The Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories

by Alix E. Harrow

Dive into a dazzling collection of short fiction from Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting and Starling House.

These are stories about the past as it wasn’t quite, but might have been—or could still be.

These are stories about dreamers and liars and lovers and ghosts; people just like you.

These are stories about places the world has seen, and some that hide just beyond the periphery of possibility.

Most of all, these are stories for anyone who ever wanted more.

What’s a legend, except a history told slantwise?

The Slantwise Collected Stories presents the best known short fiction of Alix. E. Harrow, including the Hugo-award winning "A Witch's Guide to A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies" as well as five all-new stories. The collection also includes the author's preferred text of previously published stories "The Long Way Up", "Roadside Attraction", "Mr. Death", "The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly", "The Sycamore and the Sybil", "Do Not Look Back, My Lion", "The Whisper in the Weld", "Dustbaby", and Amazon Original short stories, "The Six Deaths of the Saint" and "The Knight and the Butcherbird."

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Anthologies, Short Story Collection

Audible Audio

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

a former academic, adjunct, cashier, blueberry-harvester, and kentuckian, alix e. harrow is now a full-time writer living in virginia with her husband and their semi-feral kids.

she is the hugo award-winning and nyt-bestselling author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (2019), THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (2020), a duology of fairytale novellas (A SPINDLE SPLINTERED and A MIRROR MENDED), STARLING HOUSE (2023) and various short fiction. her next book, THE EVERLASTING, will be out on october 28th, 2025!

her writing is represented by kate mckean at howard morhaim literary agency.

newsletter: https://buttondown.com/alixeharrow
email: alixeharrow at gmail.com
insta: alix.e.harrow
bsky: ‪@alixeharrow.bsky.social‬

**I AM NOT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER, nor will i ever offer to connect you with my "marketing team." this is a scam.

Reviews

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️]

My favourite collection of short stories this year. 

Alix E Harrow is able to change her writing style, tone, and aesthetic to match the story she wants to tell. 
From fairytales to dystopian, to resistance and hopelessness, from love to hate.  

But what’s a legend, except a history told slantwise?

Some of these stories were five stars, most were strong four stars. 
My favourites include: 

The Tale of the Two Brothers, Or, The Famous Folklorist Confesses Fratricide!
My favourite overall. This has a satisfying plot, interesting characters with strong voices, and a heartbreaking arc.

"Why not men?" Jack asked, stung. "Because men are so often the reason we need teeth in the first place."


Mr. Death
I recently read Grim Tidings by BK Borison, and this reminded me of that. Despite its title, this might be one of the more hopeful ones.

The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly
The tongue in cheek tone reminded me of Lemony Snicket. Funny, sweet, and short told in epistolary form.

Miss Connelly is toddling through the obsidian halls of my palace in the world-below like a misplaced sunbeam, all golden curls and freckles, pestering the troll-guard and chattering with the ravens.


Shout out to two short stories I’ve reviewed separately previously:
The Knight and the Butcherbird - a gritty dystopian tale with a demon and her wife. 

"Everyone thinks you get sick because you begin to change, but it’s the opposite: You change because you get sick. Because you have to."


The Six Deaths of the Saint which inspired The Everlasting. Heartbreaking and timey-whimey (gotta get that Doctor Who reference in).


The Final Voyage of The Good Ship Fortune

I, too, had been angry. I, too, had wanted to bully the world into better behavior. But it isn’t the world that changes when you throw yourself against it.


The Long Way Up
A Orpheus and Eurydice retelling. I watched Hadestown last month and I love seeing all the different adaptions. 


A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies
This is a love letter to libraries and reading. For all the readers who rely on escapism. 

Anyone could see that kid needed to run and keep running until he shed his own skin, until he clawed out of the choking darkness and unfurled his wings, precious and prisming in the light of some other world. His caseworker was one of those people who say the word escapism as if it’s a moral failing, a regrettable hobby, a mental health diagnosis. As if escape is not, in itself, one of the highest orders of magics they’ll ever see in their miserable mortal lives, right up there with true love and prophetic dreams and fireflies blinking in synchrony on a June evening.


