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qu33nofbookz's review
3.0
2 1/2 stars rounded up.
I love dragons. That being said I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book or how to rate it. This is supposed to be a collection of short stories and poems about dragons. But really the "stories" are just slices of scenes or ideas, if they resemble stories they are cut off so abruptly it felt like you are getting a teaser to a bigger book that you have to go get, but there isn't any more to get. (Edit: the latter half of the book are complete shorts) Also, the dragon element is lacking in many of them so I am not quite sure why they are in this collection. (Edit: most stories involved a god that had dragon like features, mostly Asian dragons, but were either mostly humanoid or just mentioned and not seen, or you only get a glimpse of at the end are not really a part of the story except to mention them as a part of the characters religion or local legend.) The drawings are a nice bonus, though I wish there were more or more detailed to the story than the tiny general sketches, which by the way are mostly of Europen style dragons when most featured in the stories are Asian style. I guess I'll go story by story for rating and summary and review. 75% of any dragons described are the eastern/Asian style/type dragons.
What Heroism Tells Us By Jane Yolen 2 stars
A very short "poem" that feels more like the opening paragraph of a novel. Mention of a dragon's eye...noting else dragon here.
Matriculation By Elle Katharine White 1 1/2 stars
Melee lives in a world where magic and technology blend and most of the population is undead, and the currency is blood. She has been accepted into magic tech university to get a degree to save the shop her father left her. She shops for a textbook she needs before needing to come up with tuition when her scholarship is canceled. The dragon is her flying machine she uses like a car. This had an abrupt ending that had me checking to see if the book was missing pages. The story just stops with an unsatisfactory ending.
Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, The Tale of the Naga Sage, By Zen Cho 3 stars
Sri Bujang is a dragon who is called home from his self-imposed exile to become king because his father is dying. He has been alone in the mountains for so long to become a sage, ie grow up he has forgotten what being in the real world of humans can mean. He must learn to stop being selfish and stop causing destruction and care for others.
Yuli By Daniel Abraham 1 1/2 stars
Yuli is a middle-aged ex-soldier whose teenaged grandson has come to stay with him. He is amused by the teen and his friends playing dungeons and dragons in the not basement because it has a window. He took a lot of drugs during his war years and is messed up mentally. He also brought back stolen gold coins as spoils of war and buried them in the not basement. A friend asks about the coins he has and warns him that people are coming for them. He gets himself back in shape. When he goes to the store one day he is set upon by a group of nine...mercenaries? villains or unknown origin? This story also had an abrupt cut off making you think pages are missing. The only mention of dragons is that there is one in the D&D game. I think there is supposed to be an illusion to Yuli being a dragon since he is hiding gold coins but it doesn't work.
A Whisper of Blue By Ken Liu 5 stars
Dragons are real and known worldwide. They provide a source of energy harnessed to make things run like electricity. This story is written like a transcript of a documentary of a bunch of people in a small town in Massachusetts where a swarm of dragons have come to live. Scenes of various dragons mixed with interviews of the townspeople telling the history of dragons, what they do for the humans, and about how the humans work with them and how the town can use the dragons to their benefit.
Nidhog By Jo Walton 2 stars
A short poem about the world symbolized as a tree resting on the back of a sleeping dragon. When we use up our resources and the tree dies the dragon will awake and destroy the world.
Where the River Turns to Concrete By Brooke Bolander 2 1/2 stars
Joe is a huge man with no memory working for a mob boss doing all the dirty deeds. He loves to swim and one day saves the life of a boy who drowned in his pool. He develops a budding love with the boy's mother who has a long line of magic/mysticism running through her family. She tells him a tale about meeting a river god/dragon as a child. He begins to remember the past, and after killing a witch his boss had hired long ago he remembers he is the river god/dragon and the mob boss made him a man when he dried up the river to make condos. He takes his revenge.
Habitat By K. J. Parker 5 stars
A knight and lord of unknown name once killed a dragon as a teen out of sheer dumb luck. With the death of his brother, he was sent off to war which he survived longer than almost anyone else again out of sheer dumb luck. When he returns home the crown prince wants him to catch a live dragon or he'll take all his lands away. We get a history of how dragons came to their lands, the reasons for war, and how the two are linked as he searches for one. When he is done with his quest all is well, with an interesting twist.
Pox By Ellen Klages 3 stars
Ellen is having a bad vacation, stuck in California when her sister and brother get chickenpox. She consoles herself with her favorite book, The Legend of Earthsea, and hunting snails in the garden for pennies until one day her aunt takes her for an adventure. She takes her for a day in Chinatown to meet up with a friend of hers. This story's setting is 1969 and it is heavily hinted and alluded that her aunt is bisexual and had a relationship with the friend they meet who is in a relationship with another woman. After their day of exploring the district where she compares everything to her book, she buys a lizard that looks like a dragon which might just actually be a dragon.
The Nine Curves River By R. F. Kuang 2 1/2 stars
Jiejie is writing an open letter to her little sister who is a sacrifice to the local dragon. Their kingdom of small islands is perfect thanks to the protection and power of a dragon. But to keep the dragon's favor each year they must sacrifice someone to it. On a festival day during the lunar new year week, Jiejie takes her sister to the main island, the big city for the first time. They spend the day walking around seeing the sights and enjoying the festival. JieJie reveals that her sister has been perfect since birth and that she grew jealous of her but now that her sister is going to die, chosen by the priests and brainwashed to accept her fate she feels bad. From her descriptions of her sister and her skills, it seems that her sister is linked to or might be a part of the dragon in human form. We never see the dragon it is only talked about.
