to sacrifice plot in their favor. The language is lyrical and provoking, but it doesn't feel as much like a story as the preceding two stories. Honestly, it feels like the prologue to a novel, which is exactly what it is. It's also intriguing enough to make me look into de Bodard's novel.
"One Hundred Ablutions" is Jacqueline Carey's contribution to the collection, and is the one stand-alone story out of all four. I haven't read anything by Carey yet, but I do have Kushiel's Dart in my to-read stack, and this was the one story I was looking forward to reading. It's a short, fantasy version of The Handmaid's Tale, where lower-class citizens serve as religious handmaids for the higher-class families. It captures the helplessness and despair of Atwood's tale, but redefines the roles of the handmaids in the tale. It's a powerful, effective story, and touches on themes of independence, responsibility, and rebellion. It's the best story of the collection.
As the title of the collection suggests, this is a medley of different kinds of fantasy, from urban fantasy to alternate worlds, and like most collections, it's uneven. The volume is a mixed bag, with the first two stories being the least interesting of them all, but the last two stand out, with Carey's story making it worthwhile. I won't be seeking out the previous volumes in this series, but I don't regret reading this one.
arkron's review
3.0
Full review at my Blog.
Three of the four stories in this anthology are part of series. It was interesting to compare authors' choices how much introduction new readers would need - and thus duplicating well known elements from other stories in the series, which would be boring for readers who know the series already. I found that I couldn't stand Hearne's approach - the story was too short, there weren't enough new elements and in general too much repetition for my taste. The other authors had a well-balanced exposition, but the best was the standalone story from Carey.
A very nice mix of stories that I'd like to recommend. I guess, fans of one of those series might want to get the anthology alone for the respective entries. But it works also very well for readers who don't want to invest in new series.
★1/2 • Goddess at the Crossroads • short story by Kevin Hearne from the Iron Druid Chronicles • full review at my blog
★★★ • Ashes • 2015 • short story by Laura Bickle from [b:Embers|6610562|Embers (Anya Kalinczyk, #1)|Laura Bickle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421562657s/6610562.jpg|6748524] setting • full review at my blog
★★★★ • The Death of Aiguillon • novelette by Aliette de Bodard • a magically ruined city of Paris with a war between the Houses of Fallen • review
★★★★ • One Hundred Ablutions • novelette by Jacqueline Carey • a waterbearing slave's life among aliens • review
Three of the four stories in this anthology are part of series. It was interesting to compare authors' choices how much introduction new readers would need - and thus duplicating well known elements from other stories in the series, which would be boring for readers who know the series already. I found that I couldn't stand Hearne's approach - the story was too short, there weren't enough new elements and in general too much repetition for my taste. The other authors had a well-balanced exposition, but the best was the standalone story from Carey.
A very nice mix of stories that I'd like to recommend. I guess, fans of one of those series might want to get the anthology alone for the respective entries. But it works also very well for readers who don't want to invest in new series.
★1/2 • Goddess at the Crossroads • short story by Kevin Hearne from the Iron Druid Chronicles • full review at my blog
★★★ • Ashes • 2015 • short story by Laura Bickle from [b:Embers|6610562|Embers (Anya Kalinczyk, #1)|Laura Bickle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421562657s/6610562.jpg|6748524] setting • full review at my blog
★★★★ • The Death of Aiguillon • novelette by Aliette de Bodard • a magically ruined city of Paris with a war between the Houses of Fallen • review
★★★★ • One Hundred Ablutions • novelette by Jacqueline Carey • a waterbearing slave's life among aliens • review