Naomi Novik has created a diverse anthology with original ideas, retellings, and stories based on her existing novels. No matter the category, Novik creates imaginative and (mostly) engaging stories. The only issue I kept coming across was wanting more. I understand this is supposed to be short stories, but her writing and ideas are so lovely that I would have been more engaged if she had expanded on them with just ten or more pages. Still, overall a great collection!

Since I’ve read the Scholomance series and her stand-alone novels Spinning Silver and Uprooted, those stories were more exciting to me than the others. I have not read the Temeraire series, but I still enjoyed those stories since I adore dragons. I would recommend going into this anthology after reading at least a few of her novels to get the most out of it.

Below is a quick note and rating on each story.

“Arminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake”
3/5 stars: I will never pass on a pirate story, especially LADY pirates, but overall this was quite forgettable for me.

“After Hours”
5/5 stars: This was written for me, mark my words. As an avid Scholomance fan I will take any opportunity to revisit this beloved world. Little witches and monsters and a magical school, what more do I need?

“Vici”
3/5 stars: Naomi Novik’s somehow made dragons and ancient Rome come together gorgeously, I just wish it was longer.

“Buried Deep”
4/5 stars: Novik handles Ariadne’s and the Minotaur’s story with love and care. She chose to build onto this beloved myth instead of overhauling it to make a point. I love heartfelt and tragic sibling bond.

“Spinning Silver”
2/5 stars: Unpopular opinion, but I did not enjoy Spinning Silver, despite a couple of rereads, so reading it as a short story did not offer much for me.

“Commonplaces”
4/5 stars: Irene Adler, the woman you are. Novik kept the enigmatic aura that Sherlock and Adler are known for while expanding their story in a way that makes perfect sense for these characters.

“Seven”
4/5 stars: A gorgeous story reflecting on how life’s satisfaction depends on the love we give.

“Blessing”
4/5 stars: This story examines what women could consider a curse versus what men consider a blessing through fairies one-upping each other while blessing a baby girl.

“Lord Dunsany’s Teapot”
3/5 stars: Two soldiers find comfort in friends and imagination in extremely difficult times.

“Seven Years from Home”
1/5 stars: My least favorite story of the collection. This has potential but it needed to be at least novella-length. There is so much world-building crammed in the story that I lost track of the plot.

“Dragons and Decorum”
4/5 stars: Pride and Prejudice but Elizabeth is a Captain with a dragon? A fan-fic girl’s dream. This stayed relatively true to P & P and the changes Novik implemented made sense in the form of a short story.

“Castle Coeurlieu”
3.5/5 stars: A gothic and mysterious medieval tale with friends who become monsters and a mysterious card game that determines the fate of others.

“The Long Way Round”
1/5 stars: While the world piqued my interest a few times, there were so many descriptions of just sailing around that made the story boring.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this e-ArC! Naomi Novik will always remain one of my top authors. The way she crafts these short stories, bringing back tales from her other works is so well done. I can’t wait for her next book!

Naomi Novik in my book can do no wrong. Everything she writes is spun gold, turning an idea of plain fiber into a beautiful textile.

Buried Deep was an amalgamation of snippets of all her best ideas- bringing us into the old, the new, the nostalgic, and the adventurous.

The eponymous story, "Buried Deep," was particularly a shining gem amongst this collection. I was completely enthralled and taken away into the story in a way that I have not been as of late.

I am even more excited now for her new works to come!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. These stories were a nice refreshing way to read a complete story without committing the time to a whole lengthy book. It was quite nice to start and finish a story in under 30 minutes if you were ever short on time, and each one felt fully thought out and complete.

