Frail little embers is a collection of short stories by Frija Callaghan.

It's a relatively short book with simple and effective writing; the author gets their point across very well.

The stories are thematically similar; they all focus on characters who come face-to-face with changes in their lives.

Whether its a child changing schools or an adult leaving their comfort zone- the author treats all these scenarios with tender grace and quiet support.

The characters are also, at some point, supported by or guided by a supernatural element present in their lives which adds a whimsical touch to their harsh reality

I don’t usually read short story collections, but Frail Little Embers by Fija Callaghan surprised me. The book has 21 short stories, each with a small illustration. The stories are magical and whimsical, but they also touch on sadness and loss.

Even though some stories had sad themes and endings, I didn’t feel heavy or discouraged after reading. Instead, I felt a strange sense of hope. The writing made me see beauty in things that are fragile or imperfect, like the title suggests—"frail little embers" that still glow despite their weakness.

The last story, about books that heal people, was my favorite. It left me thinking about how stories can give comfort and even help us feel whole again. That idea stayed with me long after I finished the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection more than I expected. Each story felt like a small world of its own, and I think there’s something special in the way Fija Callaghan writes. If you like magical stories with a touch of sadness but a lot of heart, this is a book worth reading.

You've got to check out Callaghan's collection of short stories!
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book ahead of time. Just to be clear, the review is my honest opinion about the story.

I feel like I just read an amazingly well-put-together collection of short stories. There's the right mix of great writing, cute stories, and some really outstanding pages. I've always been a bit wary of short story collections because they often don't connect with each other, ending up as a jumble of ideas with no real thread. But that's not the case with Frail Little Embers. Each story gives so much to the reader that it weaves a good web.

Each story is tied together by the common thread of hope, and there are a few moments where the sadness hits you right in the feels. This book is perfect for anyone looking for something that speaks to their heart and stirs up some emotion.

If I had to choose one story that I really enjoyed, I would say that it would be Spinning Sugar, Dear Audrey, and Running with Wolves.
I'm really looking forward to the book being published so I can get my hands on a copy and re-read it whenever I need a bit of hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a glittering little gem of compiled short stories, with a beautiful focus on tiny little stolen moments of folklore and myth. Some were recognisable, and others weren't, but all of them were enjoyable in one way or another. I really enjoyed the slightly longer ones in this compilation, but would have appreciated as well if some of them were a little longer. There were some stories that felt cut off when they really could have just had a tiny bit more to them, but they were beautiful nonetheless.

I think my favourite was probably 'The Story Doctor' - a concept I have seen somewhat similarly done in different contexts, but it was really gorgeous in this one. There were definitely some in here that bordered on the creepy and the sad, and I wish that they were given a little more attention or that they were the main focus in this collection.

It's undeniable that Callaghan is a really good writer, and I look forward to reading more in future!

Short, light fantasy, with magical realism elements and small town vibes. If cozy and wholesome is your thing, this collection will enchant you, so lovable and hopeful. It’s no surprise to me that I liked the saddest and the weirdest stories the most, unfortunately they were just a couple. The story as a whole has very coherent stories that go off of each other well. The writing style is stunning. I would absolutely read a full novel by this author. Just the cozy vibes don’t do much for me. The top stories I loved are September Sunsets, The edge of Morning and Apple seeds.
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound | Neem Tree Press for providing me with the ARC.

This was a gorgeous collection of short stories with a strong folklore-y feel to them – exactly like the blurb says. Beautiful language and I know I’d love to read more from Callaghan in the future.

❝After all, there was nothing more comforting than a shared pot of tea.❞

Frail Little Embers - Fija Callaghan
★★★★☆

Fija Callaghan comes up with an anthology consisting 21 different short stories full of myth, magic, and comfort for those who needs it. We got almost everything in this book: melodrama, romance, even vengeance and other thing that'll make you driving mad. The thing i love about this book is the powerful writing style. It's not the too flowery slash poetic narration but for most of the part it hits right through my heart. It works very well with the tone of the book, it's magical and feels like a warm blanket as you read it. Second of all is the format. Frail Little Embers is soooo diverse in format you can see sometimes it's a mere short story, a moment later you'll feel like corresponding with someone, another time it's prose like presentation. Plus it has gorgeous illustration for each of them (kudos to the illustrator). How cool is that?

