This was a lovely little collection of short stories ranging from everyday magic to the outright supernatural.

I loved the variety of tales and formats. Some that stuck with me are a Red Riding Hood retelling where the big bad wolf isn't what we thought we knew, what happens to the Darling children once they do grow up post Peter Pan, and a tale told exclusively through magazine confession letters between people who may or may not know each other.

You'll find both contemporary tales with subtly magical shops and cafés, and stories of ancient beings from long lost cultures, in a unique mix that's sure to impress a wide audience. A must-read for lovers of fiction and fantasy everywhere.

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

this was a really joyful set of short stories, each written in lovely prose and weaving magic into the words. the use of magic in each of the stories was so well done, and different in each one. even if there was only a hint of magic it made you feel very much transported into that world, if only for a short time. the way the magic interacted with the characters was also wonderful, seeing how their lives changed and were moulded by the magic that they had or was present in their world.
a lot of the stories used their time very well and felt like the perfect length, while a couple were a little too long and some felt as though they would have benefitted from more page time.
there is absolutely going to be at least one really heavy hitting story for anyone in here, with twenty-one to choose from.

<I>Frail Little Embers</i> is a collection of short stories that are thought-provoking, whimsical, and sometimes grim. I am usually more of a fantasy reader and love a HEA, so this was an exploration out of my norm. I have to say, I really did enjoy what I found—but I very much had to be in the mood to read, as I realized within the first few short stories that there would likely be no tidily wrapped up endings, but ones more to encourage further pondering beyond what was written.

My favorites were "Running with Wolves," "Lost Men," and "The Story Doctor." I do enjoy an alternative fairy tale retelling ("Running with the Wolves" for "Red Riding Hood") or continuation ("Lost Men" for "Peter Pan"), so it wasn't great surprise to me that those stuck out. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed "The Story Doctor," however, but the premise was intriguing and unique: I had never head of a story of a therapist whose entire method of practice was to listen to people's woes and then recommend a book. If I hadn't left that career behind me, perhaps I'd start to incorporate that. (Kidding, mostly.) I thought that story summarized the book quite nicely, as it shared of the story doctor's (or bibliotherapist, if you will) clients telling her how their lives were changed or improving upon reading the books that she had recommended to them. I'm certainly changed from reading this book, as I am more open to books that leave more space for feeling the range of emotions and sitting in them, rather than simply craving a wrapped up HEA.

*Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I often find short story collections can be hit or miss. In this case, it was definitely a hit! The stories all felt coherent together in terms of mood and themes, and the quality was high through the entire collection.

The characters had an immense level of emotional depth despite the short length of the stories, and the writing style was beautiful and poetic. The magical elements of each story felt natural, and they were woven into the narrative in a very realistic way—it was easy for me to buy into the world that each story painted, and the result was a very immersive experience.

My favourite story by far in the collection was "The Lost Men." Not just for the references to the original story (Peter Pan) that inspired it, but also for the very real and raw emotions that the characters in the story possessed. The angst and tragic undertones were superb.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Neem Tree Press for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of release!

An interesting collection of short stories with premises I've never encountered before. Next to world-building, Callaghans strength clearly lies in her prose which transports one right into the characters written.

I really enjoyed reading the stories of Frail Little Embers. The author skillfully tells impactful, enchanting and gripping stories and the prose is beautiful! Every story is worth savoring and are unique in their own way.

Very thankful to have to opportunity to read this ARC.

Frail Little Embers was a book I'd highlighted to read this year, so when Neem Tree offered me a tour spot I jumped at the chance.

I really enjoyed the collection of stories, each one of them brought something else to the table; sentiments of hope and healing, wondrous stories of life, love and loss, written in ways to heighten spirits rather than darker them.

It's a beautifully written collection of short stories where myth and magic collide.

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and I can't wait to read from from Callaghan in the future.

<b>In a Nutshell: </b>A collection of stories that dwell between realism and magical realism. Character-driven, literary, melancholic yet hopeful. A powerful debut that will work better when you are in the mood for thoughtful reading.

This debut collection contains twenty-one stories, each of which is focussed on discovering strength and hope in times of despair. Most of the stories are thus somewhat melancholic in tone.

