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Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories
Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.
With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.
Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more.
With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.
Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published March 24, 2026
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March 25, 2026
i love a fairytale.
mini reviews for each of them!
SEASONS OF GLASS AND IRON
princesses and wives get the short end of the stick in most fairytales. it's nice to read this meeting of the minds of two of them. ladies let's unionize!
rating: 4
THE GREEN BOOK
different notes in different handwriting in a kind of haunted book scenario? i don't know. kind of confusing. i yearn for the whimsy of varying typefaces.
rating: 3
MADELEINE
this is more about side effects from a clinical trial than i would have expected a fairytale to be.
rating: 3.5
THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY
this gave me reason to be grateful for both my terror and disgust toward space and my ambivalence toward diamonds.
rating: 3
SONG FOR AN ANCIENT CITY
this one really is just a song.
rating: 3
AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN
this one was really nice :)
rating: 4
A TALE OF ASH IN SEVEN BIRDS
did not know that the enemy of birds was a unionized nation-state of wizards.
rating: 3
QAHR
oh, oh, oh. free palestine.
rating: 5
THE TRUTH OF OWLS
i love sad and witchy girls.
rating: 4
WING
book-based romance.
rating: 3.5
A HOLLOW PLAY
this is just...some intensely corny and heavy dialogue we have here.
rating: 2.5
THUNDERSTORM IN GLASGOW, JULY 25, 2013
another poem.
rating: 3
ANABASIS
to quote bella swan, your mood swings are giving me whiplash. i cannot keep up with where this is going.
rating: 3
TO FOLLOW THE WAVES
i'm just getting frustrated at this point. these are so short and range so widely. there are no stakes or deep feelings because of it.
rating: 2.5
PIECES
it's another...poem...
rating: 3
JOHN HOLLOWBACK AND THE WITCH
what an emotional rollercoaster — we're back to fairytales. a bit of a didactic, misandrist fairytale, but a fairytale all the same.
rating: 3.5
FLORILEGIA; OR, SOME LIES ABOUT FLOWERS
see above.
rating: 3.5
POCKETS
did not predict this story of finding stuff impossibly in your pockets would suddenly end with an instagram-esque "you are so important there is only one of you" love letter.
rating: 3
OVERALL
unfortunately i didn't feel this collection was building toward anything bigger. it's not long, but it's packed with so many different stories and poems in different structures and genres and styles. instead of feeling exciting and interesting, over time it felt almost distracting. after the first story i thought i was in for a volume of fairytales, and i truly wish i had been.
rating: 3
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
mini reviews for each of them!
SEASONS OF GLASS AND IRON
princesses and wives get the short end of the stick in most fairytales. it's nice to read this meeting of the minds of two of them. ladies let's unionize!
rating: 4
THE GREEN BOOK
different notes in different handwriting in a kind of haunted book scenario? i don't know. kind of confusing. i yearn for the whimsy of varying typefaces.
rating: 3
MADELEINE
this is more about side effects from a clinical trial than i would have expected a fairytale to be.
rating: 3.5
THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY
this gave me reason to be grateful for both my terror and disgust toward space and my ambivalence toward diamonds.
rating: 3
SONG FOR AN ANCIENT CITY
this one really is just a song.
rating: 3
AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN
this one was really nice :)
rating: 4
A TALE OF ASH IN SEVEN BIRDS
did not know that the enemy of birds was a unionized nation-state of wizards.
rating: 3
QAHR
oh, oh, oh. free palestine.
rating: 5
THE TRUTH OF OWLS
i love sad and witchy girls.
rating: 4
WING
book-based romance.
rating: 3.5
A HOLLOW PLAY
this is just...some intensely corny and heavy dialogue we have here.
rating: 2.5
THUNDERSTORM IN GLASGOW, JULY 25, 2013
another poem.
rating: 3
ANABASIS
to quote bella swan, your mood swings are giving me whiplash. i cannot keep up with where this is going.
rating: 3
TO FOLLOW THE WAVES
i'm just getting frustrated at this point. these are so short and range so widely. there are no stakes or deep feelings because of it.
rating: 2.5
PIECES
it's another...poem...
rating: 3
JOHN HOLLOWBACK AND THE WITCH
what an emotional rollercoaster — we're back to fairytales. a bit of a didactic, misandrist fairytale, but a fairytale all the same.
rating: 3.5
FLORILEGIA; OR, SOME LIES ABOUT FLOWERS
see above.
rating: 3.5
POCKETS
did not predict this story of finding stuff impossibly in your pockets would suddenly end with an instagram-esque "you are so important there is only one of you" love letter.
rating: 3
OVERALL
unfortunately i didn't feel this collection was building toward anything bigger. it's not long, but it's packed with so many different stories and poems in different structures and genres and styles. instead of feeling exciting and interesting, over time it felt almost distracting. after the first story i thought i was in for a volume of fairytales, and i truly wish i had been.
rating: 3
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
May 6, 2026
“I love women talking to each other. I love women reading each other, through letters and journals and flowers, offering up the stories of themselves to each other's tender scrutiny. I love women being friends and being lovers, in all of their shapes, across the breadth and depth of their lives.”
i am a huge amal el-mohtar fan, so when i found out she was getting a story collection published i knew it was going to be everything. i truly loved this so much and was just so impressed by the flow of the entire collection. i also loved the themes and throughlines from glass and the meaning of fragility, to wizards and the wars the create, to wood and the act of being carved, to flowers with and without thorns, to witches the magic of storytelling, to birds/owls and the things they see, to tea and the comfort that can come with a cup, to letters and the way we can communicate in so many different ways. okay, that was a bit of a gush, but truly these stories really ebbed and flowed from one to another and i loved everything the reading experience.
━━♡ SEASONS OF GLASS AND IRON ★★★★
“Why shouldn't shoes help their wearers travel? Perhaps, she thinks, what's strange is the shoes women are made to wear: shoes of glass; shoes of paper; shoes of iron heated red-hot; shoes to dance to death in.”
two women with glass and iron under their feet, experiencing different kinds of abuse for survival, but realize they can share their magic with each other because they both choose it. this was just perfect and i loved reading every word. wonderful way to start this collection and truly an amazing titular story.
cw/tw: abuse, talk of abuse in past, talk of injury
━━♡ THE GREEN BOOK ★★★
you all know i adore unique storytelling and epistolary narrated tales, and this really has that, but with such an eerie feeling sinister vibe. i feel like this was an amazing tease to what i wish was a full-length story about a magical book, a girl whose wishes didn't matter, and a sisterhood with secrets.
cw/tw: blood
━━♡ MADELEINE ★★★★
“She wonders at how change comes in like a thief in the night, dismantling our sense of self one bolt and screw at a time until all that's left of the person we think we are is a broken door hanging off a rusty hinge, waiting for us to walk through.”
