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lizbethandthelifeinbetween's review
3.0
Honestly, I just got his to read the Obernewtyn short story, but I skimmed the others. They're all in their respective series form what I could tell. But the Obernewtyn story was worth it. Not sure why I was expecting it to be a sequel about either Elspeth or Dragon, but if you are for some reason expecting it to be that it's not. I don't even thing the series was finished when this was published.
lettermeisje's review
4.0
For those who read the Seven Waters from Juliet Marillier, there is a short story in this book about some of the characters. I found it a very nice suprise. :)
thiefofcamorr's review
5.0
Because it's hard to rate an anthology, I'm going to separate it by novel in my review.
To Hold the Bridge: An Old Kingdom Story - Garth Nix - 4/5 stars
I haven't read any of Garth Nix before, though I think I have Sabriel at home somewhere; I may even read it now after this short, which I quite enjoyed. You could visualise his world easily, and I would have liked to read more.
The Mad Apprentice: A Black Magician Story - Trudi Canavan - 4/5 stars
I've read Trudi's Black Magician series, as well as Priestess of the White. I found this short story to be quite enjoyable as I know what it ties into, and I like how it shows you can try to stick with family even when they're doing something bad... but then also take that step and rid the badness - family can't always stand between everything. It was a good balance.
Twixt Firelight and Water: A Tale of Sevenwaters - Juliet Marillier - 4/5 stars
I'm not usually that good with first person, but I loved this. When I announced I got the book on twitter, my friend Kaelee squealed about this author and now I can see why. I'll have to get one of her books.
It was very well done. So easily it could have been cliched or unbelievable - bringing Aisha in like that was risky... but she pulled it off perfectly.
The Dark Road: An Obernewtyn Story - Isobelle Carmody - 0/5 stars
Hardly made any sense, which was annoying. I haven't read Obernewtyn so that's probably why, but it's annoying. I haven't read any of Garth Nix or Juliet Marillier either and yet I loved their stories.
Crown of Rowan: A Tale of Thyrsland - Kim Wilkins - 4/5 stars
I was surprised by this one - I enjoyed it a lot. I'm actually in a writing course run by Kim Wilkins, and so far have only read her addition in the anthology 'Dreaming Again', which was a twist on Hansel and Gretel (if I remember correctly) - making it all in our time, etc
This series I can't wait to buy. Again, I don't really like first person all the time but I was hooked by this. I loved the sisters (Bluebell in particular) and how there were hints of faerietales in the names and elements of characterisation.
The Spark (A Romance in Four Acts): A Tale of the Change - Sean Williams - 5/5 stars
All I can say is that I'm so glad that I have one of Sean's books waiting on my bookshelf, because reading this... I need to read more of his NOW.
I really have nothing else to say, I can't put into words how much this hooked me.
p.s. SKY WARDENS. Eee! He writes SPACE OPERAS. I am so there.
The Corsers' Hinge: A Lamplighter Tale - D.M. Cornish - No rating.
I wasn't able to read this. I tried many times, and after a few weeks of trying I moved on. I like the idea of it, I don't think I had any issue with how he wrote... I just had no calling to turn the page. Hopefully I'll return sometime to read it.
Tribute to Hell: A Tale of the Tainted Realm - Ian Irvine - 1/5 stars
This I just couldn't read. I was put off by the start, it jumped into the action with no build up, and I honestly just couldn't be bothered... which is a shame. I've always wanted to read Ian Irvine. Hopefully I shall return sometime.
A Captain of the Gate - John Birmingham - 2/5 stars
Failed to capture my interest. It was decent, but quite overshadowed by other novellas in this collection.
The Magic Word - Jennifer Fallon - 5/5 stars
The reason I bought this book. I adore Jennifer Fallon's writing, and this didn't disappoint. I need to go back and re-read all her books, and re-read this novella again more slowly because I couldn't stop myself from rushing on to find out what happened next. I loooove it, especially what the word turned out to be.
The Enchanted: A Tale of Erith - Cecilia Dart-Thornton - 3/5 stars
The longest novella in the anthology at around 100 pages, this didn't disappoint. Parts in the beginning were a little hard to follow, but other than that it was really quite good. I'm not feeling the need to immediately rush out and get her books, like I am with say, Sean Williams, but it was still a good end to a fantastic anthology.
