Aliferous: A Collection of Fairy Tales, Adventure, Romance & Whimsy

by Alissa J. Zavalianos

Aliferous ~ adj. winged; having wings

A starling calling songs in the middle of the night, owls taking a young girl on a journey, a swan charm bracelet holding more meaning than it appears, a steampunk aircraft on a harrowing misadventure, parched sands where a roadrunner keeps a grieving man alive…

In this collection of short stories and poems—both adventurous and bittersweet—you’ll find birds are everywhere. Whether mentioned outright or simply by themes of flight, hope, beauty, and freedom, this collection is for everyone who has ever had a dream or longs to spread wings of their own.

Genres: Fantasy, Poetry, Short Stories, Christian Fiction, Christian

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2024

About the author

Alissa J. Zavalianos grew up in New Hampshire and currently lives there with her wonderful husband, sweet daughter, and mischievous cat, Moo. As a child, she always had a love for nature, books, and fairy tales, and as she grew older, that love bloomed all the more. Alissa loves Jesus and is inspired by birds, mountains, castles, Tolkien, Lewis, and the way a cold breath of wind feels on her bare toes.

Reviews

[Alissa J. Zavalianos]

ENDORSEMENTS:

“Lovers of fairy tales and lore will fall head over heels for this collection of stories and poems. Filled with love and hope, each unique tale brings light into a world needing a little more sunlight to break through the clouds.”
- 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐇 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐒, author of 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢

“𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 is filled with tales that resound with what we so need in this world: hope, light, and whimsy. Wherever you are in life, you are sure to find a story, a poem, and a friendly bird meant just for you in these pages.
- 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄, author of 𝘈 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴

“𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 in a word: delightful. This unique collection is filled with stories and poems told with thoughtful, riveting prose that brings about the whimsy and nostalgia of childhood. Zavalianos captivated me the entire way through, and her words brought to mind an old C.S. Lewis quote that goes, “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." Today is that day, dear friends. Let Zavalianos weave your heart into a fairy tale with 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴.”
- 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐔, author of 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥 and 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴

“𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴: I don't often get to read a short story. Over the last few weeks, I have had the delight of pouring over these carefully crafted pages and reading not one, but many, mixed with sweet pages of poetry and I loved them all. Alissa has once again woven something sweet and wholesome and delightful, and I would love to sit one day, on a summery porch and read these all again, fairy tale and poem, with a glass of tea and a setting sun, because they were made for moments like that, quiet and thoughtful. I loved this book.”
- 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍, author of 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This little collection has been a labor of love—ten plus years in the making. I wrote some of these stories while in high school and college, others in recent years, and after MUCH editing, it’s almost ready to get into your hands.

This is surreal. A long-awaited dream realized. I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about a book’s release before.

Aliferous is my heart project; the stories and poems in here resonate somewhere deep, and it’s my prayer that the Lord puts this collection into the hands of those who need it most—tales of courage, hope, light, and wonder…all centered around the imagery of birds, flight, and freedom.

After reading Aliferous, I hope you walk away feeling a little lighter, your dreams a little bolder, and your faith a little stronger, remembering the God who made the starry host, the birds of the air, and everything in between, cares even more so for you and me.

[Morgan Giesbrecht]

So happy to have beta-read this beautiful collection 💛

[Caitlin Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC!! ☺️

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid collection of short stories and poetry. I think I had the most fun with the poetry, but the stories were also really good. My favourites were Coal of Smith-Harrow and Storm-Crow. If you've never read from Zavalianos before, this is a great introduction to her style. If you're a long-time fan, this is a good book to add to your collection.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words don’t even begin to describe how amazing this book was!! There’s romance, fantasy, coziness, poetry, and all the whimsical things!

Alissa is a master of words, and every short story, tale, or poem takes you on a wonderful adventure!

[Noelle Brueck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an enjoyable experience reading this book. I adored every one of her poems and short tales. I think the retelling of Cinderella is my favorite story. And the poem "Castle" was my favorite. My imaginative side was definitely piqued by the poetry. I heartily endorse this book!

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Actual Rating 4.5 Stars****

Pure magic: these stories are made of the lightest and purest of magic, so much so I swear the author must have pixie dust in her veins and is able to sprinkle it in her stories for all of us to grasp and feel in the most tangible, wonderful way.