this one might have impacted me harder, because i am currently back in michigan while reading this, in part to help my family with my grandfather who has alzheimers. grieving loved ones, grieving life, grieving change you didn't ask for, its all can feel so unnavigable. but having someone to figure things out with, to believe in light with, to hold hope with - it makes living feel traversable.
cw/tw: alzheimer's, talk of loss of mother, grief, talk of loss of father, one sentence cancer mention, loneliness
━━♡ THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY ★★★
we are inside the journal of a planetary geologist who is disassociating, while others are discovering teleportation from diamonds on neptune.. the cost of things, sometimes so unnecessary, can be so very high.
cw/tw: discussions of mental health, disassociation, suicide ideation
━━☆ SONG FOR AN ANCIENT CITY
a beautiful poem of yearning
━━♡ AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN ★★★★
chosen at birth to be taught a ritual that you will eventually pass down while losing your voice. this is the story of one sun woman who chose a different life and i loved it a lot.
cw/tw: blood, pregnancy
━━♡ A TALE OF ASH IN SEVEN BIRDS ★★★★
“We fall as cinders, scattered on the wind. We fall as leaves, a bruising brightness—and lightly on foreign shores, foreign ports, foreign parts. Our shapes unseamed, our mouths untongued, we swallow our burning into new bodies. We break space around our hearts, keep our memories nestled in the hollows of bones built from the outside in.”
i really loved this one, reading about seven different types of birds and the horrors they've endured for being different than their oppressors. and how it changes you, and changes you, and changes you. sometimes you need to be small, but sometimes you need to burn everything down around you.
cw/tw: themes of colonization, racism, xenophobia
━━☆ QAHR
“as if a single word in any language
could hold all this wrecking grief.”
━━♡ THE TRUTH OF OWLS ★★★★
a girl who has only known the horrors of war develops magic while feeling isolated. heartbreaking, powerful, and impactful.
tw/cw: colorism, racism, genocide, war, animal death (rooster), self harm, loss of father (stroke)
━━♡ WING ★★★★
a lovely story of a girl who wears a book around her neck that carries a secret. sometimes we are lucky enough to find people who carry the same word that you also carry inside of you.
━━♡ A HOLLOW PLAY ★★★★
a girl writes inside a journal for a distant friend in hopes they can exchange journals to one another. she is also navigating starting over in a new place, finding new friends, and some magic that can come with that. this was almost a five star for me, i really loved it.
tw/cw: blood, drinking / inebriation, homophobic family mention, talk of war, depression
━━☆ THUNDERSTORM IN GLASGOW, JULY 25, 2013
you can really feel that glasgow means something to this author (in a very heartfelt way)
━━☆ ANABASIS
heartbreaking poem discussing borders
━━♡ TO FOLLOW THE WAVES ★★★
a girl is learning how the magic of building dreams and memory palaces, but needs to know the sea. a girl sees a woman in a coffee shop and needs to find her in the dreams she's still learning to build.
cw/tw: blood, themes of sa // lack of consent
━━☆ PIECES
so many of us hold in our hearts our grandmother's country and the glass and bullets she lived through moving to another country that created those glass and bullets
━━♡ JOHN HOLLOWBACK AND THE WITCH (reread) ★★★
published also in my physical copy of The River Has Roots
some men will just take and take and take until you almost lose who you are completely. an apple, a comb, a string, and a hole in his back is hardly a price to pay.
━━♡ FLORILEGIA; OR, SOME LIES ABOUT FLOWERS ★★★★★
“I have in me the hearts of great ships, the bones of cathedrals. I have in me the sharpness of claws.”
women have been raised from hurt since the beginning of stories, yet always still grow, both hard and soft, if allowed to continue their story. and this was truly just a perfect story for me in all the ways.
tw/cw: abuse, war
━━♡ POCKETS (reread) ★★★★★
read for free: uncanny magazine
“I wrote this for you, for only you, for you alone out of the millions.”
a very beautiful and powerful reminder to maybe not fear the unknown. and to always remember that we are never alone, and never unseen, and we always deserve to be heard (and loved).
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
━━♡ buddy read with evie + maëlys
♡ This Is How You Lose the Time War ★★★★★
♡ The River Has Roots ★★★★
April 7, 2026
"And anything is poison if you have too much of it."
_This collection of stories was a delight—especially since fairy tales like these have a way of reading me as much as I read them. This book saved me from more than one boring day; I savored it one or two stories at a time, careful not to overindulge :-).
The writing was lyrical and pretty, which got me immersed, but I shall say these stories are not the kind that live free in the mind after reading them for a while. For that, I gave it three stars.
_Some stories are written like diaries ("The Green Book") and letters ("A Hollow Play"), and even poems, which are my favorites—adding to the first story that shares the name of the collection, "Seasons of Glass and Iron." It is my favorite one.What makes this story so compelling is its refusal to sentimentalize suffering. Amira lives atop a glass hill, trapped not by physical bars but by her own refusal to be touched by any man. Tabitha, meanwhile, walks in iron shoes, wearing them out one pair per year of her seven-year marriage to a man who is a bear by day. I think the iron shoes are symbols of emotional labor, of the weight women carry when they love at their own expense. Amira's glass hill, too, is more than a literal prison. It represents the isolating safety of emotional walls—the choice to remain untouched rather than risk being hurt. It is not simply about a woman escaping a bear or another living on a glass hill eating apples; it is about the quiet, radical act of deciding that a free woman is, by definition, a happy one.
_P.S. I loved that the stories mirror how the writer is proud of her identity. We have stories from other folklores, and others about war, refuge, women friendship, and queers. What I loved most is that in one of the stories, the characters' names are after some Arabic letters.
_This collection of stories was a delight—especially since fairy tales like these have a way of reading me as much as I read them. This book saved me from more than one boring day; I savored it one or two stories at a time, careful not to overindulge :-).
The writing was lyrical and pretty, which got me immersed, but I shall say these stories are not the kind that live free in the mind after reading them for a while. For that, I gave it three stars.
_Some stories are written like diaries ("The Green Book") and letters ("A Hollow Play"), and even poems, which are my favorites—adding to the first story that shares the name of the collection, "Seasons of Glass and Iron." It is my favorite one.What makes this story so compelling is its refusal to sentimentalize suffering. Amira lives atop a glass hill, trapped not by physical bars but by her own refusal to be touched by any man. Tabitha, meanwhile, walks in iron shoes, wearing them out one pair per year of her seven-year marriage to a man who is a bear by day. I think the iron shoes are symbols of emotional labor, of the weight women carry when they love at their own expense. Amira's glass hill, too, is more than a literal prison. It represents the isolating safety of emotional walls—the choice to remain untouched rather than risk being hurt. It is not simply about a woman escaping a bear or another living on a glass hill eating apples; it is about the quiet, radical act of deciding that a free woman is, by definition, a happy one.
