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david_wiley's review
5.0
Let me get bias out of the way and tell you that you definitely need to get a copy in order to read my short story, “Doppelganger Danger”, because it can’t be found anywhere else. So when you are done reading the five-part “Ogre Hunt” on Eat Sleep Write and you are yearning for more tales about Ava, this is your source. The story has some humor, a badass heroine, and some intrigue woven into the tale as Ava tries to track down a monster that can literally assume any identity.
Apart from my own short story, there are some in this volume that really shine. Rather than reviewing each story I am just going to briefly mention the stories that I believe stood above the rest. “Legacy” by Damien Keith follows a princess who is born but ignored and treated as an invisible servant simply because she was not born a son. No one even notices when she leaves the castle. . . at least not until her brothers all begin dying one by one.
“A Mother’s Work” by Kathleen McClure didn’t seem like anything special as I was first reading through it. But the twist at the end makes it all come together into one fun short, short story. I won’t even spoil the surprises, just know that this one is worth reading through to the end.
“Oaths to the Winds” by Lynn Rushlau follows a Wind Master who is aboard a ship. This one reminded me a bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender because it also has a Water Witch as one of the central figures in the plot. That is a good thing to be reminded of because I loved that cartoon. So it is no surprise that I loved this story as well.
And last to mention is “On the Way Through the Woods” by Emily Martha Sorensen. This isn’t your typical witch-and-princess-best-friends-forever story trope. This one has the ability to make you laugh and to make you smile as you read it. The humor is delightfully woven into a fun tale that will leave you wishing there was more.
So once again I will recommend picking up a copy of this. These are simply the four that stood out when I read through the entire volume but this is, overall, a very good collection of short stories that will be enjoyed every time you read them.
Apart from my own short story, there are some in this volume that really shine. Rather than reviewing each story I am just going to briefly mention the stories that I believe stood above the rest. “Legacy” by Damien Keith follows a princess who is born but ignored and treated as an invisible servant simply because she was not born a son. No one even notices when she leaves the castle. . . at least not until her brothers all begin dying one by one.
“A Mother’s Work” by Kathleen McClure didn’t seem like anything special as I was first reading through it. But the twist at the end makes it all come together into one fun short, short story. I won’t even spoil the surprises, just know that this one is worth reading through to the end.
“Oaths to the Winds” by Lynn Rushlau follows a Wind Master who is aboard a ship. This one reminded me a bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender because it also has a Water Witch as one of the central figures in the plot. That is a good thing to be reminded of because I loved that cartoon. So it is no surprise that I loved this story as well.
And last to mention is “On the Way Through the Woods” by Emily Martha Sorensen. This isn’t your typical witch-and-princess-best-friends-forever story trope. This one has the ability to make you laugh and to make you smile as you read it. The humor is delightfully woven into a fun tale that will leave you wishing there was more.
So once again I will recommend picking up a copy of this. These are simply the four that stood out when I read through the entire volume but this is, overall, a very good collection of short stories that will be enjoyed every time you read them.
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