jazzyjan94's review against another edition
3.0
Patrice Caldwell brings a collection of sixteen stories written by sixteen authors of color, all about black girl magic. Each story has fantasy or science fiction elements, and transports readers to alternative universes, Hispaniola in 1522, New Mexico in 1880, to a Middle-Eastern inspired fantasy world, as well as many others. Each character will have to fight against tyrannical rulers, or slave owners, or figure out a way to save the world from aliens. Readers will also come in contact with vampires, unicorns and mermaids. Some of the stories deal with family curses, or the ability to see how decisions will influence the future. Each story will take readers on an exciting journey that will leave them wanting more.
Since this review is on an anthology of each story, I will be providing a brief review of each story in the collection, as well as any themes that are discussed in the book. The first story is When Life Hands You Lemon Fruit Bombs by Amerie. This was an interesting science fiction story that takes readers on a bit of mind-trip towards the very end. It deals with the concepts of first contact, interplanetary wars and the birth of a civilization. One main theme in this story is that of compassion and humanness. Both Mae and Santos struggle with how the Nokira (the alien race) are treated, and they even set them free before the rest of the humans head back to earth. Mae often observes that there is something almost human about the Nokira, even if there might not be.
The second story in this collection is Gilded by Elizabeth Acevedo which takes place just before the slave revolts on Santa Domingo in 1522. There is an element of magical realism since the main character, Eula, has some sort of magic that allows her to manipulate metals. This is essentially a story about the fight for freedom, and will leave readers wanting more. The next story was Wherein Abigail Fields Recalls Her First Death and, subsequently, Her Best Life by Rebecca Roanhorse. This was a weird tale set in the Wild West, more specifically New Mexico in 1880. This particular story deals with seeking vengeance and making a deal with the devil, or in this case the spirits of the desert. It was really fast-paced and seemed to be over as soon as it began.
Story number four was The Rules of the Land by Alaya Dawn Johnson which was an interesting story about angry sea goddesses, deals made to save a country and the breaking of one's oath. This story was a little confusing in a couple of places it felt like something important would take place but it was glossed over. The fifth story was A Hagiography of Starlight by Somaiya Doud. It is a Middle Eastern inspired tale about a girl who falls in love with a divine being and how her actions serve as a catalyst for the events that will lead to the end of the world. This was a great short story that id a great job at explaining things and provided a great plot in 20+ pages, and the ending was very satisfying. The next story was Melie by Justina Ireland, an interesting fantasy story in which a young woman discovers that the High Sorcerer of the land is trying to create a diversion within the kingdom in order to help another country invade it. It has a strong theme of believing and advocating for oneself and it also has mermaids, dragons and unicorns.
The seventh story is The Goddess Provides by L. L. McKinley. All throughout this story the theme of hypocrisy is woven through fantasy tale, especially since the goddess of this society empowers Akkia, who is considered a heathen, and tells her that the ones who are truly heathens are those who claim to be devout her but commit horrific acts in her name. It also includes a theme of betrayal and deceit when it turns out her brother is still alive and is behind everything. The ninth story is Hearts Turned to Ash by Dhonielle Clayton which serves a cautionary tale about giving one's heart away and making some the center of your universe and how the heartbreak feels awful. Although in this case, Etta's heart is literally being turned to ash and she has to go visit a conjure woman to heal her. This was a magical realism that contained some influences of voodoo and hoodoo.
The next story in this anthology is Letting the Right One In by Patrice Caldwell which follows Ayanna who suffers from depression and is adjusting to life in a new town and is obsessed with vampires. One day she meets a black vampire and falls in love. It is ultimately about feeling out of place in a new environment but eventually finding someone that make you feel like you belong. Tender-headed by Danny Lore was an interesting but weird story, but its main theme was to take pride in what you do and to be kind. The next story was Kiss the Sun by Ibi Zoboi which is about a group of fire witches who feat on evil souls at night. It ends up becoming a story about a fight for power which they think comes from having a lighter-skinned body, however it leads to some major discord amongst the group.
