Being a massive fan of Naomi Novik and a collector of her books, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of "Buried Deep and Other Stories" from NetGalley!

“Buried Deep and Other Stories” by Naomi Novik is a compelling collection of thirteen short stories that catapult the reader across her past anthologies. The stories include several well-known characters and stories outside of her own series as well. Novik also provides an inside look into her story building before each story, which is an absolute joy to read.

“Spinning Silver” has always been a favorite book of mine, and I loved the short stories added to this collection, as well as those included in the Scholomance Trilogy. The book also includes a Greek mythology and classic retelling with fairies, dragons, and magic sprinkled about. Each story is a masterfully crafted gem, showcasing Novik's exceptional talent for weaving intricate plots and developing rich, nuanced characters within the constraints of short fiction.

One thing I have always loved about Novik's storytelling is how it can be both haunting and beautiful. These short stories are no different. Her prose is evocative and immersive, painting vivid images and evoking genuine emotional responses. From the eerie and otherworldly to the poignant and introspective, each story offers a unique and unforgettable journey, drawing readers into diverse worlds and experiences that seamlessly intertwine fantasy and reality. The teaser story, “The Long Way Round”, into her new project has me very excited for its release!

The stories within this collection are diverse and thought-provoking, exploring themes ranging from love and loss to magic and mysticism. Novik's ability to weave these elements together in a way that feels organic and genuine is truly remarkable. Each story is a testament to her talent for creating unique worlds that resonate with readers.

What sets "Buried Deep and Other Stories" apart is its ability to transport readers to different realms and time periods all in one book, showcasing Novik's versatility as a storyteller. The balance between enchanting prose and poignant storytelling makes this collection a must-read for fans of fantasy and speculative fiction.

Overall, "Buried Deep and Other Stories" is a captivating and immersive collection that showcases Naomi Novik's exceptional skill as a writer. I’m looking forward to adding this hard copy to my existing Novik collection and reading her next project, “Folly.”

Thank you to #NetGalley, #NaomiNovik, and #DelRay for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. #BuriedDeepandOtherStories

This is my first read by Naomi Novik. This collection of short stories definitely has a fairy tale vibe to it. But best part of this book - the writing is beautiful. I don't know that I have ever read a story (and I am an avid reader) that was more beautifully written. If this is similar style to her other books like Uprooted, I can definitely understand where all of the hype came from about this writer. Reading it was a true treat. I can't wait to read her other stories. Enjoyed the book but had a bit of trouble following some of the stories, the deeper into the book I got. For this reason, giving 4 out of 5 stars.

Once again, I’m delighted by Naomi Novik. She is an author that, in my humble opinion, can do no wrong.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of short stories she has previously published in other anthologies. It's nice to have them all under one roof. I think it showcases her strengths as a writer and storyteller. Giving us complete stories in a short number of pages. Some elaborated on previous works she's published, and some were standalones or prompts she participated in.

It was wonderful to read the original Spinning Silver and to compare how Novik evolved it into the beloved novel it is! Are you a fan of the Scholomance Trilogy? There's a story in there for you (although don't read it unless you've completed the trilogy, it's a bit of a spoiler). Heck, if you're a fan of her series that includes dragons in the Napoleonic War, AND love Pride and Prejudice, well I won't go on, but I hope it piques your interest.

Anthologies that include various authors are normally hard to rate because of drastic differences in writing. No such difficulty here. I loved some stories more than others, however this is a solid companion book to add to your collection, and I feel like I will go back to it often when I need a pick-me-up.

I really enjoyed the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik and was very excited to get an ARC of this book! I will say that I enjoyed the one connected to the Scholomance because it just had the same magical quality to it like the series. I didn't dislike the other stories, but I do think I would have enjoyed them even more if I had read the other books by the author. I think I'll probably come back to re-read them once I read her other books! Overall a solid read. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC!

I normally have a hard time giving reviews of anthologies since there’s always a couple stories I don’t enjoy, but I didn’t have that problem with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories in this collection and found myself wanting to learn more about all the worlds.

I think for the right audience this could be a great book. It collects stories from some of Novik’s passed characters and setting and also sprinkles in some new characters and setting. It’s not bad. I just don’t feel I was the right audience for this. If you have loved Naomi’s passed books and series then definitely give this one a try.

I have read several of Naomi Novik books, so I was excited to get the short story compilation. Some of the short stories have been previously published but I hadn’t read any of them, so it wasn’t an issue for me. I really enjoyed the short stories and if you are a fan of her story telling you will enjoy them as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I have to say I did not read this all the way through. I really wanted to read the Scholomance story and did not care for many of the others--I have only read the Scholomance books. This book would be a tough sell unless the reader was a Novik super fan and had read all of her previous works, or was really into collections of short stories. Since I am neither, I did not personally enjoy this one.

