Scan barcode
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
Although uneven in terms of quality, with a few stories that strayed a little too far from ‘fantastical’ for my tastes, the fact that a collection like Maiden, Mother, Crone is a collection that’s well worth the read.
What stood out most for me, and what I think distinguishes this from similar collections, is that while these are stories featuring transgender women, they are not necessarily about being transgender. In fact, gender is almost an afterthought in many of the stories, something mentioned in passing. There are no big reveals or shocking twists, just a simple acknowledgement of identity.
Gwen Benaway’s Mountain God was a stronger opener to the collection, a vintage sort of sword-and-sorcery tale of two mercenaries who are thrown into the role of heroes. There are some interesting thoughts on obligation and duty here, and the friends-to-lovers aspect is deeply intertwined with Aoyas’ anxiety as a Marked (i.e. transgender) woman.
Forest’s Edge by Audrey Ves follows that up with a fairy-tale inspired story that explores gender, parenthood, and the love for another woman. It’s a melancholy story, with a dreamy aspect to the temptations of the fey. The Vixen, With Death Pursuing by Izzy Wasserstein was a strange sort of story, and one that feels frustratingly unfinished, but it’s full of beautiful language and some breathtaking imagery.
Ellen Mellor’s Freeing the Bitch was, far and away, my favorite story of the collection. It’s a fun, female-fronted tale about a classic, yet nontraditional group of adventurers on a high fantasy quest. Gender is very much a part of this, with hints and suggestions and even some red herrings throughout, and the way they stand up for one another is fantastic. I desperately want to read more of these women – especially Sindy and the Bitch – whether it be more stories or a full-length novel.
The Knighting by Alexa Fae McDaniel and Undoing Vampirism by Lilah Sturges are the two stories in the collection that are almost entirely about gender. Personally, I felt Knighting was the stronger of the two, with the philosophical debate/discussion between accepting the honor of being knighted and suffering under the weight of being called ‘Sir’ well done. I liked Vampirism, and thought it was quite clever, but it was more scene and less story.
Kylie Ariel Bemis’ Dreamborn is probably the darkest, heaviest story in the collection, re-imagining the horrors of colonization and residential schools on a fantasy-inspired alien landscape. It’s an exceptional tale, with a uniquely strong woman at the forefront and questions of gender – for her and her daughter – underlying it all. I wondered what it was all building to, and was worried it might devolve into some cliched battle, but the spiritual, emotional way in which Bemis resolves the climax is fantastic.
What stood out most for me, and what I think distinguishes this from similar collections, is that while these are stories featuring transgender women, they are not necessarily about being transgender. In fact, gender is almost an afterthought in many of the stories, something mentioned in passing. There are no big reveals or shocking twists, just a simple acknowledgement of identity.
Gwen Benaway’s Mountain God was a stronger opener to the collection, a vintage sort of sword-and-sorcery tale of two mercenaries who are thrown into the role of heroes. There are some interesting thoughts on obligation and duty here, and the friends-to-lovers aspect is deeply intertwined with Aoyas’ anxiety as a Marked (i.e. transgender) woman.
Forest’s Edge by Audrey Ves follows that up with a fairy-tale inspired story that explores gender, parenthood, and the love for another woman. It’s a melancholy story, with a dreamy aspect to the temptations of the fey. The Vixen, With Death Pursuing by Izzy Wasserstein was a strange sort of story, and one that feels frustratingly unfinished, but it’s full of beautiful language and some breathtaking imagery.
Ellen Mellor’s Freeing the Bitch was, far and away, my favorite story of the collection. It’s a fun, female-fronted tale about a classic, yet nontraditional group of adventurers on a high fantasy quest. Gender is very much a part of this, with hints and suggestions and even some red herrings throughout, and the way they stand up for one another is fantastic. I desperately want to read more of these women – especially Sindy and the Bitch – whether it be more stories or a full-length novel.
The Knighting by Alexa Fae McDaniel and Undoing Vampirism by Lilah Sturges are the two stories in the collection that are almost entirely about gender. Personally, I felt Knighting was the stronger of the two, with the philosophical debate/discussion between accepting the honor of being knighted and suffering under the weight of being called ‘Sir’ well done. I liked Vampirism, and thought it was quite clever, but it was more scene and less story.
Kylie Ariel Bemis’ Dreamborn is probably the darkest, heaviest story in the collection, re-imagining the horrors of colonization and residential schools on a fantasy-inspired alien landscape. It’s an exceptional tale, with a uniquely strong woman at the forefront and questions of gender – for her and her daughter – underlying it all. I wondered what it was all building to, and was worried it might devolve into some cliched battle, but the spiritual, emotional way in which Bemis resolves the climax is fantastic.
surefinewhatever's review against another edition
4.0
I’m typically happy with a short story collection if it has two or three stories I can’t put down, and in this collection there were several. I had to leave bookmarks for myself so that I could go back and tally them for this review. In my opinion, things really pick up steam around the midpoint so if a reader is muddling through at the start, I strongly recommend just going out of order.
For starters, I’d read a much longer book version of “Undoing Vampirism” in a hot second. Unfortunately it’s tough to review further without spoiling anything.
“The Vixen, With Death Pursuing” was a compelling magical realism story with some hints of the Paper Magician book series in its world building.
Most of all, I think the flow of “i shall remain”, “Dreamborn”, and “Failure” is great and heartbreaking. I personally would have placed “Forest’s Edge” alongside them as well. They all intertwine elements of mythology, indigenous culture, and/or traditional fairy tales with new elements and masterful inclusion of the uniting framework of the anthology - questions, commentary, and perspective on gender and society’s perception/prescription of it.
I’d say all of the stories would be considered high fantasy, but they offer a wide range of settings and writing styles within this category. As with any anthology there were a couple reads that I just didn’t jive with, but the highs were more than high enough to make up for the lows.
For starters, I’d read a much longer book version of “Undoing Vampirism” in a hot second. Unfortunately it’s tough to review further without spoiling anything.
“The Vixen, With Death Pursuing” was a compelling magical realism story with some hints of the Paper Magician book series in its world building.
Most of all, I think the flow of “i shall remain”, “Dreamborn”, and “Failure” is great and heartbreaking. I personally would have placed “Forest’s Edge” alongside them as well. They all intertwine elements of mythology, indigenous culture, and/or traditional fairy tales with new elements and masterful inclusion of the uniting framework of the anthology - questions, commentary, and perspective on gender and society’s perception/prescription of it.
I’d say all of the stories would be considered high fantasy, but they offer a wide range of settings and writing styles within this category. As with any anthology there were a couple reads that I just didn’t jive with, but the highs were more than high enough to make up for the lows.
cutlet's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
angelsbeforeman'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.
leadpal's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5