spacerookie's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Great read.
My favourites:
Weaving Silk by Amanda Sun
A Visitation for the Spirit Festival by Diana Xin
Meridian by Karin Lowachee*
Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise by Minsoo Kang
Decision by Joyce Chng
Old Souls by Fonda Lee
The Orphans of Nilaveli by Naru Dames Sundar*
*My two favourite favourites.
My favourites:
Weaving Silk by Amanda Sun
A Visitation for the Spirit Festival by Diana Xin
Meridian by Karin Lowachee*
Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise by Minsoo Kang
Decision by Joyce Chng
Old Souls by Fonda Lee
The Orphans of Nilaveli by Naru Dames Sundar*
*My two favourite favourites.
mlludwig's review against another edition
3.0
Typical of anthologies, enjoyed some & didn't enjoy others. Averaged out to 3 stars
debbiechristina's review against another edition
3.0
As far as I read I enjoyed reading some short stories, it was either hit or miss for me. And after a few months, I just couldn’t find the energy to continue reading the short stories. It felt more as a chore continuing than for enjoyment. So I quitted reading at 55% into it, not that I didn’t like it but more that I had more interested in other books I had to get to and like I said this felt more as a chore. But I would still recommend this book if you enjoy short stories and you enjoy Science Fiction.
u311082's review against another edition
5.0
I just loved this anthology of science fiction and fantasy short stories by authors of Asian descent or ancestry.
The story of the man who loved his father so much he tried to keep his soul alive inside a robot, the one about the displaced mermaid, the woman who remembers all of her past lives and realises the people carving out an existence on the moon; all wonderful stories that highlight humanity in fantastical ways.
It also highlighted that, though we may come from different cultures we are all the same. We all want to have a home, be happy and to love and be loved.
The story of the man who loved his father so much he tried to keep his soul alive inside a robot, the one about the displaced mermaid, the woman who remembers all of her past lives and realises the people carving out an existence on the moon; all wonderful stories that highlight humanity in fantastical ways.
It also highlighted that, though we may come from different cultures we are all the same. We all want to have a home, be happy and to love and be loved.
greenbeem's review against another edition
5.0
There are SO many excellent plotlines in this book, and such world-building. It was so neat to read SFF taking place in different parts of the world, great exercise for my imagination. I'll be looking out for these authors in the future, and I look forward to another collection like this!
krisandburn's review against another edition
4.0
I finally got round to reading this anthology of Asian science fiction and fantasy stories. I was not sure what to expect with a wide variety of authors I was not familiar with, but it was a treat.
First of all, can I just mention how well designed the cover is. It really pulled me in. I know you should not judge a book by its cover, but it can help!
This anthology leans quite heavily towards the science fiction / futuristic side and that is a genre that I am much less familiar with than fantasy. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this collection. The stories were varied both in their content and location. I will not rate every story individually, mainly because this is an anthology and it should be looked at as a whole. As a whole, I feel this is a really strong collection in which the individual stories compliment each other and make them stand stronger as a unit.
Of course, I had my favourites, such as ‘The dataSUltan of Streets and Stars’ by Jeremy Szal, which was based in a future version of Istanbul, and ‘The Bridge of Dangerous Longings’ by Rati Mehrotra, but there were not any I really did not like at all.
If you like science fiction especially, you will enjoy this well thought out anthology,
First of all, can I just mention how well designed the cover is. It really pulled me in. I know you should not judge a book by its cover, but it can help!
This anthology leans quite heavily towards the science fiction / futuristic side and that is a genre that I am much less familiar with than fantasy. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this collection. The stories were varied both in their content and location. I will not rate every story individually, mainly because this is an anthology and it should be looked at as a whole. As a whole, I feel this is a really strong collection in which the individual stories compliment each other and make them stand stronger as a unit.
Of course, I had my favourites, such as ‘The dataSUltan of Streets and Stars’ by Jeremy Szal, which was based in a future version of Istanbul, and ‘The Bridge of Dangerous Longings’ by Rati Mehrotra, but there were not any I really did not like at all.
If you like science fiction especially, you will enjoy this well thought out anthology,
coolcurrybooks's review against another edition
3.0
Where the Stars Rise is a short story anthology that didn’t quite meet my high expectations.
Where the Stars Rise collects twenty-three short stories from authors living in Asia or who are part of the Asian diaspora. I was already familiar with a few of the authors in the table of contents, but most were new to me.
Going in, I was probably most excited about the stories by Karin Lowachee (author of the phenomenal Warchild) and Fonda Lee (whose new release Jade City I adored). Sure enough, both authors ended up having some of my favorite stories in the collection. Lowachee’s was actually set in the same universe as Warchild, following the younger brother of Captain Azarcon. Like other Warchild stories, it’s about a young boy who falls through the cracks during times of conflict. The protagonist’s birth family is destroyed, and he’s adopted by a small trading family. But they soon find him to be too “damaged” and end up sending him to become functionally a child solider. Karin Lowachee’s not known for uplifting stories.
