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Artifice & Access: A Disability in Fantasy Anthology
It’s long been acknowledged that disability representation is lacking in the fantasy genre landscape, so in this cozy anthology, fourteen writers from around the globe come together to bring you wonderful fantasy stories centering disabled and chronically ill characters.
Teeming with magic, otherworldly creatures, discoveries, and journeys, every story is as thrilling and fascinating as it is passionate and meaningful. Worlds are discovered, lives are changed, and swords are drawn.
Disabled and chronically ill characters go questing, fighting dragons, healing, and enacting strange magics. Familiar fairy tales are reimagined, and new fairytales are forged, with each story shattering stereotypes and challenging traditional narratives. Come see yourself reflected—or discover something new.
Stories included:
One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley
A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley
Use Your Words by Zira MacFarlane
The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda
To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson
Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley
A Night For Mischief by Elior Haley
Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart
In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G
The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent
Angharad ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers
The Girl & The Gum-riddle by Ella T Holmes
City of the Sun by Kara Siert
Teeming with magic, otherworldly creatures, discoveries, and journeys, every story is as thrilling and fascinating as it is passionate and meaningful. Worlds are discovered, lives are changed, and swords are drawn.
Disabled and chronically ill characters go questing, fighting dragons, healing, and enacting strange magics. Familiar fairy tales are reimagined, and new fairytales are forged, with each story shattering stereotypes and challenging traditional narratives. Come see yourself reflected—or discover something new.
Stories included:
One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley
A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley
Use Your Words by Zira MacFarlane
The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda
To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson
Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley
A Night For Mischief by Elior Haley
Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart
In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G
The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent
Angharad ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers
The Girl & The Gum-riddle by Ella T Holmes
City of the Sun by Kara Siert
199 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2025
6 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 8, 2025
*I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review*
This was a lovely and absolutely necessary anthology. There were a wide range of disabilities represented, from physical to mental to sensory and more. A common theme was able bodied loved ones and abled bodied people in general focusing on cures, while disabled folks for the most part want to be accepted with the body they have, and be accommodated. Themes of community care, acceptance, and resilience-while-one-shouldn’t-have-to-be abounded as well.
The fantasy elements ranged from highly creative and new, to somewhat unoriginal. However, I do think there’s value in telling familiar stories, with disabled people folded into the narrative like they were always meant to be there (because we are!)
Some stand-out stories were:
A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley
A young knight seeks out a witch for a cure to her dragon burns. She doesn’t find what she seeks, but what she does find makes all the difference.
Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls
A boy is imprisoned in a tower, “for his own good.” Until an unlikely princess comes along and makes her traveling cart more of a home than his tower has ever been.
In Another World, I Twist the Knife by Rory G.
In a world where OCD obsessions can create rifts into other worlds, a splicer uses these rifts in a specialized clinic.
The Knife That Makes the Cut by Lynne Sargent
Three roads converge on a lake whose legends boast its curative properties. But grieving and in-pain Ivalon may find something much more important than a cure.
I highly, highly recommend for fantasy readers, disabled or temporarily abled alike!
This was a lovely and absolutely necessary anthology. There were a wide range of disabilities represented, from physical to mental to sensory and more. A common theme was able bodied loved ones and abled bodied people in general focusing on cures, while disabled folks for the most part want to be accepted with the body they have, and be accommodated. Themes of community care, acceptance, and resilience-while-one-shouldn’t-have-to-be abounded as well.
The fantasy elements ranged from highly creative and new, to somewhat unoriginal. However, I do think there’s value in telling familiar stories, with disabled people folded into the narrative like they were always meant to be there (because we are!)
Some stand-out stories were:
A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley
A young knight seeks out a witch for a cure to her dragon burns. She doesn’t find what she seeks, but what she does find makes all the difference.
Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls
A boy is imprisoned in a tower, “for his own good.” Until an unlikely princess comes along and makes her traveling cart more of a home than his tower has ever been.
In Another World, I Twist the Knife by Rory G.
In a world where OCD obsessions can create rifts into other worlds, a splicer uses these rifts in a specialized clinic.
The Knife That Makes the Cut by Lynne Sargent
Three roads converge on a lake whose legends boast its curative properties. But grieving and in-pain Ivalon may find something much more important than a cure.
I highly, highly recommend for fantasy readers, disabled or temporarily abled alike!
Currently reading
May 2, 2025I always read collections in bits and pieces, so I don’t want to wait to report that I really loved both M. Stevenson's “To Make Her Eat” and Adie hart's “Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass,” two very different romantasy short stories that both really beautifully tie together fairy tales/faerie lore with real chronic illness experiences. Just wonderful!
January 18, 2025
(arc review)
“Then what can we do?”
The Lady of Myrtle softened. “Do you love her?”
“Of course!” they said at once.
“Then you can do just that. Warm her heart, and keep it safe. Make sure she is comfortable, and that she can lean on you any time she needs. The world is more a disabling place than this illness, my loves. Shape your world so that it helps and fits her as best you can.”
Another anthology down, which is always a great way to discover new authors and deep dive into their works. I could tell every story was very personal to them and the little notes explaining why they choose to write their stories helped to give it the little backstory, the little extra punch. As always with collections, some stories worked better than others, but the order in which they appeared worked nicely. They all also kept the fairytale-esh, some even drawing inspiration from more well-known tales and legends.
Every story had a solid plot, although some were more clear than others. I enjoyed how the disability was still the focus of the story, and how we got a glimpse of every character dealing with it in their unique way. The diversity of the disabilities was also interesting, some physical and other more mental. This helped to keep it interesting to read, to find out what more this collection had to offer.
Overall, I could see the potential and life of every writer in their tales, and their interest and love for the characters and this anthology.
“Then what can we do?”
The Lady of Myrtle softened. “Do you love her?”
“Of course!” they said at once.
“Then you can do just that. Warm her heart, and keep it safe. Make sure she is comfortable, and that she can lean on you any time she needs. The world is more a disabling place than this illness, my loves. Shape your world so that it helps and fits her as best you can.”
Another anthology down, which is always a great way to discover new authors and deep dive into their works. I could tell every story was very personal to them and the little notes explaining why they choose to write their stories helped to give it the little backstory, the little extra punch. As always with collections, some stories worked better than others, but the order in which they appeared worked nicely. They all also kept the fairytale-esh, some even drawing inspiration from more well-known tales and legends.
Every story had a solid plot, although some were more clear than others. I enjoyed how the disability was still the focus of the story, and how we got a glimpse of every character dealing with it in their unique way. The diversity of the disabilities was also interesting, some physical and other more mental. This helped to keep it interesting to read, to find out what more this collection had to offer.
Overall, I could see the potential and life of every writer in their tales, and their interest and love for the characters and this anthology.
January 21, 2025
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for my review.
Having only recently talked with a friend about wanting more disability representation in SFF stories I knew I had to pick this anthology up when I saw it. I feel incredibly lucky that I got an ARC and if you enjoy fantasy short stories with diverse characters this is a really great anthology to check out.
One thing I adored was that each story was followed by a short author bio as well as an explanation of either which disability was presented or what inspired them to tell the story, which I found fascinating and which I felt added to my enjoyment. Another thing I loved was the wide range of disabilities represented here, including physical and sensory disabilities, chronic illness, neurodivergence and food intolerances. Here I also found it very important that sometimes the thing that was negatively impacting the disabled protagonist was their environment or people not accommodating their needs, not their disabilities. In general, these stories take a stand against fantasy’s attempts to portray disabled people as villains or as people in search for a magical cure. Instead disability is something that is worked with and managed and sometimes even something that benefits you in other areas, but it doesn’t portray disability as something to be “overcome” or “gotten over” and I absolutely loved that. I already recommended it to my disabled friends, knowing that stories like these are what many of us are looking for.
I also liked that a wide range of fantasy was shown here from retellings of well known fairytales such as Rapunzel, Cinderella and Robin Hood, to lesser known local-to-the-author folktalkes (such as in The Changeling of Brushby and Angharad ferch Truniaw), to stories of dragons, fairies, witches and other, urban and dystopian fantasy, and even one tale that is very close to our current modern world, but with some fantastical elements to show the existence of magic. It certainly never gets boring.
My favorite short stories where “A Witch’s Tale”, “To Make her Eat”, “A Night For Mischief”, “Lessons in Botany”, “In Another World, I Twist The Knife” and “City of the Sun”, but I enjoyed all the stories collected here. I definitely found some authors I want to keep an eye on and see what else they have written or are planning to write.
Below you can find my thoughts on each short story as well as trigger warnings (which are also provided in the beginning of the book, but summed up for the whole anthology):
One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley: A mercenary forced to take jobs that cause further damage to her already weak joints in order to pay for her brother’s medical treatments finds refuge in a magic coffeeshop. A very sweet, but also heartbreaking short story. I liked it a lot, especially the way it combined magic + healing magic + disability + class.