Lucky’s Dragon By Kelly Barnhill 3 stars
Lucky is a budding scientist whose project in science class explodes and creates a dragon. The dragon is a part of Lucky and as the dragon grows she shrinks and her feelings disappear. Her neighbor and only friend, a scientist is actually an alien who knows what is going on and tries to help Lucky. The next day other students also make dragons which do the same thing to them as is happening to Lucky. Turns out the science teacher is behind all the dragons popping up.
I Make Myself a Dragon By Beth Cato 2 stars
A short poem about someone who wants to become a dragon to smite their enemies, most likely bullies. They will protect other weak people who are bullied and teach them to become strong dragons too.
The Exile By JY Yang 1/2 star
One of the most recent stories written the characters use the they/them pronouns. This story is not well done and doesn't make a lot of sense and the world-building/background/explanations are nill. This felt like a part of either an ongoing story or an already establish world from another book but one the author didn't mention. The god/dragon here has at least 3 names and the author keeps switching them out which is frustrating. Linear is some kind of priest and convicted criminal on a spaceship and he sees his duty as a punishment of some kind or it is his punishment? (Is being a priest a crime? The world-building really sucks in this story). He has to serve/feed the captured god (in Asian dragon form) that is on the ship (for power? not really explained). The god/dragon decides to present itself in human-like form to talk but Linear refuses. For 10 years he brings the food and he never sees the god/dragon again. At last, the ship reaches a planet and the god/dragon is let go there (apparently the god/dragon was the prisoner) to terraform the planet to be habitable for humans. It takes 10 years then the humans will come back to lay claim to it, Linear must stay on the planet in a bubble/dome house while the god/dragon does its thing and keep an observation journal. Linear starts to go mad from the isolation and notices that the planet is growing crystals which seem to be somewhat sentient. The god/dragon tries to communicate with Linear again but they refuse and flash back to how they got into the position they are in and the death of their lover. After 10 years in which Linear has blanked everything out in the madness of isolation, he comes to realize the planet is still toxic and won't support human life. He calls to the god/dragon who tells him that the humans ignored the life on the planet but he has not and they offered him freedom so he has made the planet better for the life forms, the crystals, already there. Linear is angry the god/dragon won't do what they enslaved them for and begins to realize how much trouble they are in since they were supposed to keep the god/dragon in check but didn't care about it for the whole decade. The god/dragon points out that they have been the living dead and have no future. So Linear decides to kill themselves after all the crap they went through to live.
Except on Saturdays By Peter S. Beagle 2 1/2 stars
An aging college professor meets Melusine an immortal dragon of legend in human form on a bus one night. She is in a wheelchair because her legs become a tale every Saturday and he helps her after she falls out of it. He follows her home where they talk about her past, her legend, and possibly make love before she transforms. He leaves always hoping to have another encounter with her but doesn't think he ever will.
La Vitesse By Kelly Robson 3 stars
Bea is a school bus driver in the very fringe of Canada. While driving the children home one day she notices the bus, which she has named La Vitesse is being chased by a dragon. She had seen one before months ago but no one believed her. Now she knows that all the children are in danger because the dragon wants to eat them if it can catch the bus. With the help of her authority hating, people hating doesn't listen to anyone punk of a teenaged daughter she must outrun and stop the dragon. A nice little twist at the end sets up for a longer book or second short story.
A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe By Amal El-Mohtar 2 1/2 stars
A short open letter about the love/hate relationship between the writer and a dragon.
The Long Walk By Kate Elliott 3 1/2 stars
Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz By Garth Nix 3 stars
Hoard By Seanan McGuire
The Wyrm of Lirr By C. S. E. Cooney
The Last Hunt By Aliette de Bodard 1 star
We Continue By Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky
Small Bird’s Plea By Todd McCaffrey
The Dragons By Theodora Goss
Dragon Slayer By Michael Swanwick
Camouflage By Patricia A. McKillip
“We Don’t Talk About the Dragon,” Sarah Gailey
“Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It,” Scott Lynch
“A Nice Cuppa,” Jane Yolen
I love dragons. That being said I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book or how to rate it. This is supposed to be a collection of short stories and poems about dragons. But really the "stories" are just slices of scenes or ideas, if they resemble stories they are cut off so abruptly it felt like you are getting a teaser to a bigger book that you have to go get, but there isn't any more to get. (Edit: the latter half of the book are complete shorts) Also, the dragon element is lacking in many of them so I am not quite sure why they are in this collection. (Edit: most stories involved a god that had dragon like features, mostly Asian dragons, but were either mostly humanoid or just mentioned and not seen, or you only get a glimpse of at the end are not really a part of the story except to mention them as a part of the characters religion or local legend.) The drawings are a nice bonus, though I wish there were more or more detailed to the story than the tiny general sketches, which by the way are mostly of Europen style dragons when most featured in the stories are Asian style. I guess I'll go story by story for rating and summary and review. 75% of any dragons described are the eastern/Asian style/type dragons.
What Heroism Tells Us By Jane Yolen 2 stars
A very short "poem" that feels more like the opening paragraph of a novel. Mention of a dragon's eye...noting else dragon here.
