Of the millions of engaging, intriguing, and exciting stories dreamed up by there is one thing that always matters-the writing. A good story well-told is rare and precious. What Naomi Novik achieves with Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of tales that are written impeccably, even-perhaps most especially-when they tread familiar ground.

What strikes me most especially is how much I miss well-written stories. Naomi Novik is not just a good writer; she might be one of the best writers working today. When you open this book to the first page of writing, after the introductions, the reader is transported to a wonderous world deftly brought life by a talented author. It is a magical collection.

Everything about these short stories worked. It would not be an understatement to say this is because only a good writer makes it easy to read complex world-building and storytelling. In this book we were introduced to 13 different worlds with their own unique and intricate atmospheres in under 300 pages. To do this quickly, with economy of language, while also fully fleshing out unique characters is a treat for the reader's soul. Many of the stories are short and some may even be unfinished in the eyes of the author, but the reader never feels the ending. Instead, the author has captured moments in time, in her characters' lives and the reader gets the impression that the story will continue ahead without them.

For me, this is a great example of what Jasper Fforde captures in his writing about the BookWorld. You get a sense with Novik that the characters have lives and adventures beyond the page-and that is how it should be. While I do hope that in the future, we will get to revisit some of the worlds presented in this collection, I am also okay with knowing that the worlds exist in the fictional Great Library. That they are not confined to the Well and that now we know these characters will have adventures of their own with, or without, our knowledge.

This collection of short stories range from Austen/Temeraire crossovers to disturbing fairy tales set during the Black Plague. Novik's style of writing is sharp, intelligent and on occasion, sardonic and a little sarcastic. I enjoyed most of the stories, and as usual with my other story collection reviews, I'm going to be reviewing the stories that stood out the most to me.

After Hours

This story is set in the Scholomance universe and is about two students at the new and improved Scholomance post The Golden Enclaves, who are stuck together as roommates. Beata is a young Eastern European witch whose family traditions are essentially fairytale-like. (They grant wishes, cast hexes that are essentially lessons, and work magics that are very transactional and balanced.) Jayne is an enclaver, and manages to make herself extremely hard to get along with. The plot revolves around Beata making friends and Jayne very slowly learning how to be less terrible. This was an entertaining read, and I liked it a great deal.

Vici

A young, dissolute noble named Antony, who is drowning in debt finds himself punished by being sent out to slay a dragon. (The only upsides: The act will clear his debts, and the dragon has a hoard, so if he survives he'll be rich.) He is unexpectedly successful, and ends up accidentally adopting a baby dragon. (He found an egg in the dragon's den.) In caring for it, he becomes the first person to "tame" a dragon. (From a certain perspective. I however feel that Vici inadvertently teaches Antony responsibility.) This is a fun, fast paced story and Vici is absolutely charming. I enjoyed her interactions with Antony.

Dragons & Decorum

The second Temeraire story is an Austen/Temeraire crossover in which Elizabeth Bennet is the captain of a Longwing. This is something she and her family have been keeping secret because of the inherent scandal. (Longwings only accept women as captains. The military and general society pretends extremely hard that this is Not a Thing.) The story hits many of the same points of Pride and Prejudice with some new ones added on. The Austen-voice and turn of phrase is very good, and the overall story holds together extremely well. (Particularly funny moment: Darcy absolutely failing to understand Elizabeth's relationship to her dragon in the worst way possible.)

Spinning Silver

The short story version of Novik's reimagining of the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin is an engaging read. In Spinning Silver a young Jewish woman named Miryem, who starts collecting debts for her father, who is a moneylender, but not very good at it. (To the point the family is starving, because the people he lends money to won't pay him back.) Miryem is successful at debt collection and soon the family prospers, though both of her parents are concerned and also slightly guilty about the situation. Unfortunately, an unwise boast made by Miryem's grandfather draws the attention of the Staryk, frost fairies who love gold. I enjoyed this story a great deal, about as much as I liked the novel-length story. (Which of course is very different.)

Seven Years from Home

This story is a little hard to describe. It's about imperialism and genocide, and a lot of other complex things. Our Protagonist is an ambassador for a "Confederacy" that is overseeing a conflict between two societies: The Melidans who use gene-engineering and other biosciences to live a more or less pastoral or hunter/gatherer existence and the Esperigans, who tend toward the hard sciences and industrialization. The Confederacy is playing one side against the other but Our Protagonist throws herself whole-heartedly into supporting the Melidans, to disastrous affect for the Esperigans and the Confederacy's concerns. This is a thoughtful story that has some interesting twists and turns leading to an absolute trainwreck of an ending. (In a good way: Our Protagonist done messed up, is all I'm saying.)

