This is my first Naomi Novik short fiction collection, having somehow missed the Temeraire collection Golden Age and Other Stories. For anyone who has read a lot of Novik, nothing in this collection will especially come as a surprise. Most everything is playing in the same conceptual spaces as her novels, which of course is inevitable for those stories set in the same universes as those novels (or, especially, the story "Spinning Silver," which was the embryo of the novel of the same name). Of particular note is the story "Dragons and Decorum," which imagines a certain Captain Elizabeth Bennet of the Royal Dragon Corps or whatever, and is the most "ah yes this author wrote a series of Napoleonic War+Dragons novels and also founded Archive of Our Own" story imaginable.

So, enjoyable (if you like Naomi Novik generally) but not breaking any new ground, especially, even the new story "The Long Way Round," which is set in the world of the current novel Novik is working on but is another fantasy-seafaring kind of jaunt. Not sure if it's another "Spinning Silver"-type prologue or a standalone work in the same setting, but it's got my interest.

To the Hugo voters out there, in addition to "The Long Way Round" there is another new piece of short fiction in here called "After Hours" set in the Scholomance universe (but after the events of the novels, so it's a little reliant on what came before). Enjoyable and might end up on my ballot if for no other reason than I have a hard time coming across nominatable short fiction in any given year, not reading any of the big magazines.

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik is a collection of thirteen short stories that span the different worlds of her works and includes a sneak peek at the world of her next novel. I received an early copy for review from the publisher thorough Netgalley. I've been a fan of Naomi Novik's work for years though this is the first book I've read in a long time and which has inspired me to finally read more of her works. Overall I greatly enjoyed this work and I will be going through each story individually

Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake is a take on regency romance novels. We follow Lady Araminta who is being sent off to be married off but she is not interested in marriage. To protect herself she is gifted with a amulet that turns her into a man and she uses this when the ship she is on is attacked. An interesting take on Pirates and romance but not my favorite story.

After Hours is a story set in the Scholomance world but doesn't follow the characters from that series. We follow Beata in her first year at the school on a night that she decides to sneak out in attempt to take better supplies from the communal supplies as first year students never get the best stuff. We also learn about her conflict with her roommate Jayne and how dangerous the school can be especially at night. This is a good introduction to the Scholomance if you haven't read any before.

Vici is a story set in the Temeraire Universe but during Roman times and how Antonius who is a conman ends up with a dragon. He eventually gets sent to Gaul as owning a dragon is a problem for the magistrate and end up fighting with Julius Cesar. This story lays the ground work for how dragons are part of the military with the Temeraire Universe.

Buried Deep is a story about the Labyrinth and Ariadne dancing on the ground where the Labyrinth exists. A retelling of the story of the Minotaur but focuses more on family and the relationship between the Minotaur and Ariadne.

Spinning Silver is the short story that eventually spun into the novel of the same name and there is overlap in this story but you can see where the novel goes into more detail. We follow Miryem the daughter of a moneylender who is not very good at his job. When Miryem realizes that her family is suffering she takes over her father’s job and excels at it. Eventually, she meets a Staryk who wants her to turn silver into gold. Through Miryem's cleverness and business savvy she is able to accomplish this and Staryk that she would be better as his banker instead of his queen.

Commonplaces is a story about Irene Adler finding out that Sherlock Holmes has died at the Reichenbach Falls and her actions following getting this information. Quick story for fans of Sherlock Holmes and would be more enjoyable if you have recently read those stories.

Seven is an interesting story about a city called Seven that has seven statues and how those statues are created. We follow Kath who learned how to make pottery from her husband and is continuing to do so to feed her family even though she wasn't properly trained. She eventually is tasked with building a new statue when one of them breaks but the clay used often kills those who work with it.

Blessings is a fairytale about what are the best blessings one could get from fairies and Madga who is given the gift of strength and how that changes her story. Very short but an interesting take on princesses being gifted blessings by the fairies at the beginning of their tales.

Lord Dunsany's Teapot is about a teapot that is used in the trenches of World War I and how it ends up keeping some of the soldiers’ safe during this time. Very short but not a story that I was expecting as someone who has researched World War I.

Seven Years from Home is the only story that I didn't enjoy. This is more of a science fiction story than fantasy and if I had read it alone I might have liked it more. Written in first person we follow the account of a researcher who wants to learn more about a specific alien group. I only skimmed this story so I don’t' feel like I can say more than that just I think how the story was told made me not want to finish it.