Matriculation By Elle Katharine White 1 1/2 stars
Melee lives in a world where magic and technology blend and most of the population is undead, and the currency is blood. She has been accepted into magic tech university to get a degree to save the shop her father left her. She shops for a textbook she needs before needing to come up with tuition when her scholarship is canceled. The dragon is her flying machine she uses like a car. This had an abrupt ending that had me checking to see if the book was missing pages. The story just stops with an unsatisfactory ending.
Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, The Tale of the Naga Sage, By Zen Cho 3 stars
Sri Bujang is a dragon who is called home from his self-imposed exile to become king because his father is dying. He has been alone in the mountains for so long to become a sage, ie grow up he has forgotten what being in the real world of humans can mean. He must learn to stop being selfish and stop causing destruction and care for others.
Yuli By Daniel Abraham 1 1/2 stars
Yuli is a middle-aged ex-soldier whose teenaged grandson has come to stay with him. He is amused by the teen and his friends playing dungeons and dragons in the not basement because it has a window. He took a lot of drugs during his war years and is messed up mentally. He also brought back stolen gold coins as spoils of war and buried them in the not basement. A friend asks about the coins he has and warns him that people are coming for them. He gets himself back in shape. When he goes to the store one day he is set upon by a group of nine...mercenaries? villains or unknown origin? This story also had an abrupt cut off making you think pages are missing. The only mention of dragons is that there is one in the D&D game. I think there is supposed to be an illusion to Yuli being a dragon since he is hiding gold coins but it doesn't work.
A Whisper of Blue By Ken Liu 5 stars
Dragons are real and known worldwide. They provide a source of energy harnessed to make things run like electricity. This story is written like a transcript of a documentary of a bunch of people in a small town in Massachusetts where a swarm of dragons have come to live. Scenes of various dragons mixed with interviews of the townspeople telling the history of dragons, what they do for the humans, and about how the humans work with them and how the town can use the dragons to their benefit.
Nidhog By Jo Walton 2 stars
A short poem about the world symbolized as a tree resting on the back of a sleeping dragon. When we use up our resources and the tree dies the dragon will awake and destroy the world.
Where the River Turns to Concrete By Brooke Bolander 2 1/2 stars
Joe is a huge man with no memory working for a mob boss doing all the dirty deeds. He loves to swim and one day saves the life of a boy who drowned in his pool. He develops a budding love with the boy's mother who has a long line of magic/mysticism running through her family. She tells him a tale about meeting a river god/dragon as a child. He begins to remember the past, and after killing a witch his boss had hired long ago he remembers he is the river god/dragon and the mob boss made him a man when he dried up the river to make condos. He takes his revenge.
Habitat By K. J. Parker 5 stars
A knight and lord of unknown name once killed a dragon as a teen out of sheer dumb luck. With the death of his brother, he was sent off to war which he survived longer than almost anyone else again out of sheer dumb luck. When he returns home the crown prince wants him to catch a live dragon or he'll take all his lands away. We get a history of how dragons came to their lands, the reasons for war, and how the two are linked as he searches for one. When he is done with his quest all is well, with an interesting twist.
Pox By Ellen Klages 3 stars
Ellen is having a bad vacation, stuck in California when her sister and brother get chickenpox. She consoles herself with her favorite book, The Legend of Earthsea, and hunting snails in the garden for pennies until one day her aunt takes her for an adventure. She takes her for a day in Chinatown to meet up with a friend of hers. This story's setting is 1969 and it is heavily hinted and alluded that her aunt is bisexual and had a relationship with the friend they meet who is in a relationship with another woman. After their day of exploring the district where she compares everything to her book, she buys a lizard that looks like a dragon which might just actually be a dragon.
The Nine Curves River By R. F. Kuang 2 1/2 stars
Jiejie is writing an open letter to her little sister who is a sacrifice to the local dragon. Their kingdom of small islands is perfect thanks to the protection and power of a dragon. But to keep the dragon's favor each year they must sacrifice someone to it. On a festival day during the lunar new year week, Jiejie takes her sister to the main island, the big city for the first time. They spend the day walking around seeing the sights and enjoying the festival. JieJie reveals that her sister has been perfect since birth and that she grew jealous of her but now that her sister is going to die, chosen by the priests and brainwashed to accept her fate she feels bad. From her descriptions of her sister and her skills, it seems that her sister is linked to or might be a part of the dragon in human form. We never see the dragon it is only talked about.
Lucky’s Dragon By Kelly Barnhill 3 stars
Lucky is a budding scientist whose project in science class explodes and creates a dragon. The dragon is a part of Lucky and as the dragon grows she shrinks and her feelings disappear. Her neighbor and only friend, a scientist is actually an alien who knows what is going on and tries to help Lucky. The next day other students also make dragons which do the same thing to them as is happening to Lucky. Turns out the science teacher is behind all the dragons popping up.
I Make Myself a Dragon By Beth Cato 2 stars
A short poem about someone who wants to become a dragon to smite their enemies, most likely bullies. They will protect other weak people who are bullied and teach them to become strong dragons too.
