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comrademena's review against another edition
5.0
funny and creative, my favorites were easily the magicians apprentice and the deepwater bride
mirrormir's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
piprusti's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lorimey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
This is a really interesting set of short stories and i gotta say; i enjoyed all of them—some i want even more of. I think the most curious thing for me is that you can see the beginning strings of TLT strewn about in various ways throughout some of the stories. All small, tiny, unimportant, but incredibly satisfying for my tlt-rotten brain. Muir is a great writer and writes the weird and horrifying well so this was the perfect pick me up, both to get me out my reading slump and to poke at my curiosity towards how she really can do it all.
mahitdzmare's review against another edition
4.0
a lot of proto locked tomb ideas are here and it’s a very engaging short read. you can rly see muir’s thorough prose, but also her humor, cultural references, and ability to slid into horror a second later.
The House That Made the Sixteen Loops of Time : 3/5 stars. Kinda repetitive but creative nonetheless. Liked the strong soulmate bond present between the characters.
The Magician's Apprentice (tw for grooming) : 5/5 stars. Probably my favorite, a very dark, twisted horror piece. If I had a nickel every time tamsyn muir wrote a powerful wizard named john who’s just some guy but it turns out he’s super fucked up, I would have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but weird it’s happened twice. The grooming content warning isn’t for anything pedophilic, john is never anything but a paternal teacher to his teenage apprentice cherry, who he clearly wants to steer clear of developing a lolita complex towards him, but it’s for the very stomach-turning ending.
Chew (tw for sexual assault) : 4/5 stars. wonder what’s up with tamsyn writing stories abt dead women coming back to life and cannibalism.
The Deepwater Bride : 5/5 stars. Another favorite. you know that toxic yet homoerotic friendship you had with a girl in middle school? yeah this is for you except with cosmic horror. definitely very similar in tone to Gideon the Ninth and the upcoming Nona the Ninth (which I already have read).
Union : 4/5 stars. Reminded me a lot of Shirley Jackson’s work, specifically The Lottery, super fucked up horror.
The Woman In The Hill : 3/5 stars. Not as strong as the others, the depiction of Māori as uncivilized brutes was kinda jarring compared to the previous story Union, still a very creepy vibe.
The House That Made the Sixteen Loops of Time : 3/5 stars. Kinda repetitive but creative nonetheless. Liked the strong soulmate bond present between the characters.
The Magician's Apprentice (tw for grooming) : 5/5 stars. Probably my favorite, a very dark, twisted horror piece. If I had a nickel every time tamsyn muir wrote a powerful wizard named john who’s just some guy but it turns out he’s super fucked up, I would have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but weird it’s happened twice. The grooming content warning isn’t for anything pedophilic, john is never anything but a paternal teacher to his teenage apprentice cherry, who he clearly wants to steer clear of developing a lolita complex towards him, but it’s for the very stomach-turning ending.
Chew (tw for sexual assault) : 4/5 stars. wonder what’s up with tamsyn writing stories abt dead women coming back to life and cannibalism.
The Deepwater Bride : 5/5 stars. Another favorite. you know that toxic yet homoerotic friendship you had with a girl in middle school? yeah this is for you except with cosmic horror. definitely very similar in tone to Gideon the Ninth and the upcoming Nona the Ninth (which I already have read).
Union : 4/5 stars. Reminded me a lot of Shirley Jackson’s work, specifically The Lottery, super fucked up horror.
The Woman In The Hill : 3/5 stars. Not as strong as the others, the depiction of Māori as uncivilized brutes was kinda jarring compared to the previous story Union, still a very creepy vibe.
xragex3's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jurizprudence's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
as the title implies, this is a collection of short stories by tamsyn muir that appeared on several sff magazines and issues before, each one either a hit or a miss. i loved that the deepwater bride is emphasized, because honestly that novelet was a delight that kinda relieved my gideon and harrow withdrawal.
the house that made the sixteen loops of time:
a magical house that throws bouts of ridiculous tantrums and its very patient, 42-year old owner. and also her best friend that she has feelings with. sweet and humorous. 3.5 stars.
the magician's apprentice:
what does it mean to be a master magic-wielder? eating away the childhood/adulthood of the girl you train in order to somewhat soothe your loneliness? or grooming her into the pleasures of cannibalism-based magic, because using magic has its toll on the physical body? both. intriguing and at times unsettling. 3.75 stars.
chew
juicy fruit and a revenant's revenge tale focused on crimes committed by soldiers post-ww2, particularly on women, told by a young boy. this was sad and i know it has a deeper meaning but i'm too tired to dive on that, and also this has some kind of cannibalism. again. 4.25 stars.
the deepwater bride
what if there's a lovecraftian horror, one that reboots the cthulhu myth, about girls with abandonment issues, complicated relationship with duty and desire, and are defined by their alienation and isolation from society. and also make it sapphic. sounds familiar? could honestly work as a griddlehark au, just switch up the names and it's perfect. weird, funny, beautiful. absolute favorite. 5 stars.
union
government-issued splice-wives meant to help farmers with farming and taking care of children, except they don't act normal and everything gets messy. has sci-fi aspects and body horror, and all the while confusing. 3 stars.
the woman in the hill
a cave that lures women, and the madness that comes with it. told through a letter the mc wrote to a friend. very hmmm. 4 stars.
the house that made the sixteen loops of time:
a magical house that throws bouts of ridiculous tantrums and its very patient, 42-year old owner. and also her best friend that she has feelings with. sweet and humorous. 3.5 stars.
the magician's apprentice:
what does it mean to be a master magic-wielder? eating away the childhood/adulthood of the girl you train in order to somewhat soothe your loneliness? or grooming her into the pleasures of cannibalism-based magic, because using magic has its toll on the physical body? both. intriguing and at times unsettling. 3.75 stars.
chew
juicy fruit and a revenant's revenge tale focused on crimes committed by soldiers post-ww2, particularly on women, told by a young boy. this was sad and i know it has a deeper meaning but i'm too tired to dive on that, and also this has some kind of cannibalism. again. 4.25 stars.
the deepwater bride
what if there's a lovecraftian horror, one that reboots the cthulhu myth, about girls with abandonment issues, complicated relationship with duty and desire, and are defined by their alienation and isolation from society. and also make it sapphic. sounds familiar? could honestly work as a griddlehark au, just switch up the names and it's perfect. weird, funny, beautiful. absolute favorite. 5 stars.
union
government-issued splice-wives meant to help farmers with farming and taking care of children, except they don't act normal and everything gets messy. has sci-fi aspects and body horror, and all the while confusing. 3 stars.
the woman in the hill
a cave that lures women, and the madness that comes with it. told through a letter the mc wrote to a friend. very hmmm. 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Rape, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Sexual violence
Minor: War