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schez's review
3.0
Always hard to do a general review of an anthology.
I enjoyed the fantasy stories I listened to - a range to explore.
Worth a listen.
I enjoyed the fantasy stories I listened to - a range to explore.
Worth a listen.
zetsubo_tasnim's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0
sanpadhi's review
(Sorry but DNF)
Thanks NetGalley and the Author for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I tried to like this book. I really tried but I don't know what happened- I just stopped reading it and never came back to it. Maybe it was due to the burnout I got from reading another ARCs while reading this. However, I would go on to say that even while reading this book, it never caught my attention for a sufficiently long amount of time< I would start reading a story and usually, I would get distracted by one reason or other. Maybe it was some fault with my mindset at that point and this book came to me at the wrong time.
Thanks NetGalley and the Author for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I tried to like this book. I really tried but I don't know what happened- I just stopped reading it and never came back to it. Maybe it was due to the burnout I got from reading another ARCs while reading this. However, I would go on to say that even while reading this book, it never caught my attention for a sufficiently long amount of time< I would start reading a story and usually, I would get distracted by one reason or other. Maybe it was some fault with my mindset at that point and this book came to me at the wrong time.
anubhaghoshal's review
3.0
Another book I was highly anticipating but I was kinda disappointed as the plot didn't turn out to be how I expected to be. Ya know the feels?
2ndbooktotheright's review
3.0
2.5 stars
While many of the stories were well written I just couldn't seem to get into them. I was bored most of the time I was reading. It did get better toward the end though.
While many of the stories were well written I just couldn't seem to get into them. I was bored most of the time I was reading. It did get better toward the end though.
rowena_m_andrews's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC
This was a fantastic collection of short stories, and a much needed escape from the real world. There were some stories that didn't work quite as well for me, but that was more due to personal taste than any problem with the writing, as I found the quality of writing across the entire collection was excellent and it was a great chance to discover authors I hadn't read before. Each of the stories had a satisfying ending, while leaving you wanting to read more about the worlds and characters, and that can be a difficult balance to achieve. I loved the sheer variety in this book, it felt like a buffet of what fantasy has to offer, and I would highly recommend to anyone wanting an entertaining escape from the world and who loves shorter stories.
This was a fantastic collection of short stories, and a much needed escape from the real world. There were some stories that didn't work quite as well for me, but that was more due to personal taste than any problem with the writing, as I found the quality of writing across the entire collection was excellent and it was a great chance to discover authors I hadn't read before. Each of the stories had a satisfying ending, while leaving you wanting to read more about the worlds and characters, and that can be a difficult balance to achieve. I loved the sheer variety in this book, it felt like a buffet of what fantasy has to offer, and I would highly recommend to anyone wanting an entertaining escape from the world and who loves shorter stories.
stacieh's review
3.0
This collection of short fantasy stories was written to highlight the original works of several authors. The publisher also states it’s goal is to remind you of the love of story and wonder and childhood. .
I was excited to read this as I was not familiar with any of these authors. I was hoping to find some new fantasy authors to explore. Personally, I found it hard to jump from style to style as I read through this. I did find several that I loved. However the first one was not for me. It felt dark and bit Rudyard Kipling-ish. It took me awhile to get through that one.
The book ended on a high note for me. I was intrigued by Marie Brennan’s “Centuries of Kings“. I think I would enjoy a full size novel for me. It was mysterious and foreboding. I wanted to know more about the why and the how. It reminded me a bit of the Spin the Dawn book and Girl, Serpent, Thorn. I want to know her back story and where it all ends.
I would recommend this to anyone who is in the mood for short stories and as an introduction to new authors. I don’t think I would read it again which is a mark of books I love.
Thanks to Netgalley and Outland Entertainment for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.
I was excited to read this as I was not familiar with any of these authors. I was hoping to find some new fantasy authors to explore. Personally, I found it hard to jump from style to style as I read through this. I did find several that I loved. However the first one was not for me. It felt dark and bit Rudyard Kipling-ish. It took me awhile to get through that one.
