I was interested in reading this because it has a story from my favourite author intisar khanani whose storytelling is incredible and never disappoints. I’m also looking forward to readying the rest of the authors’ work.

I had a lot of fun with these stories and I´m glad I found some new to me authors to check out.
Can highly recommend!

Love the authors and all short stories. The story by Intisar Khanani is the one that touched me the most, loved it.

A beautiful collection of stories about grief and healing. Several of them made me shed a tear or two!

I originally requested an arc of this some time ago. Unfortunately, since that time I've been through a bereavement. This meant that I wasn't sure if I was in a good place to read this book after reading through the content warnings.

It's a shame, because had I read these stories at that time I think they may have given me comfort.

This is a beautiful but bittersweet anthology that is filled with grief, tragedy and loss. I found it hauntingly comforting even though some of the stories left an ache in my chest.

My favourite and in my opinion the most harrowing is the first story; Lullaby by K.S Villoso. I thought it was clever and gut wrenching. I was interested to read it was their villain origin story for The Lost Mage Trilogy - so that has been added to my TBR pile too!

My other favourite was A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord. It just leaves you wanting. Which fits the story perfectly. Wondering about the life you could of had if not for the mistakes you made. What could have been. It was incredibly bitter sweet.

I found I enjoyed this collection more than I'd hoped. It starts off bleak, but there is also that glimmer of hope and realisation that in reality life does go on or comfort can be found when you dont realise it. It portrays loss of all kinds and I do think there is story for everyone in it, and what I mean by that is I think some or maybe all will resonate with anyone who has experienced any kind of grief.

I would suggest reading the content warnings and deciding for yourself if these stories are for you. Each story has their own content warning so you can decide what you're comfortable with.

I was provided an arc by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op in exchange for an honest review.

A marvellous anthology. I read this for the Intisar Khanani and Quenby Olson stories, and these two were definitely my favourites, but there are a lot of wonderfully heartfelt stories here and reading the book was a lovely, if sometimes emotional, experience.

Fantastic short story collection. I discovered some fantastic authors via this collection, and I have a feeling there will be something for everyone. Covering some very interesting themes, this collection felt quite emotional and raw. I could tell the authors put a lot of love in this book.

This is a great collection of short stories and I would definitely recommend checking it out. I love collections like these because they are a great way at finding and trying new authors. There will be some stories you like more than others, but overall I really enjoyed this collection.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Grief will have you thinking you are on an island by yourself. The stories contained within and the emotion they invoked were heartfelt and help you know you're not alone. Grief is a touchy subject that is handled very well by the authors. Thank you for this compilation.

The Alchemy of Sorrow is a fantasy/sci-fi anthology dealing with different types of grief. It consists of 13 stories by various talented authors (whose works I will definitely check out after reading this) and it talks about all different types of grief and sorrow, caused by different life situations. I really enjoyed how varied this collection was, there were many different topics covered, including different types of people, grief, and different reactions to it. It was very interesting to read and many of the stories had me near tears (or straight-up crying).

Overall, there weren't any stories I really disliked, all were well-written and some of the best short stories I read. If you've seen any of my reviews talking about short stories and such collections, you would know I usually find something lacking in them. Here, however, I was pleasantly surprised by how well-rounded most of the stories here were and how much I enjoyed them. I'll go over my thoughts for each story briefly (my favorites are the ones with *).

Lullaby by K.S. Villoso 2.5☆ - This was one of the stories where I felt that maybe knowing something about the world it's set in would've been beneficial. The story was well-written and complete, but I felt like I was missing the bigger picture. However, that's not the reason I'm rating this lower, it's mostly that I found the POV a bit strange and I couldn't really connect to the story because of it.

*Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black 5☆ - This story deals with grieving yourself in a way. Following a phoenix rider who due to injury and disability has to step down and retire. I loved this story and the pain of the character we follow was almost too real.

*A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord 4☆ - Following a father who wasn't really a good, present father and didn't know how to appreciate what he had until he lost it. The tone of this story is more bittersweet, as the main character knows his son is doing well, even if he cannot be present for it because he gambled away all his chances. It has a more hopeful note, of someone wanting to do better, and trying their best to earn a little bit of redemption while dealing with the sorrow of missing out on every happy moment with their child.

