Three Slices

The Iron Druid Chronicles #7.5 - A Prelude to War

by Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, Chuck Wendig

Three Slices presents three novellas by modern fantasy writers:

A Prelude to War by Kevin Hearne
After an old friend is murdered in retaliation for his mercenary strikes against the oldest vampires in the world, Atticus O'Sullivan must solicit the aid of another old friend in Ethiopia if he's going to have a chance of finishing a war he never wanted. Meanwhile, Granuaile MacTiernan starts a private war of her own against Loki, the lord of lies, and if it brings Ragnarok early—so be it.

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys by Delilah S. Dawson
The number one rule of the circus? Don't kill your volunteers, even accidentally. That's how young magician Criminy Stain ends up on the run in a forest, where he meets a beautiful woman holding a bucket of blood. But is Merissa the answer to his prayers-- or the orchestrator of his ruin?

Interlude: Swallow by Chuck Wendig
Miriam Black is back. Miriam is tired of her curse and finally believes she knows how to be rid of her ability to see when and how other people die. She follows a lead to the mountains of Colorado, where she believes she sees signs of a serial killer she thought she already killed. (Set between THE CORMORANT and THUNDERBIRD.)

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Short Stories, Vampires, Anthologies

280 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2015

About the author

Kevin is the NYT bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles, as well as The Seven Kennings, an epic fantasy trilogy, and the Tales of Pell, a humorous fantasy series co-authored with Delilah S. Dawson. INK & SIGIL, a new urban fantasy series set in the Iron Druid universe, will be out in 2020.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this collection of three short stories because the first one, A Prelude to War, is an introduction to Kevin Hearne's next full book and I did not want to miss anything! As a short story it was okay - too much Granuaille as usual - I keep hoping something dreadful might happen to her soon. Anyway I am now up to date on Atticus and Oberon and very ready for the next book.
The second story, Not my Circus, Not my Monkey, is by a new to me author, Delilah S. Dawson. This was a great introduction to her books which I now want very much to read. Criminy is a character you just have to have more of and you don't often come across books with flesh eating rabbits.
The third story, Interlude:Swallow, by Chuck Wendig was interesting but needed some knowledge of the book that preceded it to really understand what was going on. It was a good taster though and I did list it to follow up.
Altogether a very entertaining and productive few hours of reading pleasure.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three slices of …

cheese.

No kidding.

Kevin Hearne, Delilah Dawson and Chuck Wendig present three novellas which feature tyromancy.

What’s tyromancy you ask?

A form of divination involving observation of cheese.

I’m a Kevin Hearne fan, more specifically a fan of his Iron Druid series and so I was interested in his story Prelude to War. Atticus travels to Ethiopia to meet a tyromancer he’s known for centuries. This leads up to the action to come in 2016’s next Atticus and Oberon adventure Staked. Hearne follows Atticus and Granuaile - but Kevin?? Where’s Owen Kennedy?

I’ve never read anything by Dawson before, but her entry “Not my circus, not my monkey” is a contribution to her Blud series. Protagonist Criminy Stain is a Bludman, basically a vampire, and this fun steampunk adventure follows his creepy introduction to a traveling circus.

Chuck Wendig adds a Miriam Black novella. Black has a power and / or a curse: when she touches someone she can see the moment of that person’s death. Dark and violent, Blackbirds fans will enjoy this one.

Some good urban fantasy.

[Eon Windrunner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for 3 Slices

A Prelude to War by Kevin Hearne - 3.5 Stars
I nice little Iron Druid entry. Fast and fun.

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys by Delilah S. Dawson - 4 Stars
First time reading this author and based on this story I will be seeking out more of her work.

Interlude: Swallow by Chuck Wendig - 2 Stars
I liked the premise of someone who can see the day and time of your death by touching you, but did not enjoy the characters’ voice which tended towards the vulgar side. The mystery was not bad either, but cannot bring myself to go more than 2 stars.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iron Druid short story: A Prelude to War
3 Stars
I'm not sure what happened to Iron Druid, but I loved it at the beginning, and the farther along it's gotten and the more time passes in between, I just don't love it anymore. I still like it. It's still entertaining. I really love Oberon and Granuaile and the deities and even Atticus, though.

This short story was decent. Not great. Felt kinda rushed. And the whole cheese-o-mancy was a little, well, cheesy.