My least favourite was Dustbaby which was also the shortest and most unsatisfying. 


Overall, I love how Harrow can comment on our society and culture through all her stories. She isn’t heavy-handed, but her stories carry motifs, messages, lessons.

Resistance, reclaiming power, and being brave to go against the grain and repeating themes.

I almost gave this five stars, but there were a few stories near the end that I didn’t find quite as strong.
4.25 stars.🌟 

Physical arc gifted by Tor. 

Bookstagram
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[h o l l i s]

we're getting THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT in p r i n t.

[Boston]

Let me state for the record, I don’t do short story collections. They’ve never been my thing. Most of the time I’m bored to death. However, I have a deep love of Alix E Harrow’s writing so I gave this a shot. I have never been so mesmerized by an anthology before and I don’t think I ever will be again. Each story is quintessentially Alix E Harrow and simultaneously feel made of the same stuff while being entirely their own. It’s genuinely some of the most impressive short stories I’ve ever read and most if not all of them will stick with me. Cannot recommend it more.


*thank you to the publisher for providing an early copy of this anthology in exchange for an honest review

[Raquel Flockhart]

Looking forward to reading these stories, and especially excited to finally have The Six Deaths of the Saint in print!

[giulia ✿]

alix e. harrow can't do no wrong in my eyes, it doesn't matter the length of her novels she is capable of encapsulating so much even in such short stories. you'll definitely find her at her usual best in this one, i'm usually not the biggest fan of collections because you get that one good story and ten barely enjoyable ones, but i've gotta say this one is strong even when they're not favorites, her writing is absolutely outstanding every time.

[K.A. Linde]

I don’t know how Alix does it every time. Makes each new book my favorite of the year. But here we are again. Many of these stories I’d already read as a long time follower, but some of them are new to me. I think I’ll be haunted by them for a long time. And aren’t the best fairy tales always that way?

[Morgan]

"What's a legend but a history told slantwise?"

Alix E Harrow cements herself as one of the greatest writers of our generation through these short stories. To make readers feel something in only a few pages is a talent not many have. Not every story landed for me, but more often than not, they did.

The themes explored throughout this collection of short stories include love (especially queer love), sacrifice, ego, and so many other deep and complex topics. They're explored in such a creative way that I'm struggling to find the words to express how magnificent of a storyteller this author is.

Do yourself a favor and pick this up! Oh, and consider the audiobook. Narrators smashed it!

[Alex]

"Six Deaths of the Saint" in print? SAY LESS.

[Ali Enchanted]

I think this book solidified Alix E Harrow as one of my favorite authors of all time. She is unique in her writing. Beautiful lyricism, powerfully punchy stories. She adapts her voice to suit the narrative. I am in awe. There are so many standouts in this collection: Mr Death, Up in Flames, The Ransom of Coraline Connelly, Six Deaths of the Saint, to name a few.

Just wow.

[Siobhan]

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan/Tor UK for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

Alix E. Harrow is such a talented writer, and this collection really showcased the incredible quality and range of her writing. This is the strongest short story collection I've ever read, and by far the highest rated. With her signature vivid and lush prose, this collection explored stories of such poignant emotions, with a particular focus on moving and nuanced explorations of grief and the love that persists in the face of it. There was also theming, with relevant and beautifully woven political commentary, critiquing themes such as empire, industry, corporations, censorship, environmental destruction, and patriarchy, but above all, the power of stories and histories and the hands and voices that shape them. This collection of stories worked so very well together, both thematically and emotionally.

Below I will give individual ratings and some brief thoughts for each short story! Just to note though, that I had previously already read 'The Knight and the Butcherbird' and 'The Six Deaths of the Saint', so I have only included their ratings here (both 5⭐️) and you can find my individual reviews for them elsewhere on my social media/Goodreads/Storygraph!