_P.S. I loved that the stories mirror how the writer is proud of her identity. We have stories from other folklores, and others about war, refuge, women friendship, and queers. What I loved most is that in one of the stories, the characters' names are after some Arabic letters.
March 12, 2026
WOW.
This anthology is filled to the brim with a collection of works that are deeply layered, playful, a little weird, gorgeously written, and bursting with heart and soul.
I finished a number of these stories thinking, what the f- did I just read, at the same time as, omg. that was amazing — and I think that sums up my experience with everything I’ve read from this author. Would it be too weird to say her writing is transcendent? Probably, but I’m going to say it anyway.
I’m so glad I have a physical copy, this is something I’ll be revisiting again and again and I know each time I’ll discover a new facet.
Simply put…I loved this. Every piece in this short story collection is absolutely phenomenal. There are some I liked more than others, but not a single one I didn’t enjoy.
I think my favorite is And Their Lips Rang With the Sun, but I reserve the right to change my mind. There are so many that I connected with.
Certainly not for everyone, you’ve gotta be able to lean into a little confusion and weirdness, but if that sounds like something you’d enjoy this—and everything Amal El-Mohtar writes—is an absolute must read.
Audiobook: 5/5
Narrator: Rachel Elizabeth Smith
Length: 6 hrs 58 mins
WOW! Talk about a phenomenal audiobook performance. 10/10 no notes. I need Rachel Elizabeth Smith to narrate more audiobooks soon! As far as I can tell this is her first? Only? I need more from her! Her voice is gorgeous but her execution was also gorgeous. Pacing, pausing, inflection, the whole thing. PERFECT.
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Tor Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
This anthology is filled to the brim with a collection of works that are deeply layered, playful, a little weird, gorgeously written, and bursting with heart and soul.
I finished a number of these stories thinking, what the f- did I just read, at the same time as, omg. that was amazing — and I think that sums up my experience with everything I’ve read from this author. Would it be too weird to say her writing is transcendent? Probably, but I’m going to say it anyway.
I’m so glad I have a physical copy, this is something I’ll be revisiting again and again and I know each time I’ll discover a new facet.
Simply put…I loved this. Every piece in this short story collection is absolutely phenomenal. There are some I liked more than others, but not a single one I didn’t enjoy.
I think my favorite is And Their Lips Rang With the Sun, but I reserve the right to change my mind. There are so many that I connected with.
Certainly not for everyone, you’ve gotta be able to lean into a little confusion and weirdness, but if that sounds like something you’d enjoy this—and everything Amal El-Mohtar writes—is an absolute must read.
Audiobook: 5/5
Narrator: Rachel Elizabeth Smith
Length: 6 hrs 58 mins
WOW! Talk about a phenomenal audiobook performance. 10/10 no notes. I need Rachel Elizabeth Smith to narrate more audiobooks soon! As far as I can tell this is her first? Only? I need more from her! Her voice is gorgeous but her execution was also gorgeous. Pacing, pausing, inflection, the whole thing. PERFECT.
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Tor Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
April 23, 2026
*4.5 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.25 ★— After not being wowed by El-Mohtar's 2025 effort, The River Has Roots, but still finding her prose and storytelling techniques interesting, I went into this intrigued and found myself loving this anthology a lot!
The stories presented here are varied, with some feeling very fairytale-like while others have more of a contemporary setting with a magical realism angle. But across them, there are a few through lines: all of them are woman-focused, many of them are very queer, and several deal with feelings of alienation, especially the sense of Otherness that comes with having a cultural upbringing differing from those around you. I also liked how present the Arabic language was in many of the stories and how artfully it was utilised (even though I couldn't understand it!)
There were definitely some stories I enjoyed less than others, but as a listening experience, I really can’t say that there were any I disliked. This was wondrous, lyrical, and sometimes just plain weird and her gorgeous prose made me feel transported into a different realm as I listened to this throughout my day!
🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
Let me just say how soothing and smooth the narration was for this! I loved how calming it all felt while still conveying the emotions and the different tones of each story perfectly. I definitely think this is a title where the audiobook format enhanced the entire experience for me! Listening to it made the stories feel more otherworldly and magical, almost as if I were being told a series of tales by a particularly talented storyteller.
___________
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
The stories presented here are varied, with some feeling very fairytale-like while others have more of a contemporary setting with a magical realism angle. But across them, there are a few through lines: all of them are woman-focused, many of them are very queer, and several deal with feelings of alienation, especially the sense of Otherness that comes with having a cultural upbringing differing from those around you. I also liked how present the Arabic language was in many of the stories and how artfully it was utilised (even though I couldn't understand it!)
There were definitely some stories I enjoyed less than others, but as a listening experience, I really can’t say that there were any I disliked. This was wondrous, lyrical, and sometimes just plain weird and her gorgeous prose made me feel transported into a different realm as I listened to this throughout my day!
🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
Let me just say how soothing and smooth the narration was for this! I loved how calming it all felt while still conveying the emotions and the different tones of each story perfectly. I definitely think this is a title where the audiobook format enhanced the entire experience for me! Listening to it made the stories feel more otherworldly and magical, almost as if I were being told a series of tales by a particularly talented storyteller.
___________
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
April 9, 2026
absolutely STUNNING
February 7, 2026
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this short story collection overall because I adore Amal El-Mohtar's writing, but I expected this to leave more of an impact on me. I admit that I often find it difficult to collect my thoughts on short story collections. There were a few stories I liked and one that I really enjoyed—The Green Book. That one was creepy and gripping and managed to pack a punch in a few pages. I really prefer my short fiction weird and ambiguous, which is what made The Green Book a standout favorite.
Though there were none that I really disliked, many of the stories were forgettable or lacked impact. I found myself wishing for a coherent thread to tie this collection together, beyond a love of women. But I acknowledge that the author made it very clear in the introduction that that was not the goal of this collection. Fans of Amal El-Mohtar will luxuriate in more examples of her beautiful writing, but I don't see this as a strong entry point for new readers.
Thank you TorDotCom for the advanced copy!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books
I enjoyed this short story collection overall because I adore Amal El-Mohtar's writing, but I expected this to leave more of an impact on me. I admit that I often find it difficult to collect my thoughts on short story collections. There were a few stories I liked and one that I really enjoyed—The Green Book. That one was creepy and gripping and managed to pack a punch in a few pages. I really prefer my short fiction weird and ambiguous, which is what made The Green Book a standout favorite.
Though there were none that I really disliked, many of the stories were forgettable or lacked impact. I found myself wishing for a coherent thread to tie this collection together, beyond a love of women. But I acknowledge that the author made it very clear in the introduction that that was not the goal of this collection. Fans of Amal El-Mohtar will luxuriate in more examples of her beautiful writing, but I don't see this as a strong entry point for new readers.
Thank you TorDotCom for the advanced copy!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books
March 24, 2026
This is a short read comprised of many short reads; some stories with plots, some feelings with bits of stories, some magical and some real, some both, and even some poems.