**I skipped the Blud short story for now, as I've not read that series yet. But it's on my to-read, so maybe one day?**

Miriam Black short story: Interlude: The Swallow
4.5 stars
I love Miriam Black. I just do. She's got a cool power, she's strong and flawed and on some levels relatable, and she f*cking curses like a drunken horny sailor. Seriously, potty potty potty mouth!

This quick tale also felt a little rushed, but had a good story and some characters that were pretty neat. So I enjoyed it, of course. Did I mention her hilarious potty mouth?

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Choko · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3.36 ***

Three short stories from three different Urban Fantasy series. I think it is difficult to enjoy all of them, unless you are familiar with the series they belong to. I am only up to date with The Iron Druid series, but I am now interested in reading the other two because I read these shorts... So the compilation did its job 😀.

The common thread in the three stories - divination with CHEESE! 😀! Different and I was here for it😊👍

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 RTC

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like when you have to read the novellas to understand the novels. If it's important to the main story it should just be included in one of the main books.

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read *listened to* Prelude to War, a novella in the Iron Druid Chronicles.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I couldn't wait to read the next installment in the Iron Druid Chronicles. Actually, I bought book #8 and then, I bought this one. I don't usually like the little in-between novellas, but this was an exception because it was more than just one story, which most of them are.

As it turns out, it was a sweet deal for me. I got more Iron Druid than I was planning on and I was exposed to two authors new to me, and I had a chance to preview their writing style and their characters.

I definitely have to thank Kevin for including the stories by Delilah and Chuck. I really enjoyed both of them and might never have been introduced to either of them, except via this book.

Who knew that the future could be told in cheese? Who knew someone would want to write a story about it? I enjoyed all three of them! What unique imaginations and insight.

I will be reading more of Delilah and her Blud character, Criminy Stain, and although it was on the more gritty side than my taste usually leads me, I will also be taking up with Chuck's, Miriam, and her journey to end her curse.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All three stories were good. I'm a big fan of both the Iron Druid and Miriam Black, so those stories were a pretty easy sell, but I enjoyed the story by Delilah S. Dawson as well. It's the second story I've read in an anthology set in her Blud series and I'm intrigued enough now to want to read more, so the anthology model definitely worked again to both make money and make a new fan. It appears to be the earliest in the series chronologically, even earlier than the prequel in Carniepunk, but I'm not familiar enough with the series to be sure about that. It definitely predates the main novels in the series, since the main characters haven't met yet and it predicts their meeting. I know almost nothing about the series and didn't feel at a loss at all reading it, I don't think any knowledge about the world is needed, though fans will probably find extra significance in some aspects of the story. On the other hand, the Iron Druid story by Kevin Hearne is really only for fans of the series. It takes place between books seven and eight and is actually a bridge between the books, according to the author's blog. In fact there is information in the story that leads directly into book eight. Hearne doesn't fill in much background or try to make it a stand-alone story, so I wouldn't recommend buying this book if trying out this series for the first time is your goal, there are other stories and books that would be better options. (Though I definitely recommend trying it out, it's one of my very favorite series, get the first book, Hounded, it's so much fun.) The Miriam Black story maybe could be an entry point, it might be intriguing to new readers, but if it was me, I'd also be very frustrated all all of the stuff that I didn't know, since it very much also is part of the series and not one of those stories that has characters from the series but can be read separately. It heavily referenced previous story points without really explaining them. I was even frustrated at all of the things I couldn't remember from the past books because of my awful memory, and I'm a big fan. I guess I don't know how new readers would feel. But I think fans would really enjoy it. It reminded me how conflicted Miriam is now and how much she's dealing with, it was a great refresher before the next book finally arrives. (Never soon enough, right?) Like all of Miriam's stories, it was pretty dark, certainly more so than the other two stories in the book, so readers beware. Not that it's anything particularly unsettling, but the first two stories had very different tones than the third story, it's just the nature of those series. Iron Druid is adventure and wit, Criminy's Blud story felt like adventure and sarcasm (I don't know what the rest of the series is like, I gather he isn't the regular narrator), and Miriam is all about determination and survival. Oh, and I forgot to mention the cheese! It was kind of weird. But whatever excuse they used to get these three authors together was fine by me. Tyromancy, predicting the future using melted cheese to see your vision instead of a crystal ball or tarot cards or whatever other tool. Hearne used it in a small way, inoffensively. Dawson's use was the most effective, I enjoyed the person in the story who used the method, she was eerie and interesting, and I look forward to seeing if the information she provided was included in the original stories or if Dawson re-imagined it for this tale. Wendig's use was good too, it seemed weird at first, and it was, but it kind of made sense by the end. Anyway, like I said, I'm glad these guys found an excuse to do the book together.

