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hardbackednooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Full review to come.
brightbelladonna22's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
I was one of the winners of the StoryGraph giveaway last month and I can honestly say I'm blown away by this anthology. There's such a diverse variety of genres that there's a little for everyone--fantasy, historical fantasy, sci-fi (space), superheroes, sci-fi lite (multiverse), mystery/thriller, royal court stories, etc--and I love how each author put their own creative spin on the theme of "masquerade." The stories range from lighthearted and insanely funny ("That Danger Would Seem Sport") to dark and centered around emotional hurt/healing from trauma ("Carved of Ice and Snow," "The Thing With Feathers"). I also love how the F/F pairings in the book are diverse, with trans, GNC, and non-human love interests featured alongside cis ones. There are also MC/love interests that have been together forever, ones who are just meeting, and first-kisses galore, which just drives home my point about the diversity of stories. I also ADORE the story tags beforehand--it made me feel like I was reading my favorite fanfics.
There are also quite a few authors I'll be watching out for after reading this, and quite a few standout stories: "Moon Eyed," "Among the Stars," "To relish a love song, like a robin redbreast," and "The Scent of Roses" are four of my favorites. But I honestly do not believe there's a weak story in this whole collection, and I'm eagerly anticipating reading the M/M companion to this.
Even though Duckprints Press is a small press and this book is seed-funded, I absolutely would not sleep on them, and I would run, not walk, to purchase this book when it finally comes out in March.
There are also quite a few authors I'll be watching out for after reading this, and quite a few standout stories: "Moon Eyed," "Among the Stars," "To relish a love song, like a robin redbreast," and "The Scent of Roses" are four of my favorites. But I honestly do not believe there's a weak story in this whole collection, and I'm eagerly anticipating reading the M/M companion to this.
Even though Duckprints Press is a small press and this book is seed-funded, I absolutely would not sleep on them, and I would run, not walk, to purchase this book when it finally comes out in March.
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