The Tale of the Two Brothers, Or, The Famous Folklorist Confesses Fratricide -> 4.5⭐️
- a fun twist on the classic fairytale structure and history, playing with truth and lies, and the corruption of greed

Mr. Death -> 5⭐️
- a really moving exploration of grief and life and the value of love even after death

A Whisper in the Weld -> 4.25⭐️
- another beautiful exploration of life and death and the fierceness of a mother's everlasting love

The Knight and the Butcherbird -> 5⭐️
- see individual review!

The Six Deaths of the Saint -> 5⭐️
- see individual review!

The Final Voyage of the Good Ship Fortune -> 4⭐️
- not as stand out as some of the other stories, but still a fun structure, playing with an unreliable narrator, and fun characterisation

Do Not Look Back, My Lion -> 5⭐️
- an absolutely stunning and emotional short story, with intriguing and vast worldbuilding, excellent characterisation, and an exploration of the violence of empire. This absolutely works as a perfect short story, but I would love to see this world again in longer form!

The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly -> 4.5⭐️
- a really fun format and excellent humour, but I wished this had been longer!

The Long Way Up -> 3.75⭐️
- I was enjoying this, a wonderfully devastating Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, with a nuanced exploration of grief, but then it ended a bit suddenly when I thought there was more story left to tell

Up In Flames (Working Title) -> 4.5⭐️
- I really enjoyed this and the discussions of censorship and the political power of writing from queer and diverse voices! I also really enjoyed the structure, and I probably would have rated this higher if the formatting of my E-ARC didn't so badly mess up the story's structure (which was vital to the piece)

A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies -> 5⭐️
- a stunning, moving, and deeply relevant story of the importance of libraries and the vital power of reading and escapism

Dustbaby -> 3.75⭐️
- there was nothing particularly wrong with this one, I just didn't connect with it like I did the others, but interesting commentary on agriculture and the environment

The Sycamore and the Sybil -> 5⭐️
- fans of The Once and Future Witches will love this! A beautiful story of the power of women and female solidarity, and the desperate things we must do to survive.

Roadside Attraction -> 4.5⭐️
- a bit predictable, but not in a bad way, with a very sweet romance of two people finding a home in each other, and a bonus side of time travel!

The Last Archive -> 4.25⭐️
- a poignant story of censorship and the power of stories and archives as resistance

[Carly]

Im a huge Harrow fan and I think this short story collection is the perfect addition to her body of work. When I picked this up I had already read (and loved) The Six Deaths of the Saint and The Everlasting - I knew her writing style really worked for me. Among the fifteen short stories, every story was unique and thoughtful, reminding me of my own humanity while also stirring up a profound sense of empathy in my soul. They were magical, fantastical, earnest, beautiful, heartbreaking and thought provoking. Alix had me crying on short story number two, Mr. Death, and I don’t know how she does that?! Stunning prose, masterful storytelling, and excellent character work. 4.5/5 ✨

Thank you so so sooo much to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

[Iffy]

4.5 stars! Alix E Harrow’s writing is truly magnificent. She knows how to write the human experience and conveys emotion so beautifully. This collection of 15 moving short stories was a perfect listen and a few of them brought me to tears.

The standout stories to me were:
The Tale of the Two Brothers
Mr. Death
The Six Deaths of the Saint
The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly
The Long Way Up

Highly recommend!

[Gretal]

What a story collection!! I think a lot of people will pick this up because it contains The Six Deaths of the Saint (which did give me a bit of a breakdown upon reread because of everything that is the short story but also the echoes that you can see in The Everlasting), but the rest of the stories are also fantastic. I can't wait to purchase a copy of this book for my shelf.

[Samantha Gaudious]

Of course perfection! 🤎

I loved everything about this collection of short stories about grief, love and life with obviously Alix’s phenomenal writing.

I adore the some what haunting vibes every story has and why do I feel like I learned life lessons 😭
They make you feel complete at the end of each one and I loved them!

I read one everyday and these stories are literally the perfect read for a fall night 🧡

[Nicole Pardus]

Alix E. Harrow has the map to my soul.

