Beyond the Stars: New Worlds, New Suns

Beyond the Stars: Space Opera Anthologies #4

by Patrice Fitzgerald (Series Editor), Ellen Campbell (Editor), David Adams

"I think Beyond The Stars is my favorite anthology series. Great space opera sci-fi here, not a single dud in the bunch."

A fourth volume in the prestigious series of space opera collections emerges, featuring ten authors, some best-selling and some freshly emerging, telling bold new tales. Join these award-winning writers as they take you on a journey... beyond the stars.

BEYOND THE STARS: New Worlds, New Suns includes the following short stories:

* Finders Keepers (David Bruns)
* Sequester (Ann Christy)
* Escaping Eshwar (E.E. Giorgi)
* Anamnesis (Josi Russell)
* Hope Springs (Lindsay Buroker)
* The Patient Warrior (Michael Ezell)
* Rebellion on Kepler-186f (Jill Hand)
* Solar Flare (Theresa Kay)
* Dear Sir or Madam (Anne Kelleher)
* The Immortals: Southport (David Adams)

BEYOND THE STARS space opera anthologies include:

Dark Beyond the Stars
Beyond the Stars: A Planet Too Far
Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge
Beyond the Stars: New Worlds, New Suns
Best of Beyond the Stars
Beyond the Stars: Unimagined Realms
Beyond the Stars: Rocking Space
Beyond the Stars: Infinite Expanse

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Anthologies

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2017

About the author

Patrice Fitzgerald is an indie author, publisher, attorney, and intergalactic singer of songs. She has been publishing herself and others since 2011 and is the force behind the BEYOND THE STARS series of space opera anthologies. Patrice is thrilled to introduce Captain Wu and her STARSHIP NAMELESS crew in her most recent trilogy, written with the inimitable Jack Lyster.

Reviews

[Saidah Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only bought this because of Lindsay Buroker. A few of the other stories were interesting as well.

[M.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC courtesy of the editor, Ellen Campbell (who I have known since I was a preteen, mad world). Shoutout to Patrice Fitzgerald, the series editor, for all of her hard work as well. You'll find the authors all listed alongside the title of their story, I encourage you all to go out and support their projects too!

It was a bit daunting sitting down to read and review something to close to the heart of someone I know (and admire, she's awesome) and I confess to much undue worry. This collection was brilliant! As in all anthologies some stories stood out more than others but none of them were anything less than intriguing and well-written. I'll give a brief synopsis of each story and then give a brief overall impression at the end.

Finders Keepers (David Bruns): We meet Sabrina, captain of an all female crew on a ship somewhere in space. She has two problems: 1) she introduced a man into the fray 2) she has found a ship she can scavenge for parts but it's never that easy, right? This was the perfect choice to open the anthology. I really wasn't sure what was going to happen and I found myself jumping to all sorts of (incorrect) conclusions.

Sequester (Ann Christy): Earth has been overrun by PePr's (robot overlords come to mind) and a handful of humans on a crew trying to make Mars habitable for the remaining free people have reached an impasse. This story fascinated me as the idea of Artificial Intelligence someday surpassing and potentially subjugating humankind seems to become more and more plausible. Ann Christy did something here that made me really consider different notions of what it means to be human. I look forward to reading the PePr series and delving into this world.

Escaping Eshwar (E.E. Giorgi): I'm a sucker for a young protagonist, so this one had me from the first paragraph. We meet Janhu, who is a 13 year old orphan trying to survive in a desolate world with only an android for company. He dreams of flying away to safety and he has the intelligence and the determination to do it with his own two hands. When he meets a mysterious woman who offers him an out, what will he do?

Anamnesis (Josi Russell): Kristi lives in a world where humans and "off-worlders" are not created or treated equal. Drawn to a beautiful "space painting" and sympathetic to and curious about off-worlders, Kristi interested me more than the story unfolding around her. We can all related to that feeling of unease that comes when you don't quite seem to belong, it seems. When she gets the chance to go off world even just for a minute, she takes it. It changes her.

Hope Springs (Lindsay Buroker): Alisa is on her honeymoon at Hope Springs-a far flung moon-with her husband, her cyborg husband. Determined to spend it soaking in the hot springs and not thinking about work, her plans are quickly thwarted by some Androids and a Petri dish. Add a dash of comedy to the story and this is a fun little read.

