Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'
The Alchemy of Sorrow by Sarah Chorn, Levi Jacobs, M. L. Wang, Carol A. Park, Krystle Matar, Angela Boord, Intisar Khanani, Virginia McClain, Rachel Emma Shaw, K.S. Villoso, Madolyn Rogers, Quenby Olson, Clayton W. Snyder, Sonya M. Black
1 review
bookishbrenbren's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This anthology collects SFF stories of grief, sorrow, and loss from some of the genre's best indie authors. Stories range from characters with chronic pain to debilitating depression to loss of loved ones. Please check content warnings and tread with care.
Even though I know and love a lot of these authors, I was surprised by how much I loved this collection. Grief isn't really my favorite thing to read about, and I think a lot of us SFF readers prefer the genre as it allows us to escape into worlds so different than our own, but we forget that what we love most about these books are the characters who are so entirely relatable. This collection gives us SFF characters dealing with the traumas we all have to go through, because to live is to lose. It also showed me how much of SFF already addresses these topics, as some of these stories felt like they'd been pulled from the pages of favorite novels.
Lullaby by KS Villoso - a story about a woman whose identity is so thoroughly tied up in the home she lost as a child and her adolescence as an outsider that she cannot find a way to belong, to live. Told from the perspective of her unborn fetus, it's quite creative; it's also really sad, it made me cry. 4 stars
Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black - a phoenix rider whose body is no longer able to fly must set their phoenix free while mourning their old self. Also made me cry. 5 stars.
A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord - a card player with a drinking habit tries to live a straight life to prove his worth to the wife who has already moved on; also, adventure is afoot. (I couldn't stand the main character and his arc made no sense to me) 3.5 stars.
A Recurrence of Jasmine by Levi Jacobs - an old god is bored with life and surrounded by supplicating viziers vying for his favor, in an effort to keep him alive they send entertainers of all sort before him before turning to maids, where our main character comes in - in an effort to keep her son alive and earn their freedom, she befriends the god. (I really enjoyed the premise and storytelling, this might be my favorite of the bunch). 4.5 Stars
Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanari - a young girl takes on the responsibilities of her household, despite having been scarred by trauma. (story is YA) 4 stars
The Witch in the Wood by Quenby Olson - a woman must give up her life and her daughter to save her daughter's life. 4 stars
Their by Virginia McClain - the protagonist fights a guardian for the chance to wield time and to see a loved one. 4 Stars
Thicker Than Water by Carol A. Park - a boy is betrayed by his family and mourns the life he thought he had. This was another favorite. 5 stars
Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang - a young man on his way to a scholarship must reconnect with the family he left behind and make amends. This was so unique and one of the only Sci-Fi stories in this collection, I loved how different the voice here was. 5 stars
Summer Souls by Clayton Snyder - A girl is visited each year by a traveling machinist/performer, not realizing the cost of his magic. (I didn't understand the ending or the arc of the story) 3 stars.
Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw - In a world where mental traumas leave physical scars, choosing to reveal those scars to other people is an act of great vulnerability. I loved the premise of this story/world so much, I love the resolution, the commentary on class, lots of things. 5 stars.
The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers - when grief is too great for this healer, she chooses numbness instead - drowning out the good with the bad. I thought this was good writing and a good story but the plot/arc was standard, somewhat formulaic, predictable. 4 stars
The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar - a son loses his parents and must process all the associated feelings. (I'm not sure if this qualifies as SFF?) I liked the world building... But the story was very much just the processing of feelings of grief, doubt, regret, anxiety, etc. that come along with burying loved ones.
Even though I know and love a lot of these authors, I was surprised by how much I loved this collection. Grief isn't really my favorite thing to read about, and I think a lot of us SFF readers prefer the genre as it allows us to escape into worlds so different than our own, but we forget that what we love most about these books are the characters who are so entirely relatable. This collection gives us SFF characters dealing with the traumas we all have to go through, because to live is to lose. It also showed me how much of SFF already addresses these topics, as some of these stories felt like they'd been pulled from the pages of favorite novels.
Lullaby by KS Villoso - a story about a woman whose identity is so thoroughly tied up in the home she lost as a child and her adolescence as an outsider that she cannot find a way to belong, to live. Told from the perspective of her unborn fetus, it's quite creative; it's also really sad, it made me cry. 4 stars
Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black - a phoenix rider whose body is no longer able to fly must set their phoenix free while mourning their old self. Also made me cry. 5 stars.
A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord - a card player with a drinking habit tries to live a straight life to prove his worth to the wife who has already moved on; also, adventure is afoot. (I couldn't stand the main character and his arc made no sense to me) 3.5 stars.
A Recurrence of Jasmine by Levi Jacobs - an old god is bored with life and surrounded by supplicating viziers vying for his favor, in an effort to keep him alive they send entertainers of all sort before him before turning to maids, where our main character comes in - in an effort to keep her son alive and earn their freedom, she befriends the god. (I really enjoyed the premise and storytelling, this might be my favorite of the bunch). 4.5 Stars
Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanari - a young girl takes on the responsibilities of her household, despite having been scarred by trauma. (story is YA) 4 stars
The Witch in the Wood by Quenby Olson - a woman must give up her life and her daughter to save her daughter's life. 4 stars
Their by Virginia McClain - the protagonist fights a guardian for the chance to wield time and to see a loved one. 4 Stars
Thicker Than Water by Carol A. Park - a boy is betrayed by his family and mourns the life he thought he had. This was another favorite. 5 stars
Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang - a young man on his way to a scholarship must reconnect with the family he left behind and make amends. This was so unique and one of the only Sci-Fi stories in this collection, I loved how different the voice here was. 5 stars
Summer Souls by Clayton Snyder - A girl is visited each year by a traveling machinist/performer, not realizing the cost of his magic. (I didn't understand the ending or the arc of the story) 3 stars.
Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw - In a world where mental traumas leave physical scars, choosing to reveal those scars to other people is an act of great vulnerability. I loved the premise of this story/world so much, I love the resolution, the commentary on class, lots of things. 5 stars.
The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers - when grief is too great for this healer, she chooses numbness instead - drowning out the good with the bad. I thought this was good writing and a good story but the plot/arc was standard, somewhat formulaic, predictable. 4 stars
The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar - a son loses his parents and must process all the associated feelings. (I'm not sure if this qualifies as SFF?) I liked the world building... But the story was very much just the processing of feelings of grief, doubt, regret, anxiety, etc. that come along with burying loved ones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Abandonment, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Infertility
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Alcoholism, Confinement, Colonisation, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Child death
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