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bickie's review against another edition
4.0
A Universe of Wishes (Tara Sim) - An impoverished orphan digs up bodies and finally breaks into a mortuary to collect unused magic from corpses. We learn his backstory, and he makes a friend. Gruesome and hopeful. Male/male kissing. 7th+ Fantasy
The Silk Blade (Natalie C. Parker) - Imagine a society without gendered expectations. A royal "bloom" is ready to choose his balancing consort who, at least in this case, is required to battle other hopefuls through various trials. We follow a woman from a humble background to the finals where she competes with two others (another woman and a man), who appear to be from more connected and well-off places. A chance encounter on her way to the finals makes her question her commitment to winning the competition. Some short battle scenes. Some effort required to figure out what is going on - a lot more showing than telling. 7th+ Fantasy
The Scarlet Woman: A Gemma Doyle Story (Libba Bray) - This is not a short story; it reads like the first chapter of an engaging book. Set in 1897 New York, this piece introduces what appears to be another installment in Gemma Doyle's career as a member of the Order, a group of women who are able to journey into the afterlife. Men in the Rakshana brotherhood have been found murdered, with their hearts replaced with a feather and a paper with symbols and the words "Think upon your sins." Gemma is a strong feminist and resists a lot of man-splaining in one encounter. This book sounds good, but I wish this teaser chapter had not been included in a book of short stories. There is no complete arc. Could be the basis of an interesting lesson in what makes a complete story. 7th+ Fantasy
Cristal Y Ceniza (Anna-Marie McLemore) - Told in the 1st person. The unnamed narrator, a girl with two mothers, embarks on a Cinderella-esque journey to a neighboring kingdom to apply for asylum from la corrección, an oppressive law being enforced through their kingdom requiring families to be led by 1 male and 1 female. Families led by 2 males or 2 females will be broken apart and re-formed. The narrator's tía thinks the neighboring kingdom's ball celebrating the prince's coming of age (and coming out as a trans male) is the perfect opportunity. The narrator ends up being presented with a choice of a different way to save her family than what she had planned; what should she do? 5th+ Fantasy
Liberia (Kwame Mbalia) - Kweku Aboah is part of a crew of young adults aboard the spaceship Liberia, bound for Colony 031, New Africa. He is the resident gardener, having collected seeds and plants representing his heritage and connection with his ancestors and family, many of whom he had to leave behind on his way to New Africa. Explores what is important (heritage, connection) and what is sometimes not valued by "scientific" types focused on the future. Brilliant! (A few "a*s" and one "Jes** Chr***!" otherwise fine for late-year 5th and up. Sci-Fi
A Royal Affair (V.E.Schwab) - "Set in the world of Shades of Magic," A Royal Affair provides the backstory of an affair between Prince Rhy Maresh and nobleman Alucard Emery "long before the events of the series unfolded." Rhy and Alucard enjoy a passionate affair but neither of their older brothers approve. Both are violent, as is Alucard's father. When Alucard's brother sees traces of Rhy's golden magic on his face when he comes home late one night, his reaction sets off the events of the story. (Violence, no graphic sex) 8th+ Fantasy
The Takeback Tango (Rebecca Roanhorse) - Vi is a rogue spaceship operator in the vast space empire of the Imperium, which "razed [her] planet for its natural resources and enslaved the people to work in the mines and pipelines...those who had rebelled had simply been killed." The Imperium also "raided the sacred places of my people, taking the carvings and masks that had been our connection to our gods and our place in the galaxy and put them in their museums as a display of their dominance. There was never a thought of what those sacred items meant to us, the handful of survivors of their genocide. How their loss cut us off from both our past and our future." Vi, who makes her living as a "cat burglar" finds her next heist in the form of "stealing" and repatriating some of these sacred items. 5th+ Sci-Fi
