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gelsey's review
4.0
Toby and Steve Save the World by Joy Ward
Toby, a Pembroke Corgi, is his neighborhood’s Defender – when he can get Steve to the right place at the right time, of course. This was a cute little opener to the anthology and I liked Toby and his terminologies, it set the right mood.
Dusk by Frank Creed
Dusk is a genetically modified tuxedo cat – the size of a small mountain lion. He and his person Whisp go on a mission. I’m torn about this story, personally. I loved the characters, especially Dusk and his dedication to his person. The world seems interesting, though I have to say I think the story is far too short to actually explore it properly. I feel like there are too many unanswered questions. However, it’s a good story, and I’m fond of Dusk and his voice.
The Hunter’s Boy by Cassie Schau
Teffa has had her adopted kit, Grith, for years now, though he should be grown and gone. All of the sudden there are humans, magic wielding humans, overly interested in him, and Teffa must protect her kit at all costs. This. This story. I love this story so much. Teffa is strong, awesome, and her story is a joy to read. It never sways from her, from her love for Grith, from what she is. This is one of my very favorite stories in the anthology and I know I’ll reread it several times.
Grit by Seven Donahue
When his wife is poisoned, the prince Kreg must gather the ingredients for the cure with his faithful and gifted dog, Grit. I have to say, the premise of this was much better than the execution. I felt like it was a clunky story, and I never connected emotionally to Kreg or to Grit. I tried. I just didn’t feel much for either of them. It felt very “we did this, and this, and this,” rather than a flowing fairy tale it could have been. I also felt at a loss for Grit’s gift and lack of real explanation for it. So far, the weakest story in the lot.
Hill 142 by Jason Cordova
Captain John Thomason is given a mission with his war lion to clear out a wood of giant German spiders. It is war, and things don’t always go well in war. Jason Cordova, damn you, you nearly made me cry. I loved the world that was built in this short story, and I connected immediately and deeply with the characters. I wanted more of the world, and the ending got me right where it was supposed to, I expect. My absolute favorite thus far, though “The Hunter’s Boy” is about a tie with it.
Dook by Hrika R. Raymer
Amber Perkins desperately wants to retrieve the heirloom broaches her grandmother left her, but her half brother has them. But with the help of her two ferret companions, perhaps she can get them after all. This was a decent story, though I didn’t feel a huge connection between her pets and herself like in most of the other stories. However, I was glad to see ferrets make an appearance in the collection.
Brothers by Essel Pratt
Jakel, an old wolf, visits a forgotten graveyard where his ‘brother’ died so long ago. A bit of a slow story, it was nonetheless a good one, though I thought perhaps some of the world building could have been introduced earlier, or perhaps simply more of it. While not a favorite, a good solid story that I liked.
Ezra’s Girl by Lisa Hawkridge
Elena and her snake-companion Ezra (or is it the other way around?) attempt to smuggle a mage into enemy territory, and things don’t go as planned. I started out really enjoying this story. Well written, compelling, and I liked Ezra as the narrator. However, the ending really killed it for me. I won’t spoil it, but I ended up feeling very let down, especially after all the events leading up to it. I have a feeling that was probably the author’s intent, but I still felt very cheated (though I enjoyed the very sweet moment just before the end).
Look What the Cat Dragged In by S.H. Roddey
Miko, a cat who chooses to talk to his person, finds a human foot in the backyard that brings worlds of trouble down on his person, Delilah. Now he must extricate her from the trouble he brought. This was a delightful piece. I especially liked the bits when Miko narrated. A very fun romp, all in all, and I’d like to see more of Miko and Delilah.
The Wolf Sentinel by Steven S. Long
Greylord, an exiled former pack leader, is Called to help a human magic user, Vorgath, and in him finds, at least briefly, a pack of his own again. This is another favorite in this anthology, as it stuck with me long after reading it. The narration of Greylord and the emotion of it really stuck with me. I felt the ending could have been better executed, but it felt… appropriate, unlike a few of the other stories. Definitely another I’ll come back to read.