To Hold the Bridge: An Old Kingdom Story - Garth Nix - 4/5 stars
I haven't read any of Garth Nix before, though I think I have Sabriel at home somewhere; I may even read it now after this short, which I quite enjoyed. You could visualise his world easily, and I would have liked to read more.
The Mad Apprentice: A Black Magician Story - Trudi Canavan - 4/5 stars
I've read Trudi's Black Magician series, as well as Priestess of the White. I found this short story to be quite enjoyable as I know what it ties into, and I like how it shows you can try to stick with family even when they're doing something bad... but then also take that step and rid the badness - family can't always stand between everything. It was a good balance.
Twixt Firelight and Water: A Tale of Sevenwaters - Juliet Marillier - 4/5 stars
I'm not usually that good with first person, but I loved this. When I announced I got the book on twitter, my friend Kaelee squealed about this author and now I can see why. I'll have to get one of her books.
It was very well done. So easily it could have been cliched or unbelievable - bringing Aisha in like that was risky... but she pulled it off perfectly.
The Dark Road: An Obernewtyn Story - Isobelle Carmody - 0/5 stars
Hardly made any sense, which was annoying. I haven't read Obernewtyn so that's probably why, but it's annoying. I haven't read any of Garth Nix or Juliet Marillier either and yet I loved their stories.
Crown of Rowan: A Tale of Thyrsland - Kim Wilkins - 4/5 stars
I was surprised by this one - I enjoyed it a lot. I'm actually in a writing course run by Kim Wilkins, and so far have only read her addition in the anthology 'Dreaming Again', which was a twist on Hansel and Gretel (if I remember correctly) - making it all in our time, etc
This series I can't wait to buy. Again, I don't really like first person all the time but I was hooked by this. I loved the sisters (Bluebell in particular) and how there were hints of faerietales in the names and elements of characterisation.
The Spark (A Romance in Four Acts): A Tale of the Change - Sean Williams - 5/5 stars
All I can say is that I'm so glad that I have one of Sean's books waiting on my bookshelf, because reading this... I need to read more of his NOW.
I really have nothing else to say, I can't put into words how much this hooked me.
p.s. SKY WARDENS. Eee! He writes SPACE OPERAS. I am so there.
The Corsers' Hinge: A Lamplighter Tale - D.M. Cornish - No rating.
I wasn't able to read this. I tried many times, and after a few weeks of trying I moved on. I like the idea of it, I don't think I had any issue with how he wrote... I just had no calling to turn the page. Hopefully I'll return sometime to read it.
Tribute to Hell: A Tale of the Tainted Realm - Ian Irvine - 1/5 stars
This I just couldn't read. I was put off by the start, it jumped into the action with no build up, and I honestly just couldn't be bothered... which is a shame. I've always wanted to read Ian Irvine. Hopefully I shall return sometime.
A Captain of the Gate - John Birmingham - 2/5 stars
Failed to capture my interest. It was decent, but quite overshadowed by other novellas in this collection.
The Magic Word - Jennifer Fallon - 5/5 stars
The reason I bought this book. I adore Jennifer Fallon's writing, and this didn't disappoint. I need to go back and re-read all her books, and re-read this novella again more slowly because I couldn't stop myself from rushing on to find out what happened next. I loooove it, especially what the word turned out to be.
The Enchanted: A Tale of Erith - Cecilia Dart-Thornton - 3/5 stars
The longest novella in the anthology at around 100 pages, this didn't disappoint. Parts in the beginning were a little hard to follow, but other than that it was really quite good. I'm not feeling the need to immediately rush out and get her books, like I am with say, Sean Williams, but it was still a good end to a fantastic anthology.
r_reads289's review
4.0
Well, I originally bought it fpor the sole purpose of reading Jennifer Fallon's contibution but I read most of them anyway. They all ranged from good to very good however there was one that I couldsn't even finish - it was uninteressting, cliched and unenegaging and a toltal waste of my time. Fallon's howeevr was quite good though probably not her best. I loved the idea of the world's merging but it was overly repetitve. I also wasn't a fan of the characters discovering they were in fact fictuous as it runied the other-worldly-ness which all her previous novels had established.
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