Naomi Novik is a master storyteller. This book contains all types of tales, some including familiar characters from her own books or others, and some completely unique. I love that her written voice can vary so much, ranging from more contemporary like the Scholomance series to more fantastical like Spinning Silver. A common theme in almost all of them is that even though each story is completely contained, they all left me wanting to read more. To delve even more deeply into each world. To fly with the dragons, to explore the cities, to learn more about each society.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication!

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

Wonderful story, excellent world building, lovable characters - I enjoyed this very much!! Wonderful story, excellent world building, lovable characters - I enjoyed this very much!!

Summary: "A thrilling collection of thirteen short stories that span the worlds of the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, including a sneak peek at the land where her next novel will be set. This stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik’s most beloved stories. Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise."

Review: I felt the stories are heavily based on world building, while barely having time for it. So maybe it would be best advertised as a "companion guide" for her works, adding a little note before stories. Also found the "short stories", quite long for the promised format.

#BuriedDeepandOtherStories #NetGalley.

This was such a great collection of fantasy short stories! It was a good mix- some fun ones where we got to follow drunk fairy godmothers and Lizzie Bennet on a dragon. And then some that made me emotional about a tea pot and the Minotaur. There’s also the beginning idea for her next book, which I need to read immediately! This collection really reminded me that I need to finish picking up Novik’s backlist

A short story collection from Naomi Novik, with stories published in various anthologies published throughout her career and a new short story as well. Some of her stories take place in universes of her novels, such as the Scholomance and Temeraire series, as well as the short story that was later expanded in the Spinning Silver novel.

Her stories have her usual writing style, so if you’re a fan of Novik I’m sure you’ll like this, though if you are a fan of Novik and have already read a lot of her short stories, I’m not sure you’ll get much new here. I’m not a huge reader of short stories, and there definitely were some I just was not as interested in as others, but the worlds she creates in such brief stories are fascinating.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

4 stars exactly

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

So I originally went into this because I wanted an Uprooted short story. There wasn't one. However, the stories that are included encompass a wide variety of interesting settings and themes. Naomi Novik is one of my favorite authors, and while some stories may have fallen a little flat, (as they are wont to do in any anthology) the ones that hit, hit--especially the ones with dragons lol. My favorite stories were Vici, Spinning Silver, and Seven, with an honorable mention to Dragons and Decorum solely due to Wollstonecraft.

Araminta:
- 2/5 stars- Some descriptions were so intentionally vague that they hindered comprehension of events. In all, I wish it had tied together a bit more because it felt rather aimless in terms of theme.

After Hours:
- 4/5 stars- omg cameo! The story was good. The world of the Scholomance is so well-built-- there was just so much thought put into every little aspect and I adore complex world-building. And this story was a nice look at how the world has changed after El and Orion.

Vici:
- 4.5/5 stars- This was so much fun! Vici is such a vibe. That last part felt like the end of Oppenheimer when they namedrop JFK. Antony and Vici were such a platonic power couple lol

Buried Deep:
- 3/5 stars- (I've read this one before in the short story anthology Mythic Dream-- a book I only picked up because I saw Naomi Novik was gonna be in it 😅.) It was an interesting take on the original myth but kind of unclear in its resolution which may be the point.

Spinning Silver:
- 5/5 stars- it's been a while since I've read Spinning Silver but I love the way this short story goes. Miryem is so clever and I think this story works well in both its iterations. Also the grandfather seemed like such a solid dude good for him.

Commonplaces:
- 3/5 stars- It is here that I must admit I haven't read Sherlock Holmes 😞. The first half of the story was really good when Irene was being clever, but the second half just goes completely off the rails. Overall decent though and the best so far in terms of pacing.

Seven:
- 4.5/5 stars- The setting for this one one reminds me of those worldbuilding challenges on tumblr (alligator-fighting sewer nuns iykyk). This was so good and the themes and symbolism was so masterfully done. I could not look away from it. The subtext of Grovin and Kath's relationship is so delightfully complex.

Blessings:
- 4.5/5 stars- Simple and fun, it was just the right length with just the right amount of plot. I love that the lady invited the shadowed fairy because you know everyone that read Sleeping Beauty was so frustrated that the Queen invited literally everyone except Maleficent.

Lord Dunsany's Teapot:
- 2.5/5 stars- I mean, I get the point of the story, but it was just not very interesting.

