Naomi Novik never ceases to amaze me with the writings she is able to bring to her audience and help them feel new again.

I was introduced to her writings with Uprooted and loved her style of dark fairy tale, then continued my journey with her through Spinning Silver and the Scholarmance Trilogy. Even her dark academia, which has gained a genre all its own in book stores, finds a way to be unique by presenting a deadly school with no teachers just magic, monsters, and students doing their best to hone their skills and survive for the time they are there.

Within this book, we are able to glimpse into quite a bit of her various worlds, as though walking down a hallway lined with windows, peeking through one at a time and catching moments of the worlds she has been building or ones she has held in her mind. In some ways it feels like we are getting some rough drafts, or outlines but they are a bit more flushed out than that. They are works which could be full bodied in the future or give you an idea of what is going on beyond the main story we already know.

If you are a fan of this writer, I certainly think this book is well worth picking up. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to dive into these pages before they released, so I could sing their praises for others to know they are worth the read.

An awesome collection of 13 short stories by the incomparable Naomi Novik, one of the greatest authors to ever pen fantasy. There are a few dragon tales and even a story set within the world of the Scholomance. The best part is if you listen, there is a different amazing reader for each story and each voice actor brings something a little extra to the story. Highly recommend!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this e-arc.*

As a Naomi Novik fan, I was thrilled to come upon this book. Most of these stories have been published previously, but I hadn't read them, and this tome brings them all together for the reader. A fan of the author will love that some of the stories are set in worlds familiar to us from her books, and will rejoice in the new worlds she explores. However each of these stories stands alone, so if you're not familiar with this author, you won't be lost when reading this.

I really enjoy Naomi Novik’s work, so I was very excited to read this anthology. I enjoyed the opening tale, which focused on a noblewoman who must use all her wits to survive a pirate attack. I love pirate stories and the role reversal was excellent. I liked the shortened version of Spinning Silver and hope it draws new readers into that world. Another story that I particularly enjoyed was “Blessings.” I love the theme that blessings can have a twist to them and what one views as a curse, another views as a strength.

One of my favorite stories was the re-imagining of Elizabeth Bennet as a dragon rider. I loved her interactions with the dragon, the agency it gave her, and how parts of the beloved story still shone through. Another story that will haunt my thoughts long after the last page is “Seven.” In this creative and atmospheric tale, a young woman is forced to accept a deadly gift. She must sculpt a new statue for the city, but it will inevitably shorten her lifespan. With three young children, she is determined to make the most of her time. This story did an excellent job of reminding us that no one knows how much time they have and that all power comes with a price. That price may or may not be worth it, depending on your perspective.

The final tale is a peek into a new world, which promises to be spectacular. I love ocean adventures and was intrigued by the mysteries the crew found as they ventured off the map. The sibling relationship was so relatable! Buried Deep and Other Stories has something for everyone; I would highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read what Naomi Novik writes next!

Thank you to Naomi Novik, Del Rey, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Buried Deep and Other Stories was a delightful surprise. I'm a fan of her fantasy novels, so I was curious to see how she'd handle short stories. And honestly? She nailed it. Each story is a little gem, full of rich characters and unexpected twists. Novik's writing is as sharp and witty as ever, and she's not afraid to explore dark themes.

I especially loved "Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake," a hilarious and poignant tale of a young woman's coming-of-age on a fantastical sea voyage. Novik's world-building is top-notch, even in these shorter pieces.

My only quibble is that a few of the stories felt a bit rushed, leaving me wanting more. But overall, this collection is a testament to Novik's versatility and talent. If you're looking for a quick escape into fantastical worlds, Buried Deep and Other Stories is a perfect choice.

What a joy it is to delve into the worlds and writing of Naomi Novik all in one collection of stories!

And these stories are beyond excellent. While the narratives dip into many different worlds and voices, they all share a connecting thread in Novik’s distinct style, world building, and subtle, wry humor.

I loved each one of the stories. Some returned to the rich worlds created in her previous novels like a side story from The Scholomance series. Another story was the original concept for Spinning Silver with alternate ending. And another was the prequel to the Téméraire series, laying out the history of the first dragon rider. While another was a gorgeous retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur.

