Tag Archives: Fantasy

March 5, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Hearth Stories, Springtime Fare

Book cover for Hearth Stories, Springtime Fare by B. Morris Allen, Erin Keating, Em Harriett, Erin France, and JM Cyrus. Image on cover is a painting of wild flowers growing in a meadow. There are tiny little pink, white, and blue flowers everywhere. Title: Hearth Stories, Springtime Fare

Author: B. Morris Allen, Erin Keating, Em Harriett, Erin France, and JM Cyrus

Publisher: Hearth Stories

Publication Date: March 22, 2025

Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance, LGBTQ+

Length: 66 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the authors.

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Hearth Stories: Springtime Fair (2025) is a special issue of Hearth Stories in which each story has instructions for making something that was featured in the story (charm, recipe, ritual, etc).

This issue features the following:

Crivăț and the Snow Curse by B. Morris Allen

How to Make a Martisor

The Confession Chocolate by Erin Keating

How to Make Confession Chocolate

Creature Comforts by Em Harriett

Fox’s Almond Cake

The Soapmaker by Erin France

Unscented Soap

A Song Amongst the Prayer Ribbons by JM Cyrus

Leaf Rubbing and Forest Bathing

Content Warning: An accident that seriously injures someone’s knee.

Review:

Early spring is no time to leave the house unprepared for any sort of weather.

“The Confession Chocolate” was a cozy tale about two friends who may or may not be falling in love with each other. The storyline was straightforward, so I don’t want to share too many details about it for spoiler reasons. What I adored about it was how Mara and Lennan danced around their evolving feelings for each other while she was simultaneously grinding through the busiest time of the year at her chocolate shop. The fantasy elements of the storyline ebbed and flowed in ways that were as natural as they were playful. I think this one might be a little more appealing to fans who already love the romance genre versus those who were hoping for something deeply rooted in traditional fantasy lore, but it was delightful either way.

I had mixed feelings about “A Song Among the Prayer Ribbons.” The romantic subplot was a wonderful surprise whose details I’ll leave for others to discover for themselves, and I liked the nuanced relationship between Maren and her grumpy, elderly father. What made me pause as I was reading was the underlying theme that it’s okay for older people to be argumentative, mean-spirited, and grouchy with younger people because the former have been alive for so long. This is something that pops up regularly in both fiction and real life, and it’s something I vehemently disagree with. Yes, of course we should make some allowances for people who are grieving or in pain, but I don’t agree with the idea that living a particular number of years should grant anyone the right to treat others poorly regularly. This is something I’m saying as a younger person who has a chronic illness that causes terrible pain and other symptoms that cannot be ignored. I completely understand being in a bad mood because of how one feels, but I cannot agree with the idea that this gives anyone the license to be a jerk. Self control is key.

Stinky soap and etiquette were the conflicts in “The Soapmaker.” Conversations about someone’s odour will always be awkward no matter how gentle others try to be about it, so I kept reading with interest as the characters in this little village tried to let the kind and wonderful woman who made soap for everyone know that the scent combinations she used weren’t appealing. My favorite part of this tale was the open-ended final scene that left so much scope for the imagination. It made me wish for a sequel so I could discover what happened to the characters next.

I look forward to other readers chiming in with their thoughts on these tales.

Hearth Stories, Springtime Fare was a sweet and gentle read.

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March 4, 2026 · 1:00 am

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Fictional Things I’m Glad Are NOT Real

Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

This is once again going to be a science fiction, horror, and fantasy heavy list due to how much I’ve read in those genres.

1. Vampires

Stylized drawing of a Chinese dragon that doesn’t have limbs. It’s long, snake-like body curls around itself as it flicks out its tongue and looks annoyed. 2. Zombies

3. The Borg

4. Panem (The country set in North America in the Hunger Games series that forced children to fight for their lives in epic televised battles)

5. Being the Chosen One ™. Honestly, that sounds exhausting.

6. Aliens who show up on Earth ready to fight.

7. Having a One True Love ™. Falling in love can be an excellent thing, but the pressure of believing there’s only one person out there for you and you’d better not mess things up was intense when I was single.