Memorandum by Laura Anne Ewald
Drs. Mroweo Hsstu and Reni Lira are stuck on Earth, where they were supposed to make first contact with a culture they expected to be more advanced than it is. Therein lies their story of survival. I liked this one. Original and fun, in a couple of different parts, I thought it was a good tale.
The Hat by Cindy Koepp
Cloud is a feathered agent of the king, and there is a mission where she and her bird fellows must save the kingdom once again. Excellent and natural world building and a good narrator, I enjoyed the adventure that Cloud took us on. A good story.
Scarheid in the Glisting by Ian Hunter
One of the last Scottish cats is a hair’s breadth from being burned to death along with her kits when rescue comes from a Seer. Can Scarheid heal and find her revenge with a hated human? Another fun jaunt, though I thought the Glisting was all too convenient. However, for the short story, it works. Good, but not a favorite.
The Masterless by Steven Grassie
Kojima, a disgraced ronin, and his akita Shiro, are captured while hunting, and then have an opportunity to salvage their honor. This story I loved for the very natural world building, which made me want to know more about the world and the culture, yet it fulfilled every aspect of the story. It feels like it leads naturally into another tale – one that I would enjoy reading as well. Another favorite.
Wind of Change by David Wright
A hawk is charmed by a dove to help Jabbok, a prince of the Eagle and Wolf tribes. Though this makes for a good legend/fairy tale type of story, it felt like a good deal of convenient culture appropriation that didn’t always feel like it made good sense in the world Wright crafted. Perhaps I should read it several times more, but while I enjoyed it well enough, it didn’t engage me enough for a reread, at least yet.
The Emerald Mage by Renee Carter Hall
The snowcat, Jiro, had long been the Emerald Mage Korrinth’s companion – too long, it seems, as Korrinth has grown old and forgetful and frail, and Jiro has taken to ‘covering’ for his friend. But there is a council meeting to attend… Jiro makes for a compelling narrator, and it’s a good story, though I think drug out in places and rushed in others, with a couple of plot holes I’d have liked to be explored or poked at, at least, but without spoilers I won’t go much into it. Not a bad story at all, though.
The Violet Curse by Nick Bryan
Ally is Theo’s dog, but when Theo’s family is killed and he returns to their bodies, he and Ally must seek vengeance. However, there is a curse, and it keeps getting in the way… I’m a bit torn on how to feel about this story. It didn’t feel quite connected together at times, though that might have been the unreliable narrator of Ally. The ending left me wondering, and I’d rather have had something more certain, but it worked. Good story, but not a favorite.
The Restless Armadillo by Lillian Csernica and Kevin Andrew Murphy
Netlle, Ivy, and Wasp resurrect an armadillo for revenge against the drivers who senselessly run over poor, defenseless animals. It doesn’t go as planned. This was a strange, strange story. Humorous, but very strange… I’m not sure I have more words for it than that…
Stuck on the Squigglybounce by Douglas J. Ogurek
I honestly don’t know if I can even summarise this story. If the last story was strange, this was beyond weird and I’m honestly not sure I can say I followed it. Very abstract and weird, I have to say I got nothing of value really out of it.
Passage by Sheila Deeth
Sinead is guided by a shapeshifting magical companion who sees magic in her eyes. She must keep her budding witch safe until she’s grown. This was an interesting story, a little odd in places, but not bad. I liked that it was obviously but not obviously a tale of leaving Ireland during the famine and traveling to the US.
On the whole, I think it was a strong anthology, but I had some very notable favorites. “Hill 142” and “The Hunter’s Boy” were the highest two on the list, followed by “The Wolf Sentinel” and “The Masterless.” Definitely some stories I’ll be returning to, though! And the cover was utterly gorgeous, and a definite draw as well. I ordered this on Kindle, but I’m tempted to pick it up in hard copy. My one complaint on the Kindle copy was that though it was divided into chapters, there were no “go to” chapter links for each story, which will make it frustrating if you want to hop around the book to different stories.