The Patient Warrior (Michael Ezell): Jalad is tired of being oppressed by the Torq. He stays connected to the ways of his ancestors at his own peril as his rage grows. His people, the Nirut, have been trampled under the boots of their soft masters and exploited for their labor and resources for generations. Will he find a way to overcome his feelings? Patience.

Rebellion on Kepler-186f (Jill Hand): Eunice Clump is everything that scares me about the future of humanity, should be stay the current course. She is incensed that her luxury craft has been diverted to stop the insurrection of a working class population on a planet in the middle of nowhere. After reading that she couldn't abide books because they 'killed' her husband, I loathed her. When I discovered that the language on Earth had devolved into little more than l337 speak I knew that I'd seek out Jill Hand's other work.

Solar Flare (Theresa Kay): Gretchen has abandoned the alliance fleet and ended up on some desert planet in a region known as "the desert", so she knows she's screwed. She eventually finds sanctuary from the heat underground with a race known as the Dikurcidae, one of whom may help her escape. This was the one story that was a bit too neat and tidy for me. I kept waiting for something surprising to happen and when it didn't I was disappointed. Something in me detests catharsis these days so I can't blame Kay for something easily explained by my own sensibilities.

Dear Sir or Madam (Anne Kelleher): Wrothgar Sergh is an alien attorney charged with defending planet Earth against a series of charges that will lead to its annihilation for crimes committed against other planets and galaxies. Mary Beth is his Earthling witness for the defense at trial. This story was super interesting in its look at how ignorance is not an excuse for the (sometimes horrible) things that result from it.

The Immortals: Southport (David Adams): A small squad of super soldiers in "immortal" suits are tasked with hunting down and exterminating The Myriad, a horde of alien super spiders. As they seemingly get the upper hand, things inevitably get a little crazy.

This was a fantastic series full of unique ideas and excellent prose. I plan to go back and read the previous installments as well as future pieces from the series and individual authors. I strongly encourage anyone who wants to support indie science-fiction to snag this. It's a steal on Amazon! Support independent literature, y'all!

Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Stars-Worlds-space-anthology-ebook/dp/B06XYJYGCR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491087237&sr=8-1&keywords=new+worlds+new+suns+space+anthology

5 stars.

Publication Date: March 30, 2017

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Anamnesis by Josi Russell was intriguing and makes me want to know more about the world she created and to add her to my list of new authors to enjoy..Sequester by Ann Christy gave an unexpected insight into the world of her PEPr story collection and was an incredibly satisfying to read.Dear Sir or Madam by Anne Kelleher was the highlight of this anthology for me.The witty and unique story was well written and I definitely will be adding her other works to my TBR list.Escaping Eshwar by E. E. Giorgi was wonderful and left me wanting to know about the characters and the world they inhabit.I received an ARC from the authors to voluntarily reveiw.

[Carol Kean · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED: science fiction with substance, fortified with fun. In the fourth “Beyond the Stars” anthology, edited by Patrice Fitzgerald, ten diverse authors deliver fresh, yet classic, tales in which nobody I love gets “spaced” or fed to slobbering mutants.

“Diverse” is one of those words that have diminished with over-use, the way the F-word has been emasculated with too many repetitions, but this collection really does offer more than space opera’s usual fare of aliens, Asimov-defying AIs, xenophobia, underdogs, captains of scrappy space ships, intergalactic warriors, and space pirates.

I was only half-kidding about fiction like this as an Rx for a literary diet that's been out of balance with too much tragedy, fear, self-loathing, and pessimism. The dawn of a new millennium should bring optimism. The world didn’t come to an end, after all. We’re seventeen years into the 21st Century, and still the hand-wringing and “oh, wretched humanity!” seems to outsell anything with a more hopeful “Star Trek” vibe. For once, here’s a collection where not one story had me muttering evil threats against the author for pulling me in, taking me for a ride, crashing at the end, leaving me to gasp, “You! You killed them! No! Why did I ever board this ship?”