This set of short stories is such a gift! We delve into many different fantasy settings: magical regency, mythology retelling, & intricate alternate reality fantasy. And we get a peek in the lives of so many fascinating characters. This was a wonderful read and I will be buying a physical copy to return to as well!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Out of thirteen stories, I liked all but one of them, and loved two. I haven't read a short story collection in a long time, and I forgot how difficult it is to get through a whole book of them when your investment in the book is constantly stopping and starting. Still, <i>Buried Deep </i> reminded me how much I love Naomi Novik's writing, and made me excited for her upcoming project. <i>Spinning Silver</i> was the first book of hers that I read, and seeing it in its original form was enlightening. Her version of Irene Adler left me wanting more - I could read a series of novels written about Adler by Novik. Being back in the Scholomance after <i>The Golden Enclaves</i> was a comforting add-on to the series, and illustrated the impact of El and Orion in their world. Novik's <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> retelling is utterly delightful, and is perfectly paced for a short story. The only story that fell flat for me was <i>Seven Years from Home</i>. I felt overwhelmed with the intergalactic world, and could not tell for the first few pages what exactly was going on. By the end of the story I had the gist of it, but I get the feeling that it was far more enjoyable to write than it is to read. Still, it was only one of thirteen, and will definitely be buying the book to hold in my hands, as several of the stories are eminently re-readable; I feel the need to return to the teapot story in particular, as its meaning has narrowly slipped my grasp.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey and Ms. Novik for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I'm not a humongous short story fan - I really don't ever pick them up - but I could not resist revisiting some of my favorite fantasy worlds of Ms. Novik's. Uprooted, Spinning Silver, Temeraire and the Scholomance are all favorites and even a little more is a good thing. I tried to read each short story in one sitting for the most impact; I couldn't manage it with all of them but some of them had me glued.

One by one:

Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake:
OK, enjoyable, but forgettable. 3/5

After Hours (Scholomance):
LOVED. Why can't I attend the Scholomance!!! 100% improvement over Hogwarts inasmuch as the danger is legit DANGEROUS and actions have consequences, every time. Loved Beata, loved her mushroom farm, loved her little friends group, loved everything about it, 5/5.

Vici (Temeraire):
This really didn't speak "Temeraire" to me but I loved the vibe overall. Wish it had worked its way over to Cleopatra too but I'll take what I can get. I love me a dragon and Ms. Novik's take is so original, I can't complain. 5/5

Buried Deep:
Hmmmm, I found this one gripping but also confusing. Loved the idea of it. Kept waiting for the mythological ending to pop up but it was avoided here which was nice. 4/5

Spinning Silver:
Alternate ending to the full-length novel but no complaints here. LOVE this setting. Lately I have been a real sucker for any take on Slavic fantasy. 5/5

Commonplaces:
Did Ms. Novik write anything else about Sherlock Holmes? I felt kind of bad for Godfrey, but, 99% of men married to Irene Adler would be here mental inferior, I suppose, and I guess I wonder if that is truly fulfilling. In entertainment terms, I love anything Sherlock, so I liked this a lot, but in terms of characterization, I had lingering questions. 3/5

Seven:
Really imaginative. I loved that Kath (a woman with children) was the first artist to question why working the special clay meant a death sentence. Great worldbuilding. 5/5

Blessings:
Drunk fairies! I love a spin on old fairy tales; this sort of reminded me of Thornhedge by Kingfisher inasmuch as it turned an old Disney fairytale on its head. 5/5

Lord Dunsany's Teapot:
Very Tolkien-at-war, All Quiet on the Western Front vibes. Sad, very moving, probably wouldn't have chosen to read it but had some profound feelings after. 4/5

Seven Years From Home:
This one is the one I struggled most with finishing, I just didn't find myself drawn to it as much. 2/5

Dragons & Decorum (Temeraire/Pride and Prejudice mashup):
Alternative take on P&P in which Elizabeth is an aerial officer with a Longwing dragon. I felt the dragon parts were great (5/5) but there was a lot lacking in the Darcy romance storyline (2/5). 3.5/5 average

Castle Coeurlieu:
Spooky vibe and one of those metaphorical fictions. I really liked this one even though I'm not absolutely sure what happened 😅 5/5

The Long Way Round:
Really cool world building, and I loved the premise and the explorative aspect. I did feel kind of bad for Tess, who continuously had to accommodate her dreamer brother, who literally got to have his cake and eat it too at every turn. 4/5

... overall this collection was a winner but I expected as much from Naomi Novik. 4.5/5 stars overall. I would recommend this highly.