The book ended on a high note for me. I was intrigued by Marie Brennan’s “Centuries of Kings“. I think I would enjoy a full size novel for me. It was mysterious and foreboding. I wanted to know more about the why and the how. It reminded me a bit of the Spin the Dawn book and Girl, Serpent, Thorn. I want to know her back story and where it all ends.
I would recommend this to anyone who is in the mood for short stories and as an introduction to new authors. I don’t think I would read it again which is a mark of books I love.
Thanks to Netgalley and Outland Entertainment for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.
caidyn's review
4.0
Deception: 5/5 - I really liked this one. Great opener. Very Biblical, yet it never was said to be. Honestly, I wanted more. I want to know more about the world they're in, what laws they had. There was an amazing amount of worldbuilding in just a few pages.
Shadow Dust: 4.5/5 - Another one where I just wanted to know more about the world. Hints were given, hints that kept me reading to find out more. I liked the whole thing with witches and the folklore of Salem. Definitely unique and interesting. It makes me wonder what happened.
Dead Ox Falls: 4.5/5 - So far, this is a really good selection of stories. I liked how it was told by the father, forced to see what his son had become. Really, I just want to know more about what a "leach" is and why they're so hated.
Redemption at Knife's Edge: 3/5 - Another one where I just liked the lore of it. In these, I just want to know more about the world. I think that's my problem. I want to know more, and then I might find myself disappointed with not catching all that the author wanted me to.
A Soul in Hand: 3/5 - Hm. I'm not quite sure how I felt about this one. Definitely my kind of short story. When I wrote one, my teacher wanted something short and a few pages, but I wrote about ten plus pages. Still, the story didn't feel complete. If I had to label it, it was one that definitely had the failure at the end, that the protagonist didn't learn the lesson. That's probably why I was left with that disappointed feeling.
The Machine: 2.5/5 - I felt like I missed something with this one. The story just didn't click with me. I didn't get a sense of the characters or the point of the story. It was nice for the most part, but I just didn't gather the meaning behind it or the bigger picture of it.
Season of the Soulless: 3/5 - I think I liked this one because it reminded me of how war works. People are killed or bartered for a use. Still, the writing, for me, wasn't spot on. There were a lot of conjunctions to the writing, making it clunky from how I read it.
Redfern's Slipper: 4/5 - Love. That was a good one just because of the stupidity of love and all of that. Made me smile and laugh, along with reminded me of the way old fairytales were told.
Fire Walker: 4/5 - What got me for this one was the rebuilding of a relationship between father and son.
The Height of Our Fathers: 4.5/5 - This was a great coming of age story. Seeing a parent for who they really are, through adult eyes and not through the eyes of a child.
The Last Magician: 5/5 - Wow. This one really struck. The magic in life is only when you're a child. Poignant.
Restoring the Magic: 3/5 - It was a bit of a letdown since it just ended, right when things were starting to get interesting. Plus, I figured out the whole big secret pretty early on.
Charlotte and the Demon Who Swam Through the Grass: 3.5/5 - The mixture of mental illness and the magical was great. I really enjoyed that bit. Other than that, the story fell flat, even though I liked the way she overcame her demons.
On the Far Side of the Apocalypse: 3/5 - It took a while to get there, to the point, but I did enjoy it. Biblical again, another thing that was nice and different. Taking a spin on religion and stories that most would have heard once in their life.
The Stump and the Spire: 2.5/5 - Another one where I felt to miss something that made it really good. I did like the idea of encouraging the wonder in life that showed through with William and, at the end, his sister.
Love, Crystal, and Stone: 3.5/5 - The symbolism with finding yourself was good in this one. It reminded me of adolescence, the anger and confusion followed by finally figuring out who you are and what makes you happy.
A Tune from Long, Long Ago: 2.5/5 - Enjoyed the tie-in with the song, professor, and college student, but I still feel like it missed something. The bit of an oomph that pushed it higher in my mind.
An Equity in Dust: 4/5 - Murder. Politics. Of course I would like it. Plus an interesting world I would love to learn more about. This one sold me.
