This reads like someone describing nightmare o their best friend. That is meant as an incredi bly high compliment. I couldn't Put this down. The prose was absolutely beautiful and fully drew me in.

A decent collection with some good components. However, the stories didn't feel distinct enough, and I feel like I didn't get the chance to become invested with a story. We'd move on and I'd wonder whether this is supposed to connect or be distinct.

An imaginative collection of stories that uses fantasy and magical realism to convey her experiences as an immigrant, if the presence of the Devil wasn't a giveaway.

A really unique short story collection in which the 'fiction' fiction part is the first half of the story we get to read and then there's a meta fourth wall breaking part in which the 'author' continues to tell a longer overarching narrative through the short stories.

I can't help but appreciate how unique and interesting this concept was to read even if not all of the short stories were for me.

Antropófaga was the short story that I would classify as the most recognisable as a typical horror story, it was also my favourite.

I'll have to check out this Authors future works.

3.75

“Rapture,” “Ghost Story,” and “Idle Hands” were probably my favorite stories from the collection. In “Rapture” we get the background story of the author sleeping with the devil and also pick up on some of the themes that will run throughout the collection. “Ghost Story” takes us back to the writer’s home country of Brazil and deals with family relationships, especially between the writer and her mother when the mother begins seeing the writer’s ghost. “Idle Hands” is a writer’s workshop and features feedback on the writer’s work as told by her peers.

Additionally, I liked the interludes between the stories where we see more into the writer’s life. I think the collection started out stronger than it ended, and I did feel a little lost towards the end. I’ll also add that it was probably not the best choice to pick this up the day after the collection. The aftermath of the 2016 election is one of the major themes in Craft. The story “Tropicália” in particular follows someone who is here on an H-1B work visa and her constant fear she will be stopped by ICE without her passport. It was particularly awful to read knowing that administration is back.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a review copy.

Creative and creepy, in the best possible way. Lima does a great job keeping the plots moving while giving characters time to develop.

Craft was an excellent collection of stories. I liked the name stories, but liked the interludes even more. It was smart and funny and really well written.
I liked the narrator

This was a great collection of interconnected stories. I loved the unique take and how the stories flowed well. The narrator was engaging and easy to understand and I will definitely be recommending both the audio or regular book of this to people. It was engaging and thought provoking and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Perfect and on-trend for witchy fans! I plan to listen to this again in October to get me in a Halloween mood.

So first off, I want to say this should not have been marketed as horror - this is more a book about magical realism. Having the devil interwoven throughout does not equal horror. For me the only story that comes close to horror is the story with the vending machine. That said I enjoyed this read. Most of the stories are flashes of life through a different lens - that of an immigrant to the United States. Most of the story takes place in 2017 (with the exception of the writer's first meeting with the devil in 1999) through the pandemic. Each story is a slice of life - mostly from the life of the writer as she struggles to become a writer while working a job that you sense she does not like. My favorite aspect of the stories are the workshop critiques - I think this encapsulates how readers' experiences/bias can color the way they view the book and how each critique is unique and different. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes short stories that look at what is happening in the world around them, but with a unique perspective and a touch of magical realism. The narrator did a fantastic job - this is my first voiced by Taylor Harvey, and it will more than likely not be my last. I will also be looking into Lima's backlist.

Craft is a compilation of intricately woven tales, narrated through the lens of a young, Brazilian American wordsmith. Aptly named, our protagonist, known simply as "the writer," finds herself entangled in a pact with the devil after a chance encounter at a collegiate gathering. These stories serve as a multifaceted exploration of her experiences as an immigrant, seamlessly blending her new life in America with her roots in Brazil.



What sets this collection apart is its captivating meta-narrative, as the writer addresses both her audience and the devil himself. The bond shared between the two is one of great intimacy, with the devil serving as both a source of solace and terror, appearing at pivotal moments throughout her journey of self-discovery.

I wanted to like this book. but there was just a disconnect for me. It was a personal thing. Its probably why it took me so long to write a review as well, I hate leaving low reviews.

