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margeryb's review against another edition
4.0
Full disclosure, this is an anthology that I have a story featured in. However, I am evulating here the book as a whole.
Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove was an interesting project to write for and more interesting project to read. It is a collection of flash fiction and shorter short stories all taking place in the shared setting of Hotel Stormcove and its grounds some point during its history, whether past, present, or way in the future. Each story is a snapshot, just five minutes, and while all those parameters might make it sound limiting, it was amazing to read the variety and imagination of over 50 authors spin that in so many different directions, genres, themes, and tones. But at the same time, I agree with the editors in her opening remarks, that through these stories the Hotel Stormcove became a character in of itself, like many a great setting can become, like Hogwarts or the Tardis.
With fantasy, history, ghost stories, scifiction, twilight zone weirdness, romance, coming of age, humor and so much more all up against each other, Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is a place where life has happened and where anything can happen. As the stories are so short, it is easy to pick this book up in little clunks and longer reads, and if one story is not to your taste, another is just a page away.
Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove was an interesting project to write for and more interesting project to read. It is a collection of flash fiction and shorter short stories all taking place in the shared setting of Hotel Stormcove and its grounds some point during its history, whether past, present, or way in the future. Each story is a snapshot, just five minutes, and while all those parameters might make it sound limiting, it was amazing to read the variety and imagination of over 50 authors spin that in so many different directions, genres, themes, and tones. But at the same time, I agree with the editors in her opening remarks, that through these stories the Hotel Stormcove became a character in of itself, like many a great setting can become, like Hogwarts or the Tardis.
With fantasy, history, ghost stories, scifiction, twilight zone weirdness, romance, coming of age, humor and so much more all up against each other, Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is a place where life has happened and where anything can happen. As the stories are so short, it is easy to pick this book up in little clunks and longer reads, and if one story is not to your taste, another is just a page away.
braynard's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Independent publishing has its ups and downs. But for what it lacks in prestige and fame, it more than makes up in passion. Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is one of those great passion projects. It is a short story anthology all centered around the fictional Hotel Stormcove.
A writing professor once told me that the shorter a piece is, the more of a punch each moment needs to pack. The stories of Hotel Stormcove are full of punch. All of the stories have to (theoretically) take place within a five minute time frame. But while the plots are short, they are not necessarily simple. From the moral implications of a robot uprising to a man mourning his dead wife and a pregnant rabbit searching for a safe haven, the stories of this collection are full of emotional and thematic resonance.
Last week, I wrote a review criticizing a focused anthology from the very same publisher as this collection. So what’s different between the two? The focus of the collection. The first collection was focused around pens, which as I stated, are not narratively interesting. Hotels, however, provide all more options for writers to work with. Even the stories that don’t include fantastical or sci-fi elements are strong enough to stand on their own. I cannot say the same for the other collection.
In general, Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is a wonderful short story collection. Some stories are not as good as others, but the overall quality of the collection is very high. I would easily recommend this to anyone who show interest in short stories. My only real complaint is that there isn’t more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10/10
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
mbayne's review against another edition
4.0
Full disclosure, this is an anthology that I have a story featured in. However, I am evulating here the book as a whole.
Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove was an interesting project to write for and more interesting project to read. It is a collection of flash fiction and shorter short stories all taking place in the shared setting of Hotel Stormcove and its grounds some point during its history, whether past, present, or way in the future. Each story is a snapshot, just five minutes, and while all those parameters might make it sound limiting, it was amazing to read the variety and imagination of over 50 authors spin that in so many different directions, genres, themes, and tones. But at the same time, I agree with the editors in her opening remarks, that through these stories the Hotel Stormcove became a character in of itself, like many a great setting can become, like Hogwarts or the Tardis.
With fantasy, history, ghost stories, scifiction, twilight zone weirdness, romance, coming of age, humor and so much more all up against each other, Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is a place where life has happened and where anything can happen. As the stories are so short, it is easy to pick this book up in little clunks and longer reads, and if one story is not to your taste, another is just a page away.
Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove was an interesting project to write for and more interesting project to read. It is a collection of flash fiction and shorter short stories all taking place in the shared setting of Hotel Stormcove and its grounds some point during its history, whether past, present, or way in the future. Each story is a snapshot, just five minutes, and while all those parameters might make it sound limiting, it was amazing to read the variety and imagination of over 50 authors spin that in so many different directions, genres, themes, and tones. But at the same time, I agree with the editors in her opening remarks, that through these stories the Hotel Stormcove became a character in of itself, like many a great setting can become, like Hogwarts or the Tardis.