The Exile By JY Yang 1/2 star
One of the most recent stories written the characters use the they/them pronouns. This story is not well done and doesn't make a lot of sense and the world-building/background/explanations are nill. This felt like a part of either an ongoing story or an already establish world from another book but one the author didn't mention. The god/dragon here has at least 3 names and the author keeps switching them out which is frustrating. Linear is some kind of priest and convicted criminal on a spaceship and he sees his duty as a punishment of some kind or it is his punishment? (Is being a priest a crime? The world-building really sucks in this story). He has to serve/feed the captured god (in Asian dragon form) that is on the ship (for power? not really explained). The god/dragon decides to present itself in human-like form to talk but Linear refuses. For 10 years he brings the food and he never sees the god/dragon again. At last, the ship reaches a planet and the god/dragon is let go there (apparently the god/dragon was the prisoner) to terraform the planet to be habitable for humans. It takes 10 years then the humans will come back to lay claim to it, Linear must stay on the planet in a bubble/dome house while the god/dragon does its thing and keep an observation journal. Linear starts to go mad from the isolation and notices that the planet is growing crystals which seem to be somewhat sentient. The god/dragon tries to communicate with Linear again but they refuse and flash back to how they got into the position they are in and the death of their lover. After 10 years in which Linear has blanked everything out in the madness of isolation, he comes to realize the planet is still toxic and won't support human life. He calls to the god/dragon who tells him that the humans ignored the life on the planet but he has not and they offered him freedom so he has made the planet better for the life forms, the crystals, already there. Linear is angry the god/dragon won't do what they enslaved them for and begins to realize how much trouble they are in since they were supposed to keep the god/dragon in check but didn't care about it for the whole decade. The god/dragon points out that they have been the living dead and have no future. So Linear decides to kill themselves after all the crap they went through to live.
Except on Saturdays By Peter S. Beagle 2 1/2 stars
An aging college professor meets Melusine an immortal dragon of legend in human form on a bus one night. She is in a wheelchair because her legs become a tale every Saturday and he helps her after she falls out of it. He follows her home where they talk about her past, her legend, and possibly make love before she transforms. He leaves always hoping to have another encounter with her but doesn't think he ever will.
La Vitesse By Kelly Robson 3 stars
Bea is a school bus driver in the very fringe of Canada. While driving the children home one day she notices the bus, which she has named La Vitesse is being chased by a dragon. She had seen one before months ago but no one believed her. Now she knows that all the children are in danger because the dragon wants to eat them if it can catch the bus. With the help of her authority hating, people hating doesn't listen to anyone punk of a teenaged daughter she must outrun and stop the dragon. A nice little twist at the end sets up for a longer book or second short story.
A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe By Amal El-Mohtar 2 1/2 stars
A short open letter about the love/hate relationship between the writer and a dragon.
The Long Walk By Kate Elliott 3 1/2 stars
Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz By Garth Nix 3 stars
Hoard By Seanan McGuire
The Wyrm of Lirr By C. S. E. Cooney
The Last Hunt By Aliette de Bodard 1 star
We Continue By Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky
Small Bird’s Plea By Todd McCaffrey
The Dragons By Theodora Goss
Dragon Slayer By Michael Swanwick
Camouflage By Patricia A. McKillip
“We Don’t Talk About the Dragon,” Sarah Gailey
“Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It,” Scott Lynch
“A Nice Cuppa,” Jane Yolen
sparky_lurkdragon's review
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
4.5
As an anthology, there are highs and lows. The lows include a story that isn't even about a dragon, but the highs are well worth it.
pasanov's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
elsecallerreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this anthology will delight anyone who loves dragons. Sometimes with anthologies that are written by multiple authors the quality varies greatly from story to story. I'm happy to say this isn't the case here. Every story was at least 4 stars for me and I was delighted by each one.
tinynavajo's review
5.0
If you enjoy dragons then you'll enjoy this book quite a lot! Highly recovered and you find a lot of new authors as well!
emmasdilemma's review
3.0
I have always been eyeing this book since it looks so beautiful (and totally not because of R.F Kuang, don't be ridiculous!) I got it cheap compared to the steep 40 + dollars it is at retail. So I tend to do this book justice.
DAY ONE
What Heroism Tells Us - Jane Yolen
short but sweet 3/5
Matriculation - Elle Katharine White
forget dragons, gargoyles! This was enjoyable with vast magical worldbuilding. A did feel a little incomplete as a short story 3/5
Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, the tale of the Naga Sage - Zen Cho
A lot of names, places, and terms that I usually find in longer high-fantasy books because a) you can find out the names, places, and terms through a multitude of chapters of context and b) usually has a glossary at the end *just in case*. Also, I felt like the period of time this wasn't read consistently like in my head I was picturing an older time then they threw in a car. A lot of potential though if it was longer. 3/5
Yuli - Daniel Abraham
I like this one! In a very dark manner of grandfather dealing with the aftermath of being a mercenary with DnD! 4/5
A Whisper of Blue - Ken Liu
my brain is quite dumb and cannot refit itself to text formatting change and it wasn’t even a necessary change in formatting for the amount of text dedicated (like 2-4 pages worth) to as character or scene. It is quite cool though to see such an in-depth perspective of dragons and what thoughts or tasks people would construct around this world. 3/5
Nidhog - Jo Walton
I liked this, but like a normal amount 3/5
Where the River Turns to Concrete - Brooke Bolander
This was really well written. Beautiful imagery and characters. 4.5/5
Habitat - K.J Parker
(the way K.J Parker roasted themselves in the bio) This was like eating a graham cracker if that makes sense. Middle of the road in terms of dragon stuff but I like it 3.5/5.