The twelfth story is The Actress by Danielle Paige abut Gamine who plays a witch on TV, but what happens when she discovers that she might actually be a witch? There is a lot of good build-up to Gamine's discovery and there was also some indications of the facts that she is indeed a witch. However, it does promote the trope of the main character not being like other girls, but it is executed pretty well in this story. The next story is The Curse of Love by Ashley Woodfolk which is all about a family that is cursed to charming and beautiful, but they cannot fall love because when they do they immediately start aging and die. Therefore they try to guard themselves from finding love, but eventually they all succumb to love's spell. All the Time in the World by Charlotte Nicole Davis follows Jordan, who discovers that she has the ability to make time stand still and it touches on corporate greed and environmental issues and how people tend to care about a cause when it is affecting them directly. Another interesting feature of this story is that it is told in the 2nd person.
The second to last story of this collection is The Witch's Skin by Karen Strong which is an interesting mix of both fantasy and sci-fi about a witch that haunts an island and steals the souls of men. The main character, Nalah, wants to kill the witch because she killed her true love, however she discovers that the witch has been masquerading as her mother for seventeen years. The Boo Hag tells her that her life is a lie and that everyone on the island has been deceived by the Council. It also touches a little bit on misogyny. The final story is Sequence by J. Marcelle Corrie in which there is a software that can help people see how certain decisions can affect their future. In this case we see Eden trying to decide whether to tell her crush that she likes her and we see the scenario where she does nothing and the one when she makes her move. The point being that even the smallest decisions can end up having an impact on our future and happiness.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories, although some of them had content that I don't really like. I also wish some of them had been a bit longer, but I loved how each story was unique. 3.5/5 Stars.
Since this review is on an anthology of each story, I will be providing a brief review of each story in the collection, as well as any themes that are discussed in the book. The first story is When Life Hands You Lemon Fruit Bombs by Amerie. This was an interesting science fiction story that takes readers on a bit of mind-trip towards the very end. It deals with the concepts of first contact, interplanetary wars and the birth of a civilization. One main theme in this story is that of compassion and humanness. Both Mae and Santos struggle with how the Nokira (the alien race) are treated, and they even set them free before the rest of the humans head back to earth. Mae often observes that there is something almost human about the Nokira, even if there might not be.
The second story in this collection is Gilded by Elizabeth Acevedo which takes place just before the slave revolts on Santa Domingo in 1522. There is an element of magical realism since the main character, Eula, has some sort of magic that allows her to manipulate metals. This is essentially a story about the fight for freedom, and will leave readers wanting more. The next story was Wherein Abigail Fields Recalls Her First Death and, subsequently, Her Best Life by Rebecca Roanhorse. This was a weird tale set in the Wild West, more specifically New Mexico in 1880. This particular story deals with seeking vengeance and making a deal with the devil, or in this case the spirits of the desert. It was really fast-paced and seemed to be over as soon as it began.
Story number four was The Rules of the Land by Alaya Dawn Johnson which was an interesting story about angry sea goddesses, deals made to save a country and the breaking of one's oath. This story was a little confusing in a couple of places it felt like something important would take place but it was glossed over. The fifth story was A Hagiography of Starlight by Somaiya Doud. It is a Middle Eastern inspired tale about a girl who falls in love with a divine being and how her actions serve as a catalyst for the events that will lead to the end of the world. This was a great short story that id a great job at explaining things and provided a great plot in 20+ pages, and the ending was very satisfying. The next story was Melie by Justina Ireland, an interesting fantasy story in which a young woman discovers that the High Sorcerer of the land is trying to create a diversion within the kingdom in order to help another country invade it. It has a strong theme of believing and advocating for oneself and it also has mermaids, dragons and unicorns.
The seventh story is The Goddess Provides by L. L. McKinley. All throughout this story the theme of hypocrisy is woven through fantasy tale, especially since the goddess of this society empowers Akkia, who is considered a heathen, and tells her that the ones who are truly heathens are those who claim to be devout her but commit horrific acts in her name. It also includes a theme of betrayal and deceit when it turns out her brother is still alive and is behind everything. The ninth story is Hearts Turned to Ash by Dhonielle Clayton which serves a cautionary tale about giving one's heart away and making some the center of your universe and how the heartbreak feels awful. Although in this case, Etta's heart is literally being turned to ash and she has to go visit a conjure woman to heal her. This was a magical realism that contained some influences of voodoo and hoodoo.