This was an interesting mix of stories that I was mainly interested in for its tie-in to the Temeraire series. The couple of stories in that world though were quite disconnected from the series, so they really do stand on their own well. Huge fans of Naomi Novik should find a lot here to love!

This is a short story collection, which are generally not my favorite but I, like so many others, keep wanting to see beloved worlds and characters again, so I read them. I enjoyed this one since it fulfilled that desire, but I would warn heavily against reading the Schoolmancer story if you have any interest in reading the series and have not finished, as it is a great big spoiler. The other series are more indirectly related, taking place in the same world but not the same characters. I am now very interested in whatever the next book will be as the short story world for that was fascinating, and I would love to hear more about those characters or even just the world. The short story for Spinning Silver wasn’t that interesting as I have read the book, and the set-up is entirely the same but much more superficial and the ending is different. The title story, Buried Deep, was very well done. There are some stories I have already forgotten, but overall, a fun read.

This was a solid collection of stories from the great Naomi Novik.

“Seven” and “The Long Way Round” were two of my favorites. “The Long Way Round” is set in the same world as Novik’s next book Folly. My interest is definitely piqued.

Along with those, there are several stories from Novik’s established worlds — the Temeraire, Spinning Silver, and the Scholomance — but also some Sherlock Holmes and Pride and Prejudice, which were fun surprises.

(P.S. Save “After Hours” until after you’ve finished the Scholomance series.)

Thanks to Del Rey for providing an advanced digital copy for me to review!

Buried Deep and Other stories is an eclectic collection of thirteen short fantasy stories with a variety of themes. This anthology covers everything from pirates to fairies and Minotaurs offering a nice range of tales for all readers. The cover art is fantastic and really captured my attention. I really enjoyed the authors series, The Scholomance, and so it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed the included short “After Hours”. Another favorite from this collection was “Spinning Silver”. That being said, as with most short story collections I don’t typically enjoy every story. Although new to me, most of these were previously published in other works. I enjoyed reading the authors intros to each tale and getting a glimpse into her mindset when writing it. Overall this was a lovely collection with something to offer for every type of fantasy reader…a must read for 2024!

Unsurprisingly, a short story anthology is uneven. The highest of highs and some I yawned through, Worth reading as a Novik fan but maybe don't read all of them at once because you'll critique it too harshly. I am intrigued by the upcoming series, though.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of stories from the multiple worlds created by Novik. As you move from one story to the next, you are provided with a new and fresh tantalizing story of the author’s making.

I knew going into this collection it would be set in Novik’s multiple worlds, but what I did not account for is the heavy reliance on knowing Novik’s worlds. I’m sure with the synopsis I should expect this to be the case, but, being an avid fantasy reader, I was not expecting the lack of world building or pretense. These stories are beautifully created and the prose is beautiful but I’m struggling to understand what’s truly going on in each of these stories. At 26% I’ve decided to place this book on a soft DNF list until I have more of Novik’s backlist completed.

I've loved many of Naomi Novik's novels, but I don't think I'd ever read a short story she'd written--all of these stories were new to me. Sometimes I find short stories by writers who are primarily novelists frustrating and unfinished, but these are wonderful, complete worlds (even the stories that are adding to established universes, like the Scholomance and Temeraire stories+). They warn you about the dangers and prices of wishes as well as the unexpected gifts that come along with them. My favorite story is "Seven," about giant guardian statues made out of haunted, poisonous clay, set in a city that felt as resonant as something out of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. I recommend this to anyone who needs a little magic resonating through their lives.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

A collection of weird and creative short stories. I adore Naomi Novik and loved getting a story from the Scholomance world tucked in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did end up finishing the whole thing. Sigh. This was a collection that never really sang.

I only really liked two of the short stories, and one was surrounding her longer novel, Spinning Silver, and the other was her take on Ariadne. I have found Novik to be hit or miss with me. Full RTC.

Full review:

You all know how I do collections at this point, I rate each story, and then you can see the overall rating above. I unfortunately did not like many of the stories. I just felt bored and wish that Novik had done more with the fantasy elements like she did in "Uprooted" and "Spinning Silver." But most of the stories were either off or seemed to have some point I was totally missing.

"Armanita, or The Wreck of the Amphidrake" (1 star)-I had such high hopes, but this story about a young nobleman sent off from her family because she keeps getting into trouble was so boring. It took me almost a month to get through this story.

"After Hours" (1 star)-This apparently features characters from her other work, "Scholomance trilogy" and because of that, I had no idea who anyone was and was bored throughout. And honestly that is my number one complaint, if I have to read your other books to get your short stories, hard pass. Do readers like it when characters though are familiar with pop up in other books, yes. Do you still need to make sure a cold reader gets there, also yes.

