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Marked
On a day fractured by silence, memory, and consequence, nine voices rise from the dust. Marked is a unique anthology that threads together fiction, surrealism, and emotional depth--each story a shard of a world reshaped by a single moment. From distant planets to fractured timelines, these tales explore what it means to be human when everything falls apart.
Published by Quillion Press, this collection is a debut of creative collective bound by vision, vulnerability, and the power of storytelling.
Published by Quillion Press, this collection is a debut of creative collective bound by vision, vulnerability, and the power of storytelling.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 6, 2025
Marked is a compilation of short sci-fi stories all written by various authors. Each author's own unique voice is very clear through their storytelling, and no two stories are reminiscent of another in this book!
If you're a fan of sci-fi and short stories vs. full length novels, you will enjoy this! Despite me not being the intended audience, I still say this is a solid four star read!!
Ravenheart Rating: 7.5/10
If you're a fan of sci-fi and short stories vs. full length novels, you will enjoy this! Despite me not being the intended audience, I still say this is a solid four star read!!
Ravenheart Rating: 7.5/10
December 16, 2025
(This review is from my sister Clara) Okay, so I just finished this book, and I'm serious—it's a collection of short stories that are pure action, non-stop. This thing is the definition of a page-turner. It totally messes up your sleep schedule because you'll be like, "just one more story," even when your alarm is set for 6 AM. Worth it? Absolutely. It’s a total binge-read.
The author's description game is insane. Everything feels brand new, and they describe it so well that it's like watching a movie in your head. The images are so clear, and the world-building is just epic. That’s the main reason I want to read the whole anthology over and over—the vibes are just perfect.
And the characters? They were the best part. Seriously, the characters are absolutely fire. They are so compelling and drive all the action, making you actually care about what happens.
If you’re a young adult and you’re into genre stuff, you seriously need this. If you love the chaos of Action, getting lost in Fantasy worlds, or the intensity of Dystopian stories, this book is exactly what you should be picking up next. Stop what you're doing and grab a copy!
The author's description game is insane. Everything feels brand new, and they describe it so well that it's like watching a movie in your head. The images are so clear, and the world-building is just epic. That’s the main reason I want to read the whole anthology over and over—the vibes are just perfect.
And the characters? They were the best part. Seriously, the characters are absolutely fire. They are so compelling and drive all the action, making you actually care about what happens.
If you’re a young adult and you’re into genre stuff, you seriously need this. If you love the chaos of Action, getting lost in Fantasy worlds, or the intensity of Dystopian stories, this book is exactly what you should be picking up next. Stop what you're doing and grab a copy!
December 15, 2025
YA dystopian/science fiction has become an unlikely favorite genre of mine in the last year or so. That’s why I was excited to read an anthology dedicated to stories in this niche category. While a few stories left me a bit disappointed, in general, I quite enjoyed this collection as a whole. I particularly liked the theme of sacrifice connecting most of the stories. I’m going to review each one separately.
“Beyond the Stars” by Journey Bloomfield: This space adventure story was a solid start to the collection. Although it was a bit hard to keep up with the cast of characters at the beginning, I loved the camaraderie and found-family dynamics between them. I also enjoyed the humor (I don’t usually like robot characters, but Z was hilarious) and the overall mood.
“The Fall of the Flawless” by Keon Dawnson: In the interest of candor, I have to say I don’t think this story was ready for publication. I thought some aspects of the plot—like the Flawless and the influencer character—were intriguing and had the makings of a good creepy sci-fi story. Overall, though, the story (both plot and prose) suffered from a severe lack of editing. Additionally, while I understand that third person present tense is a rhetorical choice, I’ve never seen it done well, and this story was no exception.
“The Day the Sky Shattered” by Michael Cade: I liked this story’s plot and characters, but the prose left me a little more conflicted. On one hand, it was descriptive, which is usually something I like. However, it was almost too descriptive, almost purple-prose-y. (Was Hemingway the author who said to cut out all adjectives and adverbs? If so, he would have had a stroke reading this.) Part of me wondered if this story was edited by AI*, although it’s probably just the author’s own writing style.
“The Unselected Star” by Agnes Crisler: Fans of YA dystopian fiction with a slight romantic thread will enjoy this one. Although the plot left me with some questions, I did particularly like the ending and the theme of sacrifice.
“Last Hope” by Bea Hatcher: This story is very brief compared to the others in the collection, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. Of course the premise drew me in, and while victory seemed a little too easy for the protagonist, that’s to be expected in a story of this length. I would enjoy a more detailed glimpse into this setting.
“A Day Disrupted” by Philip Howlet: This was one of the more interesting stories in the collection. I particularly enjoyed the humor and the writing style. Because of some fake-cussing and innuendo, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to younger readers, despite the protagonist’s age.
“The Tragic Truth” by Hallie Kprof: This story’s premise was one of my favorites in the collection. The writing style wasn’t perfect, but it was generally vivid and evocative.
“The Sparrow’s Last Sacrifice” by Isabelle Knight: I think I would have enjoyed this story more if it wasn’t second-to-last in the book, because some elements/tropes felt like a repeat of previous stories. By the end, I did want to read more about the world and characters. I also appreciated the polished writing style.