3.5 stars

Favorites: Araminta, After Hours, Vici, Dragons & Decorum, The Long Way Round -- I would read FULL novelizations of these tales.

Mid: Seven, Seven Years, Buried Deep Spinning Silver, Blessings

Didn't care for: Commonplaces, Lord Dunsany's Teapot, Castle Coeurlieu

Great little collection and I often struggle to read short anthologies. That being said I do feel I prefer to read a whole piece of literature as opposed to short stories in general. Definitely enjoyed some more than others. The collection starts off powerful with three of my favorites all in a row. Already read and finished Spinning Silver so the first draft of the beginning story that inspired it I didn't feel was necessary, maybe for diehard fans? I didn't like the Sherlock retelling. I didn't really vibe with Lord Dunsay's Teapot or Castle Coeurlieu. Confidently can say Naomi Novik has mastered dragon writing as those stories were all the best, I think we should work on a microgenre of Age of Exploration Military Fantasy. I also preferred the tales with a complete fantastical world requiring original world building!

2.5 As a Novik fan, I was hoping this would be something I really loved. There were a few stories I did enjoy - notably Seven, Castle Coeurlieu, Dragons and Decorum . But the others were for the most part not my cup of tea. A lot tied into Novik’s other works, which is fine, but not what I was expecting or really wanted. Overall this felt lackluster and did not live up to what I know can be felt reading this author’s work.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this book!
These stories were my introduction to Novik's writing.
Like with most short story collections I knew this was going to be a good way to familiarize myself with her writing. Also with most short story collections, as a reader, there are ones you really love and ones that aren't really your favorite to read. I read this in its entirety to give an honest review, but in a normal circumstance I would have probably skipped ones I didn't understand or like much. Since I have not read from other worlds that she created, (i.e Scholomance or Temeraire), I did feel in a few of the stories that I may have been missing key information to enjoy them. These stories did, however, peak my interest in reading those backlist series. The stories in this are whimsical and fantastical, with a sprinkle of history and mythology.
Overall, this is a good way for and introduction to Novik's writing if you haven't read or read very much from her and I think current fans of her work will find things they love as well.

As requested in my eARC, I will not release the above review or my IG mini review until the publish date of Sept 17. Thank you again!

For some reason short story collections always make me feel antsy. I’m not sure why, but I always feel impatient to get to the next story and the next and the next and the next. Despite that, I found myself really enjoying some of the stories and wishing they were full novels. My favorites were probably After Hours (I will take as much Scholomance as I can get), Buried Deep (I’m a sucker for Greek Mythology), Seven, and Dragons & Decorum. I wish there had been more short stories that were original to this collection—I think there was just one—but I guess I wouldn’t have run into these stories anywhere else.

I liked that she had a couple stories featuring her version of dragons and that does make me want to check out her dragon series which I haven’t done yet.

Overall, if you find Novik’s writing as enchanting as I do, you’ll enjoy this collection and the opportunity to revisit some of the worlds she’s built.

Note: I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of stories will especially delight Naomi Novik connoisseurs, for her emphasis on the process of crafting the backstories of novels we know and love. Sometimes this appears as a yarn or a short spinoff of place or setting in the Temeraire world or the Schoolmance one; sometimes it’s a riff on a story previously told, and sometimes it’s a creation that has a handhold in many of her marvelous worlds, but is hard to classify. Each story has an author’s note and as usual Novik’s honesty about the plot and characters, the writing process and her own state of mind-the person she was-when writing these tales is both jolting and enriching (how does she do that?). I immensely enjoyed this collection, which was greatly enhanced by my previous familiarity with her work. For the novice, I would suggest dipping your literary toes into her oeuvre first and then diving into this book.

I adore Naomi Novik's writing so when I received an early copy of Buried Deep and Other Stories I couldn't contain my excitement!

I'm a big fan of a good short story collection and this one was perfect to read in between other novels. The short stories included are fantastic. There is a good mix of standalone stories, spin-offs of her established series such as Scholomance and Temeraire, and a surprise exclusive story from a work-in-progress project that looks really promising. My favorites were a slightly different short-story version of Spinning Silver, and a Temeraire tie-in I can only describe as Pride and Prejudice and Dragons. Enough said.

