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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
this is one of those anthologies that really any type of reader finds a story that they will enjoy because all 15 of them are completely different from each other.
that is a good thing in the sense that there is a huge variety in legends, folklores and myths shared and retold.
but because there are so many and so different authors coming together in one book and each having their own storytelling ways that don’t really fit with each other... at least a handful of stories in here will not be for everyone. there is always that negative aspect to such things, sadly. great variety always leaves the lack of consistency or clear similarity that makes it easier for one type of reader to enjoy most of not all stories.
positive side already mentioned: it makes it so that everyone can find at least one story in here that’s to their taste!
i especially loved the authors explanations for why they choose the ideas they did and in a few instances i found the stories explanations of the author a lot better and more interesting than the actual story itself!
i also loved experiencing all those rarer myth and legends from the asian regions. a lot of them i never knew of before which was absolutely lovely!
all in all it’s one of those anthologies that will never be perfect for just one person but i think that makes it a really good book to read and discuss in groups or classrooms! it not only shares different world stories but also has such a mixture of stories and writing styles that a group of people will experience each story differently and have something to say about them!
that is a good thing in the sense that there is a huge variety in legends, folklores and myths shared and retold.
but because there are so many and so different authors coming together in one book and each having their own storytelling ways that don’t really fit with each other... at least a handful of stories in here will not be for everyone. there is always that negative aspect to such things, sadly. great variety always leaves the lack of consistency or clear similarity that makes it easier for one type of reader to enjoy most of not all stories.
positive side already mentioned: it makes it so that everyone can find at least one story in here that’s to their taste!
i especially loved the authors explanations for why they choose the ideas they did and in a few instances i found the stories explanations of the author a lot better and more interesting than the actual story itself!
i also loved experiencing all those rarer myth and legends from the asian regions. a lot of them i never knew of before which was absolutely lovely!
all in all it’s one of those anthologies that will never be perfect for just one person but i think that makes it a really good book to read and discuss in groups or classrooms! it not only shares different world stories but also has such a mixture of stories and writing styles that a group of people will experience each story differently and have something to say about them!
Truthfully, this collection of stories has so much potential, but I think it was my own personal preference that kept me from absolutely loving it. As colorful and whimsical as the retellings were, short stories for me never feel fully developed and complete. I think the best part, though, was how so many of these authors gave the myths and folktales a feminist twist. Loved that.
A side note on the book’s formatting - I wish the author’s explanation and introduction of the source material had come before their retelling so I could get a better sense of what they were trying to accomplish.
A side note on the book’s formatting - I wish the author’s explanation and introduction of the source material had come before their retelling so I could get a better sense of what they were trying to accomplish.
4.5 but rounded up to 5 even because it's the first anthology where I at minimum liked all of the stories.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 stars
You always get a mixture of different genres, styles and narratives with anthologies, which is exactly what makes them so much fun, but you also get a vast array of qualities. This one was sadly skewed towards the mediocre and downright badly written tales. There were a couple of good stories in the mix, but even amongst them, I can't think of any that was particularly outstanding.
Favourites (4.5 stars):
“Olivia’s Table - By Alyssa Wong, Chinese”
An imaginative and lovely tale of feeding hungry ghosts and moving past grief.
“The Crimson Cloak - By Cindy Pon, Chinese”
One of the only stories that felt fresh, modern and relevant but still felt like a fairy tale.
Honourable mention (4 stars):
“Daughter of the Sun - By Shveta Thakrar, South Asian”
While star-crossed lovers were plenty in the book, the weird story of these two lovers in its strange mashed-up setting of the modern and the fantastical was the one that stayed with me.
Still alright (3 stars):
“Eyes like Candlelight- By Julie Kagawa, Japanese”
Who doesn't love Kitsunes? The story, while not outstanding is well-written.
“The Smile - By Aisha Saeed, South Asian”
Well-written but somewhat poorly developed, I would have liked to see this one as a novella.
“The Land of the Morning Calm - By E. C. Myers, Korean”
Great premise, an insightful integration of myth and video games and family fun for nerds that could have been better written.
“Nothing into All - By Renée Ahdieh, Korean”
One of the ones that felt more Western to me than Asian, there wasn't much to complain or compliment when it came to this story of siblings and goblins. It was alright.