I can't leave this review without mentioning the beautiful art by Galen Dara. She did a piece for each story and they're just stunning, as her work always is. She captures more than just an image, she brings so much movement and emotion into her pieces and picks scenes that represent something important about the story she's illustrating. The one for Wendig's Miriam Black story is especially unique, really special, though of course I'm also partial to any picture that has Hearne's Oberon in it as well, he's such a handsome fellow.

So the summary is that it's a great book for fans of the series that are included, but it might not be the best one people who haven't started Hearn's or Wendig's series yet.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About)]

Listening to A Prelude to War by Kevin Hearne

Note: This review has spoilers from SHATTERED by Kevin Hearne.

A Prelude to War is a short novella that takes place after the dramatic events detailed in Shattered. While one could listen to the story as a standalone, I don’t recommend it.

At the end of Shattered, Atticus discovers that an enemy killed an old friend to get Atticus’s attention. Unsure of what to do next, Atticus seeks guidance from a seer he’s known for centuries, only to discover he’s stepped into his enemy’s trap. Meanwhile, Granuaile, frustrated with her defeat by Loki, seeks for a way to remove his mark and gain vengeance.

Having previously read Staked, the book that follows Shattered in the series, I know that A Prelude to War isn’t required reading to follow the storylines; however, it does provide details to how the main characters get to where they are at the beginning of that book.

I didn’t really care for Atticus’s story; I didn’t really see the point, other than it’s yet another case where he’s been betrayed and needs to figure his way of his own mess. On the other hand, I loved Granuaile’s story! We get the chance to see how much she’s grown over the years and witness her true mettle. I loved watching her deal the emotional and mental scars left by Loki.

Narration: As always, Luke Daniels does an amazing job. He alters his dialogue based on gender, age, and species, giving each character a completely unique voice.

In the end, A Prelude to War fills in the gaps between two main books and provides insight into Atticus’s and Granuaile’s thoughts as they deal with setbacks.

My Rating:
Story: B
Narration: A

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed both the Iron Druid (Kevin Hearne) short and the Blud (Delilah S. Dawson) short, but must admit I was a bit lost with the Miriam Black (Chuck Wendig) short.

First, I am an existing fan of the first two and listened to the Iron Druid in audio throughout, so the novella was like sliding back into a comfortable shoe in preparation for the new release.

Although I've read perhaps half or more of Dawson's Blud series I had not previously listened to any of the audio for it. I have to say I really enjoyed the audio for this. The story is a prequel about Criminy and how he acquired his carnival as well as when he received his first foreshadowing about where his love would inevitably come from. I found the narrator for Criminy more perfect than my imagination, and that's really saying something. I may have to go back and find these books in audio, at least the ones that feature Criminy.

Chuck Wendig's Miriam Black series has been on my TBR list, with no attention, for all together too long. So the character and the world were completely new to me and I must admit I had a tough time following it unless giving it 100% attention. I would realize that I couldn't tell if she was talking about something that was really happening or something she had a vision of. I suspect complete attention, or reading the book instead of listening to it, may have alleviated that. Still, I found the character rough and gritty and forthright and that's going to pull me back to the series and have me opening a book when light fluff just will not do. I know it.

[Chris Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Prelude to War (4/5 stars): This is the reason I got the book and the only one of the three authors I've read. The story is good and advances the plot in such a way that it is a must to read before moving on to Book 8. I wonder if they'll re-cap it in book 8 upon release or publish it on it's own.

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys (4/5 stars): Never read this author before and I know nothing about the world it takes part in, but the story was enjoyable, characters and writing was good, and over all interesting enough that I'm considering finding an reading the series.

Interlude: Swallow (1/5 stars): Another author and series I haven't read, and wish I hadn't read this. The plot is rather dull, full of coincidences, and the characters just aren't interesting. For a stand alone compilation book, it fails. Worse, though, is the writing is sophomoric in the extreme. Chuck Wendig is uncomfortably fixated on the crotch. This is the kind of writing I'd expect from a 14 year old.

So aggregate score 3/5 stars, I recommend the first two, but skip the last story.

[InexactEarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting collection of three novellas that deal with tyromancy (divination using melted cheese).

A Prelude to War is an Iron Druid novella that takes place between books 7 and 8, explains some behind-the-scenes action and helps set the stage for book 8.

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys is an interesting novella concerning Criminy Stain, a vampire magician that is part of a circus. This was my first time reading about Criminy Stain and the world he inhabits. Very interesting world that appears to be filled with humans, vampires and demons all living together. Very interesting story and world that I am definitely going to be visiting again!

Interlude: Swallow is another interesting novella about a woman who appears to have the ability to foresee a persons death. She is on a quest to rid herself of her ability, but gets pulled into a mess because of it. This story also fascinated me enough to want to visit this world again!

[Wes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is NOT necessary reading before reading Staked, no matter what Kevin Hearne says in the intro. This basically reads as the first two chapters of Staked, and it is borderline criminal that this is marketed as "must read". I'm a fan of Hearne's Iron Druid novels, and enjoy reading the stand alone short stories. But that's when they're considered the icing on the cake. When we're told we have to read one to enjoy the novels, that's something else all together, and I feel tricked.

Having said that, the story itself isn't bad, giving us a bit on both Atticus and Granuaile. Granuaile's section might be a bit more connected to the subsequent events in her first chapter in Staked, but Atticus' story has no real bearing whatsoever.

So, consider this an extra story to read if you so choose, but don't feel like it is necessary reading.

[Rusalka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this short story as the intro to the next Iron Druid book strongly suggested I did. It took me 5 days of finding out how to source it in Aus on mediums I have. I also sourced it as I trust Kevin Hearne. We have chatted about flat whites a few times, and he seems like a wonderful guy.

However, this short story could have been covered in 10 pages within the next Iron Druid novel. I felt tricked into buying a book that albeit will give a couple of cents to Kevin and his mates (whose books I am not planning on reading). Wasn't bad, just a bit of a waste of my time.

While a fun snippet of Iron Druid story, move on to the next novel. The one thing I am glad for, although if you had blended it with the other book I would have learnt it anyway, was I now know what Tyromancy is. And as a cheesemaker, this is AMAZING.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the Kevin Hearne portion as part of my Read-along of that series this year 2023.

I really enjoyed this. Atticus and Granuaile are each out trying to improve their situation in the coming battles. They take some smart but scary methods. Nothing on Owen.

Atticus goes to find a diviner of sorts to give him information to help him with Werner and his loss of finances. She turns out to be as non-trustworthy as many others even though he has been very kind and generous to her.

Granuaile thinks that since Loki did the brand and it is made of Norse ruins that perhaps Odin can help her with it. I worried terribly but it turned into a fun meeting with Loki.

Buddy read with Berls, Brandee

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read the first Iron Druid story. The story itself was good. However, the story is essential to Staked and should have been included there.

This was a money grab, author exposure, or both. I wouldn't have been as annoyed if the Iron Druid story was available stand alone at a reasonable price. Instead, I paid for two short stories that I don't care about just to read the Staked prologue.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating is for the story: A Prelude to War by Kevin Hearne. I'm a little disappointed I had to pay 5.99 just to get to read this short (not available anywhere else), because I feel like it's a necessary part of the journey after reading it.

I may go back and try the Delilah Dawson story someday soon.

[Steve Naylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is short story from 3 different authors. To be honest I only read the one from Kevin Hearne in preparation for reading staked. I really missed the Iron Druid series, so any story with Atticus and Oberon I think is great.

[Wortmagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vor mittlerweile fast genau sechs Jahren war ich an einem Abend im April bei einer Lesung des Autors Kevin Hearne. Hearne ist vor allem für seine Urban Fantasy – Reihe „The Iron Druid Chronicles“ um den gewitzten Druiden Atticus O’Sullivan bekannt. Die Lesung sollte den damals aktuellen siebten Band Shattered vorstellen, da sich jedoch herausstellte, dass niemand im Publikum bereits so weit gelesen hatte (mich eingeschlossen) und auf Deutsch auch erst drei Bände erschienen waren, warf Hearne das ursprüngliche Programm kurzerhand über den Haufen und lud stattdessen zu einer Frage-Antwort-Runde ein. Es wurde ein unterhaltsamer, fröhlicher und äußerst informativer Abend. Hearne plauderte bereitwillig und offen aus dem Nähkästchen und bewies, dass ihn sein ehemaliger Beruf als Lehrer hervorragend darauf vorbereitet hatte, in den direkten Kontakt mit seinen Fans zu treten.