The poems were good too, but by far the majority of the short stories were my favorites. My absolute favorites are: Crescent (this one made me cry, it was so relatable), Coal of Smith-Harrow (the genderbent Cinderella I’ve been looking for without knowing it!), Stories in the Dark (this one sucked me right in), Like Stars in the Sky (this is the one that convinced me the author writes with magic by how much I could FEEL everything in pure wonder), The Swan and the Masquerade (*gasp* I loved a regency story! *dies of shock to immediately revive to talk about it* But it was so sweet and the swoony forbidden romance vibes were all there—how could I not love it?), and Parched Sands (such a hard read but the way the roadrunner adopted him…!!! She was so cute!).

And because I have a few, my favorite poems are: Stories, Gift of Light, and Grace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and I look forward to this beauty coming out in paperback because I am for sure buying a copy when it does!


‼️Content (this is for all the stories)‼️

Language: darn; bloody; heck; hell (to describe a situation)

Violence: a storm at sea; fighting a sea monster (not detailed); people fell to their deaths when a planet crumbled; a character’s arm was impaled by a rock (not detailed); a character nearly dies in the desert; a woman was wrongly hanged for helping the poor (not shown or detailed)

Sexual: kissing (not detailed)

Drug/Alcohol: a man smokes a pipe; a father is a drunk

Other: magic; a girl is turned into a chicken; magical creatures; death and grief


****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own, and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was, I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****

[Brooke J Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aliferous is a collection for for everyone. She takes you through a variety of stories that stir the adventurer in you.
You will be sailing the sees to escape a monster, get lost in a rethinking of beloved fairytales or children's literature some with a little pixie dust amongst the stars, immersed in New legends, escape a dance in a regency romance.
Then Alissa sweeps you up into poems that make you imagine, feel and hope.Opening your eyes to the world around you.
I loved this collection it's one for the whole family these aren't just stories to read and set aside they are well crafted and filled with meaning.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dont be afraid to grow up, Pete my boy, but stay curious. Always stay curious. The stories keep us young... It's not so much the body we need to keep young, but the mind."

Rating a book of short stories and poems is hard for me to do, because I of course like some more than others. Though each story is very good, I might perhaps rate some at four stars and others at five. I was going to rate the book as a whole at four stars until I got to the poetry (even though I truly enjoyed every single story), but then the poems were like a balm to my soul. I loved them so much. Zavalianos is one of the few people about which I can say I love their poetry. Most of the time authors write so vaguely (though beautifully) that the meaning just goes right over my head, but dear Alissa manages to write things very plainly yet also gracefully. The poems are very moving. As I often mention, I usually rate books based on how much I like them and not based on technique since I am absolutely not a writer and don't feel I have the right to critique at all. The poems pushed this book to a five-star read for me. So far this author has done an amazing job in everything she has written, and this is perhaps my favorite work by her. My favorite short story is probably Crescent; it's so whimsical and dreamy. I love the mythical-style element to it that makes me daydream about the night sky. Some of my favorite poems are Hope for a Marigold, Castles, Night Sky, and Always in Full Bloom.

Go read this one and soothe your heart and mind.🌷📖

[Moriah Chavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Danielle Bullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often read short stories.

But when I heard Alissa was releasing this collection of them, I knew I was about to change things up.

This collection, was such a delight. From start to finish, fireside stories with romance, adventures, stars and fairytales and I loved them all.

If you want something on your shelves, that you can pick up and pull a delightful story out of in a heartbeat on a summer afternoon or a winter's evening, buy this book. Get it in hardcover and thumb through the pages. You won't regret it.

[Tara | InkySerendipity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fumble over my words too easily, so I decided put it this way: Not every story in this book has been written for you, but there is one that has. There is one story, one poem, even one line that is meant for you to read, whatever season you may be in. ❤️ There’s a way Alissa has with infusing her books with hope and light for those both young and old. Aliferous is worth the read—with all its little gems, you won’t leave empty handed. Rather, you may instead find that your heart sprouts wings to fly. 🪶

[Sarah Baylor]

This collection is remarkable!! Each story and poem was beautifully crafted with care. So honored to beta-read it.

[Samantha Mendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely! This collection is wonderful. Alissa’s retellings were my favorites. Positively delightful; highly recommend.💛

[Kayla Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classics retold, poems of hope, and an over arching theme of spreading your wings to take flight made this such an enjoyable book.

Short stories that brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. I wanted the stories to be longer, but it was a new change of pace to feel like I was reading multiple books in one!

I loved the twist in every well known story. Cinderella and Peter Pan to name a few of my favorites. All including a type of bird or way to take to the sky’s!

I wanted to share each story with my children at bedtime. Truly a remarkable compilation and I loved every minute and it brought smiles and such fun talks with my kids.