“The Button” by Ashleigh C. Longworth: This might just be my favorite story in the collection. It’s dark and strange, and definitely unlike most of the others in the collection—it feels more contemporary, and the protagonist is an ordinary teenage girl thrown into an almost unimaginable predicament. I especially liked Meghan’s narrative voice and the side characters.
* Why am I so concerned about AI in this anthology? Shouldn’t I trust indie authors enough not to pick apart every phrase and sentence for the telltale signs of the regurgitation machine? The answer is that this book’s Goodreads blurb has a lot of AI red flags, and I’d say with 90% certainty that it was written with “assistance”. However, none of the stories in this collection stuck out to me as definitely AI-written like the blurb did.
I received a free review copy of this book from the authors. I was not required to write a positive review.
“Beyond the Stars” by Journey Bloomfield: This space adventure story was a solid start to the collection. Although it was a bit hard to keep up with the cast of characters at the beginning, I loved the camaraderie and found-family dynamics between them. I also enjoyed the humor (I don’t usually like robot characters, but Z was hilarious) and the overall mood.
“The Fall of the Flawless” by Keon Dawnson: In the interest of candor, I have to say I don’t think this story was ready for publication. I thought some aspects of the plot—like the Flawless and the influencer character—were intriguing and had the makings of a good creepy sci-fi story. Overall, though, the story (both plot and prose) suffered from a severe lack of editing. Additionally, while I understand that third person present tense is a rhetorical choice, I’ve never seen it done well, and this story was no exception.
“The Day the Sky Shattered” by Michael Cade: I liked this story’s plot and characters, but the prose left me a little more conflicted. On one hand, it was descriptive, which is usually something I like. However, it was almost too descriptive, almost purple-prose-y. (Was Hemingway the author who said to cut out all adjectives and adverbs? If so, he would have had a stroke reading this.) Part of me wondered if this story was edited by AI*, although it’s probably just the author’s own writing style.
“The Unselected Star” by Agnes Crisler: Fans of YA dystopian fiction with a slight romantic thread will enjoy this one. Although the plot left me with some questions, I did particularly like the ending and the theme of sacrifice.
“Last Hope” by Bea Hatcher: This story is very brief compared to the others in the collection, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. Of course the premise drew me in, and while victory seemed a little too easy for the protagonist, that’s to be expected in a story of this length. I would enjoy a more detailed glimpse into this setting.
“A Day Disrupted” by Philip Howlet: This was one of the more interesting stories in the collection. I particularly enjoyed the humor and the writing style. Because of some fake-cussing and innuendo, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to younger readers, despite the protagonist’s age.
“The Tragic Truth” by Hallie Kprof: This story’s premise was one of my favorites in the collection. The writing style wasn’t perfect, but it was generally vivid and evocative.
“The Sparrow’s Last Sacrifice” by Isabelle Knight: I think I would have enjoyed this story more if it wasn’t second-to-last in the book, because some elements/tropes felt like a repeat of previous stories. By the end, I did want to read more about the world and characters. I also appreciated the polished writing style.
“The Button” by Ashleigh C. Longworth: This might just be my favorite story in the collection. It’s dark and strange, and definitely unlike most of the others in the collection—it feels more contemporary, and the protagonist is an ordinary teenage girl thrown into an almost unimaginable predicament. I especially liked Meghan’s narrative voice and the side characters.
* Why am I so concerned about AI in this anthology? Shouldn’t I trust indie authors enough not to pick apart every phrase and sentence for the telltale signs of the regurgitation machine? The answer is that this book’s Goodreads blurb has a lot of AI red flags, and I’d say with 90% certainty that it was written with “assistance”. However, none of the stories in this collection stuck out to me as definitely AI-written like the blurb did.
I received a free review copy of this book from the authors. I was not required to write a positive review.
December 16, 2025
This anthology is full of an array of imaginative sci-fi concepts. Each author brings his or her own sense of creativity and story-telling. The stories include speculative technology, original creatures, and unique character setups. Several of the stories piqued my interest and helped me connect with the characters and their worlds.
As a reader, my personal experience varied from story to story. In a few cases I struggled to fully grasp what was happening or how certain elements fit together. The concepts themselves were interesting, but the way they were presented sometimes made them challenging to follow, which pulled me out of those stories. In other stories, it was easier to immerse myself and relate to the characters; concepts were woven into the story smoothly in a way that made sense.
The heart of this collection is imagination. These stories feel like a glimpse of the authors' ideas in motion--worlds being discovered, questions being asked, and characters being introduced as you dive right into the action. Readers who like to have their curiosity tickled as they are presented with raw concepts will find something to appreciate in this book.
The authors all clearly have great imaginations and enthusiasm, and love storytelling. I'm interested to see how their voices are put to use in other works.
As a reader, my personal experience varied from story to story. In a few cases I struggled to fully grasp what was happening or how certain elements fit together. The concepts themselves were interesting, but the way they were presented sometimes made them challenging to follow, which pulled me out of those stories. In other stories, it was easier to immerse myself and relate to the characters; concepts were woven into the story smoothly in a way that made sense.
The heart of this collection is imagination. These stories feel like a glimpse of the authors' ideas in motion--worlds being discovered, questions being asked, and characters being introduced as you dive right into the action. Readers who like to have their curiosity tickled as they are presented with raw concepts will find something to appreciate in this book.
The authors all clearly have great imaginations and enthusiasm, and love storytelling. I'm interested to see how their voices are put to use in other works.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews