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A review by eyed
Art of War by Petros Triantafyllou
5.0
This was a fantastic anthology with quite a few stand out stories that were really amazing. There were quite a few stories that I thoroughly enjoyed that did not fall into the amazing category,. There were also a few stories in here that I didn't particularly enjoy. The ones I didn't enjoy were not bad or poorly written they just weren't for me, I feel like this is a pretty standard feeling about most anthologies that include forty stories.
Going in I was familiar with the work of some of the authors included in this anthology and some I had heard of but never read. For some of the authors that were new to me their work included made quite an impression on me. One of my favorite things about anthologies is getting to sample the work of so many authors in a single book. My to read list has definitely grown based on what I experienced.
The reason I give this five stars is that there are a lot of amazing stories in here. I had a hard time narrowing it down to my top ten but here they are in the order they appeared.
The Last Arrow by Mitchell Hogan
This was the tale of a farmer conscripted to war. The way the characters thoughts and emotions were described was amazing. I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Hogan.
Dear Menelaus by Laura M Hughes
This is definitely one of the shorter stories but it was a powerful one. I loved the point of view chosen and the way it was told. Based on her contribution to Lost Lore this was one of the stories I was most looking forward to and my expectations were exceeded.
This War of Ours by Timandra Whitecastle
The list that started this story out set the pace for the emotional ride I was in for and it did not let up throughout. Probably the most intense story in the book for me. I loved it even though it made me sad.
The Fox and the Bowman by Sebastian de Castell
This was a very strange story about revenge. It told a lot of story in a short amount of pages. At first I was a little confused about what was actually happening but as it progressed it became one of the most memorable stories for me. I had never heard of this author but I have added him to my to read list.
Misplaced Heroism by Andrew Rowe
This was a pretty awesome story for me. It was my first adventure into the LitRPG genre and it had some unexpected twists that made me really enjoy it.
The Waving of the Flag by Thomas R Gaskin
This was an excellently written story. It was about how the powerful use deceit to get their people on board for a war. This one really hit home for me as I was in the military and was deployed for reasons that when I was younger I believed in and now that I am older see how it was done for all the wrong reasons.
The Art of War by Brian Stavely
Being a big fan or Brian Stavely I was really looking forward to this one and it was awesome. He is an excellent story teller and the tale he weaves in these few short pages is incredible.
Good Steel by Zachary Barnes
This is the story of a piece of metal being forged into the blade of a hoe. It tells from the metals perspective how he feels about being used for different tasks. It stood out for its uniqueness and emotion for me. Another new author that I really enjoyed.
The Undying Lands by Michael R Fletcher
There was some very incredible world building done in a very short time in this, and the story that took place in that world was top notch. This might be my favorite story included but it is tough to say for sure with so many great ones. I have been interested in books by Mr. Fletcher for some time but this story moved him to the top of my list of authors I want to read more by.
Exhibition by Ben Galley
This was an amazing story. The concept was so cool. It is about a student that is asked to paint the art of war and given unique experiences to do so. I have only read this and his story from Lost Lore but Ben Galley's Written is sitting on my desk to be read as soon as I manage to get through all my library books.
I recommend this to any fan of fantasy, you might just find your new favorite author in here.
Going in I was familiar with the work of some of the authors included in this anthology and some I had heard of but never read. For some of the authors that were new to me their work included made quite an impression on me. One of my favorite things about anthologies is getting to sample the work of so many authors in a single book. My to read list has definitely grown based on what I experienced.
The reason I give this five stars is that there are a lot of amazing stories in here. I had a hard time narrowing it down to my top ten but here they are in the order they appeared.
The Last Arrow by Mitchell Hogan
This was the tale of a farmer conscripted to war. The way the characters thoughts and emotions were described was amazing. I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Hogan.
Dear Menelaus by Laura M Hughes
This is definitely one of the shorter stories but it was a powerful one. I loved the point of view chosen and the way it was told. Based on her contribution to Lost Lore this was one of the stories I was most looking forward to and my expectations were exceeded.
This War of Ours by Timandra Whitecastle
The list that started this story out set the pace for the emotional ride I was in for and it did not let up throughout. Probably the most intense story in the book for me. I loved it even though it made me sad.
The Fox and the Bowman by Sebastian de Castell
This was a very strange story about revenge. It told a lot of story in a short amount of pages. At first I was a little confused about what was actually happening but as it progressed it became one of the most memorable stories for me. I had never heard of this author but I have added him to my to read list.
Misplaced Heroism by Andrew Rowe
This was a pretty awesome story for me. It was my first adventure into the LitRPG genre and it had some unexpected twists that made me really enjoy it.
The Waving of the Flag by Thomas R Gaskin
This was an excellently written story. It was about how the powerful use deceit to get their people on board for a war. This one really hit home for me as I was in the military and was deployed for reasons that when I was younger I believed in and now that I am older see how it was done for all the wrong reasons.
The Art of War by Brian Stavely
Being a big fan or Brian Stavely I was really looking forward to this one and it was awesome. He is an excellent story teller and the tale he weaves in these few short pages is incredible.
Good Steel by Zachary Barnes
This is the story of a piece of metal being forged into the blade of a hoe. It tells from the metals perspective how he feels about being used for different tasks. It stood out for its uniqueness and emotion for me. Another new author that I really enjoyed.
The Undying Lands by Michael R Fletcher
There was some very incredible world building done in a very short time in this, and the story that took place in that world was top notch. This might be my favorite story included but it is tough to say for sure with so many great ones. I have been interested in books by Mr. Fletcher for some time but this story moved him to the top of my list of authors I want to read more by.
Exhibition by Ben Galley
This was an amazing story. The concept was so cool. It is about a student that is asked to paint the art of war and given unique experiences to do so. I have only read this and his story from Lost Lore but Ben Galley's Written is sitting on my desk to be read as soon as I manage to get through all my library books.
I recommend this to any fan of fantasy, you might just find your new favorite author in here.