Short story collections are rarely five-star reads for me. Even the ones I love usually have a few stories that don’t quite hit. But Alix E. Harrow has once again spun some kind of magic and written one of the most beautiful, cohesive, devastating, and lovely collections I have ever read.
There is something about Harrow’s prose and storytelling that I genuinely struggle to put into words. She lulls me into this little reading trance where I become completely immersed in whatever story she is telling. I don’t want to pick up my phone. I don’t care what time it is. I just want to wriggle deeper into her words and stay there.

And these stories have SO MUCH to say.

Throughout The Slantwise Histories, Harrow explores censorship, death and grief, greed, power, the patriarchy, and the ways political systems shape individual lives. But none of it ever feels like commentary pasted on top of a story. These ideas live inside the characters and the worlds she creates. Despite moving between different places, people, and kinds of magic, the collection feels remarkably cohesive, like every story is speaking to the others from a slightly different angle.
Several of these stories have been published previously, including The Knight and the Butcherbird and The Six Deaths of the Saint, both of which were five stars for me the first time around and, unsurprisingly, remain five stars. I loved getting to revisit them here alongside stories that were completely new to me.

My favorites:
Mr. Death — A look at grief through the eyes of a very nice reaper. Tender, strange, and quietly devastating.
The Sycamore and the Sybil — An absolutely perfect story about women surviving by seeking out one another. This one burrowed directly into my heart.
A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies — A story about the importance of books and libraries, but even more importantly, about recognizing when a child needs a safe harbor and giving them one. Obviously this destroyed me.
The Knight and the Butcherbird and The Six Deaths of the Saint — Both still five stars. Both still incredible. I’ve written about them before, and revisiting them only reinforced how much I love them.

I could probably write something about every story in this collection, but ultimately it comes down to this: Alix E. Harrow writes the kind of stories that remind me why I love reading. Her work can be furious and political and devastating, but there is always this current of tenderness running underneath it. Again and again, she writes about people finding some small piece of hope, love, or freedom in worlds determined to deny it to them.

Five stars. No notes. Alix can continue writing directly onto my soul forever.
Thank you so much to Tordotcom and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies. The audiobook narration is absolutely perfect and only made it easier to disappear completely into these stories.

Here are some of my favorite quotes
“At six, I’d thought love was a full belly; at sixteen, I’d thought it was wildflowers and gooseberries and Mayapple’s mouth on mine. At seventeen, I knew better: Love is whatever you’re willing to kill for”

“It wasn’t fair that we were always the ones who had to lose, to change, to become-something-else. To give ourselves up. It wasn’t fair that all we had in our defense were these few, desperate magics that hurt no one but ourselves”

“Sometimes when I sink down into the deep-down sleep of trees I can almost remember the wild times in the land-before, when we painted ourselves in madder and clay and danced around solstice bonfires, when every witch had a familiar loping or slinking or winging beside her, when we flew through the night on strips of alder and ironwood. I remember when our magics turned outward rather than inward and the wolves stayed in the shadows, fearful of our flames and the words bright and sharp as knives on our tongues”

“They came for us, and then there were no more midnight bonfires. Burning was for books, then, and for witches.”

“They’ve taken our cemeteries and libraries, our newspapers and documentaries and baby pictures. They’ve taken our histories. But they haven’t taken our stories. Listen: When they burn the books and drown the land—when even our gravestones are cracked, dug up, washed away—when they have won—then all we have left is what we remember, and what we whisper to one another.”

[em]

technically a 4.53 if we take individual ratings into account but. no actually idc this was perfection.

i truly think alix e harrow is one of the greatest writers of our generation.. her prose is gorgeous, and her ability to build worlds and people in such a short amount of time is astounding. this collection was stunning.

