Virginia McClain

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great collection of short stories. There weren't any that I didn't enjoy. On the contrary, I found many of them exceptional.

All the stories deal with some kind of negative emotions. We meet the characters at their lowest in life. They feel lost, alone and desperate. This book is not negative, though. Where there is sadness, there is also a hope.

I like the idea of using fantasy medium for this kind of stories. It really shows that fantasy genre can be more than just a magic adventure. It can offer not only escape but also reflection. The situations the characters face might be foreign and unreal, but their emotions are very familiar.

I feel like talking about each short story might give away too much. I personally enjoyed going in blind and discovering what each story is going to be about.

Lullaby by K.S. Villoso - 3,5

Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black - 4

A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord - 4

A Recurrence of Jasmine by Levi Jacobs - 4

Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani - 4,5

The Witch in the Woods by Quenby Olson - 4

Thief by Virginia McClain - 3,5

Thicker Than Water by Carol A. Park - 5

Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang - 4,5

Summer Souls by Clayton Snyder - 3

Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw - 4

The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers - 4,5

The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar - 4… (mais)