Abgesehen davon, dass er einige verheißungsvolle Andeutungen bezüglich Shattered einfließen ließ, berichtete er, dass er kurz zuvor sein erstes Projekt im Selfpublishing veröffentlicht hatte: Eine schmale Kurzgeschichten-Anthologie namens „Three Slices“. Hearne erklärte, dass ihm das Mitspracherecht, das ihm sein großer Verlag Del Rey über die Hauptreihe der „Iron Druid Chronicles“ zugestand, nicht ausreichte. Durch das Selfpublishing konnte er erstmals alles selbst entscheiden und umging die Entscheidungsträger_innen seines Verlages, die sich möglicherweise nicht bereit erklärt hätten, seine Kurzgeschichte „A Prelude to War“ zu veröffentlichen. Diese schrieb er nämlich nicht, weil er das Gefühl hatte, die „Iron Druid Chronicles“ bräuchten unbedingt eine Ergänzung zwischen dem siebten Band Shattered und dem achten Band Staked, sondern weil er über ein skurriles Thema gestolpert war und nicht widerstehen konnte, dieses literarisch zu verarbeiten: Tyromantie.

Tyromantie ist Wahrsagerei mit Käse. Ja, ganz genau. Käse. Ich kann verstehen, dass ihn diese abgedrehte Praxis faszinierte. Sie reizte ihn so sehr, dass er zwei seiner Kolleg_innen fragte, ob sie nicht ebenfalls Geschichten schreiben wollten, in der Tyromantie eine Rolle spielt: Delilah S. Dawson, die für ihre „Blud“-Reihe bekannt ist, und Chuck Wendig, aus dessen Feder die „Miriam Black“-Reihe stammt. Alle drei steuerten für „Three Slices“ jeweils eine Kurzgeschichte bei, die in ihren bestehenden Universen stattfindet und in der die Zukunft mithilfe von Käse vorausgesagt wird: „A Prelude to War“ von Hearne, „Not my circus, not my monkeys” von Dawson und „Interlude: Swallow“ von Wendig.

Ich habe „Three Slices“ eigentlich nur notgedrungen gelesen. Obwohl ich vor sechs Jahren schwor, dass ich mir die Anthologie zulegen würde, war ich in der Zwischenzeit von diesem Vorhaben abgerückt, weil sie mich einfach nicht genug interessierte – den Fokus der Tyromantie hatte ich wohl vergessen. Doch als ich den achten Band der „Iron Druid Chronicles“, Staked, aufschlug, stand in der Einleitung, dass die Lektüre von „A Prelude to War“ notwendig sei, um zu verstehen, wieso Staked nicht dort begann, wo Shattered endete. Ich stöhnte auf und gab mich geschlagen. Dann würde ich die Anthologie eben lesen.

Robert E. Howard hat mich verdorben. Ich kann keine Kurzgeschichte mehr lesen, ohne sie nach den Maßstäben zu beurteilen, die er mich in seinen The Conan Chronicles lehrte. Für mich persönlich ist das ein Vorteil, weil ich dank ihm endlich begriffen habe, wie befriedigend Kurzgeschichten sein können. Für „Three Slices“ war es hingegen eher ein Nachteil, denn dadurch erkannte ich, dass höchstens „Not my circus, not my monkeys“ von Delilah S. Dawson als echte Kurzgeschichte durchgeht. „A Prelude to War“ und „Interlude: Swallow“ sind keine eigenständigen Erzählungen und funktionieren nicht für sich allein, sondern ausschließlich im Kontext der Hauptreihe. Sie hinterließen bei mir den Eindruck von Bonuskapiteln, die eine Menge Vorwissen voraussetzen und sich nicht die Mühe machen, Figuren und Rahmenbedingungen des jeweiligen Universums noch einmal zu etablieren. Hätte ich Atticus nicht seit seinem ersten Abenteuer begleitet, ich hätte überhaupt nicht verstanden, was in „A Prelude to War“ passiert. Ich hätte nicht kapiert, wieso er mit seinem Hund sprechen kann, welchen Regeln seine Magie folgt und was es bedeutet, dass er ein Druide ist. Meiner Meinung nach war es unnötig, diesen kurzen Ausflug, der nicht einmal einen echten Abschluss hat, auszulagern, statt diesen als erstes Kapitel von Staked zu integrieren.

