Naomi Novik’s books are often a joy but always a wonder. When I was selected to read an ARC, I was simultaneously blessed and cursed.

Blessed, because her world building is amazing and one short story can give you things to ponder for hours afterwards.

The curse, however, is that should you choose to pick up this book you will begrudge things like sleeping and eating in favor of reading this marvelous book. Start it on a Friday night when you don’t have anywhere to be as you will cancel your plans to enjoy being enthralled.

I loved all of these stories, with the exception of the one based in the Scholomance world (I don't enjoy stories that are solely about being pursued by horrible monsters, they're too much like a video game). The title story was especially lovely (a retelling of the story of Ariadne and the minotaur, here her beloved brother). Elizabeth Bennet and her dragon was also a highlight. It will be interesting to see how the last story develops into a novel!

' "What if we went the long way round instead, next time?" Aston said.
Why not? '

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a fantastic collection of stories from worlds old and new, told and retold by Naomi Novik. Most were published previously in other anthologies, but I haven't read these and was happy to see this book come out! There must be something for everyone in this collection of thirteen stories, whether one likes the Sholomance or Temeraire worlds, retellings of fairy tales, mystical stories, Regency romances, or even a glimpse into a new world!

'Finding magic, finding a thing of magic, while you were still young enough to truly believe, could open the door, and then if you had some little gift as well, a powerful magic could awaken it to bloom.'

The foundation for all these stories is the strong world-building, fascinating magic systems and intricate societies. Whether the length is a short few pages or more like a novella, the glimpses we see are of full-fledged worlds.

'Lady Araminta - the possessor of several other, more notable names besides, here omitted for discretion - had been caught twice trying to climb out her window, and once in her father's library, reading a spellbook.'

The characters, some bright and sharp, some delicate sparks, some rough and sturdy, and some even matte and resilient are all relatable or at least empathizable (is that a word?)

'The real story isn't half as pretty as the one you've heard.'

Novik can masterfully spin (yes, I said that) both mystical and practical stories with action as well as intospection. I enjoy reading character driven stories, and there are plenty here. Some are just vignettes with only a small story arc, but satisfying nonetheless.

'She was armored against incivility, however, by the knowledge that a dragon waited eagerly for her to return and give a full accounting of the gowns and jewels worn by every lady present.'

Lastly, the writing is adapted well to the different settings and stories. It drew me into the story, set appropriate vibes and even interspersed humour, all while flowing smoothly!

As with every anthology, there are one or two stories and settings I couldn't get invested in, but that's more to do with personal taste than the story itself I believe.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Del Rey for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The rating for this collection is 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads, as most of the stories are simply great!

[One star the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the writing; Half a star for the story arcs; One star for the world-building and description - 4 1/2 stars in total.]

This story collection is a must-read for any fans of Naomi Novik. Several of the stories take place in the worlds of her other published series, but it also includes tales in new, original worlds (including a peek at the world of her next series). Some highlights for me included After Hours (a post-series Scholomance story), Buried Deep (the tale of the Minotaur and the labyrinth told from Ariadne's perspective), and Vici (the story of how humans began taming dragons in Ancient Rome). If you're a fan of any of her series, this collection is worth it just to get a little bit more of those worlds. If you haven't read any of her previous work, I still think this is worth checking out for the large variety of interesting worlds and characters you'll find in this collection.

Fans of Naomi Novik will appreciate the breadth of the tales in Buried Deep, giving us more of what we already love, exciting explorations and tempting tidbits of what is to come. I think new Novik readers will enjoy the stories, too, but may want to start with the novels to get the references. Temeraire fans will love “Vici,” an origin story and “Dragons and Decorum,” a Pride and Prejudice with dragons. “After Hours” is a Scholomance short story. Spinning Silver gets its own place here; Novik has contracted part of that novel into a complete, short tale. My favorite story in the collection is “Seven Years From Home,” a creative sci-fi that also serves as a cautionary tale. There are also “Castle Corlieu,” with its roots in medieval times, “Buried Deep,” a telling of the Minotaur myth from Ariadne’s perspective, and “The Long Way Around,” a new fantasy that Novik is working on.

I think what sets this collection apart is that reading it was like opening a curio cabinet in a magic shop, each tale holding its own charm. All but “The Long Way Around” have seen previous publication. I’m thankful to have had Novik’s story introductions, explaining a little of her mind’s workings. This was extra for me. I always love to hear how stories unfold.

Fans of Naomi Novik will love this book. If you haven’t read any of her works, start with Spinning Silver or Uprooted. The Temeraire novels are a long series, and you may want to beef up your knowledge of the Napoleonic Wars before you get going on that set, and read the seafaring Patrick O’Brian or Forester tales to get you well acquainted with the times. I tell my students that the Scholomance series is for people who appreciate the Hunger Games.

Many, many thanks to R.H. Ballantine - Del Rey and NetGalley for access to the ARC. All opinions stated here are my own, and I don’t receive any remuneration for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this!! This is a collection of short stories, so not everything is going to be to your liking, but oh there are some fun ones and others that are just fun. And one that is just a return to the Scholomance! Some are fun, some are tragic, and some are terrifying.

