Together is a Distant Star

by A.J. Calvin, Valentina Carvajal Leiva, Nancy Foster

How far would you go to find where you belong?

A shapeshifting alien changeling raised by humans. The “wicked” child selected as the village sacrifice. People trapped in rigid belief systems, oppressive regimes, well-intentioned families, complicated relationships, and their very own bodies.

Is it better to succumb and survive, or escape by staking everything on a slender hope?

What triumphs in the end, love or vengeance?

And if all that remains is ashes, is it still worth it?

Grapple with these questions by diving into twelve new science fiction and fantasy stories. Together is a Distant Star is a collaborative anthology that encompasses authors hailing from Europe to Australia, South Africa to South America, and celebrates a kaleidoscope of perspectives—female, nonbinary, BIPOC, queer, and more.

Featuring stories from: A.J. Calvin, V. Carvajal Leiva, Nancy Foster, Andrea Marie Johnson, Natalie Kelda, C.B. Lansdell, Karen Lykkebo, Erika McCorkle, Branwen OShea, Alyse Steves, Delilah Waan, and Isabelle Wagner.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

382 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 19, 2026

About the author

A.J. Calvin is a science fiction/fantasy novelist from Loveland, Colorado known best for The Caein Legacy series and The Relics of War series. By day, she works as a microbiologist, but in her free time she writes. She lives with her husband, a turtle, and a salt water aquarium.

When she is not working or writing, she enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and playing video games.

Be sure to follow A.J. on BookBub for new release alerts and more! https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-j-c...

For more information on the author and news about her writing, please visit her website at www.ajcalvin.net.

Reviews

[Javiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primero que nada, muchas gracias a las personas detrás de este libro que me dieron la oportunidad de ser una de las arc 💘

Together is a Distant Star es una antología que reune a 12 escritoras de distintas partes de mundo para presentarnos diversas historias, cada una autoconclusiva y enfocada en alguna temática en específico; sin embargo, todas giran en torno a la sci-fi y fantasía ✨️

Pero considerando que se viene el lanzamiento pronto (el 19 de mayo), solo voy a mencionar ciertas cositas a tener en cuenta:

Por una parte, son historias cortas, por lo que no esperen un gran desarrollo de eventos, personajes ni de ese tipo, ya que están focalizados en presentar una temática en concreto utilizando los géneros mencionados anteriormente.

Por otro lado, antes de cada antología hay advertencias respecto al contenido que pueden encontrar, así como también los tropes, lo que para mí funcionó super bien, ya que así tenía una idea general de lo que podía encontrar o se trataría la historia.

Respecto a la narrativa, hay varias veces que me quedé procesando la información, ya que todo estaba en inglés y ahora soy una persona de audiolibros, por que en algunos momentos tenía que parar a leer o quedarme pensando si lo que entendí era lo que realmente estaban diciendo los autores JAJAJA. Aún así, habían historias que se pasaron demasiado rápido y otras que me tomaron más tiempo por el vocabulario un poco más complejo.

Personalmente, yo solo conozco la pluma de una escritora de todas las que se presentan acá y debo admitir que siempre es lindo explorar nuevas narrativas. Asimismo, esto brinda la oportunidad de que si no conectas con alguna, puedes intentarlo con la siguiente y así jajaj👀

So, me entretuvo, me dejo pensando, hay algunas historias que tienen tremendo plot, trama, personajes y momentos que quedé tiesa con el desarrollo, así como otras que fue como okay, sigamos JAJAJ. Por lo que insisto, se nos brinda un abanico de historias, por lo que tienen una variedad para disfrutar, conocer y leer <3

[Andra-Mihaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today is #review day!🙃

From me, #togetherisadistantstar gets 3.25⭐! ☺️

Sooo…I did a thing 👀🤭…a few weeks ago I applied to be a part of an ARC team for a diverse anthology 😸…it sounded really good and I ALWAYS want to #read from new authors ☺️…fun fact: I got the #book😆…and now I've read it.😌
Thank you very much to the authors and Kris Marchesi for giving me a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Stay with me 😙…and I promise you'll find at least a story you're intrigued by.😁

General info: a collaborative scifi & fantasy anthology with 12 stories from authors all over the world😆; a collection about belonging and what that means for different people; about hope, love, friendship, family drama, but also about fear, rage and ambition.👀