TW: injury, physical pain, horrible healthcare system
*FAV* A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley: In this story a knight learns to accept a new disability caused by injury with the help of a witch, who was injured the same way. This is a very, very sweet story, that I enjoyed a lot and I adored the way it showed disabled found family.
TW: internalized ableism, injury
Use Your Words by Zira MacFarlane: A mute thief finds a way to use a magic system based on sounds through technological invention. This is a very intriguing story of sweet connection and disabled ingenuity.
The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda: An autistic take on the changeling myth, interesting, but with no particularly new or suprising views on the autistic-person-is-not-a-fae-but-finds-acceptance-with-them-unlike-with-humans genre of autistic fantasy lit (this might be just a me-thing though, because it is something I have seen done a few times). It was intriguing and I liked the worldbuilding of this Danish town, but the use of “speaking in tongues” to show that the autistic MC is not /that/ different to everybody else, felt a bit off to me in an anthology focused on disability in fantasy and I wish that had been examined a bit in the story. It makes sense that that would be something that a world like that would judge as worse than the character’s autistic traits (which aren’t acceptable either), but I wish it had been criticized in the rest of the text a bit more.
TW: threats of forced marriage, loss of autonomy, forced feeding, attempts to “cure” autism
*FAV* To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson: A really intriguing take on visiting the Faerie-Land as a person with celiac disease. I also really loved the sweet romance between the MC and her best friend and I adored the “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti vibes.
TW: forced feeding, vomiting
Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley: A wheelchair-using archer Marian (with POTS, ME/CFS and chronic migraine (which I recognized) and orthostatic intolerance (which was new to me)) and a female Robin Hood is a very, very sweet idea and I enjoyed this short story a lot.
TW: arranged marriage, eugenics
*FAV* A Night For Mischief by Elior Hayley: A Hard-of-Hearing Artificer sent by a Dragon to cause chaos during a King’s ball, meets the Knight’s Head Artificer, a woman who has lost an eye. I loved the really cool magically-enhanced hearing aids and the battle scenes where really well written. A fun short story!
*FAV* Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls: A retelling of Rapunzel featuring a trans man with ME/CFS and the former princess turned thief that rescues him from the tower he’s been locked into. This is such an incredibly sweet story highlighting the importance of solidarity and community for disabled people and I loved it! Plus, the not disabled friends are masking! Chef’s Kiss! I also liked that this changed a lot about the original story, while keeping parts of it legible, which could make this story interesting as a full novel as well!
TW: misgendering, confinement, forced isolation, medical abuse
Stroke of Midnight, Shoe of Glass by Adie Hart: A Cinderella retelling with featuring a Cinderella with chronic fatigue is a really great idea and wonderfully implemented here. It is very close to the original story, but it is also very sweet and I enjoyed that.
TW: ableism, domestic abuse (psychologically)
*FAV* In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G.: A world where a certain form of OCD enables people to twist alternate realities into their own, changing things that have happened, but requires them to feed the compulsion. Really well written and deeply unsettling.
TW: intrusive thoughts, death, self-harm, eye trauma, medical setting
The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent: A magical place that only injured people can find promises a cure for their ailments, but a cursed woman knows that it only hides danger. A quite tense story, but with an uplifting end and a really great take on fairytale logic as it applies to Disability.
TW: domestic abuse (physical), alcoholism, injury, death by drowning
Angharad ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers: A daughter sets out to find the missing men of her village, including her father. An interesting take on fairytales, this is a touching story about the connection between father and daughter.
TW: death, ableism
The Girl & The Gum-Riddle by Ella T Holmes: A young girl is afflicted with pain and exhaustion after an infection. Her parents desperate search for a cure for her, finally seeking out the help of a witch. This is a lovely story about care.
*FAV* City of the Sun by Kara Siert: In a world where rot caused mass disability, but also left people with new gifts and talents, we follow a young woman with the power to influence people as she attempts to gain citizenship to a safe town. A heartbreaking story of the demeaning nature of a world, where only a special few are granted help, as decided by those in power, but also of change and taking a stand against such exclusionary practices.
TW: illness, death
Having only recently talked with a friend about wanting more disability representation in SFF stories I knew I had to pick this anthology up when I saw it. I feel incredibly lucky that I got an ARC and if you enjoy fantasy short stories with diverse characters this is a really great anthology to check out.
One thing I adored was that each story was followed by a short author bio as well as an explanation of either which disability was presented or what inspired them to tell the story, which I found fascinating and which I felt added to my enjoyment. Another thing I loved was the wide range of disabilities represented here, including physical and sensory disabilities, chronic illness, neurodivergence and food intolerances. Here I also found it very important that sometimes the thing that was negatively impacting the disabled protagonist was their environment or people not accommodating their needs, not their disabilities. In general, these stories take a stand against fantasy’s attempts to portray disabled people as villains or as people in search for a magical cure. Instead disability is something that is worked with and managed and sometimes even something that benefits you in other areas, but it doesn’t portray disability as something to be “overcome” or “gotten over” and I absolutely loved that. I already recommended it to my disabled friends, knowing that stories like these are what many of us are looking for.
I also liked that a wide range of fantasy was shown here from retellings of well known fairytales such as Rapunzel, Cinderella and Robin Hood, to lesser known local-to-the-author folktalkes (such as in The Changeling of Brushby and Angharad ferch Truniaw), to stories of dragons, fairies, witches and other, urban and dystopian fantasy, and even one tale that is very close to our current modern world, but with some fantastical elements to show the existence of magic. It certainly never gets boring.
My favorite short stories where “A Witch’s Tale”, “To Make her Eat”, “A Night For Mischief”, “Lessons in Botany”, “In Another World, I Twist The Knife” and “City of the Sun”, but I enjoyed all the stories collected here. I definitely found some authors I want to keep an eye on and see what else they have written or are planning to write.
Below you can find my thoughts on each short story as well as trigger warnings (which are also provided in the beginning of the book, but summed up for the whole anthology):
One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley: A mercenary forced to take jobs that cause further damage to her already weak joints in order to pay for her brother’s medical treatments finds refuge in a magic coffeeshop. A very sweet, but also heartbreaking short story. I liked it a lot, especially the way it combined magic + healing magic + disability + class.
TW: injury, physical pain, horrible healthcare system
*FAV* A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley: In this story a knight learns to accept a new disability caused by injury with the help of a witch, who was injured the same way. This is a very, very sweet story, that I enjoyed a lot and I adored the way it showed disabled found family.
TW: internalized ableism, injury
Use Your Words by Zira MacFarlane: A mute thief finds a way to use a magic system based on sounds through technological invention. This is a very intriguing story of sweet connection and disabled ingenuity.
The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda: An autistic take on the changeling myth, interesting, but with no particularly new or suprising views on the autistic-person-is-not-a-fae-but-finds-acceptance-with-them-unlike-with-humans genre of autistic fantasy lit (this might be just a me-thing though, because it is something I have seen done a few times). It was intriguing and I liked the worldbuilding of this Danish town, but the use of “speaking in tongues” to show that the autistic MC is not /that/ different to everybody else, felt a bit off to me in an anthology focused on disability in fantasy and I wish that had been examined a bit in the story. It makes sense that that would be something that a world like that would judge as worse than the character’s autistic traits (which aren’t acceptable either), but I wish it had been criticized in the rest of the text a bit more.
TW: threats of forced marriage, loss of autonomy, forced feeding, attempts to “cure” autism
*FAV* To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson: A really intriguing take on visiting the Faerie-Land as a person with celiac disease. I also really loved the sweet romance between the MC and her best friend and I adored the “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti vibes.
TW: forced feeding, vomiting
Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley: A wheelchair-using archer Marian (with POTS, ME/CFS and chronic migraine (which I recognized) and orthostatic intolerance (which was new to me)) and a female Robin Hood is a very, very sweet idea and I enjoyed this short story a lot.
TW: arranged marriage, eugenics
*FAV* A Night For Mischief by Elior Hayley: A Hard-of-Hearing Artificer sent by a Dragon to cause chaos during a King’s ball, meets the Knight’s Head Artificer, a woman who has lost an eye. I loved the really cool magically-enhanced hearing aids and the battle scenes where really well written. A fun short story!
*FAV* Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls: A retelling of Rapunzel featuring a trans man with ME/CFS and the former princess turned thief that rescues him from the tower he’s been locked into. This is such an incredibly sweet story highlighting the importance of solidarity and community for disabled people and I loved it! Plus, the not disabled friends are masking! Chef’s Kiss! I also liked that this changed a lot about the original story, while keeping parts of it legible, which could make this story interesting as a full novel as well!
TW: misgendering, confinement, forced isolation, medical abuse
Stroke of Midnight, Shoe of Glass by Adie Hart: A Cinderella retelling with featuring a Cinderella with chronic fatigue is a really great idea and wonderfully implemented here. It is very close to the original story, but it is also very sweet and I enjoyed that.
