Cacophony of Crowns

by Garrett S. Broussard, Weecho Forever (illustrator)

"Endlessly entertaining short fiction in a medley of genres….The stories showcase Broussand’s pithy writing—readers will want to keep their eyes out for his future releases. .”–– Kirkus Reviews

From gods to monarchs to commoners, power always claims its price in this genre-spanning short story collection.

“Cacophony of Crowns” is a collection of short stories chronicling the chaotic rise and fall of power throughout the past, present, and future. Witness as Wren the fisherman deals with mortality, a hedonistic king is confronted with his darkest fears, and Atansha heals a kingdom with the strength given to her by the earth.

This chaotic mythology introduces the reader to the world of the Dark Forest, and all the planets contained within. It is a world filled with magickal beings, powerful rulers, and otherworldly happenings. Here, humans use magick to alter their realities, with some even ascending to gods, but not without finding the true price of power—a price few mortals wish to pay…

Genres: Fantasy

173 pages, Paperback

Published May 23, 2024

About the author

Garrett S. Broussard, author of Cacophony of Crowns, lives with his wife in California where both chase their Animation dreams. Broussard enjoys writing stories whenever he can find time; on airplanes, in cars, and even in the middle of the street. His creations sometimes manifest as wooden furniture, photographs, and even houses in video games that happen to have a build mechanic.

Broussard enjoys hiking, petting all the dogs, eating all the buffalo wings, and tasting all the good whisky. He also enjoys ruminating on everything and obsessing over Jungian archetypes.

Reviews

[Nikki]

congratulations Garrett! what an incredible achievement.

[Wayne]

Definitely short stories

If you are looking for something to read to kill time between appointments etc. This is the book for you. The stories are very short. There is no time for flushing out any characters.

[Libby]

This collection of short stories has something for everyone! It spans several genres: fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, horror. Although I don’t typically read sci-fi or horror, even I found myself drawn into these worlds and invested in these characters! But it was the fantasy stories that really stood out to me. I want to live in the Dark Forest! I was impressed how quickly you’re drawn and settled into each world thanks to the descriptive writing and the distinctive characters. The characters and plots are well developed and clearly defined, so it was easy to not be confused between stories. And while each story felt complete, they were so fun, you’re often left wanting more.

[Tyler]

I won this as a Goodreads giveaway.

While the book is definitely pitched as discordant, I think it was perhaps just a bit *too* discordant. While I really liked the unexpected connections between some of the stories, an equal number were disappointing. Particularly those that were essentially just a few pages of a random fight scene, I was quite confused by those.

[Jordan Orlando]

Great collection of fantastical short stories with rich world-building. I can see any number of these being the blueprints for their own individual, full-length novels.

[Ikayuro]

DNF at 56%

Thank you so much for the giveaway copy!

Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. There is a -lot- of purple prose in these, so much so that I felt my attention wavering just because getting through the descriptions of things felt like a slog. It was all telling and no showing, which took the wind out of a lot of the better stories in here. That, and the random phrases like -ANIME FIGHT SCENE-! Completely rip the reader out of the moment and breaks the flow of the story.

I can see where these might appeal to people, so I'm just leaving the review at average. Again, nothing terribly wrong with the stories, just wasn't my cup of tea!

[Danielle Bennett]

I received this book as part of a giveaway. I didn't know how to feel about fantasy short stories ! These seem to be snapshots of another world, rather than stories which explore a particular concept. They are enjoyable for what they are and the writing is nice.

[Maggie]

GR Gvwy