*A Recurrence of Jasmine by Levi Jacobs 4☆ - This story was very interesting, as I feel it encompasses many different emotions and types of grief through more than one character. It shows a young mother willing to do anything to give her baby a chance at life, a better life, even if that means entertaining a dying god. I didn't expect to love this story when I started reading it but it tugged at my heart in ways I didn't see coming.

*Twice-Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani 4.5☆ - This story follows a family, whose yard and house are plagued by pests in form of garden gnomes. Yusra, the oldest of the children, takes it upon herself to find a dragon in the woods, to get rid of the gnomes. The concept of the story seems silly, and she is successful in her task, but the story deals with so much grief and sorrow embodied in one girl. Yusra has lost her mother, and she and her father and siblings are refugees, and she is doing her damn best to keep the family from falling apart. But that is such a heavy burden for anyone, let alone a child grieving, a child living far from home, a child who's lost a parent. This was such an emotional story wrapped in a fun premise, but I was bawling by the end of it. It does not end sadly, don't get me wrong, it ends with a lot of hope but I was feeling very emotional.

*The Witch in the Woods by Quenby Olson 4.5☆ - This one also made me feel quite emotional. This was a story about a mother's sacrifice, about giving up her child in order to save them. The finality of knowing there is no other choice, and hoping the child would understand why you did it was portrayed very well here, and I really loved this story.

*Theif by Virginia McClain 5☆ - What would you do for just a bit more time with a loved one, even if you know it won't change the outcome? I was really moved by this story, grief can be a powerful motivator, and I feel like wanting more time with someone you love is

Thicker Than Water by Carol A. Park 3.5☆ - This was another story where I felt like knowing the world this is set in would be helpful. I understood the grief this dealt with, being cast out by family for something completely out of your control, something you never chose or wanted, and having to find a sense of self in the loss of everything you've known. And I truly did empathize here, but I was a bit confused by the overall setting and what exactly was going on, so that dragged me away from the point a little bit.

Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang 3.5☆ - This story probably stands out the most by its setup, it is set in a VR game. Following the death of their mother, two siblings choose different ways of coping. The brother goes as far away as he can from home, while his little sister refuses to do anything but play a game their mother also used to play. A great story about needing closure and how important support is in such moments of tragedy.

Summer Souls by Clayton Snyder 4☆ - Very interesting take on the passage of time after the loss of a loved one. It was very well written, and there was an emphasis on memories and grief what keeps someone 'alive'. I liked how it made it clear how much time passed but also made it seem like time was standing still, which I feel is a super common feeling surrounding losing someone.

Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw 3.5☆ - A great story dealing with the invisible stuff that makes it hard to exist, the pain, and disabilities. Here I was maybe a bit too focused on the world overall and I felt it drew me away from the main point of the story a bit but overall I would love to read more set in this world.

*The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers 4☆ - This was such an interesting take on dealing with grief and sorrow. What would happen if you could just literally bottle it away and not feel it? It really shows that feeling of numbness that often comes with heavy emotions and tragedy, how it can sometimes feel like a good, safe space to exist in.

*The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar 4☆ - This is the last story in the collection, and it is a very strong ending. This story is overflowing with emotion, it did such a great job of showing all different types of grieving someone and missing someone. Wanting to keep everything that relates to them, just to keep them a bit longer.

All in all, this is a very interesting collection, and I would highly recommend it. However, it does deal with some very heavy topics, so take care of yourself and check out the content warnings. I didn't add them here as there were multiple for each story, but they are listed in the book and I can share them if anyone wants to see them (you can also find them in the sample on amazon).

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Alchemy of Sorrow is an amazing collection of SFF short stories from names you would 100% recognized that deal by grief. I think it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone the fact that my favorite of all of them was "Death in the Uncanny Valley" by M. L. Wang followed closely by "Summer Souls" by Clayton Snyder. It doesn't really feel right to spoil any of the stories, but I'll tell you that I loved that we had author notes for all of them.

Also don't feel discouraged of reading this one for the topic, thought they are quite heavy I manage to get thru all of them without crying.

First of all I want to thank NetGalley for gifting me a free copy of this book.

This book was beautifully written en the stories were just amazing and I teared up multiple times.

Some stories were in my opinion better then others.

The first story with the baby and his mother was not for me. I didn’t understand it and just wasn’t enjoying it.

But there were some good stories. I really loved the story about the boy who had something to do with summoning banes and his whole family turned their back on him. This story was in my opinion the best out of the book. I teared op and almost cried because of it. You could really feel the emotions that the main character had.