CW: at the end of the collection, each story has a list of CW/TW for anyone who's interested + a level on how graphic it is to help you decide if you want to read the story ☺️…here's some of the most important ones ( for me): mutilation / disfigurement ; child abuse; confinement, child death; eating bugs; colonialism, incest, cannibalism; postpartum maternal death; transphobia ; self-harm and suicidal ideation ; dubious consent ; child neglect ; postpartum gore and related medical procedures;

BOOK THOUGHTS

OK…so I'll do my best to give you a sense of this collection. 🧐

As you can see from the content warnings( which aren't all of them, and definitely not in order to the stories), we have some heavy stuff in here 😅.
Personally, I didn't now in advance ( my bad, I didn't check for a CW 😅), but I also was fine reading all the stories…so, in my opinion, most readers will be fine reading this if they didn't suffer trauma related to any of them, don't have a deep-seated fear or have a moderate tolerance for gore or disgusting stuff.
I also think that, besides the postpartum stuff being explicit, almost everything else is at a level of mentioned / briefly discussed, and only a few as depicted. (a couple if I remember correctly)
Hope this helps 🙂.

Now…about the actual stories…this was a mixed bag for me 😅…I had all the ratings imaginable 🤭..and yes…3.25 is the average for the whole package.🙃 Please don't be discouraged!🙏 I highly recommend you try this collection out! You'll definitely find some GEMS inside!😻

Before I give you a list, I want to reiterate that I believe every reader can find at least one story that'll resonate with them.☺️ We have epic fantasy and scifi, romantasy and dystopia, we have space opera and political intrigue, we have action-packed narratives and slow dread -filled character-focused perspectives; we have family dramas and solo journeys, we have everything! 🥳

I want to say upfront that I enjoyed more the stories that are standalones, that focused more on social issues or on heavier themes. I'm also very particular about dialog and characterization for short stories /novella and that is reflected in my ratings.🤷‍♀️
Where I have a description from the author about their work, I'll also include it for you; If I don't...I'll do my best to come up with one.😅 ( I won't give you individual synopsis because I think that collections are more about themes than anything else...hope you agree with me🙂)

The ratings 🤭:
Tiiv Kaadan by A.J. Calvin - 2.5 ⭐

Related to the author's other works; scifi;romance focused; main theme is belonging; finding someone to understand you as you are.

I enjoyed the world building and the few details we had about the society in this world 😌, but the dialog and the insta-attraction weren't for me🤷‍♀️…in my opinion, the attraction needed more space to breath; in this instance I found it contradicting the MC fear of being used for his position, and that took me out of the story.

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Flight of the Guildmaster by C.B.Lansdell - 4 ⭐

Story connected to other works; sci-fantasy ; about how society could dictate our morals, how other people 's suffering can be easily ignore due to our position and personal ambitions and what we are willing to overlook for our gain;

This was really, really well done! I deeply enjoyed how we explored Gyl's emotions and thoughts about her duty, what she thinks is acceptable/normal and how she sees herself in relation to others. The way in which magic works is really interesting, maybe a little cruel, and it's clear that it means the world to the MC, despite the moral cost. This felt very much like a character study, coupled with great world building, pointed dialog and very important discussions about indoctrination, ambition and fear, about what one can do and what one is willing to do. 😆
Will read more from this author!😊
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Life of the Golem by Nancy Foster - 4.5 ⭐

Standalone; fantasy ; discussing the cruelty of justice, if the life we get is the one we actually deserve;

Loved this! ☺️ It was almost perfect!😆
Despite it not being overly descriptive, I believe we got the right amount of information needed to understand the setting, the perspective we follow, and also be intrigued about the action. 👀…this one is interesting by the simple fact that we watch a Golem be a Golem and we understand what that entails. I highly recommend it if you enjoy slowly understanding what's going on in a story, and like morality questions.
I'd definitely read a full novel on this.😁…and more from this author…obviously 🤭.
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Vatter Child by Karen Lykkebo - 5 ⭐

Standalone ; dark horror-esque fantasy inspired by folklore and the fall of patriarchy ; meant to give a sense of grim-dark justice and satisfaction.😈

