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hazellfox's review
5.0
This is a beautiful, intricate collection of short stories packed with mythology and magic. Each one left me satisfied with the story it told, some made me want a full-length novel because the worlds and characters were so interesting and developed.
The Gumiho of Dragon River has a heartbreaking depiction of a brother’s loyalty and guilt toward failing to protect his sister. It is rich with Asian (Japanese I think?) culture, and I especially appreciate stories that show there are lasting consequences for mistakes.
Of Underwoods and Underworlds made me laugh quite a bit. The overconfident, snarky narrator plus a magical school was an instant sell point. Themes of self-sacrifice always hit nice and heavy for me, and this one did not disappoint. I could also see this one going further with a couple more short stories of Underwood’s adventures.
The Breakriver Banshee had a magic system I’m very interested to see explored more, with truly lovable, unforgettable characters. Despite being with them for only about 25 pages, I both cared about them and felt like I knew them. This story feels a bit like a Supernatural episode mixed with a western, and it was fun to read and had me thoroughly engrossed all the way to the end. This is the one that if ever the author put out a novel, more short stories, ANYTHING, I would not hesitate to read it.
Namakaokahai’s Treasure felt like a poem and an Aesop fable in its writing style. It felt like the kind of story your ancestors would pass down to you by word-of-mouth, around a fire with ocean waves crashing in the background; and in fact, I would imagine glimpses of someone telling the story in that setting while I was reading. I loved the cultural names and phrases that really pulled me in and made it feel that much more real. A really beautiful story of love and sacrifice.
When the Night Left was the shortest, and though feeling the least developed, it was still a sweet story to read. I appreciated the descriptions of the painting of the sky and the relationship between former rivals. The fun thing about Greek mythology is completely original characters were thrown into the mix and they were still fully believable to me.
Well this review got long, but I felt each author deserved the spotlight for a little bit because of how much I enjoyed each story in different ways.
This was also my first time reading an anthology, and it has made me want to read them more!
The Gumiho of Dragon River has a heartbreaking depiction of a brother’s loyalty and guilt toward failing to protect his sister. It is rich with Asian (Japanese I think?) culture, and I especially appreciate stories that show there are lasting consequences for mistakes.
Of Underwoods and Underworlds made me laugh quite a bit. The overconfident, snarky narrator plus a magical school was an instant sell point. Themes of self-sacrifice always hit nice and heavy for me, and this one did not disappoint. I could also see this one going further with a couple more short stories of Underwood’s adventures.
The Breakriver Banshee had a magic system I’m very interested to see explored more, with truly lovable, unforgettable characters. Despite being with them for only about 25 pages, I both cared about them and felt like I knew them. This story feels a bit like a Supernatural episode mixed with a western, and it was fun to read and had me thoroughly engrossed all the way to the end. This is the one that if ever the author put out a novel, more short stories, ANYTHING, I would not hesitate to read it.
Namakaokahai’s Treasure felt like a poem and an Aesop fable in its writing style. It felt like the kind of story your ancestors would pass down to you by word-of-mouth, around a fire with ocean waves crashing in the background; and in fact, I would imagine glimpses of someone telling the story in that setting while I was reading. I loved the cultural names and phrases that really pulled me in and made it feel that much more real. A really beautiful story of love and sacrifice.
When the Night Left was the shortest, and though feeling the least developed, it was still a sweet story to read. I appreciated the descriptions of the painting of the sky and the relationship between former rivals. The fun thing about Greek mythology is completely original characters were thrown into the mix and they were still fully believable to me.
Well this review got long, but I felt each author deserved the spotlight for a little bit because of how much I enjoyed each story in different ways.
This was also my first time reading an anthology, and it has made me want to read them more!
keandrews95's review
4.0
This was a really nice collection of short stories. Each one was so different and unique.
the_bookish_raven's review
5.0
4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I've never reviewed an anthology before, but I really enjoyed this one! I've always loved mythology, so it was really interesting to see how it was portrayed here!
While I loved all the stories, my favorites were Of Underwoods and Underworlds and When the Night Left. Of Underwoods and Underworlds follows Haddie Underwood on her journey to fix one of her mistakes. Haddie is a force to be reckoned with, so I found her story really amusing! The mythological elements were blended into the story well, and I loved the character development! When the Night Left is a beautiful love story between the girl who paints sunsets and the man who brings the night. It's a really short story, but I thought it was very well-written! The romance was my favorite part!