TW: ableism, domestic abuse (psychologically)
*FAV* In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G.: A world where a certain form of OCD enables people to twist alternate realities into their own, changing things that have happened, but requires them to feed the compulsion. Really well written and deeply unsettling.
TW: intrusive thoughts, death, self-harm, eye trauma, medical setting
The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent: A magical place that only injured people can find promises a cure for their ailments, but a cursed woman knows that it only hides danger. A quite tense story, but with an uplifting end and a really great take on fairytale logic as it applies to Disability.
TW: domestic abuse (physical), alcoholism, injury, death by drowning
Angharad ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers: A daughter sets out to find the missing men of her village, including her father. An interesting take on fairytales, this is a touching story about the connection between father and daughter.
TW: death, ableism
The Girl & The Gum-Riddle by Ella T Holmes: A young girl is afflicted with pain and exhaustion after an infection. Her parents desperate search for a cure for her, finally seeking out the help of a witch. This is a lovely story about care.
*FAV* City of the Sun by Kara Siert: In a world where rot caused mass disability, but also left people with new gifts and talents, we follow a young woman with the power to influence people as she attempts to gain citizenship to a safe town. A heartbreaking story of the demeaning nature of a world, where only a special few are granted help, as decided by those in power, but also of change and taking a stand against such exclusionary practices.
TW: illness, death
January 25, 2025
This anthology of disability in fantasy is a beautiful, vital work that was clearly a labor of love for everyone involved. It was a joy to read, sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful and other times, gently soothing.
I'm a multiply-disabled person and I absolutely felt myself represented in these pages in multiple ways. As both a reader and writer, I am grateful for the way these authors deliberately faced down the ableist tropes of the genre and updated them with consideration for true disability justice. This is exactly the way I want to read disabled characters, written as whole people with worthy voices, dreams, and telling our own stories.
I especially enjoyed Holmes' decision to place the author bios and story inspiration notes directly after each story. It's powerful to get that immediate context of what personal experiences informed the authors' choices. In some cases it made me want to go back and re-read the story, knowing what it all meant to the writer.
I don't think I can pick favorites, but I will say these stories resonated most powerfully for me, personally. (Hiding them since I mention what each story is about and offer some quotes; no major spoilers, though.)
I'm deeply appreciative of the editor Ella T. Holmes and author Casper E. Falls for the additional accessibility of sending me content warnings for each story, since my C-PTSD and mental health problems can make it difficult to engage with content that activates trauma. Because of their help I was able to approach the anthology on my own terms, with more agency and safety. I'm not sure if they'll be able to offer those in the final print edition (I know certain booksellers have caused problems for some books that do this) so if they aren't able to do that, I'll come back and update my review with those behind a spoiler warning.
I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the chance to read this early!
I'm a multiply-disabled person and I absolutely felt myself represented in these pages in multiple ways. As both a reader and writer, I am grateful for the way these authors deliberately faced down the ableist tropes of the genre and updated them with consideration for true disability justice. This is exactly the way I want to read disabled characters, written as whole people with worthy voices, dreams, and telling our own stories.
I especially enjoyed Holmes' decision to place the author bios and story inspiration notes directly after each story. It's powerful to get that immediate context of what personal experiences informed the authors' choices. In some cases it made me want to go back and re-read the story, knowing what it all meant to the writer.
I don't think I can pick favorites, but I will say these stories resonated most powerfully for me, personally. (Hiding them since I mention what each story is about and offer some quotes; no major spoilers, though.)
I'm deeply appreciative of the editor Ella T. Holmes and author Casper E. Falls for the additional accessibility of sending me content warnings for each story, since my C-PTSD and mental health problems can make it difficult to engage with content that activates trauma. Because of their help I was able to approach the anthology on my own terms, with more agency and safety. I'm not sure if they'll be able to offer those in the final print edition (I know certain booksellers have caused problems for some books that do this) so if they aren't able to do that, I'll come back and update my review with those behind a spoiler warning.
I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the chance to read this early!
August 18, 2025
An ARC Review.
"Don't let the others make you doubt the value of yourself."
"Every flower can blossom."
I've been staring at this review box for over an hour and all I could think of to write was wow. This anthology was such a necessary addition to the world, and such a gift to those of us in the disabled community. So many disabilities were represented and in so many different ways. I was fascinated at the creativity around every corner, and loved the representation that every story brought. I found myself learning more about certain conditions, and feeling refreshed by new takes on conditions I already knew about. I saw myself in so many of these stories, and not as the tragic side character needing to be saved, but as a hero, a main character. I cried so many times throughout this anthology because I heard so many things I needed to hear. This was a breath of fresh air, and a comfort to my heart. This was an amazing read, and I look forward to reading more from these authors in the future!
"Don't let the others make you doubt the value of yourself."
"Every flower can blossom."
I've been staring at this review box for over an hour and all I could think of to write was wow. This anthology was such a necessary addition to the world, and such a gift to those of us in the disabled community. So many disabilities were represented and in so many different ways. I was fascinated at the creativity around every corner, and loved the representation that every story brought. I found myself learning more about certain conditions, and feeling refreshed by new takes on conditions I already knew about. I saw myself in so many of these stories, and not as the tragic side character needing to be saved, but as a hero, a main character. I cried so many times throughout this anthology because I heard so many things I needed to hear. This was a breath of fresh air, and a comfort to my heart. This was an amazing read, and I look forward to reading more from these authors in the future!
Read
July 5, 2025Artifice and Access is an anthology of fantasy stories written by disabled authors. From original worldbuilding to fractured fairytales that challenge the status quo, this collection shows that disabled characters can be the heroes of any fantastical adventure. Without sacrificing realism or being forced into a magical "cure". Along with a diversity in the types of disabilities shown, this collection showcases a diversity of LGBTQ+ perspectives, providing stories that challenge traditional narratives in multiple ways at once.
I think the strength of this collection lies in its variety, with each author's individual story adding a new facet to the polished jewel. I also believe each reader will find a story or two they consider their personal favorites, but as I read, I could easily imagine each one being favored by someone in that special way.
Personally, I enjoyed A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley, in which a young female knight seeks healing from a witch after losing a battle with a dragon. The first thing I loved is that witches in this world are clearly revered, as the very first sentence says, "There once was a witch who could cure almost anything". The second thing I loved was that "almost". When the witch is forced to tell the knight that the one thing she can't heal are burns caused by dragon fire, the plot begins. Readers of fantasy by nondisabled authors might immediately form some ideas about how it will develop and even how it will resolve, but the beauty of this story is that it was written by a fantasy reader who didn't see themself or their friends in any other story. This one shows how the others should have been written all along.
I also enjoyed The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda, which depicts the changelings of European mythology in a way that clearly understands the harm that was historically done by people who believed these myths. In a twist on such historical tragedies, the main character's parents refuse to believe their daughter is a changeling, even though the other villagers suggest it. Instead of putting their (actually autistic) child in a fire or heated oven in an attempt to regain the "normal" lookalike believed to have been kidnapped by mythical creatures, these parents decide their daughter can be disciplined into acting "as she should" and refuse to believe she actually has the sensory sensitivities and other characteristics she claims to. In this way, the story becomes intensely relatable to certain modern readers while also reimagining the elves of the author's culture (which do exist in this story after all!) in a way that removes their historic ties to ableism.
But I loved so many other stories, from To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson, which depicts a teenage girl with celiac disease attempting to rescue the girl next door who got a little too interested in a fairy ring, to Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart, in which Cinderella doesn't want to go to the ball because she has chronic fatigue syndrome and desperately needs rest. And I also loved the author bios included after every story, which gave insights into the inspirations behind the stories and really demonstrates why they are so meaningful to those who wrote them.
Although there were a couple stories I didn't get much out of personally, I would overall recommend this collection wholeheartedly to lovers of fantasy looking for something that breaks from the usual offerings and of course to any disabled readers longing to see their own experiences reflected in fiction.
I think the strength of this collection lies in its variety, with each author's individual story adding a new facet to the polished jewel. I also believe each reader will find a story or two they consider their personal favorites, but as I read, I could easily imagine each one being favored by someone in that special way.
Personally, I enjoyed A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley, in which a young female knight seeks healing from a witch after losing a battle with a dragon. The first thing I loved is that witches in this world are clearly revered, as the very first sentence says, "There once was a witch who could cure almost anything". The second thing I loved was that "almost". When the witch is forced to tell the knight that the one thing she can't heal are burns caused by dragon fire, the plot begins. Readers of fantasy by nondisabled authors might immediately form some ideas about how it will develop and even how it will resolve, but the beauty of this story is that it was written by a fantasy reader who didn't see themself or their friends in any other story. This one shows how the others should have been written all along.
