Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the ARC!

Naomi Novik is one of my favorite authors of all time. That being said, I'm really not a fan of short stories. So while my review will be honest, please take it in the connotation that I read this because of it's author.

Altogether, I did enjoy the collection, but I think the order could have been reworked slightly. I think the book starts out strong with Lady Araminta and then segues into beloved renditions of Novik classics. Then the stories start to slow down (around 'Seven' if I had to put a title to it). Personally I think this is the time when I started to struggle to get through even a story at a time. However, 'Dragons & Decorum' was by far the most exciting entry for me. I devoured it and alarmed some of my fellow companions with how intently I was reading.

All in all, I think it's an eclectic collection of tales with some beautiful homage to Novik's other titles.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.58 | 😘=3.75 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=4 | 16+

summary: collection of Naomi Novik short stories—some set in previous Novik worlds or published in previous collections, some not.

thoughts: took the average of individual ratings for the final score and I have notes (singular note probably) on each story:

- “Araminta, or the Wreck of the Amphidrake” — 3.75⭐️
- very bizarre and very fun too

- “After Hours” — 4.5⭐️
- exactly!! also I need to know why Orion was dressed up??

- “Buried Deep” — 5⭐️
- this is so goodddddddd. incredible.

- “Spinning Silver” — 4.75 ⭐️
- interesting to see where a phenomenal novel began

- “Commonplaces” — 3 ⭐️
- not a huge Sherlock Holmes girlie (I’ve only read a couple stories), and I think I’d like this more if I was more familiar

- “Seven” — 4.75 ⭐️
- I loved this, but I wanted it to be longer. I need more of this story.

- “Blessings” — 3 ⭐️
- meh? I liked the beginning—very Gail Carson Levine—but the end didn’t deliver at all

- “Lord Dunsany’s Teapot” — 3? 2.75 ??⭐️
- I don’t think I got this one?? I need more context or a reread or something

- “Seven Years From Home” — 1.5 ⭐️
- I’m sorry that was so boring

- “Dragons & Decorum” — 3.5 ⭐️
- the thing is this needs to be novel-length to be effective, and several an AO3 author has already done this concept very successfully. so like this is cute but this specific idea can’t be a short story. like thematically and plot-wise AND character-wise it just needs a bigger word count.

- “Castle Coeurlieu” — 3 ⭐️
- idk i was kinda bored??

- “The Long Way Round” — 3.5 ⭐️
- I want more of this world!

I ended up dnfing this book. I fully intend to return to it at some point, but would rather be more familiar with the author's backlist when I do. I did flip through and read the descriptions of each story, and can validly say that Novik has created a wildly ambitious collection of stories different in tone, plot, and writing style yet still fully, characteristically her. Existing fans will be delighted by this collection of stories, and I'm excited not only to get to it at some point, but also to read her next book!

A great introduction to Novik. As someone who has never read any of her books, but has heard great things, Buried Deep was a great taste for the breadth of her style and stories. I look forward to reading the full version of more of her works in the near future.

Such a beautiful collection of stories. I hope to read more of the long journey and Tessa someday. It was wonderful to extend my reading of Naomi Novik and to get a glimpse into new worlds!

I kinda skimmed through the book description because I was really in the mood for short stories when I requested this, so I didn't realize you had to be familiar with the author's previous work to enjoy these stories. I tried to get into them, but I just couldn't. I wanted standalone short stories, but that's 100% on me. I suspect readers familiar with her work will love this very much. The writing is very nice and I appreciate the creativity, I'm also now very curious about checking out some of her books, so there's that!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Naomi Novik presents Buried Deep and Other Stories, an anthology. The stories featured in the anthology are collected, some new and some featured in other publications. Novik has an introduction to each piece providing some background to the piece's creation. Some stories are from worlds known to Novik's readers (Temeraire, Spinning Silver, and Scholomance) and some from current worlds in progress.

This is one of the very few times that I can say this about an anthology. I genuinely enjoyed every story in this collection. There were widely varied settings, vibes, tones, but somehow all of them were positive experiences for me.

