ARC Review: Short Story Collection

Buried Deep by Naomi Novik

Publication Date: September 17, 2024

Summary from Netgalley:

From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the gothic magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik’s most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:

• A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.

• The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon’s egg and bonds with the hatchling.

• A young bride in the Middle Ages who finds herself gambling with Death for the highest of stakes.

• A delightful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.

• The first glimpse of the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik’s upcoming epic fantasy series—a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.

Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise.

ARC provided by Random House via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

Writing reviews for short story collections is always hard, but it is especially so when the collection is such a fabulous one. I really enjoyed reading all of these stories and could probably write paragraphs about each one, but I will keep things brief for you and also so that you will be intrigued enough to want to go and read it yourself.

Buried Deep is a wonderful sampling of this author’s style and shows the depth of her imagination. All but one of these stories have been published before in other anthologies but it is really nice to have them all in one place now. Some of them are stories that take place in worlds already created and it was so much fun to revisit them. Others are totally new, but just as well done and fascinating to read. Let’s take a quick look at each of them.

Araminta, or , The Wreck of the Amphidrake: This one starts off a bit slow but once it gets going is a wonderful look at how Araminta was able to cheat her way into a life that works for her, with a little magical help.
After Hours: This book takes place in the world of the Scholomance, but after the events of the series. This was a great look at how the school has changed, but is really just the same as ever.
Vici: This is one of my favorites. It takes place in the Temeraire world and it is a story about the first person to use a dragon to his advantage. It is set in Roman times and I just loved the dragon.
Buried Deep: This one is based on the Greek Myth about the Labyrinth and was the saddest of the stories. It was an excellent retelling though.
Spinning Silver: This one is set, as you might guess, in the Spinning Silver world. In fact it is the short story that started the book. I have not read that book, but I loved the story. I really like how she twisted the fairytale into a totally new story with a strong female lead.
Commonplaces: Was another favorite. In this one we learn what happens to Irene Adler, a Sherlock Holmes character, the only one that got away. This was a great story and a must read for Sherlock fans.
Seven: Another favorite. I loved the setting and the characters. This one is about a city that has seven statues that sing, and how one woman uses her skills as a potter to outwit death.
Blessings: Another great fairytale retelling, this one loosely based on Sleeping Beauty. Fans of T. Kingfisher’s retellings will really like this one. I loved the ending and how the young lady changed her story.
Lord Dunsany’s Teapot: This story was also on the sad side. It take place in the trenches of WWI and involves a teapot that may or may not have been a good luck charm.
Seven Years From Home: This is a great science fiction read that I would love to see expanded into a whole novel. What a great look at colonialism and how we earthers love to destroy things.
Dragons and Decorum: Another set in the Temeraire world, but this one is a Pride and Prejudice retelling. I love that Elizabeth is the one who gets to be the dragon rider, but the romance is still swoon worthy.
Castle Coeurlieu: This is another story about death and takes place in medieval times. The very young bride, 12, plays a game of cards with death to save lives during the plague.
The Long Way Around: This is the only story that has not yet been published, and it also gives a glimpse into the author’s next series. This was a fantastic story that I really enjoyed and I can’t wait to read the book based on it. It is about a long journey at sea, but also looks at siblings and love and how sometimes we have to leave the ones we love behind.

If you are a fan of this author, than this is a must read. If you have not read her work before, this would be a nice introduction to her work. All of these work well as standalones and give a solid grounding to her style of writing and the marvelous worlds that she creates.