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strongavocado's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
As a collection of short stories I found this to be a nice and fun read. Writing fantasy is hard on its own, and writing fantasy short fiction is a whole other level but I found a number of these stories hitting chords that drew me in and made me want to stay in them. These writers are talented and funny and I’ve definitely added them into my list of writers to keep an eye out for!
For my personal recommendation, my top three favourite short stories from this collection are:
“Undoing Vampirism” by Lilah Sturgess
“Dreamborn” by Kylie Ariel Bemis
“Perisher” by Crystal Frasier
There was something incredibly special about these three that just fully captivated and made me think about what it is these stories are trying to say or tell. I don’t know. I just really fell in love with them and I know I’ll be rereading them again.
For my personal recommendation, my top three favourite short stories from this collection are:
“Undoing Vampirism” by Lilah Sturgess
“Dreamborn” by Kylie Ariel Bemis
“Perisher” by Crystal Frasier
There was something incredibly special about these three that just fully captivated and made me think about what it is these stories are trying to say or tell. I don’t know. I just really fell in love with them and I know I’ll be rereading them again.
devannm's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley
This was a great idea for an anthology, but unfortunately I just had trouble getting into most of the stories. As always there are some stories that are better than others, but with 11 stories packed into a 150 page book I didn't always feel like there was enough page space to fit enough exposition and character development to really make me feel attached to any particular protagonist. I would not call any of the stories bad though, and if you are a big fan of short stories then I think you will definitely like this. The stories are mostly high fantasy, but there are a few realistic fantasy / historical fiction stories thrown in as well so I'm sure at least one will stand out for most readers.
This was a great idea for an anthology, but unfortunately I just had trouble getting into most of the stories. As always there are some stories that are better than others, but with 11 stories packed into a 150 page book I didn't always feel like there was enough page space to fit enough exposition and character development to really make me feel attached to any particular protagonist. I would not call any of the stories bad though, and if you are a big fan of short stories then I think you will definitely like this. The stories are mostly high fantasy, but there are a few realistic fantasy / historical fiction stories thrown in as well so I'm sure at least one will stand out for most readers.
cyphyr's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I sought out this book hoping to find something I've been lacking -- fantastical stories about girls like me. While largely disappointing, a few good stories shine through the anthology, and I'm happy to have finally read it.
A lot of the stories felt rushed or had pacing issues, and left me feeling like there should've been *more*. They also went into detail about how the characters transitioned within their world and, save for a few notable exceptions, these asides didn't really add anything and actively took me out of the reading experience.
I see what this series could've been, and I still hope to find that one day.
A lot of the stories felt rushed or had pacing issues, and left me feeling like there should've been *more*. They also went into detail about how the characters transitioned within their world and, save for a few notable exceptions, these asides didn't really add anything and actively took me out of the reading experience.
I see what this series could've been, and I still hope to find that one day.
lshadowlyn's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant collection of short stories. Each one unique, yet coming together to form a cohesive set. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy short stories, It's nice to see the LGBTQIA community represented so well. Highly recommend.
thefreckledbookworm's review against another edition
2.0
Bedside Press publishes books written by diverse authors (LGBTQ+, Indigenous voices, women, etc.), which is why I HAD to accept their offer to send me some of their books for a review. Thank you for reaching out to me through IG!
I was really looking forward to reading this anthology written by trans femmes / featuring trans femmes characters. However, I almost DNFed this book a couple of times. Some of the eleven stories where unmemorable, while some were so badly written (lack/wrong punctuation, missing words, double sentences, too many repetitions, etc.) I chose to skip them and push through, hoping I'd stumble on a good story. And I finally did.
*I don't know how to rate this book. Most stories were 1-2⭐ for me, while a few definitely deserve 5⭐.*
FOREST'S EDGE, by Audrey Vest : beautifully written, and fairytale-like.
THE KNIGHTING, by Alexa Fae McDaniel : I loved this very short story. Well written and straight to the point. I appreciated how this book was about a trans woman receiving a knighthood. She was uncomfortable with being given the title "sir", because it goes against everything she's been battling to assert herself as a woman. It reminds us about the impact of gendered terms.
UNDOING VAMPIRISM, by Lilah Sturges : WOW. I loved this story. I love how the author used the metaphor of how humans are vampires, and they managed to convince themselves that they are human. And how by being a trans person, the MC opened her eyes and realised the truth about her Vampirism. And now that she knows, she can help other people find this truth, and this will lead to humanity's acceptance of them. This is how everyone will change as a society, and stop destroying the Earth and living beings.