I would absolutely recommend this collection to readers who are already fans of Novik's work, but feel like I am not sure who specifically to recommend to otherwise. There is a Pride and Prejudice with Dragons retelling in the world of Temeraire. A story of seatraders and wizards. The story that expanded into the Spinning Silver novel. A Temeraire story by way of Ancient Rome. A story of Irene Adler from the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Fairy tale retellings and explorations. Fantasy worlds and stories of the Regency and the Black Death. There is at least one story that is likely to appeal to whatever reader chooses to pick up this anthology.

I am happy to have read this book early and hope that it will be found by the readers who will enjoy each one of the stories it contains. Everyone should get that joy from an anthology at least once. :)

Writing reviews for short story collections is always hard, but it is especially so when the collection is such a fabulous one. I really enjoyed reading all of these stories and could probably write paragraphs about each one, but I will keep things brief for you and also so that you will be intrigued enough to want to go and read it yourself.

Buried Deep is a wonderful sampling of this author’s style and shows the depth of her imagination. All but one of these stories have been published before in other anthologies but it is really nice to have them all in one place now. Some of them are stories that take place in worlds already created and it was so much fun to revisit them. Others are totally new, but just as well done and fascinating to read.

If you are a fan of this author, than this is a must read. If you have not read her work before, this would be a nice introduction to her work. All of these work well as standalones and give a solid grounding to her style of writing and the marvelous worlds that she creates.

I’m usually not an anthology/short story fan but at this point I’ll read anything Novik writes.

I really loved about half of these, and the other half were still very good. I would love to have more stories set in the Scholomance universe. Novik’s writing is always top-notch and her storytelling is unexpected and beautiful.

This was such a great collection of short stories. If you enjoyed Novik's other works, you'll vibe with these. It is a perfect combination of stories that are told in her familiar prose style, while also making you feel all of the emotions.

This collection is full of enchanting fantasy. It will satisfy long-time Novik fans with stories set in the same worlds as her novels, and new fans as each of those stories are accessible and there are plenty of stories unconnected to her novels.

Amarita, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After Hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vici ⭐⭐⭐
Buried Deep ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spinning Silver ⭐⭐⭐
Commonplaces ⭐⭐⭐
Seven ⭐⭐⭐
Blessings ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lord Dunsany's Teapot ⭐⭐⭐
Seven Years From Home ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dragons & Decorum ⭐⭐⭐
Castle Coeulieu (my least favorite) ⭐⭐
The Long Way Round (my favorite) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A video review including this book will be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. While I was so excited to start it, my body and health unfortunately had other plans. I apologize for the delay in reviewing this book, but know it wasn’t for a lack of interest or excitement on my part!

This anthology is a captivating journey for both new readers and long-time fans of the Naomi Novik. It offers a well-rounded taste of her signature storytelling through a diverse collection of short stories, ranging from reimagined myths and fairytales, to glimpses into future series and nods to well-loved works. Each tale stands on its own, providing readers with enough context without requiring prior knowledge of her longer novels. The stories blend dark fantasy, rich character development, and enchanting world-building, creating an immersive experience despite the brevity of each piece.

The collection’s variety is truly impressive, from fairytale retellings and imaginative reworkings of myth to mini-episodes from her full-length novels. The author's ability to shift seamlessly between tones and settings is remarkable, delivering stories that range from whimsical and lighthearted to those more grounded in historical themes. I particularly enjoyed how the author’s notes before each story provided valuable insight into her creative process, adding depth and context to the reading experience.

There were quite a few standout stories. Each one pulls you in with rich, vivid settings and characters you can’t help but connect with. The recurring themes of destiny and free will run through these tales like a thread, tying them together in such a compelling way. While a couple of the endings felt a bit unresolved, it’s clear that this was definitely intentional, allowing us to linger in the world of each story even after it ends.

In summary, this anthology beautifully showcases the author’s versatile storytelling, with strong characters, engaging plots, and strikingly crafted worlds. Whether you're a long-time fan or someone curious about her work, this collection is a fantastic starting point. It’s a perfect addition to any fantasy lover's shelf, offering a delightful mix of the magical, the mysterious, and the downright mesmerizing.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. For the opportunity to receive an advanced copy, in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first encounter with Naomi Novik's work, and I approached *Buried Deep and Other Stories* with a mix of curiosity and high expectations, given her popularity. However, I found myself struggling to get into this collection. Many of the short stories didn’t quite capture my interest, leaving me feeling somewhat disconnected from the narrative and characters.