Dream and Dare (Nic Stone) - Dream loves wearing beautiful frou-frou gowns and also loves exploring in the forest, bucking the expectations of her society. She's not interested in the male suitors her parents keep trying to marry her off to. Dream keeps thinking of the royal princess, Dare, who not only does her own thing but also wears trousers and flaunts her gender non-conformity. The story takes place 2.5 years after Dare disappeared into the woods, which, since that time (coincidentally) have been occupied by a dangerous monster. Nearly all the boys who enter the forest, hoping to rescue Dare both from the "foul beast" and her "'abnormal proclivities'" for which she has been ridiculed and abused most of her life since puberty, emerge shaken and scared if they emerge at all. 5th+ Fantasy
Wish (Jenni Balch) - A Grantor, Lane, is summoned from his LAMP to his most challenging Wisher yet: Ariadne, who lives in airspace above the planet Venus. 5th+ Sci-Fi
The Weight (Dhonielle Clayton) - Marcus and Grace, life-long best friends who are now high school lovers, visit the Heart Scale Center to find out whether they are each other's OTP. No sex or profanity but best for high schoolers based on subject-matter. Sci-Fi
Unmoor (Mark Oshiro) - Felix, disappointed in Arturo's wandering eye, seeks to have his memories be "unmoored" from places they were together. Will he go too far? ("g*dd*mn," "d*mn," "fat-a*s tip," "sh*t," "a*s," "what the h*ll") 8th+ Sci-Fi
The Coldest Spot in the Universe (Samira Ahmed) - Dual POV of two teen girls - 1 is Razia Sultana who lives near Chicago in 2031 at the end of the apocalypse caused by the climate crisis; the other is also named Razia, who comes via spaceship as an archaeologist and historian to the site hundreds of years into the future. 5th+ Sci-Fi
The Beginning of Monsters (Tessa Gratton) - Set in a crater city created by a falling god who now lives in the middle of it, with 5 small kings of various genders, who run parts of the city from their fortresses. Lady Insarra wants a new body that is mostly the same as her current one but which presents as male. Elir is the designer architect hired to create the new body. The society recognizes 4 forces (kind of like magic), 4 directions (east, west, north, south), and 4 genders. In addition to the small kingdoms, there are cults, the largest of which, the Cult of Hope, believes in infinite imagination, wondering why it's necessary to stop at 4 genders, for example. Where does the the line between engineered humans and monsters begin? A bit of effort is involved to figure out what is going on and to imagine the threads of forces used to create designs, security, etc. 7th+ Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Longer than the Threads of Time (Zoraida Códova) - Set in NYC, dual POV of Fabían, a brujo without strong magic but with the Sight, and Danaë, a Dominican bruja who looks 16-17 but is in fact more like 80 because she's been imprisoned in a magical tower above Belvedere Castle. Fabían, despite warnings against going near the tower, gives in to curiosity and empathy and visits Danaë. One descriptive scene of a first kiss. 5th+ Fantasy
Habibi (Tochi Onyebuchi) - Quincy, a teen from the LA area in solitary confinement, is surprised to see a letter written by Omar, a teen from Palestine in solitary confinement across the globe, floating in the toilet one day. They write letters back and forth describing their experiences of oppression and resistance. Quincy's letters include words such as ni**a, a*s, and sh*t. There are also descriptions of suicide, violence by occupying military, gang violence, and hunger strike/forced feeding. 8th+ Fantasy
The Silk Blade (Natalie C. Parker) - Imagine a society without gendered expectations. A royal "bloom" is ready to choose his balancing consort who, at least in this case, is required to battle other hopefuls through various trials. We follow a woman from a humble background to the finals where she competes with two others (another woman and a man), who appear to be from more connected and well-off places. A chance encounter on her way to the finals makes her question her commitment to winning the competition. Some short battle scenes. Some effort required to figure out what is going on - a lot more showing than telling. 7th+ Fantasy
The Scarlet Woman: A Gemma Doyle Story (Libba Bray) - This is not a short story; it reads like the first chapter of an engaging book. Set in 1897 New York, this piece introduces what appears to be another installment in Gemma Doyle's career as a member of the Order, a group of women who are able to journey into the afterlife. Men in the Rakshana brotherhood have been found murdered, with their hearts replaced with a feather and a paper with symbols and the words "Think upon your sins." Gemma is a strong feminist and resists a lot of man-splaining in one encounter. This book sounds good, but I wish this teaser chapter had not been included in a book of short stories. There is no complete arc. Could be the basis of an interesting lesson in what makes a complete story. 7th+ Fantasy