I knew I was going to like this because I have the (seemingly) unpopular opinion that everything Naomi Novik writes is amazing. This was such a fun collection of short stories! Every one was different than the last and it was so clear which story I was reading, which I tend to struggle with when I read anthologies. I really enjoyed seeing more from the worlds of her previous novels too. I wouldn't say they spoil anything, but my familiarity did add to my enjoyment. I have not read Temeraire yet, but the stories set in that world were still gripping and I don't feel like I missed out on anything by being unfamiliar! Overall, this was a great anthology and I loved the different settings throughout. And I'm super excited to read anything she writes in the future, because I know I'm going to love it!

There are favorite authors whose new book is always anticipated, savored, and loved no matter the series/genre/subject, and then there are favorite authors whose new works are favorites conditionally, depending more the specifics of the book at hand. I have been reading Novik's work for over a decade now, and this collection of stories made me realize she solidly fits in the latter category for me.

My initial excitement over receiving this ARC faded within a few short stories into the collection. While there were some I delighted in (returning to the Scholomance, visiting Ancient Greece, sailing a mysterious world's vast sea), many were simply not my cup of tea (including, ironically, a story about a teapot). I realized that while I don't mind a dabbling of historical fiction or an occasional fan reinterpretation of a classic, the many stories of their ilk began to wear on me, and reading the collection felt more a chore than a delight.

When I finally finished, my gut reaction was to give it 3/5, but upon reflection, I do think the stories that did not meet my high expectations were indeed very representative of Novik's bibliography, and rating it so low would do it a disservice as while I may not be the best audience for this work, I think plenty of Novik fans would find it a lovely collection to add to their shelves.

I personally love that we get kind of a survey of Novik's past work, both in her larger novel writing and smaller short stories, and serves as a preview of what's coming next for the last third of the collection. Definitely worth your time.

A pretty good balance of good and okay stories from Naomi Novik. If you are a Scholomance fan I would definitely recommend!

A collection of 13 short stories, all fantasy; ranging in different time periods. The first is self important and unreadably boring. It is an adventure. The next story is set in the Scholarmance realm. The writing style is so different it doesn’t even feel like the same person wrote the previous story. It’s much easier to get into and absorb. But did it really need to exist? I don’t believe it adds to the Scholarmance world at all.

As much as I love Novik’s work, I struggled hard with this book. Many of the stories felt like chapters edited out of much larger works. Or in some cases, the ghost or draft of a story, lacking depth and detail. Half of the stories felt inaccessable, as if you woud have needed to be familiar with Novik’s other work to have a full understanding of what was going on. 



It goes without question that Novik is a phenominal story teller. She is a master of the craft; and has churned out gem after gem. This one, however, should’ve been left on her desk. It wasn’t ready.

Going into Buried Deep and Other Stories, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since Novik's books are typically a mixed bag for me: I didn't gel with The Scholomance series, but I adored both her standalone fairytales Spinning Silver and Uprooted, and I've had Temeraire on the TBR for quite some time. I'm really pleasantly surprised by this collection, though -- there's a little something for everyone, both fans of Novik's work and those new to her prose. The way it's assembled is masterful as well: the 13 stories each have an introduction beforehand and seem to flow naturally into each other. I can tell that Novik and her editors put so much care into selecting each story, as well as the order they're arranged in.

Obviously, as in every short story collection, I have favorites and ones I didn't quite love, but that's more reflective of personal taste than the quality of the stories themselves. Each one is solid, managing in less than 50 pages (excepting the final story, "The Long Way Round," at a hefty novella length) to create characters you want to root for and worlds that leap off the page; that's no small feat, and Novik manages it incredibly well, with fluid prose and sharp dialogue. I also love how the story collection is a blend between offshoots of Novik's existing series, fan fiction of other literary works, and wholly original shorts. In order, my reviews for each story are:

"Araminta, Or the Wreck of the Amphidrake:" 3/5. A solid pirate story inspired by the harlequin romances Novik's mother used to devour. While I admire how Novik replicates the language of vintage romance novels, that and pirates were never really my genres, so I struggled to get into this one. I enjoyed Araminta's time on the ship with its captain, and I loved the ending, but this one ended up being one of my least favorite in the bunch.

