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125 reviews for:
Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology
C.T. Callahan, B.R. Sanders, Claudie Arseneault, RoAnna Sylver
3.92 AVERAGE
125 reviews for:
Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology
C.T. Callahan, B.R. Sanders, Claudie Arseneault, RoAnna Sylver
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This anthology was everything that I wanted it to be.
Full of warmth, laughter, intensity and love, this collection of 19 short stories and poems explores every type of valuable relationship that doesn't hinge on romantic attraction and shows the impacts that they can have on someone. From sibling dynamics, arch-rivals, and queerplatonic lovers, to parental bonds, mentor-mentee dynamics, pack bonding, best friends, and everything else in between, this truly filled every facet of love and affection with so much care. While not every story explicitly used the word "aromantic", the decentering of romance from every one of these pieces gave them the ability to explore human connections with so much more compassion and complexity.
There were a few stories in here that I don't feel I understood and so couldn't appreciate fully, but that was only three out of nineteen, and even then I often appreciated the quality of the writing and story craft. Every other piece brought something beautiful to the realm of aromantic stories. Some of them brought me to the verge of tears; others made me laugh out loud. Two of them (Would You Like Charms With That?, and Half A Heart) made me sit in contemplative silence after reading because they had touched me in such a deep place that I couldn't immediately collect my thoughts about them.
In particular, I appreciated Moon Sisters, Shift, and A Full Deck for the ways in which they took well-known supernatural story elements (werewolves in the first two and demon-hunting in the latter) and made aromantic and asexual identities a core part of the tropes. It really felt that the identities of the characters were a necessary part of the story, and I really admired how the writers had been able to tie the representation into the plot in that way.
My personal favourites (if I can cull from a batch of superlative work) were Moon Sisters, Cinder, Not Quite True Love, Would You Like Charms With That?, A Full Deck, Half A Heart, Discography, and Seams of Iron.
I cannot recommend this collection enough to anyone on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrums, or simply those who want more stories that focus on love that isn't romantic. There is something for everyone in this collection, and especially if you have an inclination towards fantasy and sci-fi stories - which I personally don't, and even then, I was so drawn into the stories that it didn't matter. I love this anthology. It will be a comfort read for me for years to come.
Full of warmth, laughter, intensity and love, this collection of 19 short stories and poems explores every type of valuable relationship that doesn't hinge on romantic attraction and shows the impacts that they can have on someone. From sibling dynamics, arch-rivals, and queerplatonic lovers, to parental bonds, mentor-mentee dynamics, pack bonding, best friends, and everything else in between, this truly filled every facet of love and affection with so much care. While not every story explicitly used the word "aromantic", the decentering of romance from every one of these pieces gave them the ability to explore human connections with so much more compassion and complexity.
There were a few stories in here that I don't feel I understood and so couldn't appreciate fully, but that was only three out of nineteen, and even then I often appreciated the quality of the writing and story craft. Every other piece brought something beautiful to the realm of aromantic stories. Some of them brought me to the verge of tears; others made me laugh out loud. Two of them (Would You Like Charms With That?, and Half A Heart) made me sit in contemplative silence after reading because they had touched me in such a deep place that I couldn't immediately collect my thoughts about them.
In particular, I appreciated Moon Sisters, Shift, and A Full Deck for the ways in which they took well-known supernatural story elements (werewolves in the first two and demon-hunting in the latter) and made aromantic and asexual identities a core part of the tropes. It really felt that the identities of the characters were a necessary part of the story, and I really admired how the writers had been able to tie the representation into the plot in that way.
My personal favourites (if I can cull from a batch of superlative work) were Moon Sisters, Cinder, Not Quite True Love, Would You Like Charms With That?, A Full Deck, Half A Heart, Discography, and Seams of Iron.
I cannot recommend this collection enough to anyone on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrums, or simply those who want more stories that focus on love that isn't romantic. There is something for everyone in this collection, and especially if you have an inclination towards fantasy and sci-fi stories - which I personally don't, and even then, I was so drawn into the stories that it didn't matter. I love this anthology. It will be a comfort read for me for years to come.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
comfort! comfort! comfort!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I took my time reading Common Bonds, because I like to give each piece in anthologies room to breathe. I highly recommend this anthology; each story and poem is filled with so much heart and greatness. I love the diversity of aromanticism, and it was so lovely to see myself reflected in so many characters.
4.5 / 5: what mattered most to me was that as i’m still coming to terms with being aro, i found an anthology that explored all these different worlds and characters through the lens of those on the aromantic spectrum. i got to witness how far and wide our desires lead us, completely away from the expectations society places on us when it comes to romance. to have little to no romantic attraction is seen as a phase or being a sign of being “abnormal”, but in these fantastical stories and poetry, it just means the connections we make transcend what society deems most important.
i loved how imaginative each and every piece of this collection was and how different these worlds were to my own. i could connect so vividly to the characters and i felt this longing in seeing them form all these different bonds in all sorts of ways that make them feel less alone. whether it was seeing the bond between just two characters, or in an entire group, or between a parent and their child, even one who stumbles upon the spirit of nature—i just loved all of it, even if there were only two or three that missed the mark for me.