8. Epic adventures. This, too, sounds exhausting. Let someone else go save the world while I hunker down for the rest of the winter.

 

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February 25, 2026 · 1:00 am

Top Ten Tuesday: Fictional Things I Wish Were Real


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This list is going to be heavily influenced by Star Trek and other science fiction themes. Be prepared.

I wish these fictional things were real:

A photo of Earth taken from the moon. Earth is partially hidden in shadow and looks small against an endlessly inky black sky. The moon’s surface is a monotone of grey and light brown. 1) Successful Human Settlements

For example, groups of people living well on other planets or on the moons of other planets. I think our longterm chances of surviving as a species would be much higher if we had the technology to spread out in the galaxy or universe.

2) Replicators.

Imagine if we could have all of the food, medicine, medical equipments, and other necessary things for life available at the press of a button. So much human suffering could be eliminated. (I’ve already talked about the wonders of a Star Trek medical bay in a previous WWBC post, or I would have included it here as well).

3) Equality for All

My favourite types of science fiction to read and to watch are the ones that show humans solving problems that have nothing at all do with any form of prejudice based on ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity,  sexual orientation, religion, disability, etc. because such a thing doesn’t really exist in their society anymore. If only they went into more detail about how that happened, because I’d love to see us figure it out in the current era.

4) Warp Drives

We’ll need them to travel to other solar systems!

5) Magic

I wish I really could flick a wand or perform a spell to fix many major problems.

6) Dragons

Is this at all practical? No. Do I still want them to exist in remote places on Earth where humans will hopefully leave them in peace anyway? Yes.

7) Bigfoot

See also: #6.

8) Justice

Even the worst antagonists in books are virtually always overcome eventually. In real life, not so much…but I still wish it could happen. I want peace for everyone.

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February 12, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Love Bug

Title: Love Bug (The Shrouded Isle Series) Book cover for Love Bug  by Zoe Tasia. Image on cover is a drawing of three light brown envelopes that have been dropped in a snowbank and have a few red hearts floating out of them.

Publisher: Zoe Tasia

Publication Date: February 13, 2024

Genres: Young Adult, Holiday, Mystery, Fantasy, Contemporary

Length: About 47 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 3 Stars

Blurb:

It’s Valentine’s Day on the Shrouded Isle. Love is in the air! Unfortunately, love needs a compass, because Cupid keeps hitting the wrong targets. Join Becca Shaw and her daughters, Jessie and Tate as they solve the mystery!

Review:

Love is magical.

I enjoyed the school setting of this tale, especially considering how kind Becca’s teacher was not only to her but to all of the other students in the class as well. Too often school is a source of conflict in young adult novels. While that is in no way a bad thing, especially given how common it is for some kids to have conflicted feelings about school for a wide variety of completely understandable reasons, it was refreshing to read about a teen who genuinely likes going to class and learning new things.

The slow start to this tale made it difficult for me to remain focused on reading it at times. While the pacing did pick up about halfway through, I found myself wishing that it had remained steady from the first scene to the last one as I found the middle and ending much more enjoyable and would have given this a higher star rating if not for my struggles with this aspect of the writing. If other readers have this same problem, I definitely would recommend sticking it out as the final scene was delightful.

Marketing this tale to the young adult genre was a great decision. What would have been out of place for an adult protagonist ended up being perfect for someone Becca’s age given her limited experience with life, magic, and matters of the heart. I nodded as I read about the Valentine’s Day cards she made as an extra credit assignment for one of her classes and wondered when the magical elements of the storyline were going to kick in. Obviously, I can’t share any details about exactly how that panned out for spoiler reasons, but I hope other readers have as much fun figuring it out as I did.

