I think for the right audience this could be a great book. It collects stories from some of Novik’s passed characters and setting and also sprinkles in some new characters and setting. It’s not bad. I just don’t feel I was the right audience for this. If you have loved Naomi’s passed books and series then definitely give this one a try.

I have read several of Naomi Novik books, so I was excited to get the short story compilation. Some of the short stories have been previously published but I hadn’t read any of them, so it wasn’t an issue for me. I really enjoyed the short stories and if you are a fan of her story telling you will enjoy them as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I have to say I did not read this all the way through. I really wanted to read the Scholomance story and did not care for many of the others--I have only read the Scholomance books. This book would be a tough sell unless the reader was a Novik super fan and had read all of her previous works, or was really into collections of short stories. Since I am neither, I did not personally enjoy this one.

This was an interesting mix of stories that I was mainly interested in for its tie-in to the Temeraire series. The couple of stories in that world though were quite disconnected from the series, so they really do stand on their own well. Huge fans of Naomi Novik should find a lot here to love!

This is a short story collection, which are generally not my favorite but I, like so many others, keep wanting to see beloved worlds and characters again, so I read them. I enjoyed this one since it fulfilled that desire, but I would warn heavily against reading the Schoolmancer story if you have any interest in reading the series and have not finished, as it is a great big spoiler. The other series are more indirectly related, taking place in the same world but not the same characters. I am now very interested in whatever the next book will be as the short story world for that was fascinating, and I would love to hear more about those characters or even just the world. The short story for Spinning Silver wasn’t that interesting as I have read the book, and the set-up is entirely the same but much more superficial and the ending is different. The title story, Buried Deep, was very well done. There are some stories I have already forgotten, but overall, a fun read.

This was a solid collection of stories from the great Naomi Novik.

“Seven” and “The Long Way Round” were two of my favorites. “The Long Way Round” is set in the same world as Novik’s next book Folly. My interest is definitely piqued.

Along with those, there are several stories from Novik’s established worlds — the Temeraire, Spinning Silver, and the Scholomance — but also some Sherlock Holmes and Pride and Prejudice, which were fun surprises.

(P.S. Save “After Hours” until after you’ve finished the Scholomance series.)

Thanks to Del Rey for providing an advanced digital copy for me to review!

Buried Deep and Other stories is an eclectic collection of thirteen short fantasy stories with a variety of themes. This anthology covers everything from pirates to fairies and Minotaurs offering a nice range of tales for all readers. The cover art is fantastic and really captured my attention. I really enjoyed the authors series, The Scholomance, and so it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed the included short “After Hours”. Another favorite from this collection was “Spinning Silver”. That being said, as with most short story collections I don’t typically enjoy every story. Although new to me, most of these were previously published in other works. I enjoyed reading the authors intros to each tale and getting a glimpse into her mindset when writing it. Overall this was a lovely collection with something to offer for every type of fantasy reader…a must read for 2024!

Unsurprisingly, a short story anthology is uneven. The highest of highs and some I yawned through, Worth reading as a Novik fan but maybe don't read all of them at once because you'll critique it too harshly. I am intrigued by the upcoming series, though.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of stories from the multiple worlds created by Novik. As you move from one story to the next, you are provided with a new and fresh tantalizing story of the author’s making.

I knew going into this collection it would be set in Novik’s multiple worlds, but what I did not account for is the heavy reliance on knowing Novik’s worlds. I’m sure with the synopsis I should expect this to be the case, but, being an avid fantasy reader, I was not expecting the lack of world building or pretense. These stories are beautifully created and the prose is beautiful but I’m struggling to understand what’s truly going on in each of these stories. At 26% I’ve decided to place this book on a soft DNF list until I have more of Novik’s backlist completed.

I've loved many of Naomi Novik's novels, but I don't think I'd ever read a short story she'd written--all of these stories were new to me. Sometimes I find short stories by writers who are primarily novelists frustrating and unfinished, but these are wonderful, complete worlds (even the stories that are adding to established universes, like the Scholomance and Temeraire stories+). They warn you about the dangers and prices of wishes as well as the unexpected gifts that come along with them. My favorite story is "Seven," about giant guardian statues made out of haunted, poisonous clay, set in a city that felt as resonant as something out of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. I recommend this to anyone who needs a little magic resonating through their lives.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

A collection of weird and creative short stories. I adore Naomi Novik and loved getting a story from the Scholomance world tucked in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did end up finishing the whole thing. Sigh. This was a collection that never really sang.

I only really liked two of the short stories, and one was surrounding her longer novel, Spinning Silver, and the other was her take on Ariadne. I have found Novik to be hit or miss with me. Full RTC.

Full review:

You all know how I do collections at this point, I rate each story, and then you can see the overall rating above. I unfortunately did not like many of the stories. I just felt bored and wish that Novik had done more with the fantasy elements like she did in "Uprooted" and "Spinning Silver." But most of the stories were either off or seemed to have some point I was totally missing.