I found this more difficult than I initially expected. I went in to this thinking it was a bunch of original short stories, and was really excited about it. After getting in to it though, I realised that a lot of the stories in this compendium are directly tied in to and/or related to Novik’s other works. I don’t know enough to say if they are spoilers or not, but I’m personally someone who really likes to avoid anything even remotely spoiler adjacent. I like to go into stories with as little idea about it as possible, and enjoy the story unadulterated, without any preconceived notion or bias. So while I unfortunately wasn’t able to enjoy as much of this book as I’d hoped, I do think established Novik fans will appreciate it.

Like most short story collections, this was a mixed bag. Of the author's novels, I liked Uprooted and LOVED Spinning Silver, but I couldn't get into either the Scolomance or Temeraire series, so I started this book with moderate expectations.

The first story, Araminta, was undistinguished (Queen Oona, in the tv cartoon Disenchantment, did the same thing with more fun).
After Hours is a Scolomance story.
Buried Deep is an intriguing version of Ariadne and the Minotaur.
Spinning Silver is as good as the book.
Commonplaces is a fairly pointless Sherlock Holmes pastiche.
Vici is a dragon origin story and it was fun!
Seven might be the best story in the book. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, and I didn't want it to end.
Blessings is an ok Sleeping Beauty alternative.
Lord Dunsany's Teapot is a bland WWI story.
Seven Years From Home is an overly long "scientist among aliens" story that I ended up skimming. Probably an interesting idea buried in there, but I couldn't relate to the main character.
Dragons & Decorum is a Jane Austen homage and it is fun!
Castle Coeur lieu is a medieval haunted castle story. Not terrible but all atmosphere.
I took an instant dislike to the narrator of The Long Way Round because of her vile language and ended up skipping to the end.
So, basically, half and half. When Naomi Novik is good, she is amazing, so I'll keep reading her, with caution.

From the first page I was hooked. I honestly can say I don't know what I loved more--the collection of short stories or the notes/added information Novik about the piece that she included. Each held a dream quality I will be thinking about for a long time.

"Buried Deep and Other Stories" is absolutely delightful. I really like that a lot of these stories are from the author's other books/series, it makes the worlds feel so much more lived in and immersive.

I mostly enjoyed this collection, though there were a few stories I didn't care for or found bland. The beginning and travel concepts presented in Seven Years from Home were confusing, and I wasn't able to connect with the pov character even remotely. Commonplaces was boring, and I ended up skipping through most of it--even the sex scene felt dull. But in the end, there were more hits than misses.

My favorites were Buried Deep, a retelling of the Minotaur and labyrinth through Ariadne's eyes (which is rather funny because "The Mythic Dream" has been on my tbr for aaaaages); After Hours, a short, entertaining tale set in the world of Scolomance (a good reminder that I need to finish that series); and Castle Coeurlieu depicts a little girl's quest through a strange, interdimensional tower to save her friend.

I'm definitely interested in whatever she seems to be cooking up next, because that final story, The Long Way Round, was an excellent sample. Whatever this watery world of exploration and strange artifacts (and wizards!) inevitably becomes, I'm in!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Naomi Novik can do NO WRONG. Her writing is brilliant, poignant, and beautiful. I devoured these stories.

If you love Novik’s books then you’ll love this short story collection. I enjoyed that she prefaced each tale with why she wrote it or how it was created. It provided wonderful insight to her writing process.

Fantastic short stories. Many have been previously released in other works, but its great having then all together plus some new ones. Thoughtful, interesting characters. My favorite story out of the bunch is titled "Seven," This story had me from the first sentence and remained interesting until I finished. The writing is superb. Another story that stood out was a take on Pride and Prejudice with dragons. Imaginative and well-written. This is a great group of short stories and one that I will definitely recommend.

I am a fan of Naomi Novik, so I was very excited to read this ARC. Her writing style isn't for everyone, but I find it to be quite beautiful. If you enjoy literary writing, you will likely also enjoy her work. The stories in this collection were imaginative and beautifully delivered. Thank you NetGalley!!

I was struck by the literary nature of this collection. As a reader who enjoys unique use of words and science fiction craft, this was an ideal textual marriage. I recommend it for readers who want to check out a different take.

What an enchanting and delightful set of stories. I have loved everything of Novik’s that I’ve picked up, and this book was no different. It was the perfect mix of revisiting familiar stories blended with exciting new ideas. Would absolutely recommend this book.

This was a very cool collection of stories that I enjoyed a lot. I could see a few of these being explored more, or turned into full books, so I hope that maybe she will one day.

Oh My Goodness!
I love Naomi Novik's writing. This collection of short stories is wonderful and I want more! Two of my favorite stories are the Scholomance Trilogy and Spinning Silver. The short story that takes place in the Scholomance was so good and it made me want to read the trilogy again! The short story of Spinning Silver is told so well and I believe she has improved the story so much that the short story is better than the full novel!

I love Novik so I had incredibly high expectations for Buried Deep and Other Stories. While the stories were enjoyable, the majority of them felt like drafts with half-formed characters and worlds. It made it difficult to fall into the stories, and I honestly considered not finishing a few. That being said, “bad” Novik is still way better than most other fiction. You’ll find something to love in this (and I DID love the Scholomance short story!), just don’t expect perfection.

Naomi Novik is just not for me.

I have DNF’d A Deadly Education and Spinning Silver now, but I did enjoy Uprooted. This collection of stories were all quirky, but the writing style is just not for me personally.