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wouterk's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful anthology, which I plan to reread some time when I'm mourning anything. It is rare for the majority of stories to connect with me in such works, but they did. There is some great writers in here who really made some great stories, even though their general work is more long-format.
The themes of grief and hope are very much core to the human experience and this book captures it well.
Thanks to the authors for this beautiful gift to the world.
The themes of grief and hope are very much core to the human experience and this book captures it well.
Thanks to the authors for this beautiful gift to the world.
alchaea's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
daniella84's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox for providing an eARC to review!
A really cool idea for an anthology and I liked that each author had the opportunity to provide the inspiration for their story afterwards - I think it adds a lot especially with the theme of the collection being something so personal.
I think my favourites were Skies on Fire, Twice-Domesticated Dragons, Witch in the Wood, The Quiet and The Paperweight Watch but I have a lot of respect for all the authors that contributed. While there were some heavy topics covered, I think that the anthology really did manage to convey that sense of fledgling hope at the end - that it's okay to grieve or be sad, but that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think it also did a good job of conveying that this is a process.
I think that I prefer anthologies written all by the same author, but I appreciate the opportunity to be introduced to a bunch of people I haven't read from before, and get a sense of their style.
Overall a neat concept and very cool that this is out in the world!
A really cool idea for an anthology and I liked that each author had the opportunity to provide the inspiration for their story afterwards - I think it adds a lot especially with the theme of the collection being something so personal.
I think my favourites were Skies on Fire, Twice-Domesticated Dragons, Witch in the Wood, The Quiet and The Paperweight Watch but I have a lot of respect for all the authors that contributed. While there were some heavy topics covered, I think that the anthology really did manage to convey that sense of fledgling hope at the end - that it's okay to grieve or be sad, but that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think it also did a good job of conveying that this is a process.
I think that I prefer anthologies written all by the same author, but I appreciate the opportunity to be introduced to a bunch of people I haven't read from before, and get a sense of their style.
Overall a neat concept and very cool that this is out in the world!
smepsmorp's review against another edition
4.0
13 short stories written by 13 different authors, all of them surrounding grief.
The stories are very unique and different from one another. Since they are so different you’re bound to have favorite, and some you don’t really get.
But overall I really liked the concept of the book and how it was structured!
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
The stories are very unique and different from one another. Since they are so different you’re bound to have favorite, and some you don’t really get.
But overall I really liked the concept of the book and how it was structured!
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
littlemimus's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yrc's review against another edition
5.0
This is a brand new SFF indie anthology and it was so so good!
One of the most impressive things about this collection is the fact it deals with some heavier topics like loss, trauma and grief that can be considered very much out of the mainstream. Here you'll encounter on one side of the scale dragons, evil garden gnomes, crashing clocks and raw emotion. On the other side we read through pages and narratives of loyalty, helping others, working together despite hurt and grief and continuing to be brave despite harsh circumstances.
There was no sugar coating or simple fixes presented, because let's face it, life is many times really hard and keeps on throwing curveball after curveball out of the blue. As the saying justifiably goes- it's far from being a picnic. While I did have small quibbles with some of the stories' pacing or presentation decisions, you will encounter here a wide variety of the indie big names as well as upcoming voices to follow.
That is another strong point of this collection. If you are new to the world of indie stories and publishing, there really is quite a lot to like here. Whether it is a Lit RPG story of how a family can virtually come together via VR game or a rare Gem that turns the clock a few precious moments back- anybody and everybody will find something to their liking here. Additionally, the majority of authors included here have other works in the same world so there is plenty more to explore and get immersed it, I highly recommend it!
One of the most impressive things about this collection is the fact it deals with some heavier topics like loss, trauma and grief that can be considered very much out of the mainstream. Here you'll encounter on one side of the scale dragons, evil garden gnomes, crashing clocks and raw emotion. On the other side we read through pages and narratives of loyalty, helping others, working together despite hurt and grief and continuing to be brave despite harsh circumstances.
There was no sugar coating or simple fixes presented, because let's face it, life is many times really hard and keeps on throwing curveball after curveball out of the blue. As the saying justifiably goes- it's far from being a picnic. While I did have small quibbles with some of the stories' pacing or presentation decisions, you will encounter here a wide variety of the indie big names as well as upcoming voices to follow.
That is another strong point of this collection. If you are new to the world of indie stories and publishing, there really is quite a lot to like here. Whether it is a Lit RPG story of how a family can virtually come together via VR game or a rare Gem that turns the clock a few precious moments back- anybody and everybody will find something to their liking here. Additionally, the majority of authors included here have other works in the same world so there is plenty more to explore and get immersed it, I highly recommend it!
sebbie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
indi72547's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5