A quick one today, as I want to tell you about a book by my friend Tessa Hastjarjanto, over at Narratess. It’s a lovely little collection of tales/short stories.
The Story
The balance is tipping. Something shifts in the world of Lunis Aquaria. Menacing creatures, daunting deserts, and treacherous mountains. Hardships and solace, friendships and love. Read the stories of what went on before the world is lost in disparity and meet the heroes who will one day restore harmony.
Tales of Lunis Aquaria is a collection of nine short stories set in the fantastical world of Lunis Aquaria.
The Review
I always find it hard to “grade” short story collections. I spent some time hovering internally between a 3.5 and a 4 on this one.
It is, like I said, a lovely little collection. I love the universe it sketches out, with what is essentially a nature goddess and some alien observers in the shape of common animals. Some of the stories were cute, and some were bittersweet, and I generally quite enjoyed it.
One issue I had was that you can feel there is more to it than you’re told, and I feel like a few more stories in the collection might’ve helped round it out, and tie in some of the loose ends. Also, I kept wishing for some queer characters. But as it stands, it was a cute read, and I can’t wait to read more stories in the universe, and get some answers to my questions. This feels more like a first volume (and Tessa promises me more stories are to come!) so it’s hard to judge the whole just on the face of its first part.
What I really loved about it is that it truly felt like fairy tales, the kind of stories I could’ve read as a kid, in tone and in spirit. And yet it did not shy away from harsher stories as well. A good little collection to read with a mug of tea.
The Links
*these are affiliate links, I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you
