From We Need Diverse Books, A Universe of Wishes is a collection of fifteen YA fantasy/sci-fi short stories full of fantastic and diverse representation. From a boy who pulls wishes from the dead to a thief trying to steal back her home planet’s sacred objects to a medical procedure that weighs what’s in one’s heart to other amazing worlds and adventures, each of these stories is stunning, unique, and magical.

Anthologies are notoriously hard to review because they involve so many different plots, characters, and settings…but that’s also what makes them captivating, and A Universe of Wishes is no exception. In such an extraordinary collection of stories, five in particular stood out to me: “A Universe of Wishes” by Tara Sim, “Cristal y Ceniza” by Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Takeback Tango” by Rebecca Roanhorse, “The Weight” by Dhonielle Clayton, and “Longer Than the Threads of Time” by Zoraida Córdova. These stories caught my attention with strong protagonists, beautiful relationships, exciting plots, and creative incorporation of magic. Overall, the anthology was a pleasure to read, and I enjoyed every single story included. With amazing representation and diverse voices telling the stories, this book is perfect for anyone who loves fantasy, science fiction, or a good dose of adventure.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change.)

This was such a fantastic collection of not only amazing stories but full of super talented, wonderful authors!

I really loved each and every story but some favorites for me were Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie Mclemore, Unmoor by Mark Oshiro, Longer Than The Threads of Time by Zoraida Cordova and Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi!

I love when authors team up for anthologies and this one I have to say is one of the best ones I have had the pleasure of reading, both because of the talent chosen for it and the stories themselves!

Thank you to NetGalley, all 15 authors who contributed to this anthology, Random House Children's, and Dhonielle Clayton (editor) for the opportunity to read A Universe of Wishes in exchange for an honest review.

The reason I requested this book is that I love fantasy, seek diversity, and greatly admire many of the authors who have contributed to this anthology and looked forward to reading some of the short stories they have written.

This book has a nice assortment of diversity including LGBTQ and cultural tradition, along with a nice variety of settings from a morgue to space travel. I have reviewed each story individually based on content, diversity, style, and structure.

"A Universe of Wishes" by Tara Sim
Individual Rating: 4/5
This was a fun cute story about, well, wishes! Thorn has a special ability. He can harvest magic from bodies in order to make wishes. This is not something that people of the living understand of themselves, so he must harvest them from dead bodies. When he sneaks into a morgue, he is caught by the son of the family who runs the morgue and gets caught explaining himself, only he must prove he can cast wishes by granting this other boy a wish. A newfound friendship evolves, dark pasts are revealed, and something more seems to bloom between the two.
I found this to be a genuinely entertaining story. You have a teenager who robs graves/morgues for dead body magic, which is an interesting creep factor and really adds to the mood of the story. There is also gay representation, which was a nice surprise. The fantasy element with the wishes was an interesting twist on the whole "three wishes" mythology that we see in various cultures. This was a highly delightful little story.

"The Silk Blade" by Natalie C. Parker
Individual Rating: 4/5
This story features a tournament of sorts for the hand of the Bloom (which, to my reading, feels like an Emperor). There are two female competitors and a male competitor. When the two females meet on a bridge, knowing instantly who they both are and why they are there, they both seem to have the drive to win the hand of the Bloom, but there also seems to be a spark of "love at first sight" between the two women. With a twist of the tournament results, they both struggle to decide just what they want in the end.
I am not sure if it was supposed to have a more Asian feel to it, but to me, it felt very much like an Imperial court type of setting. There is also a nice touch of "gender doesn't matter when it comes to love" as seen by the fact that the two women are interested in each other, yet compete for the hand of the Bloom (who I register as male), and the fact that another man is fighting for the hand of the Bloom. The world felt very smooth and natural.

"The Scarlet Woman: A Gemma Doyle Story" by Libba Bray
Individual Rating: 4/5
I haven't read the Gemma Doyle books before though I have certainly heard of them, the first of which is A Great and Terrible Beauty. Having not read those, yet read this short story, I would say the author did a great job making the story feel wholesome while making me want to read the original trilogy as well. This story had a very sophisticated air about it as well as mystery. Everything was explained just enough that I could fill in the gaps without having the prior context to the character and her world. The mystery and intrigue here were wonderful.

"Cristal y Ceniza" by Anna-Marie McLemore
Individual Rating: 5/5
One of my favorites in the collection, this features both Latinx culture and LGBTQIA in a way that feels natural, beautiful, and is perfectly executed.
This is a retelling of "Cinderella," though the main character is from a poor country where their people are treated unfairly or removed. She goes to the ball in a neighboring country to meet with the King and Queen to address this issue. Skirting around rumors that their prince is transgender, she finds that a country so open to transgender and same-gender marriage must be able to help her. When she is asked to dance, little does she know it's the prince she dances with, and she might just grow some feelings she wasn't expecting. All the while, someone else confronts her to stand down so that her own daughter can take the prince for herself. It is up to the leading lady to figure out just the right path to choose.
This is an absolutely magical tale full of romance and diversity, and Anna-Marie's writing style is stunning and cunning. This one is a must-read!

"Liberia" by Kwame Mbalia
Individual Rating: 4/5
The Liberia is a spacecraft heading to the New Africa colony. The main character is a young black man who is tasked with taking care of the plants and seedlings that need to be replanted on the new colony to ensure the colony's survival. There are two meanings here, as he struggles to keep the plants safe from the ship's captain and the dangers of space. One is the literal need for the plants to be able to grow and harvest on the colony. The second, deeper meaning, is the plants are grown and represent their ancestors, and having them planted at their family's new homes is the way to bring all their ancestors with them.
This is a very cultural-feeling story that I really appreciated when looking at the importance of family, culture, and heritage. I also liked how this took place on a space ship. There are elements of tradition, as well as those who feel the need to break away from tradition and the importance of holding on to one's culture, no matter where in the universe they may venture to.

