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carina_shephard's review
5.0
Read in 2020
Out of the Fellowship of Fantasy series, this one was my favorite overall.
Favorites: (aka, if you decide not to read the entire anthology, you should definitely make sure to read these!)
-Superhero Publicist (super short, but quite possibly my top favorite of the entire anthology! humorous and I loved the idea of a superhero PR person... And also a certain twist
Out of the Fellowship of Fantasy series, this one was my favorite overall.
Favorites: (aka, if you decide not to read the entire anthology, you should definitely make sure to read these!)
-Superhero Publicist (super short, but quite possibly my top favorite of the entire anthology! humorous and I loved the idea of a superhero PR person... And also a certain twist
secre's review
4.0
And likely the last anthology of the Indie Fantasy Addicts Summer Challenge. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to real these as they are fantastic... and free! This is a really wide ranging collection of shorts that really digs in deep to find some unusual heroes. There's an eclectic mix of genre's and perspectives to chose from here and there are very few stories that fell short of their mark.
Alancia's Dance by H.L. Burke; 4/5 stars. A lovely little tale about a bull dancer and a fearsome Minotaur. I really liked the characterisations here and how Alancia did much of the hero work herself. Burke has a way with words that really brings this story to life beautifully. I’ve read a few of Burke’s shorts now and they seldom disappoint.
The Hero Fear of Hannah Helstorm by J.Phillip Horne; 4/5 stars. Another winner here, I’m really interested to read more from his universe in the future. Horne sets up an unlikely heroine here and I was drawn to the characters and the worst.
In Plain Sight by Arthur Diagle; 5/5 stars. I adored this tale with its quirky and unexpected hero and his talking dolls. The descriptions and the characters are fantastic and I loved how the action was set up.
Finn MacRorie and The River Dragon; 3.5/5 stars. Another strong contender, although not quite as excellent as the preceding tales. I do like how many of these authors have twisted the conventional hero trope into something new and interesting and how here the threat wasn’t of life shattering evil, but the smaller cruelties of the individual and family.
Little Victories by Karin DeHavin; 3/5 stars. A cuter little tale than didn’t have quite the impact of the others.
And Only The Eyes Of Children by Lauren Van Arendonk Laugh; 4.5/5 stars. Urban fantasy at its best, this is brilliantly narrated as a changeling goes after kidnapped children. I loved the references to Shakespeare and his plays and thought the action was brilliantly managed. This is a tale that captures humanity and fae at their worst and their best.
The Demon Monkeys by A.R.Silverberry; 4/5 stars. A brilliantly written tale that captured me. The world building here is really impressive considering the length of the story.
Superhero Publicist by Janeen Ippolitto; 2.5/5 stars. Humorous but that’s about it. It needed far more detail to flesh out the characters to my mind. As it stands, it’s not bad but it’s nothing special here.
Sweet Basil by Lea Doue; 4/5 stars. Another really well done tale that puts an unusual twist on magic and fantasy. I felt the characters were well drawn and I liked how they were broken, yet trying their best. There’s an over reliance on magic to fix problems, but that’s my only real complaint.
Darkness Follows the Light by David Millican; 5/5 stars. This is dark, creepy and absolutely brilliant. There’s a stark depiction of children living in abject poverty, and how when there are limited resources, those who have the least are at the bottom of priority lists.
Josiah U.Bear by D.W. Framenfelder; 2/5 stars. I struggled with this one despite loving bears and all things cuddly. The writing style just didn’t work for me and the narrative was so far fetched that it was clearly meant to be a satirical commentary. Not my cup of tea.
River's Edge Ransom by Julie C.Gilbert; 3.5/5 stars. Another one that I enjoyed; there are some interesting uses of magic here, but more importantly it’s a tale of love and betrayal when family goes wrong. I felt the ‘villain’ was a tad too caricatured, but I’m interested to read more in this universe.
Love Taker by Deanna Fugget; 3.5/5 stars. An interesting re-write of an age old faery tale. There’s a nice bittersweet twist at the end to hit you in the feels.
Gem by RJ Gonte; 5/5 stars. Oof. Talk about bitter sweet. This one really hit me in the feels and then some. Possibly more science fiction than fantasy, but it really reminded me of Jemsin’s Fifth Season series somehow. Beautifully written, poignant and heartfelt, this is a wonderful piece of writing!!
Leticia's Song by Jessica L.Elliott; 3/5 stars. Some more beautiful writing, but this is another tale that felt as though it were part of a larger whole rather than a self-sufficient short.
A Wooden Ruler by David Millican; 4.5/5 stars. Different and original, this story takes the perspective of a sentient toy gnome and his quest for freedom from the prison that holds his people... or in human terms, the store! I really enjoyed how unique this was and how well Millican manages the dual perspectives of gnomes and humans.
