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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Some of the authors had really good stories that showcased culture important to them, but to be honest, some of the stories seemed to lack direction. As with any collection, there's good ones and bad ones.
Final ratings:
"Forbidden Fruit" by Roshani Chokshi—4 stars
"Olivia's Table" by Alyssa Wong—5 stars
"Steel Skin" by Lori M. Lee—2.5 stars
"Still Star-Crossed" by Sona Charaipotra—2.5 stars
"The Counting of Vermillion Beads" by Aliette de Bodard—3 stars
"The Land of Morning Calm" by E. C. Myers—3.5 stars
"The Smile" by Aisha Saeed—4 stars
"Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers" by Preeti Chhibber—2 stars
"Nothing Into All" by Renée Ahdieh—4 stars
"Spear Carrier" by Rahul Kanakia—2 stars
"Code of Honor" by Melissa de la Cruz—1.5 stars
"Bullet, Butterfly" by Elsie Chapman—4.5 stars
"Daughter of the Sun" by Shveta Thakrar—3.5 stars
"The Crimson Cloak" by Cindy Pon—3.5 stars
"Eyes Like Candlelight" by Julie Kagawa—3.5 stars
One issue I had with this anthology as a whole is while some of the stories are really dark and heavy and mature, others are clearly meant for a younger audience. Like, middle grade. Like, early middle grade. Which wouldn’t have been a problem had there been a better balance between them, but there wasn’t. It was disconcerting and made those stories feel less meaningful and good. But I enjoyed it overall.
The actual average rating of this is a 3.2666666667, but imma round up cause it’s my review and I can do what I want.
3.5/5 stars
"Forbidden Fruit" by Roshani Chokshi—4 stars
"Olivia's Table" by Alyssa Wong—5 stars
"Steel Skin" by Lori M. Lee—2.5 stars
"Still Star-Crossed" by Sona Charaipotra—2.5 stars
"The Counting of Vermillion Beads" by Aliette de Bodard—3 stars
"The Land of Morning Calm" by E. C. Myers—3.5 stars
"The Smile" by Aisha Saeed—4 stars
"Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers" by Preeti Chhibber—2 stars
"Nothing Into All" by Renée Ahdieh—4 stars
"Spear Carrier" by Rahul Kanakia—2 stars
"Code of Honor" by Melissa de la Cruz—1.5 stars
"Bullet, Butterfly" by Elsie Chapman—4.5 stars
"Daughter of the Sun" by Shveta Thakrar—3.5 stars
"The Crimson Cloak" by Cindy Pon—3.5 stars
"Eyes Like Candlelight" by Julie Kagawa—3.5 stars
One issue I had with this anthology as a whole is while some of the stories are really dark and heavy and mature, others are clearly meant for a younger audience. Like, middle grade. Like, early middle grade. Which wouldn’t have been a problem had there been a better balance between them, but there wasn’t. It was disconcerting and made those stories feel less meaningful and good. But I enjoyed it overall.
The actual average rating of this is a 3.2666666667, but imma round up cause it’s my review and I can do what I want.
3.5/5 stars
Enjoyed some of the stories here, others I found a bit cliche in their retellings. I love this anthology for young high school and mature middle school students looking for representation not only of Asian cultures but also of gender and LGBTQ representation, but for my own personal taste the writing was, in some stories, not particularly exciting, and the retellings sometimes felt a bit too simple. Loved Alyssa Wong’s story about the ghosts of Chinese laborer in Arizona — for me, it was the best narrative arc and most original retelling.
3,5 Stars!
Forbidden fruit : 3,5/5
Olivia's table: 3/5
Steel skin: 1/5
Still star-crossed: 2.5/5
The counting of vermillion beads: 2/5
The land of the morning calm: 4/5
The smile: 3/5
Girls who twirl and other dangers: 2,5/5
Noting into all: 4/5
Spear Carrier: 1/5
Code of honor: 1/5
Bullet, Butterfly: 4/5
Daughter of the sun: 3/5
The crimson Cloak: 4/5
Eyes like candlelight: 5/5
Forbidden fruit : 3,5/5
Olivia's table: 3/5
Steel skin: 1/5
Still star-crossed: 2.5/5
The counting of vermillion beads: 2/5
The land of the morning calm: 4/5
The smile: 3/5
Girls who twirl and other dangers: 2,5/5
Noting into all: 4/5
Spear Carrier: 1/5
Code of honor: 1/5
Bullet, Butterfly: 4/5
Daughter of the sun: 3/5
The crimson Cloak: 4/5
Eyes like candlelight: 5/5
3.5/5
This anthology was pretty good overall! I really liked a few, but a few didn't elicit much from me.
I'm writing this review a bit late, and I only remember the stories I enjoyed the most, and none of the rest.
However, it was really interesting and wonderful to be able to read retellings of folk tales from cultures of Asia that I know close to nothing about!
