avoraciousreader68's review
4.0
In Fractured Earth, the Actuator split the world into different realities. A few people are trying to get the Keys that the Machine Monks created when they activated the Actuator. They need the Keys in order to restore the world to the original reality. The task seems insurmountable, but they have to try.
Borderlands gives a peek at some of the other realities and the people who inhabit them. 16 short stories tell of what’s going on in various parts of the world since the accident that changed everything.
Remembering Emily by Sara Wolf ~ Love really is a powerful emotion.
Stolen Orchid by Matthew Cox ~ Very Sci-Fi.
The Blackbird’s Tale by Dan Willis ~ Not a big fan of noir, but this is pretty good.
The Dream Journal by Nathan Yocum ~ I couldn’t make sense of this one.
The Austenation by Mara Valderran ~ A mixing of the literary world. Not bad.
Escape by Patrick Burdine ~ Creepy and…creepy. But good.
The Ritual by Whitney Trang ~ Another horror realm.
The Gatekeepers of Change by James Pratt ~ This reminds me of the show Supernatural and one of my favorite guest stars. I’m not saying who though.
The Ringer by Craig Nybo ~ I like detective stories especially when mixed with paranormal. Clever.
Anna and Lena by Jason Purdy ~ Wow. This is grim. And sad.
Once Upon a Frozen North by Jason Persson ~ Who doesn’t like Vikings?
Halfway by Jay Wilburn ~ Eeeep! Horror fans need to read this one.
The Search for Punarnav by Juhi ~ Hindu mythology made real. I love mythology but having it real is a bit too scary an image for me.
15 Seconds of Fame by Jason A. Anderson ~ Another detective story. I mentioned I like those, right?
Forever Young by Wilbert Stanton ~ Interesting concept.
Cult of the Actuation by James Wymore ~ Ah! The aftermath of book 1 with Red and Dragon Star. Likey likey!
Borderlands gives a peek at some of the other realities and the people who inhabit them. 16 short stories tell of what’s going on in various parts of the world since the accident that changed everything.
Remembering Emily by Sara Wolf ~ Love really is a powerful emotion.
Stolen Orchid by Matthew Cox ~ Very Sci-Fi.
The Blackbird’s Tale by Dan Willis ~ Not a big fan of noir, but this is pretty good.
The Dream Journal by Nathan Yocum ~ I couldn’t make sense of this one.
The Austenation by Mara Valderran ~ A mixing of the literary world. Not bad.
Escape by Patrick Burdine ~ Creepy and…creepy. But good.
The Ritual by Whitney Trang ~ Another horror realm.
The Gatekeepers of Change by James Pratt ~ This reminds me of the show Supernatural and one of my favorite guest stars. I’m not saying who though.
The Ringer by Craig Nybo ~ I like detective stories especially when mixed with paranormal. Clever.
Anna and Lena by Jason Purdy ~ Wow. This is grim. And sad.
Once Upon a Frozen North by Jason Persson ~ Who doesn’t like Vikings?
Halfway by Jay Wilburn ~ Eeeep! Horror fans need to read this one.
The Search for Punarnav by Juhi ~ Hindu mythology made real. I love mythology but having it real is a bit too scary an image for me.
15 Seconds of Fame by Jason A. Anderson ~ Another detective story. I mentioned I like those, right?
Forever Young by Wilbert Stanton ~ Interesting concept.
Cult of the Actuation by James Wymore ~ Ah! The aftermath of book 1 with Red and Dragon Star. Likey likey!
lissyiszy's review
3.0
You get quite the amount of short stories in this book, sixteen to be exact. All of them I felt were well written and I enjoyed the different ways the authors interpreted "The Actuator" for each of their stories. It just shows how creative and unique each author can be when writing a story even if it's based on a common theme.
All the stories were well edited but some stories didn't intrigue me as much as some of the others. I'm not going to say which ones, but some stories had me more on the edge of my seat while others kind of crawled along. It might be due to the limited word count but some authors developed worlds better and some developed plots or characters better. It takes me a bit to get into a story but once I do, it ends. A lot of the times I felt like the endings were too abrupt for my liking but that may also be due to the limited word count.
Overall, it was ok for me. I feel that maybe I wasn't the exact target audience for some of these stories. It's more adult than I usually read. I stick with YA and NA but I would consider most of these stories more mature. They are definitely considered fantasy or scifi in genre but you also get some sub-genre like mystery, historical, steampunk, or drama so chances are you'll find something you like. If you enjoy the more mature and serious aspects of fiction then you'll probably enjoy these stories. It just wasn't quite for me.
3.2 out of 5 rating for me!
(A copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.)
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