Craft is a collection of short stories written from the perspective of a young Brazilian American writer. As the name suggests, the main character, “the writer” writes for the devil, who she meets at a college party. These stories are essentially stories within a story of her life as an immigrant, a splicing of her new life in America and her childhood home in Brazil.

This collection of stories creates a fantastic meta experience as the writer writes both to us, the readers, and the devil himself. The relationship she has with the devil is intimate, the devil often consoling her as often as scaring her, showing up during all facets of her coming of age story.

I received an advance copy of the audio version of this book. The narration really captured the third person omnipresent ethereal vibe present in this story (or stories). I do wish I had read this physically only to better identify each individual story from another. Listening to these stories does not necessarily capture each story as its own and instead offers a more chapter to chapter reading experience.

This is a beautifully crafted horror novel, with no real plot or story line to follow, it instead offers an introspective and at times disturbing thought process of the writer.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book; all opinions are my own.

Very clever story and kept my attention the whole way through. I really enjoyed the ending. Thanks NetGallery!

This was an extremely well produced audiobook. The narrator was easy to listen to, and she drew you in to the story, however I believe I would have enjoyed this in print form more. Or if the audiobook had track titles. I'm sure that if I was able to see which part was a story written by the "writer" and what part was just about the "writer" it would have been easier to follow. Most likely the final version will alleviate that issue. Overall, the tales were enjoyable, and it was fun to not only see the writer in daily life, but also get the stories she wrote for the Devil. It was a quick listen, and worth the time.

Book rating : 3 stars
Narration : 4 stars
Average rating : 3.5 stars

Narrated by Taylor Harvey

I want to start this review with applause for the narrator. I loved her narration and it definitely made the whole experience quite a journey.

Now coming to the book, I definitely was mesmerized by the prose and for about first 40-50 % of the book I could make sense of the storyline as well. But later on it for very confusing. I couldn't understand who was who, if this was a story within story, or a story written by the author in the story.

There was even a point where I would have stopped listening but I continued coz of narration. Not because I was bored but because it felt kind of haphazard erratic thoughts which had no start or no end.

I will recommend it for those who enjoy this kind of writing. I loved the writing style so definitely going to pick next books Ananda Lima publishes.

Thank you Netgalley and dreamscape media for the ARC in exchange of an honest review

I enjoyed this book with the main plot line running through and the characters reconnecting through our time.

Craft was a difficult book for me to rate. I loved the cultural references to Brazil, and living in the US. I also really enjoyed that the stories were so creative and unique. While I found some parts to be profound, spooky, or beautiful, I also found others to be slow and a tad boring. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a very outside the box kind of speculative horror/literary fiction story. The audio narration was excellent, and made the book enjoyable for me.

Craft is essentially a collection of stories written in the POV of a woman who once slept with the devil. To be honest, the stories were slightly hard to follow. This felt kind of all over the place and it would definitely work for people who prefer “thoughts not plots”. I really enjoyed the beginning and the way the devil dressed up as Trump (or it seemed like Trump) and the way he introduced future music and themes to her. The beginning was really gripping and enticing, but the rest of the book didn’t work for me and I had to DNF unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley & Tor & Dreamscape media for this book and audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!

Imaginative and heartfelt, Craft is a solid collection of interconnected short stories touching upon themes of immigration, familial bond, and writing as a craft. While its marketing places a lot of emphasis on this Devil character, his role is often more of a prompter for broader discussion, rather than a well-rounded presence driving the plot. In addition, I would also label Craft squarely as literary fiction, with supernatural elements featured in a few stories; if you're picking this up expecting a true horror experience — you might be a little taken aback by its subtlety.

Still, as a short stories collection this is one of the stronger ones that feels diverse but still maintains a cohesive core. I really enjoyed most of what I've read, and there are some truly unique standouts (the one about a vending machine selling little people is particularly memorable).

PS: Note the framing story does take place during COVID for a few chapters, in case this may potentially be a trigger for some.