Cristal Y Ceniza (Anna-Marie McLemore) - Told in the 1st person. The unnamed narrator, a girl with two mothers, embarks on a Cinderella-esque journey to a neighboring kingdom to apply for asylum from la corrección, an oppressive law being enforced through their kingdom requiring families to be led by 1 male and 1 female. Families led by 2 males or 2 females will be broken apart and re-formed. The narrator's tía thinks the neighboring kingdom's ball celebrating the prince's coming of age (and coming out as a trans male) is the perfect opportunity. The narrator ends up being presented with a choice of a different way to save her family than what she had planned; what should she do? 5th+ Fantasy
Liberia (Kwame Mbalia) - Kweku Aboah is part of a crew of young adults aboard the spaceship Liberia, bound for Colony 031, New Africa. He is the resident gardener, having collected seeds and plants representing his heritage and connection with his ancestors and family, many of whom he had to leave behind on his way to New Africa. Explores what is important (heritage, connection) and what is sometimes not valued by "scientific" types focused on the future. Brilliant! (A few "a*s" and one "Jes** Chr***!" otherwise fine for late-year 5th and up. Sci-Fi
A Royal Affair (V.E.Schwab) - "Set in the world of Shades of Magic," A Royal Affair provides the backstory of an affair between Prince Rhy Maresh and nobleman Alucard Emery "long before the events of the series unfolded." Rhy and Alucard enjoy a passionate affair but neither of their older brothers approve. Both are violent, as is Alucard's father. When Alucard's brother sees traces of Rhy's golden magic on his face when he comes home late one night, his reaction sets off the events of the story. (Violence, no graphic sex) 8th+ Fantasy
The Takeback Tango (Rebecca Roanhorse) - Vi is a rogue spaceship operator in the vast space empire of the Imperium, which "razed [her] planet for its natural resources and enslaved the people to work in the mines and pipelines...those who had rebelled had simply been killed." The Imperium also "raided the sacred places of my people, taking the carvings and masks that had been our connection to our gods and our place in the galaxy and put them in their museums as a display of their dominance. There was never a thought of what those sacred items meant to us, the handful of survivors of their genocide. How their loss cut us off from both our past and our future." Vi, who makes her living as a "cat burglar" finds her next heist in the form of "stealing" and repatriating some of these sacred items. 5th+ Sci-Fi
Dream and Dare (Nic Stone) - Dream loves wearing beautiful frou-frou gowns and also loves exploring in the forest, bucking the expectations of her society. She's not interested in the male suitors her parents keep trying to marry her off to. Dream keeps thinking of the royal princess, Dare, who not only does her own thing but also wears trousers and flaunts her gender non-conformity. The story takes place 2.5 years after Dare disappeared into the woods, which, since that time (coincidentally) have been occupied by a dangerous monster. Nearly all the boys who enter the forest, hoping to rescue Dare both from the "foul beast" and her "'abnormal proclivities'" for which she has been ridiculed and abused most of her life since puberty, emerge shaken and scared if they emerge at all. 5th+ Fantasy
Wish (Jenni Balch) - A Grantor, Lane, is summoned from his LAMP to his most challenging Wisher yet: Ariadne, who lives in airspace above the planet Venus. 5th+ Sci-Fi
The Weight (Dhonielle Clayton) - Marcus and Grace, life-long best friends who are now high school lovers, visit the Heart Scale Center to find out whether they are each other's OTP. No sex or profanity but best for high schoolers based on subject-matter. Sci-Fi
Unmoor (Mark Oshiro) - Felix, disappointed in Arturo's wandering eye, seeks to have his memories be "unmoored" from places they were together. Will he go too far? ("g*dd*mn," "d*mn," "fat-a*s tip," "sh*t," "a*s," "what the h*ll") 8th+ Sci-Fi
The Coldest Spot in the Universe (Samira Ahmed) - Dual POV of two teen girls - 1 is Razia Sultana who lives near Chicago in 2031 at the end of the apocalypse caused by the climate crisis; the other is also named Razia, who comes via spaceship as an archaeologist and historian to the site hundreds of years into the future. 5th+ Sci-Fi
The Beginning of Monsters (Tessa Gratton) - Set in a crater city created by a falling god who now lives in the middle of it, with 5 small kings of various genders, who run parts of the city from their fortresses. Lady Insarra wants a new body that is mostly the same as her current one but which presents as male. Elir is the designer architect hired to create the new body. The society recognizes 4 forces (kind of like magic), 4 directions (east, west, north, south), and 4 genders. In addition to the small kingdoms, there are cults, the largest of which, the Cult of Hope, believes in infinite imagination, wondering why it's necessary to stop at 4 genders, for example. Where does the the line between engineered humans and monsters begin? A bit of effort is involved to figure out what is going on and to imagine the threads of forces used to create designs, security, etc. 7th+ Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Longer than the Threads of Time (Zoraida Códova) - Set in NYC, dual POV of Fabían, a brujo without strong magic but with the Sight, and Danaë, a Dominican bruja who looks 16-17 but is in fact more like 80 because she's been imprisoned in a magical tower above Belvedere Castle. Fabían, despite warnings against going near the tower, gives in to curiosity and empathy and visits Danaë. One descriptive scene of a first kiss. 5th+ Fantasy
Habibi (Tochi Onyebuchi) - Quincy, a teen from the LA area in solitary confinement, is surprised to see a letter written by Omar, a teen from Palestine in solitary confinement across the globe, floating in the toilet one day. They write letters back and forth describing their experiences of oppression and resistance. Quincy's letters include words such as ni**a, a*s, and sh*t. There are also descriptions of suicide, violence by occupying military, gang violence, and hunger strike/forced feeding. 8th+ Fantasy
crochetchrisie's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely all the stories are worth a read.
Some felt more incomplete than others - The Scarlet Woman, A Royal Affair - maybe because they are a part of larger book series.
Some felt (mostly) complete even though they sort of ended abruptly - The Silk Blade, Longer Than the Threads of Time, The Weight, The Takeback Tango (def would read more in that world)
The rest felt like full stories from start to finish.
The big surprise for me was Habibi. It had the most emotional resonance for me. Riot Baby and others by this author have jumped up my to-read list.
Some felt more incomplete than others - The Scarlet Woman, A Royal Affair - maybe because they are a part of larger book series.
Some felt (mostly) complete even though they sort of ended abruptly - The Silk Blade, Longer Than the Threads of Time, The Weight, The Takeback Tango (def would read more in that world)
The rest felt like full stories from start to finish.
The big surprise for me was Habibi. It had the most emotional resonance for me. Riot Baby and others by this author have jumped up my to-read list.
t34addict's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, 3.5 stars
Anthology tend to be a mixed bag. This one had some very good stories, some good stories and some meh stories.
The common thread of this antholoy is that they are diverse fantasy stories, so this ranges from high fantasy to scifi.
Some of my favourites in the book include :
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro
A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim: 3/5
This was just okay. The story centres on a grave robber harvesting magic and the cute mortician's son.
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker: 5/5
This was a fast paced story, centering on three rounds of a fight. The way the fighting was described was so fluid and dynamic and the small romance plot made this such a fun read.
The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray: 3.5/5
I have read the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I found it overall to be a "just okay" read. However, I enjoyed this short story more than the other Gemma Doyle works and I wished we had more. The banter between Felicity, Ann and Gemma was fun to read.
Crystal y Cenzia by Anna-Marie McLemore: 4/5
A Latinx story with elements of cinderella. It was so refreshing to read about. I loved the world building and would have liked to read more set in the world.
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia: 5/5
I don't quite know how to describe this one other than it took me by surprise. This story was fast paced and definitely hit me in the feels. I'd surmise it as botany on a space ship but it's so much more than that with strong ties to history and family and survival.
