Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik ebook ARC from NetGalley.

This book is masterful collection of stories that weaves together tales from various corners of the world, each story rich with atmospheric detail that feels tailor-made for a cozy fall read. Known for her brilliant storytelling, Novik doesn't disappoint in this anthology, creating immersive experiences that transport readers to different times and places.

Each story in the collection is distinct, yet they all share a common thread of exploring the depths of human nature, the mysteries of the unknown, and the eerie beauty of the world around us. Whether it's a haunting tale set in a foggy forest or a mythic journey across distant lands, Novik's writing pulls you in, making you feel as though you're living each moment alongside her characters.

The collection has been praised for its lush prose, intricate plots, and the way each story leaves a lingering impression long after you've turned the last page. Perfect for fans of fantasy and speculative fiction, Buried Deep and Other Stories is an evocative journey through the realms of the fantastic and the uncanny, all while wrapped in the warmth of Novik's exceptional storytelling craft.

For those looking for a book that resonates with the crisp, moody ambiance of fall, this collection is a must-read.

This is a collection of thirteen of Naomi Novik's short stories; eleven of those are previously published in various places, and of the two new ones, only one really feels new.

The positives
If you already like Naomi Novik's works but haven't read a lot of her short stories, there is a lot to enjoy here. There are two stories in the world of Temeraire and one new one set in the Scholomance. One of the later stories ("Castle Coerlieu") has horror elements to it that I didn't expect but enjoyed a lot; it felt very reminiscent of [book:The Seventh Bride|25935854] in a way, and those who like T. Kingfisher would like that story in particular. Novik's "voice" is very present throughout. My first Novik book was [book:Uprooted|22544764] and I thought she had such a wonderful style for writing fairytales; that is definitely the case here. I actually had to double-check that Novik is, in fact, American, because her writing can feel distinctly British at times in its simplicity while still conveying so much. She does a take on Pride & Prejudice ("Dragons & Decorum") that was absolutely delightful; I would read a thousand more pages of the dragons from Temeraire, they are always excellent, and this was such a fun use of that world. We get a glimpse of a world that Novik is exploring for her new longform work, and I loved it. There's also a sci-fi story in here; I honestly didn't think Novik dabbled in sci-fi (having read all of her novels) and would love to see her do more of this. The best works are definitely stacked at the end of the book, so my overall rating definitely went up in the later third.

The meh parts
You have to have read a lot of Novik and a lot of other things to really get the most out of this collection. Seven of the stories in the collection--more than half--really require you to have read Novik's other works (including pretty much all of the hefty Temeraire series) or some other work (from Sherlock Holmes to Greek mythology to Pride & Prejudice to [book:The Seven Pillars of Wisdom: a triumph|490798]) to really GET them. This could definitely lead to the collection feeling a bit unapproachable if you've only read Uprooted, for example. I also found one of the only two new stories to be disappointing; it's set in the Scholomance, and though Novik prefaces the story by saying she always imagined the Scholomance to be part of a larger world with more stories, this one is, in fact, just another Scholomance story with new characters. There are hints of an intriguing larger world beyond it, with different ways to gain and learn and use magic, but Novik shoves them all off to the side in favor of "more monsters in the halls at night!" And while the other new story in the book ("The Long Way Round") also offers glimpses of an intriguing new world, it feels unfinished, despite being one of the longest stories in the collection.

Overall, I did really enjoy this collection, because I have already read a lot of Naomi Novik and some of the other things she references a lot. But for those not in this situation, this is not a good collection to sample and see if Novik is for you.

I enjoyed some of the stories in this book and not so much some of the others. This is really just my own experience with Novik's work, sometimes I'm totally sucked in and other times the plot just isn't my cup of tea. The writing is wonderfully done and each story is expertly crafted. For anyone who loves all of the author's books this is a definite do not pass go must read. It's also enjoyable for those who haven't read all their other books. There are even a few that intrigued me enough I need to go find out what world the characters exist in.

Thanks, netgalley and delray, for this ARC!