"A Royal Affair" by V.E. Schwab
Individual Rating: 4.5/5
This short story, while reminisced during Alucard's volage to London for the Essen Tasch, takes place three years before the events of the Shades of Magic trilogy and features the relationship between Rhy and Alucard, highlighting their reason for breaking up and some of the hardships Alucard faced afterward.
Shades of Magic is a fantastic trilogy, and of course, I loved every moment of this short story. I wish there was a bit more Rhy and Alucard action, but it was more about the focus on how society has expectations of people and the reasoning behind why some people choose to break things off in a same-sex relationship (or any relationship) because of the pressures society thrusts upon them, despite how they truly feel about the other person.

"The Takeback Tango" by Rebecca Roanhorse
Individual Rating: 4/5
The title is pretty cute as it relates to the main character, a girl with dark skin and dark hair, who enters a museum with the plan to take back artifacts from her home planet and culture. When she meets a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy in the exhibit, she sure doesn't expect that he is in disguise to take back artifacts from his own culture. You know the saying: "It takes two to tango," thus, two people just trying to retrieve something that belongs to their culture.
Yet another fantastic short story about the importance of holding on to one's culture.

"Dream and Dare" by Nic Stone
Individual Rating: 4/5
This one was somewhat abstract for me to follow at first, as I couldn't tell if Dream and Dare were two separate identities of the same person. It turns out they are, in fact, two separate people. Dream is a girl who tends to dress more like a boy and is interested in things like exploration and possibly hunting the monster that kills men in the nearby forest. Dare is a princess who seems to have disappeared and Dream has her sights set on this princess from a time when they were children.
This story once again has a fantasy element to it with a touch of LGBTQ diversity, though it didn't really stand out to me the way some of the other stories in the collection do.

"Wish" by Jenni Balch
Individual Rating: 4/5
I greatly enjoyed this story. It is about a Granter (basically a genie) that can grant someone's ultimate wish...with limits, of course. The Granter in question finds himself on a space colony, something very different from the last few times he was summoned from the LAMP. The girl who wants a wish has a wish that cannot be granted because the Granter cannot change a person. The girl in question wishes to go to Earth. Unlike others who come of age, she cannot be flown to earth because she has a disability in which her body would basically be crushed from the force of planetary entry. The Granter can do what he can and hope it is enough.
I appreciated this story because of the disability diversity in it (as well as the fact that it took place in outer space.) This collection is within "We Need Diverse Books," and disabilities are diverse as well, so I was really hoping to see some of that in this collection. This was a fun story.

A BELLE's Story by Dhonielle Clayton (not official story title)
(This short story was not included in the ARC of the anthology, though will be something to look forward to for BELLE's fans upon publication.)

"Unmoor" by Mark Oshiro
Individual Rating: 4/5
This was quite an interesting story. An Unmoor is a magic user that specializes in "unmooring" memories from specific places. For the main character, memories of the boy he loves and the places that trigger those memories are just too much for him to handle. Instead of going on a nice trip, he uses his saved money to hire an Unmoor to go to each location and remove the memories of his time with the boy he loved in those places.
This was a very well-written and rather heart-wrenching story. It felt like I needed just a little bit more to the end, but at the same time, I loved the ending and how it made me feel. Usually, I don't like works that make me feel down, but this one had more of a message about moving on, even when you don't want to because sometimes moving on is the best thing we can do in our given situations.

"The Coldest Spot in the Universe" by Samira Ahmed
Individual Rating: 4/5
Yet another interesting story that takes place in space (sort of?) and also has some dealings in the existence of a multiverse. There are two alternate plots happening here. One takes place in 2031 as journal entries while the other takes place in 3027 as voice logs. The girl in 2031 talks about an event that basically destroyed her planet and pitted it into a sheer cold wasteland where everyone slowly froze to death. In the narrative of the girl doing the voice logs, she is with an exploration crew looking through the remains of the frozen planet.
If I say too much more, it will be spoilery for sure, so I'll just say the twist at the end was interesting, though somewhat predictable, and the back and forth between what happened to the planet and the girl exploring the planet's ruins was quite intriguing. The philosophy behind this story was quite the enthralling capture and this story reflects what could happen to Earth if we, the people living here, are not careful with how we use our seats and weapons of power.

"The Beginnings of Monsters" by Tessa Gratton
Individual Rating: 4/5
This story was probably the most abstract for me, but it was definitely still interesting. In this world, it seems architects are those who go to college to one day be able to reshape others' bodies to whatever they want. Flaws can be removes or claws can be added. Whatever the person wants, they can make it happen.
The genders in this are interesting as well. There are four genders and there seems to be a faction that seeks to add more pronoun availability for gender. One of the ones I picked out as seemingly non-binary, though it was hard to tell, was an/ans (as opposed to he/she/they). This story involves romance and some political intrigue when it comes to the choices this society has to make. When reading this one, keep the title in your mind.