Dragons & Decorum is a Pride & Prejudice retelling set in the world of Temeraire following Captain Elizabeth Bennet and her dragon Wollstonecraft. I'm not a huge fan of Pride & Prejudice but I felt that this was a unique take as Darcy doesn't know that Elizabeth is a Captain until near the end of the story.

Castle Coeurlieu is a story set during the Black Plague. We follow Isabeau who has recently married and lives in the country side with the son of her husband. On the land is a tower that has many stories and rumors about it and how it may be magical. She ends up in the tower one night when she shouldn't be but is able to save the son. Interesting take on stories influenced by the events of the Black Plague and the stories that were written at that time.

The Long Way Round is a sneak peek into the world that Naomi Novik's next book is set in. We follow siblings Tess and Aston who are sailors and ship builders on a quest to sail the long way around the land verses what is considered the safest route. As they attempt this journey they end up find new locations and how those they meet along the way change their future. Story about family and the family you build along the way. I'm interested in where Naomi Novik plans to take this story/world in the future.

Being the first Naomi Novik book I've read, I thought it was nice to get various snippets of her writing style with the different stories. It definitely makes me want to pick up her other books.

This was a captivating collection of short stories that transports readers to both comfortingly familiar and wildly new places. I really enjoyed being able to step into these fantasy world without that time commitment usually required for fantasy. Novik’s introductions to each story added insightful depth that made them more enjoyable. As someone that doesn’t tend to enjoy the classics like Pride and Prejudice, Novik was able to write a version that I found very engaging and actually thoroughly enjoyed.

The quality of these stories was all over the place. I actually only liked three of them and even then, one was super weak and jumped around. Also, starting with the very dated pirate story at the beginning was not a great choice. I very nearly stopped reading right then and there.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of thirteen short stories by Naomi Novik. Most of the stories were previously published elsewhere, but there are a few new ones as well. I loved Novik’s Scholomance series as well as Uprooted and Spinning Silver, but I’ve never read her short form work so I was excited to dig into this one.

This collection took hold of me from the Author’s Note. I always find short story collections tricky to review, so I’ll provide thoughts about the ones that stood out to me.

First, the familiar worlds.

After Hours: This is a lovely short story set after the conclusion of the Scholomance trilogy. I really enjoyed meeting a different type of witch, and I loved her mushroom magic and old-world forest vibes. I think that this resonated extra because I’ve read the trilogy, and it felt so sweet and nostalgic to be back in the school.

Spinning Silver: This made me want to re-read the full length novel! It was so interesting to see where the story began and pick up on changes and differences between the shorter beginning and the novel. I think the alternate ending really worked here to make the story feel complete.

Vici and Dragons & Decorum: I was worried I would be lost because I haven’t read the Temeraire series, but I found both of these utterly charming. The dragons have such a unique energy to them compared to other fantasy settings. I’m still not certain if I’ll pick up the series after reading these, but I’m definitely intrigued.

Onto the unfamiliar.

Buried Deep: I love a myth retelling, and this one really pulled at the heartstrings. This is a retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur.

Seven: This is one of my favorites of the collection. I kept wishing it was longer, and that she would turn it into a full standalone. The world is so well built that it seems the city is real, and the characters are so wonderful. I have so many questions still, but I fear it will be spoilers to ask them here, so instead I will wait and hope that we get to go back to Seven someday.

Lord Dunsany’s Teapot: This story really showcases Novik’s strengths. It’s got war, magic, and friendship that could potentially also have been love. (Maybe I read too much into it, but it felt so queer to me). I loved the ending of this one, especially since it felt like it had less of a cliff-hanger than many of the rest of the stories in the collection.

Seven Years From Home: I found this one very reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Word For World Is Forest” but with more bioengineering. I liked this, but I spent perhaps too much time puzzling over the pre-story note and trying to see where the narrator was being unreliable, and I think that distracted me from being immersed in the story.

Castle Courlieu: As with Spinning Silver and Uprooted, here we have a young woman in the middle ages, this time during the Black Plague. This one feels closer to a horror story than many of the others, and I appreciated the tense energy around the dark mysterious tower. I really enjoy this type of story, and like Seven I think it could have been fleshed out to be a standalone or a longer novella.