Pox - Ellen Klages
A kids perspective of a trip that turns to a sickcation … and dragons! 3/5
The Nine Curves River - R.F Kuang
R.F Kuang! R.F Kuang! R.F Kuang! Of course amazing as always and I sunk into this short story forgetting the world around me. Of course 5/5!
Lucky’s Dragon - Kelly Barnhill
This is cute, it does give middle school vibes but that is not a bad thing, especially with dragons. 3/5
I Make Myself a Dragon - Beth Cato
a beaut, I know people don’t like poetry generally - at least it doesn’t often intersect with non-poetry readers but this feels like a good place to start when visualizing dragons and power. 4/5
The Exile - JY Yang
Okay so JY Yang is like a gem to read for their Tensorate series. This is much like their other novella except bite sized so 3.5/5.
Except on Saturday - Peter S. Beagle
MMMMMMMmmm not for me unless I liked short stories with the sentence “I am not a wine buff - an impossible, arrogant beer snob, yes,”. 2/5
La Vitesse - Kelly Robson
I love a messy mom. 3.5/5.
A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe - Amal El-Mohtar
I do like this one as well for poetry 3/5.
The Long Walk - Kate Elliot
(getting back into it despite the two midterms I have next week) this was delightful, I loved the character and scenery. 4/5
Cut Me Another Qull, Mister Fitz - Garth Nix
I don't know how to feel 3/5
Hoard-Seanan McGuire
Oooo I have a soft spot for foster family stories. This warmed up my cold unfeeling heart. 4/5
The Wyrm of Lirr - C.S.E Cooney
Again, I am so sorry but I can't read certain formats and it's because I am dumb.
The Last Hunt - Aliette de Bodard
A problem with me reviewing short stories is - honestly, with all stories I don't specifically review - I have no other thoughts besides things like "I like this one" and no citation on that. So take me at my word here and nothing else. 4/5
We Continue-Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky
This story was so cute a girl gets taken in through a dragon hive. Also, the duo authors didn't distract the story at all so kudos 3.5/5
Small Bird's Plea - Todd McCaffrey
Stunning, animals and a human speaking about treaties and war but also taking care of them. But also how they classify age was kind of funny to me "I'll soon have seen the five seasons six times." 3.9/5
The Dragons - Theodora Goss
3/5
Dragon Slayer - Michael Swanwick
PIRATES! ... not enough pirates. Although the concept of a dragon witch... 3/5
Camouflage-Patricia A. McKillip
Camo dragons needs to be expanded! 3/5
We Don't Talk About the Dragon - Sarah Gailey
I also love Sarah's concepts but there is always something a little lackluster about the writing and I can't put my finger on it. Idk maybe the narration seemed to childish for me? 3/5
Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It - Scott Lynch
It's alright. 3.5
A Nice Cuppa-Jane Yolen
A cozy poem to wrap everything up with 4/5.
Overall, a nice time and the drawings would be 10/10 enhancing each story and well done. :)
DAY ONE
What Heroism Tells Us - Jane Yolen
short but sweet 3/5
Matriculation - Elle Katharine White
forget dragons, gargoyles! This was enjoyable with vast magical worldbuilding. A did feel a little incomplete as a short story 3/5
Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, the tale of the Naga Sage - Zen Cho
A lot of names, places, and terms that I usually find in longer high-fantasy books because a) you can find out the names, places, and terms through a multitude of chapters of context and b) usually has a glossary at the end *just in case*. Also, I felt like the period of time this wasn't read consistently like in my head I was picturing an older time then they threw in a car. A lot of potential though if it was longer. 3/5
Yuli - Daniel Abraham
I like this one! In a very dark manner of grandfather dealing with the aftermath of being a mercenary with DnD! 4/5
A Whisper of Blue - Ken Liu
my brain is quite dumb and cannot refit itself to text formatting change and it wasn’t even a necessary change in formatting for the amount of text dedicated (like 2-4 pages worth) to as character or scene. It is quite cool though to see such an in-depth perspective of dragons and what thoughts or tasks people would construct around this world. 3/5
Nidhog - Jo Walton
I liked this, but like a normal amount 3/5
Where the River Turns to Concrete - Brooke Bolander
This was really well written. Beautiful imagery and characters. 4.5/5
Habitat - K.J Parker
(the way K.J Parker roasted themselves in the bio) This was like eating a graham cracker if that makes sense. Middle of the road in terms of dragon stuff but I like it 3.5/5.
Pox - Ellen Klages
A kids perspective of a trip that turns to a sickcation … and dragons! 3/5
The Nine Curves River - R.F Kuang
R.F Kuang! R.F Kuang! R.F Kuang! Of course amazing as always and I sunk into this short story forgetting the world around me. Of course 5/5!
Lucky’s Dragon - Kelly Barnhill
This is cute, it does give middle school vibes but that is not a bad thing, especially with dragons. 3/5
I Make Myself a Dragon - Beth Cato
a beaut, I know people don’t like poetry generally - at least it doesn’t often intersect with non-poetry readers but this feels like a good place to start when visualizing dragons and power. 4/5
The Exile - JY Yang
Okay so JY Yang is like a gem to read for their Tensorate series. This is much like their other novella except bite sized so 3.5/5.
Except on Saturday - Peter S. Beagle
MMMMMMMmmm not for me unless I liked short stories with the sentence “I am not a wine buff - an impossible, arrogant beer snob, yes,”. 2/5
La Vitesse - Kelly Robson
I love a messy mom. 3.5/5.