Castle Coeurlieu

I will first say that this dark little story reminds me of Pan's Labyrinth. The story's plot is in no way similar to Pan's Labyrinth, but it still has the same dark fairytale feel. It's the time of the Black Plague, and our Protagonist is a twelve year old recently wedded wife of a nobleman, who is sent to the titular castle while the noble goes off to war. Isabeau makes friends with her "stepson" Jerome, who has been disabled by a child hood illness. They do various kid-like things together and Jerome tells stories about a mysterious tower no one is supposed to go into, because it's haunted. Or grants wishes in a terrifying way. Or both. This of course leads to Isabeau ending up going into the tower, after Jerome disappears inside. This is a creepy horror-fairytale with a lot of disturbing content. I recommend it for all of the above.

This is over all a really interesting collection of stories that I enjoyed reading. Novik is an amazing writer, though I have occasionally bounced off of some of her work. I enjoyed most of the stories in the book, but the stories listed above stood out the most to me.

This review is based off of a unpublished copy received from NetGalley.

I picked up this collection of short stories because I have loved Naomi Novik's last few books (I somehow never discovered her during Temeraire). This is a fantastic short story collection. Each new entry gets you fully involved and then leaves you wanting more at the end. There is, as promised, a story set at the Scholomance post trilogy (featuring new students and a cameo from one of the known characters). There is also a story set in the Temeraire universe, a short story that is a proto Spinning Silver, and several that are unconnected to any previous novels. If you have enjoyed any of Naomi Novik's previous books I say go pick up this collection as soon as it is available. If you are somehow unfamiliar with her then this is a reasonable entry point to her writing and I guarantee that you will immediately be looking for some of her other books. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

This collection of short storied by Naomi Novik was a delight. A few of the stories revisited previous works, such as the Scholomance series and Spinning Silver. Others, were wonderfully original with varied settings. The last story was a preview of the new world creating in her upcoming novel. She prefaced it by saying it all could change before the novel makes it to print, but I hope it doesn't, because I've already been sucked in!

So I absolutely adored this collection. The stories are great right out of the gate (that first one!); I really, really, really loved the Scholomance one (and would happily read a book of short stories or vignettes just from that world); and it wasn't really until the last third that I found a story I didn't jibe with: "Seven Years from Home." And looking back, really...there was only that one. It had interesting ideas, and I did like what Novik was saying with it, but the framing and the pacing of it just didn't work for me, and it kind of took the wind out of my sails for reading the next story in the collection. I almost felt that way about the last one, but then I got sucked in once I got a good feel for the world, and now I'm looking forward to reading the full-length book version of it.

I think anyone who likes fantasy short stories would enjoy this book, and even if you're not a big short story reader if you've read and enjoyed Novik's work before I think you'll find a lot to love here. This is a really, really great selection of entertaining, beautiful, and magical reads - and it makes me excited to read some of Novik's past work that I haven't gotten around to yet, along with Folly!

The worlds that Naomi Novik have brought to life are diverse and all are very interesting. I love getting a peek into the worlds that she's created in her stories they're all lovely short trips to very beloved places.

I would read Naomi Novik's grocery list. Each short story was captivating. As a Scholomance fan, I admit I requested it for this story and it didn't disappoint. The characters were fresh and exciting. Plus I am always here for Orion. But it was the original take on Spinning Silver that reminded me what a talent she is. I didn't think I could love it more than I did, but I think the short story is just as ethereal. I could wax and wane about all the stories on here, but I just insist...read it! Amazing!

I love all of Naomi Novik's writing and these stories were a tantalizing glimpse into some of my favorite worlds! Her one series that I've never gotten into is Temeraire, but the short stories included in this book finally piqued my interest.

It was so great to check in with the Scholomance and see what life is like after El's revolution.

A few stories didn't quite hit for me (Irene Adler, the teapot one) but I loved the more fantasy/mythological ones. Seeing the original version of Spinning Silver was very interesting from a writing POV since the plot was almost identical except for the very ending.

Loved the glimpse at her new world, can't wait to read more of that.

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik, a lot of enjoyable short stories that I now want larger stories in the same universes. Novik is good at leaving you wanting more and more and more.

4*

I love Naomi Novik, especially the way that she weaves fairy tales and folklore.

Buried Deep and Other Stories brought a collection of glimpses into the befores and afters of her established works, as well as new twists on stories we thought we knew.