That said, there were two stories in the collection that stood out to me. The short story from the Scholomance series was a particular highlight. It offered a glimpse into a world that was intriguing enough to make me want to explore more of what Novik has to offer, particularly in the Scholomance series. This story alone convinced me that there’s potential in her writing that I might appreciate more fully in a different context.

Overall, while *Buried Deep and Other Stories* didn’t quite win me over, I believe it could be a good read for existing fans of Naomi Novik’s work. For someone like me, who is new to her writing, this collection might not be the best starting point. However, it has piqued my interest enough to give her novels, especially the Scholomance series, a try in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this work so that I may give my honest feedback and review.

Storybook characters, modern retellings, and glimpses into new storylines are found in these pages. Author Naomi Novik is a master of her craft, particularly appealing to fans of fantasy literature. She pulls characters both old and new and twists the story into something that feels both new and modern. Classic story characters come to life. Austen's romance with a dragon twist. Readers are reminded why they loved her Scholomance trilogy and Spinning Silver story and why she is excellent at her craft. I absolutely loved every one of these stories, but I recommend reading this one after her other works.

Thank you, NetGalley, author Naomi Novik, and publisher Del Rey, for the opportunity to read this ARC. I was captivated by it and immediately ordered my hardcover. A Scholomance reread is definitely in order! This book deserves 5 Stars!

Series Info/Source: This is a short story anthology. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I have very brief summaries/thoughts on the individual stories below. As with just about every short story anthology I have read, this was a mixed bag. There were a couple of stories I loved, some I disliked and a lot that were just okay. If you are a huge Novik fan and keep up on reading her short stories you have probably read a lot of these stories already. Many of these stories were published in other fantasy or sci-fi anthologies previously.

My favorite stories of the bunch were "After Hours", "Spinning Silver", "Seven", and "Castle Coeurlieu". These are all fantasy stories involving clever women with some fun twists to them. My least favorite of the bunch was "Seven Years from Home"; a rather complex and long sci-fi story that was incredibly boring.

Please see below for my thoughts on each story.

- Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake (4/5)
I read this story before in the Fast Ships, Black Sails anthology. It is a fun story about a noble woman who ends up using a protective amulet that turns her into a man when her ship is attacked by pirates. She then ends up on a series of wild adventures with the very pirates that originally attacked the ship she was on.

- After Hours (5/5)
This was a wonderful story the takes place with some new students some time after the main Scholomance trilogy.

- Vici (4/5)
If dragon training started in Rome. This was funny and witty. I definitely enjoyed it more once the dragon hatched. It ended pretty abruptly but was fun.

- Buried Deep (4/5)
This was an intriguing story about the Minotaur and his sister. I thought it was a bit slow but it was beautifully written and I enjoyed the way it delved into the mythology around all of this.

- Spinning Silver (5/5)
Really loved this story. This is a shorter version of the book. It involves a young woman who takes her family's poverty in to her own hands and turns things around by making an intelligent deal with a fairy. I loved how clever this was and enjoyed the main character a lot.

- Commonplaces (3/4)
This was okay, it is about one of the female characters from the Sherlock Holmes books (who I was not familiar with) tracking down and confronting (among other things) Sherlock after his supposed death. It was a short and abrupt story that may have had more impact if I had read more than one Sherlock Holmes book, and if I knew who the main character was supposed to represent from the Sherlock Holmes series.

- Seven (5/5)
Really enjoyed this story about a strange town where the clay builders must use a special clay to repair the guarding statues...a clay that leaves them sick and dead a matter of years after working it. That is until a practical woman is forced to take on this job.

- Blessings (3/5)
This was a short and humorous look at a child who was blessed by drunk fairies. This results in some questionable attributes for a noblewoman as the child grows.

- Lord Dunsany's Teapot (4/5)
I had read this previously from "The Cabinet of Curiosities" Book by VanderMeer. This is a well done story about a strange teapot that brings peace in the trenches of war.

- Seven Years from Home (2/5)
I found this really, really boring and ended up skimming a lot of it. This was a complex sci-fi story that had a lot of info dumping.

- Dragons & Decorum (4/5)
This is set in the Temeraire world and told in a very flowery "Pride and Prejudice" style. It is a retelling of sorts of parts of Pride and Prejudice. I am not a huge fan of this style of writing, but it was cute and clever.

