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travistravis's review against another edition
5.0
I really should read more short story collections. There was one I wasn't a huge fan of, but mostly I liked these a lot.
kartiknarayanan's review against another edition
3.0
I received this as a bonus for supporting the kickstarter.
This story is a fairy tale cliche. The writing was good but in the end, its an average read. Not bad but not good either.
This story is a fairy tale cliche. The writing was good but in the end, its an average read. Not bad but not good either.
harmony's review against another edition
3.0
This anthology is a good example of why we need fewer white dudes in charge. Few heroines, and the ones written by men were questionable. I don't think there were any POC. It gets bland. A lot of the stories were also cliches.
Castle Coeurlieu **
Felt scattered and a little lost. Took a long time to get going, and once the pace picked up, the story just sort of shambled to a stop.
A Slow Kill *****
As two men who both happen to be assassins dig a ditch together, one tells the other stories of some of his kills. The way they came together was perfection.
And Men Will Mine the Mountain for Our Souls **
A pair of royal dragons face the doom of their people. Somehow this story took something incredible and left me thinking "okay...and?"
Day One ****
Butters goes on his first mission as a Knight! I'm not sure how fun this would be for people who aren't a fan of the series, but... I am. So there you go.
Brightwine in the Garden of Tsitsian Village *
I'm not sure if this is melodramatic or if the reading is melodramatic in addition to being GODDAMN AWFUL, but I can't stand the audio narrator's bad, bad accents and weirdly strained voices. That plus a story that, at least at the beginning is so boring that I keep getting distracted...
Aokigahara **
The writing is kind of pretty but the story is very subtle. A woman who has retreated from all but the virtual world is drawn out by a suicidal programmer for... reasons? I guess they make an AI together, but I'm so confused as to who the other woman is and why she did literally anything she did in that story.
The Decoy **
I'm guessing that this is another story that makes more sense in the context of the series it came from.
The King’s Despatcher **
Again I finished this story feeling like I'd just been given some random backstory for a series or something. Not particularly satisfying.
Figures **
Silly, as it was intended to be. Unfortunately, the the whole thing is just a buildup to a punchline and the joke hinges on mocking online activism. The reader was excellent.
The Red-Rimmed Eyes of Tóu Maˇ ***
Neat story about redeeming a wronged village. A little too long and draggy in places. Pretty sure they appropriated and then messed up the djinn, though.
Magic Beans ****
Lighthearted and charming, featuring a cast of college students.
The Hedgewitch ****
A girl gets a push from a bossy hedge witch to face her fears and become a part of her community.
Victim with a Capital V *
Character development(?) through rape and attempted rape. Offensive as hell.
A Duel of Evils *
The tired conceit of a scholar recounting events past, made somehow even more dull by the fact that the recounting is nothing but an ordinary if bloody siege.
The Raven ****
Two brothers, the golden boy and the pragmatist, find themselves naturally opposed when the fate of their kingdom is at stake. Tom's character is so rich and complex.
Bulletproof ***
Forgettable. There's a duel that's supposed to decide the fate of the world, but it's almost background and over fast. A young man is learning lessons about life.
The Gunnnie ****
I liked this one. It felt like a complete story, not necessarily dependant on a larger series, and I appreciated the though and practical heroine.
Little Wren and the Big Forest ***
A little girl, underestimated by her family, goes into a cursed wood to save them all. Enjoyable but not extraordinary.
The Thrill ***
It's almost funny how incapable Sanderson is of writing short. Decent story, although the hero is not very likeable.
The Last Flowers of the Spring Witch ****
Good story. Felt complete, kept my interest, and I enjoyed the cast. Satisfying ending.
Castle Coeurlieu **
Felt scattered and a little lost. Took a long time to get going, and once the pace picked up, the story just sort of shambled to a stop.
A Slow Kill *****
As two men who both happen to be assassins dig a ditch together, one tells the other stories of some of his kills. The way they came together was perfection.
And Men Will Mine the Mountain for Our Souls **
A pair of royal dragons face the doom of their people. Somehow this story took something incredible and left me thinking "okay...and?"
Day One ****
Butters goes on his first mission as a Knight! I'm not sure how fun this would be for people who aren't a fan of the series, but... I am. So there you go.
Brightwine in the Garden of Tsitsian Village *
I'm not sure if this is melodramatic or if the reading is melodramatic in addition to being GODDAMN AWFUL, but I can't stand the audio narrator's bad, bad accents and weirdly strained voices. That plus a story that, at least at the beginning is so boring that I keep getting distracted...
Aokigahara **
The writing is kind of pretty but the story is very subtle. A woman who has retreated from all but the virtual world is drawn out by a suicidal programmer for... reasons? I guess they make an AI together, but I'm so confused as to who the other woman is and why she did literally anything she did in that story.
The Decoy **
I'm guessing that this is another story that makes more sense in the context of the series it came from.
The King’s Despatcher **
Again I finished this story feeling like I'd just been given some random backstory for a series or something. Not particularly satisfying.
Figures **
Silly, as it was intended to be. Unfortunately, the the whole thing is just a buildup to a punchline and the joke hinges on mocking online activism. The reader was excellent.
The Red-Rimmed Eyes of Tóu Maˇ ***
Neat story about redeeming a wronged village. A little too long and draggy in places. Pretty sure they appropriated and then messed up the djinn, though.
Magic Beans ****
Lighthearted and charming, featuring a cast of college students.
The Hedgewitch ****
A girl gets a push from a bossy hedge witch to face her fears and become a part of her community.
Victim with a Capital V *
Character development(?) through rape and attempted rape. Offensive as hell.
A Duel of Evils *
The tired conceit of a scholar recounting events past, made somehow even more dull by the fact that the recounting is nothing but an ordinary if bloody siege.
The Raven ****
Two brothers, the golden boy and the pragmatist, find themselves naturally opposed when the fate of their kingdom is at stake. Tom's character is so rich and complex.
Bulletproof ***
Forgettable. There's a duel that's supposed to decide the fate of the world, but it's almost background and over fast. A young man is learning lessons about life.
The Gunnnie ****
I liked this one. It felt like a complete story, not necessarily dependant on a larger series, and I appreciated the though and practical heroine.
Little Wren and the Big Forest ***
A little girl, underestimated by her family, goes into a cursed wood to save them all. Enjoyable but not extraordinary.
The Thrill ***
It's almost funny how incapable Sanderson is of writing short. Decent story, although the hero is not very likeable.
The Last Flowers of the Spring Witch ****
Good story. Felt complete, kept my interest, and I enjoyed the cast. Satisfying ending.
gasgardd's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the stories set in the worlds I already knew, as well as some of the worlds I didn't. Though I would only recommend this book if you have at least read half of the authors, 'cause otherwise you may become a tad confused.
The Temeraire one was very strange though.
The Temeraire one was very strange though.
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