Ultimately there's no contesting that El-Mohtar's writing is often transcendent, gorgeously descriptive, and evocative. Most of these are heartbreaking in one way or another, and much like she promises in her preface, in SEASONS OF IRON AND GLASS there is a focus on women; their loves, their losses, their conversations, their connections. And I really enjoyed that.
Initially for this review I started with the intention of commenting my feelings and rating for all the stories but as it went on I did skip a few — mostly the poems — when I didn’t have much of anything to say.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful journey, whether you sit and devour them one after another or chip away at them over time. And even though I didn’t love all of them, I did enjoy most — whether by marveling at it, taking something from it, appreciating it, or just simply having a good time with it.
SEASONS OF IRON AND GLASS : A tale of female friendship as these two review and process their past situations that left them in their current magical-stipulated circumstances and, with the support of one another, leave it all behind for better. Absolutely lovely, four stars.
THE GREEN BOOK : This had a bit of a weird start but how it unfolds, and what the aforementioned book is revealed to be, is quite.. well. Fascinating. I would love a longer story about this concept! Three and a half stars.
MADELEINE: This one gave me very loose hints of the timeline jumping in HOW TO LOSE THE TIME WAR but without any of the same setting or context and instead is both a little heartbreaking and also hopeful. I didn't love it all the way through but it had a great ending. Three stars.
THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY : Didn't quite find myself engaging in this one but did enjoy that we switched gears to a space or sci-fi setting. Two stars.
AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN : I found the descriptions to be lovely and vivid and the story of two almost star-crossed lovers to be classic, with a twist, but I'll admit to being a little checked out of this because of the narrative choice. Two and a half stars.
A TALE OF ASH IN SEVEN BIRDS : This was magnificent. Don't ask me what it was about — some kind of timeless, endless, cat and mouse chase, a battle for supremacy via nature and creature — but it was stunning. Four stars.
WING : This was just a morsel of strangeness and magic and connection. What an image to end on. Three stars.
A HOLLOW PLAY : Easily my least favourite of the bunch. This felt somewhat early in the author's writing (or maybe my dislike makes me want to believe that) and it's not anything of what I've come to love or even enjoy as far as her storytelling. Two stars? Maybe one and a half.
TO FOLLOW THE WAVES : Oof. This took a turn in a way I absolutely did not expect and there was a darkness, an almost violence, in it that took me by surprise and yet I was totally fascinated by it, too. This is definitely one that makes you think. Four stars.
JOHN HOLLOWBACK AND THE WITCH : Oh I liked this. This sorry is a little bit revenge and a little bit redemption and a lot of reckoning. Four stars.
POCKETS : Our final story ends with a bit of whimsy and wonder and one day I too hope to pull a trombone out of my pocket. Three stars.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Ultimately there's no contesting that El-Mohtar's writing is often transcendent, gorgeously descriptive, and evocative. Most of these are heartbreaking in one way or another, and much like she promises in her preface, in SEASONS OF IRON AND GLASS there is a focus on women; their loves, their losses, their conversations, their connections. And I really enjoyed that.
Initially for this review I started with the intention of commenting my feelings and rating for all the stories but as it went on I did skip a few — mostly the poems — when I didn’t have much of anything to say.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful journey, whether you sit and devour them one after another or chip away at them over time. And even though I didn’t love all of them, I did enjoy most — whether by marveling at it, taking something from it, appreciating it, or just simply having a good time with it.
SEASONS OF IRON AND GLASS : A tale of female friendship as these two review and process their past situations that left them in their current magical-stipulated circumstances and, with the support of one another, leave it all behind for better. Absolutely lovely, four stars.
THE GREEN BOOK : This had a bit of a weird start but how it unfolds, and what the aforementioned book is revealed to be, is quite.. well. Fascinating. I would love a longer story about this concept! Three and a half stars.
MADELEINE: This one gave me very loose hints of the timeline jumping in HOW TO LOSE THE TIME WAR but without any of the same setting or context and instead is both a little heartbreaking and also hopeful. I didn't love it all the way through but it had a great ending. Three stars.
THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY : Didn't quite find myself engaging in this one but did enjoy that we switched gears to a space or sci-fi setting. Two stars.
AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN : I found the descriptions to be lovely and vivid and the story of two almost star-crossed lovers to be classic, with a twist, but I'll admit to being a little checked out of this because of the narrative choice. Two and a half stars.
A TALE OF ASH IN SEVEN BIRDS : This was magnificent. Don't ask me what it was about — some kind of timeless, endless, cat and mouse chase, a battle for supremacy via nature and creature — but it was stunning. Four stars.
WING : This was just a morsel of strangeness and magic and connection. What an image to end on. Three stars.
A HOLLOW PLAY : Easily my least favourite of the bunch. This felt somewhat early in the author's writing (or maybe my dislike makes me want to believe that) and it's not anything of what I've come to love or even enjoy as far as her storytelling. Two stars? Maybe one and a half.
TO FOLLOW THE WAVES : Oof. This took a turn in a way I absolutely did not expect and there was a darkness, an almost violence, in it that took me by surprise and yet I was totally fascinated by it, too. This is definitely one that makes you think. Four stars.
JOHN HOLLOWBACK AND THE WITCH : Oh I liked this. This sorry is a little bit revenge and a little bit redemption and a lot of reckoning. Four stars.
POCKETS : Our final story ends with a bit of whimsy and wonder and one day I too hope to pull a trombone out of my pocket. Three stars.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) exchange for an honest review. **
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This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
April 26, 2026
The title story is very very strong, sadly most of the rest don’t live up to that caliber. In the forward, El-Mohtar talks about how she teaches her students that a short story collection “should make a coherent aesthetic argument” then she explains why she didn’t do that. El-Mohtars excuse that these were simply stories she wrote over the last 15 years for other anthologies is not a good enough reason to collect them together here. I also was disappointed that there wasn’t at least one new story written for this collection.
Since it’s a sampling of her work, the quality varies quite a lot. You can tell some stories were written when she was much younger & less skilled. It is fun to see how certain things crop up repeatedly over the years like biographical details (characters from Canada living in Glasgow) or Welsh fables.
As always her later work is filled with beautiful language. El-Mohtar is incredibly gifted at turning a phrase on its head and giving it a deeper more complicated meaning. Maybe this sounds dramatic, Shakespeare does the same thing (better) and El-Mohtar is one of the few authors that even comes close to exploring language the way he does.
Since it’s a sampling of her work, the quality varies quite a lot. You can tell some stories were written when she was much younger & less skilled. It is fun to see how certain things crop up repeatedly over the years like biographical details (characters from Canada living in Glasgow) or Welsh fables.
As always her later work is filled with beautiful language. El-Mohtar is incredibly gifted at turning a phrase on its head and giving it a deeper more complicated meaning. Maybe this sounds dramatic, Shakespeare does the same thing (better) and El-Mohtar is one of the few authors that even comes close to exploring language the way he does.