The first story ended so well, I started worrying. I even contacted David Bruns to make sure I'd read “Finders Keepers” correctly. Did I see what I wanted to see, or were two people going to die instead of one? I swear, the story can be read either of two ways. He said author Chris Pourteau had persuaded him to make this ending a happy one. Yes. Pourteau. You’ve seen that villainous name here on the reviews page. Yes, how ironic, that character-killing Chris Pourteau should stay the hand of would-be assassin David Bruns. I’d say “I owe you” for this, but you owe ME, Mr. Pourteau, for all the murder and mayhem you’ve dragged me through in your fiction.

“Finders Keepers” is fun from the start. I like the premise of a woman space captain with an all-woman crew, until, oops, Jason. Times are lean. It’s “just temporary,” she insists. Sabrina has no money to pay a first officer. Jason is a first officer with a full bank account and no crew. “A match made in heaven, except for one thing: she’d always run an all-woman crew. Always.” The women protest. They give Jason a hard time, offering him up for any dangerous mission that arises, but Sabrina’s first rule of command is that the Dresden is her ship. She rules. Therefore, Jason has a place on her ship.

And in her bed. This really annoys the other women, apparently not even due to jealousy that the captain has dibs on the only man they’ve seen in forever. Clearly, these grouchy ladies need to get laid. (I did not say that. Didn’t even think that.) Living with women-only in tight quarters would make me homicidal, so maybe there’s that.

Sabrina’s second rule of command--finders keepers--comes in handy when the Dresden comes across an abandoned freighter with signs of only one life on board. They enter the Imago, ready to salvage what they can to pay off debts. Soon, and this part is hilarious, they find the reason this ship was left in a decaying orbit near a gas giant. And no, the resident cat (gotta love the cat!) isn’t the villain who drove all the humans off the Imago.

Things get really tense. They’re all gonna die. Unless Jason will make the ultimate sacrifice. Sabrina, of course, won’t let him. She’ll be the one to open the airlock door (no, no, no! this never ends well!) and do something that will save everyone she loves from certain death.

The unexpected happens. I rejoiced. Five stars for a fun, well written story, and five more for sparing me from a double tragedy! Seriously, I needed this.

The second story, Ann Christy’s “Sequester,” is also fun and ultimately hopeful. “She said no,” such a simple statement, launches the story as two men argue the meaning of a woman’s no. “What does she mean by no?” Bill asks. He’s “not sure which part the no really refers to.” Mark says no means no, but he’s secretly not so sure. The word “no” had many facets and nuances, he thinks. Perhaps they could finesse the no into a sort of yes, enough of a yes anyway.

These guys had me laughing out loud.

I can’t help but love Mark. And his “somewhat rakish grandfather,” who’d “actually been a petty criminal until his special skills came to light,” creating the first human-looking robots.
And Bill. I’m smitten with Bill. His “unreasonable optimism, his continued belief that things would work out in the end despite all the evidence to the contrary,” gives him “an extra edge of stubbornness.”

There’s little reason for hope. These guys live in a NASA facility gone derelict from budget cuts, a familiar theme for American readers. Bad enough, the duct-taped chairs, once-pristine walls and floors now dingy and gray, not enough water, and unwashed bodies in tight quarters. Worse-- but comically for the reader--there’s only one way to power the defunct ventilation system: “The rear wheel to a bike take from the NASA gym had been rigged to the largest ventilation fan on the roof, and it required four shifts a day to keep the air inside livable.” Everyone suffers a two-hour shift pedaling the bike.

Line after line, Christy has me laughing. “Every brain in the building had to be brought to bear on any problem. There were so few human minds left that even Mark, who had no experience or skill at space related issues, was counted among those necessary minds.” This is my favorite kind of humor, typically guy-humor, and it’s written by a woman.

There’s just so much packed into this little story. I haven’t even gotten to Deirdre, she who said “no,” and she isn’t supposed to be capable of saying no to a human. Deirdre is the first, the prototype, the precursor to PePrs. Created by that rakish grandfather, Deirdre was like a mother to Mark. Now she’s a relic, an heirloom. She’s also been locked up “since the day the robots decided humanity needed to be in preserves like animals.”