A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe - Amal El-Mohtar
I do like this one as well for poetry 3/5.
The Long Walk - Kate Elliot
(getting back into it despite the two midterms I have next week) this was delightful, I loved the character and scenery. 4/5
Cut Me Another Qull, Mister Fitz - Garth Nix
I don't know how to feel 3/5
Hoard-Seanan McGuire
Oooo I have a soft spot for foster family stories. This warmed up my cold unfeeling heart. 4/5
The Wyrm of Lirr - C.S.E Cooney
Again, I am so sorry but I can't read certain formats and it's because I am dumb.
The Last Hunt - Aliette de Bodard
A problem with me reviewing short stories is - honestly, with all stories I don't specifically review - I have no other thoughts besides things like "I like this one" and no citation on that. So take me at my word here and nothing else. 4/5
We Continue-Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky
This story was so cute a girl gets taken in through a dragon hive. Also, the duo authors didn't distract the story at all so kudos 3.5/5
Small Bird's Plea - Todd McCaffrey
Stunning, animals and a human speaking about treaties and war but also taking care of them. But also how they classify age was kind of funny to me "I'll soon have seen the five seasons six times." 3.9/5
The Dragons - Theodora Goss
3/5
Dragon Slayer - Michael Swanwick
PIRATES! ... not enough pirates. Although the concept of a dragon witch... 3/5
Camouflage-Patricia A. McKillip
Camo dragons needs to be expanded! 3/5
We Don't Talk About the Dragon - Sarah Gailey
I also love Sarah's concepts but there is always something a little lackluster about the writing and I can't put my finger on it. Idk maybe the narration seemed to childish for me? 3/5
Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It - Scott Lynch
It's alright. 3.5
A Nice Cuppa-Jane Yolen
A cozy poem to wrap everything up with 4/5.
Overall, a nice time and the drawings would be 10/10 enhancing each story and well done. :)
booklover160's review
4.0
I don't have a 'becoming a genius' plan, like the wonderous emma (check out part 1 of her project here), but I do want to read more short stories!
What Heroism Tells Us by Jane Yolen
3 stars
I didn't expect a poem to start us off, especially since I was hoping for a story from Jane Yolen. But it's not a bad poem. I just don't care for poetry, personally.
Matriculation by Elle Katharine White
2 stars
This story would have done well in a novel on it's own. I think the idea behind it was interesting but this snippet wasn't enough. I don't understand this world or it's rules. I don't understand the incident that rejected her scholarship. I don't understand what the "dragon" is and it annoyed me that it wasn't even a minor character in this thing. Overall, the writing is nice, but this brought up way more questions than answers and so it's overall forgettable.
Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, the Tale of the Naga Sage by Zen Cho
4 stars
This one felt like an entire novel in one short story. I really liked this version of dragons, or naga, and I liked the relationship between siblings. I thought it was cute that Sri Kemboja moonlighted as a human and even had a crush. Overall, a nice well-rounded story that I would love to read more of!
Yuli by Daniel Abraham
4 stars
Another one where the dragon isn’t a main character or even a minor character but I was engrossed. ‘Yuli’ follows Yuli, an ex-mercenary sort who learns he has a grandson and consequently takes care of him. We get somewhat alternating perspectives as Yuli learns of an old threat and as his grandson plays D&D. I really liked this one!
A Whisper of Blue by Ken Liu
3.5 stars
Written in a screenplay format, I expected less chunks of text, but it’s full of chunks of text. Regardless, I found this little story/documentary interesting! I really liked Zoe’s character and I found Alexander an interesting character too. I liked it, but expected less walls of text since it’s in an alternate format.
Nidhog by Jo Walton
4 stars
Another poem. This one is more imaginative and sounds like a dragon folklore. I thought it was cute and fun (if not a little ominous)!
Where the River Turns to Concrete by Brooke Bolander
5 stars
Did I ever think I'd rate a mobster dragon story 5 stars? No, but here we are. A beautifully written piece about a river god befriending a single mom and her son while he works for, essentially, the mob. Loved it!
Habitat by K.J. Parker
4 stars
(Hello, I am back)
This was fun, but also boring. This one made me set the book aside for a week or so, but it wasn't terrible. A fun story about a poor knight's son who kills a dragon with his bare hands as a kid, then must capture a dragon for the prince as an adult. I liked it, especially the different little "facts" about these dragons.
Pox by Ellen Klages
5 stars
I believe this is a sort of memoir story about the author’s trip to San Francisco. I absolutely loved it. I’ve been to Chinatown in San Francisco and it was one of the most magical places I’ve ever been to. I’d love to live in San Francisco if it wasn’t super expensive. This really brought that magic back to me.
The Nine Curves River by R.F. Kuang
5 stars
The second person tense was weird to get into but this was such a magical story. I really liked it even though I want so much more. I want to know what really happened. And the aftermath in the town.
Lucky's Dragon by Kelly Barnhill
4.5 stars
A little confusing to get into (also aliens??? In a book about DRAGONS? Awesome but unexpected) but a very fun story about a girl who discovers a dragon who lived inside of her. It was interesting to see this one play out. I found it both funny and compelling. I'm glad Lucky and her mother end up with a happily ever after.