"After Hours": 4/5. Readers unfamiliar with the Scholomance series may feel lost by the worldbuilding in this one and confused by the inclusion of one character (Orion), but (despite my gripes with the aforementioned series) I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Beata, a mushroom witch, is at odds with her roommate and trying to survive in their deadly magical school when a late-night escapade brings the two closer together. I love how in just a few pages, Novik developed a main character I adored and a surprisingly complex relationship with her wealthy roommate. I almost want a novella of this?

"Vici": 4/5. This is where the collection really got going for me. I loved the fantasy historical feel (what if Marcus Antonius was the first dragon tamer?), and I loved interactions between him and his dragon. The humor was really hitting, and I am a sucker for all things Ancient Rome, so the history nerd in me was kicking my feet and giggling the whole time. I know this is clearly backstory to Temeraire, as Novik states in her introduction, but I didn't feel lost at all having not read that series.

"Buried Deep": 3/5. Despite being the titular story, I felt this one dragged. Perhaps it's because I've read enough Greek retellings to last a lifetime, but I felt Novik's take on the Ariadne/Minotaur/Labyrinth myth to be less than the sum of its parts. Novik's writing was stunning, but I could never quite get a feel on what it was trying to say re: the myth. Maybe that was the point, but the geography of Novik's labyrinth confused me so much that I struggled to enjoy myself. Still, not a bad story by any means.

"Spinning Silver": 5/5. This is the short that started one of my favorite fairytale retellings of all time, and I absolutely adored comparing this one to the longer version. It was so delightful to get a peak behind the curtain on Novik's process, so to say, but I feel like even readers who haven't read Spinning Silver will find much to love here. A delightful heroine paired with a fantastic Eastern European setting and the fae make for a fun read.

"Commonplaces:" 3/5. I've never read Sherlock Holmes, so I wasn't really sure what was going on, but Novik's version of Irene seems delightful. I liked the interactions between characters a lot.

"Seven": 4/5. This one is untethered from any of Novik's existing works and from existing literary canon, like "Araminta," but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's got a kind of Piranesi vibe, and that type of literary fantasy is so my thing. When a singing statue in a strange city collapses, the sacred pottery master must create a new one--only the clay used to craft the statues often drives the master insane or poisons them. I won't give away much more, but everything felt like Novik at her sharpest here, from the prose to the worldbuilding to the characters. I struggled with the ending, though, which felt abrupt in the bad way.

"Blessings:" 4/5. Another fantastic fairytale from Novik, involving drunken fairies and blessings gone wrong. This one was so short and left me wanting more. I wouldn't mind if it got the Spinning Silver treatment, tbh, and a lot of reviews seem to be saying the same!

"Lord Dunsany's Teapot": 4/5. Not going to pretend I know who Lord Dunsany is but GOD, that World War I setting was fantastic. I cried a little at the end of this one.

"Seven Years From Home": 5/5. This is the first and only sci-fi here (unless we're counting "Seven" as a kind of dystopian tale?), and it made me yearn for more. It felt almost Bradbury-esque and I couldn't get enough; if "Lord Dunsany" was a taste of Novik's wartime worlds, this is the main course, and it was perfection. I had to read this one twice just to catch all the little details, and it was so worth it both times.

"Dragons and Decorum": 2/5. Unpopular opinion here, but this just felt like a Pride and Prejudice with dragons fanfic. The backstory behind it was adorable, but I just didn't vibe with it. It felt tedious, especially after the stunner that preceded it, and my attention kind of waned after this story.

"Castle Coeurlieu:" 4/5. I didn't like this on the first read, but then I sat and ruminated on it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a few stories that I wish could've been longer, and this is one of them. I loved Isabeau and the plague-inspired setting, but felt it didn't live up to the back of the book marketing; but that's just marketing, and when I read it on its own, divorced from expectations, I really loved the tapestry that Novik wove.