Rating breakdown:
Eyes like Candlelight 3/5
The crimson cloak 3.5/5
The sun and the moon 3.5/5
Bullet, butterfly 4/5
Code of honor 4/5
Spear Carrier 3/5
Nothing at all 3.5/5
Girls who twirl 2.5/5
The smile 4.5/5
The land of the morning calm 3/5
Steel skin: 3.5/5
Forbidden Fruit 4/5
Olivia's table 4.5/5
The counting of vermillion beads 3.5/5
Star crossed 2.5/5
This anthology was pretty good overall! I really liked a few, but a few didn't elicit much from me.
I'm writing this review a bit late, and I only remember the stories I enjoyed the most, and none of the rest.
However, it was really interesting and wonderful to be able to read retellings of folk tales from cultures of Asia that I know close to nothing about!
Rating breakdown:
Eyes like Candlelight 3/5
The crimson cloak 3.5/5
The sun and the moon 3.5/5
Bullet, butterfly 4/5
Code of honor 4/5
Spear Carrier 3/5
Nothing at all 3.5/5
Girls who twirl 2.5/5
The smile 4.5/5
The land of the morning calm 3/5
Steel skin: 3.5/5
Forbidden Fruit 4/5
Olivia's table 4.5/5
The counting of vermillion beads 3.5/5
Star crossed 2.5/5
I listened to this collection of 15 retellings of Asian myths written by contemporary POC writers as an audiobook. All of the stories were good, but these especially stood out to me: "Olivia's Table" by Alyssa Wong, about a Chinese American teenager who must cook a banquet for the hungry ghosts of an Arizona mining town; "Counting the Vermilion Beads" by Aliette de Bodard, about two sisters trying to escape a life of working as accountants to the Emperor; "The Land of the Morning Calm" by E.C. Meyers about a teen girl who's mother was obsessed with an MMORPG based on Korean myths- and who may still haunt the game after her death; and "Bullet, Butterfly" by Elsie Chapman, set in a dystopian future China, a teen boy soldier disguises himself and sneaks out of the hospital to work in the city armory. I wish that the authors of each story had read their own works in the audiobook; instead, the majority of the stories from female POVs are read by an AFAB narrator; the stories from male POVs are read by an AMAB narrator. This didn't add to my listening pleasure, but overall I still enjoyed the book.
Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi — 5 stars
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong — 2 stars
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee — 1.5 stars
Still Star-Crossed by Sona Charaipotha — 3 stars
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodard — 1.5 stars
The Land of the Morning Calm by E.C. Meyers — 2 stars
The Smile by Aisha Saeed — 5 stars
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber — 1 star
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh — 4 stars
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia — 1 star
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz — 1.5 stars
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman — 4 stars
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar — 2 stars
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon — 4.5 stars
Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa — 5 stars
Average Rating= 2.8
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong — 2 stars
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee — 1.5 stars
Still Star-Crossed by Sona Charaipotha — 3 stars
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodard — 1.5 stars
The Land of the Morning Calm by E.C. Meyers — 2 stars
The Smile by Aisha Saeed — 5 stars
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber — 1 star
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh — 4 stars
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia — 1 star
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz — 1.5 stars
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman — 4 stars
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar — 2 stars
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon — 4.5 stars
Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa — 5 stars
Average Rating= 2.8
3 stars overall based on average of story ratings.
Anthologies are not normally a go-to for me. I find that they can be hit and miss.Short stories are not easy to write - the author has to be able to properly convey their message in around 20 some odd pages and still keep the reader interested. This one wasn't too bad, overall, but there were definitely some misses in here. I especially loved the inclusion at the end of each story about the original myths or folkloric elements that were the inspiration.
Below are my reviews for the individual stories:
Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi - 4 stars
I tried reading her book The Star-Touched Queen earlier this year and I could not get into it. BUT! I was convinced that if it had been a short story, I would have loved it. And I'm so glad to say that I was right! This is obviously not the same story, but Chokshi's writing story lends very well to the short story. She's quite gifted with lyrical prose, and this was a great example of that skill.
Olivia's Table by Alyssa Wong - 4 stars
This one took me a few pages to get into, but I was invested by the end. I loved the concept and how Wong incorporated the Chinese tradition. I appreciated the nod to Chinese history in America, and I loved the queer rep.
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee - 2 stars
I was left with so many questions throughout this story. Why robots? I just couldn't get that thought out of my head. This is one that I feel would have been better if fleshed out into an actual novel, so the reader can have a better understanding of the world.
Still Star-Crossed by Sona Charaipotra - 3 stars
I found this one to be engaging enough, but also creepy and not in a good way. It came off a bit stalkerish, which I feel wasn't the intention. But! I did love the abrupt ending.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodare - 2.5 stars
The only part of this story that I found interesting was the wall, and the magic surrounding it. Otherwise, I had a hard time keeping focused on it. I wasn't interested in the relationship between the two sisters and didn't really have any feelings either way on how I wanted it to end.