I also enjoyed The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda, which depicts the changelings of European mythology in a way that clearly understands the harm that was historically done by people who believed these myths. In a twist on such historical tragedies, the main character's parents refuse to believe their daughter is a changeling, even though the other villagers suggest it. Instead of putting their (actually autistic) child in a fire or heated oven in an attempt to regain the "normal" lookalike believed to have been kidnapped by mythical creatures, these parents decide their daughter can be disciplined into acting "as she should" and refuse to believe she actually has the sensory sensitivities and other characteristics she claims to. In this way, the story becomes intensely relatable to certain modern readers while also reimagining the elves of the author's culture (which do exist in this story after all!) in a way that removes their historic ties to ableism.
But I loved so many other stories, from To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson, which depicts a teenage girl with celiac disease attempting to rescue the girl next door who got a little too interested in a fairy ring, to Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart, in which Cinderella doesn't want to go to the ball because she has chronic fatigue syndrome and desperately needs rest. And I also loved the author bios included after every story, which gave insights into the inspirations behind the stories and really demonstrates why they are so meaningful to those who wrote them.
Although there were a couple stories I didn't get much out of personally, I would overall recommend this collection wholeheartedly to lovers of fantasy looking for something that breaks from the usual offerings and of course to any disabled readers longing to see their own experiences reflected in fiction.
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January 22, 2025This was such a lovely and refreshing anthology. Every story featured disabled characters written by disabled authors, ranging from retellings of well-known stories to wholly original worlds. They were so heartwarming and sweet, and you can tell so much care went into telling these stories. While some are obviously extremely personal, others also speak to the wider idea of community care and society as a whole. I enjoyed every story and will definitely be looking out for more stories from these authors.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
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January 22, 2025Thank you to the editor and publisher Ella T. Holmes for the advanced review copy!
There were some incredibly ignorant and ableist opinions making the rounds on twitter a while back along the lines of “disabled people should not exist in fantasy because magic would ‘fix’ them”. While bad takes on social media are nothing new and will no doubt continue in perpetuity, what sets this case apart is that Ella T. Holmes saw those tweets and decided to spearhead the creation something in response: this defiantly joyful anthology of fantasy and folktales centered on disabled characters.
I am really impressed by the care that has obviously gone into this book, from the curation and editing to the cover and chapter illustrations. The fourteen chosen stories are varied in style and substance, as is the disability representation. While it’s inevitable that some stories worked better for me than others (such is the nature of anthologies), I thought the overall quality was high and very consistent across the book.
A couple of the stories that stood out to me were:
‘To Make Her Eat’ by M. Stevenson – I loved how the main character’s disability (celiac disease) was woven into this story about an encounter with the fey (the traditional, sinister variety!). And there was a really effectively set-up sapphic romance; I could feel the yearning and a deep sense of the history between the characters.
‘Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass’ by Adie Hart – This one followed the classic Cinderella story fairly closely; however, the way that the disability rep (chronic fatigue syndrome) was woven in worked really well and enhanced my enjoyment of the story far beyond that of the versions I’ve come across before.
I really enjoyed the author’s notes that accompanied each story. Hearing from writers about the choices they made and the emotional fuel at the heart of their stories is one of my favourite things. It was made all the more special in this anthology because each of these stories is carving out a desperately needed space for disability representation in the fantasy genre.
Some of the representation across the stories (either directly, or through fantasy analogues) includes: Marfan syndrome, mobility issues, being a cane user, being an ambulatory wheelchair user, chronic pain, being nonverbal, autism, ADHD, celiac disease, POTS, ME/CFS, chronic migraine, PTSD, hypermobility, being immunocompromised, being hard of hearing, using hearing aids, limb difference, having a support animal, and much more besides.
I was pleasantly surprised by some of the intersectional representation along queer and trans lines, as well. ‘Lessons in Botany' by Casper E. Falls particularly resonated with me because the main character’s intersections and experiences align with many of my own. I will say, though, that it would have been nice to see some more stories by writers of colour in the mix.
Overall, the anthology achieves a balance between containing a lot of variety between the stories and feeling admirably coherent as a whole. The common thread across a lot of the stories is one of care, community, mutual support, and interdependence. Many of the stories showed this on a smaller scale (between a couple of people or a small group), and so the final story—'City of the Sun' by Kara Siert—was a fantastic one for the collection to end on, because it rounded off that theme with a sweeping message about refusing to participate in ableist systems that only value you for what you can offer them.
I love that the message from the stories within this book reflect the way that this book was created: by disabled people, for disabled people, through a collective effort, and outside of the ableist systems of mainstream traditional publishing. I am thrilled that this anthology exists and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
There were some incredibly ignorant and ableist opinions making the rounds on twitter a while back along the lines of “disabled people should not exist in fantasy because magic would ‘fix’ them”. While bad takes on social media are nothing new and will no doubt continue in perpetuity, what sets this case apart is that Ella T. Holmes saw those tweets and decided to spearhead the creation something in response: this defiantly joyful anthology of fantasy and folktales centered on disabled characters.
I am really impressed by the care that has obviously gone into this book, from the curation and editing to the cover and chapter illustrations. The fourteen chosen stories are varied in style and substance, as is the disability representation. While it’s inevitable that some stories worked better for me than others (such is the nature of anthologies), I thought the overall quality was high and very consistent across the book.
A couple of the stories that stood out to me were:
‘To Make Her Eat’ by M. Stevenson – I loved how the main character’s disability (celiac disease) was woven into this story about an encounter with the fey (the traditional, sinister variety!). And there was a really effectively set-up sapphic romance; I could feel the yearning and a deep sense of the history between the characters.
‘Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass’ by Adie Hart – This one followed the classic Cinderella story fairly closely; however, the way that the disability rep (chronic fatigue syndrome) was woven in worked really well and enhanced my enjoyment of the story far beyond that of the versions I’ve come across before.
I really enjoyed the author’s notes that accompanied each story. Hearing from writers about the choices they made and the emotional fuel at the heart of their stories is one of my favourite things. It was made all the more special in this anthology because each of these stories is carving out a desperately needed space for disability representation in the fantasy genre.
Some of the representation across the stories (either directly, or through fantasy analogues) includes: Marfan syndrome, mobility issues, being a cane user, being an ambulatory wheelchair user, chronic pain, being nonverbal, autism, ADHD, celiac disease, POTS, ME/CFS, chronic migraine, PTSD, hypermobility, being immunocompromised, being hard of hearing, using hearing aids, limb difference, having a support animal, and much more besides.
I was pleasantly surprised by some of the intersectional representation along queer and trans lines, as well. ‘Lessons in Botany' by Casper E. Falls particularly resonated with me because the main character’s intersections and experiences align with many of my own. I will say, though, that it would have been nice to see some more stories by writers of colour in the mix.
Overall, the anthology achieves a balance between containing a lot of variety between the stories and feeling admirably coherent as a whole. The common thread across a lot of the stories is one of care, community, mutual support, and interdependence. Many of the stories showed this on a smaller scale (between a couple of people or a small group), and so the final story—'City of the Sun' by Kara Siert—was a fantastic one for the collection to end on, because it rounded off that theme with a sweeping message about refusing to participate in ableist systems that only value you for what you can offer them.
I love that the message from the stories within this book reflect the way that this book was created: by disabled people, for disabled people, through a collective effort, and outside of the ableist systems of mainstream traditional publishing. I am thrilled that this anthology exists and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
January 5, 2025
I received an ARC of this book and I really enjoyed it. All of the stories are magical and so personal to the authors. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them!
December 28, 2024
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
This is such an awesome read to end my year with! I love exploring themed anthologies and I was sold as soon as I heard it was going to focus on disabled authors telling stories about disabled characters.
And oh, do they deliver! Each story in here has its own heart and I loved the variety not just of characters but the setting! The utter creativity of fantasy is on fire in this book. Cities, rural towns, retellings of myths, legends and fairy tales. If you can think of it, it’s likely in here.
I adore how the disabilities are presented. They don’t always use the same name we have, which makes sense in a different world setting, but the challenges and the struggles are crystal clear. I loved seeing how the fantasy setting impacted the disabilities—sometimes for good, sometimes for not.
I think my favorite story in here is absolutely The Changeling of Brushby — by Natalie Kelda. God, what a brilliant way to combine history and myth while displaying the very real struggles of autism. I adored the direction she took this and think everyone else will too!
If you’re looking for unique stories with a special flavor of heart, look no more! Definitely going to be a must-buy for me
This is such an awesome read to end my year with! I love exploring themed anthologies and I was sold as soon as I heard it was going to focus on disabled authors telling stories about disabled characters.
And oh, do they deliver! Each story in here has its own heart and I loved the variety not just of characters but the setting! The utter creativity of fantasy is on fire in this book. Cities, rural towns, retellings of myths, legends and fairy tales. If you can think of it, it’s likely in here.
I adore how the disabilities are presented. They don’t always use the same name we have, which makes sense in a different world setting, but the challenges and the struggles are crystal clear. I loved seeing how the fantasy setting impacted the disabilities—sometimes for good, sometimes for not.