The Long Way Round: This story is from the world of Novik’s upcoming epic fantasy series. It follows a sister and brother on a sea-faring adventure to sail the long way around the continent, but they find many things they didn’t expect on their way. I love the idea that this is part of the process of building the world for the upcoming series, but I also loved this all on its own as well. The characters are so compelling, and the dynamic between the siblings was divine. I will be eagerly anticipating the series until it comes out!

Overall, I enjoyed the collection and I would recommend it to anyone, but especially to readers of Novik’s other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Del Rey for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I wasn’t as smart as Micky to only pick favourites as I found them and by the time I’d gone halfway through with note taking I was already committed. Also, I really overestimated how many selections were in this anthology of short stories. Which I guess is a good thing, something for everyone and many different flavours of somethings. So let’s break it down.

ARAMINTA, OR, THE WRECK OF THE AMPHIDRAKE : This was something of a queer pirate story complete with magical discuss and monsters. It was an interesting concept but I didn’t really get invested. <b>2.5 stars</b>.

AFTER HOURS : I certainly expected a <i>Scholomance</i> story in here and I’m hoping there might be more than one because while this was a fun glimpse of life at the school post-series events, with even a little cameo from a certain hero!, I want moooore. <b>3 stars</b>.
Spoiler alert : there were no more <i>Scholomance</i> stories.

VICI : Having not read any of the <i>Temeraire</i> books (I know I know) my knowledge of the world is vague and limited to dragons. This was a good little taste though and definitely has re-ignited my intrigue to get to this series one day. <b>3 stars</b>.

BURIED DEEP : I was struggling over whether I liked this one or not and then by the time I came back to this review I couldn’t even remember which one it was. Maybe the Minotaur story? Either way, lack of memory says it all. <b>2 stars</b>.

SPINNING SILVER : If you’ve read the novel of the same name you know this story.. but maybe not the ending! I maybe actually liked it more than the full-length? <b>3 stars</b>.

COMMONPLACES : I absolutely did not expect anything Holmes-centric from this collection but even more so it’s Irene Adler who takes the stage. Would absolutely read more of this. <b>4 stars</b>.

SEVEN : I want MORE of this!! This is about claymaking and curses and sacrifice and selfishness and art. The ending is so unsatisfying mostly because it’s over so soon. But this was so interesting. <b>4 stars</b>.

BLESSINGS : Oh noOoo I’m a broken record because this is another that is way too short when in fact it deserves to be extra long. Absolutely would read pages and pages more of this overly blessed woman’s journey. <b>4 stars</b>.

LORD DUNSANY'S TEAPOT : I can sorta go either way on this one. I like the concept of storytelling and fantasy and hope in such a grim and hopeless setting but that’s all I really got from it. <b>2.5 stars</b>.

SEVEN YEARS FROM GOME : This was one that sadly inspired a bit of skimming at certain points just because I sort’ve wasn’t following things anyway. Near the end it was giving <i>Ferngully</i> and <i>Avatar</i> vibes but that’s all I’m really taking from the experience. <b>2 stars</b>.

DRAGONS & DECORUM : A PRIDE & PREJUDICE retelling with, you guessed it, dragons! This was super cute. <b>4 stars</b>.

CASTLE COEURLIEU : I find myself rather confused by this one. I sorta get it but I sorta don’t. It gives medieval and plague and knights and fates and while I love all that I obviously didn’t love this. <b>2.5 stars</b>.

THE LONG WAY AROUND : This is apparently a taste, or at least a vibe?, of Novik’s upcoming story. I enjoyed some aspects of this world, it is very sea-faring-leaning with a side of unexplored land long abandoned by unknowns and magic wielders who sorta rule the particular town we’re based in and the people who live there. I don’t quite know how I felt about dynamics that were set-up by the end but let’s be real I’ll be picking up whatever Novik comes out with next and apparently it’ll be something like this! <b>3 stars</b>.