The story about chronic illness was also one that really stood out for me. It was beautifully written and the message was so good.

I also loved the one about the god. In this story you have a women who really wants to go back to her baby. But she first needs to amuse the god so he doesn’t die. The god is depressed because he lost his girlfriend and he doesn’t see the point in living anymore. The women helps him see the point again. This story was so beautiful and I enjoyed it so much.

Overal this book got 3 stars. That is because is rated the stories all around 3 stars. I am also not a big fan of short stories. I do enjoy them but emotionally I can’t always connect very well because you can’t know the characters very well in a couple pages.
This book was really beautiful and I recommend everyone to read it.

Anthologies fill a necessary space in my reading history. I find short stories that feed into my favorite series and excellent stories by authors who quickly become favorites on my TBR lists. I always have at least one anthology with me wherever I go, just in case I have time to read and finish a short story. This annual contribution to my library is one I would recommend to any and everyone looking for something different.

4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Alchemy of Sorrow is a collection of fantasy and sci-fi short stories focused on grief. Each of these tales were profound, each hitting a different area of the theme in a thought-provoking and gentle way. They range from the loss of loved ones, to the loss of relationships, to the loss of health, and much more. I'll mention a few of my favourites...

Some of these stories hit me more than others. Most poignantly where the ones surrounding health. So rarely is the decline of health explained as a form of grief - many of us with chronic illnesses and disabilities find ourselves mourning who we were before the illness took hold. 'Skies on Fire' by Sonya M. Black follows a man, Lieutenant Colonel Nozaki, who due to newfound health issues can no longer perform his life's work as a phoenix flier for the Phoenix Corp. Alongside losing his work, Nozaki's mourning is illustrated through the loss of his companion, his phoenix, whom he must give up to a new flier now that he is incapable of flying her himself. 'Reliquary of the Damned' by Rachel Emma Shaw approaches the subject differently: those with illnesses wear their woes literally on their skin, visible to all. They hide them, often in shame, so they are not shunned by the "clear skins" who are rich enough to be healed. They often only bare their souls to others like them. Both stories were beautifully upsetting to read, though held a spark of hope. Whilst we mourn who we were, we often find hope and a new home in those fighting similar battles.

'Death in the Uncanny Valley' by M. L. Wang sees a brother helping his younger sister heal from the death of their mother through gaming together in VR. Video games (especially throughout the pandemic) have been pivotal in keeping people connected through large distances, and I adored how the medium was used as an exploration of grief for these characters. It's one that will stick with me.

Though I mention those three stories by name, each one of them were beautiful reads that I continue to think back on. This is definitely a collection that I will return to one day; through this anthology, I've found so many authors I'm desperate to check out!

An ARC review of the Alchemy of Sorrow: Fantasy and Sci Fi Anthology of grief and hope.

Publisher's summary:

> Here be dragons and sorcery, time travel and sorrow.

> Vicious garden gnomes. A grounded phoenix rider. A new mother consumed with vengeance. A dying god. Soul magic.

> These stories wrestle with the experience of loss—of loved ones, of relationships, of a sense of self, of health—and forge a path to hope as characters fight their way forward.

> From bestsellers and SPFBO finalists to rising voices, 13 exceptionally talented authors explore the many facets of grief and healing through the lens of fantasy and sci-fi.

Tbf, this summary does not do enough justice to this anthology. It is an excellent collection that deals with various faces of grief with a clear, non nihilist catharsis. If you are worried about letting in too much sadness into your head space with a book like this, don't. I ended up with a more hopeful feeling than raw sorrow.

I respect that they have made content warnings for each story, including even the editors note and anthologists note.

The anthologist's note says this, which imo is a much better representation of what to expect going in:

"Belatedly, we realized that this project itself is an act of alchemy. We have taken our individual sorrows, and turned them not only into stories, but into friendships, kinship... and a wondrous sense of hope, love, and even joy."

The top 3 stories for me, in terms of emotional impact were

- The Witch in the Wood by Quenby Olson which deals with heavy themes of motherhood, love, sacrifice and reconciliation. A very moving story that left me weeping.

- Thicker than Water by Carol A. Park which could be read as an allegory for coming out to an unsupportive family and it's inevitable isolation

- The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers which tells the story of a woman in denial of her grief, having withdrawn to a numb 'quiet'.

