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kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this collection in which the focus is not on heroic deeds. daring missions, or technology, but on the development of worlds and settings. There are a number of gems here including The Cat and the Merrythought by Matthew Hughes, The Little Tailor and the Elves by Barbara Hambly, and stories by Carrie Vaughan, Kelly Armstrong, Garth Nix, Helen Dale, and Marie Brennan. There's something for everyone here, and the collection has spurred me to find other works by the authors in it.
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Shapers of Worlds Volume II is the second anthology of short fiction from authors featured on the Shapers of Worlds podcast edited by Edward Willett. Due out 2nd Nov 2021 from Shadowpaw Press, it's a hefty 522 pages and will be available in ebook format. Other editions available in physical print format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 4 star range(ish) with a a fair smattering of really standout stories. This is a well curated solid anthology of stories in the 3-5 star range. There are 24 stories in the anthology and most are previously unpublished fiction from very well known to new-to-me authors. The common thread is that the authors were all featured on the editor's podcast last year.
One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover.
Four stars on average. It's a diverting read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Shapers of Worlds Volume II is the second anthology of short fiction from authors featured on the Shapers of Worlds podcast edited by Edward Willett. Due out 2nd Nov 2021 from Shadowpaw Press, it's a hefty 522 pages and will be available in ebook format. Other editions available in physical print format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 4 star range(ish) with a a fair smattering of really standout stories. This is a well curated solid anthology of stories in the 3-5 star range. There are 24 stories in the anthology and most are previously unpublished fiction from very well known to new-to-me authors. The common thread is that the authors were all featured on the editor's podcast last year.
One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover.
Four stars on average. It's a diverting read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
annarella's review
5.0
It's the second book I read in this series and I thoroughly enjoyed.
New and favorite authors, a mix of different stories that I loved even if they're not all at the same level.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
New and favorite authors, a mix of different stories that I loved even if they're not all at the same level.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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