ALMOST

the tale of the two brothers, or, the famous folkorist confesses fratricide!
- 5 stars, made me cry. i love stories about what siblings are willing to do for each other

mr death
- 5 stars, also made me cry. what the fuck

a whisper in the weld
- 4 stars, teared up.

the knight and the butcherbird
- 4 stars. such an interesting setting

ALWAYS

the six deaths of the saint
- 5 stars. perfect. the everlasting is really and truly one of my favourite books of all time and finally getting to read where it began means the world. it’s sad and beautiful i love this story so much

the final voyage of the good ship fortune
- 3.5 stars. i struggled to connect to this one on an emotional level, but the writing was beautiful, i loved the story, and the characters were extremely interesting.

do not look back, my lion
- 3 stars. again, struggled to connect to this one. the world and society was interesting, and the writing was obviously perfect.

the ransom of miss coraline connelly
- 3 stars. short and sweet, didn’t do much for me.

the long way up
- 4 stars. almost cried. gorgeous.

AGAIN

up in flames (working title)
- 5 stars. stunning. what a fucking cool story. such a unique structure. would love a full novel set in this world.

a witch’s guide to escape: a practical compendium of portal fantasies
- 5 stars. beautiful, i cried. i love books about books. this just really fucking got me

dustbaby
- 3 stars. beautifully written obviously, just not for me.

the sycamore and the sybil
- 4 stars. stories about womanhood and what we owe each other <3

roadside attraction
- 5 stars. i always avoid time travel stories because they feel like a guaranteed sob session. this was just lovely. sweet, believable characters. such a strong sense of place and setting.

the last archive
- 5 stars. CRIED. god one thing that will always get me is a story - ABOUT stories, about legacy and people and what we leave behind when we’re gone. gorgeous.

thank you to alix e harrow, pan macmillan and netgalley for the advance copy.

[book bruin]

Normally when I pick up a short story collection, there will be 1-2, maybe even 3 stories, that stand above the rest. With The Slantwise Histories, almost every single story was a 5 star read (and even the ones that weren't were 4-4.5 stars). I truly can't express the joy I had reading this. Each story was a like a little gift. Some were lighthearted and some were more somber, but each one packed such a punch it's hard to believe that they're short stories. I loved the fantasy/supernatural twist in each one and Alix E. Harrow's writing just blew me away. Pure witchcraft I tell you ;)

I could list almost every story as a favorite, but here are a few that really hit me (and a note or two about them):
- The Tale of the Two Brothers, or, The Famous Folklorist Confesses Fratricide! (So satisfying and an incredible story to open the book with)
- Mr. Death (my heart! happy tears!)
- The Knight and the Butcherbird (love you in any form <3)
- The Six Deaths of the Saint (Everlasting fans rejoice)
- The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly (the funniest of the bunch)
- The Long Way Up (for the Hadestown lovers, but also a great take on love and trust)
- A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies (the power of books, the library, and librarians)
- The Sycamore and the Sybil (heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful)
- Roadside Attraction (how the ordinary can be extraordinary)

The audiobook narration by Jeanette Illidge and Jenn Lee was fantastic! The variety of voices used brought so much whimsy and emotion to the story and characters. It was especially helpful to have two narrators for Up in Flames (Working Title). I listened to this while walking my dogs and it was so fun to have a complete (and AMAZING) story from start to finish (or almost finish) during those long morning walks. Please, please pick this collection up! You will not regret it!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 5++++ stars

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

[ruhee]

Astounding collection of short stories. Alix E. Harrow is a magician or a witch. She has an uncanny ability to weave together whimsical, magical stories with a heart that makes you ache with longing. I loved this collection of stories - I was either blown away by their sheer ingenuity or I was moved by how much the stories made me feel. This collection is well chosen, written and constructed. I think the sequencing of the stories works great and the themes Harrow has drawn on are moving and unique. I loved reading this collection so much I can't stop thinking about it.

Some of my favourite stories - Mr. Death, The Six Deaths of the Saint, The Long Way Up, Up in Flames (Working Title) - this is my absolute favourite one, Roadside Attraction and The Last Archive.

I think everyone and their mothers needs to get their hands on this collection and read it ASAP.