April 19, 2026
4.5 stars
If you’ve ever read This Is How You Lose the Time War or The River Has Roots, you know exactly what to expect from this collection: Arresting prose. Stunning imagery. Imaginative, fantastical worldbuilding. Luscious romance. If you haven’t read El-Mohtar’s previous work, this is an excellent book to get a taste of her talent and style.
My favorites were "The Truth about Owls," "Madeleine," and "Quar."
April 24, 2026
A very rich and wonderful story and poetry collection spanning 15 years of Amal El-Mohtar's short fiction writing. Many common themes emerge: nearly all of the stories center women, often women who love, long for, or grieve other women; many stories contain birds (the sound of geese wings, the fights of sparrows, the eerie power of owls) and Welsh mythology, especially story of Blodeuwedd. Sometimes the women are birds. Some characters are immigrants- from Canada to the UK, from Lebanon to the UK- or they inhabit sci-fi futures of fairy tale-infused pasts. One of my very favorites is "The Truth About Owls" which I listened to on audio while painting owls for an afternoon.
April 4, 2026
A luminous, lyrical love letter to women everywhere.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is a brilliant collection of fourteen stories and four poems, bringing together much of Amal El-Mohtar's award-winning and nominated work from 2008 to 2023. Drawing on fairy tales, folklore, and speculative fiction, these stories unfold in a variety of forms, each one lyrical and luminous.
From the very first story, the title piece "Seasons of Glass and Iron", I was completely enchanted. There is something unmistakable about El-Mohtar's writing: it's rich and lyrical without being heavy, precise without losing its sense of wonder. Her prose carries a kind of quiet magic, and across the collection, that voice remains remarkably consistent despite the wide range of (15!) years between works.
In her preface, the author notes that these pieces were written during the same years she was studying British literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, and that influence is evident. There's a timeless, almost mythic quality to many of these works, even as they feel fresh and modern in their perspective. Centering on women - both real and imagined - the collection reads as something of a love letter: to women's stories, to transformation, to resilience, and to the spaces where myth and reality overlap.
Following on the heels of the brilliance of her 2025 novella The River Has Roots , this collection feels like both an expansion and a retrospective - an impressive showcase of a writer whose command of language is extraordinary. It's also fascinating to see the evolution of her voice over time, from her early twenties to now. Altogether, it serves as a compelling overview of the work of one of the most lyrical writers of our time.
The audiobook, narrated by Rachel Elizabeth Smith, is a joy to listen to. Her delivery matches the tone of the collection beautifully: it's both measured and expressive, and deeply attuned to the rhythm of the prose. One particularly striking element is the inclusion of poems in both English and Arabic, read consecutively; even without understanding the language, the musicality and care in the performance are evident, and it adds an extra layer of richness to the experience.
One small critique is that the transitions between stories aren't always clearly evident in the audiobook format, which can make it momentarily disorienting. A bit more structure might have helped with orientation. Still, that's a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent production.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is a stunning, genre-defying collection that feels like a love letter - to women, to language, and to the art of storytelling itself.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
"Seasons of Glass and Iron" was published on March 24, 2026, and is available now.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is a brilliant collection of fourteen stories and four poems, bringing together much of Amal El-Mohtar's award-winning and nominated work from 2008 to 2023. Drawing on fairy tales, folklore, and speculative fiction, these stories unfold in a variety of forms, each one lyrical and luminous.
From the very first story, the title piece "Seasons of Glass and Iron", I was completely enchanted. There is something unmistakable about El-Mohtar's writing: it's rich and lyrical without being heavy, precise without losing its sense of wonder. Her prose carries a kind of quiet magic, and across the collection, that voice remains remarkably consistent despite the wide range of (15!) years between works.
In her preface, the author notes that these pieces were written during the same years she was studying British literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, and that influence is evident. There's a timeless, almost mythic quality to many of these works, even as they feel fresh and modern in their perspective. Centering on women - both real and imagined - the collection reads as something of a love letter: to women's stories, to transformation, to resilience, and to the spaces where myth and reality overlap.
Following on the heels of the brilliance of her 2025 novella The River Has Roots , this collection feels like both an expansion and a retrospective - an impressive showcase of a writer whose command of language is extraordinary. It's also fascinating to see the evolution of her voice over time, from her early twenties to now. Altogether, it serves as a compelling overview of the work of one of the most lyrical writers of our time.
The audiobook, narrated by Rachel Elizabeth Smith, is a joy to listen to. Her delivery matches the tone of the collection beautifully: it's both measured and expressive, and deeply attuned to the rhythm of the prose. One particularly striking element is the inclusion of poems in both English and Arabic, read consecutively; even without understanding the language, the musicality and care in the performance are evident, and it adds an extra layer of richness to the experience.
One small critique is that the transitions between stories aren't always clearly evident in the audiobook format, which can make it momentarily disorienting. A bit more structure might have helped with orientation. Still, that's a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent production.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is a stunning, genre-defying collection that feels like a love letter - to women, to language, and to the art of storytelling itself.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
"Seasons of Glass and Iron" was published on March 24, 2026, and is available now.
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
After experiencing the brilliance of her novella The River Has Roots and the Bigolas Dikolas Wolfwood-famed and stunning This is How You Lose the Time War, co-authored with Max Gladstone, I am chomping at the bit for Amal El-Mohtar's upcoming short story collection. Mohtar's writing has always struck me as masterful, lyrical, and mesmerizing, and I can't wait to dive into the full scope of her talent. Seasons of Glass and Iron is sure to be a compendium of beautiful stories, folktales, and imaginings of our world's possibilities. You don't want to miss it. —Lyndsie Manusos
After experiencing the brilliance of her novella The River Has Roots and the Bigolas Dikolas Wolfwood-famed and stunning This is How You Lose the Time War, co-authored with Max Gladstone, I am chomping at the bit for Amal El-Mohtar's upcoming short story collection. Mohtar's writing has always struck me as masterful, lyrical, and mesmerizing, and I can't wait to dive into the full scope of her talent. Seasons of Glass and Iron is sure to be a compendium of beautiful stories, folktales, and imaginings of our world's possibilities. You don't want to miss it. —Lyndsie Manusos
April 30, 2026
Although I like the author's writing. None of these stories really stood out to me or had any affect on me whatsoever...
March 17, 2026
Whimsical, lush vignettes of dark fairytale-esque stories. Perfect for sad girls who feel unmoored from time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I read Amal El-Mohtar's The River has Roots I thought it was fine, but I actually enjoyed the short story from this collection featured at the end, John Hollowback and the Witch, more. I was excited to check out the rest.
This collection contains fourteen short stories plus four poems. Full disclosure--I am not much of a poetry person, and I skipped those entries. Sorry, sorry!
