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nuhafariha's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Atthis Arts Anthology & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Available May 4th 2020
A quirky and healing collection, Community of Magic Pens begins with a simple question - what is the power of a pen? Each of these brief short stories is completely different in tone, setting, plot, dialect and character. It's a little discombobulating traveling from a superhero academy to an ancient Masjid and back to post-Partition India, but it also means the collection never gets boring. Though the book is listed for general adult, I think it would be equally enjoyed by young adults! I found myself rapt with awe in each and every tale.
Available May 4th 2020
A quirky and healing collection, Community of Magic Pens begins with a simple question - what is the power of a pen? Each of these brief short stories is completely different in tone, setting, plot, dialect and character. It's a little discombobulating traveling from a superhero academy to an ancient Masjid and back to post-Partition India, but it also means the collection never gets boring. Though the book is listed for general adult, I think it would be equally enjoyed by young adults! I found myself rapt with awe in each and every tale.
braynard's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Like most writers, I have a deep love for all things stationary. I have always had a large stack of pretty notebooks waiting for me to use. There has always been crayons and pencils and pens begging for my attention. And I love a good fountain pen. So, when I saw a book about pens at my local comic con, I was hooked.
I had high hopes for this short story collection—a combination of my own love and the book seller’s sales tactics. Unfortunately, this fell quite short of my expectations.
I had high hopes for this short story collection—a combination of my own love and the book seller’s sales tactics. Unfortunately, this fell quite short of my expectations.
“Community of Magic Pens” is a short story anthology all centered around the idea of pens and how they impact our lives. Most of the stories take the term “magic pens” literally, meaning that most are fantasy or science fiction.
To be honest, I think the requirement to focus on pens is where the problem started. A magic pen would be an interesting item to add to a larger piece, but making it the center point of a story means that the conflict had to revolve around the pen. Pens are beautiful and useful and lovely, but they are not narratively interesting. Most stories ended up falling back on a simple internal conflict—usually the main character struggling to write—that was solved by the pen being amazing or magical in some way. Basically, they all ended up being “Believe in yourself and you can do anything!” stories. And these kinds of stories get very old, very fast.
This issue was no doubt worsened by the project format and goal. It is a collection of short stories designed to show readers how much writers love their pens. The short story format meant that the writers had limited time and space to explore their ideas, which meant any deeper implications had to be ignored in favor of a complete narrative arc. The emphasis on loving pens means that the stories had to show the pens in a positive light. No particularly dangerous or harmful pens were shown. This means that writers had to fall back on simplistic plots and world building.
I am not upset that I read this collection. I think that the idea behind it was poorly thought out but chosen with all the best intention. I also think that younger readers might appreciate the simple plots more than me, so it is a good option if you have kids who love pens. That said, I will not reread it anytime soon.
mdpenguin's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I'd say that the stories in this anthology range from pretty ok to really good. Some of them are really moving and a number of them made me laugh out loud. It's definitely an enjoyable read full of a delightful variety of takes on what a magic pen might be and do.
mariasmusings's review against another edition
4.0
A charming anthology of short stories and poems, each with the central theme of the pen and specifically the role of the pen in our lives. The anthology crosses gender, ethnicity and religious lines, with authors from a variety of background telling stories and this adds to the richness of the collection. The stories tell about two loves writing their marriage vows on the eve of their wedding, a young girl preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, getting a tattoo – the way that a pen (or ink and writing in its many, many forms) can impact on our daily lives.
Just beautiful and well worth a read. I especially liked the mini bio of each author included at the end of the story/poem. And the content warning provided at the end of the story as this was a particularly thoughtful gesture considering some of the stories referenced death, 9-11 etc.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atthis Arts for the ARC of this book.
Just beautiful and well worth a read. I especially liked the mini bio of each author included at the end of the story/poem. And the content warning provided at the end of the story as this was a particularly thoughtful gesture considering some of the stories referenced death, 9-11 etc.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atthis Arts for the ARC of this book.
aweichenlaub's review against another edition
5.0
I am extremely proud to have my story The Cemetery Merchant in this book.
If I had to pick a favorite out of all these wonderful stories, it would be Today I am a Fountain Pen by Lawrence Miller. It is such a fantastic and beautiful story that I know other pen makers will appreciate.
If I had to pick a favorite out of all these wonderful stories, it would be Today I am a Fountain Pen by Lawrence Miller. It is such a fantastic and beautiful story that I know other pen makers will appreciate.
juliajeffress's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
edebell's review against another edition
5.0
Putting this book together has been an absolute joy. I hope that you will feel that in its pages.
tanouska's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book a lot. It has stories in many different genres, with very diverse interpetations of the theme 'magic pens' and also very diverse characters and settings.