Personal fav stories:
🍵 Spinning Sugar
As a woman, the vulnerability shown in this one is breaking my heart.
🍵 Dear Audrey
I didn't realize they were actually connected until some letters later on BUT the ending???? DESERVED.
🍵 Running with the Wolves
Love the friendship, it's pure and delicate like fresh air.
🍵 The Edge of Morning
Made me sob, crying, throwing up, thank you. It hurts so much it hurts.
🍵 Songbird
The Edge of Morning part 2. Brb hug my mom after this.
🍵 The Story Doctor
Wholesome story about bookworm who is might never had a chance to read again.

Even though it's a short read, i recommend you to take 1-2 titles at a time because every story gives you different mood and aftertaste and it's best to savour it nice and slow.

This book ripped my heart out in the best way. Each story has this tinge of sadness but always ends on a note of hope that is so beautiful. I liked that there was enough variation in story length and content to be interesting while still fitting into a cohesive theme. My favorite stories were Spinning Sugar, Lost Men, The Fleeting Ones, and The Story Doctor.

Frail Little Embers was such a fantastic story.
Everytime I turned the pages I would crave more of the story. So well written, so well produced. So beautiful!!!

I really wanted to love this collection, but the only story that made an impact was “Fox Song.” There are some interesting concepts in there; the execution just didn’t do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

It was a delight to read “Frail Little Embers” by Fjia Callaghan, this collection of short stories is a sweet and tender package of magical realism. There is tea, handmade candy, visits to the sea, folklore both light and dark, and subtle tension woven through each story. Her passion for using myth and folklore “to creat stories that give people hope in times of darkness”, as stated on her bio, is evident in this collection.

“Running with Wolves” is a gentle retelling of Red Riding Hood when the roads are closer to the woods and Red has a smartphone. The beauty of a short story is the way in which it can tell us a lifetime of sorrows and joys in one small passage of time and we experience this repeatedly through the collection.

Callaghan plays around with form, such as in “September Sunsets” and passages of poetry. It works in this story but I’m unsure how necessary it is within the context of the entire collection. At the same time, the structure of the story is in sharp contrast to the many ways Emily misunderstands everyone around her, from her daughter to the man who brings her firewood.

There are certain lines that are devastating in their lyrical beauty, “I curled up in a ball of smoke and shadow and ached for all the things I didn’t understand” (Callaghan, 141) from the Edge of Morning brought me pause while reading. This was my favourite in the collection, it showcases her form and the way Callaghan’s writing is like a song.

At twenty-one stories it’s fairly long for a short story collection. Some stories, like “The Fleeting Ones” read like a character sketch with limited plot but a lot of foreshadowing that could have been fleshed out in a meaningful way. There’s potential to fill in the spaces and if anything, there’s more than one collection here if the time had been spent to find them. This could be coming from a selfish place as I look forward to reading more from Fjia Callaghan.

“Frail Little Embers” was published on 8 April 2025 by Neem Tree Press, thanks to them for making the title available on Netgalley for review!

I really enjoyed reading this, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed about the short stories. Each one worked well overall and had that theming that I was looking for. Fija Callaghan has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this and though the art illustration worked overall.

Thank you NetGalley and Neem Tree Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this collection of Short Stories. All of them were at least good, with some great, and few that were absolutely amazing. I find my largest problem with the collection is that it leads with some pretty weak stories that didn't hook me into the collection as much as would be ideal.

A lot of the stories have a real magical realism feel, with magic mixing in with the real world seamlessly. The magic is really what made a lot of these stories shine and the stories that lacked magic also lacked that shine. There is also a lot of myth within the stories which I really enjoyed.

Overall a really cute collection that won't change your whole world, but is definitely worth if if you are in the mood for some cozy stories with fun illustrations.

Favorite stories: Dear Audrey, Lost Men, Fox Song, Last Wish, The Fleeting Ones