"The Long Way Round:" 3/5. This is a glimpse of Novik's next project, Folly, and it feels very promising, but also too-long in that first draft-y way. The characters are fantastic, the world building's great, but it has this sort of nebulous, not-quite-there feeling to it. Still, it's a fitting end to a good collection of short stories, and a great teaser for fans of Novik.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Naomi Novik for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this collection of short stories! My favorites were the ones featuring dragons - I just love the way Naomi Novik writes about dragons.

I’m a fan of Uprooted and Spinning Silver, which is why I picked this up. I think this would have a little more impact if you’ve read more of her novels.

If you're a fan of Novik's other works, then you'll enjoy this short story collection that highlights the strengths in her writing. Even if you're not a fan of short story collections, I'd argue that you should give this one a chance.

I liked it. Some hits, some misses but overall good. I didn't like the Pride and Prejudice one. Just read Spinning Silver instead.

I absolutely loved this collection.
Aramintha, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake - This haad swashbuckling fun, sea monsters, and adventure. I enjoyed it thoroughly while I read it, but I liked the rest of the collection so much that it ended up being a smidgen overshadowed for me by the end. 3.5/5
After Hours - Scholomance-world story 4/5
Vici - laugh-out-loud funny and an a ancient history / origin story for the Téméraire world. Set in Roman times . 4/5
Buried Deep - mythic fiction à la Ariadne’s story; solid. 3/5
Spinning Silver - a short story version of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling. 4/5
Commonplace - Irene Adler storey; 'nuff said. 4/5
Seven - a slow-burn story about art - worth the wait - 3.5
Blessings - fairy christening story, witty & hilarious 4/5
Lord Dunsany’s Teapot - war story leavened with ethereal and poignant. 4/5
Seven Years from Home - Inspired by Lawrence of Arabia's life and heavy but *great* and with language wielded so well. You follow a character involved in Great Game-type meddling abroad, where an advanced power is manipulating both sides in a conflict on a planet that contains resources they want, and watch that character becomes steadily disillusioned by what they're doing there. Artfully done and powerful. 4.5/5
Dragons and Decorum - Pride & Prejudice & Dragons I utterly adored this, it's worth the price of admission alone. 5/5
Castle Coeurlieu - I *loved* this mythic fiction story with layers and depth and bittersweet 4.5/5
The Long Way Round - A story of a brother and sister on a "find the Northwest Passage"-type sailing quest in a world with frankly alarming wizards. I really liked it and look forward to the novel that Novik is growing it into. 4/5

Novik is an amazing writer and I enjoyed the collation of the short stories paired with her thoughts on each beforehand. Some stories were beginnings of concepts she wrote out further into books (Spinning SIlver) while others were stories that have been in anthologies. Overall, a great read!

"Buried Deep and Other Stories" is a stunning collection that showcases Naomi Novik's remarkable storytelling skills. Each story is rich in atmosphere, with vivid descriptions and well-crafted plots that pull you in from the very first page. The themes explored—ranging from loss and longing to mystery and human nature—are both poignant and thought-provoking. The characters are multifaceted, each bringing their own emotional depth to the narrative. The author’s ability to balance suspense with introspection is masterful. This collection is a must-read for fans of literary fiction who enjoy compelling, beautifully written stories that linger long after the last page.

Naomi Novak is always so hit or miss for me. This one was more of a miss unfortunately. I just couldn't stay interested

Naomi Novik is a master of her craft. As with all short story collections, I think some are stronger than others but the worlds that she is able to craft and the personality that she gives to not only her characters but her own writing shows that she really is a generational talent in fantasy. I loved every minute of reading this and will continue to pick up her books for as long as she writes them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the ARC. It was a joy to read!

