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activehearts's review
3.0
A rather underwhelming anthology.
Great: Nisi Shawl's "Otherwise", Alex Dally MacFarlane's "Feed Me the Bones of Our Saints" (my favorite by far, had to keep from crying in the middle of the bus), and Benjanun Sriduangkaew's "Chang’e Dashes from the Moon."
I was very disappointed by Malinda Lo's story in this. Some of the other stories (like "Astrophilia") were okay, but fell short, and yet some others were terrible and/or creepy.
Great: Nisi Shawl's "Otherwise", Alex Dally MacFarlane's "Feed Me the Bones of Our Saints" (my favorite by far, had to keep from crying in the middle of the bus), and Benjanun Sriduangkaew's "Chang’e Dashes from the Moon."
I was very disappointed by Malinda Lo's story in this. Some of the other stories (like "Astrophilia") were okay, but fell short, and yet some others were terrible and/or creepy.
kathrynhoss's review
This anthology is hit-or-miss. I felt like many of the stories enforced a message of giving-up and hopelessness. Three of them were about struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic landscape while pining after a straight girl.
I just feel like... as queer writers we need to reach higher. We need to extend the limits of the stories we tell about ourselves, try harder to avoid the myth that we lead doomed lives. Straight people are already telling that story about us. Why get bogged down in angst when we can create a better future, or past, or alternate universe? And I don't know about y'all, but I read speculative fiction to escape, to find a tiny flame of hope that I can bring back into my own world. I read speculative fiction for FUN.
What I did like, and why I think this collection is ultimately worth reading:
One True Love by Malinda Lo. Simple, vaguely-medieval heroic-romance story.
Elm by Jamie Killen. There are already SO many girl-meets-supernatural-girl stories out there, but this one was fucked up and interesting.
Harrowing Emily by Megan Arkenberg. Depressing as hell, but the images stuck with me. It's ultimately about letting go, or maybe hanging on... not about giving up.
The Witch Sea by Sarah Diemer. This story is the reason I originally got into the Diemers' work. It's fantastical, it has romance, and it has a plot. I know that's setting the bar low, but that's all I want from a story billed "lesbian speculative fiction."
Nightfall in the Scent Garden by Claire Humphrey. This one is about pining after a straight girl probably, but it has a C.S. Lewis sense of wonder/danger to it?
Chang'e Dashes from the Moon by Benjanun Sriduangkaew. Beautiful queer retelling of a Chinese myth. I loved it and definitely need to check out more of this author's work!
So Heiresses of Russ 2013 gets a solid 3 stars from me-- I wouldn't NOT read it. But quality varies.
I just feel like... as queer writers we need to reach higher. We need to extend the limits of the stories we tell about ourselves, try harder to avoid the myth that we lead doomed lives. Straight people are already telling that story about us. Why get bogged down in angst when we can create a better future, or past, or alternate universe? And I don't know about y'all, but I read speculative fiction to escape, to find a tiny flame of hope that I can bring back into my own world. I read speculative fiction for FUN.
What I did like, and why I think this collection is ultimately worth reading:
One True Love by Malinda Lo. Simple, vaguely-medieval heroic-romance story.
Elm by Jamie Killen. There are already SO many girl-meets-supernatural-girl stories out there, but this one was fucked up and interesting.
Harrowing Emily by Megan Arkenberg. Depressing as hell, but the images stuck with me. It's ultimately about letting go, or maybe hanging on... not about giving up.
The Witch Sea by Sarah Diemer. This story is the reason I originally got into the Diemers' work. It's fantastical, it has romance, and it has a plot. I know that's setting the bar low, but that's all I want from a story billed "lesbian speculative fiction."
Nightfall in the Scent Garden by Claire Humphrey. This one is about pining after a straight girl probably, but it has a C.S. Lewis sense of wonder/danger to it?
Chang'e Dashes from the Moon by Benjanun Sriduangkaew. Beautiful queer retelling of a Chinese myth. I loved it and definitely need to check out more of this author's work!
So Heiresses of Russ 2013 gets a solid 3 stars from me-- I wouldn't NOT read it. But quality varies.
undertheteacup's review
4.0
3.5/5
Not the most gripping or stellar collection, but as always it was fun to sample a whole variety of different styles. I loved Brit Mandelo's story, and Sarah Diemer's "The Witch Sea" made me want to read more of her writing.
Not the most gripping or stellar collection, but as always it was fun to sample a whole variety of different styles. I loved Brit Mandelo's story, and Sarah Diemer's "The Witch Sea" made me want to read more of her writing.
corrie's review
4.0
The third installment of The Heiressess of Russ 2013 did entice me somewhat less than the previous two. There was a lot of weird in this selection (something you will get with speculative fiction).
We have a mixed offering of fantasy, lesbian vampires, magic realism, fairy tale re-telling, post apocalyptic worlds, shifters, Chinese mythology, unrequited love, abuse, war, but also sweet love stories.
I’ve read Sarah Diemer’s Sea Witch as a stand-alone novelette before and was happy to see a familiar face in Jewelle Gomez. I love her Gilda chronicles. These anthologies are always interesting to read.
f/f
Themes: high quality storytelling
4 stars
We have a mixed offering of fantasy, lesbian vampires, magic realism, fairy tale re-telling, post apocalyptic worlds, shifters, Chinese mythology, unrequited love, abuse, war, but also sweet love stories.
I’ve read Sarah Diemer’s Sea Witch as a stand-alone novelette before and was happy to see a familiar face in Jewelle Gomez. I love her Gilda chronicles. These anthologies are always interesting to read.
f/f
Themes: high quality storytelling
4 stars
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