When I saw that Olivie Blake had a short story anthology coming out I JUMPED on it! I've had Blake's books on my TBR for the longest time but just haven't had the chance to commit to the series, so Im overjoyed to have been able to sample her storytelling styles with this anthology.
I highly recommend this anthology for the cozy, pensive, (lowkey) melancholy vibes perfect for welcoming autumn and winter. These stories will make you yearn, ruminate, brood, etc etc and YOU WILL LIKE IT!

4 ⭐️
This was my first Olivie Blake and I enjoyed this so much!!☺️ it was definitely very different than what I’m used to reading (I have never read short stories before) but I really enjoyed that each story had a touch of magic, fairy tales, and super captivating detail!!😍
I will say though, that I did find myself losing interest on some of the stories! My favorite one out of all was the very first story (The Wish Bridge) and I really really wished it was longer!!!😭🩷
I appreciated the narrators as well, I think for me they are the ones who made really brought the stories to life! 😍 (I received the ALC as well)

Thank you so much Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I think the concept and premise of this book is so interesting but I just couldn’t get into it. Not a single short story interested me or sucked me in and I felt like I was just flipping the pages to finish the book without taking any of it in unfortunately. I think Olivie Blake’s writing is a hit or miss for me and sadly this was a miss

4/5

With fall officially here I am retreating into fantasy worlds and there’s no better break from reality than with Olivie Blake’s upcoming collection of short stories, Januaries. Split into four seasons these fairy-touched tales strike at the monstrous, twisted, fetid, and endearing love and the magic and power-hungry beasts inside us all. The guardian of a magical bridge that grants wishes desires more than her stationary existence, vampirism allows a young woman agency and a way out of her situation, two spouses play a centuries-spanning game of murder, and more. Aided by Blake’s punchy flair and signature prose, Januaries has stories for every kind of fantasy reader. Journey through the year with stories that hit right at the heart of the seasons. While I loved all of these stories my favorites were probably Wish Bridge, The Audit, and The Animation Games. However, this entire collection is top-tier. There are certainly a lot of fantasy story collections coming out this fall, but Januaries deserves to be at the top of your list.

This review is featured in my fall book recommendations on my blog!

Januaries captivated me from the beginning. Starting with stories about wish granting and transitioning into supernatural beings, bargains, and fairy tales, it's enchanting. There's a distinct sense to each story. You can feel each of them brought to life in front of our eyes. And there's something for everyone here. I could write mini love letters to each stories. Like a collection, this feels eclectic and prismatic.

4.5 stars

I wanted to take a chance on Januaries as I haven’t connected well with Olivie Blake’s books I’ve read in the past, plus short story collections are pretty hit or miss in general. So trust me when I say I LOVE THIS!! Every single story (or absurdist poem) is whimsical and captures human experiences so brilliantly. The highlights for me include an elusive bridge keeper’s love story, a man accidentally sentenced to the Underworld by the Fates before he has done anything to deserve damnation, and a BRILLIANT piece about motherhood. There were only a couple of stories I didn’t love so this is a very strong 4.5⭐️ - this book also kinda gaslit me a bit because I think I need to totally try again with this author.

Even if, like me, you don’t reach for short stories I think if anything will change your mind it’ll be Januaries. Everything is just so right; pacing, characters, overall construction of the collection. I also think this would make a great gift for a friend if you’re not too sure what to recommend.

This was my first Olivie Blake book and now I get what all of the hype is about. Even as someone who doesn’t usually read fantasy, I loved this collection of fantasy stories, because they are so well-written and character driven. The stories in this book all centre around relationships, from sublime love stories to dark tales of revenge, so they’re still fun reading for those of us who aren’t usually into stories about fairies, witches and demons. I was surprised by how much I loved this, and now I want to binge all of the author’s books!

Januaries is a collection of fantastical stories all revolving love and relationships from beloved author Olivie Blake.
As with almost all short story collections, due to the nature of the work, it can seem difficult to rate these collections as a collaborative effort. This is definitely the case with this one as well. As a body of work, there are more triumphs than failures.
My favorite stories from this bind are:
Sucker for Pain - 5 stars
The Animation Games - 5 stars
The Wishing Bridge - 4 stars
And I openly detested Monsterlove - 1 star
Most stories were around 3/3.5 stars range.
I did notice that my enjoyment of the stories were decreasing the longer we went on in the bind up, so that definitely altered my enjoyment for the experience.
If I had to rate the collection as a whole, I’d average it out to a 3. I definitely recommend reading the stories they are interested in since Blake’s writing is beautiful regardless of their content. Regardless of my mixed feeling about this collection, I still put her up there in favorite author category.

4.75 - Januaries is banger after banger from beginning to end. I would highly recommend checking it out even if you haven’t loved Blake’s full length works.

Overall, the stories are dark and magical and a bit absurd. I really appreciate how Blake plays with format throughout.

Monsterlove, in particular, is a mesmerizing piece of art that I can’t get out of my head. Definitely the standout of the bunch for me.

Thanks so much to Tor for providing an advanced digital copy for me to review!

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Januaries, a stunning collection of short fiction featuring fourteen magical ruminations on life, death, and the love - or desire for revenge - that outlasts both.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, a wish-granting spirit rapidly approaches burnout. Meanwhile, a banished fairy answers a Craigslist ad, a Victorian orphan navigates an occult situationship, and a multiverse assassin contemplates the one who got away.

With both iconic fan-favorite stories and entirely original pieces, Januaries features modified fairy tales, contemporary heists, absurdist poetry, and at least one set of actual wedding vows. Escape the slow trudge of mortality by diving into these enchanting new worlds with a master of imagination."

I'm usually against short story collections. But this week has two that are the exception to the rule.