There is no author’s note introducing this collection, but the author’s bio at the end of the book mentions that this set was “created to inspire hope in times of darkness.” It stays true to this purpose throughout. The title is quite powerful, proving how even “frail little embers” can be enough to keep the spark alive and even burst into flame when needed.

The blurb indicates that these are tales of myth, folklore and magic. Accordingly, many of the story take a step into the whimsical. None of the stories are outright fantastical, even when their cast of characters contains selkies or genies or shapeshifters. Most contain a small splash of magic, sometimes through fairytale retellings or lore-inspired fables.

The stories are mostly universal, with only a couple of them revealing the locale they are set in. Some of them are written in a different format, such as in verse (Never works for me; I’m a poetry-phobe) and epistolary (always love this style!).

Each story is character-focussed and penned in beautiful prose that speaks volumes. You cannot rush through the tales because there is so much unsaid. So this collection would work better if you pick it up when you have the time to read at leisure and to understand what’s between the lines. Every story is distinct, so there is no feeling of déjà vu across the tales.

The endings are positive without being forced HEAs. Though not all the stories have sealed completions, most of the tales part on the right note, where you can just about see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, a couple of the stories could have benefitted with more precise, well-rounded endings. (Especially ‘One Hundred Words for Loss’ – such a beautiful tale but the ending left me confounded.)

Every story is preceded by an intricate B&W illustration that makes even more sense AFTER you read the tale.

As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty-one stories, nine stories reached or crossed the 4 stars mark. Most of the rest were between 3 to 3.5 stars. So a majority of the stories worked very well for me. These are my top favourites with 4+ stars each:
🌞 Life, Death, and Other Complications: A lovely story about what living really means. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌞 To the Waters and the Wild: A melancholic story about a bond that highlights the difference between true love and possessive love. Couldn’t predict how this one would end. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌞 Dear Audrey: An entertaining epistolary short story. I could see where it was going but the proceedings were still fun. One of the lightest stories in the book, though the situation is far from funny. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌞 Lost Men: An interesting spin-off about the Darling kids from Peter Pan. You'll like this better if you know the original classic. (Not the Disney version.) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌞 Fox Song: Absolutely not what I had expected! A beautiful combination of reality and fantasy. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌞 Last Wish: A touching story about a parent's love. Sometimes, even a predictable story creates a great impact through the author’s choice of words. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌞 The Edge of Morning: An amazing vignette-style story whose significance is enhanced if you keep the first line in mind throughout. The lack of a linear pattern created some confusion in my head, else this was an easy 5 star. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌞 Songbird: A story told from a child’s perspective. Appreciated the hopeful end, else this was a heart-breaking one. Adults rarely realise how their personal struggles also affect their children. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌞 The Story Doctor: The magic of bibliotherapy. Need I say more? A wonderful story to end the book with a smile on one’s face. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


All in all, this is a really impressive debut that delves into various human emotions and captures the journey from darkness to light. Diverse in characters, emotions and circumstances, this collection offers much to reflect upon and rejoice over.
Definitely recommended to short story lovers, preferably those who are literary fiction readers and also enjoy fantasy in small doses. This is not to be read at a go but to be savoured a slice at a time.
3.75 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story.

My thanks to Neem Tree Press and Unbound for providing the DRC of “Frail Little Embers” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I have been wanting to read more short stories and this collection of 21 stories and corresponding illustrations was a lovely start.

The writing was beautiful. The author is certainly a poet as much as a storyteller. The style was very immersive with each story taking you over, even when they were really short.

There were strong messages around sadness, loss, and grief, but I think the overall theme was resilience and finding a way and accepting to continue to live despite deep sadness.

Some of these stories will stay with me for a while an pop up in my head at random since I've read them. Some of my favorites are: The Edge of Morning, The Story Doctor, Apple Seeds, The Fleeting Ones... and the Peter Pan retelling but can't remember the name of that one.

My only complaint is that too many of these stories felt either unresolved or almost didn't seem to have a point therefore no real ending.

This is a collection of cozy, magical-realism/fantasy short stories. Some were really good, like the one told as a series of advice column write-ins by both a man and the woman he's cheating with, and some were pretty forgettable. Not at all a bad collection.