I think my favorite story in here is absolutely The Changeling of Brushby — by Natalie Kelda. God, what a brilliant way to combine history and myth while displaying the very real struggles of autism. I adored the direction she took this and think everyone else will too!
If you’re looking for unique stories with a special flavor of heart, look no more! Definitely going to be a must-buy for me
January 21, 2025
(The following is an ARC review.)
The villain is always ableism.
You won't lose anything by knowing that in advance because the point of these stories is the experiences and perspectives they impart.
Each disability is presented through the senses and feelings of the characters. One exception, which is set in an alternate current-day earth, does include clinical language, but it's explicitly contrasted with the character's experiences in a fascinating way that also involves magic.
Sometimes disability is what it is—a thing to work around and manage, to explain and find acceptance for. In other stories, it bestows wisdom that helps the characters deal with a problem that an able-bodied person might struggle to overcome. In a few, characters gain substantial benefits through their disability, but the price of the tradeoff is acknowledged.
I particularly liked the last type of story since I find magic in fantasy more compelling when it comes with a cost. But it can be difficult to find stories where the magical payoff doesn't serve to redeem the one paying the price from potentially burdening society. The stories in this anthology challenge that narrative instead, claiming that worthiness is not found in whatever is lost or gained.
The stories are also beautifully written. Whether they borrow the cadence of a well-known fairy tale or depict uniquely crafted world, they are lush in imagery, detail and emotion. The only imperfections are that a few stories feel unfinished, as if they were meant to be the beginning to a longer work. However, if their writing and world-building were not immersive, one wouldn't be left unsatisfied and wanting more.
This anthology goes beyond proving that disabled people and disability belong in fantasy fiction. It shows that fantasy gives writers a perfect milieu to separate disability from its familiar framing in clinical terms and medicalized analysis—framing that can distance even the well-meaning from genuine understanding.
Through fantasy, these disabilities become immediate, comprehensible and relatable. They exist in the same voice the characters use to tell their true needs, desires and dreams. And those last are what everyone can stand to learn to listen to, because ableism is a villain in the real world too.
The villain is always ableism.
You won't lose anything by knowing that in advance because the point of these stories is the experiences and perspectives they impart.
Each disability is presented through the senses and feelings of the characters. One exception, which is set in an alternate current-day earth, does include clinical language, but it's explicitly contrasted with the character's experiences in a fascinating way that also involves magic.
Sometimes disability is what it is—a thing to work around and manage, to explain and find acceptance for. In other stories, it bestows wisdom that helps the characters deal with a problem that an able-bodied person might struggle to overcome. In a few, characters gain substantial benefits through their disability, but the price of the tradeoff is acknowledged.
I particularly liked the last type of story since I find magic in fantasy more compelling when it comes with a cost. But it can be difficult to find stories where the magical payoff doesn't serve to redeem the one paying the price from potentially burdening society. The stories in this anthology challenge that narrative instead, claiming that worthiness is not found in whatever is lost or gained.
The stories are also beautifully written. Whether they borrow the cadence of a well-known fairy tale or depict uniquely crafted world, they are lush in imagery, detail and emotion. The only imperfections are that a few stories feel unfinished, as if they were meant to be the beginning to a longer work. However, if their writing and world-building were not immersive, one wouldn't be left unsatisfied and wanting more.
This anthology goes beyond proving that disabled people and disability belong in fantasy fiction. It shows that fantasy gives writers a perfect milieu to separate disability from its familiar framing in clinical terms and medicalized analysis—framing that can distance even the well-meaning from genuine understanding.
Through fantasy, these disabilities become immediate, comprehensible and relatable. They exist in the same voice the characters use to tell their true needs, desires and dreams. And those last are what everyone can stand to learn to listen to, because ableism is a villain in the real world too.
December 19, 2024
This might be my favourite read of the year. As someone with a chronic illness and disability, seeing myself in the pages of some of my favourite stories (or favourite kind of stories) had me emotional beyond words.
The stories are all feel good, inspiring, comforting, and well-written.
There’s a child in me that got a massive dose of healing.
Thanks for the ARC, to be part of this incredible storytelling.
The stories are all feel good, inspiring, comforting, and well-written.
There’s a child in me that got a massive dose of healing.
Thanks for the ARC, to be part of this incredible storytelling.
August 31, 2025
3.5⭐️ (whole collection rating)
As far as anthologies go, this was quite an enjoyable one! There were lots of stories here that I thought might work better in long form, and I didn't rate any above 4⭐️, but enjoyed the majority of them and only actively disliked one, so that's a win!
The best feature of this anthology though is, of course, the incredible disability rep. I felt very seen and safe within these pages, and thought this book sent a powerful and moving message, written and collated in response to online bigotry and rejection. Disabled people belong in fantasy literature, and there's no reason for us not to be there. I really hope stories like these will encourage people to explore disability rep in books more.
Individual story ratings and some very brief thoughts:
One Cream, Five Sugars -> 4⭐️
- very sweet sapphics and a powerful critique of paid healthcare
A Witch's Tale -> 4⭐️
- a very sweet story of found family and learning to live with and adapt to a new disability
Use Your Words -> 2.5⭐️
- the one story in this collection I disliked 😅 I liked how signing was included, but this felt very messy overall, lacking in plot and clarity, and I didn't understand what was happening
The Changeling of Brushby -> 4⭐️
- a hopeful tale of reclaiming and asserting yourself and finding freedom that I found relatable as an autistic person
To Make Her Eat -> 3.25⭐️
- really liked the darker fairy lore, but this definitely needed to be longer to have a better impact
Hope, Be It Never So Faint -> 3.75⭐️
- very sweet and sapphic once again, a fun Robin Hood retelling, but I would've preferred it to be longer in order to allow the relationships to develop more
A Night for Mischief -> 3.75⭐️
- a fun story, but I really wanted this to be longer as these characters and the worldbuilding were really fascinating
Lessons in Botany -> 4⭐️
- another very sweet story, and an intriguing fairytale retelling with disability interwoven
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass -> 4⭐️
- another very sweet fairytale retelling, with a very cute relationship, and a very intriguing choice of tale to retell through a disability lens
In Another World, I Twist the Knife -> 3⭐️
- this was just fine, but felt more like exposition rather than a short story, and felt unfinished too
The Knife That Makes the Cut -> 3⭐️
- again, just fine, but it leaned a bit too much on the metaphorical elements to provide an interesting plot
Angharad feran Truniaw -> 3⭐️
- again, just fine, don't really have any particular feelings about this one 😅
The Girl and the Gum-Riddle -> 3.5⭐️
- messaging/commentary was really good here, but the actual story was less strong
City of the Sun -> 3⭐️
- good commentary, but I just couldn't really connect and though the worldbuilding (which seemed interesting in the little time I was in this story) would've better suited a long-form piece
As far as anthologies go, this was quite an enjoyable one! There were lots of stories here that I thought might work better in long form, and I didn't rate any above 4⭐️, but enjoyed the majority of them and only actively disliked one, so that's a win!
The best feature of this anthology though is, of course, the incredible disability rep. I felt very seen and safe within these pages, and thought this book sent a powerful and moving message, written and collated in response to online bigotry and rejection. Disabled people belong in fantasy literature, and there's no reason for us not to be there. I really hope stories like these will encourage people to explore disability rep in books more.
Individual story ratings and some very brief thoughts:
One Cream, Five Sugars -> 4⭐️
- very sweet sapphics and a powerful critique of paid healthcare
A Witch's Tale -> 4⭐️
- a very sweet story of found family and learning to live with and adapt to a new disability
Use Your Words -> 2.5⭐️
- the one story in this collection I disliked 😅 I liked how signing was included, but this felt very messy overall, lacking in plot and clarity, and I didn't understand what was happening
The Changeling of Brushby -> 4⭐️
- a hopeful tale of reclaiming and asserting yourself and finding freedom that I found relatable as an autistic person
To Make Her Eat -> 3.25⭐️
- really liked the darker fairy lore, but this definitely needed to be longer to have a better impact
Hope, Be It Never So Faint -> 3.75⭐️
- very sweet and sapphic once again, a fun Robin Hood retelling, but I would've preferred it to be longer in order to allow the relationships to develop more
A Night for Mischief -> 3.75⭐️
- a fun story, but I really wanted this to be longer as these characters and the worldbuilding were really fascinating
Lessons in Botany -> 4⭐️
- another very sweet story, and an intriguing fairytale retelling with disability interwoven
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass -> 4⭐️
- another very sweet fairytale retelling, with a very cute relationship, and a very intriguing choice of tale to retell through a disability lens
In Another World, I Twist the Knife -> 3⭐️
- this was just fine, but felt more like exposition rather than a short story, and felt unfinished too
The Knife That Makes the Cut -> 3⭐️
- again, just fine, but it leaned a bit too much on the metaphorical elements to provide an interesting plot
Angharad feran Truniaw -> 3⭐️
- again, just fine, don't really have any particular feelings about this one 😅
The Girl and the Gum-Riddle -> 3.5⭐️
- messaging/commentary was really good here, but the actual story was less strong
City of the Sun -> 3⭐️
- good commentary, but I just couldn't really connect and though the worldbuilding (which seemed interesting in the little time I was in this story) would've better suited a long-form piece
January 24, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I’ve heard so much about Artifice & Access and knew that it sounded like exactly the kind of anthology I wanted to read. Disability rep in a cozy fantasy genre? Count me in!! Each of the stories were bite size, intricately detailed and represented different types of disabilities both visible and invisible. Many of the stories were also retellings of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Robin Hood and I love a good retelling, ones that truly change the way the story can be seen and take a life of their own. I had loved all of the stories in this anthology, but here are a few that really stood out to me:
A Witch’s Tale
The Changeling of Brushby
Hope, Be it Never So Faint
A Night for Mischief
Lessons in Botany
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass
I especially really loved A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley. The story follows a witch and healer, a footnote in the lives of heroes, until one day a knight with an injury the witch cannot heal shows up at her doorstep. The knight undergoes an emotional journey as they learn to accept their new disability with the witch’s help. It has such a sense of companionship and love that really warmed my heart.