[Anna Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aliferous is a beautiful anthology filled with whimsy, light, and hope. The stories swept me away to other worlds, and the poetry filled me with all the fuzzy feels and warmth. And the overarching theme of birds was lovely; I found myself looking for the bird in each piece haha

Coal of Smith-Harrow was my favorite story out of them all. A fresh take on Cinderella that still had all the fairytale vibes I could ask for. I demand more fairytales from Alissa!! Haha

Overall, I loved this anthology and can see myself revisiting it time and time again!

I received an ARC of this book, but all opinions and fangirling thoughts are my own!

[Renée Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivered exactly what it claimed - adventure, romance, and whimsy. The short stories were perfect for light evening reading. I got swept away in the fairytale of it all and really enjoyed the vast range of genres that the book included. The author also wrote some lovely poetry which is included in a section at the end, mostly focused on the wonder of God's creation. The subtle theme of birds is woven throughout the pages, which made the bird glossary at the end especially appealing. A truly wonderful collection.

[E.G. Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of this beautiful collection, and I can't say enough good things about it. This is the first collection of short stories and poetry that I've read in years so I was a little worried that I might not enjoy it, just because of the change in style from my usual reads. But that wasn't the case at all, and I'm definitely going to be snagging a paperback copy of this book for rereads!

This collection is comprised of four sections, as the title shares: Fairy tales, Adventure, Romance, & Whimsy/Poetry. Because of how it's broken up, I'm going to review this a little differently than I typically do, but I can honestly say I enjoyed every section in the book. Each one held strong stories, inspiring lessons, and charming prose, and I would feel comfortable loaning this to absolutely anyone, thanks to it being 100% clean.

In the Fairy Tales section, my absolute FAVORITE story was Coal of Smith-Harrow. By the end, it nearly made me cry with the touching reminders of worth and belonging that I - and I'm sure many others - can relate to. It was such a fun spin on the Cinderella story, but delivered in a charming new setting, with likable and mysterious new characters, and again, precious and inspiring themes. The romance was sweet and completely clean. I would gladly read an entire series around those characters. I'll continue with the rest of the review now, but I had to gush about that story first <33

As for the other stories in that section, each one held its own special lesson, theme, and meaning. Anna Belle and the Seed was immediately intriguing, and contained some thought-provoking questions amidst the cute and silly storytelling. Crescent was cute, imaginative, and whimsical, and left me wanting more. And The Legend of the Lighthouse Keeper hooked me from the start with its poetic and mythical style of storytelling.

My favorite story in the Adventure section of the book would probably have to be The Tale of Markhus Roder. While short, there are so many deep questions and themes packed inside, and they're delivered with lots of heart. I love Robin Hood themed stories anyway, and this one is one of my favorites now. I called one of the twists, but loved it all the same, and I admire how the author explored the nuances of both good and bad in people.

Enjoy this gorgeous line from that story <33
"Sunshine and talons. Joy and grief. Perhaps life was a mixture of the two."

As for the many other stories in the Adventure section, I again enjoyed each and every one of them. Stories in the Dark got my attention right away because, well, pirates AND Irish influences? What's not to love? Especially with a healthy dose of adorable children and vivid imagination. Storm-Crow was fast-paced with great foreshadowing, a clear and interesting setting, and a puzzling predicament for the protagonist. I also love the moral that the author included at the end.

Like Stars in the Sky started with an intriguing conflict, and ended with some truly touching character change, with fun connections, creative names, and sad backstories in between. I enjoyed the twist on Peter Pan, and how unique the elements that the author added were. This is another story I'd absolutely read an entire series about (hint hint). And lastly, Captain Maverick of Tarkin left me contemplating my life, but in a good way. The steampunk setting was fun and new to me, and the worldbuilding and backstories were both heartbreaking and well-written. I liked that, while not perfect for the characters, the ending still contained hope.

When I reached the Romance section, I was more hesitant. I love fairy tales and adventure, but I tend to be more picky with my fictional romances. If that's you too, I'm happy to say that I enjoyed all of the romances that the author included in this section. They were clean, sweet, engaging, and reminded me of my husband, which is always a good thing, haha. <3

My favorite story in the Romance section would be The Swan and the Masquerade. I could relate to the protagonist form the start, and between the well-timed jumps in time (flashbacks to present), and the adorable end couple, I finished the story smiling. I disliked a couple of the characters that I was definitely supposed to dislike, but otherwise it was an all-around adorable story with good themes. The setting was also very fun, because who doesn't like period masquerade balls?