Love Bug piqued my curiosity.

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February 5, 2026 · 1:00 am

Bittersweet Valentine’s Day: A Review of Forget February

Title: Forget FebruaryBook cover for Forget February by Holly Schindler. Image on cover shows a red heart that’s been broken into a dozen or more pieces and lies shattered on a black surface.

Author: Holly Schindler

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: December 7, 2022

Genres: Holiday, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary

Length: 17 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb:

Forever Finley Episode / Short Story #3: A tale of happy accidents, mystical events, and the beautiful things that can happen after (or even as the result of) a broken heart. The legend of Amos Hargrove is nothing more than a silly fairy tale, according to the two people who are arguably the most broken-hearted in the entire town of Finley. His spirit does not still exist, and he does not play matchmaker or bring luck to those who need it…or does he?

Forget February is the third installment of Forever Finley, a series of episodes or stand-alone stories that released once a month throughout 2016. Read together, the stories work like chapters in a novel. Previous releases in the series include Come December and January Thaw. Subsequent releases include Dearest March…, April’s Promise, Mayday Mayday Mayday, Chasing June, A Hundred Julys, Under the August Moon, Song for September, October Omen, and the Forever Finley Finale (Pale November / December Bells). Stories can be purchased individually, or readers can purchase all installments in Forever Finley: An Episodic Novel.

Content Warning: Death from pleurisy. Drunkenness. Brief references to war. A character accidentally breaks their leg.

Review:

February isn’t a trustworthy month, but it is a memorable one.

I loved the romantic paranormal elements of this story. The myths surrounding Amos Hargrove and his sweetheart Finley provided the perfect backdrop for contemporary life as the protagonists struggled with their own broken hearts along with other misfortunes that found them in this month. The willingness of the author to show why some characters find certain holidays difficult has consistently been one of the things I enjoyed about this series the most. There is definitely something to be said for holding space for both celebration and grief depending on how one reacts to a specific special day, and it worked even better given the tragic backstory of the spirits who protect the town of Finley.

Some of the quieter scenes that described how cold, stormy, unpredictable, and slippery the weather can be in February turned out to be my favorite moments so far while reading these books. Not only did they provide some interesting foreshadowing, they also set the scene for part of the reason why certain characters were struggling and explained why foul moods and foul weather are never a good match. This is something I hope to find more of when I return to this world this spring as it added another layer of meaning to everything that was happening.

The romance between the two living characters was handled sweetly and delicately. Obviously, given that this is part of a series, there was plenty left to the imagination as the year wears on, but this was a cute introduction to one of the many ways that love can begin to shape two people in new and refreshing ways. I’ve already read other instalments in their adventures at this point, and so I know things about them that a brand new reader will not. Still, these stories were meant to be started at any point, and I can confirm that this works perfectly well even if readers who have already visited this world before might get a little something extra out of it.

Forget February was heartwarming and just a little bittersweet.

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January 29, 2026 · 1:00 am

A Review of Gods Don’t Sleep

Book cover for Gods Don’t Sleep Author: TheRizzX  (Rishi Raagav). Image on cover his a possibly AI-generated scene of three people with glowing eyes standing in the middle of red light that looks like its pouring down onto them. Title: Gods Don’t Sleep

Author: TheRizzX  (Rishi Raagav)

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: June 20, 2025

Genres: Fantasy

Length: 10 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author

Rating: 3 stars

Blurb:

Mr.Or was an famous singer, sings like an angel, but suddenly he gets into a weird obsession that makes him to go insane and paranoia with the three friends called Fates.

Content Warning: Insomnia and threats of bodily harm.

Review:

Some challenges should never be taken.

The fantasy elements of the plot were interesting and made me want to keep reading. The blurb doesn’t really do this part of the storyline justice, so this is a word of encouragement to keep reading if the blurb or the beginning doesn’t necessarily speak to you. Things change later on in the plot in ways that I thought were good for nearly everyone involved, and they made me wish for a sequel.