The next story in this anthology is Letting the Right One In by Patrice Caldwell which follows Ayanna who suffers from depression and is adjusting to life in a new town and is obsessed with vampires. One day she meets a black vampire and falls in love. It is ultimately about feeling out of place in a new environment but eventually finding someone that make you feel like you belong. Tender-headed by Danny Lore was an interesting but weird story, but its main theme was to take pride in what you do and to be kind. The next story was Kiss the Sun by Ibi Zoboi which is about a group of fire witches who feat on evil souls at night. It ends up becoming a story about a fight for power which they think comes from having a lighter-skinned body, however it leads to some major discord amongst the group.
The twelfth story is The Actress by Danielle Paige abut Gamine who plays a witch on TV, but what happens when she discovers that she might actually be a witch? There is a lot of good build-up to Gamine's discovery and there was also some indications of the facts that she is indeed a witch. However, it does promote the trope of the main character not being like other girls, but it is executed pretty well in this story. The next story is The Curse of Love by Ashley Woodfolk which is all about a family that is cursed to charming and beautiful, but they cannot fall love because when they do they immediately start aging and die. Therefore they try to guard themselves from finding love, but eventually they all succumb to love's spell. All the Time in the World by Charlotte Nicole Davis follows Jordan, who discovers that she has the ability to make time stand still and it touches on corporate greed and environmental issues and how people tend to care about a cause when it is affecting them directly. Another interesting feature of this story is that it is told in the 2nd person.
The second to last story of this collection is The Witch's Skin by Karen Strong which is an interesting mix of both fantasy and sci-fi about a witch that haunts an island and steals the souls of men. The main character, Nalah, wants to kill the witch because she killed her true love, however she discovers that the witch has been masquerading as her mother for seventeen years. The Boo Hag tells her that her life is a lie and that everyone on the island has been deceived by the Council. It also touches a little bit on misogyny. The final story is Sequence by J. Marcelle Corrie in which there is a software that can help people see how certain decisions can affect their future. In this case we see Eden trying to decide whether to tell her crush that she likes her and we see the scenario where she does nothing and the one when she makes her move. The point being that even the smallest decisions can end up having an impact on our future and happiness.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories, although some of them had content that I don't really like. I also wish some of them had been a bit longer, but I loved how each story was unique. 3.5/5 Stars.
tmd1993's review against another edition
5.0
A great read. I don’t usually like short stories, I want things more fleshed out that I can really dive into. But I had a great time with this book. It especially meant a lot to me as a black woman who has always wanted to see myself in fantasy and sci-fi books. Not fighting off slavery or racism, but fighting off dragons and what not. This book made me feel so seen and I love it!
larasoares187's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
zoya_neela's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lovely introduction to some authors that have not yet had the time to read. Also, a lovely way to learn more about those that I have read. Would I recommend this to others? Yes! What can I say, Octavia E. Butler inspired stories are my thing.
bexwalsh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
autumnleeves's review against another edition
I always go into short story anthologies knowing it's a mixed bag of stories I'll love and stories that won't work for me. This anthology had very little of the latter - there were maybe two stories I found slightly confusing, but otherwise I enjoyed everything else.
My favorites:
- All the Time in the World by Charlotte Nicole Davis
- Letting the Right One In by Patrice Caldwell
- Melie by Justina Ireland
My favorites:
- All the Time in the World by Charlotte Nicole Davis
- Letting the Right One In by Patrice Caldwell
- Melie by Justina Ireland
taraminter's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lisserd93's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
g_a_denholm's review against another edition
3.0
Unfortunately I hit a slump when I started this book. Like most anthologies, there were some REALLY good stories in here that I would give 5 stars and look forward to the young authors next work...which I still will do that. Others were not my cup of tea.
Regardless, I'm all about this project. Love to see young authors write their story and incorporate fantasy and sci-fi with appropriate handling of issues concerning race and sexuality in the Coming-of-Age story trope.
Regardless, I'm all about this project. Love to see young authors write their story and incorporate fantasy and sci-fi with appropriate handling of issues concerning race and sexuality in the Coming-of-Age story trope.
dragongirl271's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Racism, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Body horror