Toby, a Pembroke Corgi, is his neighborhood’s Defender – when he can get Steve to the right place at the right time, of course. This was a cute little opener to the anthology and I liked Toby and his terminologies, it set the right mood.
Dusk by Frank Creed
Dusk is a genetically modified tuxedo cat – the size of a small mountain lion. He and his person Whisp go on a mission. I’m torn about this story, personally. I loved the characters, especially Dusk and his dedication to his person. The world seems interesting, though I have to say I think the story is far too short to actually explore it properly. I feel like there are too many unanswered questions. However, it’s a good story, and I’m fond of Dusk and his voice.
The Hunter’s Boy by Cassie Schau
Teffa has had her adopted kit, Grith, for years now, though he should be grown and gone. All of the sudden there are humans, magic wielding humans, overly interested in him, and Teffa must protect her kit at all costs. This. This story. I love this story so much. Teffa is strong, awesome, and her story is a joy to read. It never sways from her, from her love for Grith, from what she is. This is one of my very favorite stories in the anthology and I know I’ll reread it several times.
Grit by Seven Donahue
When his wife is poisoned, the prince Kreg must gather the ingredients for the cure with his faithful and gifted dog, Grit. I have to say, the premise of this was much better than the execution. I felt like it was a clunky story, and I never connected emotionally to Kreg or to Grit. I tried. I just didn’t feel much for either of them. It felt very “we did this, and this, and this,” rather than a flowing fairy tale it could have been. I also felt at a loss for Grit’s gift and lack of real explanation for it. So far, the weakest story in the lot.
Hill 142 by Jason Cordova
Captain John Thomason is given a mission with his war lion to clear out a wood of giant German spiders. It is war, and things don’t always go well in war. Jason Cordova, damn you, you nearly made me cry. I loved the world that was built in this short story, and I connected immediately and deeply with the characters. I wanted more of the world, and the ending got me right where it was supposed to, I expect. My absolute favorite thus far, though “The Hunter’s Boy” is about a tie with it.
Dook by Hrika R. Raymer
Amber Perkins desperately wants to retrieve the heirloom broaches her grandmother left her, but her half brother has them. But with the help of her two ferret companions, perhaps she can get them after all. This was a decent story, though I didn’t feel a huge connection between her pets and herself like in most of the other stories. However, I was glad to see ferrets make an appearance in the collection.
Brothers by Essel Pratt
Jakel, an old wolf, visits a forgotten graveyard where his ‘brother’ died so long ago. A bit of a slow story, it was nonetheless a good one, though I thought perhaps some of the world building could have been introduced earlier, or perhaps simply more of it. While not a favorite, a good solid story that I liked.
Ezra’s Girl by Lisa Hawkridge
Elena and her snake-companion Ezra (or is it the other way around?) attempt to smuggle a mage into enemy territory, and things don’t go as planned. I started out really enjoying this story. Well written, compelling, and I liked Ezra as the narrator. However, the ending really killed it for me. I won’t spoil it, but I ended up feeling very let down, especially after all the events leading up to it. I have a feeling that was probably the author’s intent, but I still felt very cheated (though I enjoyed the very sweet moment just before the end).
Look What the Cat Dragged In by S.H. Roddey
Miko, a cat who chooses to talk to his person, finds a human foot in the backyard that brings worlds of trouble down on his person, Delilah. Now he must extricate her from the trouble he brought. This was a delightful piece. I especially liked the bits when Miko narrated. A very fun romp, all in all, and I’d like to see more of Miko and Delilah.
The Wolf Sentinel by Steven S. Long
Greylord, an exiled former pack leader, is Called to help a human magic user, Vorgath, and in him finds, at least briefly, a pack of his own again. This is another favorite in this anthology, as it stuck with me long after reading it. The narration of Greylord and the emotion of it really stuck with me. I felt the ending could have been better executed, but it felt… appropriate, unlike a few of the other stories. Definitely another I’ll come back to read.