"Longer Than the Threads of Time" by Zoraida Cordova
Individual Rating: 4/5
This was an interesting cultural twist on the story of Rapunzel full of magic and Latinx culture. A girl is trapped in a tower in Central Park, but only brujas or those with the Sight can see this magical place. Trapped for seventy years, there is no way to escape, the only thing able to leave is her ever-growing hair that she can toss out the tower window. A Brujo boy passes by nearly every day and for the first time decides to talk to the girl. They soon form a budding relationship, or so it would seem, though when it comes to the one way the girl can escape the tower, feelings are torn

"Habibi" by Tochi Onyebuchi
Individual Rating: 4/5
The structure of this story is very interesting. It is told in the form of letters between two boys in different prisons across the world from each other, though the method of how they send and receive the letters is a bit...different. Let's just say one boy swallows his letter and the other boy receives it through...well, you can guess. One is Middle Eastern and seems to be a prisoner of war and he sends these letters to a Black boy in a different prison (in Los Angeles, I think). The Middle Eastern boy is unsure that these letters are real, but his corresponding person assures him that he is a real recipient. When both find themselves in times of despair, they are able to find comfort in each other and the title has great significance in this idea.
I thought the structure was a great way to tell this story. I also enjoyed the different voices of each character. I could really picture them both and the situations they are trapped in. Excellent writing with a message about friendship and love.

I don't usually read anthologies because either I think the stories don't have enough plot to them or they're really good and I wish they were a full book, but I'm glad I picked this one up. The stories all center around wishes, some for good and some for bad. Most of them also have POC and LGBTQ main characters which made me really happy!

I've read a lot of these authors and it was fun seeing what they came up with. Some of the stories, like Cristal y Ceniza and Longer Than the Threads of Time I would love a full book of. They have such strong beginnings and I need more! Others are kind of sad and The Coldest Spot really shook me. Climate change is real and seeing a future of what could happen is scary.

This is definitely worth reading, each author brings a unique view to the wish theme. The diversity is also amazing and I thank the authors for their characters.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely love anthologies and this title was a true joy to read. I love anthologies so much because it is fun to read just quick snippets of stories and discover authors you wouldn't have found otherwise, which this definitely did for me! I can't wait to find more stories by each of these authors. While not all the stories blew me away, the ones that did were AMAZING! I loved that this collection had stories from authors' series and has given me peak into those worlds enough that I can't wait to pick up their stories! The diversity and LGBTQ+ representation in these were stories were the biggest reason for wanting to read and I was not disappointed. I wish more stories had this representation and am now on the hunt for more from these authors and this kind of representation! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the advance e-copy of this title!

I'm not going to lie, I generally don't read too many short stories or anthologies, but I was immediately drawn to this collection after reviewing the list of contributing authors! In general, this is a very well-rounded collection and I definitely believe everyone who picks this up will find at least a story or two to add to their favorites. Were they all my favorite? No, but I enjoyed reading them and getting the opportunity to sample some new authors.

I highly suggest everyone try out this collection as I truly feel like it's a wonderful collection! My only negative is just with Libba Bray's story, and that is purely because I want there to be more so I can dive back in to Gemma Doyle's world (loved that series growing up so it is purely a bias lol).

I LOVED this anthology. Short story anthologies are generally hit or miss with me, and I tend to be very picky about them. But this one I absolutely loved Every. Single. Story. I don't know if it was the focus on diversity, but every story was so fresh and new and bold.

I haven't read a Darker Shade of Magic, but it's definitely moved up my list after the background story in this volume. It's been years and years since I read the Gemma Doyle books, but I was immediately sucked into the related story and actually was shocked out of the book, blinking, when it ended and I remembered that I was reading a story in an anthology and not another full novel. I would definitely read a full novel about Gemm and her friends after the original trilogy.

For that matter, I would read an entire novel about pretty much all of these stories and will be searching out full novels from all of its authors.

I absolutely love anthology novels, so I was very excited to start this one. Featuring several of my favorite authors and new-to-me authors, I was very eager to see what the authors all came up with. For the most part, I was not disappointed and was able to find joy in each story. However, there were some stories that I definitely cared less for, due completely to my own personal preferences.

I could make this review super long and review each short story on it’s own, but for the sake of the average blog-reader’s attention span, I won’t. However, I have a ton of notes, so I might do dedicated reviews for each story and link them all together in one big master post. Let me know what you’d think about that! I think it could be a fun way to pay tribute to each of these authors and their respective stories.

Anyway, as a whole I really enjoyed this anthology. I loved that I could read it in any order I wanted, whenever I wanted. I immediately skipped to the story The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker, as I was so excited to see what she had written. I found that most of the stories were quite interesting and compelling. A few were spin offs or origin stories of other characters, who I didn’t really feel invested in. Also, since there were a variety of different authors, some of whom I had never read before, I wasn’t completely sold on some writing styles, but that’s totally just a personal preference. The stories were all very interesting and different, and I liked how they all approached the general theme of wishes in a variety of different ways.

I think that this book would make a great gift for YA readers who love any of the authors featured in this anthology. I think that even reluctant readers might be able to find a newfound love for reading in this anthology, due to its amount of diverse representation! I’ll give the anthology as a whole 4/5 stars, with individual reviews to come!

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

A Universe of Wishes is a YA fantasy short story collection featuring some top notch stories and a well-curated array of diverse voices. It's among the better such anthologies I've read even if there were a few weaker tales. Here are some standouts:

The eponymous story from Tara Sim (A Universe of Wishes) is a darkly charming tale following two boys in a world where magic lives inside people even if most of them don't know how to use it. One boy works for a funeral parlor, the other steals magic from the dead.

In The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker we get a vividly described world with a very different approach to understanding gender as our main character competes for the hand of royalty. It's engaging, whimsical, and ends perfectly.

In The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray, we get a return to the world of Gemma Doyle! As a longtime fan of her earlier series I loved getting to revisit those characters, although it's a very unsatisfying ending that leaves many questions unanswered. Perhaps we might get a new book in the series?...

Liberia by Kwame Mbalia is an absolutely fantastic sci-fi story that centers African heritage, and I would LOVE to see him write a full-length novel set in the world he has created! It's intriguing with interesting characters and a story I want to know more about.

