sanmeow's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
i did find something to love about every story in here, and i love to support trans people in literature and everywhere else. most weren't extremely memorable, but undoing vampirism absolutely blew me away. i love that story. 4.5 on its own, and i'll be checking out more from the author. like yes, i want to see vampirism and being trans together, thank you very much. other than that, i also thought dreamborn and the vixen with death pursuing were super well written and beautiful. a truly magical collection, very good ^_^
parkergarlough's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
LOVED "undoing vampirism"
buttondragon's review
adventurous
hopeful
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
5.0
A variety of interesting stories about transfemmes AND fantasy settings? Oh hell yes. I really enjoyed all of these short stories, and every authors own take on how being trans would work in their fantasy setting. While the book isn’t “perfect” in a technical sense (minor spelling errors in some stories), I didn’t end up minding. It filled me with that trans joy we don’t always get in fiction.
emrythequeer's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed some of these stories and there were several where I found myself desperate to find out what happens next. However a few really weren't my cup of tea and overall the proofreading and editing was a little haphazard. A fun and varied collection of fantasy stories however, with great trans femme protagonists.
alexandratheroux's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Entertaining, adventurous, emotional, and quick. This collection has some great stories in it. A few could have benefited from slightly better copy-editing but the others outweighed any drawbacks that those missed pointed had on the tone.
Recommend highly for high fantasy fans looking for new or different voices in the genre
Recommend highly for high fantasy fans looking for new or different voices in the genre
dessa's review against another edition
4.0
This is a powerhouse of a collection. As with all short story collections, some of them didn’t ring with me, but some absolute standouts will stick with me for a long time. My faves: “the vixen, with death perusing” by Izzy Wasserstein; “undoing vampirism” by Lilah Sturges; “I shall remain” by Kari Chang Thom; “dreamborn” by Kylie Ariel Bemis; “perisher” by Crystal Fraser. Yes, you read that right: almost half of the stories in this collection are my faves. I’m telling you: this is a powerhouse of a collection.
readingtrees's review
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
this anthology is tough, and beautiful, and my gods there is something painful in reading other trans femmes even in our fantasy worlds.
Spoiler
dealing with weaponized misgenderingerinsbookshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bookalchemist's review against another edition
4.0
As is typical of anthologies, some stories are weaker than others, and often the strongest are at the end. Overall though, very heartwarming stories of queer experience in fantasy settings.