Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The stories in this story are mostly sci/fi fantasy based which I enjoyed in the beginning but I think I just needed something a little different genre-wise after a while. I did like how the stories incorporated the ace-spectrum in different ways throughout the stories. Would definitely recommend to scifi/fantasy readers for sure.

I was looking forward to this collection so much. And for the most part, I genuinely enjoyed a lot of the story. My biggest complaints are that they didn’t give you individual trigger warnings for the separate stories. I can appreciate it being listed in the beginning, but it doesn’t do too much good in the long run when the individual stories themselves are left in the air. And while I can appreciate multiple story types and genres, this collection does start to feel a little jam packed and crowded, like the truly stand out stories did not get it’s proper room to breathe. But overall, a good chuck or these stories gave me exactly what I’d been hoping for.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy of this title.

I really loved the variety of stories in this anthology. Great variety of ace rep.

Being Ace is an absolutely fantastic book with several stories of the asexual experience and journey. I love seeing books like this one with such incredible descriptors and representation in an underrepresented community of people. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Wie finde ich das?

Eine Anthologie mit ganz vielen Kurzgeschichten ums Ace sein? Hell, yes!!!

Als asexuelle Person lese ich selten Bücher, in denen ich mich wiederfinde, und meine Identität im Vordergrund steht. Natürlich ist es auch schön, wenn asexuelle Figuren einfach existieren dürfen, aber manchmal hätte ich doch gerne, wenn Asexualität eine Bühne erhält und offen thematisiert wird. Und dafür ist diese Anthologie echt perfekt.

Nicht nur finden sich darin Geschichten in den verschiedensten Genres (von Contemporary über Fantasy bis hin zur Science Fiction), sie alle drehen sich um Ace-Figuren in den verschiedenen Phasen der Selbstfindung. Mal geht es um Figuren, für die ihre Sexualität keine große Sache mehr ist, mal um einen Charakter, der sich gerade noch mit dem Gedanken arrangieren muss. Die Facetten von Asexualität, die hier gezeigt werden, gab es so wohl noch nie in einem Buch.

Und neben der sexuellen Identität, die die Hauptfiguren verbinden, finden hier auch Charaktere mit den unterschiedlichen kulturellen und ethnischen Hintergründen zusammen, Menschen mit Behinderungen oder (chronischen) Erkrankungen, verschiedene Körpertypen und Hautfarben, was eine wirklich erfrischende Leseerfahrung darstellt.

Im Großen und Ganzen...

"Being Ace" ist eine gelungene Anthologie mit vierzehn einzigartigen Geschichten, die sich alle um das gleiche Thema drehen: Asexualität. Sensibel thematisiert und mit viel Liebe in dieser Geschichtensammlung verpackt.

When I saw the cover of Being Ace, I immediately knew I wanted to read it, regardless of the genre. But when I realized it was an anthology of science fiction and fantasy stories, I was elated! And there were so many wonderful stories in this anthology, too. It’s a book that is greatly needed within the LGBTQIA+ community, and it simultaneously is a wonderful addition to the YA SFF genres.

As a whole, I absolutely loved the way the stories focus on love! I think so many people equate being ace or aromantic with not loving, and that’s a misconception that harms our community and allows people to think of aroace people as “less than human.” Oftentimes, I’ve found that aroace folks seem more than human in that they experience everything very deeply, so I was moved by these stories that show this side of being a-spec.

Additionally, I enjoyed nearly all of the stories, and I was blown away by a handful of them. “Across the Stars” by Akemi Dawn Bowman was an adorable scifi story that explored themes of loss and finding love in the midst of it. I was not surprised by how much I loved this story because Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman is one of my all-time favorite books. The way she combines grief with finding love and hope is beautiful.

“Give Up the Ghost” by Linsey Miller was the story that shocked me the most! I have to admit, I read Miller’s What We Devour, and I was not a big fan, but “Give Up the Ghost” literally brought me to tears and convinced me to add more of her books to my TBR list. The friendship in her story was beautiful, and I appreciated the way she incorporated and broke stereotypes about the ace community.