I struggled to understand the main character’s motivation for purposefully not sleeping for several days in a row. Sleep deprivation is such a miserable experience, at least for me, that I didn’t think the explanation that was given for his decision was sufficient. If I had more information about his personality and backstory, it would have made it easier for me to understand why he was drawn to this experience and what he hoped to glean from it.

While I’ve never gone five days without sleep, the descriptions of what it feels like to go more than a day without sleep felt pretty accurate to me early on this tale. I especially liked how the author emphasized how dreamlike the world can eventually feel when one has gone that long without getting any rest. It really does feel like a lucid dream in some respects, and not in a fun way. Time can feel like it speeds up or slows down and even ordinary experiences like trying to have a conversation can feel monumentally challenging.

Gods Don’t Sleep was intriguing.

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December 25, 2025 · 1:00 am

A Review of A Happy Christmas Ceilidh

Book cover for A Happy Christmas Ceilidh by Zoe Tasia. Image on cover is a drawing of a snowperson that’s doing a handstand outside in the snow beside some fir trees. Its stick arms are leaning down to touch the snow and its scarf is falling down onto the snow. Title: A Happy Christmas Ceilidh (The Shrouded Isle)

Author: Zoe Tasia

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: December 1 or 23, 2022

Genres: Fantasy, Holiday, Romance, Contemporary

Length: 82 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 3 stars

Blurb:

It’s their first winter holiday together on the Shrouded Isle…
American widow Becca, her two daughters, and her Scottish boyfriend, Greg, are looking forward to celebrating.But trouble comes…
As an elf on the shelf moves of its own volition, a snowman attracts too much attention, and an elderly neighbor is in dire need of Christmas cheer.To make matters worse…
Becca and Greg find perfect gifts for each other. Unfortunately, neither can afford the price.Hilarity ensues as they struggle to find solutions for their problems. A Happy Christmas Ceilidh is a heart-warming tale about what happens when love brings a family and a community together.Content Warning: References to the main character being widowed and raising two kids on her own.

Review:

Nobody should be alone for the holidays.

This novella had a wonderful sense of community. That is to say, the characters genuinely cared about their neighbours and went out of their way to not only ensure that everyone’s needs were taken care of but that many of their wants were as well. This is one of those things I love about Christmas-themed stories given how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel to hear about everyone being treated with kindness, inclusion, and compassion. After all, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

I found it a little confusing to jump among multiple narrators while reading this, especially given the subplots that only some narrators were interested in exploring. No sooner did I adjust to one perspective than someone else would show up in the following chapter to talk about something that may or may not be related to what had just happened. As much as I wanted to give one a higher rating, these issues were an obstacle to doing so.

With that being said, the fantasy subplot was subtle during most of this piece and fit the characters and setting well. There’s something amusing about needing to figure out if something otherworldly is actually happening or if the characters are somehow misinterpreting uncommon but plausible events. As much as I’d love to dive into this subject even more deeply, it’s best for other readers to discover for themselves what was really going on here.

A Happy Christmas Ceilidh was full of holiday cheer. 

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December 18, 2025 · 1:00 am

A Review of A Very Uncanny Christmas

Book cover for A Very Uncanny Christmas - A Jack Hansard Short Story by Georgina Jeffery. Image on cover is a drawing of four small bottles of potions, one purple, one pink, one red and one white, left by a brick fireplace. In the centre of the display of potions is a light blue glowing potion in a glass jar that’s attached to a large red container. Title: A Very Uncanny Christmas – A Jack Hansard Short Story

Author: Georgina Jeffery

Publisher:

Publication Date: December 18, 2024

Genres: Fantasy, Holiday, Contemporary

Length: 74 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author

Rating: 3 Stars

Blurb:

When Jack Hansard, Purveyor of Occult Goods, takes a break from hawking dodgy potions and broken magic charms to go home for Christmas, he expects to suffer through a painfully normal family reunion. However, it soon become obvious his family is under some kind of Christmas everybody is being too nice.