Fonda Lee’s story, “Old Souls,” was my favorite of the collection. The heroine is a young woman who can remember all her previous lives, and in every single one she dies young. She knows that her death is imminent, and she desperately wants a way to change her pattern. When she meets an immortal woman, a solution may be in sight. It’s a great concept that sort of reminded me of some of Claire North’s work. I’d love to read more about it, but I think it works very well for the short story format.
I’d read S.B. Divya’s novella (Runtime), but I actually prefer her short story here, “Looking Up.” The heroine wins a spot on a colonizing trip to Mars, meaning she’ll leave Earth forever. With her departure imminent, she has to make peace with her past and the relatives who won’t speak to her.
I also enjoyed some stories by new to me authors. Amanda Sun’s “Weaving Silk” is the tale of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo and two sisters who’s parents died in the earthquakes. The older cares for the youngest, and the two make a living by selling food the scavenge and prepare themselves. I loved the relationship between the sisters and how the country as a whole tried to find some semblance of normalcy in the midst of disaster.
One of my other favorites was “The Observer Effect” by E.C. Myers. It’s a superhero story, where the heroine is determined to find her favorite superhero. In addition to being a lot of fun, the story also tackles whitewashing and the need for Asian American representation.
“Rose’s Arm” by Calvin D. Jim was a pretty solid steampunk story about a one armed girl who’s desperate to help her father after her mother dies. To do so, she aims to get a mechanical limb, but what will it cost her? The ending packs a strong emotional punch.
I was ambivalent about the majority of stories in the collection. In “Memoriam” by Priya Sridhar, a robot might not just be a robot. “A Star Is Born” by Miki Dare deals with Japanese internment camps through the medium of time travel. “Spirit of Wine” by Tony Pi is a light-hearted story about two scholars who get possessed by a drunken spirit the night before their exam. “Vanilla Rice” by Angela Yuriko Smith addresses internalized racism and white beauty standards. In “DNR” by Gabriela Lee, a Filipina mortician remembers her life on Earth. “Back to Myan” by Regina Kanyu Wang has alien mermaids and remembering where you came from. “Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise” by Minsoo Kang is a historic story set in ancient China. “Joseon Fringe” by Pamela Q. Fernandes is another historic story, this time about a Korean emperor being given ideas by a time traveler. “Decision” by Joyce Chng has a pregnant spider-jinn reflecting on her life. “Moon Halves” by Anne Carly Abad is a folkloric tale where the monsters might not be entirely monstrous. In “A Visitation for the Spirit Festival” by Diana Xin, Mrs. Liu inherits a ghost and travels back to China. “The Orphans of Nilaveli” by Naru Dames Sundar is a sci-fi tale dealing with conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese.
Other stories feel on the negative side of ambivalent. The worst was probably “The Bridge of Dangerous Longings” by Rati Mehrotra, which I absolutely hated. It had what felt like a completely unnecessary sexual assault scene, and the story has a whole felt so vague and pointless. I’ve been planning on reading Rati Mehrotra’s new novel, and this story made me look forward to it less.
“The dataSultan of Streets and Stars” by Jeremy Szal had some interesting ideas but felt needlessly violent. I also wasn’t so fond of the characters. “My Left Hand” by Ruhan Zhao was just plain boring. I can hardly remember what happened in “Udātta Śloka” by Deepak Bharathan. “Crash” by Melissa Yuan-Innes had potential, but it ended much too soon, just where I felt like the story was about to really start.
Like all short story collections, Where the Stars Rise is a mixed bag. There were some highlights and stories I’d recommend, but there were too many stories I was “meh” on for me to really recommend this collection as a whole.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Where the Stars Rise collects twenty-three short stories from authors living in Asia or who are part of the Asian diaspora. I was already familiar with a few of the authors in the table of contents, but most were new to me.
Going in, I was probably most excited about the stories by Karin Lowachee (author of the phenomenal Warchild) and Fonda Lee (whose new release Jade City I adored). Sure enough, both authors ended up having some of my favorite stories in the collection. Lowachee’s was actually set in the same universe as Warchild, following the younger brother of Captain Azarcon. Like other Warchild stories, it’s about a young boy who falls through the cracks during times of conflict. The protagonist’s birth family is destroyed, and he’s adopted by a small trading family. But they soon find him to be too “damaged” and end up sending him to become functionally a child solider. Karin Lowachee’s not known for uplifting stories.