In „Interlude: Swallow“ konnte ich mir nur geradeso zusammenreimen, über welche Kräfte die Protagonistin Miriam Black verfügt und welche Konflikte sich daraus ableiten. Ich empfand diese Geschichte nicht als geglückte Heranführung an die Reihe, denn ich war bestürzt von der unglaublich düsteren Atmosphäre, die Chuck Wendig heraufbeschwört und konnte deshalb kaum Sympathie für Miriam aufbauen. Ich fühlte mich beim Lesen nicht wohl, sondern verspürte Beklemmung und weiß dementsprechend nicht, ob mich wirklich noch einmal in dieses Universum begeben möchte.

Delilah S. Dawson schaffte es hingegen, mich neugierig zu machen. „Not my circus, not my monkeys” konzentriert sich auf Criminy, der in der Hauptreihe „Blud“ der männliche Protagonist ist, aber wahrscheinlich nicht zu Wort kommt. Obwohl mir in der Kurzgeschichte besonders bezüglich des Settings einige Details rätselhaft erschienen, reichten die Informationen, die Dawson anbietet, dennoch aus, um ein grobes, einleuchtendes Bild der Gegebenheiten zu entwerfen, das auf eine spannende übergeordnete Handlung schließen lässt. Die Kurzgeschichte ist als Einstieg und Appetitanreger brauchbar und verführte mich tatsächlich, den ersten Band der „Blud“-Reihe auf meine Wunschliste zu setzen.

Und die Tyromantie? Alles Käse oder nicht? (Verzeiht mir das plakative Wortspiel, ich konnte nicht widerstehen.) Diesen Aspekt setzen alle drei Autor_innen überzeugend und kreativ um. Jede Geschichte enthält eine Szene, in der mit Käse orakelt wird. Mir gefiel es außerordentlich, dass die Praxis jedes Mal anders abläuft. Sowohl Technik als auch die eingesetzte Käsesorte unterscheiden sich, wodurch „Three Slices“ ein interessantes Spektrum präsentiert. Die Integration dieser Skurrilität fand ich ebenfalls in allen Geschichten gelungen, denn sie wirkt niemals erzwungen, unnatürlich oder albern. Sogar in diesen übernatürlichen Universen handelt es sich um eine ungewöhnliche Form der Wahrsagerei, doch ich zweifelte nicht daran, dass diese Szenen genauso zustande kommen könnten.

Insgesamt sollte „Three Slices“ nicht als unabhängige Anthologie begriffen werden. Alle drei Kurzgeschichten sind Ergänzungen der Hauptreihen, die zusätzlich gelesen werden können. Folglich ist das schmale E-Book (oder Hörbuch) eher für Fans als für Neueinsteiger_innen geeignet. Ich vermute, dass diese Ausrichtung beabsichtigt war. Sollte das der Wahrheit entsprechen, muss ich leider urteilen, dass die Kurzgeschichtensammlung Potential verschenkt. Es ist sehr wahrscheinlich, dass Leser_innen das Büchlein kaufen, weil sie eine_n der Autor_innen kennen, aber nicht alle, wie es bei mir der Fall war. Unter dieser Voraussetzung wäre sinnvoll gewesen, wenn „A Prelude to War“ von Kevin Hearne und „Interlude: Swallow“ von Chuck Wendig zugänglicher gestaltet wären und nicht so viel Vorwissen verlangen würden. Durch den starken Bezug zu den „Iron Druid Chronicles“ bzw. „Miriam Black“ bieten sie neuen Leser_innen kaum Referenzpunkte und können daher nicht als Einstiegslektüre dienen. Lediglich Delilah S. Dawson ermöglicht in „Not my circus, not my monkeys“ einen verwertbaren Einblick in die Welt ihrer „Blud“-Reihe. Das ist schade, denn das Konzept dieser Anthologie ist eigentlich sehr schön und hätte wunderbar dazu genutzt werden können, die Leserschaft von Hearne und Wendig zu erweitern. Das geschickt inszenierte, verbindende Element der Tyromantie reicht unglücklicherweise nicht aus, um dieses strukturelle Versäumnis auszugleichen. Dennoch nehme ich aus der Lektüre von „Three Slices“ eine Überzeugung mit: Sollte ich je die Chance erhalten, mir mit Käse die Zukunft voraussagen zu lassen, werde ich sie ergreifen.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Slices is an anthology of novellas by Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, and Chuck Wendig. I was familiar with each author, and I enjoyed reading these shorter works. Hearne’s contribution is an Iron Druid novella, Dawson’s a Blud novella, and Wendig a Mariam Black novella. I have read (and loved) the Iron Druid books, but I have not read Blud or Mariam Black. I felt I was able to easily follow the Blud story, but Wendig’s story was a bit more confusing for me because I lacked background from his other books on the series. I really enjoyed how all three novellas tied together with common themes, such as using cheese as a form of divination and the phrase “not my circus, not my monkeys.” Overall I enjoyed the novellas. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of three novellas by best selling authors Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, and Chuck Wendig published in 2015. This is one of a few anthologies by these three authors, each based around a theme. This collection is written around tyromancy. This is a real word, meaning divination using cheese. Hearne is the only one of the three authors that I follow, and have read at least a couple of his series. The only downside to this collection is that, written in 2015, it takes place in the middle of the Iron Druid series. I wish I had read it in time. Chuck Wendig’s Miriam Black series looks interesting, but this story does not suffer as a standalone. Finally Dawson has coauthored books with Hearne that include an element of horror. This is an interesting story of a circus magician/vampire in a world with normal, daemons, and bludraces. I first discovered these books when I was looking for more Hearne to read.