[Kayla Brown]

What a fantastic collection of short stories! It was a joy to get to reread The Knight and the Butcherbird and the Six Deaths of the Saints. They were both just as fantastic as the first time I read them. Plus all of the new stories that I had never read before, all of them were so unique and filled with such interesting characters. I think that nearly everyone will find at least one story (if not more) that will leave a mark on your soul. All of these stories are filled with so much love, heartbreak, whimsy, and a dash of the gothic. This is the first short story collection in a long time in which I have loved every single story. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Rebekah W.]

If you love Alix E. Harrow, this is a MUST read. I’ve yet to read something by her that didn’t punch me directly into the stomach (complimentary). Harrow manages to do in under a hundred pages what many authors dream of. Every single one of these stories was impactful, insightful, and compelling, which I find very hard to do in short stories. I loved the characters. I loved the themes. And I loved how different every story was. These are perfect little stories to read before bed, or in my case, to listen to on contemplation walks in nature. The audiobook is very well done, and the narrator is great at making each story feel different from the last. I really really enjoyed this anthology, and I think everyone should read this!

[M. Stevenson]

I love Alix E. Harrow's novels, but in the short form she is an absolute master. A fantastic collection, most of them new to me. I particularly loved the opener story and The Knight & the Butcherbird, which I've read before but which hit just as hard on a reread.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

[Sammantha Gilbert]

Physical copy of six deaths of the saint sign me the fuck up

[Korynne]

Overall Rating: 3.4/5 stars (rounded up)
I have been a fan of Alix Harrow since her first novel, and I will continue to read everything she writes. I admit I wasn’t the most excited to hear her next book would be a short story collection as I tend to not really enjoy short stories, but of course I had to give it a read regardless. I do wonder why some of Harrow’s short stories were excluded from this collection, such as “Patience and Not-Forsaken” and “The Autobiography of a Traitor and a Half-Savage.” Regardless, I am glad to have more of Harrow’s words to consume, and I think this is a solid collection of stories. Fans of Alix E. Harrow’s voice and beautiful writing style and flawed but deeply human characters will love this collection. I really enjoyed most of the stories myself, and there are many in here that I know I will read again and again.

The Tale of the Two Brothers, or, The Famous Folklorist Confesses Fratricide!—4.5/5 stars
This story was sad but it was also really good. A moral fable of two brothers and the price of greed, a fairytale about wolves and love and what it means to be an honest liar. This was the longest story in this collection, and it deserved every page.

Mr. Death—4/5 stars
I really liked this story. It’s about a reaper who has the job of reaping a little boy who reminds him of his son. The story was tender and more hopeful than I expected.

A Whisper in the Weld—2.5/5 stars
A story of the ghost of a woman during the war who became the ghost of a building and watched over her children. It was an interesting concept, and I liked how Harrow told the story as far as her writing style goes, but the story itself was just okay for me, enjoyment-wise.

The Knight and the Butcherbird—3/5 stars
Original rating from Mar. 2025: 3/5 stars
I had already read this story only one year ago but I remembered nothing about it; it was like I was reading it for the first time again. It’s about a knight who is sent to a village to hunt a demon, and the outlander village girl who tries to stop him. I liked the story and I liked how it ended, but I still don’t think it will stick with me.

The Six Deaths of the Saint—1.5/5 stars
Original rating from Nov. 2022: 1/5 stars
This story could be turned into a full-length novel with the amount of details that are alluded to but never expounded upon. The story is telling the life of a warrior who has become the prince’s “devil,” but the entire story is just telling instead of showing. Years fly by in paragraphs. Epic battles are over in just a sentence. This story needed so much more than it was given. I think I’m the only person alive who likes Alix E. Harrow but did not like this story. I will say, if you liked The Everlasting, you are sure to like this story, and vice versa; they have the same vibes and are both stories about lady knights that are told entirely without “showing” any details in the life of the lady knight, and they are both stories that I did not like but that everyone else seems to love. The only thing I enjoyed about this one was that it is told in second-person, my favorite POV to read from.