I Make Myself a Dragon by Beth Cato
5 stars
Another poem but an awesome poem. I’d love to get this printed with some of the art in the book on a poster.
this body
frail
human
wrong
it does not fit my soul
I will make myself
a dragon
The Exile by JY Yang
4 stars
A more sci-fi inspired story about a young priest/prisoner sent with a god/dragon to a new planet to terraform it. Learning about our prisoner was fun and I loved that they were nonbinary as well as the dragon. I liked their dynamic too.
Except on Saturdays by Peter S. Beagle
3.5 stars
This would probably mean more to me if I knew the story of Melusine beforehand; but don’t worry, it’s explained in this story as well. It was okay but not particularly standout.
La Vitesse by Kelly Robson
4 stars
That was a wild ride. I'm still not sure if the dragon was real or if it's partly a hallucination. But I liked Bea and her daughter (even though I thought we were being led to believe her daughter was a dragon or part dragon?) and I liked the writing a lot!
A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe by Amal El-Mohtar
3 stars
A rhyming poem. Not bad!
The Long Walk by Kate Elliott
5 stars
Hands down, my favorite story in this collection so far. This created a whole world and I loved Asvi fiercely. Amazing.
Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz by Garth Nix
5 stars
I had high hopes for this one as it's by the legendary Mr. Garth Nix. It was good!! I liked the fair amount of misdirection and the red herrings. I liked being kept on my toes. My only critique is that I wish I knew more about what the ending meant.
Hoard by Seanan McGuire
5 stars
I friggen loved this. A foster child hoarding dragon who protects her children fiercely. I would love another 40 books, please. (This feels like the direct opposite to 'House on the Cerulean Sea'.)
The Wyrm of Lirr by C.S.E. Cooney
2 stars
A unique poem with an interesting format. Definitely a visual poem. Wasn't a fan, personally. Again, not too much of a poetry fan.
The Last Hunt by Aliette de Bodard
1 star
Could not get into it. Started in the middle of the action and left no room to explain anything by the time I gave up on it. Very confusing and a little too allegorical for me.
We Continue by Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky
4 stars
I loved this one. I liked the dual POVs and how they couldn't quite communicate, but they still had a fierce love for one another.
Small Bird's Plea by Todd McCaffrey
2 stars
This one was interesting but left me with more questions than answers. I wanted to know about these 'demons' with military titles and what the heck happened. I couldn't keep up.
The Dragons by Theodora Goss
5 stars
A beautiful poem (?) in a more storytelling format. I thought this was sweet and exactly what I would do in her situation!!
Dragon Slayer by Michael Swanwick
3.5 stars
A fun story but the time travel made it a bit confusing.
Camouflage by Patricia A. McKillip
3 stars
Confusing but fun concept of cross breeding dragons and octopi. Crazy but worked.
We Don’t Talk About the Dragon by Sarah Gailey
5 stars
I loved this one too. I wasn’t sure if the dragon was a metaphor but it’s not and it was awesome. I loved how it ended.
Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It by Scott Lynch
2 stars
The premise was interesting, but the war talk made my eyes glaze over and I ended up skimming the story.
A Nice Cuppa by Jane Yolen
4 stars
A nice warm poem for the ending that feels like a cup of tea.
Overall, there were some gems in here but I'm left with an overall 'meh' feeling. Rated highly for the few stories I did adore.
Personal standouts include:
'The Long Walk' by Kate Elliott
'Where the River Turns to Concrete' by Brooke Bolander
'Pox' by Ellen Klages
'We Don’t Talk About the Dragon' by Sarah Gailey
'Hoard' by Seanan McGuire
'Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz' by Garth Nix
What Heroism Tells Us by Jane Yolen
3 stars
I didn't expect a poem to start us off, especially since I was hoping for a story from Jane Yolen. But it's not a bad poem. I just don't care for poetry, personally.
Matriculation by Elle Katharine White
2 stars
This story would have done well in a novel on it's own. I think the idea behind it was interesting but this snippet wasn't enough. I don't understand this world or it's rules. I don't understand the incident that rejected her scholarship. I don't understand what the "dragon" is and it annoyed me that it wasn't even a minor character in this thing. Overall, the writing is nice, but this brought up way more questions than answers and so it's overall forgettable.
Hikayat Sri Bujang, or, the Tale of the Naga Sage by Zen Cho
4 stars
This one felt like an entire novel in one short story. I really liked this version of dragons, or naga, and I liked the relationship between siblings. I thought it was cute that Sri Kemboja moonlighted as a human and even had a crush. Overall, a nice well-rounded story that I would love to read more of!
Yuli by Daniel Abraham
4 stars
Another one where the dragon isn’t a main character or even a minor character but I was engrossed. ‘Yuli’ follows Yuli, an ex-mercenary sort who learns he has a grandson and consequently takes care of him. We get somewhat alternating perspectives as Yuli learns of an old threat and as his grandson plays D&D. I really liked this one!
A Whisper of Blue by Ken Liu
3.5 stars
Written in a screenplay format, I expected less chunks of text, but it’s full of chunks of text. Regardless, I found this little story/documentary interesting! I really liked Zoe’s character and I found Alexander an interesting character too. I liked it, but expected less walls of text since it’s in an alternate format.
Nidhog by Jo Walton
4 stars
Another poem. This one is more imaginative and sounds like a dragon folklore. I thought it was cute and fun (if not a little ominous)!
Where the River Turns to Concrete by Brooke Bolander
5 stars
Did I ever think I'd rate a mobster dragon story 5 stars? No, but here we are. A beautifully written piece about a river god befriending a single mom and her son while he works for, essentially, the mob. Loved it!