A little section below (TW: internalised ableism)
“I am thinking,” she says, “of what I did wrong. How I could have avoided my fate.”
“And what are you discovering?”
“I don’t know yet. But it can’t have been for nothing. I have to learn from it.” She falls silent a while longer. “Perhaps humility,” Arelis finally says, quieter. “Perhaps caution.”
“No,” Lady Golgora tells her plainly dusting her dirty hands off on her apron. “Those are not it.”
…
“No,” she repeats gently. “There are other ways to learn those lessons. It did not have to hurt.”
Because, she so right. There are never any lessons to learn in pain, they did not have to hurt. These are words I’m going to keep with me.
There were so many moments when I thought a facet of myself was represented on the page – the sensory overstimulation, the feelings of being trapped and misunderstood, the exhaustion and the tediousness of having to explain myself yet again, and the physical sensations akin to bruising. These were articulated in such a way that I felt so seen.
There was, of course a lot more than just what I’ve experienced with my limited perspective of my own disabilities, but there were so many stories that had messages that just sunk into my soul, messages and words that I would love to turn over and over in my mind and cherish. I really love these stories.
I’ve heard so much about Artifice & Access and knew that it sounded like exactly the kind of anthology I wanted to read. Disability rep in a cozy fantasy genre? Count me in!! Each of the stories were bite size, intricately detailed and represented different types of disabilities both visible and invisible. Many of the stories were also retellings of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Robin Hood and I love a good retelling, ones that truly change the way the story can be seen and take a life of their own. I had loved all of the stories in this anthology, but here are a few that really stood out to me:
A Witch’s Tale
The Changeling of Brushby
Hope, Be it Never So Faint
A Night for Mischief
Lessons in Botany
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass
I especially really loved A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley. The story follows a witch and healer, a footnote in the lives of heroes, until one day a knight with an injury the witch cannot heal shows up at her doorstep. The knight undergoes an emotional journey as they learn to accept their new disability with the witch’s help. It has such a sense of companionship and love that really warmed my heart.
A little section below (TW: internalised ableism)
“I am thinking,” she says, “of what I did wrong. How I could have avoided my fate.”
“And what are you discovering?”
“I don’t know yet. But it can’t have been for nothing. I have to learn from it.” She falls silent a while longer. “Perhaps humility,” Arelis finally says, quieter. “Perhaps caution.”
“No,” Lady Golgora tells her plainly dusting her dirty hands off on her apron. “Those are not it.”
…
“No,” she repeats gently. “There are other ways to learn those lessons. It did not have to hurt.”
Because, she so right. There are never any lessons to learn in pain, they did not have to hurt. These are words I’m going to keep with me.
There were so many moments when I thought a facet of myself was represented on the page – the sensory overstimulation, the feelings of being trapped and misunderstood, the exhaustion and the tediousness of having to explain myself yet again, and the physical sensations akin to bruising. These were articulated in such a way that I felt so seen.
There was, of course a lot more than just what I’ve experienced with my limited perspective of my own disabilities, but there were so many stories that had messages that just sunk into my soul, messages and words that I would love to turn over and over in my mind and cherish. I really love these stories.
January 24, 2025
Seeing myself in fantasy was more emotional than I expected.
A while ago I tried reading a fictional book with ME/CFS representation after one of my own chronic illnesses. While the book was lovely I had to quit at about 30% because it was just too triggering to see someone so heavy with this illness. This anthology had ME/CFS representation multiple times and instead most of the stories make something positive out of the disabilities the characters live with. In some stories they feel like superpowers, but in others it's a different world where people are just accepting and less ableist than the harsh world we live in.
One that really stands by me is a retelling of Rapunzel. When Rapunzel is freed from his tower (in this story he is also trans), his new companions protect him and start wearing masks to do so, so his disease doesn't worsen just like what can happen in ME/CFS. In my own environments people struggle to wear masks for me and it's a stress point. I try to wear them as much as I can myself and busted my savings on a quarter face mask that also protects me way better than the regular ones. But many people still refuse to wear them to protect others like me from worsening their lives. The fact that they so radically did this was really heartwarming.
There is another story with Cinderella where she takes rests at the ball and thus resting finds her prince charming. This was a really cute moment and felt adorable to read. It was just one in the many stories where disabled main characters found love.
Not every story in this anthology is a retelling, even though that might seem this way so far from this review. There are many other stories too with original tales that sometimes draw upon folklore like mushroom fairy rings, or other ones where there is a whole new magic system that doesn't exist outside of that tale. It makes for a lovely mix that stays with me for a long while, and has me wanting to share every little bit about the book.
Concluding this book gives me hope, hope that one day we might all find that accepting place upon this earth. And live happily ever after in our own ways.
I received this eARC and this was my honest review.
A while ago I tried reading a fictional book with ME/CFS representation after one of my own chronic illnesses. While the book was lovely I had to quit at about 30% because it was just too triggering to see someone so heavy with this illness. This anthology had ME/CFS representation multiple times and instead most of the stories make something positive out of the disabilities the characters live with. In some stories they feel like superpowers, but in others it's a different world where people are just accepting and less ableist than the harsh world we live in.
One that really stands by me is a retelling of Rapunzel. When Rapunzel is freed from his tower (in this story he is also trans), his new companions protect him and start wearing masks to do so, so his disease doesn't worsen just like what can happen in ME/CFS. In my own environments people struggle to wear masks for me and it's a stress point. I try to wear them as much as I can myself and busted my savings on a quarter face mask that also protects me way better than the regular ones. But many people still refuse to wear them to protect others like me from worsening their lives. The fact that they so radically did this was really heartwarming.
There is another story with Cinderella where she takes rests at the ball and thus resting finds her prince charming. This was a really cute moment and felt adorable to read. It was just one in the many stories where disabled main characters found love.
Not every story in this anthology is a retelling, even though that might seem this way so far from this review. There are many other stories too with original tales that sometimes draw upon folklore like mushroom fairy rings, or other ones where there is a whole new magic system that doesn't exist outside of that tale. It makes for a lovely mix that stays with me for a long while, and has me wanting to share every little bit about the book.
Concluding this book gives me hope, hope that one day we might all find that accepting place upon this earth. And live happily ever after in our own ways.
I received this eARC and this was my honest review.
January 26, 2025
I don’t read that many short story anthologies but I usually enjoy them when I do. This was such a stellar read! Normally I find myself rating them 4 or so but this time I couldn’t rate it anything other than 5! I enjoyed almost every story. I loved the casual representation featured in them and see! It’s easy! To include them!
I’ll write specific thoughts for each of the stories and then add a ⚔️ by my favourites – I like doing that for short stories.
One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley – This was a cute one! The cute meetings and there’s a service dog. This one I could’ve definitely had more of (like with a lot of these short stories).
A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley – I’m always up for a good mentor story. I liked how the main character in this adapted – going from “Oh I can’t do x” to “I can do x, just in y way”. And that’s something you can either be taught by someone else or learn by yourself.
Use Your Words by Zira McFarlane – This one was cute (I’ll say that about a lot of them haha). I liked the inclusion of sign language and how the two main characters worked well together.
⚔️ The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda. I loved the inclusion of autism and “oh everyone thinks I’m weird but the Fae… Like me”. I liked getting to know Tilde and just wanted the best for her – luckily she got exactly that.
To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson – listen, I’m just out here eating up all the weird Fae stories (look, romantasy Fae is fun and all but normal weird Fae stories… Even better)
⚔️ Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley – I’d first heard about this anthology from Ashley so I couldn’t wait to get to it! I LOVED the idea of Marian in a wheelchair!