There's a very clear list of content warnings for people who need those, located at the end of the book so as not to spoil people who don't, overall very considerate I think! :D Some heavy themes are mentioned or talked about, and this way everyone can decide what they are up for.
I was never really someone who reads shortstories or anthologies, but books like these are changing that!
There's a very clear list of content warnings for people who need those, located at the end of the book so as not to spoil people who don't, overall very considerate I think! :D Some heavy themes are mentioned or talked about, and this way everyone can decide what they are up for.
I was never really someone who reads shortstories or anthologies, but books like these are changing that!
anjana's review against another edition
4.0
On the heels of my previous read (which was a collection of four novellas), I am reviewing an anthology which(also) has a common theme. The idea is to write a story featuring a magical pen, and a LOT of authors have contributed to this work. I have encountered one or two in earlier anthologies.
It is quite fascinating that multiple people used the same elaborate theme to indicate the powers of the pen. The location and handling of it by the protagonists varied, but the concept stayed the same. This was both a positive as well as a negative thing, but it can provide some unique stories.
There are too many small narratives to provide a separate review for each, but on the whole, it was an entertaining collection. It has been written by people with varying backgrounds, and it shows in the narrative styles, which were all excellent in their own way. It primarily focuses on the power of the written word and what if the capacity came with even more magic. Due to some of the repetitive theme, I could not read it in one go but kept coming back to it at decent intervals.
My favourite story has to be of a machine who wanted a job selling historical artefacts on other planets. I did not expect the twist, which made it all the more fun to read. I would recommend this to people who like reading short stories with a slightly whimsical edge.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
It is quite fascinating that multiple people used the same elaborate theme to indicate the powers of the pen. The location and handling of it by the protagonists varied, but the concept stayed the same. This was both a positive as well as a negative thing, but it can provide some unique stories.
There are too many small narratives to provide a separate review for each, but on the whole, it was an entertaining collection. It has been written by people with varying backgrounds, and it shows in the narrative styles, which were all excellent in their own way. It primarily focuses on the power of the written word and what if the capacity came with even more magic. Due to some of the repetitive theme, I could not read it in one go but kept coming back to it at decent intervals.
My favourite story has to be of a machine who wanted a job selling historical artefacts on other planets. I did not expect the twist, which made it all the more fun to read. I would recommend this to people who like reading short stories with a slightly whimsical edge.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
editorbrenna's review against another edition
4.0
I'd never really thought about pens other than as tools to write with. This collection of short stories gave me a whole new perspective.
Community of Magic Pens is a collection of forty short stories written by a cast of diverse authors. There are stories from all genres: science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, satire, mystery, etc. and every story prominently features a pen in some way.
I find it difficult to review short story collections when each story is written by a different author. This collection had both highs and lows for me.
Some of the stories in this collection didn't grasp my attention, and I think the writing in a few of the stories could be improved. As a whole, though, this collection impressed me with the range of stories and imagination. I was particularly drawn to the speculative fiction stories because the worlds and characters in those stories were more refreshing to me in some ways.
I also appreciated the diversity of voices in the collection. The authors represent different sexualities, genders, abilities, races, and religions, and it was particularly satisfying to read pronouns other than "he" and "she."
The bite-sized stories in Community of Magic Pens makes it easy to pick up and put down, which is fantastic for on-the-go reading or for something small to break up the day. It's different from any short story collection I've read before, and I would definitely read it again.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Release Date: May 4, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Atthis Arts, LLC for the e-ARC!
Community of Magic Pens is a collection of forty short stories written by a cast of diverse authors. There are stories from all genres: science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, satire, mystery, etc. and every story prominently features a pen in some way.
I find it difficult to review short story collections when each story is written by a different author. This collection had both highs and lows for me.
Some of the stories in this collection didn't grasp my attention, and I think the writing in a few of the stories could be improved. As a whole, though, this collection impressed me with the range of stories and imagination. I was particularly drawn to the speculative fiction stories because the worlds and characters in those stories were more refreshing to me in some ways.
I also appreciated the diversity of voices in the collection. The authors represent different sexualities, genders, abilities, races, and religions, and it was particularly satisfying to read pronouns other than "he" and "she."
The bite-sized stories in Community of Magic Pens makes it easy to pick up and put down, which is fantastic for on-the-go reading or for something small to break up the day. It's different from any short story collection I've read before, and I would definitely read it again.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Release Date: May 4, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Atthis Arts, LLC for the e-ARC!