The Final Voyage of the Good Ship Fortune—1.5/5 stars
The story of a shipwrecked sailor talking to a sea creature. I didn’t really care for this story, but I do think the ending was fitting.

Do Not Look Back, My Lion—2/5 stars
This has the feel of a historical epic, but unfortunately I didn’t really care for it. A woman at home tries to convince her pregnant warrior wife not to go into battle. The baby in vitro is the real main character as that’s who the focus of the whole narrative is on. This story was both sad and hopeful at the same time.

The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly—4/5 stars
A fun and subversive epistolary short story about a fairy queen who steals a child and corresponds with the child’s mother to bargain for her return. I liked this one, and I really liked how it ended.

The Long Way Up—3.5/5 stars
Original rating from Sept. 2023: 4/5 stars
A woman walks the long way down to the underworld to bring her deceased husband back. This story felt unique in the way it was told, which I appreciated. I liked it, even though it’s a little sad and the ending was ambiguous.

Up in Flames (Working Title)—5/5 stars
Okay, I loved this story. Definitely my favorite in the collection. It’s written as a manuscript being sent to the editor for review, and it has the editor’s comments in it, so there’s the underlying story and then also the one-sided communication the editor is having with the author. I loved that idea, but on top of that I just loved the entire story altogether. I don’t want to say more about the plot because I think this is one of those stories that best read without knowing much beforehand, but do know it’s about love and curses and rebellion and joy.

A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies—5/5 stars
I loved the idea in this story that librarians are witches and they can tell what book a person wants to read based on the scent of the person and how the book literally calls out to them. I fully support the idea of librarians being witches who are able to discern the exact books patrons need and when they need them. There is a magical quality to librarians when you’re younger, and this story takes that idea and makes it real. The writing was excellent and the ending was perfect. I need a whole novel about these witchy librarians, please.

Dustbaby—4/5 stars
This is such an unusual story, but I enjoyed it. The land is changing in strange and unprecedented ways, alluding to the end of the world. A woman finds a baby in a field. Is it her baby she lost, or is it a baby made of the dust of earth, a harbinger of the end? The voice of the narrator is so distinct and really lends to this story being told by an uneducated farm woman in the ’30s. Harrow is very good at writing beautiful sentences while still being able to change her style and word choice to fit the narrative, and this story is really indicative of that.

The Sycamore and the Sybil—4/5 stars
A story of a tree who used to be a woman who used to be a witch. She exists in a forest and watches those who come and go. The tree develops an interest in a particular woman who has come to her truck and is in need of some help. Another enjoyable story with a sad yet hopeful ending.

Roadside Attraction—2.5/5 stars
Original rating from July 2023: 2.5/5 stars
This must be a pretty forgettable story because I had no recollection of having read it before. A young man goes on time-traveling journeys, searching for his destiny. It’s sci-fi lite—the focus is on the main character and what he thinks and learns from his journeys rather than on the actual time-traveling element. I liked the moral of the story that your destiny is what you choose it to be and sometimes it’s right here with you all along.

The Last Archive—4/5 stars
Yet another story that is both sad and hopeful. This is a post-apocalyptic tale told when the world has become radioactive and the Company owns and rules all, but Verity Graves is a woman out to destroy corporate greed and protect the joys of life. It's told from the perspective of Verity's long-time friend, and once again I love Harrow's narrative voice in this story as she fully delves into the mind of the flawed yet redeemable Vex. A solid tale to end this collection with.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Michelle (Bamamele.reads)]

Thanks so much to Tor and Macmillan Audio for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Any collection of stories will have some that are amazing, some you like, some you could take or leave, and maybe some you don't understand. That holds true here, but you'll still never find a better collection than what Alix E Harrow writes. I cried at at least 4 of these (even ones I'd read before). Harrow just makes magic with words and can hit you in the feels in a record amount of time.

Obviously Six Deaths of the Saint is the standout here. I cried all over again. This story is a MASTERPIECE.
Mr Death hit me in the feels HARD. I don't even have kids and this stomped on my heart. That ending was perfect.
The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly was so cute and so funny. Probably the shortest story here but I adored it.
Roadside Attraction--oh this was incredible. Achingly beautiful and heartfelt. Just loved it and I teared up.