A Night for Mischief by Elior Hayley – This one was a fun ride with deception and twists. One thing shown multiple times in this anthology was aids – in this specific story it was hearing aids but they’re called sound-catchers. And that shows that you can have hearing and other aids in fantasy!
Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls – I always love this story that it’s based upon and seeing it like this is a cool change.
⚔️ Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart – I’m always up for a Cinderella retelling. I like how she bonded with the prince (as always) and had fun – that’s what I enjoy the most about the retellings, seeing her have fun.
In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G. – This was quite confusing to follow but I managed to eventually and I ended up enjoying it.
The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent – This was also confusing but interesting in the end. But what I like – because I’m sure about this – even if I don’t really understand the story, there’ll be others that really do.
Angharad Ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers – While this wasn’t one of my favourites I still really enjoyed it and the journey it took me on of family and the determination showed by the main character.
The Girl and the Gum-Riddle by Ella T. Holmes – This was so weird and I loved every moment i was reading it. I liked how it just ended and “hey, the girl might be okay but she’ll also go through a lot of flares” like same.
City of the Sun by Kara Siert – This was sad at times but I liked the turn it took because it was focused on community and being with loved ones – through the hard times.
I’ll write specific thoughts for each of the stories and then add a ⚔️ by my favourites – I like doing that for short stories.
One Cream, Five Sugars by Harper Kinsley – This was a cute one! The cute meetings and there’s a service dog. This one I could’ve definitely had more of (like with a lot of these short stories).
A Witch’s Tale by Rascal Hartley – I’m always up for a good mentor story. I liked how the main character in this adapted – going from “Oh I can’t do x” to “I can do x, just in y way”. And that’s something you can either be taught by someone else or learn by yourself.
Use Your Words by Zira McFarlane – This one was cute (I’ll say that about a lot of them haha). I liked the inclusion of sign language and how the two main characters worked well together.
⚔️ The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda. I loved the inclusion of autism and “oh everyone thinks I’m weird but the Fae… Like me”. I liked getting to know Tilde and just wanted the best for her – luckily she got exactly that.
To Make Her Eat by M. Stevenson – listen, I’m just out here eating up all the weird Fae stories (look, romantasy Fae is fun and all but normal weird Fae stories… Even better)
⚔️ Hope, Be It Never So Faint by Ashley N. Y. Sheesley – I’d first heard about this anthology from Ashley so I couldn’t wait to get to it! I LOVED the idea of Marian in a wheelchair!
A Night for Mischief by Elior Hayley – This one was a fun ride with deception and twists. One thing shown multiple times in this anthology was aids – in this specific story it was hearing aids but they’re called sound-catchers. And that shows that you can have hearing and other aids in fantasy!
Lessons in Botany by Casper E. Falls – I always love this story that it’s based upon and seeing it like this is a cool change.
⚔️ Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart – I’m always up for a Cinderella retelling. I like how she bonded with the prince (as always) and had fun – that’s what I enjoy the most about the retellings, seeing her have fun.
In Another World, I Twist The Knife by Rory G. – This was quite confusing to follow but I managed to eventually and I ended up enjoying it.
The Knife That Makes The Cut by Lynne Sargent – This was also confusing but interesting in the end. But what I like – because I’m sure about this – even if I don’t really understand the story, there’ll be others that really do.
Angharad Ferch Truniaw by Tam Ayers – While this wasn’t one of my favourites I still really enjoyed it and the journey it took me on of family and the determination showed by the main character.
The Girl and the Gum-Riddle by Ella T. Holmes – This was so weird and I loved every moment i was reading it. I liked how it just ended and “hey, the girl might be okay but she’ll also go through a lot of flares” like same.
City of the Sun by Kara Siert – This was sad at times but I liked the turn it took because it was focused on community and being with loved ones – through the hard times.
February 1, 2025
*I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I really enjoyed this anthology. Some of the stories were retellings of legends and fairy tales I recognized, others featured completely original plots and characters. Most were self-contained with a satisfying conclusion, others felt more like chapters of bigger stories that left me wanting for more.
All of them were followed by a short note by the author mentioning the inspiration for each tale. Despite the limited space allowed by the chosen medium, the writers overall managed to craft compelling characters, and successfully integrate themes of disability, community, love, and acceptance into the story.
It was refreshing to read so many well-written tales where disability and chronic illness are part of the main characters themselves, not just sob stories or obstacles to overcome. There was so much joy in this book, and hope and love were always present in the face of fear and sadness.
Some of the stories were definitely stronger than others, striking a perfect balance between showing and telling, and offering memorable characters and stories. I'm struggling to choose a favorite, so I'll end with two notable mentions I think will stay with me for a long time.
- The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda. I can't remember the last time I rooted so strongly for a character I just met. Fae folklore was very well utilized and it fit perfectly with the theme.
- A Night For Mischief by Elior Haley. You can just feel there's a wider world of magic and adventure awaiting beyond the confines of this short story, and I would love a full-length novel with these characters.
Overall, I hope to read more from these authors, and more disabled characters like these in fantasy.
I really enjoyed this anthology. Some of the stories were retellings of legends and fairy tales I recognized, others featured completely original plots and characters. Most were self-contained with a satisfying conclusion, others felt more like chapters of bigger stories that left me wanting for more.
All of them were followed by a short note by the author mentioning the inspiration for each tale. Despite the limited space allowed by the chosen medium, the writers overall managed to craft compelling characters, and successfully integrate themes of disability, community, love, and acceptance into the story.
It was refreshing to read so many well-written tales where disability and chronic illness are part of the main characters themselves, not just sob stories or obstacles to overcome. There was so much joy in this book, and hope and love were always present in the face of fear and sadness.
Some of the stories were definitely stronger than others, striking a perfect balance between showing and telling, and offering memorable characters and stories. I'm struggling to choose a favorite, so I'll end with two notable mentions I think will stay with me for a long time.
- The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda. I can't remember the last time I rooted so strongly for a character I just met. Fae folklore was very well utilized and it fit perfectly with the theme.
- A Night For Mischief by Elior Haley. You can just feel there's a wider world of magic and adventure awaiting beyond the confines of this short story, and I would love a full-length novel with these characters.
Overall, I hope to read more from these authors, and more disabled characters like these in fantasy.
February 2, 2025
Having followed the development of Artifice & Access since almost its inception, I had built up my hopes for this anthology- I can say happily that they’ve absolutely been met. There’s wonderful breadth here, both in terms of representation and in terms of how each writer responded to the prompt of fairytales, whether they were crafting new ones or retelling those that already exist.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As with any collection by multiple writers, there were stories that resonated with me more than others, but whilst I often struggle to rate them, I happily elected to give the anthology as a whole five stars as every story was thought provoking and the range of voices and perspectives included here is really what makes the book. Personal favourites for me included To Make Her Eat- as an almost-lifelong celiac it was exciting to see a character that shared my illness on the page, and I thought that the way that Stevenson found a way to make it into her strength was just so clever, Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass, for its traditional fairytale voice and its defence and prioritisation of rest, and A Night For Mischief, for the instantly loveable characters, engaging prose, and the intriguing world being hinted at- I really wanted that one to just keep on going!
I’d highly recommend this heartfelt anthology to any fantasy readers (and writers!) disabled or abled: there is so much to take away here, whether it’s from a place of catharsis and solidarity or allyship. I’m excited to read more work by these talented writers and I sincerely hope this is the first in a long line of similar projects- I’d read a sequel anthology right away if it existed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As with any collection by multiple writers, there were stories that resonated with me more than others, but whilst I often struggle to rate them, I happily elected to give the anthology as a whole five stars as every story was thought provoking and the range of voices and perspectives included here is really what makes the book. Personal favourites for me included To Make Her Eat- as an almost-lifelong celiac it was exciting to see a character that shared my illness on the page, and I thought that the way that Stevenson found a way to make it into her strength was just so clever, Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass, for its traditional fairytale voice and its defence and prioritisation of rest, and A Night For Mischief, for the instantly loveable characters, engaging prose, and the intriguing world being hinted at- I really wanted that one to just keep on going!
I’d highly recommend this heartfelt anthology to any fantasy readers (and writers!) disabled or abled: there is so much to take away here, whether it’s from a place of catharsis and solidarity or allyship. I’m excited to read more work by these talented writers and I sincerely hope this is the first in a long line of similar projects- I’d read a sequel anthology right away if it existed.
September 20, 2025
This was a really enjoyable collection of short stories focusing on accessibilty in the fantasy genre.