The other two stories in that section were also cute. Second Chance Robin was a fun little glimpse into a story (that felt like it could easily be developed into a longer series) with an amusing ending, and fun, mostly likable characters. Parched Sands made my heart hurt for the main character and his family, but it ended with a much needed glimmer of hope. The worldbuilding for that story and the sad flashbacks kept me invested, and I would (again, this is a recurring theme) read an entire book about that storyworld.

And finally, for the Whimsey/Poetry section. Though I've written poetry and read a bunch of old poems, it's been a long time since I read a significant amount of others' poetry. I didn't realize how much I missed it! The poems in this section were so sweet and beautiful. I'm not going to go through them individually because there were quite a few and I have the same comments on nearly all of them: they're hopeful, cute, full of good reminders, inspirational, and TRUE. Some of the poems were lighthearted and made me smile, others made me tear up, and still others just left me feeling motivated to be a better person - which is something I admire in writing. The author has a beautiful style of poetry.

So all of that to say, I highly recommend this collection. What expectations I had were blown away and I know this is going to be a comfort read when I'm looking for some fun, quick, and hopeful stories, and/or when I want to gift someone a book and be sure they'll enjoy it. If you're on the fence, go ahead and give it a try! I can guarantee you'll find at least one story you love (if not more).

Themes: True love, family, hope, light overcoming darkness, friendship, forgiveness, humility, grace, strength in hard situations, trust, acceptance, and true beauty.

Content warning: G-rated. Rare use of d*rn and h*ck, and one use of h*ll (to describe a situation). Non-described kisses. Mention of a drunk and of a character that smokes. Fairy tale magic. Loss, grief, fighting, and mentions of characters dying in the past. In my opinion, everything was tactfully covered, and I would feel comfortable with my young siblings reading the material.

**I received a free copy of this book from the author. I was not required to leave a review and all thoughts are my own.**

[Lily Bliss · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★ - (really liked it)

{Reviewed March 25th, 2024} ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

This book was so sweet 🥺 And just what I needed! A lovely collection of retellings, poems, and original short stories. I enjoyed everything but my most favorites are Coal of Smith-Harrow, The Tale of Markhus Roder, Canvas Sky, Currents, and Castles.

❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ ❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Recommended for readers who love poetry/short story collections, fantasy. Similar to?? Set in n/a. Feels like?

***Content Warnings, or things that caught my attention: Mentions of injuries, deceased family members; I don't think there was anything else :)

All thoughts are my own!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's definitely one I will re-read many times. Every short story in it was beautifully written and just made me happy to read them. My top three, in no order, were:
"Coal of Smith-Harrow". A wonderful retell version of Cinderella. The relationship formed is very sweet.
"The Swan and the Masquerade". The main character is so relatable and, since I've discovered that I love Regency romance, I found it a perfect short love story.
"Crescent". Just a beautiful and, in a way, emotionally relatable story and I loved its peaceful end.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves beautiful stories of magic, light romance, whimsy, hope, and fairy tales.

[Kendra Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough! Every story and poem was perfect. They all spoke to me. The words leapt off the page and came to life. I loved the whole book, but if I had to choose, my absolute favorite poems and stories would be Always in Full Bloom, My Favorite Birds, Coal of Smith-Harrow, and The Swan and the Masquerade. I didn’t want the book to end. I loved it so much!

I was provided a copy of the book from the author/publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

[Kyrie Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful collection of short reads! You'll find a bit of everything here- poetry, stories set in contemporary times, some in medieval times, even some mythology-type stories. Many of them feature birds, and as a bird-lover, I really appreciated this.

The poetry collection was a joy to read. They made me think, and others made me smile. I appreciate the author's willingness to share her faith in God in her poems, and my favorite one is Marvelous Wings, which reminds us to be grateful for what we have and not look to others for comparison.

Onto the short stories. I found all of them enjoyable to read; some have lighter themes than others, but all of them are clean and suitable for younger audiences. Coal of Smith-Harrow, a gender-swapped Cinderella retelling, was my favorite!! In just a few pages the author was able to make me love the main character (Coal), root for his budding romance, and sweep me away into a fantasy medieval land. The plot twist at the end was so well done and the message of the story beautiful- "We're all a little broken," but that's alright, and we should not judge one another because of it.

The prose was also descriptive while being easy to read. I used the app, Voice Aloud reader, to turn the ebook into an audiobook, and it was such a fluid listening experience. Many images came to life in my head and I blazed through this read because (like a kid at bedtime) I wanted ANOTHER STORY! This book was perfect for cozying up with on rainy or winter days. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author for an ARC. The above review is my unbiased opinion.