I enjoyed the other three stories as well! The Gumiho of Dragon River did an excellent job of capturing the evil of the fox spirit as well as the familial love between siblings! The various settings in the story were so vividly described, and the writing overall was great! The Breakriver Banshee had such a unique writing style and I loved its take on banshees! The characters felt realistic, and they were probably my favorite part of this story! Namakaokahai’s Treasure really fascinated me! I've never read anything like it before! I believe it's based on Hawaiian mythology (please correct me if I'm wrong!) The elemental aspects were so cool, and the writing was lovely!
The stories in this anthology did an excellent job of turning various myths into new stories that will leave you wanting more! I loved the different kinds of mythology represented here, and each story was amazing! I would definitely recommend this anthology to mythology and fantasy fans!
Content: clean romance, but some violence; no language
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I've never reviewed an anthology before, but I really enjoyed this one! I've always loved mythology, so it was really interesting to see how it was portrayed here!
While I loved all the stories, my favorites were Of Underwoods and Underworlds and When the Night Left. Of Underwoods and Underworlds follows Haddie Underwood on her journey to fix one of her mistakes. Haddie is a force to be reckoned with, so I found her story really amusing! The mythological elements were blended into the story well, and I loved the character development! When the Night Left is a beautiful love story between the girl who paints sunsets and the man who brings the night. It's a really short story, but I thought it was very well-written! The romance was my favorite part!
I enjoyed the other three stories as well! The Gumiho of Dragon River did an excellent job of capturing the evil of the fox spirit as well as the familial love between siblings! The various settings in the story were so vividly described, and the writing overall was great! The Breakriver Banshee had such a unique writing style and I loved its take on banshees! The characters felt realistic, and they were probably my favorite part of this story! Namakaokahai’s Treasure really fascinated me! I've never read anything like it before! I believe it's based on Hawaiian mythology (please correct me if I'm wrong!) The elemental aspects were so cool, and the writing was lovely!
The stories in this anthology did an excellent job of turning various myths into new stories that will leave you wanting more! I loved the different kinds of mythology represented here, and each story was amazing! I would definitely recommend this anthology to mythology and fantasy fans!
Content: clean romance, but some violence; no language
maecave15's review
3.0
The Gumiho of Dragon River by Rosie Grymm - Very good story, and I loved the use of folklore. The ending left me wanting more and I wish it were a full novella instead of short story. 4.5/5⭐
Of Underwoods and Underworlds by Hannah Carter - This one is cute and I enjoyed the take on Persephone and Hades. The character of Percy though, wasn't believable. At first he was this know-it-all Prefect whom Haddie didn't even like, and then all of a sudden they were good friends. 3/5⭐
The Breakriver Banshee by Abigail McKenna - This one was interesting, being set in the wild west, but the ending left me feeling just eh. 3/5⭐
Namakaokahai's Treasure by Mariella Taylor - It was okay. 2/5⭐
When the Night Left by Savanna Roberts - This one was cute. 3/5⭐
Of Underwoods and Underworlds by Hannah Carter - This one is cute and I enjoyed the take on Persephone and Hades. The character of Percy though, wasn't believable. At first he was this know-it-all Prefect whom Haddie didn't even like, and then all of a sudden they were good friends. 3/5⭐
The Breakriver Banshee by Abigail McKenna - This one was interesting, being set in the wild west, but the ending left me feeling just eh. 3/5⭐
Namakaokahai's Treasure by Mariella Taylor - It was okay. 2/5⭐
When the Night Left by Savanna Roberts - This one was cute. 3/5⭐
wendylioness's review
4.0
This anthology was fun. The last two stories were my favorite and they stood out in the collection, both of them feeling a bit more polished than the others. I liked the first two stories too, though it took me a little bit to get into them. The third story, which was historical fiction with some supernatural elements, was very different from the sort of story I tend to read, and I skimmed that one more.
If you really like mythology retellings, this is a pretty good read.
If you really like mythology retellings, this is a pretty good read.
thepurplegiraffe's review
I don't know how to express my excitement over the fact that this exists. The Breakriver Banshee was a joy to write, and it's an honor to have it beside these amazing stories. I'll post full reviews of all the stories once they're properly published, but for now, just know that I'm obsessed with all of them, and I know you will be too.
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