I found this more difficult than I initially expected. I went in to this thinking it was a bunch of original short stories, and was really excited about it. After getting in to it though, I realised that a lot of the stories in this compendium are directly tied in to and/or related to Novik’s other works. I don’t know enough to say if they are spoilers or not, but I’m personally someone who really likes to avoid anything even remotely spoiler adjacent. I like to go into stories with as little idea about it as possible, and enjoy the story unadulterated, without any preconceived notion or bias. So while I unfortunately wasn’t able to enjoy as much of this book as I’d hoped, I do think established Novik fans will appreciate it.

Like most short story collections, this was a mixed bag. Of the author's novels, I liked Uprooted and LOVED Spinning Silver, but I couldn't get into either the Scolomance or Temeraire series, so I started this book with moderate expectations.

The first story, Araminta, was undistinguished (Queen Oona, in the tv cartoon Disenchantment, did the same thing with more fun).
After Hours is a Scolomance story.
Buried Deep is an intriguing version of Ariadne and the Minotaur.
Spinning Silver is as good as the book.
Commonplaces is a fairly pointless Sherlock Holmes pastiche.
Vici is a dragon origin story and it was fun!
Seven might be the best story in the book. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, and I didn't want it to end.
Blessings is an ok Sleeping Beauty alternative.
Lord Dunsany's Teapot is a bland WWI story.
Seven Years From Home is an overly long "scientist among aliens" story that I ended up skimming. Probably an interesting idea buried in there, but I couldn't relate to the main character.
Dragons & Decorum is a Jane Austen homage and it is fun!
Castle Coeur lieu is a medieval haunted castle story. Not terrible but all atmosphere.
I took an instant dislike to the narrator of The Long Way Round because of her vile language and ended up skipping to the end.
So, basically, half and half. When Naomi Novik is good, she is amazing, so I'll keep reading her, with caution.

From the first page I was hooked. I honestly can say I don't know what I loved more--the collection of short stories or the notes/added information Novik about the piece that she included. Each held a dream quality I will be thinking about for a long time.

"Buried Deep and Other Stories" is absolutely delightful. I really like that a lot of these stories are from the author's other books/series, it makes the worlds feel so much more lived in and immersive.

I mostly enjoyed this collection, though there were a few stories I didn't care for or found bland. The beginning and travel concepts presented in Seven Years from Home were confusing, and I wasn't able to connect with the pov character even remotely. Commonplaces was boring, and I ended up skipping through most of it--even the sex scene felt dull. But in the end, there were more hits than misses.

My favorites were Buried Deep, a retelling of the Minotaur and labyrinth through Ariadne's eyes (which is rather funny because "The Mythic Dream" has been on my tbr for aaaaages); After Hours, a short, entertaining tale set in the world of Scolomance (a good reminder that I need to finish that series); and Castle Coeurlieu depicts a little girl's quest through a strange, interdimensional tower to save her friend.

I'm definitely interested in whatever she seems to be cooking up next, because that final story, The Long Way Round, was an excellent sample. Whatever this watery world of exploration and strange artifacts (and wizards!) inevitably becomes, I'm in!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Naomi Novik can do NO WRONG. Her writing is brilliant, poignant, and beautiful. I devoured these stories.

If you love Novik’s books then you’ll love this short story collection. I enjoyed that she prefaced each tale with why she wrote it or how it was created. It provided wonderful insight to her writing process.

Fantastic short stories. Many have been previously released in other works, but its great having then all together plus some new ones. Thoughtful, interesting characters. My favorite story out of the bunch is titled "Seven," This story had me from the first sentence and remained interesting until I finished. The writing is superb. Another story that stood out was a take on Pride and Prejudice with dragons. Imaginative and well-written. This is a great group of short stories and one that I will definitely recommend.

I am a fan of Naomi Novik, so I was very excited to read this ARC. Her writing style isn't for everyone, but I find it to be quite beautiful. If you enjoy literary writing, you will likely also enjoy her work. The stories in this collection were imaginative and beautifully delivered. Thank you NetGalley!!

I was struck by the literary nature of this collection. As a reader who enjoys unique use of words and science fiction craft, this was an ideal textual marriage. I recommend it for readers who want to check out a different take.

What an enchanting and delightful set of stories. I have loved everything of Novik’s that I’ve picked up, and this book was no different. It was the perfect mix of revisiting familiar stories blended with exciting new ideas. Would absolutely recommend this book.

This is my first read by Naomi Novik. This collection of short stories definitely has a fairy tale vibe to it. But best part of this book - the writing is beautiful. I don't know that I have ever read a story (and I am an avid reader) that was more beautifully written. If this is similar style to her other books like Uprooted, I can definitely understand where all of the hype came from about this writer. Reading it was a true treat. I can't wait to read her other stories.

This was a very cool collection of stories that I enjoyed a lot. I could see a few of these being explored more, or turned into full books, so I hope that maybe she will one day.

Oh My Goodness!
I love Naomi Novik's writing. This collection of short stories is wonderful and I want more! Two of my favorite stories are the Scholomance Trilogy and Spinning Silver. The short story that takes place in the Scholomance was so good and it made me want to read the trilogy again! The short story of Spinning Silver is told so well and I believe she has improved the story so much that the short story is better than the full novel!