With fantasy, history, ghost stories, scifiction, twilight zone weirdness, romance, coming of age, humor and so much more all up against each other, Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is a place where life has happened and where anything can happen. As the stories are so short, it is easy to pick this book up in little clunks and longer reads, and if one story is not to your taste, another is just a page away.
edebell's review against another edition
5.0
I edited this collection, and I'm so very excited to share all these wonderful stories with the world. I hope you'll join us at the hotel. : )
sofievg's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely collection of short stories. I really liked the concept that they were all taking place in the same hotel, while still being very diverse. All of them have a positive, hopeful outlook though, which made me appreciate the book all the more.
anjana's review against another edition
5.0
I usually do not read many short story collections of any sort, mostly because I am more accustomed to longer sagas spanning a longer period of time. It gives me time to sink in and familiarize myself with the people. That said, I think that writing a short story must be as difficult as writing an extremely large series because, within the span of a few pages, a lot of impact worthy events and people need to be depicted effectively.
This is a collection which sixty-one people came together in one book! If I had known the number before, I might have been put off from reading it but I did not know and did read it, which in turn turned out to be a whole new reading experience. The basis of each story is a hotel called Stormcove in the US (as of this time period but the status changes as do the years and 'worlds' surrounding the tales). The stories range from pre-historic to extreme futures, authors range from really young to much older. The author's descriptions by themselves were entertaining enough to be just read on their own. I enjoyed most of the stories, although with a collection as large as this there are bound to be a few that did not appeal to me personally. Even if I did not enjoy a story here or there, I did enjoy the intelligence required to put together such tales where the main theme is acceptance and helpfulness and peppered with a subtle sense of humour (for many stories). This entire collection is definitely worth the time invested in reading it.
It was sometimes surprising to see how people from different backgrounds and parts of the world could draw similar inspiration when provided with a framework to work within. This is a fact even with genres that do not remotely resemble each other.
I highly recommend this book (releasing on May7th 2019) to those who like anthologies of any form or like the idea of reading multiple genres (almost) simultaneously.
I received an advance copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but that did not influence my review in any way.
This is a collection which sixty-one people came together in one book! If I had known the number before, I might have been put off from reading it but I did not know and did read it, which in turn turned out to be a whole new reading experience. The basis of each story is a hotel called Stormcove in the US (as of this time period but the status changes as do the years and 'worlds' surrounding the tales). The stories range from pre-historic to extreme futures, authors range from really young to much older. The author's descriptions by themselves were entertaining enough to be just read on their own. I enjoyed most of the stories, although with a collection as large as this there are bound to be a few that did not appeal to me personally. Even if I did not enjoy a story here or there, I did enjoy the intelligence required to put together such tales where the main theme is acceptance and helpfulness and peppered with a subtle sense of humour (for many stories). This entire collection is definitely worth the time invested in reading it.
It was sometimes surprising to see how people from different backgrounds and parts of the world could draw similar inspiration when provided with a framework to work within. This is a fact even with genres that do not remotely resemble each other.
I highly recommend this book (releasing on May7th 2019) to those who like anthologies of any form or like the idea of reading multiple genres (almost) simultaneously.
I received an advance copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but that did not influence my review in any way.
bratdoll's review
4.0
*Possible spoilers ahead*
Thank you to Netgalley and Atthis for the advanced copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I don't usually read books of short stories, but I thought this was a fantastic one! What made it really special to me was the idea behind gathering the stories, and the criteria for the authors to follow. I was pulled in from the first short story, about robots, which I found whimsical. I just wished there had been more to it!
I enjoyed the following short stories: "You Can't Go Back," by Ellen Meny; "Dragon in the Cove," by L.S. Reinholt and Minerva Cerridwen; "Playing in the Snow," by Karen Black; "Cash, Card, Or My Unholy Offspring," by F E Norley; "Room Special," by Jakob Drud; and "How To Hide A Body," by Ruth Olson.
Extra special to me, were "Stormcove Hotel" by Karen Giery; and "The Opaque Oasis," by Marsalis, for different reasons. Marsalis's story broke my heart in many shattered pieces. Despite the 'five minutes' between the characters, I felt every bit of emotion and was left melted and weeping in the end.
I loved Karen Giery's story because, at eight-years-old, this young lady deserves recognition for a short but very moving contribution to the book.
I appreciated the differing stories, and especially the tidbits of information at the end of the stories, about the authors. I found it helpful, such as in Karen Giery's story, to know a little bit about them and how they related to their story. Without knowing that Karen was eight, for instance, I might have questioned the content. Despite another review in which the reader discredited the importance of an author's age, I found it to be relevant to the book and the stories within.