Seven Years From Home:
- 3.5/5 stars- This one was so long and there were definitely parts where I felt I lost the story a bit. I also didn't fully understand the motivations of the main character. That being said, when it made sense, it was really good, and the concept was great. I could see this being a larger novel

Dragons and Decorum:
- 4/5 stars- WE WANT MORE WOLLSTONECRAFT

Castle Coeurlieu:
- 4/5 stars- I didn't get it at first but then I did and it was really good. I had no idea tarot could be played like a regular card game so that was cool.

The Long Way Round:
- 4/5 stars- Ferantis and Aston are gay disasters and I love that for them.

4.5 rounded up.

I enjoy Naomi Novik's work a lot and was thrilled to see a collection of short stories was going to be published.

There are quite a few I would love to be full length novels and it was interesting to read a full length novel (Spinning Silver) in it's form as a short story.

Many of these stories are not like the books she's written but in a good way. I definitely recommend it for fans of hers or even someone new to her work.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I enjoy Novik’s stories. I find that it can be hard to get into a story she writes but once it hooks me, I’m hooked. I found that to be true of these short stories. Some really got me while others were fine. Each story has its own world building, characters, and unique spin. This was a fun read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

A collection of short stories that is a treasure trove. My favorite definitely remains the re-telling of Pride and Prejudice, but also this short version of spinning silver and of course dragons in ancient Rome. In short there is something for newcomers (the Schoolmance series and the one yet to be published) and old friends , or rather for "old friends and new fancies" as Jane Austen would say and surely Novik would approve.

Una raccolta di racconti che é un tesoro. La mia preferita resta sicuramente la "riscrittura " di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, ma anche questa versione breve di spinning silver e ovviamente i draghi nell'antica Roma. Insomma ce n'é per tutti i gusti, sia per i nuovi arrivati (la serie Schoolmance e quella ancora da pubblicare) e per i vecchi amici , anzi "old friends and new fancies" come direbbe Jane Austen e sicuramente la Novik approverebbe.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

As a newbie to author, I chose this anthology of short stories because I thought it would be a good taste to sample her works, which it was! I would say I really enjoyed 3-4 of the stories, and the rest I thumbed through with some interest.

I would say the only drawback is I did feel for some of the stories that are based or spun off of prior works, you might want to ingest those first before proceeding. I was lost and didn’t get as much out of those. But man, there were some really great fan-fictions of some great novels that were very enjoyable.

4.5⭐/5.0⭐

Overall this collection of short stories takes you places both new and familiar and has you hooked on the story and characters with ease.
I have only read the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik but fell in love with the well built world and interesting characters. I was not disappointed when reading her short stories that tie to the Temeraire series and Spinning Silver. It makes me want to read everything she has written and I can't wait for the future book teased in the last of these stories!

My thoughts on each short story are below:
-Araminta: I loved the pirate idea, reminded me a bit of The Princess Bride in the pirates and whimsy. I wish there was more to this story written

-After Hours: This is the story I picked up this book for, the (brief) continuation of the Scholomance universe. I love the inclusion of alternate magics
from people of different cultures and seeing the aftermath of the Trilogy.

-Vici: I haven't read the Temeraire series but this had me motivated to pick it up right away. Roman empire with dragons!

-Buried Deep: A Greek retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur. I enjoyed the writing but the plot wasn't as engaging as the other stories.

-Spinning Silver: I enjoyed this wintery fairytale, it reminded me of russian folklore/The Bear and the Nightingale. I haven’t read Spinning Silver so this was new to read but may be repetitive if you’ve read the novel before.

-Commonplaces: Sherlock Holmes/Irene Adler short story. I wish there was more to this, but it was a fun extension to the events after Reichenbach Falls and to Irene Adler’s character.

-Seven: I LOVED this, spooky and eerie with a good message at the end. I would love visuals with this story.

-Blessings: Felt like a standard fairytale/mishap but fun and quick palette cleanser.

-Lord Dunsany's Teapot: Heartbreaking story set in WWI times. It was sad but I enjoyed it.

-Seven Years from Home: This was hardest world for me to understand and hardest story to get into. Confusing sci-fi world but interesting commentary on colonization and warfare explored in it. I liked the uniqueness though couldn’t fully appreciate it as I was confused for a lot of the story. It’s told as a retrospective so the reader is assumed to have certain “common knowledge” of events, people and places. I might understand better on a re-read.