If you're a fan of Naomi Novik's books and the above sounds like your vibe, definitely give this one a go. I loved every page.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of short stories written by Naomi Novik. Stories range from original worlds, to retellings, to stories set in worlds from Novik’s other books.
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Overall, this was a solid collection of short stories. There were stories I definitely enjoyed more than others. Buried Deep, Spinning Silver and Dragons & Decorum were personal favorites of mine. Individual story ratings probably ranged between 3 and 5 stars. As someone unfamiliar with Novik’s previous works, I did feel that people who have read her previous works would find more enjoyment out of stories set in the worlds from those works, but it did not detract much from my reading experience.
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I have been interested in reading books by Novik for a while and reading this collection has made me more confident that I will most likely enjoy my time with any of Novik’s other works (especially with that last story possibly hinting at what’s to come in her next one! I was hooked!).
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Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

***A Big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
This must be the 4th or 5th book of Naomi Novik’s that I have had the pleasure to read (Uprooted, 3 or 4 of the Temeraire books). Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of short stories, some of them almost novella sized, all based in the fantasy genre. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of the stories and they hit on almost all of the fantasy favorite tropes: Pirates, dragons, wizards….you name it. It is really cool that she also throws in 2 dragon tales based in the Temeraire universe.

Each of the stories are wonderfully written and even though they are deep fantasy, they each focus on the characters and their relationships and struggles. My only knock on this title is that some of the stories drag on a bit, which is why I think I stepped away from the Temeraire series and moved on to other titles. That might be a nitpicky thing to bring up and is my personal opinion. I’m sure there are Novik fans out there that love her for that.

Overall, a great read that is well worth the time of fantasy fans. I would recommend this more for seasoned fantasy fans, especially those who are already seasoned Naomi Novik readers.

Overall, I would give the collection as a whole a 3.5/5-star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed the titular Buried Deep, the short story version of Spinning Silver, After Hours, Castle Coeurlieu, Seven, and The Long Way Round, despite its oddly abrupt ending. Naomi’s writing is magical and I love getting lost in the worlds she creates in her stories. There were a few others I also enjoyed, but I felt should’ve been a bit longer. Many of the stories in this collection are retellings, AU retellings set in Naomi Novik’s novels, or new stories from her previous novels. This can be great when the reader is familiar with the inspiration or the author has more time to flesh things out like in a full novel. But in the case of this short story collection, I felt like many of the stories really relied on the reader having a familiarity with the source material(s) to fully appreciate and understand them. All but two of the stories included have been featured in other collections, and were probably very good in that context. However, as someone without much knowledge about her Temeraire series or Sherlock Holmes, the included stories inspired by these and other sources unfamiliar to me, left me a bit disappointed. Before each short story there is a paragraph detailing the story’s inspirations and I look forward to reading some of the novels that I’m not familiar with that inspired her stories and perhaps returning to this collection.

I would've read a full-length novel of almost every one of these stories; I've loved reading these in between books over the last month, and am kind of sad it's over.

This collection really showcased the range of Naomi Novik's work, and made me adore her more. She gave a glimpse into so many magical worlds, both from her own imagination and some inspired by history or literature. There's Ariadne & the Minotaur, another version of my favorite book of hers (Spinning Silver), and Elizabeth Bennet: dragon rider, just to name a few favorites.

This also got me so excited to find out what's coming next for her - "The Long Way Round" was a sneak peak into her next project, and I can't wait for the final product.

Naomi Novik does it again! She truly writes fairytales like no other. I loved this collection of short stories and extensions of worlds. Although I'm a big fan of this author, I haven't read all of her works yet. Some of these stories were directly related to her novels, and as such I don't think they pack the same punch if you aren't at least familiar with some of her previous characters and universes. I still think this is worth a read, if only to get caught up in Novik's beautiful writing.

I forced myself to read this book slowly because I was so in love with Novik's writing that I knew if I let myself I would devour this in less than a day. I BARELY managed to hold myself to reading this slowly and I cannot wait to get this book in a physical form and re-read some of these stories again. I absolutely loved this so much!