"Vici" (1 star)-Same issue here, this short story is based on the Temeraire universe. It takes place in Romance times. Yes, at this point was when this almost became a DNF for me.

"Buried Deep" (4 stars)-This short story follows Ariadne, for those who devour Greek mythology like I do, this was a great retelling I thought. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is that the story after a while stalled a bit I thought.

"Spinning Silver" (5 stars)-Honestly think of this as an alternate take on her longer novel, "Spinning Silver" I loved this story and thought her following a moneylender's daughter, who has to grow cold inside to take care of her mother and father was great.

"Commonplaces" (3.5 stars)-A retelling of the character of Irene Adler from the Sherlock Holmes series. I don't know, this was good, but it didn't really fit the whole fantasy theme that Novik had going for her.

"Seven" (2 stars)-A city called Seven and the people who live there. I honestly can't even recall this story and I just went back to refresh my memory and kind of shrugged about it. Once again though, there's fantasy elements here so it's odd we had "Commonplaces" before that.

"Blessings" (2 stars)-A bunch of fairies cause a whole mess due to them drinking during a baby's blessing. I don't know if Novik was going for comedy or something more serious. The ending was so abrupt I thought I was missing something.

"Lord Dunsany's Teapot" (1 star)-Bored throughout.

"Seven Years from Home" (1 star)-Honestly this was just not good. I don't even know what else to say really. Reading about the "adjustments" and everything else just made my eyes glaze over.

"Dragons and Decorum" (1 star)-Just think Pride and Prejudice with dragons. And look, at this point, I was just fed up with this collection and was determined to get through it, but once again, I wonder what the heck "Commonplaces" was doing in a fantasy collection and just tossed my hands up. Also, look, this story did nothing for me. I just sighed and went okay, thanks again for not setting much of anything up. I think that's my number one criticism. Novik did a good job with just two stories in this collection, but I think I only liked them because I was familiar with both so didn't need the set up. But other readers who don't know Greek mythology or have not read her other works are going to be completely lost. And yes, I read Pride and Prejudice (loved it) and felt 100 percent annoyed through this whole thing.

"Castle Coeurlieu"-No stars because I skipped this.

"The Long Way Round" (2 stars)-Honestly, this is just a set up (maybe) of something that Novik is working on. I did not like it. So there you go.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of 13 short stories that are all vastly different but somehow form a cohesive, entertaining book. I hadn’t read any of Novik’s other novels which made me nervous going into this since some of the stories are set in worlds from her other books. I’m happy to report I was able to enjoy this book despite that fact. Although the stories are short, they are flushed out enough to make me invested in the characters without making me yearn for more when they were over, though it did make even more interested then I previously was in Novik’s other works. The stories ranged from 3-5 stars for me with most hitting that upper range. Overall, I enjoyed this collection of stories and recommend to any fantasy reader!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review 😊. It was a fun ride!

This was an enjoyable collection of short stories; most had previously been published, but they were all new to me. Each also had its own narrator, which was great.
With a collection like this, some are going to hit harder than others. I’m going to call out my favs below:

Vici: I would happily read a full book or even a series about Marc Antony and his dragon. Absolutely loved this, and Simon Vance is amazing as always.

Buried Deep: This was a haunting Ariadne-Minotaur tale and Ell Potter knocked the narration out of the park.

Commonplaces: Irene Adler as we’ve never seen her. Short and utterly captivating.

Dragons and Decorum: Lizzie Bennett as a captain in the aerial corps? YES PLEASE! I loved this take on Pride and Prejudice

The Long Way Round: This makes me very excited for Novik’s next book!

The Spinning Silver story was 95% retread with a new ending.
Seven seemed a waste of Steve West’s talents.
I did enjoy the Scholomance story, but sorry, Uprooted fans, there’s nothing set in the world for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PRHAudio for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of short stories from the worlds of Naomi Novik and I was so excited to get this on NetGalley because I had to have a peek back into the world of The Scholomance! I read that trilogy last year and really loved it, so to see one of those characters again warmed my heart.

There were two Temeraire stories that got me super interested in reading more of that alternate history series, especially the Pride and Prejudice (and dragons!) retelling! There was a Spinning Silver story, and of course I will now have to read that book because that was everything I want in a fairy story! The titular story, Buried Deep, was a Minotaur retelling, and while I don’t really enjoy Greek mythology as much as I used to, I did like the unique spin this one had.

All of these stories had completely different feels; one is a sci-fi about the evils of space colonization, while another takes place in the trenches of Great War France. Some feel like traditional short stories, while others feel like completely realized dramas.

The last story, The Long Way Round, is a sneak peek at the world in which Novik’s next book takes place and that one was one of my favorites—if you like grand adventures across oceans, the love between siblings, and queer representation, I’m certain you’ll love that story too!

Overall, this entire collection of 13 stories is five stars for me!