“Sealights” by Emily Victoria was possibly my favorite story in the anthology. Again, I wasn’t entirely surprised because I’ve read some of Victoria’s other work, but I was impressed by the amount of emotion she elicited from me with such a short story. I loved the way the protagonist’s story went deeper than a love story without taking away from that love story. I still think about “Sealights” now, months after first reading it.

“Moonspirited” by Anju Imura stuck out to me because it focused on the protagonist’s love for her sister. I adored the magic and whimsy in the story and the way Imura mixed it with darker themes. The originality was certainly memorable, too.

I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to like “The Third Star” by RoAnna Sylver, but it ended up being another one of my favorites. I can’t remember if Sylver explicitly stated whether the protagonist was neurodivergent, but they definitely came across as autistic, and I appreciated that representation. I also liked the polyamorous relationship in “The Third Star” and the way Slyver explored both the entire relationship and the protagonist’s individual relationship with each person in the relationship. The themes in this story really made it stand out as well.

“No Cure for Doubt” by Jas Brown was another phenomenal story! I loved the contrasting belief systems between the protagonist and the love interest, as well as the tragedy surrounding their story. This was another one that brought tears to my eyes. Similarly, I liked the theme of fighting corruption and how Brown tied being queer to being superhuman.

As a whole, this anthology really has something for everyone! I think it’s incredibly important that we have more stories that show a-spec people as human and as capable of loving. I really don’t have the words to say how much it means to have stories that depict a wide range of relationships as love, whether they’re platonic, romantic, familial, or something else entirely. It’s refreshing to see authors exploring the depths of what it means to be a-spec and how very human that makes us.

‘Being Ace’ ultimately is a collection of stories that celebrates love in all forms, not necessarily just romantic love, platonic love or even self-love. It celebrates all ace identities, experiences and perspectives. All entries are written by an ace authors making each story completely authentic. We are introduced to a broad spectrum of genres including sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, etc. so there is definitely something for everyone. Finding ace representation can be a challenge at the best of times and having a collection all in one place makes for a great reading experience. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Pagestreet and Netgalley for sending me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As with every anthology, there were some better and worse stories. The story by Akemi Dawn Bowman was my favourite (to no one's surprise).

What I didn't expect is how triggering I found some of the stories. There's a list of trigger warnings at the beginning of the collection but I wish they were listed at the beginning of every story. This way I could have skipped the story by the editor of the collection (Madeline Dyer) which dealt with eating disorders and medicalization of asexuality. It's a great and important story but it was way too triggering for me and I had to put the book down for a while after that.

It was a bit weird to me that there were so many different genres squeezed in as well. Maybe they could have been arranged better, so that half would be speculative and half contemporary so that you know what you get. It didn't really work for me.

Despite that, it's a great and necessary collection. It's amazing to have an entire book with so many writers writing stories with ace characters.

a great addition to a library collection! ace rep is hard to come by, so this was a cool title. didn't love every story, but there's something for everyone.

This is one of my favorite books of fiction centering Asexual representation. Every story is brilliant and written with care and such a wide array of perspectives and identities. I was hoping to find one or two stories I'd relate to, but I found myself connecting to every story in different ways. From haunted graveyards to intergalactic platonic bonds, my love for sci-fi and fantasy was filled with stories that showed all the beautiful ways Asexual people have to connect to the people and the world around us. When someone comes to an Ace identity, they often ask for recommendations for books, both fiction and non-fiction, to help them better understand their experiences. I have many non-fiction books I offer them, but fiction books are harder to suggest as people's taste can vary. I'm thrilled to have this anthology to share with my clients knowing there's likely to be at least a few, if not a lot, of stories that will give them that connection that they seek. Madeline Dyer curated an incredible collection of authors and I hope this is just the first of many anthologies to come from this editor.

This book had a lot of wonderful descriptions and accounts of being asexual, I was even able to show it to several students in my program to discuss asexuality. So often, ace folks are not considered when discussing sexual orientation, and many people believe that the orientation is only temporary or due to an immense trauma. Being asexual is a legitimate sexual orientation that deserves care and love.