If you're a fan of ADSOM by V.E. Schwab, then get ready because we get the origin story of Rhy and Alucards relationship! It's heartbreaking but so very good.

The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse is another great sci-fi story that tackles colonization and cultural appropriation. The main character is on a mission to steal back religious artifacts stolen from her people.

Dhonielle Clayton brings us an unsettling story in The Weight where a teen couple are going to have their hearts weighed to determine how much they really love each other. But do you really want to know the truth?

In Unmoor, Mark Oshiro explores the intersection of memory, heartbreak, and place through magic that can remove memories. It's emotionally compelling and really captures the ways that memories of small moments can hurt, and can be triggered by specific locations.

In The Beginning of Monsters Tessa Gratton weaves a fascinating, futuristic world that takes body augmentation and genetic manipulation to whole different level with warring factions and a forbidden romance.

Zoraida Cordova reimagines the story of Rapunzel in modern day New York City. It's set in the world of the Brooklyn Brujas series and doesn't end the way you might expect....

Clearly, I was a fan of most of the series and found it to be a very strong collection. Definitely worth a read if you like anthologies! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have to say I enjoyed every story. The writing from each individual author were amazing and absolutely beautiful. If I had to pick just one I would have to say A Royal Affair because V.E. Schwab is my favorite author and I will forever support her and read anything that she has published. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy to add it to my collection.

Wishes, they look different for each person who holds one but they each exude the same emotion: hope. In this YA anthology edited by Dhonielle Clayton, A Universe of Wishes gives us 15 tales tied in the plurality of the natural human desire to find happiness on the other side of hopelessness. This tome hosts a bevy of accomplished authors from The Plot Thickens frequent, Rebecca Roanhorse, to friend of BGC Mark Oshiro, to V.E. Schwab.


With wishes, you are guaranteed to run into pleasant and not-so-pleasant surprises and A Universe of Wishes delivers its own delights by offering up vignettes into the pre-existing universes of V.E. Schwab’s and Zoraida Córdova’s A Shade of Magic and Brooklyn Bruja series via the stories, “A Royal Affair” and “Longer Than the Threads of Time” respectively. While the latter is more a loose tie-in, the former is situated thoroughly within Red London with one of the series’ central characters. Those familiar with A Shade of Magic’s universe will be happy to join our favorite noble pirate, Alucard Emery, in his darkest hour — his banishment from his familial home and the lead up to his bad breakup with Prince Rhy. A story more about being forced to work contrary to one’s wishes, this tale is more about the dark side of the power of wishes. Córdova’s “Longer Than the Threads of Time” gives Rapunzel a New York City twist as inquisitive brujo Fabían Macías unravels the mystery behind who has been imprisoned in Central Park’s Belvedere Castle for the past five decades. What he learns is that some mysteries are perhaps better left uncovered, even if your heart calls you to fulfill someone else’s wish. Romantic love is also central to Nic Stone’s “Dream and Dare” and Mark Oshiro’s “Unmoor.” Stone’s works within the theme of fairytale reimagining similar to Córdova’s and Anna-Marie McLemore’s stories. Oshiro’s gives strong Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and “White Christmas” episode of Black Mirror – but magic – vibes.

Not every story in this anthology includes a love interest, as Kwame Mbalia’s “Liberia” and Samira Ahmed’s “The Coldest Spot in the Universe” revolve around the granting of dire last wishes. Both stories are set in post-apocalyptic futures where the Earth as we know it is no longer viable for human life due to human folly. In “Liberia,” we follow a spaceship crew of teenagers selected by their society in a last ditch effort to carry on humanity once the world has become uninhabitable. The protagonist, Kweku, is the ship’s agricultural expert and worries over making sure the plants he cultivates survive to feed the next generation. Feeling the importance of this duty is a major motivator for his protectiveness over his crops when the ship runs into emergencies, but the love he feels for his grandmother and family members who have trained him in this work drives him most. This story brings up a lot about legacy being the fulfillment of our ancestors wishes through the sacrifices they made to make sure their descendants would live on. “The Coldest Spot in the Universe” hits the same thematic harmonies as we read entries made by two different girls from two different times with the same name. One exists in the aftermath of a great climate tragedy, slowly enduring in the days the human population of the world dies off, while the other ventures to Earth on an exploratory mission to learn more about this civilization centuries later. As the explorer gains direct insight into the world left behind, she learns more about the other girl and finds the opportunity to bring her wish to life.

Wishes. Love. Danger. Each story in A Universe of Wishes seems to reinforce that to explore a wish means to court danger. Beside the stories I mention above, Tara Sim’s “A Universe of Wishes,” Natalie C. Parker’s “The Silk Blade,” and Anna-Marie McLemore’s “Cristal y Ceniza,” throw us into hit jobs, betrothal tournaments, and elitist viper pits. In fact, this anthology yields so many intriguing stories featuring diverse depictions of gender, ethnic, and sexual orientation that I found myself enjoying a higher ratio of stories in this anthology than others that I’ve read.