Naomi Novik is quietly one of my favorite authors- i have been chasing the high of the first time i read uprooted for years, and have blasted through the entirety of her catalogue since. Her writing style is so honed, but the splashes of humor and emotions that shine out always leave me feeling grateful for the experience of what i just read. I sometimes struggle with short fiction (because i am greedy and i always want more story, never a comment on skill) but this story collection had me catching up with the worlds of old friends at the scholomance, fairy tales, and mythology (buried deep was such a stunning retelling it left me in awe). Also, basically pride and prejudice fan fiction in the temeraire universe- who could be mad? But there are some new to me stories and worlds here that i will be thinking on for a long time- tess and ashton on the sea, kath and grovin and their lives in clay. I truly enjoyed every story, and i am glad they are all gathered together to be enjoyed in this collection.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this ARC in exchange of an honest review. Buried Deep and Other Stories is an eclectic collection of Novik's short stories that range from epilogues and prequels to some of her longer works to re-tellings of other authors' works to completely original pieces. Novik's genius at voice and setting provide a backdrop for a delightful foray into the short story genre.

I found it hard to think of a better analogy for these works than the one Novik suggests at the beginning of the book - that the stories are guests at a party you're attending. As with any party, there are a variety of guests present. There are the stories that make you wish the party would last just a couple hours (or days) longer so you could dive deeper into conversation with them, that you can't stop thinking about afterwards. Then there are the stories you've met before but have totally changed their image and they look pretty incredible. Finally, there are the (few) stories that remind you of your college English class, a little bit cliche, somewhat mediocre standing next to the other party guests. I struggled with what rating to give Novik's latest work due to the varied nature of the pieces, but in the end I couldn't give it less than 5 stars. I enjoyed my time at the party, with this sample of her writing, and continue to be wowed by Novik's creative, innovative, and sometimes nothing less than brilliant works.

Buried Deep & Other Stories is a collection of 13 beautiful short stories that dive into the bond between siblings, discovering one's destiny through adventures, the lengths people will go to achieve their dreams, and finding friendship in the midst of chaos. Some of these stories are also retellings of famous classics.

TITLES:
Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake - 5 stars
After Hours - 5 stars
Vici - 5 stars
Buried Deep - 4 stars
Spinning Silver - 5 stars
Commonplaces - 3 stars
Seven - 4 stars
Blessings - 4 stars
Lord Dunsany's Teapot - 4 stars
Seven Years from Home - 3 stars
Dragons & Decorum - 5 stars
Castle Coeurlieu - 5 stars
The Long Way Round - 3 stars

Wow! What a journey this has been. I’ve read short stories before, but nothing quite like this. It was such a fun and amazing experience for me. I’ve heard a lot about how great Naomi Novik’s books are, and now I can totally see why! I absolutely loved her twisted mind—it’s like she tapped into my inner child. Araminta, After Hours, Vici, Spinning Silver, Dragons & Decorum, and Castle Coeurlieu were all standout stories for me. I was blown away by how she managed to blend pirates, witches, wizards, dragons, fairies, goddess, retellings, classics, and horror all in one. Just wow!

Overall, if you’re into fantasy, classic retellings, mythology, and a bit of romance, I highly recommend this!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me the chance to dive into this amazing and magical anthology by Naomi Novik.

✨ WHAT I LOVED:
📌 Araminta selflessly saving her maids and eunuch
📌 Even with all that power, Araminta still chose to help
📌 Beata promising Jayne she'd help break the curse
📌 The dragon talking (Vici was hilarious)
📌 Miryem standing up to Staryk
📌 Elizabeth and Darcy finally getting married
📌 Isabeau meeting the Queen

✨ TROPES:
📌 PIRATES
📌 STRONG & CLEVER FEMALE PROTAGONIST
📌 WITCHES AND WIZARDS (THE SCHOLOMANCE WORLD)
📌 TALKING DRAGONS
📌 MINOTAUR & ARIADNE RETELLING
📌 SHERLOCK HOLMES
📌 SHADOWED FAIRIES
📌 PRIDE & PREJUDICE RETELLING—WITH DRAGONS!
📌 AN ABANDONED CASTLE
📌 A DARING VOYAGE
📌 THE BOND BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER
📌 NO SPICE

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6776661156

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.wordpress.com/2024/08/26/arc-review-buried-deep-and-other-stories-by-naomi-novik/

👩‍💻 INSTAGRAM REVIEW: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_I7IgPSaie/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Short story collections are always challenging to review. Like most collections, this is a mixed bag of the outstanding and the mundane, but it was definitely interesting to see Novik's style across the years, and several of the stories left me longing for more, or wanting to embark upon a reread of old favorites.

"Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake" - a Regency pirate tale, well done with some interesting exploration of gender, but ultimately didn't hold my attention (I'm not a huge fan of pirate stories in general).

"After Hours" - set in the Scholomance universe, loved this and could happily read an entire collection of Scholomance stories.

"Vici" - a story set in the world of Temeraire, but during Roman Empire times. I read a couple of the novels but they weren't for me. This story was good but it still didn't make me want to return to the Temeraire novels.

