A review by tinyelfarcanist
The Alchemy of Sorrow by Quenby Olson, Krystle Matar, Madolyn Rogers, Angela Boord, Levi Jacobs, Intisar Khanani, Sonya M. Black, M.L. Wang, Carol A. Park, Rachel Emma Shaw, Sarah Chorn, Clayton W. Snyder, Virginia McClain, K.S. Villoso

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m fortunate enough to have my loved ones with me, but if grief is a sensitive subject for you I suggest checking CWs before opening this Fantasy and Sci-Fi anthology of grief and hope. It will be available later this year, but I was able to read it as I’m a Kickstarter backer. I’ll confess I wasn’t a fan of the illustrations.

LULLABY – K.S. VILLOSO
Not a fan of the second person, but the narrator’s voice gives urgency to it that sucks you right in, and it has an interesting twist.

SKIES ON FIRE – SONYA M. BLACK
This one is about grief for your old life. I liked the idea but the execution, not so much.

A MATTER OF TRUST – ANGELA BOORD 
Strong women and multifaceted characters. I’ve been having trouble getting immersed in a story; this one kept my attention and made me want to know more about the world and characters. I loved the commentary on toxic masculinity. I’ll look into other works from this author.

A RECURRENCE OF JASMINE – LEVI JACOBS
Arabian Nights vibes with a woman keeping a god enthralled to keep her head on her shoulders. This story would have benefited from being longer. The end was predictable but the journey was enjoyable nonetheless. It was more about hope than grief.

TWICE DOMESTICATED DRAGONS – INTISAR KHANANI
Interesting premise but it felt like two unrelated concepts. The dragons from the title feel more like an afterthought.

THE WITCH IN THE WOOD – QUENBY OLSON
The usage of the second person bugged me from the first page. But what annoyed me the most was the frequent use of the word babe. Predictable and melodramatic.

THIEF – VIRGINIA MCCLAIN
This one doesn’t really feel like fantasy. Probably fans of contemporary fantasy would enjoy this one more than I did.

THICKER THAN WATER – CAROL A. PARK
Marvellous. Great characters and good incorporation of the theme. I was consumed by the feelings of desperation our protagonist was suffering from. Probably my favourite. I just wanted to dive into this world afterwards. I’m glad there are other books about it.

DEATH IN THE UNCANNY VALLEY – M.L. WANG
I heard of this anthology from this author. Wang is an expert in representing grief, and I didn’t hesitate backing it. This one’s very different from Sword of Kaigen, though. YA tale about coping mechanisms and sharing pain as a path to healing.

SUMMER SOULS – CLAYTON SNYDER
This feels like a portion of a bigger story. I couldn’t connect to it.

RELIQUARY OF THE DAMNED – RACHEL EMMA SHAW
Interesting concept that I’d love to see applied on a larger scale, which apparently is coming. A story about empathy and opening up.

THE QUIET – MADOLYN ROGERS
I thought this was the darkest in the anthology. Better explained by the author:
-Madolyn RogersI wanted to explore the strange duality of depression—that as miserable as it is, it can also be a refuge, its numbness a shield against unbearable pain.

THE PAPERWEIGHT WATCH – KRYSTLE MATAR
The aftermath of losing loved ones. Mourning rituals and realizing you’re not the only one suffering. Pain is usually easier to overcome when shared.

I usually have trouble with anthologies, especially from different authors as the quality and style vary and I lose interest midway through. I also prefer detailed plots with multiple twists and character development. Some of these succeeded in creating complex characters and fascinating worlds in a short format. My favourite anthology so far. 
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