Habitat by K.J. Parker
4 stars
(Hello, I am back)
This was fun, but also boring. This one made me set the book aside for a week or so, but it wasn't terrible. A fun story about a poor knight's son who kills a dragon with his bare hands as a kid, then must capture a dragon for the prince as an adult. I liked it, especially the different little "facts" about these dragons.
Pox by Ellen Klages
5 stars
I believe this is a sort of memoir story about the author’s trip to San Francisco. I absolutely loved it. I’ve been to Chinatown in San Francisco and it was one of the most magical places I’ve ever been to. I’d love to live in San Francisco if it wasn’t super expensive. This really brought that magic back to me.
The Nine Curves River by R.F. Kuang
5 stars
The second person tense was weird to get into but this was such a magical story. I really liked it even though I want so much more. I want to know what really happened. And the aftermath in the town.
Lucky's Dragon by Kelly Barnhill
4.5 stars
A little confusing to get into (also aliens??? In a book about DRAGONS? Awesome but unexpected) but a very fun story about a girl who discovers a dragon who lived inside of her. It was interesting to see this one play out. I found it both funny and compelling. I'm glad Lucky and her mother end up with a happily ever after.
I Make Myself a Dragon by Beth Cato
5 stars
Another poem but an awesome poem. I’d love to get this printed with some of the art in the book on a poster.
this body
frail
human
wrong
it does not fit my soul
I will make myself
a dragon
The Exile by JY Yang
4 stars
A more sci-fi inspired story about a young priest/prisoner sent with a god/dragon to a new planet to terraform it. Learning about our prisoner was fun and I loved that they were nonbinary as well as the dragon. I liked their dynamic too.
Except on Saturdays by Peter S. Beagle
3.5 stars
This would probably mean more to me if I knew the story of Melusine beforehand; but don’t worry, it’s explained in this story as well. It was okay but not particularly standout.
La Vitesse by Kelly Robson
4 stars
That was a wild ride. I'm still not sure if the dragon was real or if it's partly a hallucination. But I liked Bea and her daughter (even though I thought we were being led to believe her daughter was a dragon or part dragon?) and I liked the writing a lot!
A Final Knight to Her Love and Foe by Amal El-Mohtar
3 stars
A rhyming poem. Not bad!
The Long Walk by Kate Elliott
5 stars
Hands down, my favorite story in this collection so far. This created a whole world and I loved Asvi fiercely. Amazing.
Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz by Garth Nix
5 stars
I had high hopes for this one as it's by the legendary Mr. Garth Nix. It was good!! I liked the fair amount of misdirection and the red herrings. I liked being kept on my toes. My only critique is that I wish I knew more about what the ending meant.
Hoard by Seanan McGuire
5 stars
I friggen loved this. A foster child hoarding dragon who protects her children fiercely. I would love another 40 books, please. (This feels like the direct opposite to 'House on the Cerulean Sea'.)
The Wyrm of Lirr by C.S.E. Cooney
2 stars
A unique poem with an interesting format. Definitely a visual poem. Wasn't a fan, personally. Again, not too much of a poetry fan.
The Last Hunt by Aliette de Bodard
1 star
Could not get into it. Started in the middle of the action and left no room to explain anything by the time I gave up on it. Very confusing and a little too allegorical for me.
We Continue by Ann Leckie and Rachel Swirsky
4 stars
I loved this one. I liked the dual POVs and how they couldn't quite communicate, but they still had a fierce love for one another.
Small Bird's Plea by Todd McCaffrey
2 stars
This one was interesting but left me with more questions than answers. I wanted to know about these 'demons' with military titles and what the heck happened. I couldn't keep up.
The Dragons by Theodora Goss
5 stars
A beautiful poem (?) in a more storytelling format. I thought this was sweet and exactly what I would do in her situation!!
Dragon Slayer by Michael Swanwick
3.5 stars
A fun story but the time travel made it a bit confusing.
Camouflage by Patricia A. McKillip
3 stars
Confusing but fun concept of cross breeding dragons and octopi. Crazy but worked.
We Don’t Talk About the Dragon by Sarah Gailey
5 stars
I loved this one too. I wasn’t sure if the dragon was a metaphor but it’s not and it was awesome. I loved how it ended.
Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk to It by Scott Lynch
2 stars
The premise was interesting, but the war talk made my eyes glaze over and I ended up skimming the story.
A Nice Cuppa by Jane Yolen
4 stars
A nice warm poem for the ending that feels like a cup of tea.
Overall, there were some gems in here but I'm left with an overall 'meh' feeling. Rated highly for the few stories I did adore.
Personal standouts include:
'The Long Walk' by Kate Elliott
'Where the River Turns to Concrete' by Brooke Bolander
'Pox' by Ellen Klages
'We Don’t Talk About the Dragon' by Sarah Gailey
'Hoard' by Seanan McGuire
'Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz' by Garth Nix
silkquake's review
2.0
The extremely good pieces weren't enough to offset how much I hated some of the others. The rating is much more a reflection of the editor than the quality of writing; I simply think if you're inviting Asian authors to contribute to an anthology, you should make sure some of the other stories aren't orientalist garbage.
trishreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
graveyardbook's review
3.0
For a book about dragons, there were barely any of the real fire-breathing dragons I know and love. Too many metaphorical or robotic dragons that I did not care for.