"Buried Deep" - an Ariadne retelling that I struggled to stay engaged with.

"Spinning Silver" - the short story origin of the novel. Although things are changed, both this and the novel are 5-star reads for me, and reading this made me want to go back and reread the novel.

"Commonplaces" - an Irene Adler short story, enjoyable but too short to really sink into.

"Seven" - blew me away, great world-building for a short story especially.

"Blessings" - the funniest of the bunch, wish it were longer.

"Lord Dunsany's Teapot" - two soldiers share tea and stories in the midst of war, a bit of a slog for me.

"Seven Years from Home" - this was a long one, and I never settled in to the world-building. I got Ursula K. LeGuin vibes, and maybe if this was a full novel I would have given myself over to it better.

"Dragons & Decorum" - another Temeraire story, but this one was a charming Pride & Prejudice retelling and I loved it.

"Castle Coeurlieu" - more of a creepy, horror fairy tale vibe to this one.

"The Long Way Round" - yes please, I hope this is developed into a full novel. A brother and sister adventure story. Outstanding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for a digital review copy.

Getting through this book was a fight to the very end. I do not love short stories or anthologies, but I adore Novik’s writing, so I thought Buried Deep would be different for me. It was not. There were a couple stories that were okay, like the Pride and Prejudice retelling and the shortened Spinning Silver, but most of the rest fell flat for me. I struggled to get engaged and felt that Novik needed more time to develop the characters and the story so I could care about them.

Overall, I’m not a fan of Buried Deep. It’s nice that all Novik’s previously published shorts are all together in a single volume and the cover is pretty, but the stories themselves just didn’t do it for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A nice collection of stories for Novik fans. There are two stories set in the Temeraire universe and one in Scholomance, two of which I thought were real treats. Most stories have appeared in other collections. My ratings of each story are below.

"Araminta, or the Wreck of the Amphidrake"
3.5 stars
I liked the writing, as I pretty much always do. I didn't think there was much to Araminta, besides always knowing what to do in the strange situations she found herself in.
"After Hours"
5 stars
Scholomance story! Orion! Enemies become friends (or at least, friendly). I love this world, and I loved this story, set after the events of the Scholomance trilogy.
"Vici"
3 stars
I was excited to get a story from Temeraire's world, but the jerky protagonist kind of ruined it for me. I liked Vici, though.
"Buried Deep"
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this quite a bit until the abrupt ending. It probably would have meant more to me if I knew the myth it was based on better.
"Spinning Silver"
5 stars
This worked nicely as a short story. I enjoyed the novel, and I liked reading this variation.
"Commonplaces"
2.5 stars
I probably would have gotten more out of it if I was more familiar with Sherlock Holmes stories and Irene Adler.
"Seven"
5 stars
One of my favorites of the collection. I expected more to happen before it ended, but maybe I missed something I was supposed to understand. I loved Kath and her approach to life.
"Blessings"
3.5 stars
Really short, but I liked the idea of drunk fairies trying to out-blessing each other at a christening.
"Lord Dunsany's Teapot"
5 stars
Particularly lovely writing and a moving wartime story.
"Seven Years from Home"
4 stars
Novik's imagination is endless, and it's stunning in this story, but the plot was pretty depressing.
"Dragons and Decorum"
5 stars
Such a perfect blend of Novik's Temeraire world and Pride and Prejudice. I'd read it in another collection, but I was happy to read it again. Loved it.
"Castle Coeurlieu"
5 stars
Spooky ghost story set during a plague in an imaginary world. I loved the young protagonist.
"The Long Way Round"
4 stars
I really liked this brother-sister seafaring adventure. I'm curious how she'll flesh it out into a novel or series.

It's difficult for me to rate and review this book as I have opposing opinions as an aspiring writer and as a reader.

As an aspiring writer, I really enjoyed the insight into Naomi Novik's writing process. I really appreciated the introductions to each short story. They were an opportunity to get inside her head and understand why she wrote certain stories. It was also relatable as many of these stories were fan fiction of sorts (used here as a positive comparison).

But as a reader, I only connected with three of the thirteen stories (the Pride and Prejudice inspired one, the Spinning Silver expert, and the final story which is a sneak peek at her upcoming project). They weren't bad. They were well written. It's more that they just didn't capture my imagination and interest. I would say that this book is for Naomi Novik super fans. It's the type of book I'd borrow from the library rather than buy. And one that I would recommend enjoy one or two stories at a time.