First I want to say thank you to Terminal Book Tours, NetGalley, and Random House Children's Crown Books for Young Readers for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for participation on this book tour and thanks to Terminal Book Tours for picking me to be a part of it. THIS. BOOK. IS. EVERYTHING!!!!!! This collection of stories needs to be in everyone's library like yesterday. Not only are these stories incredibly beautiful they all have diverse characters that we need in ALL stories. Since this is an anthology I will be rating each of these 15 stories and then will have an average rating of those individual ratings for the final book rating.
(5/5) A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim - This story is heartbreakingly beautiful. There's hidden magic and wishes and blinding hope.
(4/5) The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker - I love the world this story takes place in. The imagery is incredible.
(5/5) The Scarlet Witch (A Gemma Doyle Story) by Libba Bray - This story had me wanting more and boy was I excited to learn that these characters are part of a trilogy!!!
(5/5) Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie McLemore - This was another heart achingly beautiful story set in a world that a lot of people still have to live in even to this very day. I hope everyone gets this happy ending someday.
(2/5) Liberia by Kwame Mbalia - This one I just did not get. I was confused for most of it honestly.
(5/5) A Royal Affar by VE Schwab - Set in the world of Shades of Magic, one of my current FAVORITE worlds!! This story absolutely broke my heart for so many reasons. You can also read more about these characters in the Shades of Magic trilogy.
(3/5) The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse - I like this one ok. Something about 2 "vigilante" characters finding each other is a cool concept.
(5/5) Dream and Dare by Nic Stone - This was one of my favorite of the whole book! It's hard to say anything without giving it away, but I will say that nothing is what you expect with this story....in a really delicious way.
(3/5) Wish by Jenni Balch - This one was really sad. I've never seen a fantasy story that includes a character like Ariadne.
(3/5) The Weight by Dhonielle Clayton - This one really stuck in my mind. It was also one that I wish wouldn't have ended. I would love to find out what happened next for Marcus and Grace.
(5/5) Unmoor by Mark Oshiro - This one destroyed me over and over.
(4/5) The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed - Wow. Just wow! A scary look into what we have done and are doing to ourselves.
(2/5) The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton - This was really creepy but another I had trouble following and understanding.
(5/5) Longer Than the Threads of Time by Zoraida Cordova - An incredible twist on a classic fairy tale. I need to know what happens next!!!
(5/5) Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi - This one got me good. I was in tears for almost the entire reading. It was poignant and eye opening. Definitely a heart breaker.
Overall rating averaged out to a 4 out of 5. I can't wait to pick this book up to add to my ever growing library.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this review copy of A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton.
Like many anthologies this collection of young adult fantasy stories is a mix of enjoyable and easy to jump into stories along with ones that felt like you either needed to read previous works of the author or just didn’t work as a shorter length story. There were some standouts that I really enjoyed and look forward to seeing more from that author .
Here are my comments and ratings in order of appearance:

Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim
Orphan teen boy who robs graves to steal the magic out of dead bodies. Finds companionship and help from a boy who works at a funeral home ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Silk Blade by Natalie C Parker
Girl competes to be the consort of a prince. Finds herself drawn to a fellow contestant. Just okay, insta-love ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray
Girls in late 1800’s NYC are pulled into a mysterious missing person case with magical roots. This one didn’t feel like a story you could go into blind. You need to read the rest of the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie McLenore
Cinderella story about a Latina girl who travels to a nearby land to win the heart of a prince and ask for refuge for the same-sex couples that are facing discrimination in her homeland ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Liberia by Kwame Mbalia
Sci Fi space story about a boy who is keeping his ancestors memories alive through the plants he grows on a spaceship. Could see where the author was going with this one but wasn’t really intriguing to me personally
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Royal Affair by VE Schwab
A man looks back on his doomed affair with a prince as he heads back to London for the first time in years. My favorite story in the anthology and now I want to read this series!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse
A teenager from a tribe that no longer exists steals her ancestor’s relics back from private collectors and meets an mysterious young man during the heist. Fun.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dream and Dare by Nic Stone
A story about princesses, girls and dragons. I’m not sure I fully understood this one
⭐️⭐️

Wish by Jenni Balch
A genie in a bottle story
⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Weight by Dhonielle Clayton
Two childhood sweethearts have their hearts weighed to see if they really love each other. Imaginative and thoughtful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unmoor by Mark Oshiro
Boy wants to have all his memories removed from a romance that went badly. Relatable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed
Girl stuck in a dying Chicago in 2031 has an interplanetary traveler find the objects and memories she left behind a century later. Haunting.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton
High fantasy/Sci Fi that was over my head and I didn’t really understand what was happening.
⭐️⭐️

Longer Than The Threads of Time by Zoraida Córdova
Urban fantasy about a boy from New York that meets a girl trapped in a magical tower in the middle of Central Park. Great twist on Rapunzel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi
Two young men incarcerated across the world from each other reach across space and time to provide comfort. Beautifully written.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Average of 3.4 stars overall

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

I was super excited about this book when I first seen it because it had some authors in that I really wanted to check out for a while now and not to mention that gorgeous cover on this book! God it's so beautiful! I really can't wait to have a physical copy to see it in person.

I havent had the best experiences with short story collections before so going into this my expectations wasn't that high but I was pleasantly surprised I really liked some of the stories in this but there were a couple that I didnt really care for. One story I didnt even finish because it just couldn't keep my attention at all it was Cristal y Ceniza and the one by V. E. Schwab was a little confusing to me because I've never read any of the books that this short story went along with but it was easy to follow along with and understand what was going even if I was sad and dark. I also didn't know anything that was going on with the Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray story. The world building was great in both V. E. Schwab's and Libba Brays stories but beyond that I was just lost. My favorite short story was the very first one in the book A Universe Of Wishes by Tara Sim. I really wanted it to be longer. I really loved that this was all a fantasy and scifi collection written by inclusive authors. I loved how much diversity was in this book even though that is the point of this book. Some of the representations in this collection you dont find much else where in books and with authors. I feel like everyone would find something they like in this book. Even though I was confused about Schwabs story I really want to read the novels now because it sounds interesting. I love reading about magic. I hope there is more books like this in the future.

