This collection of fantasy short stories was a really interesting read. Each story digs into different facets of an eerie, magical world, with recurring themes of buried secrets, forgotten histories, and the blurred lines between myth and reality. Some stories stand out more than others — a couple were super gripping and atmospheric, while a few felt a bit less fleshed out or ended too abruptly.

What I liked most was how the stories slowly built on each other, revealing its hidden layers. There’s a quiet, haunting tone throughout that really sticks with you, even when the pacing lags a bit here and there.

Overall, it’s a solid collection with some memorable moments. If you enjoy dark, slow-burn fantasy and don’t mind a little unevenness across stories, it’s worth checking out.

Dnf 22 percent This one was not for me…short stories are really hit or miss for me and although I haves loved some of Naomi Novaks books it’s been a few years since I have read them. These stories felt more like companion pieces or bonus stories to the series, I felt like I would have had to reread the series to really fully enjoy these stories. With that said I can’t wait to read any future books that she may come out with. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for and honest review.

I definitely prefer her full length novels compared to the Novella’s, but still can see the strong writing.

Naomi Novak is either hit or miss for me with no in-between. This one was more of a miss but with some hidden gems. I didn’t love Scholoamnce stories but some of others would be the ones I will reread come winter season

I love Naomi Novik. This collection of stories was no exception. I’m grateful that I was able to get the ARC of this book. I will still be purchasing it and adding it to my collection

Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful. Naomi Novik crafted these tales so wonderfully - I needed longer stories of each and every one. Seeing the start of Spinning Silver was magical.

Beautifully written stories. If you are a novik fan this is a must read. A nice, diverse selection of stories from her different a series.

Buried Deep and Other Stories" is a treat for Naomi Novik fans and a great introduction for those new to her work. It highlights her ability to craft compelling narratives across a wide spectrum of genres. A collection of short stories that dips into previous books and offers a sneak peak into new ones. A great way to get acquainted with Novik or revisit old faves

Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
Stopping at the end of Blessings because there are more misses than hits so far, and I find myself not looking forward to picking this up. While Novik is one of my favorite authors, I think her writing style is designed more to be full-length novels than shorts. My favorite in this collection was the Spinning Silver short story and my second is After Hours (the scholomance short).

Absolutely wonderful! I love Naomi Novik's writing, and this is one of my new favorite works. I wanted more from each story and was sad the moment they ended.

★★★★☆ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Standalone - Anthology
༘ Spoiler free ༘
⭐️ 4/5
Genre: Fantasy, Mythic Retelling, Science Fiction
Multi POV

➳ Anthology ➳ Retellings ➳ Standalone & Series Tie-ins ➳ Myth & History ➳ Magic Systems ➳ Dragons ➳ Diplomacy ➳ Destiny


📚📚📚
This anthology brings together thirteen short stories spanning Naomi Novik’s best-known worlds—Temeraire, the Scholomance trilogy, and the realms of Spinning Silver and Uprooted—as well as a glimpse into her next major fantasy series. Each story stands on its own while exploring themes of fate, power, and choice.

The highlight for me was Buried Deep, a heartbreaking and beautifully written retelling of the myth of Ariadne and the Minotaur. It captured the tragic inevitability of fate in a way that felt fresh and deeply emotional. Seven Years From Home, a sci-fi political drama about a diplomat caught in a war she was meant to mediate, was another that really stood out to me.

Novik’s signature wit and sharp prose shine throughout, and even the stories tied to her existing series remain mostly accessible to new readers. However, some, like After Hours, leaned a bit too much on prior knowledge of her novels, making them less impactful if you weren’t already familiar with those worlds.

❧✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:❦:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧❧

As a short story collection, it stands out for its range—mythic retellings, historical fantasy, and sci-fi are all seamlessly woven together. Novik’s work is more character-driven than some anthologies, and she excels at creating fully realized worlds in just a few pages.

Some stories were instant favourites, while a few felt less compelling or a bit rushed. Buried Deep and Vici (a Temeraire prequel) were incredibly engaging, while Araminta had a fun premise but lacked the same worldbuilding depth.

Themes of destiny, power, and personal agency ran throughout the collection. Even in the lighter stories, there was a sense of deeper meaning beneath the surface.

Since it’s an anthology, there’s no single ending—but Buried Deep left a lasting emotional impact, and the teaser for Novik’s upcoming world, Abandon, has me eager for more.

The pacing varies by story. Some feel perfectly self-contained, while others feel like a teaser for a larger world. Novik’s prose is sharp, immersive, and often humorous, balancing intricate worldbuilding with character depth.

This is a collection that lingers, especially Buried Deep. It’s a great read for longtime fans, but also offers enough standalone content for newcomers.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

💖 LIKES:
⋆ Buried Deep—emotional and beautifully written
⋆ The variety of settings and genres
⋆ Novik’s insightful commentary on each story
⋆ The Abandon teaser—excited for what’s next!