The rest: (1 & 2 stars):
The rest of the stories in the collection just missed the mark completely for me, some of them lost touch with the original myth completely while others read more like a restatement than a retelling. Some were far too modern and others not modern enough and a great many of them were simply uninspired and relied too much on the original myth to carry the whole weight of the story.
Overall, as much as I love myths and as much as I adored the idea of more diverse mythology retellings, this one wouldn't be among my top anthology recommendations, not by far.
You always get a mixture of different genres, styles and narratives with anthologies, which is exactly what makes them so much fun, but you also get a vast array of qualities. This one was sadly skewed towards the mediocre and downright badly written tales. There were a couple of good stories in the mix, but even amongst them, I can't think of any that was particularly outstanding.
Favourites (4.5 stars):
“Olivia’s Table - By Alyssa Wong, Chinese”
An imaginative and lovely tale of feeding hungry ghosts and moving past grief.
“The Crimson Cloak - By Cindy Pon, Chinese”
One of the only stories that felt fresh, modern and relevant but still felt like a fairy tale.
Honourable mention (4 stars):
“Daughter of the Sun - By Shveta Thakrar, South Asian”
While star-crossed lovers were plenty in the book, the weird story of these two lovers in its strange mashed-up setting of the modern and the fantastical was the one that stayed with me.
Still alright (3 stars):
“Eyes like Candlelight- By Julie Kagawa, Japanese”
Who doesn't love Kitsunes? The story, while not outstanding is well-written.
“The Smile - By Aisha Saeed, South Asian”
Well-written but somewhat poorly developed, I would have liked to see this one as a novella.
“The Land of the Morning Calm - By E. C. Myers, Korean”
Great premise, an insightful integration of myth and video games and family fun for nerds that could have been better written.
“Nothing into All - By Renée Ahdieh, Korean”
One of the ones that felt more Western to me than Asian, there wasn't much to complain or compliment when it came to this story of siblings and goblins. It was alright.
The rest: (1 & 2 stars):
The rest of the stories in the collection just missed the mark completely for me, some of them lost touch with the original myth completely while others read more like a restatement than a retelling. Some were far too modern and others not modern enough and a great many of them were simply uninspired and relied too much on the original myth to carry the whole weight of the story.
Overall, as much as I love myths and as much as I adored the idea of more diverse mythology retellings, this one wouldn't be among my top anthology recommendations, not by far.
Average Rating: 3.5 / 5
Breakdown:
Forbidden Fruit - 8 / 10
Olivia's Table - 7 / 10
Steel Skin - 7 / 10
Still Star-Crossed - 6 / 10
The Counting of Vermillion Beads - 4 / 10
The Land of the Morning Calm - 7 / 10
The Smile - 7 / 10
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers - 5 / 10
Nothing into All - 8 / 10
Spear Carrier - 8 / 10
Code of Honor - 7 / 10
Bullet, Butterfly - 6 / 10
Daughter of the Sun - 7 / 10
The Crimson Cloak - 7 / 10
Eyes Like Candlelight - 8 / 10
Breakdown:
Forbidden Fruit - 8 / 10
Olivia's Table - 7 / 10
Steel Skin - 7 / 10
Still Star-Crossed - 6 / 10
The Counting of Vermillion Beads - 4 / 10
The Land of the Morning Calm - 7 / 10
The Smile - 7 / 10
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers - 5 / 10
Nothing into All - 8 / 10
Spear Carrier - 8 / 10
Code of Honor - 7 / 10
Bullet, Butterfly - 6 / 10
Daughter of the Sun - 7 / 10
The Crimson Cloak - 7 / 10
Eyes Like Candlelight - 8 / 10
*I received a digital review copy from Edelweiss*
Average rating: 3 stars
Stories broken down:
Forbidden Fruit: 3 stars
Olivia's Table: 5 stars
Steel Skin: 3.75 stars
Still Star-Crossed: 3.75 stars
The Counting of Vermillion Beads: 2.75 stars
The Land of the Morning Calm: 3.5 stars
The Smile: 4.5 stars
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers: 2 stars
Nothing into All: 4 stars
Spear Carrier: dnf
Code of Honor: 2.5 stars
Bullet, Butterfly: 1.5 stars
Daughter of the Sun:dnf
The Crimson Cloak: 4 stars
Candlelight: 5 stars
Favorite Stories:
Olivia's Table
The Smile
Nothing into All
The Crimson Cloak
Eyes Like Candlelight
Overall, this was a pretty good anthology. I loved learning about new mythologies and cultures. There were a lot of stories I loved and others I couldn't stand. I also found some new authors to look forward to.