My favourite stories were:
- A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley - a take on classic knights and witches in fairytales and what happens after a knight gets injured slaying dragons
- The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda - how autism is seen as strange and odd and how accomodations can be so easy, and yet neurotypical people can be so uncompromising
- To Make Her Eat by M Stevenson - set in the modern world where the main characters go through a fairy ring and interact with dark fairies, focusing on celiac disease
- Hope, Be it Never So Faint by Ashley N Y Sheesley - a Robin Hood retelling with an ambulatory wheelchair user who has a mix of chronic illnesses like ME/CFS, POTS etc, and aro/ace main characters
- Lessons in Botany by Casper E Falls - a Rapunzel retelling with a chronically ill trans lead, trans side characters and a nod to COVID-style accomodations, highlighting that making our world accessible prevents people from being hiden away in towers (metaphorical or otherwise)
- Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart - a Cinderella retelling where Cinderella has chronic fatigue syndrome and the Prince ensures accomodations are made to ensure she never has to change or be 'fixed' to be worthy of love
My favourite stories were:
- A Witch's Tale by Rascal Hartley - a take on classic knights and witches in fairytales and what happens after a knight gets injured slaying dragons
- The Changeling of Brushby by Natalie Kelda - how autism is seen as strange and odd and how accomodations can be so easy, and yet neurotypical people can be so uncompromising
- To Make Her Eat by M Stevenson - set in the modern world where the main characters go through a fairy ring and interact with dark fairies, focusing on celiac disease
- Hope, Be it Never So Faint by Ashley N Y Sheesley - a Robin Hood retelling with an ambulatory wheelchair user who has a mix of chronic illnesses like ME/CFS, POTS etc, and aro/ace main characters
- Lessons in Botany by Casper E Falls - a Rapunzel retelling with a chronically ill trans lead, trans side characters and a nod to COVID-style accomodations, highlighting that making our world accessible prevents people from being hiden away in towers (metaphorical or otherwise)
- Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass by Adie Hart - a Cinderella retelling where Cinderella has chronic fatigue syndrome and the Prince ensures accomodations are made to ensure she never has to change or be 'fixed' to be worthy of love
April 1, 2025
A short story collection about people with disabilities or chronic illnesses in fantasy, each written by a disabled author. I'm generally not a huge fan of short stories, but I really loved this collection! Of course I liked some stories more than others, but thought each one was really solid. Each story is fairly short but satisfying, with a clear plotline, so I think a lot of people who also don't often read short stories would enjoy these.
There's a lot of variety here, in terms of the type of disability, setting, and even how the disability was included. Some stories were about being accepted and loved as a disabled person, in some the disability played a key role in how the plot turned out, and in some the main character's disability was just part of who they were. In none of the stories was the disability fixed or cured through some sort of magic. There is also a lot of diversity in both the characters and authors in terms of sexuality and gender representation, which was great as well. I was really impressed and would highly recommend it.
There's a lot of variety here, in terms of the type of disability, setting, and even how the disability was included. Some stories were about being accepted and loved as a disabled person, in some the disability played a key role in how the plot turned out, and in some the main character's disability was just part of who they were. In none of the stories was the disability fixed or cured through some sort of magic. There is also a lot of diversity in both the characters and authors in terms of sexuality and gender representation, which was great as well. I was really impressed and would highly recommend it.
July 14, 2025
Artifice & Access: so cool! I was really excited to hear about this collection of fantasy short stories centering disabled characters (and authors), and I was not let down! The contributors present a variety of creative concepts that combine magic and disability, and most also provide an insightful author's note. It's clear that lots of love went into this book. It's true the range of disabilities represented is not the widest, but it's still a welcoming reading experience and I hope to read more from these authors in the future.
--Stories included: (* = my favorites, but I enjoyed nearly all of them!)
*One Cream, Five Sugars
*A Witch's Tale
Use Your Words
The Changeling of Brushby
To Make Her Eat
Hope, Be It Never So Faint
A Night For Mischief
*Lessons in Botany
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass
In Another World, I Twist The Knife
The Knife That Makes The Cut
Angharad ferch Truniaw
The Girl & The Gum-riddle
City of the Sun
--Stories included: (* = my favorites, but I enjoyed nearly all of them!)
*One Cream, Five Sugars
*A Witch's Tale
Use Your Words
The Changeling of Brushby
To Make Her Eat
Hope, Be It Never So Faint
A Night For Mischief
*Lessons in Botany
Stroke of Midnight, Shoes of Glass
In Another World, I Twist The Knife
The Knife That Makes The Cut
Angharad ferch Truniaw
The Girl & The Gum-riddle
City of the Sun
July 19, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️ I’m not a big short story person, but I did thoroughly enjoy my experience with this fantasy anthology. This highlights disability in various fantastical worlds and stories, and I really appreciated the overall heart behind this collection. There was definitely some variation between individual stories - in type of story and also in my enjoyment. I thought the short stories ranged from great to fine. This included different types of stories, from fairy tale reimaginings to conventional fantasy settings and tropes (i.e. witches, fae, etc.) to the completely unique. Not every one was a favorite - there were some that felt more cutesy/cheesy or less original than I am personally looking for in a story, but there were some great writers in this collection. Overall this was a comforting, cozy read, and I would love to read more disability rep in fantasy! 🗣🫂👤🤕☀️
February 13, 2025
It is difficult to pull together a collection of stories and have every single one stick the landing, but Artifice and Access pulls it off! Each author interprets the theme in a very different way, but each story packs a punch, delivering terrific fantasy narratives alongside insight into a variety of disabilities.
Maybe it’s because I’m disabled myself, but I found myself highlighting poignant lines in almost every story. There is so much said around the disabled experience within the book, it’s really quite incredible.
This book is perfect for any fans of fantasy, but if you have experience of disability you will also find it relatable, empowering and heartwarming in equal measure.
Maybe it’s because I’m disabled myself, but I found myself highlighting poignant lines in almost every story. There is so much said around the disabled experience within the book, it’s really quite incredible.
This book is perfect for any fans of fantasy, but if you have experience of disability you will also find it relatable, empowering and heartwarming in equal measure.
March 26, 2025
A very wholesome anthology! Naturally I liked some stories better than others, and because they were all very short, some felt a little unfinished or ended a bit abruptly, but in general I think the stories functioned well as little proofs of concept, if not always complete, narratively satisfying stories. On the whole, I also really liked the way different disabilities were incorporated in different fantasy settings, I found most of the ideas presented very fresh and compelling.
I picked this up mostly because my friend Tam has a story in here, but I think I can recommend this to fans of diverse, conceptually intriguing fantasy without much bias 😊
I picked this up mostly because my friend Tam has a story in here, but I think I can recommend this to fans of diverse, conceptually intriguing fantasy without much bias 😊
February 3, 2025
Whether you are personally affected by disability or chronic illness or not, there will be something among this collection of fascinating, fantastical tales to entertain you.
From modern takes on fairy tales, through swashbuckling battles, to mighty quests, the undercurrent of discovery, growth and acceptance surges. These characters all have something in common that's not typically found in the genre, but this anthology shows that you can have a disability or chronic illness and still be the star of an amazing story.
From modern takes on fairy tales, through swashbuckling battles, to mighty quests, the undercurrent of discovery, growth and acceptance surges. These characters all have something in common that's not typically found in the genre, but this anthology shows that you can have a disability or chronic illness and still be the star of an amazing story.
January 12, 2025
This is a wonderful collection of original fantasy and fairy tale retellings featuring disabled characters. The stories cover a wide range of disabilities, including some I wouldn't have expected to see or hadn't heard of previously. They are well-written and compelling, and the whole collection was a joy to read from start to finish.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 12, 2025
I really loved this short story collection. I think disability is often left out of fantasy but this has made clear it adds so much to the genre and also interpretation of tales we already know.
This collection found another layer to Cinderella and Rapunzel as stories as well as weaving new tales with new morals at their core that are truer than the old things we were taught ever were. I laughed, I cried, I thought and I really enjoyed this book.
This collection found another layer to Cinderella and Rapunzel as stories as well as weaving new tales with new morals at their core that are truer than the old things we were taught ever were. I laughed, I cried, I thought and I really enjoyed this book.
November 2, 2025
4-Star read with a 5-Star premise.
I really loved it.
In all honesty: disability is something I rarely think about as someone who isn’t disabled. So this anthology was a beautiful way to raise some awareness in me and make me consider something I never did before.
So, thank you. Thank you for making this.
As is probably pretty normal in collections like this, I liked some stories more than others, but still enjoyed every single one.
Absolutely recommend reading this! ❤️
I really loved it.
In all honesty: disability is something I rarely think about as someone who isn’t disabled. So this anthology was a beautiful way to raise some awareness in me and make me consider something I never did before.
So, thank you. Thank you for making this.
As is probably pretty normal in collections like this, I liked some stories more than others, but still enjoyed every single one.
Absolutely recommend reading this! ❤️
December 17, 2025
What an amazing collection of disabled voices. I was tearing up reading some of these incredible stories. There’s a lot of grief and anger that’s obvious in the pages, that reflects how a lot of disabled people are treated in this world, and I love seeing that on the page. But there’s also a lot of insight, introspection, hope, and humor. As well as some pretty incredible world building. It’s everything I could’ve wanted from a disabled anthology. Please publish more like this!
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