❤️‍🩹 DISLIKES:
⋆ Some stories felt like they required prior knowledge
⋆ A few lacked the same emotional depth as the standouts

Fantasy Scoring:

✅ Worldbuilding ➷ Excellent, though some stories needed more depth
✅ Foreshadowing ➷ Strong, especially in retellings
✅ Plot ➷ Varied—some were gripping, others less so
✅ Relationships ➷ Well-developed, even in short form

Thank you to Naomi Novik, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.

A must-have for all fans of Naomi Novik’s work. A fantastic anthology. My favorite was “Vici”, as a major Temeraire fan.

Araminta. 4.25. I liked this! It was a lovely short story about an alternate Regency world and a girl who found herself involved in piracy. The prose was fun in how detached it was, but I felt that I lost some understanding of the world with how blasé the narrative was about some world building. However, that didn’t severely limit my enjoyment of the story, it was just a different reading experience. Honestly, I thought the prose was really enjoyable as far as putting you in Araminta’s head, it reminded me of reading Dora’s POV in Half a Soul.

After Hours. 4.0. This was fun! My favorite part was the unique magical practice of our main character Beata, a witch from the Crooked Forest. I really liked her mushroom magic, and her perspective on the scholomance and the other students. I thought the story was a little too reliant on the OG trilogy of books, I think it would be confusing to read as someone who didn’t read the books, but that’s not a major deal breaker for me.

Vici. 4.5. This was cute and very believable. I loved the main character Antony, as frustrating and kind of horrible as he was. And Vici was an absolute delight! Nothing has made me want to undertake the Temeraire series more. Because this is a prequel, no outside knowledge of the series is required.

I’ve chosen to give this 5 stars because this is an excellent collection and each story shines—but the story Buried Deep is everything I ever want. For me, it outshines all the rest despite how great and fun all the rest are. Buried Deep (the story) is beyond perfection and even if the rest of the stories were terrible (they aren’t!) it’d be worth it for just that one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Naomi Novik is a brilliant writer and I love her work… but if your not familiar with her previous series (or read them a long time ago) I don’t think this will resonate as much as a collection of short story’s should.
I very much enjoyed the true “standalone” books from this collection- they quick and fun and beautifully written.
But like most anthologies, it’s hit or miss. Some stories I loved, some dragged, but at the end of the day Naomi is a damn good story teller.

I always love Naomi Novik, she knows just how to tug at my heartstrings and throughout these stories she continues to do so. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed! Totally recommend

Everything Naomi Novik writes is gold. The titular short story made me cry, a lot of the others made me laugh. I enjoyed her commentary on each story, and seeing the seeds that some of her novels grew from.

Naomi Novik never disappoints. Containing short stories set in her Temeraire series, one from her Scholomance books, mythical retellings, and wildly original SFF, pretty much all of these were winners. I really liked "Seven Years From Home," a story about a diplomat on a planet far from her home who gets way more involved in a war that she was meant to be neutral in. "The Long Way Around" is from a world she's working on building, and I am now so excited for that to move into publication. Even her short stories set in her series were accessible, and, if anything, just made me want to read those series too. I think that the titular story, "Buried Deep," may have been the best one, a heartbreaking and beautiful retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur.

I won't be reading this. I've tried multiple times and haven't gotten into it. Thank you though for the opportunity. If I read it in the future I will come back and change this review.

I’m not usually a fan of short story collections so I struggled to finish this because I kept putting it down. I just think short stories are not for me. I just need more!! None of these blew me away but they were good (again, I think it’s just because I don’t tend to like short stories so it’s my fault for picking this up). But if you’re a fan of short stories and Naomi Novik, I definitely recommend. I’ve read a few books from her so far and really like her writing which is why I wanted to try this.


Here’s a few of my noncoherent thoughts on each story:
1. Araminta 4/5 - I LOVE a good pirate story
2. After Hours 4.5/5 - I missed being back in the Scolomance!! this story is the main reason I wanted to read this
3. Vici 3/5 - interesting but nothing great
4. Buried Deep 5/5 - I can’t stop thinking about this story. I just found it so powerful (to be fair I didn’t really know much about Ariadne/Minotaur so maybe if I did, this wouldn’t have been that great but I really loved the story)
5. Spinning Silver - I really loved the novel when I read it years ago. This is nothing new if you’ve already read the novel but was nice to be back in that world and be reminded of the story
6. Commonplaces - 2/5 not my favorite, this one wasn’t for me
7. Seven - 4/5 really interesting and perfect portrayal of obsession
8. Blessings - 2.5/5 really short and not too much happened
9. Lord Dunsany’s Teapot - ngl i forgot to rate this when i read it but I think I remember liking it?
10. Seven Years from Home - 4.5/5 really good sci fi, intergalactic war type story
11. Dragons & Decorum - 2.5/5 pride and prejudice but with dragons? not my fav but it was okay
12. Castle Coeurlieu - 3/5 greek mythology vibes with a monster in the castle dungeon. this one was pretty good
13. The Long Way Round - 4.5/5 again, I loooove a pirate/ship story. This story was a look into a future book/series which I’m definitely intrigued about