Then there’s the freak snow, and the weird knitted jumpers, and the elf that little Nicky swears he saw poisoning the mince pies. Whatever’s going on, it’s something that lurks beyond the ordinary.

Jack must face sinister singalongs, enchanted toys, and possibly even Santa Claus himself to get to the bottom of the mystery and save Christmas . . .

. . . Or at least, save his family from Christmas.

Funny urban fantasy with a magic(ish) salesman, a Welsh coblyn, and a misguided Christmas spirit. A Very Uncanny Christmas is a standalone short story in The Jack Hansard Series that can be read on its own.

Review:

There’s something to be said for being a good sport about things one doesn’t quite understand, but there’s also something to be said for being honest.

Jack’s grumpy attitude and vivid descriptions of the things that irritated him amused me. Honestly, I agreed with the many of the points he made about subjects like the commercialization of the holidays or how much pressure can be placed upon someone, whether purposefully or inadvertently, to pretend to enjoy traditions that they at best don’t personally glean any meaning or joy from and at worst might even be a little painful for them for various reasons.  He had the freedom to voice these complaints openly and straightforwardly without anyone trying to silence him which I was intrigued by as this often hasn’t been my experience as a woman in similar situations. This is not to say I think that being grumpy is generally the best course of action, only that it was interesting to meet a character who could so plainly say what he truly thought.

I would have liked to see more time spent on resolving the main conflict in this novella. So many pages were used to build up the tension that I felt a little let down by how it was wrapped up in the end due to how quickly it happened and how many questions I still had about the characters and how magic worked in this universe. While this was still very much a standalone read, I would have happily gone with a higher rating if the conflict had been given more even pacing.

There was a subplot quietly weaving its way through this tale that piqued my interest. As it gradually grew louder, I appreciated the deeper levels of meaning that could be found in a house that was decorated a little too cheerfully and in stacks of presents that overwhelmed the protagonist. Not everyone’s experience of the holidays is the same, so what appears perfectly normal to one family may have a completely different meaning to another. I’m dancing around this topic because I think it’s best for other readers to pick up on the clues for themselves, but I liked the way the author used common Christmas tropes to get his point across.

A Very Uncanny Christmas was full of surprises.

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December 11, 2025 · 1:00 am

A Review of A Visit from Naughty Claus

Title: A Visit from Naughty Claus (‘twere the Night After Christmas)Book cover for A Visit from Naughty Claus Author: RyFT Brand (Robert F Thompson). Image on cover shows a drawing of a scary looking man with a large nose rubbing something long and stick-shaped with a cloth.

Author: RyFT Brand (Robert F Thompson)

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: December 1, 2011

Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary, Holiday

Length: 3 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the author.

Rating: 3 Stars

Blurb:

Bad kids get coal; really bad kids get a visit from Naughty Claus. Free until December the thirty-first—Happy Holidays!
Can’t seem to stay off the naughty list? Does your behavior make the bad kids cry? Do you cheer when you find a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking? If so you’d better forget watching out and just start running, because Naughty Clause is coming to town. A Visit from Naughty Claus, a dark and dreary tale of Christmas woe in verse that follows the fateful Christmas night when a boy who just couldn’t behave gets his just deserts, and it ain’t Christmas pudding with a sprig of holly in it either. Ready to start behaving?

Content Warning: a terrible tantrum and an even worse consequence for that tantrum.

Review:

Christmas comes in many forms.

This poem is so short that my review of it may very well end up having more words in it than the poem itself! It’s a riff of The Night Before Christmas, but the point of it can still be made if there are any readers who aren’t already familiar with the original. I enjoy seeing how modern authors reinterpret old classics and thought this was a realistic take on what Christmas can be like for some families who aren’t exactly picture perfect.