If you do math (gross) I think this averages out to almost a perfect 3 however I’m going to be generous and round this up because I did enjoy the experience even if I didn’t love all the stories themselves. But the ones I did like are definitely worth it.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc<3

If you have read and enjoyed Novik’s novels, you will enjoy this short story collection. Some of these stories take place in universes already created by the author, while others have been featured in separate anthologies already published. I have read Uprooted and The Scholomance trilogy from Novik and really enjoy her storytelling and world building so it was no surprise that I had a fun time reading smaller scale works from her.
Some of my favorites were:

“After Hours” (this took place in The Scholomance universe and seeing Orion again made my heart full)

“Buried Deep” (this one is my favorite of them all)

“Spinning Silver” (I definitely want to read the book now)

“Seven” (“I’m making a thing out of the bones of the dead, and if it lives again, it’s only because someone living loves it, even if it’s just me myself” -favorite quote)

“The Long Way Round”

This was a delightful collection of shorts from Naomi Novik. I’ve not yet had a chance to read any of her other books, and this was a great entree to her work. It was a diverse collection of stories in setting and tone, but there was a through line of female characters who are smart, savvy, and eminently practical. The writing is smart and humorous. I didn’t feel that every story was fully baked, but hey—that’s the point of short stories! They’re more for an exploration of an idea or the seed of a character. The stories were so engaging, and now I have her other books on my TBR.

20 years ago, I loved this author's work. I was disappointed in Spinning Silver and Uprooted, and not remotely interested in their Scholomance series. I thought this might be a nice way to test the waters. However, almost all the stories in this collection are older and have been previously published in various collections or periodicals. A few are closely related to the author's previous series and rely on the reader already knowing that universe's organization.

Strictly for fans of the author. The two stories related to the Temeraire universe don't contain spoilers and don't need to be read in any kind of order. I skipped the story related to the other series, as it doesn't make sense on it's own. The final story, which is new and which the author hints might expand into a full book or series, is the highlight.

eARC from NetGalley.

I love Naomi Novik and was thrilled to learn that she was publishing a story collection, including stories tied to her established worlds! The stories themselves were hit or miss for me, but there were definitely some gems like Spinning Silver and Araminta that I thoroughly enjoyed. I LOVED an update on the Scholomance, which remains one of my favorite magical systems and worlds.

I was most excited by The Long Way Round, which was introduced almost as a teaser to Novik's next big project. I couldn't yet picture it as a full fledged book, but it painted an amazing picture of a new world where the bulk of the action takes place at sea. It gave serious LOST vibes.

I expected great things - these are Naomi Novik stories after all - but was nonetheless blown away. Each kernel left me wanting more. Beautiful, heartrending and heartwarming, all rolled into one package.

Useless to pretend that anything Naomi Novik writes is going to get less than five stars from me. Even a short-story collection, never mind the inevitability that some stories will be less good than others. A less-good Novik story is still going to be arresting; there will still be sentences that start off sounding as if they're going someplace perfectly ordinary but then go rocketing off into parts unknown. The second sentence of the very first story, "Araminta, or, The Wreck of The Amphidrake," goes like this:

She departed in the company of not one but two maids, a hired eunuch swordsman, and an experienced professional chaperone with the Eye of Horus branded upon her forehead, to keep watch at night while the other two were closed.

See what I mean? The selfsame story includes a pirate introduced as "the notorious Weedle," because this is Naomi Novik's take on the Regency romance.

"After Hours," set in the Scholomance post-Golden Enclaves, is something of a mini-Scholomance, in that it shares the theme of kindness and generosity winning out against the temptation to return cruelty for cruelty. There's also a cameo by someone from the books, who's living his best life. After that, "Vici," kind of a prequel to the Temeraire books, quite startled me with its utter amorality -- but it's set in ancient Rome, so viciousness is only to be expected.

Well, I shan't go through story by story any further; I'll just say that every one exercises Novik's gift for reminagining the familiar -- for estranging it -- sometimes comically, sometimes darkly. Pride and Prejudice and dragons? Check. (Temeraire world again!) A Minotaur whose sister loves him with all her heart and who proves to be a chthonic deity -- mostly. (But "He wanted to keep this piece of himself separate, this part that could love her, for as long as he could. Even if he had to stay down there in the dark.") World War I, the trenches, and the meaning of safety. What can I say, they're all wonderful, and the last one, "The Long Way Around," is set in a world that Novik is still in the process of imagining, so it left me wanting to go pound on her door and tell her to write faster. Though that would probably be counterproductive, and she writes pretty fast anyway.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Let me first say that Naomi Novik is one of MY FAVORITE AUTHORS EVER. No one will ever surpass her for me. I reread her books yearly. I loved her "Spinning Silver" so much that I almost carry it with me everywhere, like a comfort blanket as a child does. I always recommend everyone read all of her books. But this newest one is absolutely superb. When "Buried Deep" is published, RUN to the bookstore and stock up, because it truly is the best. What a fantastic, intelligent, exquisitely written group of wonderful stories - I felt like a child again, reading fairy tales late into the night.
I truly say that I will read anything she writes, even the side of a cereal box. I am off to read it again, but it was so, so, so good.