I love Novik so I had incredibly high expectations for Buried Deep and Other Stories. While the stories were enjoyable, the majority of them felt like drafts with half-formed characters and worlds. It made it difficult to fall into the stories, and I honestly considered not finishing a few. That being said, “bad” Novik is still way better than most other fiction. You’ll find something to love in this (and I DID love the Scholomance short story!), just don’t expect perfection.

Naomi Novik is just not for me.

I have DNF’d A Deadly Education and Spinning Silver now, but I did enjoy Uprooted. This collection of stories were all quirky, but the writing style is just not for me personally.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I really enjoy how Naomi Novik tells stories so of course I enjoyed this collection. Some were familiar/inspired by longer works of hers but some were new to me.

It's been a while since I've picked up an anthology but I was exited for this one as I really like Naomi Novik's writing. She has a way with fairytales and descriptions that I just enjoy a lot. This is a collection of previously published stories with her spin on them. Obviously some of the stories caught my attention more that others so some of my favorites were: Spinning Silver which is just a shorter version of her book by the same name with a slightly different ending. Blessing was super fun, drunk fairies fighting about which blessing to give to the child of a baron that end in a bit of a disaster. After Hours about a mushroom witch vas lovely, made me want to pick up her Scholomance series as it set in that world. Castle Coeurlieu because Novik mentioned was the story that planted the idea of Spinning Silver in her head. I really liked that the author gave a bit of an introduction before each story started talking about what inspired her or why she decided to do what in particular. I would read a chapter in between reading other books, it gave me a break from long stories while still giving something new each time. Overall I really enjoyed it.

Thank You to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the opportunity to read this Arc and share my honest review.

"Buried Deep and Other Stories" is a thrilling anthology that takes readers on a captivating journey through the imaginative worlds of Naomi Novik. From the dragon-filled landscapes of the Temeraire series to the gothic halls of the Scholomance trilogy, Novik's storytelling prowess shines in this collection of thirteen short stories.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

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So, if I tried to review this collection as a whole, my review would be short and boring. So instead, let's do a story-by-story breakdown.

Araminta, Or the Wreck of the Amphidrake: Overall funny and enjoyable, though not particularly deep.

After Hours: Mostly served to remind me that El and Orion both got godawful endings in The Golden Enclaves and I'm still not over it. I was also not a fan of this story reiterating the theme of decent people being expected to sacrifice their anger and personal priorities for the 'greater good.' Especially when they are magically coerced into doing so.

Vici: Another pretty entertaining one, proving that a protagonist can be engaging and fun to follow without being even a little bit sympathetic.

Buried Deep: This one had so, so much promise. It was atmospheric and original... And then it just ended really abruptly, with pretty much every member of the secondary cast getting no narrative closure and me wondering what their point in the story even was.

Spinning Silver: To be quite honest, I liked the short story <i>more</i> than the novel. It focused on what I really liked about the novel—the clever, desperate, ruthless Miryem and her lovely family—and completely eschewed any trace of the book's romances, which I did NOT care for.

Commonplaces: I love Irene Adler. This was a... perfectly okay fanfic look at her? Not really that deep, to be quite honest.

Seven: Now this one, I loved! I loved the city Novik created, and I loved Kath. I found myself fully immersed, and when the story was done, it felt complete.

Blessings: Reminded me a bit of Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, but was otherwise mostly forgettable.

Lord Dunsany's Teapot: I know I was missing some references and resonance here, not being familiar with Dunsany. But to me, this mostly felt like a Shaggy Dog Story and I wished there was at least more historical detail.

Seven Years From Home: Original and well-written, but didn't quite grip me. In this case, I fully admit that was a me problem rather than something objective I could nitpick.

Dragons and Decorum: Look. I love fanfic. Oftentimes, it gives the writer a chance to hold a mirror to canon, going deeper than the original story ever did. However, this particular story is a fanfic fusion of two different canons. I love Pride and Prejudice. I love Temeraire. But Dragons and Decorum winds up skimming the shallow surface of both and catching the charm of neither.

Castle Coerlieu: Another one I loved! As with Seven, a lot of that was due to my loving the protagonist, Isabeau, and the details of the historical setting. I also loved the numinous, nightmare-edge magic weaving itself into the story with visceral emotion.

The Long Way Round: Full disclosure, this one was a slog for me. Some of that was again a me problem. Novik loves nautical adventure. I'm bored by it. But also, I thought the story itself was too long, resolved almost nothing, and ended abruptly and weirdly. Novik mentioned in her author's note that she was using this story to develop a fantasy setting, and that definitely showed through. The setting was center focus. Not the characters, none of whom got a really complete arc. Not the story, with its derailed pacing. But the setting. Which I would probably have cared about more if it was supported by characters and story. Also, I found Tess, the protagonist, sanctimonious and bland, which didn't exactly help. I wish this story had not been last. It ended the collection on a bit of a sour note.

I have read a good chunk of Naomi’s books so these short stories were small delicious treats. I particularly liked the stories that were from her other worlds she has created like the Scholomance! I recommend this collection of stories if you are familiar with and love her work already.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy!