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timeunspun's review
3.0
The setting for most of the stories is really vibrant and interesting; the characters in most of the stories are intriguing and there is so much adventure. I loved reading fantasy set in a different land from most. The first three stories were the strongest, with the middle ones having strong ideas but not strong follow through, and the last story was fun in a way but not as great as the first three.
shanhaddock's review
5.0
The worst story in this book I still would've given four stars. Saladin Ahmed is, in my opinion, one of the best short story authors of the present day.
popestig's review
3.0
I like Saladin Ahmed's writing and enjoyed these short stories. They all felt like parts of a bigger picture, and I would dearly have loved to see them as part of a novel or a fantasy series.
mmelibertine's review
4.0
An absolutely lovely collection. There's humor here, and sorrow, and so very, very much beauty. 'Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela' has stuck with me since I read it. (I'm already looking forward to re-reading and finding new things to love.)
ruzgofdi's review
3.0
A collection of eight short stories:
Where Virtue Lives : A prequel to the author's [b:Throne of the Crescent Moon|11487807|Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1)|Saladin Ahmed|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1344256189s/11487807.jpg|14520797]. The Doctor and the Dervish meet and share their first adventure together. As someone that enjoyed the novel, this was a highlight, and worth the price of this book.
Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela : I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to be. An attempt at horror? Certainly the main character reacts as if he's encountering mind shattering events, but there didn't really feel like there was any tension.
Judgement of Swords and Souls : The other story set in the Crescent Moon universe. No connections to the rest of the writing done in the world, except maybe to add some depth to a background element perviously mentioned. Part of me hopes that we may see the main character again at some point down the line.
Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions : I'm a sucker for superheroes, so this one hit me right in the weak point. A supervillain boardroom meeting. I loved how it parodied so many tropes of the genre in such a short amount of time. And short is definitely a way to describe this one. I wish it had been a little longer.
General Akmed's Revenge : What is this I don't even. I want to say it's a modern day slice of life story that makes a u-turn into fantasy on the second to last page. At which point, it just ended. For me, the weakest story of the collection.
Mister Hadji's Sunset Ride : Urban Fantasy of the Crescent Moon. It felt very similar to those works, except with a coating of American bounty hunters and criminals. And the "praise God to cast spell" that I've seen some complain about in reviews is lessened by having the view point character be unfamiliar with the language used.
The Faithful Soldier, Prompted : Cyberpunk-ish scifi with a little mysticism. Some interesting world building that doesn't come off quite right. Some how I can't see the tech level described here being reached in a world where the apocalypse seems to have been triggered by a global credit disaster. But the story is still interesting.
Iron Eyes and the Watered Down World : A fable. There's a strong sense of this story having a moral that the author is trying to get across. Of the author's fantasy works, this one feels to me like the one with the most unique setting.
Over all, it's pretty good. What I felt were the weaker stories of the collection didn't last long enough to make me wonder why I was still reading.
Where Virtue Lives : A prequel to the author's [b:Throne of the Crescent Moon|11487807|Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1)|Saladin Ahmed|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1344256189s/11487807.jpg|14520797]. The Doctor and the Dervish meet and share their first adventure together. As someone that enjoyed the novel, this was a highlight, and worth the price of this book.
Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela : I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to be. An attempt at horror? Certainly the main character reacts as if he's encountering mind shattering events, but there didn't really feel like there was any tension.
Judgement of Swords and Souls : The other story set in the Crescent Moon universe. No connections to the rest of the writing done in the world, except maybe to add some depth to a background element perviously mentioned. Part of me hopes that we may see the main character again at some point down the line.
Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions : I'm a sucker for superheroes, so this one hit me right in the weak point. A supervillain boardroom meeting. I loved how it parodied so many tropes of the genre in such a short amount of time. And short is definitely a way to describe this one. I wish it had been a little longer.
General Akmed's Revenge : What is this I don't even. I want to say it's a modern day slice of life story that makes a u-turn into fantasy on the second to last page. At which point, it just ended. For me, the weakest story of the collection.
Mister Hadji's Sunset Ride : Urban Fantasy of the Crescent Moon. It felt very similar to those works, except with a coating of American bounty hunters and criminals. And the "praise God to cast spell" that I've seen some complain about in reviews is lessened by having the view point character be unfamiliar with the language used.
The Faithful Soldier, Prompted : Cyberpunk-ish scifi with a little mysticism. Some interesting world building that doesn't come off quite right. Some how I can't see the tech level described here being reached in a world where the apocalypse seems to have been triggered by a global credit disaster. But the story is still interesting.
Iron Eyes and the Watered Down World : A fable. There's a strong sense of this story having a moral that the author is trying to get across. Of the author's fantasy works, this one feels to me like the one with the most unique setting.
Over all, it's pretty good. What I felt were the weaker stories of the collection didn't last long enough to make me wonder why I was still reading.
riverwise's review
2.0
There's some good stuff in here, but too much that is uneven, lightweight, or reads like a novel extract instead of standing on its own. I wish Mr Ahmed had waited till he had a few more stories under his belt and then cherry picked the very best.
onironic's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
justabean_reads's review
4.0
Short collection, but very enjoyable. Two of the stories were set in the same secondary world as Throne of the Crescent Moon (including a bit of backstory that I'd read somewhere before), and the rest were a mix of SF and F short stories in a variety of worlds.
I think that "Where Virtue Lives" the backstory for how Raseed ban Raseed met Doctor Adoulla Makhslood was my favourite of the bunch, even if I'd read it already, but the dark supervillain comedy "Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions" and the dystopic SF mystery "The Faithful Soldier, Prompted" were also excellent. The only story that didn't really work for me was the closing one, which fell a bit D&D campaign.
Very much enjoyed over all, looking forward to more.
I think that "Where Virtue Lives" the backstory for how Raseed ban Raseed met Doctor Adoulla Makhslood was my favourite of the bunch, even if I'd read it already, but the dark supervillain comedy "Doctor Diablo Goes Through the Motions" and the dystopic SF mystery "The Faithful Soldier, Prompted" were also excellent. The only story that didn't really work for me was the closing one, which fell a bit D&D campaign.
Very much enjoyed over all, looking forward to more.
bluebec's review
4.0
It's interesting to find that bit of my psyche and ask it why it is uncomfortable / reacting to stories not told in familiar settings with familiar religions and beliefs. It is satisfying to then tell it to shut up.
These short stories were good, often I didn't want them to end. I loved the writing style, the mix of different types of stories, and the characters. I will definitely be reading more Saladin Ahmed
These short stories were good, often I didn't want them to end. I loved the writing style, the mix of different types of stories, and the characters. I will definitely be reading more Saladin Ahmed