The beginning explained how the narrator’s family was attempting to deal with a child who seemed to be keen to destroy Christmas for everyone in that household. I say attempting because the parents were trying but didn’t seem to have the gumption to really put their feet down and get their child to stop destroying presents and ruining the house. As I was reading, I wondered if the youngster had been spoiled during his short lifetime or if he had something going on with his mental or physical health that was contributing to these tantrums. Yes, I know I’m probably wildly overthinking this, but it was interesting to come up with various theories about what was going on with him.

As for the ending? Well, you’ll have to discover that for yourselves. It made me wish Mr.  Thompson would reappear on the literary scene and write a sequel to this short, funny piece. There was more he could do with it, and I would have found it amusing to find out what happened next. In the meantime, I’ll just have to use my imagination and encourage all of my readers to check out this playful piece of poetry as Christmas looms nearer.

A Visit from Naughty Claus made me chuckle.

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December 4, 2025 · 1:00 am

A Review of Hearth Stories, Winter Solstice 2024

Book cover for Hearth Stories, Winter Solstice 2024 by LM Zaerr, Alicia Adam’s, Coll Marshall, Sarah Connell, Michael M. Jones, A. Katherine Black, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Image on cover shows a teardrop-shaped leaf that has no color left in it. Some red and orange flowers have been embroidered onto it which makes me think the leaf was probably created by a human, too, as something this thin and translucent would crumble if someone actually tried to embroider it. Title: Hearth Stories, Winter Solstice 2024, Book 3

Author: LM Zaerr, Alicia Adam’s, Coll Marshall, Sarah Connell, Michael M. Jones, A. Katherine Black, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Publisher: Hearth Stories

Publication Date: December 21, 2024

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical

Length: 44 pages

Source: I received a free copy from the publisher.

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb:

Hearth Stories is a speculative fiction magazine focused on cozy fantasy stories. Each issue features a letter from the editor, author bios and interviews, and wonderful stories focused on family, home life, connection, and the natural world.

This issue features the following stories:

The Portal Makers of Thistleton Fair by LM Zaerr

Out of the Rain by Alicia Adams

Enough by Coll Marshall

The Hermit, the Inkeeper, and Clem by Sarah Connell

An Encounter in Spice and Thyme by Michael M. Jones

Dig and the Dragon by A. Katherine Black

The Lady of Shallot by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Content Warning: Serious illness.

Review:

A simple life is a happy life.

“Out of the Rain” explored the lives of an elderly couple who were no longer able to physically keep up with their farm work or housework. It can be difficult for people who have been independent for decades to admit they need some help now, and I enjoyed the way the narrator explored the many different emotions that can be stirred up in this stage of life. I also enjoyed the fact that this was a homage to a much older story. There’s something to be said for breathing new life in such things by updating them in various ways, and it’s something that makes me smile every time I come across it.

Halreth and his fellow villagers were under the influence of a dangerous spell that compelled them to chop down a forest in “Enough.” The parable here was easy to uncover and I did find myself wishing the author had trusted his readers a little more to understand what he was saying without repeated his points so many times, but I thought it was interesting to explore the protagonist’s reaction to the spell when compared to his many happy memories of visiting the forest when he needed new herbs to treat his sick or injured neighbours. To be fair, some readers may need the level of repetition that was included here, so don’t let my mixed emotions about it prevent you from trying it yourself.

The unique way “An Encounter in Spice and Thyme” was framed made me want to read a sequel to this piece. Most authors would have written it from the perspective of Melanie as she tried to help her sick grandmother rather than the point of view of the owner of the magic shop. While this did mean that the reader doesn’t get to know as many details about this illness and its treatment as we normally would, it also opened up the door to explore the conflicts and themes as Layla observed them and tried to figure out how much help she ought to offer to someone who was brand new to the world of using spells in baking and didn’t know where to begin.

Hearth Stories, Winter Solstice 2024 was overflowing with love and respect for the natural world.

 

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