A review by thatgirlwho_reads
Common Bonds: An Aromantic Speculative Anthology by C.T. Callahan, B.R. Sanders, Claudie Arseneault, RoAnna Sylver
3.0
Firstly, I'm so glad this anthology exists. It is so important that this book exists. However, it didn't quite meet my expectations which was a shame. I was a little confused why some of the pieces were included as they seemed to just happen to feature themes other than romance? As opposed to being inherently related to queerness and aromanticism which is what I wanted. Or perhaps this is a fault of my interpretations which I full accept could be the case. But I also felt let down by the quality of writing. Some were difficult to follow or just poorly written. Having said this, others felt much more in keeping with the theme, well written and enjoyable.
My top 5 were:
1) Avi Silva - "A Full Deck": so much fun, quirky, badass, fast paced, wonderfully queer characters, friendship-focused, strong setting, intriguing RPG concept.
2) Adriana C. Grigore - "Seams of Iron": beautifully written, fairy tale-esque, reminded me of The Six Swans but better, curses, witches, female friendship-focused.
3) Jeff Reynolds - "Fishing Over the Bones of a Dragon": stunning writing, beautiful imagery, Alice in Wonderland vibes, quiet but powerful, family-focused.
4) Morgan Swim - "The Aromantic Lovers" quirky, unique concept, hopeful, great analogy between scent and presenting identity.
5) Ian Mahler- "Discography": short but sweet, incredibly relatable, heartwrenching.
I would love to see more from these writers in particular and more aro books being published in future. Keep em coming because I'll keep reading them!!
My top 5 were:
1) Avi Silva - "A Full Deck": so much fun, quirky, badass, fast paced, wonderfully queer characters, friendship-focused, strong setting, intriguing RPG concept.
2) Adriana C. Grigore - "Seams of Iron": beautifully written, fairy tale-esque, reminded me of The Six Swans but better, curses, witches, female friendship-focused.
3) Jeff Reynolds - "Fishing Over the Bones of a Dragon": stunning writing, beautiful imagery, Alice in Wonderland vibes, quiet but powerful, family-focused.
4) Morgan Swim - "The Aromantic Lovers" quirky, unique concept, hopeful, great analogy between scent and presenting identity.
5) Ian Mahler- "Discography": short but sweet, incredibly relatable, heartwrenching.
I would love to see more from these writers in particular and more aro books being published in future. Keep em coming because I'll keep reading them!!