Centuries of Kings: 4.5/5 - Very quick, but very good. I got the whole bit of the world and of the protagonist. The journey of it was great, far different from the journey in any other story so far.
Renaissance: 4/5 - A fun end for this collection. It definitely wasn't a flat story, and it was good in many different ways. From the lessons of going into poverty to finding love. It was a good ending story.
Final rating: 3.7
Shadow Dust: 4.5/5 - Another one where I just wanted to know more about the world. Hints were given, hints that kept me reading to find out more. I liked the whole thing with witches and the folklore of Salem. Definitely unique and interesting. It makes me wonder what happened.
Dead Ox Falls: 4.5/5 - So far, this is a really good selection of stories. I liked how it was told by the father, forced to see what his son had become. Really, I just want to know more about what a "leach" is and why they're so hated.
Redemption at Knife's Edge: 3/5 - Another one where I just liked the lore of it. In these, I just want to know more about the world. I think that's my problem. I want to know more, and then I might find myself disappointed with not catching all that the author wanted me to.
A Soul in Hand: 3/5 - Hm. I'm not quite sure how I felt about this one. Definitely my kind of short story. When I wrote one, my teacher wanted something short and a few pages, but I wrote about ten plus pages. Still, the story didn't feel complete. If I had to label it, it was one that definitely had the failure at the end, that the protagonist didn't learn the lesson. That's probably why I was left with that disappointed feeling.
The Machine: 2.5/5 - I felt like I missed something with this one. The story just didn't click with me. I didn't get a sense of the characters or the point of the story. It was nice for the most part, but I just didn't gather the meaning behind it or the bigger picture of it.
Season of the Soulless: 3/5 - I think I liked this one because it reminded me of how war works. People are killed or bartered for a use. Still, the writing, for me, wasn't spot on. There were a lot of conjunctions to the writing, making it clunky from how I read it.
Redfern's Slipper: 4/5 - Love. That was a good one just because of the stupidity of love and all of that. Made me smile and laugh, along with reminded me of the way old fairytales were told.
Fire Walker: 4/5 - What got me for this one was the rebuilding of a relationship between father and son.
The Height of Our Fathers: 4.5/5 - This was a great coming of age story. Seeing a parent for who they really are, through adult eyes and not through the eyes of a child.
The Last Magician: 5/5 - Wow. This one really struck. The magic in life is only when you're a child. Poignant.
Restoring the Magic: 3/5 - It was a bit of a letdown since it just ended, right when things were starting to get interesting. Plus, I figured out the whole big secret pretty early on.
Charlotte and the Demon Who Swam Through the Grass: 3.5/5 - The mixture of mental illness and the magical was great. I really enjoyed that bit. Other than that, the story fell flat, even though I liked the way she overcame her demons.
On the Far Side of the Apocalypse: 3/5 - It took a while to get there, to the point, but I did enjoy it. Biblical again, another thing that was nice and different. Taking a spin on religion and stories that most would have heard once in their life.
The Stump and the Spire: 2.5/5 - Another one where I felt to miss something that made it really good. I did like the idea of encouraging the wonder in life that showed through with William and, at the end, his sister.
Love, Crystal, and Stone: 3.5/5 - The symbolism with finding yourself was good in this one. It reminded me of adolescence, the anger and confusion followed by finally figuring out who you are and what makes you happy.
A Tune from Long, Long Ago: 2.5/5 - Enjoyed the tie-in with the song, professor, and college student, but I still feel like it missed something. The bit of an oomph that pushed it higher in my mind.
An Equity in Dust: 4/5 - Murder. Politics. Of course I would like it. Plus an interesting world I would love to learn more about. This one sold me.
Centuries of Kings: 4.5/5 - Very quick, but very good. I got the whole bit of the world and of the protagonist. The journey of it was great, far different from the journey in any other story so far.
Renaissance: 4/5 - A fun end for this collection. It definitely wasn't a flat story, and it was good in many different ways. From the lessons of going into poverty to finding love. It was a good ending story.
Final rating: 3.7
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