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A review by t34addict
A Universe of Wishes by Dhonielle Clayton
3.0
Overall, 3.5 stars
Anthology tend to be a mixed bag. This one had some very good stories, some good stories and some meh stories.
The common thread of this antholoy is that they are diverse fantasy stories, so this ranges from high fantasy to scifi.
Some of my favourites in the book include :
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro
A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim: 3/5
This was just okay. The story centres on a grave robber harvesting magic and the cute mortician's son.
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker: 5/5
This was a fast paced story, centering on three rounds of a fight. The way the fighting was described was so fluid and dynamic and the small romance plot made this such a fun read.
The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray: 3.5/5
I have read the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I found it overall to be a "just okay" read. However, I enjoyed this short story more than the other Gemma Doyle works and I wished we had more. The banter between Felicity, Ann and Gemma was fun to read.
Crystal y Cenzia by Anna-Marie McLemore: 4/5
A Latinx story with elements of cinderella. It was so refreshing to read about. I loved the world building and would have liked to read more set in the world.
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia: 5/5
I don't quite know how to describe this one other than it took me by surprise. This story was fast paced and definitely hit me in the feels. I'd surmise it as botany on a space ship but it's so much more than that with strong ties to history and family and survival.
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab: 5/5
I'm going to be incredibly biased here as the Shades of Magic series is one of my all time favourites. It was great to read more about a small scene we heard about in the main trilogy.
The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse: 2.5/5
To me, this was the weakest tale in the anthology. I felt like it needed more development though the main story we got was a cute heist.
Dream and Dare by Nic Stone: 3.5/5
A cute story about two girls challenging the societal norms that they're used to. Overall, a pretty fun read though I would have liked more.
Wish by Jenni Balch: 2/5
A wish granter is surprised to find himself on Venus and helps to grant a very unusual wish. This was a "just okay" read.
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton: 5/5
This focuses on a procedure that couples can get to show the names of people they love/have loved on their heart. The writing of this was great - gory juxtapositions of the heart removal surgery versus the glamorised idolisation of the surgery. The prose was one of my favourites in the anthology.
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro:5/5
After a breakup, the main character recruits a mage to remove memories. The magic in this was thouraghly written and I loved the tension and pace that this story had.
The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed: 2.5/5
Told in parallel letters/diary entries, a dying world and an excavating team exploring the dying world. It was nice to see the narratives weaving across the two points of view, but I found it lacking somewhat.
The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton: 2.5/5
I found this one quite difficult to read from a prose perspective and I couldn't gel with the characters, which is why it has a low rating. The plot of it had promise though.
Longer Than The Threads Of Time by Zoraida Córdova: 3/5
A short story set in the same world as Labyrinth Lost/Brooklyn Brujas. This was a self contained short story and a good half retelling of Rapunzel. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi:3.5/5
This is epistolary, so it took a few pages for me to gel with the voices, but once I did, it's a complex mesh of two teens being stuck in prison, bonding with each other. It's a really sweet story.
Anthology tend to be a mixed bag. This one had some very good stories, some good stories and some meh stories.
The common thread of this antholoy is that they are diverse fantasy stories, so this ranges from high fantasy to scifi.
Some of my favourites in the book include :
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro
A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim: 3/5
This was just okay. The story centres on a grave robber harvesting magic and the cute mortician's son.
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker: 5/5
This was a fast paced story, centering on three rounds of a fight. The way the fighting was described was so fluid and dynamic and the small romance plot made this such a fun read.
The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray: 3.5/5
I have read the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I found it overall to be a "just okay" read. However, I enjoyed this short story more than the other Gemma Doyle works and I wished we had more. The banter between Felicity, Ann and Gemma was fun to read.
Crystal y Cenzia by Anna-Marie McLemore: 4/5
A Latinx story with elements of cinderella. It was so refreshing to read about. I loved the world building and would have liked to read more set in the world.
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia: 5/5
I don't quite know how to describe this one other than it took me by surprise. This story was fast paced and definitely hit me in the feels. I'd surmise it as botany on a space ship but it's so much more than that with strong ties to history and family and survival.
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab: 5/5
I'm going to be incredibly biased here as the Shades of Magic series is one of my all time favourites. It was great to read more about a small scene we heard about in the main trilogy.
The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse: 2.5/5
To me, this was the weakest tale in the anthology. I felt like it needed more development though the main story we got was a cute heist.
Dream and Dare by Nic Stone: 3.5/5
A cute story about two girls challenging the societal norms that they're used to. Overall, a pretty fun read though I would have liked more.
Wish by Jenni Balch: 2/5
A wish granter is surprised to find himself on Venus and helps to grant a very unusual wish. This was a "just okay" read.
The Weight by Dhionelle Clayton: 5/5
This focuses on a procedure that couples can get to show the names of people they love/have loved on their heart. The writing of this was great - gory juxtapositions of the heart removal surgery versus the glamorised idolisation of the surgery. The prose was one of my favourites in the anthology.
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro:5/5
After a breakup, the main character recruits a mage to remove memories. The magic in this was thouraghly written and I loved the tension and pace that this story had.
The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed: 2.5/5
Told in parallel letters/diary entries, a dying world and an excavating team exploring the dying world. It was nice to see the narratives weaving across the two points of view, but I found it lacking somewhat.
The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton: 2.5/5
I found this one quite difficult to read from a prose perspective and I couldn't gel with the characters, which is why it has a low rating. The plot of it had promise though.
Longer Than The Threads Of Time by Zoraida Córdova: 3/5
A short story set in the same world as Labyrinth Lost/Brooklyn Brujas. This was a self contained short story and a good half retelling of Rapunzel. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi:3.5/5
This is epistolary, so it took a few pages for me to gel with the voices, but once I did, it's a complex mesh of two teens being stuck in prison, bonding with each other. It's a really sweet story.