There were some stories I read that I did not enjoy, which is to be expected when there are multiple genres, content, and voices. But I appreciated the diversity of the stories as well, including the heartbreaking story by Marsalis.
The one and only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 was because I had difficulty finding the point of some of the stories, and/or didn't appreciate how some of them ended. But that doesn't mean they were written poorly or anything, it's just my personal view.
If you enjoy books of short stories, or have never read one and might be interested, this is a good book to read. You'll love some, you'll dislike some, but overall I think you will have an appreciation for many of the authors in the book, as well as the unique idea behind the stories and, further, the variety of stories that will give you a new world each time with the same Hotel.
Side note: I hope that Karen Giery will be encouraged to continue writing. You did a wonderful job.
Thank you again, EDE Bell, Atthis Arts, and Netgalley, for the fun read. I look forward to placing the physical book in my collection.
This review will also be placed on my Goodreads and Instagram accounts
Thank you to Netgalley and Atthis for the advanced copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I don't usually read books of short stories, but I thought this was a fantastic one! What made it really special to me was the idea behind gathering the stories, and the criteria for the authors to follow. I was pulled in from the first short story, about robots, which I found whimsical. I just wished there had been more to it!
I enjoyed the following short stories: "You Can't Go Back," by Ellen Meny; "Dragon in the Cove," by L.S. Reinholt and Minerva Cerridwen; "Playing in the Snow," by Karen Black; "Cash, Card, Or My Unholy Offspring," by F E Norley; "Room Special," by Jakob Drud; and "How To Hide A Body," by Ruth Olson.
Extra special to me, were "Stormcove Hotel" by Karen Giery; and "The Opaque Oasis," by Marsalis, for different reasons. Marsalis's story broke my heart in many shattered pieces. Despite the 'five minutes' between the characters, I felt every bit of emotion and was left melted and weeping in the end.
I loved Karen Giery's story because, at eight-years-old, this young lady deserves recognition for a short but very moving contribution to the book.
I appreciated the differing stories, and especially the tidbits of information at the end of the stories, about the authors. I found it helpful, such as in Karen Giery's story, to know a little bit about them and how they related to their story. Without knowing that Karen was eight, for instance, I might have questioned the content. Despite another review in which the reader discredited the importance of an author's age, I found it to be relevant to the book and the stories within.
There were some stories I read that I did not enjoy, which is to be expected when there are multiple genres, content, and voices. But I appreciated the diversity of the stories as well, including the heartbreaking story by Marsalis.
The one and only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 was because I had difficulty finding the point of some of the stories, and/or didn't appreciate how some of them ended. But that doesn't mean they were written poorly or anything, it's just my personal view.
If you enjoy books of short stories, or have never read one and might be interested, this is a good book to read. You'll love some, you'll dislike some, but overall I think you will have an appreciation for many of the authors in the book, as well as the unique idea behind the stories and, further, the variety of stories that will give you a new world each time with the same Hotel.
Side note: I hope that Karen Giery will be encouraged to continue writing. You did a wonderful job.
Thank you again, EDE Bell, Atthis Arts, and Netgalley, for the fun read. I look forward to placing the physical book in my collection.
This review will also be placed on my Goodreads and Instagram accounts
minervacerridwen's review
5.0
I co-wrote one of the 59 stories in this anthology, but I would have loved Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove either way.
There wasn't a single story in this that I didn't like to some extent, and there were many that I really loved. There were laughs, magic, melancholy, suspense. The stories are diverse in every sense of the word: genre, characters, and background of the authors. There was an experience unlike anything I'd read before in "Beings", a story translated from a native language with a very different structure than what I'm used to. So among all those stories it also offers something new for many readers.
What makes this anthology even more special is that with 61 different authors, the book still feels coherent. Hotel Stormcove becomes a very particular place that, when you can't continue reading for a long while because life is being busy, you really find yourself longing to return to. Even for the reader, it becomes the place of refuge it is described to be in the stories.
There wasn't a single story in this that I didn't like to some extent, and there were many that I really loved. There were laughs, magic, melancholy, suspense. The stories are diverse in every sense of the word: genre, characters, and background of the authors. There was an experience unlike anything I'd read before in "Beings", a story translated from a native language with a very different structure than what I'm used to. So among all those stories it also offers something new for many readers.
What makes this anthology even more special is that with 61 different authors, the book still feels coherent. Hotel Stormcove becomes a very particular place that, when you can't continue reading for a long while because life is being busy, you really find yourself longing to return to. Even for the reader, it becomes the place of refuge it is described to be in the stories.
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