Naomi Novik is a master of her craft. As with all short story collections, I think some are stronger than others but the worlds that she is able to craft and the personality that she gives to not only her characters but her own writing shows that she really is a generational talent in fantasy. I loved every minute of reading this and will continue to pick up her books for as long as she writes them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the ARC. It was a joy to read!

I’ve been a huge fan of Naomi Novik since her Uprooted days (though, I’ve admittedly been dragging my feet on on the last book in the Scholomance series because I’m not ready for it to be over yet). When I learned she was coming out with a book of short stories, I knew I couldn’t wait to pick it up. I was even more ecstatic when I learned the publisher granted my request for an ARC.

This book is comprised of thirteen short stories. Some of these tales will be familiar to Novik fans, though you need not have read any of her previous books to enjoy these stories. There’s a little bit of everything that will appeal to many types of readers: from Sherlock Holmes to Pride and Prejudice re-imaginings to worlds completely new. Each story is preceded by a little forward from Novik giving a bit of a backstory to the inspiration for each story (though Novik herself requests those forwards be taken with a grain of salt).

So…how to rate an anthology? Since this is the first time I’m rating a series of short stories, my plan is to rate each of the stories individually and then average the scores at the end.

Aramintha, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake- What a great way to kick off an anthology. I loved this one! It’s a sort of swashbuckling pirate story - empowering with a dash of magic. Really loved the main character and the interesting use of magic. 5/5
After Hours - This book takes place in the aftermath of the Scholomance series and is vaguely spoiler-y. I’m a huge fan of the series (though I haven’t finished the last book yet) and enjoyed the familiar setting. 5/5
Vici - This was a funny, wry take on the origins of dragon taming. Set in Roman Times, the main character was unlikeable in a good way (think Kuzco in The Emperor’s New Groove). 4/5
Buried Deep - A mythology retelling. I admit, after reading Circe a couple years ago, I was a bit mythologied-out but I enjoyed this fresh take on Ariadne’s story. Unfortunately it didn’t really draw me in like the other stories did. 3/5
Spinning Silver - If you’re familiar with Novik’s novel version, you’ll already know this is a reimagining of the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. This book is a shorter, alternate ending of Novik’s retelling (one that felt more true to the main character, in my opinion). 5/5
Commonplace - I struggled with this one. Not because it was poorly written but because I’m not at all familiar with Sherlock Holmes. I think if I’d been more familiar with the characters, I would have gotten more out of this story. 2/5
Seven - This story had such interesting world-building. I wish there was more of it because I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this world. The characters were less memorable but still enjoyable. I’d read a novel-length version of this. 4/5
Blessings - I really enjoyed how funny and charming this story was! It’s a fun and unusual take on drunk fairy godmothers bestowing gifts (perhaps accidentally) on a child and the aftermath. 5/5
Lord Dunsany’s Teapot - I admit, I skim read this one. It’s got a war-field setting which is not really my cup of tea (pun intended) and I didn’t feel very invested in the story or characters. Again, this is more due to my personal tastes than a reflection on Novik’s story-telling abilities. 1/5
Seven Years from Home - This one was really heavy. More sci-fi than fantasy, it covers hard topics like colonialism and politics in a sort of space opera setting. Reminded me a little of The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. 3.5/5
Dragons and Decorum - Hear me out: an abridged retelling of Pride and Prejudice…with dragons. Oh my goodness this was so much fun! 5/5
Castle Coeurlieu - I love fantasy stories that come with their own lore. This book reminded me, mildly, of a darker version of The Secret Garden. 4/5
The Long Way Round - I was excited to learn that this story is a rough-draft preview of Novik’s upcoming novel (tentatively entitled Folly). It was longer than the rest, following two characters in the trading business as they attempt to sail a dangerous and mostly unexplored path to the different continents of their world. My only complaint is that the ending feels incomplete - by that I mean it seems to stop mid-conversation. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the full-length version.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories in this book! Novik’s prose is beautiful as always and I was impressed with her ability to write across various genres in a way that either paid tribute to the originals or built up entirely new worlds. A couple of the stories I had a hard time getting into but only because they either weren’t my preferred genre or I didn’t have the necessary background knowledge to fully enjoy them. That said, there were also several stories with fascinating world building and wonderful characters. This is a must read for any fantasy reader.

Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads)
Review posted to my website on September 6th, 2024

I am a huge Naomi Novik fan but these short stories just didn't live up to her full length works. There were one or two that caught my attention but it took me months to get through this book even with just skimming some of the stories.

I find it very hard to give an omnibus 5 stars because each story deserves a separate review and rating. However, I'm going to give this book a rating as a whole.

Overall it was fantastic. Only a couple of stories weren't my favorite or kinda boring to me.

If you are a Naomi Novik fan and have read her books prior to picking up this collection of short stories, I think you are in for a treat. My favorite stories related to those which she had already written, but there are others to live as well (looking at you Minotaur, and Seven).

Overall this is a recommendation.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the complimentary digital copy of this book prior to publishing. All the opinions contained in the review are exclusively my own.

Naomi Novik is a brilliant, thoughtful, and unique writer. In a work with so many fantasy and magical realism writers, somehow her work stands out as being so uniquely different. Buried Deep is a perfect read for folks who love Novik's writing, or think they might want to read A Deadly Education and want a sneak peek. Beautiful.

As a huge Scholomance fan, I have to admit that I wanted to read this collection of short stories simply for the pleasure of another adventure written in that universe. Although I was unfamiliar with Novik's other worlds (they are definitely now on my TBR!), I greatly enjoyed almost every single short story in this collection, with only one or two leaving me a bit confused.

I highly recommend this one if you have read literally any other book by Novik, if not all. If you are completely foreign to her works, the Scholomance short story will definitely be confusing just because the worldbuilding is so unique to the trilogy and Novik doesn't waste storytime rexplaining the magic system to any newbies. My favorites, aside from the aforementioned obvious, were the retelling of the minotaur myth and the Pride and Prejudice retelling with dragons...because Jane Austen but with dragons? Yes, please! I am also beyond excited to see where Novik takes her last short story which is supposedly the basis for a new book/series that she is working on that feels like a dystopian/fantasy pirate adventure.

Overall, this one was clearly compiled for established fans and understands that assignment perfectly. Novik is a master at worldbuilding and her writing is beyond exceptional. I would not, however recommend this for first time readers of her works and would instead direct them to A Deadly Education for a series or Uprooted or Spinning Silver for a standalone fairytale retelling. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley, Naomi Novik, and Del Rey for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi Novik is one of my favorite authors writing today, and I am always happy for an anthology of short stories under any circumstance. Most of these had been published before, though all of them were new to me. Two are part of her Temeraire universe (one canon, one not - I think). As I haven’t read Temeraire, I can’t say anything about them beyond themselves. Of the two new ones, one is a Scholomance story, set after the end of *The Golden Enclaves*. And one is a preview of her current work-in-progress.

“Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake.” A Regency Romp about the daughter of a nobleman who doesn’t adhere to feminine conventions, sent overseas to be married off. She is kidnapped by pirates along the way, though kept safe by being magically disguised as a man. Great fun.

“After Hours,” a *Scholomance* story. A glimpse of a different part of the magical world than the one we saw with El. The protagonist here is a witch from a remote forest in eastern Europe/Russia - no one in her family had ever been to the Scholomance or even visited an enclave. They have their own traditions, but with the end of *The Golden Enclaves*, the opportunity was there and she took it. Very interesting glimpse of the new Scholomance - it’s not the place it was before, but it’s still far from safe. El doesn’t appear, but we do see Orion.

“Vici,” a *Temeraire* story. Mark Antony becomes the first person to train a dragon. Enjoyable enough, especially when all Antony wants to do is annoy his neighbor Cato but his dragon shuts him up because she enjoys Cato’s poetry recitals. I’m sure someone who has read Temeraire would get more out of this.