But most of the short stories were a success for this reader (favorites include The Green Book, Madeleine, and, of course, John Hollowback and the Witch). The author is very skilled with a pen/keyboard, and so even the few tales that didn't really hit with me were still not a hardship to read. As El-Mohtar explains in the Introduction, several of these pieces were commissioned for specific projects with a core thematic or demographic concern (witches, steampunk, fairytales; Arab, women, queer). All of the stories have a fantasy element to them, and recurring themes include birds, flowers, gemstones, female friendship (sometimes more), and women fighting back against the patriarchy.
Short stories don't often resonate with me as well as novels do, but there was still much to enjoy in this lyrical, otherworldly, analytic work.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
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This collection contains fourteen short stories plus four poems. Full disclosure--I am not much of a poetry person, and I skipped those entries. Sorry, sorry!
But most of the short stories were a success for this reader (favorites include The Green Book, Madeleine, and, of course, John Hollowback and the Witch). The author is very skilled with a pen/keyboard, and so even the few tales that didn't really hit with me were still not a hardship to read. As El-Mohtar explains in the Introduction, several of these pieces were commissioned for specific projects with a core thematic or demographic concern (witches, steampunk, fairytales; Arab, women, queer). All of the stories have a fantasy element to them, and recurring themes include birds, flowers, gemstones, female friendship (sometimes more), and women fighting back against the patriarchy.
Short stories don't often resonate with me as well as novels do, but there was still much to enjoy in this lyrical, otherworldly, analytic work.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
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November 4, 2025
A lovely collection from a much-loved author! I'm glad that her stories were compiled in this because I probably wouldn't have sought them out individually.
A woman cursed to wear iron shoes meets a women cursed to stay on a glass hill. A women seemingly resides within the pages of a book, prompting the obsession of its readers. A women keeps findings items that don't belong to her in her pockets.
All short story collections are hit or miss, but even though these stories were written over many years and for many different projects El-Mohtar's unique style shines through. I always think of her writing being unintuitive but welcoming, like it wants you to do some of the work to understand it but is also fully willing to reward you for the effort. I also really liked the intro and her thoughts on the common threads across her works. I didn't really care for the poems between stories because that's not really my thing and there were some stories that didn't work for me, but a great showing nonetheless!
Thank you to Amal El-Mohtar and Tordotcom for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
A woman cursed to wear iron shoes meets a women cursed to stay on a glass hill. A women seemingly resides within the pages of a book, prompting the obsession of its readers. A women keeps findings items that don't belong to her in her pockets.
All short story collections are hit or miss, but even though these stories were written over many years and for many different projects El-Mohtar's unique style shines through. I always think of her writing being unintuitive but welcoming, like it wants you to do some of the work to understand it but is also fully willing to reward you for the effort. I also really liked the intro and her thoughts on the common threads across her works. I didn't really care for the poems between stories because that's not really my thing and there were some stories that didn't work for me, but a great showing nonetheless!
Thank you to Amal El-Mohtar and Tordotcom for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 14, 2026
I didn't adore it nearly as much as her previous work, but it contains one of my all-time favorite short stories, "Pockets."
If you like El-Mohtar, you'll enjoy this.
A compilation of previously published short stories and poetry, and so gorgeously written.
I received an ARC from the publisher
If you like El-Mohtar, you'll enjoy this.
A compilation of previously published short stories and poetry, and so gorgeously written.
I received an ARC from the publisher
April 27, 2026
This was my first work by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. Her prose is lush and lyrical creating some beautiful, melancholy and yet vivid images.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is a short story collection by Amal El-Mohtar she had published throughout the years in different journals etc between 2008-2023. Some are written like a fairy tale, others have more of a contemporary setting but with elements of magical realism while others are simply plain weird and with a sci fi twist. There are also a few poems among the different stories.
Despite each story and poem being original and different, all of them are about women--the struggles and plight of women, their resilience, but also the longing and love they may share (hence, leaning more towards sapphic which I normally do not read but these stories were hard to put down and simply wondrous) as well as dealing with difficult themes of alienation stemming from a sense of Otherness as a consequence of having a different upbringing and coming from a different culture than those around you. In such a way, many of these stories reflect the author's history coming from war-torn Lebanon and being raised and growing up in the western world. There are some poems and a story that reflect on the injustice and blood-soaked brutality of war.
El-Mohtar's prose carries its own kind of quiet magic blending with the modern.
I do not wish to go into too much detail about every story for the sake of accidental spoilers but I will mention my top three favorite.
AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN
This one was my favorite--"It did not matter, he told her, that they helped the Moon rise, that they sculpted His shape every night to precise degrees with their songs, guided him through the perilous tangle of stars that might rip His sweet skin."
This a story about a woman born to be taught a ritual that she will eventually pass down and losing her voice after. A woman who chose a different path instead.
THE TRUTH ABOUT OWLS
I love anything to do with owls and this was a very heartfelt story about a girl who visits an owl center in Glasgow and reflects on her own upbringing in a war-torn country and subsequent move to London and Glasgow, struggling with being different and "other". It also draws on Welsh folktales and I was delighted because I lived in Wales for a long time and was enchanted by the country and its history.
THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY
Probably the strangest and most difficult to understand story in the anthology but this is what ultimately gave it its uniqueness. Drawing on sci-fi elements, this story is about a planetary geologist who is disassociating, while others are discovering teleportation from diamonds on Neptune...I've always been fascinated with the solar system. Neptune and Saturn were my favorite planets and this was a very bizarre yet original read.
Note: Some of these stories, while often having a fantastical quality to them, do deal with difficult themes including references to war, racism, xenophobia, and colonialism.
5 stars.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is a short story collection by Amal El-Mohtar she had published throughout the years in different journals etc between 2008-2023. Some are written like a fairy tale, others have more of a contemporary setting but with elements of magical realism while others are simply plain weird and with a sci fi twist. There are also a few poems among the different stories.
Despite each story and poem being original and different, all of them are about women--the struggles and plight of women, their resilience, but also the longing and love they may share (hence, leaning more towards sapphic which I normally do not read but these stories were hard to put down and simply wondrous) as well as dealing with difficult themes of alienation stemming from a sense of Otherness as a consequence of having a different upbringing and coming from a different culture than those around you. In such a way, many of these stories reflect the author's history coming from war-torn Lebanon and being raised and growing up in the western world. There are some poems and a story that reflect on the injustice and blood-soaked brutality of war.
El-Mohtar's prose carries its own kind of quiet magic blending with the modern.
I do not wish to go into too much detail about every story for the sake of accidental spoilers but I will mention my top three favorite.
AND THEIR LIPS RANG WITH THE SUN
This one was my favorite--"It did not matter, he told her, that they helped the Moon rise, that they sculpted His shape every night to precise degrees with their songs, guided him through the perilous tangle of stars that might rip His sweet skin."
This a story about a woman born to be taught a ritual that she will eventually pass down and losing her voice after. A woman who chose a different path instead.