Memorandum by Laura Anne Ewald
Drs. Mroweo Hsstu and Reni Lira are stuck on Earth, where they were supposed to make first contact with a culture they expected to be more advanced than it is. Therein lies their story of survival. I liked this one. Original and fun, in a couple of different parts, I thought it was a good tale.
The Hat by Cindy Koepp
Cloud is a feathered agent of the king, and there is a mission where she and her bird fellows must save the kingdom once again. Excellent and natural world building and a good narrator, I enjoyed the adventure that Cloud took us on. A good story.
Scarheid in the Glisting by Ian Hunter
One of the last Scottish cats is a hair’s breadth from being burned to death along with her kits when rescue comes from a Seer. Can Scarheid heal and find her revenge with a hated human? Another fun jaunt, though I thought the Glisting was all too convenient. However, for the short story, it works. Good, but not a favorite.
The Masterless by Steven Grassie
Kojima, a disgraced ronin, and his akita Shiro, are captured while hunting, and then have an opportunity to salvage their honor. This story I loved for the very natural world building, which made me want to know more about the world and the culture, yet it fulfilled every aspect of the story. It feels like it leads naturally into another tale – one that I would enjoy reading as well. Another favorite.
Wind of Change by David Wright
A hawk is charmed by a dove to help Jabbok, a prince of the Eagle and Wolf tribes. Though this makes for a good legend/fairy tale type of story, it felt like a good deal of convenient culture appropriation that didn’t always feel like it made good sense in the world Wright crafted. Perhaps I should read it several times more, but while I enjoyed it well enough, it didn’t engage me enough for a reread, at least yet.
The Emerald Mage by Renee Carter Hall
The snowcat, Jiro, had long been the Emerald Mage Korrinth’s companion – too long, it seems, as Korrinth has grown old and forgetful and frail, and Jiro has taken to ‘covering’ for his friend. But there is a council meeting to attend… Jiro makes for a compelling narrator, and it’s a good story, though I think drug out in places and rushed in others, with a couple of plot holes I’d have liked to be explored or poked at, at least, but without spoilers I won’t go much into it. Not a bad story at all, though.
The Violet Curse by Nick Bryan
Ally is Theo’s dog, but when Theo’s family is killed and he returns to their bodies, he and Ally must seek vengeance. However, there is a curse, and it keeps getting in the way… I’m a bit torn on how to feel about this story. It didn’t feel quite connected together at times, though that might have been the unreliable narrator of Ally. The ending left me wondering, and I’d rather have had something more certain, but it worked. Good story, but not a favorite.
The Restless Armadillo by Lillian Csernica and Kevin Andrew Murphy
Netlle, Ivy, and Wasp resurrect an armadillo for revenge against the drivers who senselessly run over poor, defenseless animals. It doesn’t go as planned. This was a strange, strange story. Humorous, but very strange… I’m not sure I have more words for it than that…
Stuck on the Squigglybounce by Douglas J. Ogurek
I honestly don’t know if I can even summarise this story. If the last story was strange, this was beyond weird and I’m honestly not sure I can say I followed it. Very abstract and weird, I have to say I got nothing of value really out of it.
Passage by Sheila Deeth
Sinead is guided by a shapeshifting magical companion who sees magic in her eyes. She must keep her budding witch safe until she’s grown. This was an interesting story, a little odd in places, but not bad. I liked that it was obviously but not obviously a tale of leaving Ireland during the famine and traveling to the US.
On the whole, I think it was a strong anthology, but I had some very notable favorites. “Hill 142” and “The Hunter’s Boy” were the highest two on the list, followed by “The Wolf Sentinel” and “The Masterless.” Definitely some stories I’ll be returning to, though! And the cover was utterly gorgeous, and a definite draw as well. I ordered this on Kindle, but I’m tempted to pick it up in hard copy. My one complaint on the Kindle copy was that though it was divided into chapters, there were no “go to” chapter links for each story, which will make it frustrating if you want to hop around the book to different stories.
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