[Danilo]

The Atticus (and Oberon :) ) story by Kevin - my reason to purchase this book - was fantastic, like I expected.

The story about the circus set in the world of the Blud series by Delilah was also refreshing and a great read.

To the story by Chuck I sadly must say that I don't like the protagonist, Miriam, and the corresponding writing style associated with her. All the half sentences rather annoyed me.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

These collection of three short stories have two themes:

One is Tyromancy. The ancient art of predicting the future using cheese (traditionally by cheese making) beyond just “we’re going to have something tasty to eat.” This is actually a thing and our ancestors were odd odd people. I do appreciate this rather unique little twist uniting them,

The second is the old Polish saying “Not My Circus, Not my Monkeys.” A saying basically saying (simplistically) “not my problem.

This is most excellently done in Prelude to War from the IronDruid Chronicles a story between Shattered and Staked which nicely fits into the main plot line of the series, filling in some gaps and expanding on some points. In fact, if I have any criticism about this short story at all it fails one of my tests for a short story: it’s probably pretty incompressible if you don’t follow the main series of books. Since I do, I loved it because it excellently added to that main series, showing how Atticus got the information he needed to track down what he finds in the next book

I also always appreciate Kevin Hearne’s dedication to research – as while the other authors have come up with their own ideas for what Tyromancy involves, Hearne has actually gone to the original definition and method.

The “not our circus” comes in when he finds – and learns she “betrayed him”. A definition she gloriously rejects by pointing out she doesn’t owe him anything. He bought services from her once. He is now buying services from her again. She didn’t swear loyalty. She isn’t his friend. She doesn’t owe him anything – she certainly isn’t required to risk her life or die for the sake of protecting Atticus or helping in a fight or war that doesn’t remotely involve her. I appreciate this even more since Mekera is a Black woman – and a Lesbian or bisexual woman. This genre – and the media in general – is absolutely full of minorities being sidekicks for straight white men, serving straight white men and, of course, sacrificing for straight white men that having Mekera declare firmly that she didn’t sign up for any of that, she isn’t responsible for any of that and Atticus has no damn right to expect that from her is a wonderful subversion of that continued expectation. This isn’t her circus. These aren’t her monkeys. She isn’t involved and she doesn’t want to be and won’t be shamed into it or feel guilty because her loyalty was expected

The story also nicely touches on her last relationship – a deep and abiding love that led her to seek isolation when her lover died which is a nice element of character building I appreciated along with examination of her ethnicity and history. It’s a short story and she’s a briefly appearing character, I could understand her not being well developed. I like that some effort was made to make her more than just the woman who tells the future using cheese.


Not My Circus, Not my Monkeys is a Blud Short Story by Delilah S Dawson – and unfortunately I’m less of a fan. But, then, I think that stems from the same criticism I had of Prelude to War. If you’re not familiar with the series and world building, this is a hard one to follow. And while I know the Iron Druid Chronicles I don’t know this series and was kind of lost. There was a lot introduced in a very short time, a lot of concepts and creatures to understand with a lot of different cultures and shifts that I just found too much work to invest in and follow a rather alien character as Stain as well. This isn’t a criticism of this story – in fact it makes me hopeful for the main series because it’s clear it is involved and rich and with a very broad and deep world building which is impossible to sum up easily. I also wasn’t a huge fan of this main character but, then, I don’t think I was meant to be, or of his romantic ambitions (with a nice twist at the end). On the whole I didn’t enjoy this story but I’m intrigued by the series.