2 stories stood out to me for extremely rich world building, especially given the constraint of a short story format:

- Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw which deals with being different or invisible disability and the search for a place to fit in

- Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani which seemed like an ordinary story of a family going through a terrible loss but with dragons, but soon it becomes a lot more than that.

Some got a little too preachy and meandering, but maybe it was needed and I wasn't the right person to whom that dialogue with grief was intended. Like

- Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black which could be appreciated by someone who has lost a loved pet

- Thief by Virginia McClain which deals with a close personal loss.

Overall, the anthology contains all the different flavours of grief, loss and mourning. It is a journey to read all the myriad ways we find to cope with those.

I must add that each story has an attached artwork pertaining to it. These are eye catchingly beautiful and I can't help but wonder why don't more books do this. I've not read most of these authors and they all have such unique styles, which is nicely captured by the art.

2 stories are told in the second person voice, both are excellent stories and the pov works very well, but it took me out a little bit that they both managed to be about the theme of motherhood.

A great emotional release, if you were looking for one.

Anthologies can be a bit hit and miss because there will always be authors/ stories I it that don’t work for you. That said, this was a good collection based loosely around the theme of different types of grief. I’d read a few of the authors before but discovered new ones to track down and try out. Overall I enjoyed this collection.

This anthology broke my heart and pieced it back together again in every chapter. The Alchemy of Sorrow stays true to its title through and through. This anthology comes out on November 1st, 2022 so please go pre-order if possible!

The cover of this book? Absolutely stunning! Each piece of artwork was crafted so well to fit the stories. And every single story had something that struck me deep. The depiction of grief and hope in each story was so poignant and stinging. I was in shambles at the ones that were so rooted in despair of irreversible circumstances and familial trauma. Those ones absolutely hurt me deep. I loved the different paces and cadence to each story and the way they're ordered in this book really kept me hooked.

There are many topics in this book that I haven't experienced and yet I could feel how personal and true these stories were for each author. I can wholeheartedly say put so much effort to weave such painful yet hopeful stories in a short number of pages.

I haven't even mentioned the fantasy and sci-fi genre of it all yet. The flavour of grief is so different in each story and so is the fantasy/science fiction world and concept in all of the chapters. Every author writes wildly different worlds and characters so effortlessly. Yet, with all these differences, the core of the anthology is grief, sorrow, and the importance of hope and light within all the darkness. It was integrated so well in every single story. I felt like my pace of feeling upset and hope renewed with each story. What a magnificent group of authors and their incredible ability to make me so upset and still so warm inside my chest.

Some of the stand out stories in this for me were:
Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black
Twice-Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani
The Witch in the Woods by Quenby Olson
Thief by Virginia McClain
Thicker Than Water by Carol A. Park
The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers
The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar

I enjoyed it so much that I have submitted a request to my local library to obtain copies of this book.

Thank you to Crimson Fox Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Absolutely adored this anthology. Every story was written exceptionally well and I loved that the focus of each was centered around grief and hope. I loved each story in this anthology (particularly the story about the death god) and would definitely recommend to others.

<i> The world, after all does not run on charity, or so you tell me with a note of sorrow in your voice, a tinge of unacknowledged grief.”</i>

<i>“Things gets broken and lost and forgotten as we go through the world, things we love, things we though we couldn’t live without.”</i>

<i> The best we can hope for is not that we’re “fixed,” but that we find people who understand the ways we’ve been broken. People who stand beside us anyway. </i>

This is a beautiful anthology focused on the things we shy away from, the many ways in which people grieve and the various forms that grief and sorrow can take. Even though it is Sci-fi and fantasy based, there are many parallels to real issues facing people in the real world.

Some stories touched me or interested me more than others, which isn’t unusual in an anthology. I cried a couple times, and I felt uplifted at other times. I think there is something for everyone here. Something that might speak to you and help you along your own life journey.

My favorite stories were A Recurrence of Jasmine, Twice Domesticated Dragons, The Witch in the Wood, Summer Souls, and The Paperweight Watch.

Thank-you to all the authors for putting this anthology together. I also want to thank Netgalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for allowing me to access this free arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

13 short stories written by 13 different authors, all of them surrounding grief.
The stories are very unique and different from one another. Since they are so different you’re bound to have favorite, and some you don’t really get.
But overall I really liked the concept of the book and how it was structured!

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!