Average rating: 3 stars
Stories broken down:
Forbidden Fruit: 3 stars
Olivia's Table: 5 stars
Steel Skin: 3.75 stars
Still Star-Crossed: 3.75 stars
The Counting of Vermillion Beads: 2.75 stars
The Land of the Morning Calm: 3.5 stars
The Smile: 4.5 stars
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers: 2 stars
Nothing into All: 4 stars
Spear Carrier: dnf
Code of Honor: 2.5 stars
Bullet, Butterfly: 1.5 stars
Daughter of the Sun:dnf
The Crimson Cloak: 4 stars
Candlelight: 5 stars
Favorite Stories:
Olivia's Table
The Smile
Nothing into All
The Crimson Cloak
Eyes Like Candlelight
Overall, this was a pretty good anthology. I loved learning about new mythologies and cultures. There were a lot of stories I loved and others I couldn't stand. I also found some new authors to look forward to.
*Read via audio book*
I was really excited for this, an anthology featuring authors of Asian descent with stories that are based on East and South Asian mythology and folklore? Um....yes please.
But it's so hard to rate anthologies because you always like some stories and hate others. So how do you give it an overall rating?? I thought it would be easier to rate and review each story individually and then work out my overall rating from there:
1. FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Roshani Chokshi - ⭐⭐⭐
I found it pretty enjoyable and really liked the writing style.
2. OLIVIA’S TABLE by Alyssa Wong - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really loved the concept of this one plus the great LGBT+ rep which was done so effortlessly.
3. STEEL SKIN by Lori M. Lee - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I would love this to become a full book, even after knowing the pay-off. Really well written and put together brilliantly.
4. STILL STAR-CROSSED by Sona Charaipotra - ⭐⭐⭐
I really liked the ending and that little twist but the story itself didn't really intrigue me.
5. THE COUNTING OF VERRMILLION BEADS by Aliette De Bodard - ⭐⭐
I think the main thing I liked about this one was the writing style but other than that it just wasn't for me.
6. THE LAND OF THE MORNING CALM by E. C. Myers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even though I found it a lot of it odd at times (and not in a good way), I really enjoyed this and found that the author took a really interesting take for their story.
7. THE SMILE by Aisha Saeed - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even though this was simplistic, it was told beautifully and had great character development for such a short story that didn't feel rushed.
8. GIRLS WHO TWIRL AND OTHER DANGERS by Preeti Chhibber - ⭐⭐
This was not for me at all - I found the characters super annoying and the story, well, stupid (apart from the parts that actually do link back to the original story this is supposed to be based on).
9. NOTHING INTO ALL by Renée Ahdieh - ⭐⭐⭐
Reminded me of an alternative version of Hansel and Gretel - loved the sibling bond.
10. SPEAR CARRIER by Rahul Kanakia - ⭐⭐
I really hated the main character - which is such a shame because the story could have been pretty interesting which a stronger, less annoying character.
11. CODE OF HONOR by Melissa de la Cruz - ⭐⭐
This is the case of me screaming SHOW DON'T TELL. It had an interesting premise but it didn't pay off (also I shipped the main characters and it didn't become canon...).
12. BULLET, BUTTERFLY by Elsie Chapman - ⭐⭐⭐
This story wasn't for me - I'm not a big romance fan - so I had a hard time connecting to it but loved the origin story (described as a Chinese Romeo and Juliet).
13. DAUGHTER OF THE SUN by Shveta Thakrar - ⭐⭐
This had a very mystical writing style to it, which I appreciated but also hated a little. Maybe a bit too much? I didn't really take in this story.
14. THE CRIMSON CLOAK by Cindy Pon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Despite it being a romance story, loved the main character's voice and the story. Really well rounded and pretty beautiful.
15. EYES LIKE CANDLELIGHT by Julie Kagawa - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was hoping there would be a fox in this story...SO GLAD THERE WAS. Oh I loved this, again despite the romance. But THE VOICE FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER AS A KID IS LAUGHABLE - LIKE HE'S ON HELIUM.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 0
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 5
⭐⭐⭐ = 4
⭐⭐ = 5
⭐ = 0
So overall, ⭐⭐⭐
Other notes:
I'm really glad the authors added information about the origin story to each of their short stories as well as their connection to it, really made the book more rounded. And there is such a variety of genre, which I appreciated - it wasn't always done right but made the book more interesting. Also super glad I listened to this on audio book, at first I thought there was only one narrator but there's multiple!
