Right away, I was struck by Pang’s writing style—it’s lyrical without being flowery, and every sentence feels intentional. There's a precision to the language that mirrors the story itself: tight, blade-focused (literally and metaphorically), and quietly emotional.

I received an ARC of All The Broken Blades by YM Pang from NetGalley. Many thanks to the author/publisher for approving me.

One of the things that prompted me to request The Broken Blades is that it’s a short story collection. Short story collections are something I want to read more of. I like the idea of having one on hand that I can just whip out and read a story without having to commit to a novel. It’s the sort of thing where I can see myself just reading a story from a short story collection here and there between longer works. At the end of the day, it’ll probably take me forever to get through a single short story collection and I’m ok with that.

Fantasy is one of my go-to genres. So picking up a collection of fantasy short stories - including fairy tale retellings - felt like a good idea.

Also, full disclosure: I didn’t really know anything about YM Yang when picking up All The Broken Blades. For that reason, I really enjoyed reading the follow up chapter at the end of All The Broken Blades. This chapter helped me gain some insight into Yang’s process and what went into the writing of the stories found in All The Broken Blades.

Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. The stories that I was most drawn to in All The Broken Blades tended to be the fairytale retellings. Pang took that approach of “what if the outcome of the story is the same, more or less, but the character motivations are different?” You might end up with a fairytale that has a very different villain, for example. I think I was drawn to these tales in particular because they were ones that I was familiar with.

As Marie Bilodeau wrote, “Y.M. Pang will unapologetically punch your heart while filling it with hope.” I think this succinctly sums up my thoughts on All The Broken Blades: I often found myself being saddened by what the characters were experiencing, but was left hopeful that things could and would work out.

All the Broken Blades is an engaging fantasy that combines vivid world building with compelling characters. The story explores themes of resilience, power, and redemption, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The pacing is good, and the writing style has a nice flow, though a few plot points felt slightly predictable.

This was haunting in the best way. Y.M. Pang builds entire worlds in a handful of pages and then proceeds to wreck you emotionally in each one. Every story felt like peeling back the layers of a curse sharp, aching, and beautifully told.

Favorites included the assassin who’s more broken than deadly, the innkeeper who deserved better, and the reimagined fairy tales that hit like poetry wrapped in knives. I was constantly pausing just to sit with the last line and breathe it in. Some stories went over my head a bit, but even then, the prose was so gorgeous I didn’t care.

These aren’t your classic happily ever afters. This is the gritty, bleeding edge of myth and magic, where gods fall, girls bite back, and the monsters are sometimes merciful.

Highly recommend if you love fantasy that reads like folklore and isn’t afraid to get a little grim.

the cover was the first thing that hooked me in— with all the deep blues, a green moon and a sword with a mermaid's art at the behind was such an intriguing element— the fun part was how it was related to the couple of short stories in this book!

It was an epic read with vivid storytelling with twist on already existing fairytales and lores— with real life themes explored, by leaving the conflict at the end unsolved in some stories. Y.M. Pang's short stories are best described as mystical with the twists on the familiar fairytales that brings nostalogia and after reading the short stories I'm left with awe and surprise how refreshing it feels!

Even though, I'm not a huge fan of poetries nor do I read them— Y.M's poetries were delicate pieces of arts that I enjoyed reading and exploring.

At places, I felt the writing style could have been more lyrical, the prose a bit more expanded with well known writing techniques such as show, don't tell. But as the short stories went, writing style was better suited off to short stories. I feel this was more of a personal nuisance rather than a critical detail to be pointed out as I'm not an avid short story reader.

This collection of short fantasy stories is one of the best written I have ever read. Each story hooked me in to some degree, and they are all told so well it makes you wish every one was longer. The endings were not all clear or happy, but each one made sense to me as to how the story was woven by the author.

It was impressive to me how well done the fantasy was in some of the stories - and like I said they could have been much longer and I would have been thrilled.