THE TRUTH ABOUT OWLS
I love anything to do with owls and this was a very heartfelt story about a girl who visits an owl center in Glasgow and reflects on her own upbringing in a war-torn country and subsequent move to London and Glasgow, struggling with being different and "other". It also draws on Welsh folktales and I was delighted because I lived in Wales for a long time and was enchanted by the country and its history.
THE LONELY SEA IN THE SKY
Probably the strangest and most difficult to understand story in the anthology but this is what ultimately gave it its uniqueness. Drawing on sci-fi elements, this story is about a planetary geologist who is disassociating, while others are discovering teleportation from diamonds on Neptune...I've always been fascinated with the solar system. Neptune and Saturn were my favorite planets and this was a very bizarre yet original read.
Note: Some of these stories, while often having a fantastical quality to them, do deal with difficult themes including references to war, racism, xenophobia, and colonialism.
5 stars.
November 12, 2025
Amal El-Mohtar has beautiful writing that doesn’t always make sense. Overall I enjoyed this collection but I didn’t love it. Some stories I liked more than others. All of them have a magical feel to them or are outright fantastical. The overarching theme of the collection is women: women being strong and independent, women learning truths about themselves, women going on adventures, and women loving women.
Seasons of Glass and Iron—4/5 stars
I liked the writing and the cadence of the words. This story gives off fairytale vibes mixed with the modern day. A woman hiking in iron boots meets a woman who lives on a glass hill. I liked it all quite a bit.
The Green Book—1/5 stars
A woman gets turned into a book. Sadly not as interesting as it sounds. This story honestly made no sense to me.
Madeleine—2.5/5 stars
A woman starts seeing visions of another woman in her memories and dreams and forms a friendship with her. Good concept, but it won’t stick with me.
The Lonely Sea in the Sky—3/5 stars
Theoretical sci-fi story about a woman who develops a condition that is basically an addiction to diamonds found on Neptune. Strange. But I liked it. Even if I didn’t understand the ending.
Song for an Ancient City—2.5/5 stars
Poem. Fine but forgettable.
And Their Lips Rang with the Sun—2/5 stars
I didn’t really care for this story or understand it either. A woman has an affair with the Sun and births its child? Meh.
A Tale of Ash in Seven Birds—3/5 stars
Literally just a long poem about seven birds, but with a fantasy twist. Enjoyable.
Qahr—3.5/5 stars
Powerful.
The Truth About Owls—4/5 stars
I liked this story a lot. You do learn a lot about owls, but it’s also the story of a girl. Worth reading.
Wing—3/5 stars
A girl wears a book around her neck, a book which holds a secret. I liked this story but I wanted it to be quite a bit longer.
A Hollow Play—3/5 stars
This is probably the longest and most developed story in this collection. It was enjoyable. Magical realism. The ending made me feel like I was missing something though.
Thunderstorm in Glasgow, July 25, 2013—1/5 stars
Huh?
Anabasis—2.5/5 stars
I don’t have much to say about this. It was fine.
To Follow the Waves—2.5/5 stars
I think El-Mohtar’s writing is beautiful, but this story was just okay. It’s about a gem and stone worker. Once again I didn’t really understand the ending.
Pieces—2/5 stars
Each set of words in this poem was lyrical and beautiful on its own. But as a whole I don’t know what the poem was about or was trying to convey.
John Hollowback and the Witch—4.25/5 stars
John Hollowback has a hollow back, so he goes to a witch for help. This was a unique story and I really enjoyed it. It felt like a fairytale. It’s the longest story in this collection.
Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers—3/5 stars
A retelling of the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd, which I didn’t know about prior to reading this book. It was interesting, but I don’t know how accurate it is.
Pockets—4.5/5 stars
This was a really delightful story of a woman who pulls random items out of her pockets that just show up there without rhyme or reason. I loved the direction this story went in, and I would enjoy a much longer version of this.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher via Edelweiss.
Seasons of Glass and Iron—4/5 stars
I liked the writing and the cadence of the words. This story gives off fairytale vibes mixed with the modern day. A woman hiking in iron boots meets a woman who lives on a glass hill. I liked it all quite a bit.
The Green Book—1/5 stars
A woman gets turned into a book. Sadly not as interesting as it sounds. This story honestly made no sense to me.
Madeleine—2.5/5 stars
A woman starts seeing visions of another woman in her memories and dreams and forms a friendship with her. Good concept, but it won’t stick with me.
The Lonely Sea in the Sky—3/5 stars
Theoretical sci-fi story about a woman who develops a condition that is basically an addiction to diamonds found on Neptune. Strange. But I liked it. Even if I didn’t understand the ending.
Song for an Ancient City—2.5/5 stars
Poem. Fine but forgettable.
And Their Lips Rang with the Sun—2/5 stars
I didn’t really care for this story or understand it either. A woman has an affair with the Sun and births its child? Meh.
A Tale of Ash in Seven Birds—3/5 stars
Literally just a long poem about seven birds, but with a fantasy twist. Enjoyable.
Qahr—3.5/5 stars
Powerful.
The Truth About Owls—4/5 stars
I liked this story a lot. You do learn a lot about owls, but it’s also the story of a girl. Worth reading.
Wing—3/5 stars
A girl wears a book around her neck, a book which holds a secret. I liked this story but I wanted it to be quite a bit longer.
A Hollow Play—3/5 stars
This is probably the longest and most developed story in this collection. It was enjoyable. Magical realism. The ending made me feel like I was missing something though.
Thunderstorm in Glasgow, July 25, 2013—1/5 stars
Huh?
Anabasis—2.5/5 stars
I don’t have much to say about this. It was fine.
To Follow the Waves—2.5/5 stars
I think El-Mohtar’s writing is beautiful, but this story was just okay. It’s about a gem and stone worker. Once again I didn’t really understand the ending.
Pieces—2/5 stars
Each set of words in this poem was lyrical and beautiful on its own. But as a whole I don’t know what the poem was about or was trying to convey.
John Hollowback and the Witch—4.25/5 stars
John Hollowback has a hollow back, so he goes to a witch for help. This was a unique story and I really enjoyed it. It felt like a fairytale. It’s the longest story in this collection.
Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers—3/5 stars
A retelling of the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd, which I didn’t know about prior to reading this book. It was interesting, but I don’t know how accurate it is.
Pockets—4.5/5 stars
This was a really delightful story of a woman who pulls random items out of her pockets that just show up there without rhyme or reason. I loved the direction this story went in, and I would enjoy a much longer version of this.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher via Edelweiss.
Want to Read
June 9, 2025This Is How You Lose the Time War: 5/5
The River Has Roots 4/5
already climbing up the walls and foaming at the mouth
The River Has Roots 4/5
already climbing up the walls and foaming at the mouth
Want to Read
May 8, 2025This will be for those who know fairy tales are always cautionary stories.
March 28, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I slowly fell in love with Seasons of Glass and Iron.