I was really excited for this, an anthology featuring authors of Asian descent with stories that are based on East and South Asian mythology and folklore? Um....yes please.
But it's so hard to rate anthologies because you always like some stories and hate others. So how do you give it an overall rating?? I thought it would be easier to rate and review each story individually and then work out my overall rating from there:
1. FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Roshani Chokshi - ⭐⭐⭐
I found it pretty enjoyable and really liked the writing style.
2. OLIVIA’S TABLE by Alyssa Wong - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really loved the concept of this one plus the great LGBT+ rep which was done so effortlessly.
3. STEEL SKIN by Lori M. Lee - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I would love this to become a full book, even after knowing the pay-off. Really well written and put together brilliantly.
4. STILL STAR-CROSSED by Sona Charaipotra - ⭐⭐⭐
I really liked the ending and that little twist but the story itself didn't really intrigue me.
5. THE COUNTING OF VERRMILLION BEADS by Aliette De Bodard - ⭐⭐
I think the main thing I liked about this one was the writing style but other than that it just wasn't for me.
6. THE LAND OF THE MORNING CALM by E. C. Myers - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even though I found it a lot of it odd at times (and not in a good way), I really enjoyed this and found that the author took a really interesting take for their story.
7. THE SMILE by Aisha Saeed - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even though this was simplistic, it was told beautifully and had great character development for such a short story that didn't feel rushed.
8. GIRLS WHO TWIRL AND OTHER DANGERS by Preeti Chhibber - ⭐⭐
This was not for me at all - I found the characters super annoying and the story, well, stupid (apart from the parts that actually do link back to the original story this is supposed to be based on).
9. NOTHING INTO ALL by Renée Ahdieh - ⭐⭐⭐
Reminded me of an alternative version of Hansel and Gretel - loved the sibling bond.
10. SPEAR CARRIER by Rahul Kanakia - ⭐⭐
I really hated the main character - which is such a shame because the story could have been pretty interesting which a stronger, less annoying character.
11. CODE OF HONOR by Melissa de la Cruz - ⭐⭐
This is the case of me screaming SHOW DON'T TELL. It had an interesting premise but it didn't pay off (also I shipped the main characters and it didn't become canon...).
12. BULLET, BUTTERFLY by Elsie Chapman - ⭐⭐⭐
This story wasn't for me - I'm not a big romance fan - so I had a hard time connecting to it but loved the origin story (described as a Chinese Romeo and Juliet).
13. DAUGHTER OF THE SUN by Shveta Thakrar - ⭐⭐
This had a very mystical writing style to it, which I appreciated but also hated a little. Maybe a bit too much? I didn't really take in this story.
14. THE CRIMSON CLOAK by Cindy Pon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Despite it being a romance story, loved the main character's voice and the story. Really well rounded and pretty beautiful.
15. EYES LIKE CANDLELIGHT by Julie Kagawa - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was hoping there would be a fox in this story...SO GLAD THERE WAS. Oh I loved this, again despite the romance. But THE VOICE FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER AS A KID IS LAUGHABLE - LIKE HE'S ON HELIUM.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 0
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 5
⭐⭐⭐ = 4
⭐⭐ = 5
⭐ = 0
So overall, ⭐⭐⭐
Other notes:
I'm really glad the authors added information about the origin story to each of their short stories as well as their connection to it, really made the book more rounded. And there is such a variety of genre, which I appreciated - it wasn't always done right but made the book more interesting. Also super glad I listened to this on audio book, at first I thought there was only one narrator but there's multiple!
I really enjoyed these! I like fairy tale-inspired stories a lot, and I'd consider myself someone who's pretty familiar with western fairy tales. But when it comes to eastern ones my knowledge is sorely lacking, so these were all refreshingly new. I also liked the little author's note after each story that explains its connection to the original myth. Also, I was impressed by the diversity of storytelling style and genre here-- some set in the far past in classic fairy tale style, some set in the modern day, some set in the future with sci-fi vibes.
I craved more mythology and less retellings...
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Asian Readathon. Group book.
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Asian Readathon. Group book.