What an absolutely amazing anthology! This is a collection of fantasy and science fiction stories written by an inclusive group of authors and starring a diverse cast of characters. With everything from retold fairytales to apocalyptic landscapes, there’s a little bit of something for any young adult reader. While I’ve read some of the included authors before, most were new to me, and these stories were a great introduction to their work.

“Wonder, Thorn realized, was beautiful; it banished what was impossible and made room for belief.”


“A Universe of Wishes” – Tara Sim – ★★★★★

A boy harvesting wishes from the dead, caught by the boy who works at a funeral parlor, offers him three wishes in exchange. I loved the world building and the sweet development of the m/m relationship, plus the resolution on this one is just sheer perfection!

“The Silk Blade” – Natalie C. Parker – ★★★★

Willador, one of three warriors chosen to compete for the hand of the Bloom, heir to Everdale’s throne, has second thoughts after meeting Rabi, one of her fellow competitors. Lots of excitement and fun worldbuilding.

“At last! A proper adventure!”
“Two dead men and a missing Rakshana agent isn’t an ‘adventure,’ Fee. It’s trouble.”
“Trouble is always an adventure.”


“The Scarlet Woman” – Libba Bray – ???

I haven’t read the Gemma Doyle books, so I honestly had no idea what was going on. The worldbuilding seemed interesting, and I liked the byplay between Gemma and Fee, but I was so confused I don’t feel like I should rate this one. Not recommended if you’re not already familiar with the books.

“Cristal y Ceniza” – Anna-Marie McLemore -★★★★★

A gorgeous reimagining of Cinderella with a trans prince and the difference between tolerance and acceptance. I haven’t read this author before, but her books are going straight on to my TBR.

“Liberia” – Kwame Mbalia – ★★★★

What we leave behind is almost as important as what we take with us in this story about teens piloting an aging spaceship to a colony.

“A Royal Affair” – V.E. Schwab – ★★★

Another story where I haven’t read the series, but this one was much more understandable. It’s quite sad and dark, which *waves at 2020* isn’t really to my taste right now, but the worldbuilding was interesting.

“The Takeback Tango” – Rebecca Roanhorse – ★★★★

Loved this one! A teen thief plans a caper to steal back her planet’s artifacts, but there’s a complication. I’d love to read a set of stories about Vi and Val!

“Dream and Dare” – Nic Stone – ★★★

I liked the message behind this one – about girls who don’t fit into the traditional gender roles – but the writing didn’t work for me.

“Wish” – Jenni Balch – ★★★

An imaginative retelling of the genie myth, but this time in… spaaaaaace. Honestly, this one just fell a little flat for me.

“But she chose to believe the world would be better if everything had its place and every question had its answer, like pairs of matching socks. So she could prepare.”


“The Weight” – Dhonielle Clayton – ★★★★★

A young couple is preparing to undergo a medical procedure that will tell them who they love and how much they love them. Dhonielle Clayton writes stories that are amazing in their own right and then absolutely roiling with meaning under the surface.

“Unmoor” – Mark Oshiro – ★★★★★

The world building in this one was exquisite. A teenager employs a magic service to help ease his heartbreak. It sounds like a great idea, except, well, there are always trade-offs, aren’t there?

“The Coldest Spot in the Universe” – Samira Ahmed – ★★★

I was all-in on this lyrically sad intertwined tales of an alien civilization investigating Earth many years after global warming destroyed it, and a teenager living through those last days. Then there was a twist at the end – “synchronicity” – that was just too preachy for me.

“The Beginning of Monsters” – Tessa Gratton – ★★★★

Unbelievably imaginative. In a world where bodies can be magically re-architected – adding claws or changing genders – what does being “human” really mean?

“Longer Than the Threads of Time” – Zoraida Córdova – ★★★★

A Rapunzel retelling that stopped much too soon for me! Another author going to the top of my reading list!

“Even though they were rarely about Arabs, and rarely about young Arab boys like me, if I squinted, I could see in the contours of their heroes something of my shoulders and my hair and my hands and feet. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine myself as the main character. And I was a hero who did not destroy things but saved them.”


“Habibi” – Tochi Onybuchi – ★★★★★

Two imprisoned teen boys – one from Long Beach, California and one from Palestine – communicate through magical means. An absolute powerhouse ending to this anthology.

Overall, while some stories didn’t work for me, this was an excellent collection and I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the We Need Diverse Books anthologies, as well as checking out many of the authors’ individual works. Highly recommended!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Overall: Such a BEAUTIFUL, touching, and inspiring collection of stories! These are the kinds of stories I cannot wait to read more of in the future! Stories change lives, and it is so important to see a representation of all different people and perspectives to grow into someone who is able to love themselves and others!

PS: I don't read many anthologies, but reading these short stories during finals week has been a lifesaver! It's an easy and quick way to relax without the stress of fully diving into a long story or series.

FIVE STARS:
A Royal Affair by VE Schwab (5/5): I missed this world of magic so much and was SO excited to get back into this world! This brought up so many emotions and I definitely want to reread the series!

Unmoor by Mark Oshiro (5/5): Need something sad? This is a heartbreaking story about a heartbreak that makes you want to look away, but you probably won't.

The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed (5/5): A story featuring the frightening possibilities of if climate change is not tackled. I didn't expect a story about climate change in this anthology, but I could not be more excited to see it! Although I think this story could be construed as focusing on pretending to feel better it is definitely more about the consequences of doing just that. In other words, positive thinking only gets so far without action

FOUR & A HALF STARS:
A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim (4.5/5): Such a beautiful story that is full of magic and romance. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of dead bodies and graveyards, I still found so much beauty in this story. I can imagine this being a beautiful animated short.

Longer Than the Threads of Time by Zoraida Córdova (4.5/5): Love coming back into this world of brujas and magic! This is a really interesting retelling of Rapunzel with a twist. I definitely want to know what happens afterward!