5/5

Wow. Just wow. This anthology healed my heart a little. I am so grateful to all the authors and every person who had a part in making this book. It was beautiful, raw, and well needed. I cried just about every story. I definitely saw myself in every story. And it is so nice to finally be seen and to see those like me.

My favourite story was the one about Slayers. Did I ever think that I would be bawling over monster slayers? No. But I’m glad I did.

Every story is beautiful and insightful and was such a joy to read. I would read 100 of these anthologies and I hope they keep getting made.

Asexuality is a spectrum of identities (as is its common companion, aromanticism). Thus, the ace experience is a complex, multifaceted one, and no single story can fully capture it. That’s what makes an anthology like this so valuable: it allows for a broader intersection of perspectives. This also makes the book greater than the sum of its parts: while most of the stories in this book would get just 3 or 4 stars from me as standalones, when taken together, they create a striking exploration of the broad spectrum that is the ace experience. It encompasses a variety of genres and styles, from contemporary stories in verse to interplanetary sci-fi to high fantasy, and spans a broad cross-section of asexuality and various romantic orientations. And every story in it is from an ace author, making each narrative wholly authentic.

Most importantly, though, this is still a collection about love. Not just romantic love, but familial love, platonic love, and self-love. There is a popular misconception that being ace means being cold, heartless, or missing some fundamental aspect of humanity. The stories in this collection reject that notion, sometimes head-on, sometimes obliquely, but always unflinchingly. It is beyond validating for those of us who identify as ace–and will also, I think, be incredibly enlightening for those who are not. It’s a valuable book, and I highly recommend it.

As a final note, a few of my favorite stories in this collection were “The Mermaid’s Sister,” “Give Up the Ghost,” “Smells Like Teen Virgin,” and “Well Suited.” See below for more story and rep notes!

Story Notes
How to Love a Sidewinder
Author: Kat “Void” Yuen
Genre: fantasy
Type of ace rep: aromantic asexual
Other rep: Chinese MC, lesbian Vietnamese SC
Plot and thoughts: thoughtful story on familial acceptance of asexuality and a chilling premise (a curse to spit out a snake every time you tell a lie), with somewhat choppy writing that made for some awkward pacing, but a sweet and heartfelt ending.

Across the Stars
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Genre: science fiction
Type of ace rep: demi-biromantic asexual
Other rep: Japanese-coded MC, sapphic romance
TW/CW: death of parents, grief
Plot and thoughts: a creative premise probing deep emotional topics in remarkably few pages, as a girl who’s never left home journeys to another planet to recover a memory of her parents, with the assistance of a remote tech-support employee. I’d love to see more of this world.

Well Suited
Author: Rosiee Thor
Genre: fantasy
Type of ace rep: aromantic asexual
Other rep: aromantic agender SC, sapphic SC
Plot and thoughts: the classic social drama of royal court squabbles meets the madcap adventures of an aspiring sorcerer, with a strong platonic bond and an emphasis on friendship. Plus, an animated suit of armor!

Nylon Bed Socks
Author: Madeline Dyer
Genre: contemporary story-in-verse
Type of ace rep: asexual (romantic orientation not specified)
Other rep: asexual SC, eating disorder, dissociative identity disorder
TW/CW: fatphobia, acephobia, bullying, eating disorder, dissociation, suicidal ideation, involuntary medication, rape, mental hospitalization
Plot and thoughts: a striking commentary on the intersection of asexuality and mental illness, told in poetry that was generally clear and impactful, though a few portions grew clunky and faltered. One of the heavier installments in this collection, but also one of the hardest-hitting.

Give Up the Ghost
Author: Linsey Miller
Genre: paranormal/horror
Type of ace rep: alloromantic asexual
TW/CW: death, body horror, acephobia
Plot and thoughts: a girl whose asexuality makes her immune to predatory ghosts leads her town’s residents to visit their loved ones at the cemetery–but she has her own motivations for going, too. Part solving a murder, part romance, part confronting ace stereotypes, and all both easy and emotional.