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab: 5/5
I'm going to be incredibly biased here as the Shades of Magic series is one of my all time favourites. It was great to read more about a small scene we heard about in the main trilogy.
The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse: 2.5/5
To me, this was the weakest tale in the anthology. I felt like it needed more development though the main story we got was a cute heist.
Dream and Dare by Nic Stone: 3.5/5
A cute story about two girls challenging the societal norms that they're used to. Overall, a pretty fun read though I would have liked more.
Wish by Jenni Balch: 2/5
A wish granter is surprised to find himself on Venus and helps to grant a very unusual wish. This was a "just okay" read.
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton: 5/5
This focuses on a procedure that couples can get to show the names of people they love/have loved on their heart. The writing of this was great - gory juxtapositions of the heart removal surgery versus the glamorised idolisation of the surgery. The prose was one of my favourites in the anthology.
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro:5/5
After a breakup, the main character recruits a mage to remove memories. The magic in this was thouraghly written and I loved the tension and pace that this story had.
The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed: 2.5/5
Told in parallel letters/diary entries, a dying world and an excavating team exploring the dying world. It was nice to see the narratives weaving across the two points of view, but I found it lacking somewhat.
The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton: 2.5/5
I found this one quite difficult to read from a prose perspective and I couldn't gel with the characters, which is why it has a low rating. The plot of it had promise though.
Longer Than The Threads Of Time by Zoraida Córdova: 3/5
A short story set in the same world as Labyrinth Lost/Brooklyn Brujas. This was a self contained short story and a good half retelling of Rapunzel. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi:3.5/5
This is epistolary, so it took a few pages for me to gel with the voices, but once I did, it's a complex mesh of two teens being stuck in prison, bonding with each other. It's a really sweet story.
Anthology tend to be a mixed bag. This one had some very good stories, some good stories and some meh stories.
The common thread of this antholoy is that they are diverse fantasy stories, so this ranges from high fantasy to scifi.
Some of my favourites in the book include :
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro
A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim: 3/5
This was just okay. The story centres on a grave robber harvesting magic and the cute mortician's son.
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker: 5/5
This was a fast paced story, centering on three rounds of a fight. The way the fighting was described was so fluid and dynamic and the small romance plot made this such a fun read.
The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray: 3.5/5
I have read the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I found it overall to be a "just okay" read. However, I enjoyed this short story more than the other Gemma Doyle works and I wished we had more. The banter between Felicity, Ann and Gemma was fun to read.
Crystal y Cenzia by Anna-Marie McLemore: 4/5
A Latinx story with elements of cinderella. It was so refreshing to read about. I loved the world building and would have liked to read more set in the world.
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia: 5/5
I don't quite know how to describe this one other than it took me by surprise. This story was fast paced and definitely hit me in the feels. I'd surmise it as botany on a space ship but it's so much more than that with strong ties to history and family and survival.
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab: 5/5
I'm going to be incredibly biased here as the Shades of Magic series is one of my all time favourites. It was great to read more about a small scene we heard about in the main trilogy.
The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse: 2.5/5
To me, this was the weakest tale in the anthology. I felt like it needed more development though the main story we got was a cute heist.
Dream and Dare by Nic Stone: 3.5/5
A cute story about two girls challenging the societal norms that they're used to. Overall, a pretty fun read though I would have liked more.
Wish by Jenni Balch: 2/5
A wish granter is surprised to find himself on Venus and helps to grant a very unusual wish. This was a "just okay" read.
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton: 5/5
This focuses on a procedure that couples can get to show the names of people they love/have loved on their heart. The writing of this was great - gory juxtapositions of the heart removal surgery versus the glamorised idolisation of the surgery. The prose was one of my favourites in the anthology.
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro:5/5
After a breakup, the main character recruits a mage to remove memories. The magic in this was thouraghly written and I loved the tension and pace that this story had.
The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed: 2.5/5
Told in parallel letters/diary entries, a dying world and an excavating team exploring the dying world. It was nice to see the narratives weaving across the two points of view, but I found it lacking somewhat.