“Buried Deep.” A retelling of the story of the Minotaur. When Minos’ monstrous son is imprisoned in Daedalus’ labyrinth, Minos’ daughter remains above and speaks to her brother everyday even though he cannot answer. An ambiguous and challenging story.

“Spinning Silver.” The original short story that grew into the novel of the same name. I love the novel; this made for a very interesting read. The plot of the novel goes in a very different direction from the plot of the short story, so if you haven’t read the one you’re not going to be spoiled for the other. The protagonist is very much the same person though.

“Commonplaces.” Irene Adler reacts to the news of Sherlock Holmes’ death at the Reichenbach Falls. The only story I wasn’t a huge fan of; it went in directions I don’t think really work.

“Seven.” Very intriguing story about a potter given the honor (against her will) of making a sacred statue out of poisonous clay.

“Blessings.” New parents are seeking fairy blessings for their baby girl. They get them, but when the fairies keep trying to one-up each other it doesn’t go quite as well as might be hoped.

“Lord Dunsany’s Teapot.” World War I story about an officer and a soldier bonding over many cups of tea in the trenches. Every bit as cheerful as you would expect from a WWI story.

“Seven Years from Home.” Science fiction rather than Novik’s usual fantasy. Fascinating story about an ambassador sent to observe a society of genetically engineered humans living in communion with nature on their planet, and persuade them (through … less than admirable means) to join a galactic confederation.

“Dragons & Decorum,” a *Temeraire* story. Elizabeth Bennett gets a dragon. Is there anything else you need to know?

“Castle Coeurlieu.” The young bride of an absent nobleman living in a castle with many legends told about it finds herself lost in those legends. Dark & ambiguous.

“The Long Way Round.” This one is the preview of her next book(s), though in her preface to this story Novik warns that the tale will almost certainly grow in the telling - so don’t expect the novel to match up perfectly to this. The protagonist of this is a captain & master navigator, who (along with her shipbuilder younger brother and their sorcerer patron) decides to try what no one else has managed, and reach the eastern lands of their world by sailing west. Unlike Columbus, the land they find in the middle seems to be uninhabited, though with very odd and, as far as they can tell, pointless structures scattered all over. I’m excited for this.

I am always happy to have more Novik in my life, and this short story collection did not disappoint! My favorite was the Scholomance short story, followed by the captivating stand-alone the ended the novel, one I hope she spins into an entire series! I also enjoyed visiting the world of dragons again; I love Pride and Prejudice, and re-imagining Elizabeth as a dragon captain made for a really fun story. Novik's prose is fluid, she pulls readers in, and she executes twists with aplomb! Love it!

Every single one of these stories could be a full novel, and a few of them are. I typically don't even like short stories, unless they're written by David Sedaris, but I made an exception to read these as I am a huge Naomi Novik fan. I am a little bit chapped that some of these are not full length novels, and that needs to be remedied ASAP. They didn't even feel like short stories. I don't know how she manages to build entirely unique worlds, develop characters, and have a story line in the length of a short story, but she does because she's amazing and she's Naomi Novik.

Highly recommend.

*Fiasco* by Constance Fay is an engaging and dramatic exploration of personal turmoil and the consequences of poor decisions. The story centers around characters whose lives spiral out of control, each facing the fallout of their actions. Fay's writing is sharp and raw, capturing the emotional depth and complexity of her characters. The plot unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers hooked as they witness the characters' unraveling. Themes of redemption, failure, and self-realization are thoughtfully explored. *Fiasco* is a compelling read for those who enjoy character-driven stories that delve into human flaws and the messy realities of life.

<strong>DNF /NetGalley ARC</strong>

As much as I love Novik’s work, I just couldn’t get into this one. I’m not good with anthologies/compilations. They’re either stories which have since been expanded upon, or they’re so short and lacking in much depth, or detail, and I always feel disappointed. I guess that’s why they never turn into full on stories and fleshed out. Not enough material provided to expand upon.

I need to pass on future works written in this style, regardless who the author is.