I’ve been a huge fan of Naomi Novik since her Uprooted days (though, I’ve admittedly been dragging my feet on on the last book in the Scholomance series because I’m not ready for it to be over yet). When I learned she was coming out with a book of short stories, I knew I couldn’t wait to pick it up. I was even more ecstatic when I learned the publisher granted my request for an ARC.

This book is comprised of thirteen short stories. Some of these tales will be familiar to Novik fans, though you need not have read any of her previous books to enjoy these stories. There’s a little bit of everything that will appeal to many types of readers: from Sherlock Holmes to Pride and Prejudice re-imaginings to worlds completely new. Each story is preceded by a little forward from Novik giving a bit of a backstory to the inspiration for each story (though Novik herself requests those forwards be taken with a grain of salt).

So…how to rate an anthology? Since this is the first time I’m rating a series of short stories, my plan is to rate each of the stories individually and then average the scores at the end.

Aramintha, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake- What a great way to kick off an anthology. I loved this one! It’s a sort of swashbuckling pirate story - empowering with a dash of magic. Really loved the main character and the interesting use of magic. 5/5
After Hours - This book takes place in the aftermath of the Scholomance series and is vaguely spoiler-y. I’m a huge fan of the series (though I haven’t finished the last book yet) and enjoyed the familiar setting. 5/5
Vici - This was a funny, wry take on the origins of dragon taming. Set in Roman Times, the main character was unlikeable in a good way (think Kuzco in The Emperor’s New Groove). 4/5
Buried Deep - A mythology retelling. I admit, after reading Circe a couple years ago, I was a bit mythologied-out but I enjoyed this fresh take on Ariadne’s story. Unfortunately it didn’t really draw me in like the other stories did. 3/5
Spinning Silver - If you’re familiar with Novik’s novel version, you’ll already know this is a reimagining of the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. This book is a shorter, alternate ending of Novik’s retelling (one that felt more true to the main character, in my opinion). 5/5
Commonplace - I struggled with this one. Not because it was poorly written but because I’m not at all familiar with Sherlock Holmes. I think if I’d been more familiar with the characters, I would have gotten more out of this story. 2/5
Seven - This story had such interesting world-building. I wish there was more of it because I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this world. The characters were less memorable but still enjoyable. I’d read a novel-length version of this. 4/5
Blessings - I really enjoyed how funny and charming this story was! It’s a fun and unusual take on drunk fairy godmothers bestowing gifts (perhaps accidentally) on a child and the aftermath. 5/5
Lord Dunsany’s Teapot - I admit, I skim read this one. It’s got a war-field setting which is not really my cup of tea (pun intended) and I didn’t feel very invested in the story or characters. Again, this is more due to my personal tastes than a reflection on Novik’s story-telling abilities. 1/5
Seven Years from Home - This one was really heavy. More sci-fi than fantasy, it covers hard topics like colonialism and politics in a sort of space opera setting. Reminded me a little of The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. 3.5/5
Dragons and Decorum - Hear me out: an abridged retelling of Pride and Prejudice…with dragons. Oh my goodness this was so much fun! 5/5
Castle Coeurlieu - I love fantasy stories that come with their own lore. This book reminded me, mildly, of a darker version of The Secret Garden. 4/5
The Long Way Round - I was excited to learn that this story is a rough-draft preview of Novik’s upcoming novel (tentatively entitled Folly). It was longer than the rest, following two characters in the trading business as they attempt to sail a dangerous and mostly unexplored path to the different continents of their world. My only complaint is that the ending feels incomplete - by that I mean it seems to stop mid-conversation. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the full-length version.
Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories in this book! Novik’s prose is beautiful as always and I was impressed with her ability to write across various genres in a way that either paid tribute to the originals or built up entirely new worlds. A couple of the stories I had a hard time getting into but only because they either weren’t my preferred genre or I didn’t have the necessary background knowledge to fully enjoy them. That said, there were also several stories with fascinating world building and wonderful characters. This is a must read for any fantasy reader.

Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads)
Review posted to my website on September 6th, 2024