The Tale of Rolan of Camelot by Frank R.Luke; 3.5/5 stars. This one could have come straight out of Arthurian legend and I struggled to engage with it a little bit. The thorny issue of religion is brought back into play as Rolan makes a deal with the devil, and I felt it was a little too much like a basic morality tale of old.
A Fiery Gift by A.J.Bakke; 4/5 stars. A really sweet little tale that builds from a slow beginning. I was far more engaged once Everly finds the fire otters and loved the description of them gamboling through the magma. I didn't think the opening really brought a lot to the tale, but it more than made up for it with the climatic finale.
The Hero of Emoh: A Parents Fairytale by Sarah Ashwood; 4.5/5 stars. Another very different look on the faery tales of old, as we so rarely hear from the parents. Any parent (or onlooking sibling) who has brought up small beings of chaos and destruction will fall in love with this charming little tale.
Sacrifice to the Iara by H.L. Burke; 4.5/5 stars. A rare example of an author really capturing the magic of high fantasy in a short story. This has wonderful writing, some fantastic world building and characters who leap off the page. There is also a far more nuanced look at religion and spirituality hiding within the pages.
Charla visits Earth by Diane Asthle; 1.5/5 stars. I really didn't get on with this one, I have to admit. I found the characters rather bland, their gifts unexplored and my pet peeve of people acting in stupid ways for stupid reasons was on display.
Cry of the Cave Lion by E.Kaiser Writers; 4/5 stars. There's a Clan of the Cave Bear vibe to this piece and I really enjoyed it. I loved the writing style and the poignant message about fear and courage.
Save The Day by Zaplendam; 4/5 stars. Another winner, although a completely different style of writing. This is far more YA fantasy, but with enough tension to keep an adult reader satisfied. I'd have loved to see a little bit more of the fallout to the events, but that's one of the perils with reading shorts... and it's a good sign when my main complaint is that I wanted more.
Boy Of Soul And Sky by Laura Matthias Bendoly; 4/5 stars. Religion makes it's way into these tales once more, as we read about a young boy gifted extraordinary gifts and treated with disdain and derision because of them. I liked how Bendoly captures his fear and anxiety over using his gifts and how magic can be a double edged sword.
Teamwork by Laura Van Arendonk Baugh; 5/5 stars. Simplistically told, but the unusual point of view rocketed this one into my favourites from the collection. There are some very adult themes here, so be cautious, but it's a good reminder that it is not only the humans that can be heroes.
The Ungifted Twin by Tamie Dearen; 3/5 stars. Another one where I really enjoyed the writing style, but struggled to engage with the narrative and the characters. I suspect there is a huge world on display in the author's longer works though and I'm interested in checking them out.
Unlikely Hero by Arthur Daigle; 5/5 stars. Another stand out favourite from the collection as Daigle merges villain and hero in one sublime package. The descriptions were wonderful and the characters jumped off the page.
Alancia's Dance by H.L. Burke; 4/5 stars. A lovely little tale about a bull dancer and a fearsome Minotaur. I really liked the characterisations here and how Alancia did much of the hero work herself. Burke has a way with words that really brings this story to life beautifully. I’ve read a few of Burke’s shorts now and they seldom disappoint.
The Hero Fear of Hannah Helstorm by J.Phillip Horne; 4/5 stars. Another winner here, I’m really interested to read more from his universe in the future. Horne sets up an unlikely heroine here and I was drawn to the characters and the worst.
In Plain Sight by Arthur Diagle; 5/5 stars. I adored this tale with its quirky and unexpected hero and his talking dolls. The descriptions and the characters are fantastic and I loved how the action was set up.
Finn MacRorie and The River Dragon; 3.5/5 stars. Another strong contender, although not quite as excellent as the preceding tales. I do like how many of these authors have twisted the conventional hero trope into something new and interesting and how here the threat wasn’t of life shattering evil, but the smaller cruelties of the individual and family.
Little Victories by Karin DeHavin; 3/5 stars. A cuter little tale than didn’t have quite the impact of the others.
And Only The Eyes Of Children by Lauren Van Arendonk Laugh; 4.5/5 stars. Urban fantasy at its best, this is brilliantly narrated as a changeling goes after kidnapped children. I loved the references to Shakespeare and his plays and thought the action was brilliantly managed. This is a tale that captures humanity and fae at their worst and their best.
The Demon Monkeys by A.R.Silverberry; 4/5 stars. A brilliantly written tale that captured me. The world building here is really impressive considering the length of the story.
Superhero Publicist by Janeen Ippolitto; 2.5/5 stars. Humorous but that’s about it. It needed far more detail to flesh out the characters to my mind. As it stands, it’s not bad but it’s nothing special here.