[The Bookworm Girl Bethany]

This book is such a treasure. It’s both fun and moving. Each story provides a different theme and focus but they all hold the power to warm the heart and draw the reader into the story. Alissa maintains the power to weave tapestries with her words and the reader can easily picture her scenes. My favorite part about the book was that one story could make me think while the next made me flip pages as fast as possible to discover the end result. For instance, “Stories in the Dark” gripped me and made me hold my breath in impatience to finish it. Also, Alissa writes with expert skills as she shifts from one topic to the next. In the book, the powerful retellings drew me in, and then later pages prompted me to slow down and meditate on the poetry section. Continuing, I enjoyed so many parts of this book because I found myself reminded of other treasured stories, like Peter Pan, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Robin Hood, and so on.

I love the format of this book if you can’t tell already. It provided such variety for me, and the change of pace kept me gripped and excited to finish it. Alissa pulls such powerful imagery from nature and nature’s creatures while beautifully glorifying our Creator, which continually touched me.



Thanks for reading and I hope you try Aliferous.



Blessings and happy reading,

Beth

[Brandi Raae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aliferous is a hodgepodge of short stories and poems that are all curiously tied together with themes of flight and feathers. These tales span quite a variety of genres and are filled with hope, whimsy, and wholesomeness. I’d say it’s written with a YA audience in mind.

Read if you like:

🪶 Birds
🪶 Fairy and folk tales
🪶 Adventure
🪶 Nature
🪶 Biblical worldview
🪶 Poetry
🪶 Short stories
🪶 Inspirational messages
🪶 Supporting indie authors

Favorite quotes:

“Some humility can thaw even the coldest of hearts and can cause things to grow in the foulest of weather.”

“I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of remaining as I am and growing cold because of it.”

“We don’t have to hold beautiful things in order to know their worth. Just marveling is enough.”


*I received a complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Brittany Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Aliferous” is a delightful collection of fanciful stories and poetry. Compiled of 12 short-stories and 35 poems, all themed around birds, there is a little something for everyone to enjoy.

Alissa is skilled at weaving imagery, and brings each story’s setting to life in vivid colors.

Her poems are also a delight to read and re-read. One cannot spend some time with them and walk away without a deep impression of the author’s firm faith.

This collection was a joy to peruse, and I know that I’ll be returning time and again.

[Beilby_Book_Nook Bekki Beilby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aliferous is a beautiful cozy collection of short stories and poems. This collection includes fantasy, romance, adventure, and hope filled writing that was a pleasure to read. I loved how Alissa wove the theme of birds throughout her writing, and each bird had a special meaning specific to the story. My favourite quote from the book: “Maybe to have hope is to have courage. To have wings. Maybe that’s enough.”

I would highly recommend this book to both young adults and adults. I want to thank the author Alissa J. Zavalianos for an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

[Erica Dansereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aliferous in a word: delightful. This unique collection is filled with stories and poems told with thoughtful, riveting prose that brings about the whimsy and nostalgia of childhood. Zavalianos captivated me the entire way through, and her words brought to mind an old C.S. Lewis quote that goes, “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” Today is that day, dear friends. Let Zavalianos weave your heart into a fairytale with Aliferous.

[Erin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love picking up this book when I have a couple moments to just read a short story or a couple of poems. It is so cozy, perfect for those few minutes when you are waiting for something but it’s not quite time, or need some space before picking up your next chonky read!
It has Alissa Zavalianos’ signature flair of wonder and heart, and a beautiful cover ta-boot!

[Anne Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aliferous. adj. winged; having wings

The entire anthology revolves around the theme of birds, making the title very fitting, as well as catchy and fun!

I really enjoyed this collection by Alissa J. Zavalianos. It was such a fun and enjoyable read. I had a hard time putting it down and read through it pretty quickly! Her stories were filled with hope, courage, and the idea of pushing forward no matter how hard things get. There is always a light on the other side, even it is hard to see.

One of my favorite quotes was, “A man is worthy of anyone’s pretense by what’s in his heart, not by how he walks,”… This was said by Freya in one of my favorite stories in the collection.

There were very few stories that didn’t captivate me, and those are more personal preference. I think this anthology story holds a story for pretty much everyone.

The whimsical nature was wonderful and inspired me to think about writing some short stories of my own!

[Tweller83 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting set of short stories and poems. I liked it as I really like birds. I liked the short stories for the most part, but I'm not one for poetry, so I didn't really love that portion of the book. Overall, good.