one specific thing i loved as well is that in some of these worlds, it’s never explicitly explained what it means to be aromantic. as i’m exploring my identity on the aro spectrum, i find myself hiding in the corner, too scared to not explain well enough why i feel connected to this piece of my sexuality. when reading this anthology, it felt like a relief to see that for some of these characters, there was no need for them to explain themselves to anyone. what the main focus was was exploring how these new bonds they form affect them and how it matters to only them in their own life. it just made me reflect on how it really shouldn’t matter so much how others may feel about how i experience romantic attraction.
because what’s most important to me is that i could have these different connections that didn’t ask too much from me. they’re just simply there for me to feel like i can breathe, for as long as we’re both willing.
i really recommend this one to anyone who stumbles upon this anthology.
some of my favorite stories from this collection: “not quite true love”, “spacegirl and the martian”, “fishing over the bones of the dragon”, “seams of iron”, and “not to die”.
content warnings//: [in order] mentions of misgendering, drowning, human sacrifices, mentions of abuse, controlling romantic partners, abusive parents, anti-aromantic sentiments, consumption of alcohol, ableism, colonization allegories, animal abuse, roofie mention, PTSD mention, forced prostitution mention, decapitation, thoughts of arson, accidental misgendering, violence, injury, spiders, animal death, death imagery, puke/vomit mention, alzheimer’s disease, death of a parent, exploration of grief, abusive relationships, mentions of species extinction, animal cruelty, child illness, apathy about life, loss of loved ones, depression, mentions of non-consensual relationship dynamics, and forced pregnancies
i loved how imaginative each and every piece of this collection was and how different these worlds were to my own. i could connect so vividly to the characters and i felt this longing in seeing them form all these different bonds in all sorts of ways that make them feel less alone. whether it was seeing the bond between just two characters, or in an entire group, or between a parent and their child, even one who stumbles upon the spirit of nature—i just loved all of it, even if there were only two or three that missed the mark for me.
one specific thing i loved as well is that in some of these worlds, it’s never explicitly explained what it means to be aromantic. as i’m exploring my identity on the aro spectrum, i find myself hiding in the corner, too scared to not explain well enough why i feel connected to this piece of my sexuality. when reading this anthology, it felt like a relief to see that for some of these characters, there was no need for them to explain themselves to anyone. what the main focus was was exploring how these new bonds they form affect them and how it matters to only them in their own life. it just made me reflect on how it really shouldn’t matter so much how others may feel about how i experience romantic attraction.
because what’s most important to me is that i could have these different connections that didn’t ask too much from me. they’re just simply there for me to feel like i can breathe, for as long as we’re both willing.
i really recommend this one to anyone who stumbles upon this anthology.
some of my favorite stories from this collection: “not quite true love”, “spacegirl and the martian”, “fishing over the bones of the dragon”, “seams of iron”, and “not to die”.
content warnings//: [in order] mentions of misgendering, drowning, human sacrifices, mentions of abuse, controlling romantic partners, abusive parents, anti-aromantic sentiments, consumption of alcohol, ableism, colonization allegories, animal abuse, roofie mention, PTSD mention, forced prostitution mention, decapitation, thoughts of arson, accidental misgendering, violence, injury, spiders, animal death, death imagery, puke/vomit mention, alzheimer’s disease, death of a parent, exploration of grief, abusive relationships, mentions of species extinction, animal cruelty, child illness, apathy about life, loss of loved ones, depression, mentions of non-consensual relationship dynamics, and forced pregnancies
fast-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
There is a list of content warnings for each story at the beginning of the book
I felt Cinder by @JenLRossman was the cutest best story in the book. I loved the representation and the goofy alignment with the real world.
This book includes short stories and poems while spanning everything from clones, sci-fi, werewolves, genders assigned by scents, witches, and so much more.
Most of these were not my preferred genre, but they were all written well
This book includes short stories and poems while spanning everything from clones, sci-fi, werewolves, genders assigned by scents, witches, and so much more.
Most of these were not my preferred genre, but they were all written well
Everything I dreamed of
This anthology was everything I wanted from it and more. It felt like the warmest hug and the comfiest blanket. Read it.
This anthology was everything I wanted from it and more. It felt like the warmest hug and the comfiest blanket. Read it.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book is a really nice mixture of short stories and poems that focus a lot on bonds other than romantic ones.
Many of the main characters in these short stories are aromantic, some who use the actual word, some whose description of their experiences fit the term.
Because it is such a wide variety of authors, the stories are widely different as well. Some that I liked, some not as much. But in my experience that's usually the case with anthologies.
Another theme I feel the stories have in common is that they all have a fantasy/otherworldly feeling to it, my favourite genre (or at least, those are the ones I remember the most).
I would recommend this to people who want to read about more aromantic characters, but maybe do not want to commit to a whole book. The lovely thing about this anthology is that you can just read a short story or 2 whenever you like.
Many of the main characters in these short stories are aromantic, some who use the actual word, some whose description of their experiences fit the term.
Because it is such a wide variety of authors, the stories are widely different as well. Some that I liked, some not as much. But in my experience that's usually the case with anthologies.
Another theme I feel the stories have in common is that they all have a fantasy/otherworldly feeling to it, my favourite genre (or at least, those are the ones I remember the most).
I would recommend this to people who want to read about more aromantic characters, but maybe do not want to commit to a whole book. The lovely thing about this anthology is that you can just read a short story or 2 whenever you like.