-Dragons & Decorum: Pride and Prejudice…with dragons. Enjoyable just like the original story except with sassy dragons.

-Castle Coeurlieu: Very spooky, built tension and mystery. I felt like there was more symbolism or information to understand but I didn’t fully grasp the full meanings. I still enjoyed it for the vibes.

-The Long Way Round: EXCELLENT! I loved the characters and their diversity, the world comes together easily and the sea adventures are uplifting and mysterious. I am so excited this will be expanded to a full book as I’m hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik is an anthology of fantasy short stories. With a retelling of the Minotaur, an early version of Spinning Silver, and a short story set in the same world as A Deadly Education and another in the world of Temeraire, there's something for every fan of Naomi Novik.

The short story I liked the most was the title one, Buried Deep. A retelling of the Minotaur from the eyes of Ariadne, there's a dream-like quality to the prose that feels like it's blending myth and reality. We get deep into Ariadne's head and see her opinions on the world around her at the birth of her brother and as her father builds a labyrinth to contain him. The bond between Ariadne and the Minotaur gets to shine, which is something I really liked because I often feel that retellings of the Minotaur usually don't focus on before Theseus arrived, which is probably the most interesting part of the entire myth.

I also really liked Spinning Silver and how it depicts a young woman just trying to provide for her family but is distrusted. I haven't read the novel, so I can't comment on which I prefer, but I will absolutely be picking it up after reading the short story. I loved the use of the Rumpelstiltskin elements, I loved the independence shown, and I really liked how on the page it was that moneylenders were not really trusted during that time.

My favorite was Blessings, a sort of fairy tale reimagining. When the wife of a baron makes a Christening feast so extravagant that all the fairies now feel obligated to bless her child, things do not go as planned. Probably one of the shortest in the collection, Blessings really utilizes word economy and feels like a fairy tale I would read in a collection of the Brothers Grimm or Perrault.

I would recommend this to fans of Naomi Novik and readers of short story anthologies that prefer grounded fantasy settings.

I loved getting a glance into worlds that Naomi Novik has brought to life. Some I had been to before, and some were new to me. Very good collection of stories.

This is my first time reading something from Naomi Novik and I'm glad I did. The short stories showcased the versatility of the author and now I'm even more excited to enter the worlds the different stories were set in.

BURIED DEEP is a varied and interesting collection of tales from some familiar and some new worlds by Naomi Novik!
The stories I liked best:
After Hours, a story that gives us a new look into the Scholomance world from a different perspective.
Spinning Silver, which was the much shorter genesis of the novel of the same name. It was quite interesting to see an idea that I had seen long form come across in short form and see what the author had done to expand and build upon it. (And it made me want to reread the novel).
Dragons and Decorum, at once part of the Temeraire world and also a Pride and Prejudice AU riff. Extremely fun to see Captain Bennett and her dragon Wollstonecraft, who is high key interested in that ten thousand a year from Mr Darcy. A great time.
Honorable mention goes to SEVEN, a story I am not sure if I like but one that definitely made me go ??!?!?!?!???!!!! Several times and made me sit and think about themes the most.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.

*Full review to be added closer to publication!*

Naomi Novik is an author who always has some more to give and seems to be able to write in so many different styles and types of books while still retaining a prose quality that is very unique to her style, and this collection of stories really highlights that talent. I loved getting to both revisit some places while also reading so many more and really getting a chance to explore more of Novik's writing and imagination. This is a stunning collection that any Naomi Novik fan will absolutely love, and any reader new to Naomi Novik will also find themselves loving as they get a taste of what Novik offers. She has such a great talent for world-building that is apparent in all of these, no matter the length, and I truly enjoyed all of these, even ones from series I haven't gotten to, such as the Scholomance series. Highly recommended to any fantasy fan, and especially anyone who has ever enjoyed anything by Naomi Novik!

Beautiful collection of short stories that are all different from the last. Beautifully written and interesting all throughout! Highly recommend :)

I will start this by saying that short stories are not usually my preferred reading, but each one of these stories is quickly engrossing. Novik gibes us stories from across her own worlds as well as others that we are familiar with and sime wholely new. Any fantasy reader would enjoy the spectrum of creativity in this collection, whether you are familiar with Novik's work or as an introd to it.

I loved this book! I'm a huge Naomi Novik fan and appreciated her take on short stories. I was able to move through it quickly and still enjoy it. She does a great job of building a world quickly, something not all fantasy authors can do.