FOUR STARS:
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker (4/5): A fun, playful read about a gorgeously written battle, both physical and emotional. Somewhat predictable, but still a satisfying ending.

The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse (4/5): A fun intergalactic story of thieves. Great for fans of Cinder and The Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Weight by Dhonielle Clayton(4/5): Would make such a cool animated short, possibly even silent?! Somewhat predictable, but sweet all the same. A lovely story about what love means.

THREE & A HALF STARS:
Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie Mclemore (3.5/5): A beautiful Cinderella retelling that is both fresh and powerful.

Liberia by Kwame Mbalia (3.5/5): An emotional sci-fi story about familial love and one's connection to one's roots, in this case, literally.

Wish by Jenni Balch (3.5/5): A sweet story about a genie and finding perspective.

THREE STARS:
The Scarlet Woman (A Gemma Doyle Story) by Libra Bray (3/5): This was a story that I actually enjoyed, but having not read the series this is connected to, I was left pretty confused. For those who loved the Gemma Doyle universe, I am sure you will enjoy this story, but personally, I was simply left with so many questions.

Dream and Dare by Nic Stone (3/5): A little too obvious and predictable, but still an important message to share.

The Beginning of Monster by Tessa Gratton (3/5) An absolutely beautiful story, but I found some of the world-building confusing to follow. I wanted to like it more.

Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi (3/5): Definitely a personal and emotional story told in letter form. There is a lot to glean from these words

This was a delightful collection of stories. As with any collection, some were more captivating than others. But I think the themes tied together nicely, even among stories of different genres. There's truly something for everyone in this book!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure why I waited so long to dive into this beauty.. but I'm disappointed in myself. It is filled with about 15 short stories that you will either like or love. For me, I think I was confused about one story because I never read the series before and then there's two other books that were okay but I wasn't completely invested.

So out of all the books, a lot were easy to devour and gave me some interesting characters to fall in love with. I think some of my favorites were the retellings. Or maybe the ones that I got retelling vibes (i.e., Cinderella, Rapunzel, Mulan, etc.). I think it's because of my love for all things Disney, which includes all the movies that I grew up with.

Other than all of that, I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation throughout these stories. I feel like I don't dive into enough books like that and I think all the characters were written really well. Another interesting thing was some of the novellas are making me want to dive into certain series next year - like Shades of Magic, and I'm beyond excited!

In the end, definitely loved this book and I will try to get more Anthologies in the new year!

A huge thanks to PRH International for sending this review copy over! All opinions are my own!

I’m not usually someone who reads a lot of anthologies. I prefer novels to short stories, and series to standalones. I have always been someone who gets overly attached to characters, so I want to spend more and more time with them. But, when A Universe of Wishes was first announced, I got super excited, because the authors that are a part of this anthology are all absolutely amazing!! So, I was incredibly happy when I got sent an ARC from PRH, and then I started reading it and every story was just better than the one before and it was such an incredibly rewarding experience, reading this anthology! And I would totally recommend it to everyone!!

Now, I thought a bit about how I’d like to go about reviewing this, and I figured just a list of all the stories and why I liked them would do? Maybe? I don’t know but let’s try!