I enjoyed this short story collection. I've mainly read Naomi's Scholomance series, which is why I picked this up because I will take every crumb of that world I can get (only one of these is connected, and I don't think it would make any sense really if you haven't read the series first). A few other stories seem to have been the seeds of her other books, or related to them - but I don't think any would really be spoilers or not make sense if you haven't read her other books. I did feel the stories in the first half were stronger. I do think also you can tell Naomi got her start in fanfiction because there's a few retellings (but I think they're generally done well): Ariadne, Sherlock, Pride & Prejudice. The story set in the Temeraire world, but during the Roman empire was really funny.

If you're familiar with Naomi's work you'll probably get even more out of this!


Content Warnings; Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: War and Classism

So I will admit I'm incredibly confused. i thought this was supposed to just be a story collection from Naomi Novik, not necessarily from her other books. (I've only read Uprooted so far). I will still try it out but already not loving the way this collection was described to me.

I loved these stories. I especially loved visiting the Scholomance again. I would really love to see a novel length Pride, Prejudice and Dragons.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first time I’ve read and reviewed an anthology and to be honest, I’m not sure the format is for me. The stories in Buried Deep require a little bit of background knowledge to fully appreciate and I will admit some of them probably went over my head. The ones I did like, I just wanted MORE, I love getting information and details and the structure of an anthology means you lose some of that depth you would get in a full-length novel.

That being said, I really liked the following stories:

After Hours - I love the Scholomance books and I liked getting a peek at what happened after the trilogy was over. Also, we got to see Orion again!!!
Vici - this was just short and funny, the banter between Antony and his sassy dragon Vici genuinely made me laugh.
Dragons & Decorum - Pride and Prejudice but Elizabeth Bennet is a captain in a division of the military that flies DRAGONS. Also, her and Darcy still serve longing and angst and wholesome love.
The Long Way Round - I wanted MORE, I need ANSWERS. Characters really shined in this one and the world was interesting.

I also think I liked Seven Years From Home, but that one left me with an uncomfortable feeling, which I think was the intention.

The others were fine, but didn’t really stand out to me among the other stories I highlighted.

If anthologies are your thing, I would recommend this, it was pretty good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book. I think this book solidified in my mind that Naomi Novik is one of the best fantasy authors out there. She included so many excellent stories that she's written over the years that spanned multiple worlds, time periods, and settings. My favorites were the regency era ones, but so many of the stories were compelling and well crafted. I loved revisiting some of the worlds of her previous books and I absolutely need to read the Temeraire series now. I loved that she shared her thoughts around a lot of the stories too and explained the context in which they were written and her inspiration. I think I had a hard time getting through this book and short stories may not be my thing because I couldn't get a good rhythm and I generally like more development. While I probably wouldn't request a set of short stories on NetGalley again because it took me forever to get through and the pressure was real. I would definitely buy this book for myself or as a gift for a friend though, and it would be a great addition to any fantasy collection.

Steeped in magic and wildly gorgeous in its prose, Naomi Novik delivers a stunning group of stories that had me hooked from page one. I can’t believe this is my first of her books I’m reading but it definitely won’t be my last!

Thank to NetGalley and Del Rey for an eArc.

As a longtime fan of Naomi Novik's work, I really enjoyed this collection. I especially enjoyed the Pride & Prejudice story (longtime JAFF reader here) and the Scholomance story, but some of the others really shined as well. "Seven Years from Home" was especially impactful to me. It reminded me of Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles in some ways. Just really made me reexamine my own worldview. I also really enjoyed "Vici." It was absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible.

However, the title story was a miss for me. I it very confusing, but perhaps that was intentional given the labyrinthine theme of it.

An anthology can be real fun or a real snooze. I would say that this hit in the middle for me. I liked some of the stories, especially for her books that I have already read. The others were fine but I didn't have a connection towards those characters. Novik is such a great writer and everything is always beautifully written. It's hard to write a review for an anthology because there isn't much to go off of. I am looking forward to her next book though!

As always, Naomi Novik delivers! I enjoy her short stories as much as I love her more lengthy novels. She has the ability to create and intriguing and captivating world like none other.