DREAMBORN, by Kylie Ariel Bemis : ok, definitely my favourite story. I loooove how trans people are seen as sacred beings, because they are fewer, and how this alien planet does not use gender labels at birth. This is also the metaphor of the story of so many Native American children who were forced into boarding schools, in order to "civilize the savage born". In this story, this planet is invaded by the Nahaka (who most likely come from Earth, because of their physical attributes). They destroyed their world as they used up all of their natural ressources. So instead of fixing their planet, they left in search of another world to call their own. They stole all of the "alien" children, forced them into schools to make them more "human". These children were terrorized and abused. Sound familiar? It was a poignant story, and very well written.
I was really looking forward to reading this anthology written by trans femmes / featuring trans femmes characters. However, I almost DNFed this book a couple of times. Some of the eleven stories where unmemorable, while some were so badly written (lack/wrong punctuation, missing words, double sentences, too many repetitions, etc.) I chose to skip them and push through, hoping I'd stumble on a good story. And I finally did.
*I don't know how to rate this book. Most stories were 1-2⭐ for me, while a few definitely deserve 5⭐.*
FOREST'S EDGE, by Audrey Vest : beautifully written, and fairytale-like.
THE KNIGHTING, by Alexa Fae McDaniel : I loved this very short story. Well written and straight to the point. I appreciated how this book was about a trans woman receiving a knighthood. She was uncomfortable with being given the title "sir", because it goes against everything she's been battling to assert herself as a woman. It reminds us about the impact of gendered terms.
UNDOING VAMPIRISM, by Lilah Sturges : WOW. I loved this story. I love how the author used the metaphor of how humans are vampires, and they managed to convince themselves that they are human. And how by being a trans person, the MC opened her eyes and realised the truth about her Vampirism. And now that she knows, she can help other people find this truth, and this will lead to humanity's acceptance of them. This is how everyone will change as a society, and stop destroying the Earth and living beings.
DREAMBORN, by Kylie Ariel Bemis : ok, definitely my favourite story. I loooove how trans people are seen as sacred beings, because they are fewer, and how this alien planet does not use gender labels at birth. This is also the metaphor of the story of so many Native American children who were forced into boarding schools, in order to "civilize the savage born". In this story, this planet is invaded by the Nahaka (who most likely come from Earth, because of their physical attributes). They destroyed their world as they used up all of their natural ressources. So instead of fixing their planet, they left in search of another world to call their own. They stole all of the "alien" children, forced them into schools to make them more "human". These children were terrorized and abused. Sound familiar? It was a poignant story, and very well written.
estherolee's review against another edition
3.0
faves:
Kylie Ariel Bemis’ Dreamborn
Casey Plett’s Failure
Kylie Ariel Bemis’ Dreamborn
Casey Plett’s Failure
maagi's review against another edition
4.0
I was given a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The anthology was quite uneven when it came to the stories in it. Some – like Forest's Edge – were absolutely and utterly stunning and made me wish for a full-length novel in that story's world. Some – like Perisher – made me want to skim what I was reading and skip entire paragraphs because I simply did not enjoy them. i shall remain was a peculiar read, something I greatly enjoyed even though it was, at times, odd. Oh, and Dreamborn! It was right there at the top of my faves list with Forest's Edge.
Solid four stars, despite a few weaker stories. An excellent collection of (mostly) good stories, written by trans women/trans feminine people, about trans women/trans feminine people.
The anthology was quite uneven when it came to the stories in it. Some – like Forest's Edge – were absolutely and utterly stunning and made me wish for a full-length novel in that story's world. Some – like Perisher – made me want to skim what I was reading and skip entire paragraphs because I simply did not enjoy them. i shall remain was a peculiar read, something I greatly enjoyed even though it was, at times, odd. Oh, and Dreamborn! It was right there at the top of my faves list with Forest's Edge.
Solid four stars, despite a few weaker stories. An excellent collection of (mostly) good stories, written by trans women/trans feminine people, about trans women/trans feminine people.
katizwitchy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Fun! Loved all the different angles that fantasy can lend as a genre, and really loved how the different authors wove their experiences throughout. Wonderful!!
zachariasmandrake's review against another edition
3.0
Some of these were great, and others were not my favourite. Very hit or miss. Gwen Benaway’s and Kylie Ariel Bemis’s stories were my favourite.
alt_air's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5