She's a master of her craft and this was enjoyable even if you've not read all of her work.

NetGalley has provided an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Buried Deep</i> is a collection of short stories, including companion stories for some of Novik’s best-loved works - <i>Spinning Silver, Scholomance</i> and <i>Temeraire</i>. I enjoyed the fan-fiction of Captain Elizabeth Bennet riding a dragon against Napoleon, and Mr. Darcy offering the comforts of Pemberly to her appreciative wing. Or what if Miryem hadn’t married the Staryk king? Other stories include a resourceful young woman caught by pirates, a fresh look at the Minotaur’s tale, Irene Adler reacting to Sherlock Holmes death at Reichenbach Falls.

The problem with most short stories is that there isn’t enough space to devote to interesting world building or character development , so the author repeatedly relies on horror or tragedy to nudge an emotion out of the reader. By leveraging past works, Novik doesn’t need to rely on cheap tricks.

My favorite story was “Seven Years Gone”, a futuristic homage to Laurence of Arabia. The world building is interesting for such a short story. If you ask a local to do something they don’t want to do, they’ll offer to do it in an inconvenient way. You need a guide? I’ll come for you before you have a chance to pack (or shower or eat) The proper response is to acknowledge mutual annoyance and go, ready or not, otherwise they will leave and not come back.

I've always enjoyed Naomi Novik's books, and while I haven't read all of them, I've read a number of them. Buried Deep and Other Stories is a great short story collection. It introduces some new figures, as well as provides insight and little extras into worlds readers have already visited. This anthology contains a wide range of subjects and themes, and I think anyone who already reads Naomi Novik's books will find something that speaks to them.

It's funny, my three favorite stories from the collection were the final three, Dragons and Decorum, Castle Coeurlieu, and The Long Way Round. Not that I didn't like the others, but these were the standouts for me. It always takes a lot of skill for an author to craft a short story that is impactful with few words. These three were the ones that did that for me and left me wanting more. While the stories themselves were "wrapped up," I can see the next part of these characters stories just peeking around the bend. I believe from the internet rumors I've seen that The Long Way Round is the lead in to a new series that Novik is working on.

This anthology also introduced me to characters and stories that I had not realized that Novik had written. I'm mainly familiar with her Scholomance series, and now I need a long weekend off with zero interruptions in order to catch up on the books and story lines I've not read before. I forget how much like reading fantasy stories until I'm immersed in them. Novik did a great job of blending reality with fiction, and creating grounded worlds that while fantastical are also relatable. I really recommend this anthology, even if you haven't read Novik before.

Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, I'm a fan of Naomi Novik's writing, and was ecstatic to get an email telling me I'd been approved for this collection of story stories. I also already had pre-ordered it the moment I realized it was coming out, which is to say I am not an unbiased reader. I am someone coming into this primed to love it.

It delivered.

ARAMINTA, OR THE WRECK OF THE AMPHIDRAKE:
I love a Regency story, and this one played with and inverted tropes of the genre in a way that felt new.

AFTER HOURS:
I am a huge Scholomance fan, so the very first thing I did was find the Scholomance story. It's as magical as one would hope for from this world, giving us a peek into the school after the events of the trilogy, but also letting us see a whole different kind of witch. I loved the way this short story married Novik's wonderful Slavic fantasies with the Scholomance universe. I loved the curse. I loved the fairy tale logic of not taking too much, and the moral center of the story, and the cathartic end was perfection. 10/10 will read again.

VICI:
The only books of Novik's I have not read are the Temeraire books, so I came to this story not knowing the world it was set in, which was a bit like reading a fic fandom blind. And, I have to say, it stands alone as a hilarious, delightful story that made me love her dragons.

BURIED DEEP
This is a haunting story, and I am going to be haunted by it for a long time. What a splendid, wholly emotionally believable look at the Minotaur's story.

SPINNING SILVER:
This story is interesting in the way a seedling is interesting when you are familiar with the fully grown tree.

COMMONPLACES:
Much as with her Temeraire story, for me this was much like reading fandom blind as I've never been interested in Sherlock Holmes in any of his many iterations. Is it an excellent story? Yes. But it was not my favorite of the collection.

SEVEN:
Truly wonderful. As I was reading this, I thought how I needed to bring it to the attention of a book club of mine. Novik is just such a master, and I felt the conflict between the practicality and the artistic drive divorced from the world in a visceral way.

BLESSINGS:
The setup with competing fairy blessings was wonderful, but I admit I wanted more and would have read a whole book about Magda with this as the prologue.