Sweet Basil by Lea Doue; 4/5 stars. Another really well done tale that puts an unusual twist on magic and fantasy. I felt the characters were well drawn and I liked how they were broken, yet trying their best. There’s an over reliance on magic to fix problems, but that’s my only real complaint.
Darkness Follows the Light by David Millican; 5/5 stars. This is dark, creepy and absolutely brilliant. There’s a stark depiction of children living in abject poverty, and how when there are limited resources, those who have the least are at the bottom of priority lists.
Josiah U.Bear by D.W. Framenfelder; 2/5 stars. I struggled with this one despite loving bears and all things cuddly. The writing style just didn’t work for me and the narrative was so far fetched that it was clearly meant to be a satirical commentary. Not my cup of tea.
River's Edge Ransom by Julie C.Gilbert; 3.5/5 stars. Another one that I enjoyed; there are some interesting uses of magic here, but more importantly it’s a tale of love and betrayal when family goes wrong. I felt the ‘villain’ was a tad too caricatured, but I’m interested to read more in this universe.
Love Taker by Deanna Fugget; 3.5/5 stars. An interesting re-write of an age old faery tale. There’s a nice bittersweet twist at the end to hit you in the feels.
Gem by RJ Gonte; 5/5 stars. Oof. Talk about bitter sweet. This one really hit me in the feels and then some. Possibly more science fiction than fantasy, but it really reminded me of Jemsin’s Fifth Season series somehow. Beautifully written, poignant and heartfelt, this is a wonderful piece of writing!!
Leticia's Song by Jessica L.Elliott; 3/5 stars. Some more beautiful writing, but this is another tale that felt as though it were part of a larger whole rather than a self-sufficient short.
A Wooden Ruler by David Millican; 4.5/5 stars. Different and original, this story takes the perspective of a sentient toy gnome and his quest for freedom from the prison that holds his people... or in human terms, the store! I really enjoyed how unique this was and how well Millican manages the dual perspectives of gnomes and humans.
The Tale of Rolan of Camelot by Frank R.Luke; 3.5/5 stars. This one could have come straight out of Arthurian legend and I struggled to engage with it a little bit. The thorny issue of religion is brought back into play as Rolan makes a deal with the devil, and I felt it was a little too much like a basic morality tale of old.
A Fiery Gift by A.J.Bakke; 4/5 stars. A really sweet little tale that builds from a slow beginning. I was far more engaged once Everly finds the fire otters and loved the description of them gamboling through the magma. I didn't think the opening really brought a lot to the tale, but it more than made up for it with the climatic finale.
The Hero of Emoh: A Parents Fairytale by Sarah Ashwood; 4.5/5 stars. Another very different look on the faery tales of old, as we so rarely hear from the parents. Any parent (or onlooking sibling) who has brought up small beings of chaos and destruction will fall in love with this charming little tale.
Sacrifice to the Iara by H.L. Burke; 4.5/5 stars. A rare example of an author really capturing the magic of high fantasy in a short story. This has wonderful writing, some fantastic world building and characters who leap off the page. There is also a far more nuanced look at religion and spirituality hiding within the pages.
Charla visits Earth by Diane Asthle; 1.5/5 stars. I really didn't get on with this one, I have to admit. I found the characters rather bland, their gifts unexplored and my pet peeve of people acting in stupid ways for stupid reasons was on display.
Cry of the Cave Lion by E.Kaiser Writers; 4/5 stars. There's a Clan of the Cave Bear vibe to this piece and I really enjoyed it. I loved the writing style and the poignant message about fear and courage.
Save The Day by Zaplendam; 4/5 stars. Another winner, although a completely different style of writing. This is far more YA fantasy, but with enough tension to keep an adult reader satisfied. I'd have loved to see a little bit more of the fallout to the events, but that's one of the perils with reading shorts... and it's a good sign when my main complaint is that I wanted more.
Boy Of Soul And Sky by Laura Matthias Bendoly; 4/5 stars. Religion makes it's way into these tales once more, as we read about a young boy gifted extraordinary gifts and treated with disdain and derision because of them. I liked how Bendoly captures his fear and anxiety over using his gifts and how magic can be a double edged sword.
Teamwork by Laura Van Arendonk Baugh; 5/5 stars. Simplistically told, but the unusual point of view rocketed this one into my favourites from the collection. There are some very adult themes here, so be cautious, but it's a good reminder that it is not only the humans that can be heroes.
The Ungifted Twin by Tamie Dearen; 3/5 stars. Another one where I really enjoyed the writing style, but struggled to engage with the narrative and the characters. I suspect there is a huge world on display in the author's longer works though and I'm interested in checking them out.
Unlikely Hero by Arthur Daigle; 5/5 stars. Another stand out favourite from the collection as Daigle merges villain and hero in one sublime package. The descriptions were wonderful and the characters jumped off the page.
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