This was my favourite!😆 I absolutely loved it😆.
This is Danish inspired (I think) and the atmosphere is AMAZING!!!🔥
I absolutely loved how our MC's story came to a conclusion. This is very close to the character and full of tension. 👀…definitely not for those of you wanting more action packed narratives, or clean outcomes.😅 The world building is just enough to keep you guessing and it's very well done! The writing style is extremely good 🥰...so those of you picky in that regard….this one is for you😼. We also have a little of an unreliable narrator coming to the surface more and more as the story unfolds and it packs a punch!!😆 The characterization is great…loved how Aila is gradually revealed to us and how the whole situation is slowly made known to us via the difficult moments in the present.🔥
This deals with heavy stuff…regarding children and their care in society, and ableism is a central theme…you'll feel rage👀..just a warning 😌.
Will by a SE of this one🤭
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Polaris by Alyse Steve's - 3.75 ⭐

Standalone; scifi with thriller vibes; about complexities of morality, challenging the definitions of hero and villain; the line between good and evil; who decides what is which, and what happens when someone discovers that they weren't on the right side.

This story starts very intense with our MC in a life or death situation. I really enjoyed it.
I think it needed more development on the romance part, as the MC's feelings we get to see basically from the first page don't seem earned in their intensity. The pacing also suffers a little from the explanations needed so that we get why all the action is happening as it is, and a little more page count would have helped in my opinion. On the other hand 👀, I really liked how the themes were introduced by the end! 😌 I liked the little cultural details for the other protagonist and how our main girl slowly understands what's her actual role in this system she's a part of.
I'm intrigued to see what else this author will come up with.😁
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The Iron Queen by V. Carvajal Leiva - 1 ⭐

Standalone; scifi; How far can we justify cruelty in the name of survival- and what remains of us when we do;

Oh boy…😅..well, this wasn't for me.
We have a MC with a giant load on her shoulders, who's seemingly qualified for an extremely dangerous mission that need sacrifices…but we also have a strange romance subplot and lots and lots of plot holes, cringy dialog and basically no worldbuilding, no logic and everything at a breakneck pace…I'm sorry, but I don't think this was even remotely ok. I was left with sooo many questions, with so much frustration at our MC ( who's written as extremely suspicious but incapable to see all the problems with the other character's story ..she's not the only one blind, mind you😶) and generally angry at the idea of such a world! It simply doesn't work!💀
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Marauding Ways by Natalie Kelda - 3.5 ⭐

Connected to a larger series; scifi; from my understanding...the backstory of a MC ; a story about survival, losing humanity and fighting for your future against all odds;

This was really interesting😄. We start with our MC as a child in the middle of a horrible drought…and see the repercussions of living in such conditions.😈
In all seriousness, this is a bleak read😅…the MC is isolated, feels misunderstood and even replaced in her own life. She constantly fights with herself to keep the hope of a better tomorrow alive, even if that hope relies on so many chances and sacrifices.🥺 She hates herself, and especially her family, for giving up bits of humanity in order to survive and by the end of it, she's pretty much willing to jump over all the moral barriers just to get away from it all.😢
Why 3.5?? Because I feel this story needed to be a more constricted version of itself to be more impactful, or longer in order to develop more the conflict between our MC and her family. They very much fill out roles and don't seem to have actual motivation to act like they do.
Still…I highly recommend this one! Will read more from this author.👀
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Fire Burns the Night by Andrea Marie Johnson - 1 ⭐

Connected to a series; romantasy; backstory to an assassin; this is a story of abuse, pain and feminine rage;

Again…oh boy😅.
I really, really didn't like this one…almost dnf-ed it.💀
I don't know anything about this MC and what she becomes in the future...but this backstory, in my opinion, is horribly done.
Main issues: plot holes ( why some characters are in close contact with our MC, why someone hates her with such passion for no reason 😅, why our MC doesn't act as she thinks; why doesn't she question the others when they present her with some strange info; why that ending exists?), cringy dialog, no world building, really poor character work and not enough time for me to actually care about her.😢

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True Colors by Isabelle Wagner - 3 ⭐

Standalone; fantasy; a story about choosing between people; stepping outside of your comfort zone when the familiar is holding you back;