No Such Thing as Just
Author: K. Hart
Genre: contemporary
Type of ace rep: biromantic sex-indifferent asexual
Other rep: nonbinary MC, drag queen SC
TW/CW: drug use, toxic/abusive relationship, acephobia
Plot and thoughts: this meandering slice-of-life narrative of an ace person in an unhealthy relationship was one of the only real duds in this collection for me. The characters weren’t compelling, the writing was bland, and there wasn’t much of a plot–but I did love the last line, so that’s something.

Smells Like Teen Virgin
Author: S.E. Anderson
Genre: urban fantasy
Type of ace rep: sex-repulsed asexual
Other rep: demisexual/questioning SC
TW/CW: acephobia, attempted sexual assault, violence/blood (monster hunting)
Plot and thoughts: a sex-repulsed aroace monster hunter has some serious problems when her virginity causes monsters to attack her at an unnaturally high rate–but she can’t bring herself to just have sex and get it over with. A fun, clever deconstruction of the myths surrounding “purity culture” and virginity in general. One of my favorites in this collection.

Sealights
Author: Emily Victoria
Genre: fantasy
Type of ace rep: aromantic asexual (implied)
TW/CW: death of a parent
Plot and thoughts: a girl who lives in her family’s old lighthouse struggles to catch and channel the sea’s magic, as easy-to-exploit earth magic threatens to replace her. This is one of the few stories in this collection where the character’s asexuality is not central to the narrative, and instead simply lets this character explore a friendship with no romantic suggestions. It’s a calm, beautiful story, but with a tempest of emotions at its heart.

Moonspirited
Author: Anju Imura
Genre: mythology-inspired fantasy
Type of ace rep: asexual MC and SC
TW/CW: acephobia, kidnapping
Plot and thoughts: a beautifully written story with a powerful emphasis on familial love, but an unfortunately disjointed narrative undercut some of its impact.

The Third Star
Author: RoAnna Silver
Genre: science fiction
Type of ace rep: aromantic asexual
Other rep: agender autistic MC, polyamorous queerplatonic relationship (m/f/nb), trans masc SC
TW/CW: death of a parent
Plot and thoughts: three teens trapped on an evacuating spaceship encounter the unexpected source of the mysterious howling the universe has been emitting. A refreshingly original blend of sci-fi and fantasy, with strong representation of a complex set of relationships.

The Mermaid’s Sister
Author: Moniza Hossain
Genre: fairytale retelling
Type of ace rep: aromantic asexual
Other rep: BIPOC-coded LI
TW/CW: blood, violence, kidnapping
Plot and thoughts: this is the Little Mermaid retelling I didn’t know I needed, from the perspective of one of the mermaid’s sisters who emphatically does not want to get married. Absolutely loved this.

The Hazards of Pressing Play
Author: Lara Ameen
Genre: contemporary mystery/thriller
Type of ace rep: biromantic asexual
Other rep: wheelchair-user MC with cerebral palsy and hyperacusis, sapphic asexual LI, Egyptian-American asexual SC
TW/CW: ableism, racism, kidnapping, toxic friendship, injury, death threats
Plot and thoughts: I was so excited to see an ace mystery/thriller, but friends, this was not it. The story defied all possible suspension of disbelief and was written poorly, with too many clothing descriptions, a cartoonish villain, and a contrived ending. This might have been able to work as a full-length book with more details and better integration of components, but in this form, it was kind of a mess.

No Cure for Doubt
Author: Jas Brown
Genre: science fiction
Type of ace rep: asexual (romantic orientation not specified)
Other rep: nonbinary MC with unnamed mental illness, Black SC
Plot and thoughts: a revenge/rescue mission in a futuristic society. I didn’t love this story, but I wouldn’t mind learning more about the world it takes place in; it was a little too ambitious in scope to really work as a short story. Note that this story does not use the word asexual, nor does it strongly imply asexuality, but it does center on a platonic friendship.

