Tag Archives: Libba Bray

A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: A Universe of Wishes
Author: Dhonielle Clayton, Tara Sim, Natalie C. Parker, Libba Bray, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kwame Mbalia, V.E. Schwab, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nic Stone, Jenni Balch, Mark Oshiro, Samira Ahmed, Tessa Gratton, Zoraida Cordova & Tochi Onyebuchi
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: LGBTQIShort story collections, Young adult
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

Thoughts

A Universe of Wishes is a fantastic and brilliant anthology. One I really, really enjoyed. And one that introduced me to a whole lot more authors that I plan to add to my shelves. It was a fun and unique collection that gave the reader a whole lot of diversity, not only in tales and styles, but also in lead characters.

I loved that this is an #OwnVoices collection, and now I’m going to add more such collections to my shelves. I love having non-white leads in my stories. And this has given me a taste of a whole range of new authors and cultures. Something that I really love when reading – discovering the unknown.

This anthology runs the gambit of genres and styles. The only thing all of the stories have in common is that they are thoroughly enjoyable and I loved them. I look forward to reading this anthology again and again and again in the future.

<- HabibiA Universe of Wishes ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Scarlet Woman: A Gemma Doyle Story by Libba Bray

Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: The Scarlet Woman
Author: Libba Bray
Series: Gemma Doyle Companion
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 17th August 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: The bulk of my correspondence comes from my grandmama, who, in between complaining about various ailments, never misses an opportunity to remind me that, at nineteen, if I don’t find a husband soon, I will become unmarriageable – though, she remarks, she isn’t sure that I am marriageable at all.

Synopsis

Gemma Doyle feels like she’s finally moving on from the magic and mayhem of her past. But, then a confusing note sends everything crashing back down on her head.

Thoughts

I remember buying A Great and Terrible Beauty a while ago, but I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. This short story based in the world of Gemma Doyle has certainly made me feel tempted though.

I found a lot fo this story hard to understand and follow. Probably because I haven’t read the greater series and so I don’t have a lot of backstory. But, it was still a great adventure.

A good short story can have a seriously open ended ending. This is like that. It makes me think this takes place between books in the Gemma Doyle series… otherwise it is just way too… unsolved for my liking.

<- The Silk BladeCristal Y Ceniza ->

Image source: Goodreads