I'm a big fan of this author's Temeraire series so I especially enjoyed the couple of stories that are related. They're all great stories though. There were several I wished were complete books.

Buried Deep and Other stories is an excellent collection of Novik's short fiction, and sweeps readers away to the many worlds she has created. It was hard to pick a favourite story from this collection, because they were all excellent. A standout for me, however, was "After Hours", the highly anticipated return to the Scholomance. Beata, a young mushroom witch who benefits from El's shakeup of the magical world, was an absolute treat to read about. The other standout was "Spinning Silver", which was later turned into a full-fledged novel. "Blessings", a story about magical fairy god mothers trying to one-up each other's blessings will delight veteran readers of Naomi's work and new fans alike. This fantastic collection is highly recommended.

I don’t typically read short story collections because, with all honesty, I very rarely enjoy them. I’m the sort of reader who really wants to sink into a world and (ideally) follow a single POV character who I become wholly invested in over the course of the story. It’s all quite focused in to detailed character work and epic storytelling and worldbuilding, all of which are difficult to convey in the much smaller wordcount allowed to short stories. Beyond this, most of the collections I’ve read in the past were assortments of authors all contributing to one work, which left a lot of variability in quality throughout the entire read. All of this long winded intro to say, this week I’ll be reviewing not only one short story collection, but two! And they are each wildly different experiences.

Today, we’re going to start on the high note! It probably shouldn’t have been so surprising that I ended up loving this book, given the fact that I don’t think I’ve ever rated a Naomi Novik below an 8 (the vast majority of them have been 9s and 10s, even!). But as we’ve just discussed, I struggle with these sorts of collections. But, if anything, with this book Novik has convinced me that in the right hands, I can enjoy a short story collection just as much as the next person!

In fact, in many ways, it felt like this collection of stories was written just for me. Not only was I rewarded for being a reader of all of Novik’s previous series (we have two Temeraire stories, a “Spinning Silver” story, and a “Scholomance” story), but the other tales she tackled were also of peak interest for me. It was almost freakish! There was a Greek re-telling, a “Pride and Prejudice” re-telling, and a “Sherlock Homes” story that focused on Irene Adler! Can it get more perfect than that? Honestly, if I had sat down and picked out series/stories that I would have wanted to read short stories of, these would have been at the top of my list! And they were all done so well!

I don’t want to cover every single story in this collection (though I enjoyed them all, even if I had favorites), but I’ll talk about a few of my favorites. I really loved the aforementioned “Pride and Prejudice” story. Novik managed to not only re-tell the entire novel in an impressively thorough manner, but also adjusted it to fit within her Temeraire world. This version’s Elisabeth Bennet was a dragon rider and much of the tension with Mr. Darcy was derived from the fact that she’s a military member. It was both incredibly unique but also fit perfectly within the boundaries of the original story.

I also really loved returning to the “Scholomance” world. This story takes place after the events of the trilogy, giving readers a look into how the school operates now that El and Orion have done their work. Of course, it was great seeing some familiar faces (though, sadly, not El herself), but the new character to this story was also fantastic! Through her eyes, we see how other magical communities have dealt with the dangers of this world. There was also an added twist to certain aspects of the magic itself, which I felt was both very creative but also felt natural to this pre-existing world.

I also really enjoyed the Greek re-telling of the story of the Minotaur. Told from the perspective of the Minotaur’s sister, Novik infused the story with a whole new level of tragedy, but also beauty. The Irene Adler story was also good, though here I did feel that by the end of the story, I had been hoping for a bit more…I don’t know, point to it all. So, too, the “Spinning Silver” story was also good. It was a shortened version (I believe this was the first attempt at the story that was later expanded into the full length novel), but essentially hit the same beats, though had a different ending. While I enjoyed reading this one, it did hit home how much I loved the novel version. This one just didn’t pack the same punch, and I enjoyed the ending of the original novel better.

While none of the stories were misses, I did want a bit more from a few of them. The collection begins with a pirate story which I think is the weakest of the bunch (a bit unfortunate that it’s first). There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it also didn’t seem to have a lot new to say or offer. Likewise, there’s a story about fairy wishes gone wrong which I really liked, but then it felt like it ended abruptly, almost feeling as if it was the first chapter to an entire book. I was mostly just mad that I couldn’t keep reading it! And lastly, I also enjoyed the look into the new world that her next series will take place within, but this story itself also felt a bit listless. I wasn’t clear whether these were the characters we would be following in the next book or not, but as it stands, by the time the story ends, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it as a story on its own.