I fell in love with Temeraire in 2008, and ever since then, reading Novik has felt like coming home. Vivid, precise prose beckons within wonderful worlds, from the familiar Scholomance or Holmesian history to myths to other places entirely new. While most of the stories were previously published in other multi-author anthologies, I’d only read the one included in the Golden Age Temeraire collection, and I’m glad these shorts now have a home all together.

I left every story wanting something more, a sign of engaging short fiction, but of course my favorites featured sailing and dragons, or other beasties. Happily, based on the last entry The Long Way Round, it seems that Novik’s next series will feature those things.

P.S. Read "After Hours" after finishing Scholomance, unless you don't mind a preview of how it ends.

A really great collection of short stories that spanned a wide range from dragons to fairy godmothers to greek re-tellings. A couple of the stories had ties to the Temeraire series which I have not read and therefore took me while to get into it. However the rest were all varying levels of good to absolute bangers!
And I did come away feeling I needed to catch up on the Temeraire series so I could re-read this and give it the attention it needed.

A great anthology!

Huge thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was so excited to jump into Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik’s anthology of short stories because I LOVE her Scholomance series (man do I need to read the rest of her work). After Hours, one of the stories in the anthology, takes us back to the Scholomance and WOW, the anthology is worth it for this story alone! 😍

Buried Deep is impressive. I was completely floored by the breadth of Novik’s writing and her ability to bring such varied worlds to life. The anthology shows off the versatility of her scope. We get magic and dragons and monsters and Sherlock Holmes and even Pride & Prejudice. Yep, you read that correctly!

I read this collection because I’m a fan of Novik’s, but short stories aren’t my favorite. There are some stories in here that are so fantastic I simply wanted more, more, more. And others were good, skillfully written, but not as much my thing - and so they felt long.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommended for fans of Novik and SFF readers.

Buried Deep is out now! Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Short story books are hard. They very easily can get dragged down by just one bad story. Overall the collection is solid and I was really impressed by the variety Naomi Novak shows in tone and mood and pacing. It’s not super obvious that all of these are by the same author which is a tough feat sometimes. The different worlds built were fun and varied. However one or two of the stories just fell a little flat for me, packing a weak punch that could have benefitted from either being a little longer and more fleshed out, or in one or two cases a little shorter to cut out some slow fluff. Overall though I’m really glad I got to read these and dive into more of Novik’s worlds.

A short story collection by the author of Spinning Silver and Uprooted.

1. It’s refreshing to read a collection of stories with mostly female protagonists. That said, I was not thrilled with how she handled all of them. (SPOILERS) Irene Adler (“Commonplaces”) slinking off to Paris to sleep with Sherlock Holmes and then returning to an apparently stifling domesticity did not strike me as the most interesting thing to say about her.

2. Marc Antony (“Vici”) is exactly the sort of character I adore reading about—roguish, witty, dissatisfied. I love how Novik can convey exactly the sort of person a character is so immediately, in this case at Antony’s own sentencing. As with most of Novik’s characters, I get the sense that he is still adventuring long after the close of the story. I could gladly read an entire novel about him. As it is, I’ll satisfy myself with Plutarch’s Life of Antony.

3. The titular “Buried Deep” was creepy and fraught. Novik excellently combined the heartlessness of the original Greek mythology— (SPOILERS) what does it matter that Ariadne has seemingly struck multiple men from existence altogether?—with a child's impassioned sense of justice.

4. The inclusion of the ur-Spinning Silver felt unnecessary, although I can see how some readers may be interested in the earlier version of the novel. To my eye, there were better uses for this space in the collection.

5. As usual, Novik shines in her ability to set up a fantasy world and then turn it on its head. Her final short story evidently shares a setting with her next novel which I eagerly await.

Overall: Good for fans of Novik’s previous works.

I enjoyed engaging with these stories and what they added to books I've already read. Naomi is an automatic read whenever I see her name on a book!