In my opinion, anthologies or collections of stories are like boxes of chocolate: there'll be ones you'll love and crave some more of, and also the ones you avoid due to being flavorless or just not according to your taste. Well, you're in luck, cause this chocolate box of stories is delicious through and through, every story is a hit, not a miss, so enjoy at your own risk of over indulging in wonderful prose.

Started with three out of five; quickly becoming a safe four and finally an overwhelming five bright shining stars.


A series of enchanting short stories with a sparkle of the supernatural. Filled with wonderful illustrations to complement and preempt the stories.

Tales with a dollop of pixie dust and shot-through with a generous measure of make belief.

I especially liked the unpredictability in the narratives. Most are left unresolved in terms of the ending; the story is complete but uncertain. Less “They all lived happily ever after”; rather, more scope for interpretation.

That is the bonus for the reader here.

Each unfolding story leaves you with something intangible. You can’t weigh it but the value is immeasurable.
Look in the mirror, is that a smile on your face?
The book that keeps on giving with each new title you read, twenty-one in all. Enough to fill you to bursting. Leaving you full to overflowing from a well of resilience and with an inner strength to see things differently and ready to embrace new ideas.

So dear reader. Please give this book a closer look. Like a course of antibiotics finish the course; 21 short tales; like the last story here; take one a day for three weeks.

This book did me good!

It was a beautiful collection of short stories and they touched my heart! Thank you soo much Netgalley for this amazing book

This book offers a great collection of short stories, each with their own unique flavour. Definitely worth a read.

I find it tough to enjoy full collections of short stories, but surprisingly, this one was one of the best I've ever read. In this anthology, each story deals with the concepts of love and loss, but within a mythical, mystical, fictional world. Some stories are more realistic with a touch of magical realism, whereas others embody Selkies, ghosts, wolves, and genies.

Here are my favorites from this book:

"Spinning Sugar" -- just for the line "you need to collect all the stories you're going to tell her" *weeps*

"Love, Death, and Other Complications" -- I loved the old man character and loved the message at the end of this one.

"Temperance in a Teapot" -- my FAVORITE story in the collection, and I'm not sure why. It has something to do with the quiet conclusion of it, the concept of magical teapots, and the prose. Here's a sneak peek: <i>"The terroir is important, yes, but so is the business. And so were the hands that shaped the clay, the generations of feet that splashed through Breer river water, the memories Nora held close of her and Niall watching herons stretch their pewter wings. Terroir was so much more than choosing the right soil with the right minerals. Terroir was in their blood."</i> I could see teaching this one to 11th/12th.

"The Edge of Morning" -- this was probably one of the more tragic stories to read because of how much this poor narrator has been put through. But it has a really great structure. She starts by listing all of the things she lost when she died, so we immediately know we're in the supernatural territory. The non-linear narrative bounces back between reflections about each item on the list and the awful story that led to the end of her life.

"After the Fall" -- this spoke to my true crime loving soul. When the narrator's sister is murdered and the alleged killer refuses to tell the family where her sister's body is, she takes matters into her own hands.

While the themes were emotional and difficult, I found reading this book to be great fun with the strange worlds and characters, the beautiful prose, and the bite size pieces Callaghan gives the reader.

This is a wonderful set of short stories, many with myth, folklore, magic or mayhem in them. They cover themes of love, loss, grief, loss of childhood, self doubt, consequences and families in their many shapes and forms.
I enjoyed them all, some resonated with me stronger than others but I took something away from each one.

The short stories in this collection are hit or miss. Enjoyable but nothing that I will remember. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this chance to read this book.

this book was just okay. It was a collection of short stories, all with similar themes. Some of course were better than others, and the connection between stories are a bit lacking. I thought it was just a decent read

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

The short stories that worked for me were really good, sadly there is a few in here that I just couldnt connect to at all.

The writing was very much a hit and miss and while some of the short stories definitely made me feel something or made me think some of them just left me wondering what the point of them was.

It also felt weird to me that some were like full on fantasy as in directly talking to a jinn, most had some kind of magical realism element which I really liked but then some of them had nothing magical to them at all.

I'd say overall this collection is solid but nothing spectacular. Definetly enjoyed that ones that were in the 10-20 pages range more than the really short ones.