Reviews - Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology

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

rystonlentil43's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 34%

Of course there were multiple stories in here that I did finish, and it took a while to commit to giving up on the rest, but I'm really just not into the primary vibe or style in this collection... I don't know how to describe it. More than 2/3 of these stories are in first person perspective and they reminded me more of the many books I read as a kid that were written that way than of the rarer ones I've enjoyed recently. Maybe it's fluffier than I wanted. (Oh yeah, another reviewer said it feels like YA. I think that's what I mean.)

matheo96gro's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

aljy's review against another edition

3.75

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

aruarian_melody's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Like most anthologies, this one was a mixed bag for me. While I appreciate the effort to collect these aro-focused stories, the quality and my enjoyment of the stories varied immensely. It also wasn't always clear to me who the aro character was supposed to be. Still, any representation is welcome and I imagine it wasn't easy to even find aro stories in the first place.

I especially liked "Fishing over the Bones of the Dragon" by Jeff Reynolds and "Half a Heart" by Ren Oliveira. Both of which stood out for their atmosphere.