Fonda Lee’s story, “Old Souls,” was my favorite of the collection. The heroine is a young woman who can remember all her previous lives, and in every single one she dies young. She knows that her death is imminent, and she desperately wants a way to change her pattern. When she meets an immortal woman, a solution may be in sight. It’s a great concept that sort of reminded me of some of Claire North’s work. I’d love to read more about it, but I think it works very well for the short story format.
I’d read S.B. Divya’s novella (Runtime), but I actually prefer her short story here, “Looking Up.” The heroine wins a spot on a colonizing trip to Mars, meaning she’ll leave Earth forever. With her departure imminent, she has to make peace with her past and the relatives who won’t speak to her.
I also enjoyed some stories by new to me authors. Amanda Sun’s “Weaving Silk” is the tale of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo and two sisters who’s parents died in the earthquakes. The older cares for the youngest, and the two make a living by selling food the scavenge and prepare themselves. I loved the relationship between the sisters and how the country as a whole tried to find some semblance of normalcy in the midst of disaster.
One of my other favorites was “The Observer Effect” by E.C. Myers. It’s a superhero story, where the heroine is determined to find her favorite superhero. In addition to being a lot of fun, the story also tackles whitewashing and the need for Asian American representation.
“Rose’s Arm” by Calvin D. Jim was a pretty solid steampunk story about a one armed girl who’s desperate to help her father after her mother dies. To do so, she aims to get a mechanical limb, but what will it cost her? The ending packs a strong emotional punch.
I was ambivalent about the majority of stories in the collection. In “Memoriam” by Priya Sridhar, a robot might not just be a robot. “A Star Is Born” by Miki Dare deals with Japanese internment camps through the medium of time travel. “Spirit of Wine” by Tony Pi is a light-hearted story about two scholars who get possessed by a drunken spirit the night before their exam. “Vanilla Rice” by Angela Yuriko Smith addresses internalized racism and white beauty standards. In “DNR” by Gabriela Lee, a Filipina mortician remembers her life on Earth. “Back to Myan” by Regina Kanyu Wang has alien mermaids and remembering where you came from. “Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise” by Minsoo Kang is a historic story set in ancient China. “Joseon Fringe” by Pamela Q. Fernandes is another historic story, this time about a Korean emperor being given ideas by a time traveler. “Decision” by Joyce Chng has a pregnant spider-jinn reflecting on her life. “Moon Halves” by Anne Carly Abad is a folkloric tale where the monsters might not be entirely monstrous. In “A Visitation for the Spirit Festival” by Diana Xin, Mrs. Liu inherits a ghost and travels back to China. “The Orphans of Nilaveli” by Naru Dames Sundar is a sci-fi tale dealing with conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese.
Other stories feel on the negative side of ambivalent. The worst was probably “The Bridge of Dangerous Longings” by Rati Mehrotra, which I absolutely hated. It had what felt like a completely unnecessary sexual assault scene, and the story has a whole felt so vague and pointless. I’ve been planning on reading Rati Mehrotra’s new novel, and this story made me look forward to it less.
“The dataSultan of Streets and Stars” by Jeremy Szal had some interesting ideas but felt needlessly violent. I also wasn’t so fond of the characters. “My Left Hand” by Ruhan Zhao was just plain boring. I can hardly remember what happened in “Udātta Śloka” by Deepak Bharathan. “Crash” by Melissa Yuan-Innes had potential, but it ended much too soon, just where I felt like the story was about to really start.
Like all short story collections, Where the Stars Rise is a mixed bag. There were some highlights and stories I’d recommend, but there were too many stories I was “meh” on for me to really recommend this collection as a whole.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
alexandra_92's review against another edition
4.0
I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of the few times a publisher on NetGalley granted my wish! And this anthology was an adventure, though space and regions where every part of the human psyche was covered. From lovers and drug dealers to revenge and politics this book has a gorgeous cast, amazing authors who I am going to check too (since I know only Amanda Sun!) and a glorious representation of the Asian culture, even through the spectrum of the sci-fi genre!
Truly recommended!
This was one of the few times a publisher on NetGalley granted my wish! And this anthology was an adventure, though space and regions where every part of the human psyche was covered. From lovers and drug dealers to revenge and politics this book has a gorgeous cast, amazing authors who I am going to check too (since I know only Amanda Sun!) and a glorious representation of the Asian culture, even through the spectrum of the sci-fi genre!
Truly recommended!
pagesandprozac's review against another edition
4.0
anthologies, especially by multiple authors, are notoriously hit and miss; however i am pleased to announce that this one was mostly hits. the stories were very unique and varied, which meant i didn't get bored reading any of them. my favourites were old souls by fonda lee (which was absolutely bloody brilliant and one of the best short stories i've ever read; it's worth getting this anthology just for this one to be honest) and the datasultan of streets and stars by jeremy szal.