This one was ok.🙂 I enjoyed the themes and the writing style, but I wanted more from the characterization.(I believe that all the characters besides the MC could have been done a little better)
It's, once again, a story hyper focused on the MC and their thoughts and emotions relative to what happens around them. It's tension-filled, keeps you guessing why our MC is feeling as she is, and slowly unveils how the world works. It has a great idea for a magic system and interesting concept about the society said magic exists in.( the main themes are familial bond and how far one can go before admitting the truth to themselves) I can very well see this becoming the blueprint for a great novel.👀
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Deep Snow by Erika Mccorkle - 2.5 ⭐

Connected to the author's larger series; scifi; about taking the risk to be yourself, even if the world doesn't want you to;

Unfortunately, this one felt very rushed for me. Our characters have a secret that could killed them, and without any expectations, they're forced to take on a very dangerous mission. Despite liking what the author's idea, I believe it needed more work to actually land the emotional punch it was meant to. The story also has logical gaps regarding some actions done by different characters, and uses dialog to present the opportunity for world building…I wasn't a fan of that.😢
In my opinion, starting from the premise that their secret is discovered, explain how ,and then slightly modify the rest of the narrative, would have worked better.

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This is the worst Timeline by Branwen Oshea - 3.5 ⭐

Standalone; scifi; timeline-travelling adventure; themes : needing to work with the enemy to survive; when/if ever violence is justified, exploring the forms of love; different identities/cultures; the struggle to find one's home.

This was interesting.🤭 It has a thrillery vibe with a romantic subplot. It's 'we need to save the world, but my solutions are a little selfish'.😆 I liked the writing style, the dialog, and our MC. The world building suffered a little due to how the action was unfolding.( this one had a little bit of 'pull a rabbit out of a hat' moment in a couple of places😅) Besides that, I think this one will be very subjective and each reader will see it differently, because it deals with a spiky topic: time travel.👀
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Rysere's Glory by Delilah Waan - 4.5 ⭐

Standalone; fantasy; about a mother's struggle and the heavy burden of the right choice; the fight for power to secure the future you want;

Yay!😆…I'm soo sad this one wasn't a 5 star, but it is what it is.🥺
This is truly lovely! I highly recommend if you can stomach the heavier trigger warnings.😅 The writing style is gorgeous👌…fitting with the narrative and setting; we have a complex MC who's arrogant, self-centered, very smart and with patience to spare, so that all her wishes become true.😈 Even her darkest moments don't take her down!😆 She's also distant, doesn't really fit her new role, and is more preoccupied with the future than the present...and this cost her dearly.😢
The world building is great, maybe a little muddy with some details (here's that -0.5 😅). The magic system is cleverly used and the pacing itself rises and falls with the story's action. The atmosphere is tense, and keeps you invested for the next morsel of info.😈
This is the kind of story that doesn't hold your hand…you'll understand stuff as you go and if that sounds like your thing…please pick up this one!🙏
I'll definitely read more from this author.🤭

[BookaholicallyBridie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and here’s my honest review.
I LOVED a few of the stories in this anthology, and thought they were absolutely perfect.
Some of the stories were connected to the existing works of the authors, and at times, there were details the readers missed out on as a result. All of the stories were readable without that extra information, I just would have liked more context for those particular stories.

My favourites were Polaris because of the sapphic yearning and lovers to enemies vibes, and also Vätter Child because I LOVE forest horror.

Here’s my quick summaries of each of the stories:

Tiiv Kaadan by A.J. Calvin is an adorable story about two people from different planets ending up in the same intergalactic restaurant, and the conversation they have. I loved the way this story was a little snapshot of their lives together, but still felt like a small piece of a larger story.
Flight of the Guildmaster by C.B. Lansdell is about a Resyncrafter named Gyl who reshapes nature, and what they do to escape the system that regulates them.
Life of Golem by Nancy Foster is a story about how the things that are made of dust must eventually return to dust, and how the punishment fits the crime.
Vätter Child by Karen Lykkebo is one of my favourite stories in this anthology, and it’s a horror story where Aila is a sacrifice to the monster in the woods.
Polaris by Alyse Steves is a sci-fi story about the destruction of planets, full of sapphic yearning and lovers to enemies.
The Iron Queen by V. Carvajal Leiva (translated by Nancy Foster) is about an immortal queen who has slaughtered thousands, and the one person who might be able to stop her.
Marauding Ways by Natalie Kelda is about what a family would do to survive when food is scarce, and how one of their children doesn’t think the cost is worth it.
Fire Burns the Night by Andrea Marie Johnson is the origin story of an assassin.
True Colours by Isabelle Wagner is about two sisters and their power to influence emotions, and the impact it has on them both.
Deep Snow by Erika McCorkle is about two siblings who must hike through the snow to become the people they were meant to be.
This Is The Worst Timeline by Branwen Oshea is about a time travelling alien who tries really hard to save the entire multiverse.
Rysere’s Glory by Delilah Waan explores the suffering a mother would endure to bring her child into the world, and what she would do to keep him safe.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Together is a Distant Star is an anthology of twelve stories with a theme of belonging, written by a group of queer and/or female authors who wanted to address their under representation in the world of science fiction and fantasy. While I had read from several of these authors before, the collection has also introduced me to several new writers whose other works I am keen to explore. The authors hail from all corners of the globe and that diversity is also something that I enjoyed when reading several of the stores which seemed to have roots in the author's culture or folklore.
As with any collection of stories some worked better for me than others but there is enough variety in style that I think most readers of the genre would find something to enjoy. Stand outs for me were Flight of the Guildmaster by C.B. Lansell ,which while being connected to her excellent Apidecca Duology works completely as a stand alone and asks some uncomfortable questions, Life of Golem by Nancy Foster which I found to be moving and impactful, Vatterchild by Karen Lykkeo which added a touch of folklore inspired horror and Marauding Ways by Natalie Kelda which was disturbing and unsettling in the best possible way.
I also need to mention the striking cover and interior illustrations, also the work of C.B. Lansell, this is a book that is going to look beautiful on anyone's bookshelf.
There is a list a content advisory section at the back of the book that breaks it down story by story, and I would encourage readers to check it out if they have concerns as some of the stories do get quite dark at times.
This is a well curated collection of memorable and impactful stories, one that I hope finds the audience it deserves.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Ven · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC recieved for free in return for an honest review.

A short story indie fantasy/sci-fi collection from some amazing names in the indie space, not sure I have requested an ARC quicker.

As with any short story collection, especially that crosses genres and especially authors can be a mixed bag. As is the case some of these land better for me than others, but I can also say that every story in here is worth your time and interest.
With the guiding thread of finding a place to belong, this works really well and as is often the case with collections like this, it's great to see the differing thoughts and ideas each of the authors bring in their stories. Some of which take place in previous worlds that authors have written, although prior reading is not needed.
One thing in the presentation that i really enjoyed was a quick forward before each story, giving an idea of what to expect as well as sometimes touching on the inspirtaions for the story, as well as telling you about the authors themselves, which is a great way to do this rather than putting it at the back of the book as is often the case.

[Stasia Roze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this inclusive and collaborative anthology. Each story carried a deeper message of belonging, togetherness, and acceptance. Whether it be through platonic, romantic, or familial love, there truly is a message and representation for everyone. I loved the inclusion of LGBTQ+ stories and representation and definitely felt myself represented within the pages of this anthology.

I initially signed up to ARC read as a fan of author Karen Lykkebo. Unsurprisingly, her story Vätter Child was, without a doubt, my favourite. I love folklore, I love forests, and I love revenge, and the story gave us all 3. Lykkebo has such a unique way of telling her stories, and I cherish it every time!

I also really enjoyed Polaris by Alysse Steves, I actually wish this one wasn't a standalone as I really want to read more about the two female characters. I'm definitely going to be checking out more of Steves work, if this is what she can produce as a short story, I can't imagine how amazing her longer pieces must be.

Tiiv Kaadan by A J Calvin was also a really lovely short story. I loved the FMC and will absolutely be picking up the rest of this series!

[K.D. Marchesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of short stories exploring the theme of belonging.

Each author adds their own flare to this collaborative project, tackling both light and dark themes.

For fans of meaningful and thematic short fiction that gives you a taste of wider worlds, this one is for you!

[AElis]

The first story is a romance (first meet) taking place in a science fiction setting