Wandering Star and Other Stories

by Sarena Ulibarri

Genres: Fantasy

157 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

About the author

Sarena Ulibarri is a writer and editor from the American Southwest. Her short stories have appeared in Lightspeed, DreamForge, Baubles From Bones, and elsewhere, and non-fiction essays have appeared in Grist and Strange Horizons. Two novellas were published in 2023: Another Life (from Stelliform Press) and Steel Tree (from Android Press). As an anthologist, she edited Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers and Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters, and co-edited Multispecies Cities. She also serves as a story reviewer for the Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest.

Reviews

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews]

A better world is possible.

“The Riverhead” was a beautiful fable about how a mother’s grief created a nearly endless supply of water for a desert village. I loved the descriptions of how various villagers reacted to her supernatural ability and what happened when the water levels rose so high that nobody knew what to do with them. Not only were they good storytelling, they explored the many faces of grief that not everyone feels comfortable showing in public.

As much as I enjoyed this collection in general, I did find myself wishing that some of the stories in it were given more time to develop. “The Ice Tree,” which followed Mirella as she attempted to kill every lizard in her community, was one such example of this. Her motivation for this and other disturbing changes she attempted to make to her environment was unclear. While I understood the point the author was trying to make, I think this would have been a stronger piece if Mirella had been given more opportunities to explain herself to the audience and convince us that her plan made more sense to her even if others disagreed with it.

I loved the world-building in “A Chorus of Shadows,” particularly as it applied to how a small group of professional singers were responsible for everything from how plants grew to what the future of humanity would look like. The descriptions of their musical abilities and the many years it took for them to perfect their skill made me wish this one could be a full-length novel. It was brimming with beauty and possibility.

The creativity shown in Wandering Star and Other Stories makes me want to read more from Ms. Ulibarri soon.

[Stephanie]

This year, I have found that I really enjoy reading anthologies. I love standard novels and novellas, but there is just something nice about little bite-sized pieces of stories. Sarena Ulibarri has a beautiful writing style with very creative ideas that kept me captivated through these twelve short stories.

My favorite story was “The Riverhead,” which was about a woman whose grief was uncontrollable. The depth of her grief allowed their village to survive because of her tears. I also really liked “The Bolt Tightener” because it was a little creepy and kept me wondering what would happen.

I really liked the messages behind many of these stories and their inclusivity. Wandering Star and Other Stories is a great anthology for anyone who enjoys short story collections.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this collection.

[Tory]

I would like to thank the authors and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this book and for the opportunity to read and review it.

I don’t usually read short story collections as I tend to gravitate more towards standard novels, so this was a slightly different reading experience for me. I do appreciate the concept of short story collections and the opportunity they give you to experience multiple stories, characters and ideas within a single book, but the same time I think I’ve realized that I personally prefer longer stories that give me more time to become invested in the characters and explore their worlds in greater detail. While with shorter stories I often find myself wanting more time with a particular concept rather than moving on to something new so quickly. That said I enjoyed this collection, but I think this format will work much better for readers who already enjoy short story collections and the variety they offer.

[Hilary]

Review of advance reader copy provided by NetGalley.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Sarena Ulibarri for the opportunity to review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About: Twelve curated stories provide tantalizing glimpses into fantastical worlds of selfish dragons, elusive mermaids, petty were-queens, doomed planets, and more. Representation: LGBTQIAP+

Thoughts: Wow… I devoured this collection of short stories in one sitting! The author’s world-building skill shines in each standalone tale; within the first few sentences you are instantly transported to a new world with charismatic (and often problematic) characters that stay with you long after the story ends. Readers of fantasy, sci fi, and anthologies… this one is for you! But remember, not all wishes should come true and beware of bolt 841!

[Ashley Farrar]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was my first experience with an anthology and overall I enjoyed it. Several of the stories, I wished could have been longer but the stories kept me entertained. This is a collection of twelve stories and my favorite of the twelve was the one about a mother’s tears of grief that creates a river in a desert village. Overall, I would encourage others to read this collection of stories, especially if they are already familiar with and love anthologies. This was the perfect book for me to begin a journey with anthologies.

[Liz]

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-OP and World Weaver Press for the free e-ARC.

Giving this anthology an overall 3 stars. The writing is excellent and the story ideas are creative, but only a few hooked my interest. Several were too short, ending before they really got going. Most have slipped from my memory entirely in the time since I read them.

I would still recommend this to anyone looking for fantasy short stories.

[D Dyer]

A brief collection of fantasy stories of many of which left me wanting more both in good and bad ways. Some, like the title story present fascinating worlds that I’d love to visit more thoroughly in longer stories. Others though interesting felt more like sketches than like completed tails. Still, the writing is consistently, gentle and dreamy, and the images are lovely throughout.

[reading_with_olly]

I absolutely loved this book. The stories are well written and impossible to put down. Plus, with the variety of the stories it’s hard not to find one you like.