A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim - 4/5 :
This is the first story in the anthology, and it was so perfectly placed! It kind of set up the vibe for the anthology really, really well and it helped that it was also just incredibly beautiful, writing-wise, and absolutely adorable, story-wise! Really enjoyed it, and it’s the first piece of writing of Tara Sim’s that I’ve read, and I hear a lot about her steampunk series so I’m really excited to pick it up now because I absolutely loved this!
The Silk Blade by Natalie C. Parker - 4/5 :
This was SUCH a weird story!!! I really liked it, but it really took me a minute to get into, and I really couldn’t read the atmosphere that well! It was really….kind of ethereal, in a way, but it also stretched my suspension of disbelief just a tiny bit! That’s why I knocked off a star. Literally everything else about this story is perfect like ma’am, there’s sapphic longing and it is intense even if it only for a short time and I truly do not ask for much more.
The Scarlet Woman by Libba Bray - 4/5 :
I have not read The Diviners series yet (BLASPHEMY, I know), so I really did not have much of an attachment to any of the characters here. I debated not reading this story for a good minute, because I am pretty sure it’s spoiled me for a few things, but then I was like “fuck it” and read it anyway! From what I could gather of the universe, I was really intrigued! I love the whole 1890s New York vibe, I love the supernatural in the real world and the secret societies and the hunting and the murder mysteries tied into all that!! If this is a small taste of the Diviners for me, it definitely worked in building an appetite for more! I’m really looking forward to eventually being able to pick up the series as a whole!
Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4/5 :
Okay, I know everyone is surprised I gave an A-M story 4 instead of five, but that’s mostly only because I want more and this felt a little rushed because of there not being more so shut up. Also, yes writing. Fabulous. Would swim in it forever. We’ve been through this. I love A-M and their craft! This story, though, was so interesting because they took Cinderella and then they rewrote it completely differently and it was very very interesting to see the direction they took with the retelling! Like, I said, my only trouble was that I wanted more!
Liberia by Kwame Mbalia - 3.5/5 :
This was such a beautiful story! I truly, truly adored the concept behind it, and I loved the way the author brought the whole “we must not lose the value of community and nature even when we must scientifically advance” thing into the story. The only reason I’m rating it slightly lower is because I didn’t connect with the voice of the main character. I didn’t feel that emotion from him. I’m also not much of a Sci-Fi reader so that could also be it. Either way, it was more of a “it’s definitely not the story, it’s me” thing.
A Royal Affair by V E Schwab - 5/5 :
This story is like half the reason I picked this book up and omg it did not disappoint!!! MY HEART WAS BROKEN BUT I LOVE IT! V E Schwab basically emotionally abuses all her readers with these stories, but we keep going back for more and that’s that. This one’s a Rhy/Luc story! More like… a backstory. Read ADSOM and then read this and just… read Schwab!
The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse - 5/5:
I recently read another Roanhorse story in another anthology and loved that too! And I have Black Sun on audio with me!!! I really should just suck it up and read it lmao. Anyway, this one’s a sci-fi story about a thief who sneaks into colonizer museums and takes back all the artefacts that they steal and obviously, such a banger concept, would read a whole book about this lady doing this forever and ever. 10/10!
Dream and Dare by Nic Stone - 3.5/5 :
Another story where EVERYTHING was perfect, but I just didn’t find that emotional connection with the voice of the character. I still loved the aesthetic of this story! And I looooove the sapphics in it and I love the whole monster thing. Like there’s a lot of stuff to thematically unpack that’s amazing, but enjoyment-wise, I didn’t get it all so I knocked off a bit IM SORRY!
Wish by Jenni Balch - 4/5:
This was SO WEIRD, dude!! Like so fucking weird. It’s another Sci-Fi that plays with the idea of like Aladdin and his genie and stuff and like it’s very well-written, but it’s also just super weird. Also, I did not understand what happened in that ending but hey, I vibed with it. I guess? SO WEIRD!
The Weight by Dhonielle Clayton - 4/5 :
Another really weird one! Reminded me a bit of Adam Silvera’s “More Happy Than Not,” simply because the Heart Scale Center existed in a very similar way to Leteo Institute- in that it just sorta exists and it’s kinda insane but no one says anything about it, you know. I loved the way love was presented in this story and while I didn’t understand the characters all that well, I still managed to emotionally connect to them. I also loved how open-ended the whole thing was! Definitely a weird one, but like super good weird!
Unmoor by Mark Oshiro - 3/5:
This was so stupid lmao. I’m sorry for being rude, but I just couldn’t handle this one!! I liked the magic system, and I liked the angst and the whole weirdness in it, but it completely fell apart when the motivations of the character became clear like come ON, MY GUY! It was all very miscommunication-leads-to-drastic-af-measures, but worse somehow. I just..nope. Sorry, nope.
The Coldest Spot In The Universe by Samira Ahmed - 100/5:
This story was my favourite of this anthology. This was just like my favourite piece of fiction that I’ve read in a while, period. DUDE, like it was SO SO SO GOOD!! I really don’t want to say anything, because I want y’all to experience it, but I’ll tell you this - It’s Sci-Fi, it plays with the question of what it means to exist as a human being and what legacies are and all that, and it has one of my favourite, FAVOURITE tropes in all of fiction : profound destiny! JUST...even if you don’t read the whole book, read this story! And thank me later!
The Beginning of Monsters by Tessa Gratton - 3/5:
This story made me feel so damn stupid oh my god. Credit where credit is due, the author did a great job with the romance and I also liked how they used neo-pronouns in the story and brought forth the idea of a society where four genders were the norm instead of two. Like all that was fine. It just felt like the author was trying to do too much in too little time. There was not enough time to build this really complex world with its complex political and social structures in the span of a short story! There just wasn’t! And this really overshadowed the good for me. All these weird names were thrown in out of nowhere and like I didn’t understand them at all, and it just pulled me out of the story to the point where I just wanted to skip it! I liked the concept a lot, but I think it just wasn’t one for a short story!
Longer Than Threads of Time by Zoraida Cordova - 4/5:
This one’s another twisted retelling of a fairytale! Rapunzel, this time! And it was super entertaining! It’s set in the same universe as the Brooklyn Brujas series, so that was a fun touch! It’s been a while since I read the first book tho, so I don’t know where this story would fit in the timeline, but wherever it was, it was super fun and I really hope there’s an easter egg in books two and/or three!
Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi - 4.5/5:
This story is kind of an epistolary where two kids who are imprisoned in different parts of the world somehow end up communicating with each other. It’s actually fantastic, and the only reason I’m knocking off half a star is because the way these two characters get those letters to each other in this story is D I S G U S T I N G! But other than that, man, it was such a heart-wrenching tale and it was so beautiful and my heart was thudding and it brought up these really important issues in the world, too, and ahhhh it was perfect and I loved it very much!

I got a little rambly, but HEY, I am like this and you know it! Anywhooo, absolutely fantastic short story collection, overall!! Loved how beautifully Dhonielle curated it and I simply can’t wait for more from this imprint!! Definitely pick this one up, y’all!!

I received an e-arc of A Universe of Wishes from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

A Universe of Wishes is a collection of diverse short stories that include LGBTQ+ and diverse characters throughout the novel. There were several different genres represented ranging from science fiction to contemporary short stories.

I really enjoyed all of the short stories, but there were three I loved the most. VE Schwab, being one of my favorite authors, wrote an amazing back story to Alucard and Rhy's relationship. While there are spoilers if you haven't read the second book in the A Darker Shade of Magic Series, it was still very enjoyable to learn more about the characters. The second short story I really enjoyed was set in the world of Gemma Doyle by Libba Bray. I haven't read the Gemma Doyle series yet, but the story really made me interested in reading it. The series sounds like one I would enjoy as it has historical elements and mystery to it. The third short story I loved was 'The Takeback Tango' by Rebecca Roanhorse. The short story features space, pirates, and revenge plots. What more could you want in a story? I loved how in such a short story, Roanhorse was able to make you want to know more about her characters.

I do have books from a fair amount of these authors on my TBR, so I'm hoping to get to them next year!