The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers - 3.5 stars
This one had a bit of a slow start for me, but it had definitely caught my attention by the end! I thought using the world of an online game was really cool, but it felt as if the author had some doubts as to whether the reader would know what was being talking about, so I found there was sometimes too much description about game related things.
The Smile by Aisha Saeed - 3 stars
It was a beautiful story but still didn't quite grab me. I did like the conversation about choice and consent at the end of the story.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber - 2.5 stars
I liked that the story was jumping between the current day story, and the myth that inspired it. The myth was the most interesting part for me. Unfortunately I found the current day story to be quite juvenile.
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh - 3 stars
I really enjoyed how this one felt like an actual fairytale.
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kankia - DNF
I could not connect with the protagonist AT ALL. The story lost me very early on when he was describing the bodysuits as something "you could piss and shit inside" with no problems. I really don't need to know about how your character goes to the bathroom -- it lends nothing to a story, especially a short story. I tried to push past that point but honestly gave up soon after.
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz - 2 stars
I picked up this book for more insight into Asian myth and folklore. This was not that. I was basically just an offshoot of the author's main works, The Blue Bloods, but very briefly mentioning the aswangs.
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman - 4 stars
This was engaging and tragic. I loved the star-crossed lovers element. I was invested in this story.
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar - 4 stars
An engrossing story with beautiful imagery. I really felt for the characters and was rooting for them the whole time.
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon - 5 stars
Loved it! That's all I can really say, I loved it!
Eyes like Candlelight - Julie Kagawa - 5 stars
I absolutely love kitsune, so this was a perfect way to end this collection. I absolutely loved it, and it broke my heart.
Anthologies are not normally a go-to for me. I find that they can be hit and miss.Short stories are not easy to write - the author has to be able to properly convey their message in around 20 some odd pages and still keep the reader interested. This one wasn't too bad, overall, but there were definitely some misses in here. I especially loved the inclusion at the end of each story about the original myths or folkloric elements that were the inspiration.
Below are my reviews for the individual stories:
Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi - 4 stars
I tried reading her book The Star-Touched Queen earlier this year and I could not get into it. BUT! I was convinced that if it had been a short story, I would have loved it. And I'm so glad to say that I was right! This is obviously not the same story, but Chokshi's writing story lends very well to the short story. She's quite gifted with lyrical prose, and this was a great example of that skill.
Olivia's Table by Alyssa Wong - 4 stars
This one took me a few pages to get into, but I was invested by the end. I loved the concept and how Wong incorporated the Chinese tradition. I appreciated the nod to Chinese history in America, and I loved the queer rep.
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee - 2 stars
I was left with so many questions throughout this story. Why robots? I just couldn't get that thought out of my head. This is one that I feel would have been better if fleshed out into an actual novel, so the reader can have a better understanding of the world.
Still Star-Crossed by Sona Charaipotra - 3 stars
I found this one to be engaging enough, but also creepy and not in a good way. It came off a bit stalkerish, which I feel wasn't the intention. But! I did love the abrupt ending.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodare - 2.5 stars
The only part of this story that I found interesting was the wall, and the magic surrounding it. Otherwise, I had a hard time keeping focused on it. I wasn't interested in the relationship between the two sisters and didn't really have any feelings either way on how I wanted it to end.
The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers - 3.5 stars
This one had a bit of a slow start for me, but it had definitely caught my attention by the end! I thought using the world of an online game was really cool, but it felt as if the author had some doubts as to whether the reader would know what was being talking about, so I found there was sometimes too much description about game related things.
The Smile by Aisha Saeed - 3 stars
It was a beautiful story but still didn't quite grab me. I did like the conversation about choice and consent at the end of the story.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber - 2.5 stars
I liked that the story was jumping between the current day story, and the myth that inspired it. The myth was the most interesting part for me. Unfortunately I found the current day story to be quite juvenile.
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh - 3 stars
I really enjoyed how this one felt like an actual fairytale.
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kankia - DNF
I could not connect with the protagonist AT ALL. The story lost me very early on when he was describing the bodysuits as something "you could piss and shit inside" with no problems. I really don't need to know about how your character goes to the bathroom -- it lends nothing to a story, especially a short story. I tried to push past that point but honestly gave up soon after.
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz - 2 stars
I picked up this book for more insight into Asian myth and folklore. This was not that. I was basically just an offshoot of the author's main works, The Blue Bloods, but very briefly mentioning the aswangs.
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman - 4 stars
This was engaging and tragic. I loved the star-crossed lovers element. I was invested in this story.
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar - 4 stars
An engrossing story with beautiful imagery. I really felt for the characters and was rooting for them the whole time.
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon - 5 stars
Loved it! That's all I can really say, I loved it!
Eyes like Candlelight - Julie Kagawa - 5 stars
I absolutely love kitsune, so this was a perfect way to end this collection. I absolutely loved it, and it broke my heart.
4.5 stars - I loved some stories while others were less my thing, but overall a fantastic anthology of legends, myths, and fairy/folktales most Westerners won't have seen before.