The only parts I didn't love were an entirely personal thing - there were a few retellings I didn't enjoy as much, though they were still very creative twists on the way I'm used to hearing them.

All-in-all, a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Myriad Flames/Victory Editing and YM Pang for an eARC copy of this book!

This book is full of short stories, fairytales and poems, Y.M Pang's writing is extraordinary. I've not been someone that reads a lot of short stories but her writing wraps me into the stories so quickly.
I particular loved Blood and Desert Dreams and loved the Dual POV of the story Fall From the Heavens.

I'm not normally a big short stories fan but this collection is mind-blowingly good. Each one hits a fresh note and characters come to life within a matter of pages. Taking influence from all sorts of folk stories and fantasy areas, it's an excellent start to the fantasy genre but also well suited to those wanting a flavour of magic without dipping into a lengthy series. Some of these stories will stay with me for a long time, can't recommend enough!

Rating: 4.75 stars

'Even when the mountains are worn to plains, when every lake and river runs dry, I'll be here. And I'll remember you.'

I absolutely, categorically, from the bottom of my heart, adored this book. I haven't read a short story fantasy anthology like this before, and it was not only such a unique experience but also SUCH a wonderful way to be introduced to this narrative framework!

All the Broken Blades encompasses 16 short stories (including two poems) which range from fairytale retellings to snapshots from an epic fantasy world. Each story is unique and different to the point where it's sometimes difficult to remember they're all written by the same author! You can really see YM Pang's range, especially since all the stories were written over the course of 10+ years, The fairytale retellings are vibrant and exciting; the epic story snapshots have just enough action and character development to make each short story worthwhile, and the poems are beautifully written. It takes real skill to be able to worldbuild in a fantasy short story in a way that is both elegant and satisfactory, and YM Pang knocks it out of the park every time. My favorite three stories were definitely Lace, Comb, Apple; The Mountains My Bones, the Rivers My Blood; and Little Inn on the Jianghu.

Honestly, I only have two real reasons why this wasn't 5 stars: firstly, as with all short story collections, I wasn't a huge fan of every single story; secondly, some of the stories were so interesting I really wanted to see more of the world and felt a tad dissatisfied when the stories eventually came to an end.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to any fans of fantasy and fairytale retellings, who maybe feel overwhelmed by massive fantasy books and want a little break from extensive worldbuilding. I look forward to reading whatever else this author puts out!

A delightful journey through fantasy by Y.M. Pang. A dance that will transport you to strange lands and familiar places, but not everything is as it seems; even the most well-trodden path can change shape when you look at it with fresh eyes.
My favorite story was the journey through memory and sensations in Blood and Desert Dreams. I certainly enjoyed the short stories more than the poems, though that may be due to my personal background.

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Delicioso recorrido por el fantástico de la mano de Y.M. Pang. Una danza que te trasportara por tierras extrañas y lugares conocidos, pero no todo es lo que parece, incluso el camino más transitado puede cambiar de forma al mirarlo con nuevos ojos.
Mi historia favorita fue el recorrido por la memoria y las sensaciones de Blood and Desert Dreams. Si bien es cierto que disfruté mas de las historias cortas que de los poemas, aunque puede deberse a mi bagaje personal.

I enjoyed the short stories in this collection, and I think that the commentary at the end was very good. The connection between stories was not immediately apparent and having that explanation at the end did help me to understand their meaning.

I will be posting my Goodreads review in the next couple of days.

