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A review by cjaralore
A Chronicle of Monsters: A Fantasy Anthology by Amanda Ferreira, Mawce Hanlin, Nicole Tota, Halli Starling, Rita A. Rubin, Talli L. Morgan, Taylor Hubbard, Dewi Hargreaves, Aimee Donnellan, Beau Van Dalen
4.0
A Chronicle of Monsters: A Fantasy Anthology is a carefully curated collection of short fantasy stories that all feature at least one queer character. Despite ranging in tone, from thrilling to beautiful, and having different narration styles, these stories fit together artfully well, never feeling jarring or out of place.
This attests to Rita A. Rubin's ability to not only select works that blend well but also put them in an order that flows. For example, Rita's The Beast of the Greyswood is a perfect opening story, capturing the theme of monsters while adding in elements that you'll see again in other stories to come, from hunting, to danger, to protecting a loved one, to romance, to wondering what or who is really a monster.
This leads into the second story, She Sings the Graveyard Hymn by Nicole Tota. I immediately connected to Catriona and how she's used for her gift, and her longing through the pain. It felt so visceral and immersive that her feelings became my own. It's also hauntingly beautiful.
While Lady of the Dark by Taylor Hubbard begins with the sense of both duty and connection that She Sings ends with, it quickly turns to action. This is something many fantasy readers will connect to (although less so my tastes) while still keeping the stakes and character growth.
Mightier Than the Sword by Talli L. Morgan begins with the action of Lady of the Dark, creating such danger and tragedy that I too wanted revenge. But, what unfolds after that is something I wasn't expecting and found surprisingly touching.
Oilback Beetle Symbiosis by Dewi Hargreaves creates an immersive and imaginative world even on such a small scale. It has some surprising twists and a deeper message about conflicting viewpoints, the environment, and human nature.
To Cage A God-Killer by Amanda Ferreira almost reads like a poem, with such rich visuals that it made what could have been a very dark story about betrayal, secrets, and what someone will do for glory into something ultimately empowering.
We Fellow Monsters by Mawce Hanlin brings back the protection of apprentice motif from earlier, this time between siblings on a heist. The very clear danger creates a sense of suspense throughout, up until the dramatic and tense conclusion.
Why? by Aimee Donnellan builds from the protective sentiment of someone younger to tell a story from the perspective of a newly-created being. Char's view of the world, misunderstanding, and friendship, all felt genuine and left me filled with warmth.
Atlas by Beau Van Dalen is another poetic story, this time flowing from the theme of being new to being timeless. Despite easily predicting how it would end, I was captivated by the lyrical picture it painted of longing to be seen as yourself.
Neon Needle by Halli Starling is a perfect way to end this collection, with a quirky fantasy story that combines the expected question of what's a monster, immersive world building, and romance, with humor and sass. It kept a smile on my face to the end.
A Chronicle of Monsters is filled with fantasy elements, danger, romance, and of course monsters, but every story also has queer representation. Some are pronounced and some are subtle. And, although some felt incidental to the story, some are so much a part of the story that the entire thing would fall apart without them (She Sings the Graveyard Hymn is a perfect example of this).
So, while it would have been nice to have even more stories in this collection, if you're looking for queer fantasy short stories, you'll most likey find this is what you've been waiting for.
This attests to Rita A. Rubin's ability to not only select works that blend well but also put them in an order that flows. For example, Rita's The Beast of the Greyswood is a perfect opening story, capturing the theme of monsters while adding in elements that you'll see again in other stories to come, from hunting, to danger, to protecting a loved one, to romance, to wondering what or who is really a monster.
This leads into the second story, She Sings the Graveyard Hymn by Nicole Tota. I immediately connected to Catriona and how she's used for her gift, and her longing through the pain. It felt so visceral and immersive that her feelings became my own. It's also hauntingly beautiful.
While Lady of the Dark by Taylor Hubbard begins with the sense of both duty and connection that She Sings ends with, it quickly turns to action. This is something many fantasy readers will connect to (although less so my tastes) while still keeping the stakes and character growth.
Mightier Than the Sword by Talli L. Morgan begins with the action of Lady of the Dark, creating such danger and tragedy that I too wanted revenge. But, what unfolds after that is something I wasn't expecting and found surprisingly touching.
Oilback Beetle Symbiosis by Dewi Hargreaves creates an immersive and imaginative world even on such a small scale. It has some surprising twists and a deeper message about conflicting viewpoints, the environment, and human nature.
To Cage A God-Killer by Amanda Ferreira almost reads like a poem, with such rich visuals that it made what could have been a very dark story about betrayal, secrets, and what someone will do for glory into something ultimately empowering.
We Fellow Monsters by Mawce Hanlin brings back the protection of apprentice motif from earlier, this time between siblings on a heist. The very clear danger creates a sense of suspense throughout, up until the dramatic and tense conclusion.
Why? by Aimee Donnellan builds from the protective sentiment of someone younger to tell a story from the perspective of a newly-created being. Char's view of the world, misunderstanding, and friendship, all felt genuine and left me filled with warmth.
Atlas by Beau Van Dalen is another poetic story, this time flowing from the theme of being new to being timeless. Despite easily predicting how it would end, I was captivated by the lyrical picture it painted of longing to be seen as yourself.
Neon Needle by Halli Starling is a perfect way to end this collection, with a quirky fantasy story that combines the expected question of what's a monster, immersive world building, and romance, with humor and sass. It kept a smile on my face to the end.
A Chronicle of Monsters is filled with fantasy elements, danger, romance, and of course monsters, but every story also has queer representation. Some are pronounced and some are subtle. And, although some felt incidental to the story, some are so much a part of the story that the entire thing would fall apart without them (She Sings the Graveyard Hymn is a perfect example of this).
So, while it would have been nice to have even more stories in this collection, if you're looking for queer fantasy short stories, you'll most likey find this is what you've been waiting for.