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[Cassandra Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very rare to find an anthology where you've read all (and are up to date on the relevant series by) the contributing authors. It's never happened to me before, at any rate! So of course when I saw Three Slices, which has stories by three awesome urban fantasy writers, I had to buy it.

I maybe should have guessed from the title, but all three stories have one thing in common: oracular cheese. (Yes, cheese.) That element was really cute, and was one of the things that tied the stories together. There were a few other things, some of them more subtle than others -- Kevin Hearne gives a nod to Chuck Wendig's heirloom apple obsession, for example, while Chuck uses the Polish expression that is the title of Delilah Dawson's story. I loved seeing those little easter eggs sprinkled throughout.

On the stories themselves, I enjoyed all three, although Delilah's story was probably my favourite, mainly because -- of the three of them -- it was the one that stands alone the most cleanly. For fans of her Blud series, seeing how Criminy Stain winds up in the circus he's the ringmaster of in later books is very entertaining, and Criminy is still my favourite smoking hot magician vampire.

Wendig's Swallow was a little peek at how Miriam is going; the mystery within the story is resolved internally, but does heavily reference previous books. (Also, note that although I enjoy Wendig's raw style, it may not be for everyone -- I shelve this series in "horror" for a reason.)

As for A Prelude to War, I did enjoy catching up with Atticus, Oberon and Granuaile, but this story is the least able to stand alone. If you haven't read the series up till this point, you will be lost. Still, it was very satisfying to see Granuaile's interaction with Loki, though.

Very, very satisfying.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Kevin Hearne story. The other two were OK but not insanely good. All three stories revolved around tiromancy...which is using cheese for divination. A weird subject to share and something I never knew existed.

[Amy Braun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of three very different stories connected by the power of magical cheese (never underestimate the power of dairy), this was an unexpected anthology made for readers who want to have fun. While it does take place in the middle of three different series, you definitely don't need to read them to understand what's going on (but beware of spoilers).

"A Prelude to War" has all the hijinks and fun you'd expect from The Iron Druid Chronicles. It is a great time and I loved seeing Atticus and Granuaile get into trouble against old and new foes. My only complaint was the voice of Oberon. Now I want to be clear: I think Luke Daniels is incredibly talented. He has a great vocal range and is not afraid to go all-in with this narration. He is definitely a voice actor I would like to hear more from. However, his Oberon voice reminded me of Scooby-Doo if Scooby were a gremlin. Definitely distinctive, and not something I want to listen to for longer than an hour. I usually don't like to rag on genuinely talented people or on anything unrelated to the story, but this tidbit really bigged me.

"Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys" was the newest author and story, and I enjoyed it. While there were a couple of plot holes, I found the characters and the twist at the end to be enjoyable.

"Interlude: Swallow," was probably my favorite. I'm a huge fan of the Miriam Black series, so seeing her face genuine danger and grow again as a character was fantastic.

All in all, I think this is a fun collection and is worth checking out on Audible, where it's free. Yes, I do recommend you enjoy with cheese.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book just to read the Kevin Hearne Iron Druid story as I don't read the other authors work.

Atticus is going to Africa to meet up with a powerful fortune teller who uses cheese production to map out the path of the person visiting her. He has need of important information and risks travelling to meet her, knowing that Werner is on his trail. She previously led led Atticus to his faithful hound Oberon and a safe haven in Tempe so he trusts her cheese to direct him. We learn of the other decisions that he made based on her information which have greatly affected his current situation, and Atticus is less pleased to learn that she has also assisted his enemies in learning things about him. I found this very interesting and it was good background to the ongoing plot and to things that have already happened.

While Atticus is hoping that the cheese will be ready before the enemy arrive, Granuaile is seeking advice of her own in Asgard about how to remove Loki's mark.

There are some short stories that can be missed in the series as they don't add anything to the current plot but this is not one to avoid. There is important information and I would suggest reading it before you get to Staked as it sets up the start of that book nicely and tells you why Atticus has returned to Toronto.