Harrow does a lot that's dystopian, a little bleak, and always on point. Butcher & the Blackbird, Dustbaby, and a bit Whisper in the Weld all fit here. There are a lot in these stories about motherhood and sacrifice, fighting against a horrible future, the evils of corporations and the patriarchy and more. All of it is powerful. All of it is moving. All of it is a must-read.

As far as the audio, I'm not sure the narrators added anything to the experience, and for some of the stories they actually detracted. Neither really changed inflection or timbre for a change of gender in the characters, so it was actually really hard for me to differentiate the narrative voice between the stories. And my ear naturally rebels against a southern accent (I'm southern myself and can't stand it when it doesn't sound natural).
I'd recommend this more for an eyeball read!

[Faye Anne]

The Slantwise Histories is Alix E. Harrow's collection of 15 short stories, separated into 3 categories: Almost, Always and Again. The collection includes The Six Deaths of the Saint and A Witch's Guide to Escape, both of which seemed to be popular short stories/novelettes before their inclusion in this collection. I hadn't read any of these before though, so all 15 were new to me!

A lot of the stories were themed around death, but there's still a huge variety in them. Even with an anthology by the same author, it's likely that some won't work, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I loved 13/15 of them, which is a pretty good result! One of them, Mr Death, made me cry, and to make someone cry 10 pages into a 15 page short story is absolute skill. I started reading the collection today, intending to read just one or two of the short stories, but before I knew it, I'd finished them all!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Carrie Smith]

4.5* rounded up

I always find Alix’s writing moving and profound in a completely unpretentious way.

This collection of alternative, could have been histories and might be futures is no different.

I loved the blending and twisting of mythology and folklore with dystopia and speculative cautionary tales.

This anthology champions the marginalised, the ordinary and the diverse, rewriting them as the heroes fighting for their place in history, defying the odds and defining their own destinies.

With some stories fans will recognise and plenty of new ones, these tales do some really heavy lifting, through love and grief, the characters are driven by a desire for a better world. There are sad bits, happy bits and bits that encourage you to take a good hard look at the world.

I sped through these quickly but will enjoy rereading them more slowly and can see myself returning to some new favourites again and again.

[Tyffani]

I adore a good anthology of short stories and Alix certainly delivered. There is a wide range of stories, truly something for everyone. I tried to pick my favorites but I ended up marking like half of them. lol Then I tried to narrow down my top 3 and I ended up with my Top 4. So my Top 4 in no particular order are:

Mr. Death
A Whisper in the Weld
The Tale of Two Brothers
Do Not Look Back, My Lion

At any given moment any of these 4 could be my favorite story in the entire book. You see the conundrum Alix has left us with. I need more of these fanciful worlds!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the arc!

[Alice]

I have loved essentially all of Alix E Harrow’s full length novels, however her talent truly lies in her short stories. There are feelings that Alix can make me feel in 15-30 pages that a 500 page novel cannot, which is an incredible feat.

The Slantwise Histories includes some wonderful short stories which all tackle important modern day issues, and it is GLORIOUS we are getting Six Deaths of the Saint in print finally 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Thank you so much to Tor & NetGalley for the eARC!!!

[Clara (bookish_clara)]

Alix E Harrow is an amazing storyteller and one of my favourite authors and with The Slantwise Histories a collection of short stories this only shows just how much. Every single one of them was so beautifully written and just so exquisite in the way they are told.

I had already read and loved The Six Deaths of a Saint and it is still such a beautiful story but Mr Death had me literally sobbing while The Sycamore and Sybil and Roadside Attraction especially has become equal favourites but each one has something special about them.

If you have never read anything by this author this beautiful collection of stories is such a good place to start as each of them shows just how wonderful a writer Alix is and how a short story can make you instantly want to devour the rest of her books.

[Mia]

An interesting read, not for anthology lovers but for anyone that enjoys good read.