- Castle Coeurlieu (5/5)
I really enjoyed this story about a young girl who is married off to an old man during the plague. He is kind and goes off to war while she hangs out with his son who is around her age (13 yrs old). However, there is a tower on the grounds that no one is supposed to enter at night. When the lord's son enters the tower to escape the plague, she goes after him in an effort to save him and ends up on a strange adventure within the tower's confines.

- The Long Way Round (4/5)
This was a decent read about a couple of siblings that decide to take a different way, the long way, around their normal trade route. They travel via ship and run into new and amazing wonders as they travel. I found the magical constructs that they found on their travels a bit confusing. This was more like a glimpse into a world than a well fleshed out story. I did enjoy the characters, although I am not huge on sea types of adventures. I thought some of the aspects of the story were very intriguing as well.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a solid collection of short stories that includes a lot of Novik's stories that have been published in other anthologies. As with most anthologies, there both hits and misses. I would say this is more hits than misses; with a few stories that I loved, a lot I liked, some mediocre ones, and one I did not like. If you are a Novik fan, you have probably read a lot of these short stories before. If you haven't, it is worth a read.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm a a big fan of Tem, I enjoyed Spinning Silver and Uprooted, and was disappointed with Scholomance. That being said, it was gratifying to see her "old" writing style make an appearance in this collection of short stories. While some dragged a bit (I feel like they get bogged down in description, but really shine in character interaction), overall it was an enjoyable read with some old faces, some new twists in familiar worlds, and it left me optimistic for her next work, Folly. I would definitely recommend if you already like her work, or even if you're just trying it on for size.

Novik is one of my favorite authors and I’m so happy I got to read this! I’m not a huge fan of short stories and I do with this one had an underlying theme or connective tissue. I especially loved the Spinning Silver story (also loved the book!) but others fell flat or felt less well edited? I did love the notes by the author!

If you’re familiar with Naomi Novik’s storytelling style, this is the equivalent of finding a treasure trove of treats in your pocket. The introduction notes provide some delightful insight into the author’s mentality in how she crafts and builds her worlds of fiction and character without giving too much of a sausage making vibe. And it feels like a warm afternoon tea with friends to catch up with characters like Orion Lake in worlds that Novik has completed storytelling arcs for (read A DEADLY EDUCATION if you have not already).

As with any short story compilation, I often feel a bit startled going between worlds, but each short story is well done in drawing you in and providing both world context and character context. And what is nice is that if you’re familiar with different worlds it’s easy enough to skip around. And each story feels like a mini novella in that it provides the story arc and completes it.

With her FOLLY short story as a teaser for her next series, I loved that Novik skipped over the standard romance trope for her main character conflict and instead focused on a dynamic between siblings, as well as a complicated dynamic between a sibling’s partner and the sibling “left behind” for an odd couple and three’s company tension. It also clearly felt like an intro or backstory behind what is clearly to be a new world for Novik to explore. Definitely recommend for Novik auteur lovers as well as a Novik never ever — they’re bite sized petit fours of her longer novel series and they’re delicious with each bite.

Honestly, who could expect anything but good from Novik. I was introduced to her writing with the Scholomance series and I'm so happy that I can now have the opportunity to read more from her. This book was fun in many ways, including the fact that you couldn't really get attached to the characters because they were all different stories (honestly that helped me a lot because I get too invested). This was a fun read and I hope Novik does this kind of book again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Naomi Novik’s ever since A Deadly Education, so was excited for the opportunity given to me by Del Ray and NetGalley for an eARC of this collection of short stories. This is a great collection and ranges from pirates, to the Minotaur and the labyrinth, World of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice and Dragons, back into the world of Scholomance, Spinning Silver, and a beginning of a new work. I zipped through these as they were engrossing worlds to bounce through in these short stories. They took you on journeys of worlds and feelings that was a joy.

My favorites were After Hours in the Scholomance (not surprisingly as a school with monsters and magic is tons of fun), and the opposite extreme of the feeling journey for me which was Buried Deep - returning to Ancient Greece, the Isle of Crete, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. I think readers will enjoy many of the other stories here as well. I recommend it as well, written, fun, exploratory reading for Ms Novik that makes me want to pick up another of her novels and to go deep into her worlds again. I know I will.

4.5 stars