"Armanita, or The Wreck of the Amphidrake" (1 star)-I had such high hopes, but this story about a young nobleman sent off from her family because she keeps getting into trouble was so boring. It took me almost a month to get through this story.

"After Hours" (1 star)-This apparently features characters from her other work, "Scholomance trilogy" and because of that, I had no idea who anyone was and was bored throughout. And honestly that is my number one complaint, if I have to read your other books to get your short stories, hard pass. Do readers like it when characters though are familiar with pop up in other books, yes. Do you still need to make sure a cold reader gets there, also yes.

"Vici" (1 star)-Same issue here, this short story is based on the Temeraire universe. It takes place in Romance times. Yes, at this point was when this almost became a DNF for me.

"Buried Deep" (4 stars)-This short story follows Ariadne, for those who devour Greek mythology like I do, this was a great retelling I thought. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is that the story after a while stalled a bit I thought.

"Spinning Silver" (5 stars)-Honestly think of this as an alternate take on her longer novel, "Spinning Silver" I loved this story and thought her following a moneylender's daughter, who has to grow cold inside to take care of her mother and father was great.

"Commonplaces" (3.5 stars)-A retelling of the character of Irene Adler from the Sherlock Holmes series. I don't know, this was good, but it didn't really fit the whole fantasy theme that Novik had going for her.

"Seven" (2 stars)-A city called Seven and the people who live there. I honestly can't even recall this story and I just went back to refresh my memory and kind of shrugged about it. Once again though, there's fantasy elements here so it's odd we had "Commonplaces" before that.

"Blessings" (2 stars)-A bunch of fairies cause a whole mess due to them drinking during a baby's blessing. I don't know if Novik was going for comedy or something more serious. The ending was so abrupt I thought I was missing something.

"Lord Dunsany's Teapot" (1 star)-Bored throughout.

"Seven Years from Home" (1 star)-Honestly this was just not good. I don't even know what else to say really. Reading about the "adjustments" and everything else just made my eyes glaze over.

"Dragons and Decorum" (1 star)-Just think Pride and Prejudice with dragons. And look, at this point, I was just fed up with this collection and was determined to get through it, but once again, I wonder what the heck "Commonplaces" was doing in a fantasy collection and just tossed my hands up. Also, look, this story did nothing for me. I just sighed and went okay, thanks again for not setting much of anything up. I think that's my number one criticism. Novik did a good job with just two stories in this collection, but I think I only liked them because I was familiar with both so didn't need the set up. But other readers who don't know Greek mythology or have not read her other works are going to be completely lost. And yes, I read Pride and Prejudice (loved it) and felt 100 percent annoyed through this whole thing.

"Castle Coeurlieu"-No stars because I skipped this.

"The Long Way Round" (2 stars)-Honestly, this is just a set up (maybe) of something that Novik is working on. I did not like it. So there you go.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of 13 short stories that are all vastly different but somehow form a cohesive, entertaining book. I hadn’t read any of Novik’s other novels which made me nervous going into this since some of the stories are set in worlds from her other books. I’m happy to report I was able to enjoy this book despite that fact. Although the stories are short, they are flushed out enough to make me invested in the characters without making me yearn for more when they were over, though it did make even more interested then I previously was in Novik’s other works. The stories ranged from 3-5 stars for me with most hitting that upper range. Overall, I enjoyed this collection of stories and recommend to any fantasy reader!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review 😊. It was a fun ride!

This was an enjoyable collection of short stories; most had previously been published, but they were all new to me. Each also had its own narrator, which was great.
With a collection like this, some are going to hit harder than others. I’m going to call out my favs below:

Vici: I would happily read a full book or even a series about Marc Antony and his dragon. Absolutely loved this, and Simon Vance is amazing as always.

Buried Deep: This was a haunting Ariadne-Minotaur tale and Ell Potter knocked the narration out of the park.

Commonplaces: Irene Adler as we’ve never seen her. Short and utterly captivating.

Dragons and Decorum: Lizzie Bennett as a captain in the aerial corps? YES PLEASE! I loved this take on Pride and Prejudice

The Long Way Round: This makes me very excited for Novik’s next book!

The Spinning Silver story was 95% retread with a new ending.
Seven seemed a waste of Steve West’s talents.
I did enjoy the Scholomance story, but sorry, Uprooted fans, there’s nothing set in the world for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PRHAudio for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Buried Deep and Other Stories is a collection of short stories from the worlds of Naomi Novik and I was so excited to get this on NetGalley because I had to have a peek back into the world of The Scholomance! I read that trilogy last year and really loved it, so to see one of those characters again warmed my heart.