I enjoyed the stories in the first half, but I adored nearly all of the stories in the second half! I read this over a couple weeks, and treated it mostly as my nighttime bedtime story which was such a delightful experience! Her writing is just so beautiful, so soothing. I think my favorites were A Hollow Play and Florilegia.
Happy Women's Month, I love women 💖
“so long as there is love in the movement of a pen over paper and love in the movement of eyes over words we will be all right, we will know each other, we will learn each other like songs.”
“You read woman and gleaned docile, pretty, fragrant, weak. But you misread me, Lleu. I have in me the hearts of great ships, the bones of cathedrals. I have in me the sharpness of claws. And you, Lleu, what do you have? You cling like ivy. You smother like mistletoe. But what are you, besides wizard's work?"
“Everyone wants to see a witch punish someone for stealing from her. A witch is a kind of justice in the world. It makes for a fine story. No one wants to admit the truth, for all it stares them plainly in the face… Steal from a woman long enough, and a witch is what she'll become."
Thank you to Tor books and NetGalley for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
I slowly fell in love with Seasons of Glass and Iron.
I enjoyed the stories in the first half, but I adored nearly all of the stories in the second half! I read this over a couple weeks, and treated it mostly as my nighttime bedtime story which was such a delightful experience! Her writing is just so beautiful, so soothing. I think my favorites were A Hollow Play and Florilegia.
Happy Women's Month, I love women 💖
“so long as there is love in the movement of a pen over paper and love in the movement of eyes over words we will be all right, we will know each other, we will learn each other like songs.”
“You read woman and gleaned docile, pretty, fragrant, weak. But you misread me, Lleu. I have in me the hearts of great ships, the bones of cathedrals. I have in me the sharpness of claws. And you, Lleu, what do you have? You cling like ivy. You smother like mistletoe. But what are you, besides wizard's work?"
“Everyone wants to see a witch punish someone for stealing from her. A witch is a kind of justice in the world. It makes for a fine story. No one wants to admit the truth, for all it stares them plainly in the face… Steal from a woman long enough, and a witch is what she'll become."
Thank you to Tor books and NetGalley for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
March 24, 2026
Lyrical, distinctive and entrancing…Seasons Of Glass And Iron Stories is a collection of stories and poems that showcase author Amal El-Mohtar’s incredible prose and remarkable creativity.
Some stories possess a fairytale-like setting that I especially enjoyed, others touch upon more contemporary settings with magical aspects-at times-and one even offers a glimpse of a future where an illness fueled by an obsession with the nature and properties of diamonds has developed.
Told from various sources and perspectives, the stories and poems focus upon women and share many themes pertaining to: queerness, falling in love, feelings of isolation, reclaiming personal power and the beauty of friendship.
Certain aspects involving dreams, gemstones, transformation and birds are also repeatedly mentioned. I’m not a reader of much poetry, but the poems in Seasons Of Glass And Iron Stories are wonderfully written and it was lovely to see some of them written in both Arabic and English.
Narration by Rachel Elizabeth Smith is splendid and draws you into the stories and poems effortlessly. Despite the different dimensions of each title, her voice remains evocative and captivating. Listening to the audiobook while I read the physical copy enhanced the experience.
There were a few stories that were my favorites: Seasons Of Glass And Iron, The Truth About Owls, John Hollowback And The Witch and Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers. I didn’t dislike any of the stories or poems, although a couple of them left me contemplating whether or not I fully grasped what was being presented.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and The StoryGraph for providing this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Some stories possess a fairytale-like setting that I especially enjoyed, others touch upon more contemporary settings with magical aspects-at times-and one even offers a glimpse of a future where an illness fueled by an obsession with the nature and properties of diamonds has developed.
Told from various sources and perspectives, the stories and poems focus upon women and share many themes pertaining to: queerness, falling in love, feelings of isolation, reclaiming personal power and the beauty of friendship.
Certain aspects involving dreams, gemstones, transformation and birds are also repeatedly mentioned. I’m not a reader of much poetry, but the poems in Seasons Of Glass And Iron Stories are wonderfully written and it was lovely to see some of them written in both Arabic and English.
Narration by Rachel Elizabeth Smith is splendid and draws you into the stories and poems effortlessly. Despite the different dimensions of each title, her voice remains evocative and captivating. Listening to the audiobook while I read the physical copy enhanced the experience.
There were a few stories that were my favorites: Seasons Of Glass And Iron, The Truth About Owls, John Hollowback And The Witch and Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers. I didn’t dislike any of the stories or poems, although a couple of them left me contemplating whether or not I fully grasped what was being presented.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and The StoryGraph for providing this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
April 13, 2026
mais um livro de contos que vai para minha lista de preferidos! a amal el-mohtar mostra uma variedade de trabalho incrível aqui, e como ela diz no prefácio, todos seguindo o tema geral de mulheres, cada conto trata de alguma forma sobre mulher e o espaço que ela tem na história e na vida, além disso muitos dos contos tem um viés extremamente pessoal para a autora, tratando de temas como opressão, diáspora e imigração, principalmente nos poemas inclusos no livro
é impossível um livro de contos ser composto apenas de histórias ótimas, sempre vai ter um que pessoalmente não vai te agradar, o mesmo acontece aqui, mas numa vista geral, seasons of glass and iron é um ótimo livro, claramente feminista, despretensiosamente queer e com um grande valor emocional que não ignora as opressões e crueldades dos dias atuais
meus preferidos: the green book, the lonely sea in the sky, qahr e pockets
" I wrote this for you, for only you, for you alone out of the millions."
é impossível um livro de contos ser composto apenas de histórias ótimas, sempre vai ter um que pessoalmente não vai te agradar, o mesmo acontece aqui, mas numa vista geral, seasons of glass and iron é um ótimo livro, claramente feminista, despretensiosamente queer e com um grande valor emocional que não ignora as opressões e crueldades dos dias atuais
meus preferidos: the green book, the lonely sea in the sky, qahr e pockets
" I wrote this for you, for only you, for you alone out of the millions."
May 4, 2026
As an Arab, immigrant, and woman….. thank you Amal. While some stories drew me in more than others… I like to think that that is the point of anthologies. They are an accumulation of subjective likes, themes, subjects, pacing, etc.
Wonderful read. And I do recommend taking your time with this book. It shouldn’t be rushed.
Wonderful read. And I do recommend taking your time with this book. It shouldn’t be rushed.
May 6, 2026
The first short story was my favorite! 💙
May 1, 2026
4.5/5 - I adore El-Mohtar's writing and this absolutely did not disappoint. The lyrical writing was poetic, full of imagery, and was well suited for the beauty of this collection. As with all collections there were a few misses among the stories for me, and I found the last third of the book had my attention drifting. Favourites include: Season of Glass and Iron, The Green Book, And Their Lips Rang with the Sun, Qahr, Anabasis, John Hollowback and the Witch.
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