The Witch of Festa Falls
Author: S.J. Taylor
Genre: fantasy
Type of ace rep: aromantic asexual
Other rep: MC has chronic headaches, gay SC
Plot and thoughts: a town outcast realizes she may have a way to stop the deaths happening in the nearby forest. A charming story with a strong friendship, weaving magic, a mythological forest monster, and themes of forging your own path based on what you want for yourself. Doesn’t use the word “asexual,” but the MC’s asexuality is effectively the source of her power, which is pretty darn cool.

Being Ace is an excellent collection of stories across genres, all bonded together by the theme of ace/aro main characters. Like most anthologies, some stories will resonate more with readers than others, but on the whole, I felt this was a strong, diverse, and most importantly, necessary read. I was drawn to this anthology because representation matters (although I am allosexual!), but also because I enjoyed Akemi Dawn Bowman's brilliant Starfish and I will read anything she writes.

Predictably, "Across the Stars," Bowman's sci-fi story about a biromantic ace girl attempting to track down her dead parents' last message to her, is one of my favorites. Other standouts are:
-"Well Suited," Rosiee Thor's fantasy-lite story about a debutante and her best friend/maybe something more, Fig, who attempts to help her out of a marriage contract to disastrous results. Tons of mutual pining. Ace rep AND nonbinary rep. Amazing
-"Give Up the Ghost," Linsey Miller's contemporary fantasy about a girl who can commune with the dead and her quest to find her best friend's killer. I love me a good death-y story and this totally hits the mark
-"Smells Like Teen Virgin," S. E. Anderson's contemporary fantasy about an ace-aro monster slayer whose virgin blood attracts monsters, and her quest to determine a way to stop that without losing her virginity. The takedown of purity culture in here is astounding and Anderson's voice-y MC Artemis cracked me up
-"The Witch of Festa Falls," S. J. Taylor's haunting Nordic myth that is a 100% a must-read

Many thanks to NetGalley, Pagestreet, and editor Madeline Dyer for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

thank you to netgalley for sending me a ebook arc in exchange for an honest review!

with all short story collections, there’s gonna be some i love and some i don’t vibe with but i was expecting that. The amazing thing about this collection though is that even if i wasn’t vibing with the story necessarily, there was a level of representation that made this such a wonderful experience. i don’t get to see myself in SSF very often so this collection was healing. It had stories from some of my favorite authors and introduced me to new ones.
a wonderful collection of stories centred on a variety of ace identities and experiences 🧡

I cannot emphasize how much I loved reading Being Ace! Having such a robust crossing of genres and identities, all representing ace lives was something I would have devoured when I was exploring my own identity. These stories are perfectly bite-size, showing off the writing skills of each author and the imagination of the different worlds and characters.

This book reminded me why I love anthologies so much! I really enjoyed getting to read all of these short stories that covered such a broad range of genres and focused on a central theme of asexual representation. I'll admit that since many of the stories were fantasy and took place in pretty unique settings and worlds I often had to take breaks between stories to shift into each setting, but I personally really enjoyed that!

Many of the stories in this book did such a phenomenal job of having the asexual experience be a central piece of the story without it being the only defining feature of a character. I really appreciated the intersectional representation.

I can't lie, it was hard for me to get through this one. But I'm blaming the new job and being sick, not the quality of this book.
It felt great reading ace stories. I loved falling for these characters one after the other. I really loved the vibes for this whole anthology. Of course, like with all anthologies, I liked some stories more than others, but, overall, I had a good old ace time.
Some stories were harder for me to get through than others, some flew by, some I truly loved. Others less so but overall, I really loved this project and its execution and I want more ace books always.

This was a great anthology overall. I did not personally love every story, but I did love the asexual representation within each story. I also loved how these stories spanned many different genres.

Some personal favorites:
-Smells Like Teen Virgin
-Give Up the Ghost
-The Mermaid's Sister

I would recommend this one for fans of anthologies and anyone looking to read more asexual stories.