If you are a fan of twisted tales and fantasy, look no further than ‘All the Broken Blades’ by Y. M. Pang. Within the pages of this novel, you will wander amongst 16 fascinating tales that will take you to a variety of differing fantasy worlds. You will delve straight into the hearts and minds of characters you have never dreamed of before and some you may have thought you’d known. There will be heroes who are seen as villains and villains from the past who are perhaps not so evil after all. Within these tales are dragons and Gods, knights of old and mirrors with poisoned apples. You will meet characters who live to protect the ones that they love, and those who die for the very same reason. Heroines who have never known love and find the need to create their own in the most intriguing of places.
Reading from one story to the next, it is easy to get lost between the differing worlds, as you struggle to leave one story for the next. Best, perhaps, to let each story rest for a little while, before moving on to the next. Much like a good cup of tea, you should let each story sit with you so that you can soak in its world, before delving into the next exciting fantasy adventure.

Each tale is beautifully written. I'm so glad that these stories have all been placed in a book together otherwise I never would have come across them since I haven't read any of the publications they were originally featured in.

Each tale ranges in length from quite short (5 minutes or so) to a bit longer (30 .minutes) which is perfect for reading when you only have a short break or when you're waiting at the doctor's office etc.

I loved the nods to some traditional fairy tales like Cinderella but with different character dynamics, plot etc. You had the poor mistreated step-daughter but with a step sister who cared about her and tried to get her family to embrace her. Beautifully written.

This book was so fun and exciting! I am excited to read more from this author! I love fantasy, and this was really good and exciting!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced copy.

First off, this is a short story anthology. It's a bunch of new worlds with stories twisted just enough to give reminders of the "classic" European tales. I ate it all up. My favorite story was Palace of the Silver Dragon and I want that to be a full-length novel. It was dark and mysterious and weirdly magical. It's dark and it twists the emotions and I needed that. I needed to not have super peppy, bubbly, bright MCs. I wanted some darkness. I wanted less feels. This one has sea dragons and a palace under the sea with very dark secrets and a dragon prince who is separated from his brothers and cursed by his own song. It's about a girl who tries to escape and find him instead. I. WANT. MORE.

My second favorite story was the Bride of Blue Manor and I would also read a full-length novel of this story. It is a spin on the Bluebeard lore with a man whose wives keep mysteriously dying or disappearing. A girl gives herself up to this man and attempts to take him out. On their wedding night, she discovers that he is harboring a secret and they strike a deal... It's soft and clear until it isn't.

I would absolutely read more from this author! I do find it very difficult to rate individual stories/poems in an anthology. So my rating is an overall one.

This book was an absolute highlight of my evenings after long shifts. I took my time reading it as it's a collection of short stories, perfect reads for a bookish escape when you dont have time for a full-blown book.

It felt like it literally had everything. Retellings, fairytales, sword fights and just a hint of darkness. An emotional deep sea at some points that I found myself emerged in. Thank you for writing such a capturing book Y. M. Pang and I cannot wait to see what else you got tucked away in your beautiful intriguing mind.

I really enjoyed my read of this book through NetGalley. I liked how it was made up of many short stories that came together into one collection. Each story added something new, and I appreciated how they were all cataloged under one title. It made for a quick but satisfying read!

'All The Broken Blades' is an anthology of short fantasy stories. Each story is different, ranging from fairy tale retellings with a darker twist to epic poems to intense originals.

The author truly can create amazing images, especially when it came to the sword battles and the gorgeous palaces. Their writing was also lush, with darker undertones and intriguing complex characters with an emphasis on the villainesses and antiheroes.

In addition, the stories offered a variety of love stories, most of them tragic, but all of them passionate. However, a few of the stories weren't as interesting as others, especially the ones in the first half. But others were truly great.

This review is also posted on Goodreads and Storygraph.

All the Broken Blades by Y.M. Pang is such a good story. I rated this book 5 stars. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

This collection of short stories and poems is one that takes you on an emotional ride. Y.M. Pang does a great job at using poetic language to paint vivid feelings and emotions throughout their writing. If you want to read something that makes you FEEL, then this is it. Beautiful fantasy worlds and dark fairy tales. I really love that you can truly read anything in no order and get so much from these short writings. The writing style is impressive. The world building is immersive. The stories and poems are captivating. Truly a beautiful collection.