Overall, this was an excellent collection! I think I can even say that it’s my favorite short story collection of all time (take from that what you will, given my general lack of interest/familiarity with the genre). I think most any fantasy fan would find something to like from this book. Though I will say that it’s one of those collections that greatly rewards readers familiar with Novik’s entire catalogue of work; it’s practically a must for fans of her books!

Rating 9: Absolutely fantastic, introducing readers to entire new worlds while also re-warding fans with a return to beloved worlds and characters.

Link will go live on The Librayr Ladies blog on Sept. 25

Novik is one of those authors with an undeniably singular voice, and this short story collection was a beautiful journey through some of her different worlds. I particularly enjoyed returning to the Scholomance, and felt at home immediately in a world I know well after enjoying the trilogy last year. I would absolutely recommend this collection for fans of Novik's books, and for anyone who enjoys daydreaming.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of short stories with something for everyone. Some of the short stories have been published already in anthologies but I hadn’t read them before and they were all new to me. The stories in this collection covered a wide variety of genres and worlds, including some from her past novels. There were definitely some stories I liked more than others but Naomi Novik is a great writer and I enjoyed all of the stories. I don’t tend to read anthologies or short stories normally, but I wanted to read this collection for the Scholomance series short story and the short story set in the world she is currently working on for her next novel. While I enjoyed those stories my favorite was actually the short story “Seven”. I am impressed by Naomi Novik’s ability to write a short story that is interesting and full of so much life and world building in such a small amount of words.
Note: I haven’t read the Temeraire Series but that wasn’t an issue and the stories set in that world can be read without prior knowledge.

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys Naomi Novik’s writing already and wants to read even more from her.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am a huge Naomi Novik fan, and loved the Scholomance series, Spinning Silver, and Uprooted.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of 13 short fantasy stories, some which are set in the familiar worlds from her other books. Each story is stand-alone, range from fantasy and fairy tales to myths and mystery, to history and science, and some are a bit unsettling. I found all of the stories very enjoyable, especially since they all seemed to feature a female protagonist and a theme of Destiny. I also liked that Novik included a note of explanation before each story for why she chose to include it.

Buried Deep (the title story) is a retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur, and was probably my favorite of the collection. There is also a retelling of Pride & Prejudice involving a dragon; a story where Marc Antony hatches a dragon egg and starts the Dragon Corps; and a mushroom witch with a roommate issues at the Scholomance; among other stories. There is also a sneak peek at Novik's novel, set in the world of Abandon.

I highly recommend this collection to fantasy fans, dragon fans, and anyone who enjoys Novak’s worlds and other writings. The stories were very engaging and compelling, and the sneak peek really made me excited to read her next novel, which sounds like it's going to be part of an epic fantasy series! And if you haven't read anything by Novik yet, I definitely recommend Buried Deep as a starting point -- you won't be disappointed!!

This was such a treat. I love Novik's writing and this collection of stories was not different. Treating us to an abundance of short stories, it's an amazing look into the creative mind that is Naomi Novik.

✨Book Review✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Ebook

I mean, are we really surprised? No, not at all. It’s Naomi Novik. We aren’t surprised.

I usually write a blurb summary about the plot and characters when writing a review. Since this book is a collection of stories, I feel a summary would defeat the purpose, as each story is only a few pages long.

Highlights: (my favorite stories)
⭐️ Araminta
⭐️ After Hours
⭐️ Buried Deep
⭐️ Spinning Silver
⭐️ Seven Blessings
⭐️ Dragons & Decorum - for the Pride & Prejudice/Fourth Wing fans
⭐️ Castle Coeurtieu
⭐️ The Long Way Round

These are most, if not all, of the stories in the book. While I didn’t dislike the few I didn’t mention, it was these stories that captured my reader's heart and transported me into their world.

Pitfalls:
❌ The stories and the book itself just weren’t long enough.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

*Social media will be posted closer to publication date.

4.8 / 5.0

This collection by Naomi Novik is excellent and a necessary addition to the library of the intent Novik fan.

A little bit of all her works are touched on in this book, and I especially loved her forward to the reader about how and when these stories came into existence. For me, Novik is like T. Kingfisher in that both are phenomenal storytellers and comfort reads whether is it the first of fiftieth time reading.

Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley, and to Novik for this book and giving me access to the eARC. This will absolutely be an edition I add to my physical library!

I have never read anything by Naomi Novik so I was hoping that these being short stories would be a good introduction to her writing! Plus the description sounded interesting, but I only made it through the first story. It bored me so much that I had to force myself to keep going. So, I just don't think her work is for me.