There were two Temeraire stories that got me super interested in reading more of that alternate history series, especially the Pride and Prejudice (and dragons!) retelling! There was a Spinning Silver story, and of course I will now have to read that book because that was everything I want in a fairy story! The titular story, Buried Deep, was a Minotaur retelling, and while I don’t really enjoy Greek mythology as much as I used to, I did like the unique spin this one had.

All of these stories had completely different feels; one is a sci-fi about the evils of space colonization, while another takes place in the trenches of Great War France. Some feel like traditional short stories, while others feel like completely realized dramas.

The last story, The Long Way Round, is a sneak peek at the world in which Novik’s next book takes place and that one was one of my favorites—if you like grand adventures across oceans, the love between siblings, and queer representation, I’m certain you’ll love that story too!

Overall, this entire collection of 13 stories is five stars for me!

This is a solid set of short stories, some connected to her other novels and others standalone. The world building, characterizations and plots are intricate yet accessible and you don't need to have read all her works to appreciate them. If anything, these short stories are a great introduction since several of them are connected to or even are the foundations to what would become full length novels.

Those curious about the ties to other books will note that there is a story set in the future of the Scholomance in which Orion is still watching over the students (though he is not the main character). There is a story that was expanded to become the full length novel Spinning Silver. There's even a story referencing Uprooted and a prequel of sorts to Temeraire. But in addition there is a fantastical retelling of Pride and Prejudice but with dragons, a story inspired by Lawrence of Arabia, a nod to Sherlock Holmes, and a WW1 trenches story built around a kettle found in a famous person's house that author Novik took on as a dare to write a story around. There's even a swashbuckling female pirate tale in there.

In all, the collection is fun, engrossing, and very immersive. I don't typically like short stories but found I was eagerly looking forward to each new story as I progressed in the book. Highly recommended. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I adore Naomi Novik and she is one of my automatic authors I will immediately ready what she puts out. So it was such a joy to delve back into some of her past works as well as some new ones in this collection. Uprooted is my favorite standalone book of all time so I was initially excited to hear about this book when it was first announced, though was disappointed there didn't end up being much reference to it. That doesn't take away though from how lush and brilliant these included stories are and I was able to still greatly enjoy them, my favorite being the very first story, "Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake," a regency era short story about a woman who finds her own calling on the sea.

If you like Naomi Novik's books and want some more content or even just like adventure stories and mythology, please read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

DNF@ 32%

I read the first four stories before deciding that this collection isn't for me. I don't care for the author's writing style overall and I don't like that you have to have read all of her work to fully appreciate this collection.

Excellent collection of short stories from Naomi Novik. This was a beautifully written collection with a wide variety in the types of stories included. Most of the stories have been previously published elsewhere, but there is a story which is a sneak peek at the new project Novik is working on--which, after reading the story, I can't wait to read the full length version. Some of the stories are set in the worlds of previous books (Scholomance, Temeraire, and Spinning Silver) but I don't think knowledge of those works is necessary to enjoy the stories here. Each of the stories also includes an brief author's note introducing it, which I appreciated for the insight and context provided for each story.

Fans of her previous works won't want to miss this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Came for the Scholomance, stayed for the other great stories ;)

When I heard about this upcoming collection, I immediately noticed it included a new story in the world of Scholomance. A Deadly Education and the others in the series ranks up there in my top disturbing world building series of all time, so I couldn't wait to read the short story associated with it. Other reviewers have mentioned that most of these stories were already released in other collections, but I hadn't personally read any of them, so it was a fun read for me.

I typically don't like short stories as I get invested right before they end and then abruptly have to start over with the next story, but the author is masterful at world building and I quickly got over those feelings with each story I read. There were a few misses for me but most were strong hits:

- Obviously loved the Scholomance story. It takes place after the events of the trilogy and with a new set of characters, though we get a short glimpse of one of the MCs. It's short but I still loved it, as it does give a small epilogue into how the school and the magic system work now. It also made me realize how badly I miss that trilogy, and I sincerely hope the author will write more stories about it in the future. Truly was one of the more unique world building experiences I've read in awhile.

- I loved Spinning Silver but don't remember much about it years later, so I enjoyed reading the short story that led to its creation. I loved it so much I'll likely re-read the full version soon.

- I haven't read any of Novik's Temeraire series but liked these related short stories more than I expected, so I'll likely check out that series as well.

- Buried Deep (a take on the minotaur) was especially haunting, also loved Lady Araminta

Others didn't land with me as well, but they still were just as beautifully written as always for Novik. Specifically any of the stories that weren't as classically fantasy weren't my cup of tea, such as the Sherlock and Holmes-related story, the story based on Pride and Prejudice (which I haven't read), the teapot story, and the last story in the collection, The Long Way Round, which I found hard to get invested into.

Still, a great collection, especially if you are like me and hadn't read any of the stories already. I still would have purchased it for the Scholomance revisiting, though :)