The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton: 2.5/5
I found this one quite difficult to read from a prose perspective and I couldn't gel with the characters, which is why it has a low rating. The plot of it had promise though.
Longer Than The Threads Of Time by Zoraida Córdova: 3/5
A short story set in the same world as Labyrinth Lost/Brooklyn Brujas. This was a self contained short story and a good half retelling of Rapunzel. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi:3.5/5
This is epistolary, so it took a few pages for me to gel with the voices, but once I did, it's a complex mesh of two teens being stuck in prison, bonding with each other. It's a really sweet story.
ginggrr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Spectacular anthology by diverse authors; racial/ethnic/gender/sexual preference representation is outstanding. From romance to sci-fi to pure fantasy, this speculative fiction anthology has a bit of everything. Standout stories for me include “A Universe of Wishes”, “Cristal y Ceniza”, “The Coldest Spot in the Universe”, and “Habibi.” Most will leave you searching for more to read by the author. Highly recommended!
jordanez's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kristareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Not sure why I waited so long to dive into this beauty.. but I'm disappointed in myself. It is filled with about 15 short stories that you will either like or love. For me, I think I was confused about one story because I never read the series before and then there's two other books that were okay but I wasn't completely invested.
So out of all the books, a lot were easy to devour and gave me some interesting characters to fall in love with. I think some of my favorites were the retellings. Or maybe the ones that I got retelling vibes (i.e., Cinderella, Rapunzel, Mulan, etc.). I think it's because of my love for all things Disney, which includes all the movies that I grew up with.
Other than all of that, I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation throughout these stories. I feel like I don't dive into enough books like that and I think all the characters were written really well. Another interesting thing was some of the novellas are making me want to dive into certain series next year - like Shades of Magic, and I'm beyond excited!
In the end, definitely loved this book and I will try to get more Anthologies in the new year!
Not sure why I waited so long to dive into this beauty.. but I'm disappointed in myself. It is filled with about 15 short stories that you will either like or love. For me, I think I was confused about one story because I never read the series before and then there's two other books that were okay but I wasn't completely invested.
So out of all the books, a lot were easy to devour and gave me some interesting characters to fall in love with. I think some of my favorites were the retellings. Or maybe the ones that I got retelling vibes (i.e., Cinderella, Rapunzel, Mulan, etc.). I think it's because of my love for all things Disney, which includes all the movies that I grew up with.
Other than all of that, I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation throughout these stories. I feel like I don't dive into enough books like that and I think all the characters were written really well. Another interesting thing was some of the novellas are making me want to dive into certain series next year - like Shades of Magic, and I'm beyond excited!
In the end, definitely loved this book and I will try to get more Anthologies in the new year!
milkteaful's review against another edition
3.0
My first anthology, and I'm happy it was this one!
A Universe of Wishes: 5/5
The Silk Blade: 4/5
The Scarlet Woman: 2/5
Cristal y Ceniza: 3/5
Liberia: 3/5
A Royal Affair: 5/5
The Takeback Tango: 3.5/5
Dream and Dare: 3/5
Wish: 4/5
The Weight: 3.5/5
Unmoor: 5/5
The Coldest Spot in the Universe: 4.5/5
The Beginning of Monsters: 2/5
Longer Than the Threads of Time: 4/5
Habibi: 5/5
A Universe of Wishes: 5/5
The Silk Blade: 4/5
The Scarlet Woman: 2/5
Cristal y Ceniza: 3/5
Liberia: 3/5
A Royal Affair: 5/5
The Takeback Tango: 3.5/5
Dream and Dare: 3/5
Wish: 4/5
The Weight: 3.5/5
Unmoor: 5/5
The Coldest Spot in the Universe: 4.5/5
The Beginning of Monsters: 2/5
Longer Than the Threads of Time: 4/5
Habibi: 5/5
s_nebulosa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I discovered short stories aren’t really my thing. Some stories were really good, others were less my taste but I never really got into a story because they would end before I had a chance. I prefer longer stories that I can get dragged into.