LORD DUNSANY'S TEAPOT:
War stories are never my favorite, but I think the heartache and homesickness in this one will resonate with fans of the genre.

DRAGONS AND DECORUM
A Pride and Prejudice Temeraire AU, I was charmed by this one, but I did feel it was perhaps a little too long, but that might be because I haven't read the Temeraire books (though, of course, I have read P&P multiple times, as one does.) I do think this will be a huge delight for Temeraire readers.

CASTLE CORLIEU:
One of my favorites in the collection, the merging of arcane imagery and medieval fantasy and fairy tales was so artfully done I tore through it like a child gorging myself on sweets.

THE LONG WAY ROUND
This story is cruel because now I want the book it's working towards.

Thanks to #netgalley for sharing this title with me in exchange for my honest review. This was a really fun collection of a wide variety of stories all by Naomi Novik. I have been a long time fan, and this collection was no disappointment. There was magic, dragons, wonderfully written female characters etc. The was one particular story that I wanted more of. I could have read a whole series about a sculptor that made beautiful musical statues that worked as guardians for the city. I also loved being able to take mini-vacations back into the world of Temeraire.

I am not a short story reader, so this took me a long time to get through. I either wanted more or less length to the various stories and found myself frustrated several weren't full books. Obviously, that is no fault of the author. If you like short story collections and are a fan of Novik, this will not disappoint.

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

Y'all, I love it when fantasy authors release short story collections - I wish it was more common. Plus I'm a Naomi Novik fan, so this was an obvious add to the TBR. I'm happy to report I really enjoyed it and, if you like her writing in general, you're going to like this too. There's a context blurb Novik provided for each story, and that was a neat extra.

Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake - A fun, strong opener to the collection, with a surprisingly fleshed out pirate world. An interesting take on gender, even in a market saturated with the topic.

After Hours - Takes place in the Scholomance world AND I AM DESPERATE FOR MORE CONTENT. AH takes place after the main trilogy, and it was cool to see the changes. I also loved the inclusion of a Polish magic tradition. The thing I love most about Novik's writing - her ability to make you feel the magic - was very much on display here.

Vici - Ancient Roman dragons. Do I really need to say more?

Buried Deep - A beautifully written re-imagining of the Minotaur myth.

Spinning Silver - I'll let Novik's explanation for why she chose to include this short story (which the novel of the same name grew from) stand on its own. I skipped it, solely because I had just re-read the novel and didn't want the comparison to rob either version. I do plan to check this story out once the novel has slipped from my mind a bit.

Commonplaces - A Sherlock Holmes story, following Irene Adler. It was one of my least favorite, simply because of the strong competition, but was very charming.

Seven - Creative worldbuilding, if a bit vague. No heads in boxes.

Blessings - This one felt a bit generic, more "of the moment YA fantasy" than I typically associate with the author.

Lord Dunsany’s Teapot - Heartfelt AF. All the emotions.

Seven Years from Home - The first sci to I've read from NN, this also had an interesting structure. SYFH uses the "gone native" trope but in a pretty fresh way.

Dragons & Decorum - Literally Pride & Prejudice but with dragons. Probably the most I've ever related to a winged beast of the sky.

Castle Coeurlieu - The most "horror" of all the stories; also one of the ones that felt weak against the competition.

The Long Way Round - There are graphics included in this story that didn't come through in the ARC, so I can't adequately review it. Maybe I'll update when I pick up a physical copy.

First, thanks to the author and NetGalley for the advance copy of this novel!

This is an amazing collection of stories! Some were published in previous anthologies, but I'd never even heard of them, so for me, this was a lovely first read. The stories range all over the spectrum, from retellings to regency romances, revisiting the Scholomance and Tremeraire worlds, to a glimpse of something completely new that the author is working on (and I do hope we get to see more from that one).

I'd say overall, my favorite story from this book was titled "Seven Years from Home". If you're a fan of Novik's work, definitely check this one out!

As a big Naomi Novik fan, I was so excited to see that she was putting out a series of short stories. This collection includes voices other than Novik’s but have the same profound yet somewhat irreverent take on fantasy. My only qualm is that someone of the stories felt unfinished. I know that short stories are designed to leave you wanting more, but a couple of these stories left me somewhat unsatisfied. I believe that some of these stories are precursors of longer works - so I’ll be looking out for them!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Naomi Novik’s short stories are as varied as her imagination. Some such as “Dragons and Decorum” are set in a world reflected in her novels. Others stand alone. Each one is a well-crafted, fantastical journey for the reader.