Genre: speculative fiction short stories
Narrated by Alexandra Palting; Daniel Henning; David Monteith; Ferdelle Capistrano; Olivie Blake; Stephanie Németh-Parker; Steve West

I'm a sucker for speculative fiction short stories, and in this collection from Olivie Blake, I'm happiest with the ones that veers more towards the speculative than the fantasy. For me the ideal short story is one that leaves you thinking, rather than presenting you with a beginning-middle-end. The stories that make you wonder and reflect on your own nature as a human and as a reader. There is a good mix for any reader, though, with some jaunts through faerie and a beautiful passage about marriage that would work well for a wedding reading, some dark and twisty murder plots, and a thought exercise about getting paid your life's worth in advance.

The audiobook is very well produced - there are different narrators for different stories, which keeps you engaged from one to the next. The stories themselves are also well organized, varying in length and grouped by tone: spring, summer, autumn, winter.

I've only read one of Blake's novels to date, and it was *fine* for me. Enjoyable, some clever moments, but not quite a fit for me as a reader. This collection on the other hand was excellent. Her writing is showcased in the tight structures with limited word counts. It's no that there isn't room for fluff or style, but these hold their shape in a way I find really appealing.

This short story collection was an absolute delight. There were such a variety of stories, but shared themes of magic and love, which happen to be my favorite things to read about!

I adored the writing, I was constantly stopping to read my husband sections that either made me laugh out loud or were so beautiful.

Some of my favorite stories include a banished fairy answering a Craigslist roommate ad, a Wishing bridge, and two soulmates who realize they don’t stay dead and keep taking turns hunting the other down in a strange sort of game.

I wish I’d given myself enough time to read a story a night before bed for a couple weeks, I think that would be a lovely way to read this!

I don’t read short stories often, but this collection restored my faith in them. Perfect for lovers of whimsy and love.

4.25/5

Dnf at 57%

There were so many great stories related to love, how love shows up, and maybe even toxic love.

I particularly enjoyed:

- the wish bridge
- the audit
- the house
- monsterlove

The narrator in monsterlove did so great! Alex Palting read it with such emotions that I could feel the tension that the mother was feeling.

I dnf this not because it wasn’t good, but because there were just too many short stories.

This felt too long and I started losing interest.
I wish it was two books instead.

The vibes: Fables, Black Mirror, life lessons, mental health, complicated love
TW: PPD, su!cide, emotional abuse and imprisonment

What a range! In this collection you’ll find witches, fairytales, multiverses, and life lessons. I found many of the them captivating, super weird, moving, or charming.

It opens with The Wish Bridge, which was a sweet fairy-tale like story- with commentary on what people’s disregard for others’ wishes. The Audit was a fun one as well, and gave me some light-hearted Black Mirror vibes. Some of the other stories go from weird to very dark. Monsterlove really stood out to me- it read like a spoken word performance on mental health, and the ugly side of parenthood that many people hide from the world (TW: implied PPD). But this story, and many of the others may appeal only to a specific audience. So I think this will be a hit for the right people.

Olivie Blake and short stories? Absolutely yes. Januaries is exactly what I want out of an Olivie Blake original. Her writing is so consistently enthralling and her storytelling really shines within this shorter format.

As expected with anthologies, some of these were hits and some misses for me. Overall I thought it was very creative, interesting, and enjoyable.

My favorite stories:

"The Wish Bridge" this one was so sweet and funny! I was hooked on the story of Lila and Nile! Loved it!!

"Sucker for Pain" wowow the toxic relationship with Edmund and the treatment by his mother was a bit hard to read but the payoff was SO worth it! Nora, I love you.

"The Animation Games" this was kind of silly but also so entertaining!

Honorable mention to "Chaos Theory" which I also enjoyed a lot!

Thank you so much Tor for the ARC!

⭐️: 4.5/5

Something about Olivie Blake’s writing is just made for short stories. Her ideas, characters, and plots are just so unique and so transcendent that sometimes it is beneficial when they’re not entire novels, and instead structured just so to leave the reader wanting more. Even before I received this eARC, I had the publication date of this collection marked on my calendar for purchase. I’ll definitely be purchasing a hard copy of this as well.

I love how each story is just a short little bite of an interesting story, and that all of them had magic of some form in them. Some were based off of already existing legends and myths, but with twists, and some were more original. The stories were also separated into groups of seasons, which helped differentiate the themes and prepare the reader, in my opinion. Some were certainly more impactful than others, and some were highly visual pieces of storytelling. Every time I read something by Blake, I re-remember how much I love her writing!

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for this eARC for my review!!

I absolutely loved this collection! Olivie Blake's writing is so special. I love her lyrical writing style and use of metaphors. This collection specifically captures the human experience, both good and bad, through stories of love, magic, and betrayal. There are a wide variety of topics, from mental health to thermodynamics, each with Olivie's signature style. I am forever in awe of her creativity and story telling, if she writes it I will read it 💁🏻‍♀️

I enjoyed each short story, but a few stand outs were:
•The Wish Bridge
•The Animation Game
•Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures
•A Year in January

Thank you Tor for the ARC 📚✨

I really and truly loved this one! It was perfectly captivating and had me hooked from the very first page! I highly, highly recommend!

3.75/5⭐️

I really enjoy Olivie Blake’s writing style. What I think I enjoyed most about this book was that every single short story in it is how easily she seems to craft these worlds to have you hooked so easily. I loved how she pulled inspiration from Greek mythology throughout some of the short stories too. She definitely pulled inspiration from other things as well but I mostly caught on to the Greek mythology as I know it quite well. The short stories were such quick, easy reads too which was very much appreciated with the limited time I have for reading.