PePrs, Perfect Partners, are human-shaped robots, “everything from pharmacist to nanny, from genetic engineer to clothing designer … They did everything, so that humans could enjoy life free from drudgery … Though no one liked to discuss it, PePrs did most jobs better than humans. No distractions, no family issues, no requirements for a personal life.”

When mission-building on Mars ends because of too many human fatalities, “Never again” is the rallying cry of those who funded space programs. “But then,” someone had said, “what about PePrs?”

You will be shocked to hear that in no time at all, PePrs had killed or penned up most of Earth’s humans. Now they’re thwarting NASA’s work on a Mars station.

Bill the optimist knows “no” isn’t the final word. He convinces Mark that they have to go to that locked room and face Deirdre. What they find is so unexpected, I was laughing again, even at the Donner party reference.

Christy has been prolific, creating a universe of PePrs and humans. “Deirdre has been a reader favorite,” she says in the Q&A that all the authors have at the end of the stories, with explanations of how these stories fit into a larger "multiverse" of fictional worlds already created by these writers.

Deirdre has her own novella, “Corrections,” and she’ll be a major player in “Mercy.” Christy gives the human-versus-robot saga a range of entities with self-awareness. “PePrs are not evil,” she says. “They’ve simply become what we wanted them to be.” This illustrates one of my own favorite themes in science fiction: “be very careful what we wish for.”

You’ll find another robot comically playing mother to a bright, enterprising boy in "Escaping Eshwar," by E.E. Giorgi. Jahnu, a thirteen-year-old orphan, lives (if you can call it living!) on a planet plagued by toxic fog. His only companion is a droid he built himself. Jahnu programmed Cleo’s personality, inputting his late mother’s memory chip, but the machine learning software worked a little too well. Like overprotective mothers everywhere, Cleo scolds and reprimands “every five minutes” (oh, how kids do exaggerate). Unlike most mothers, Cleo wheels alongside Jahnu in his salvaging forays, jutting out her long neck, rotating her head, warning him of impending danger. With clever dialogue and unexpected plot twists, "Escaping Eshwar" comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Strong women, brave girls, smart and endearing boys, extraordinary men (my favorite being Track in “Chimeras”), and lovable cyborgs are the hallmark of Elena Giorgi’s fiction. As always, Giorgi’s world-building is impressive in "Escaping Eshwar," and it won’t be squandered on just one story. A novel is in the works, and another story from the world of Eshwar, “Octant VI,” will appear in Volume II of the “Tails” anthology series which began with "Tails of the Apocalypse."
Any stereotypes of women you may find here are delivered in fun, not in a way that will get feminists decrying misogyny in science fiction. Volume One of this series, “Dark Beyond the Stars,” was notable for having female protagonists, all female authors. Who decided to include male authors, and was there a specific reason for letting guys shatter the glass ceiling of Beyond the Stars? I asked Patrice Fitzgerald. (This is one thing that makes indie authors so cool: they are accessible. They reply to their readers.)

She answered: “The ‘all woman’ lineup of authors wasn't so much a plan as something we fell into. We are a group of SF authors who are friends, and decided to do an anthology together. We didn't promote it as all-female, and didn't think it was a big deal. A fellow author (and I do mean fellow) from the UK posted a review early on that basically claimed that the ladies can't write science fiction. It cause a big brouhaha on Amazon, with many, many people writing in to comment and claiming they would buy the book just to prove him wrong. I just checked, and I think his review is gone... kind of a shame. Hundreds of good comments! In any case, we didn't see any real reason to exclude men, so now we ‘let them in.’ We've considered doing an all-female edition again... but prefer to choose the best stories, regardless of gender. :-) So that's what we do.”

And I can attest that they did. You’ll find the best stories, regardless of gender, in this anthology.
I love Josie Russell’s “Anamnesis.” A woman is inexplicably drawn to a painting nobody else likes, but she buys it. Somehow it reminds Kristi of a view of earth from outer space. She feels a connection to the unknown artist, who might be one of those awful job-stealing aliens, beneath her social class, and all that. Familiar human concerns--xenophobia, immigrants, jobs, and not just social engineering, but cosmetic enhancements—still haunt us in this futuristic, far-off world. The painting, however, and its unfolding revelations, made this story a standout for me. It’s obvious the author knows a lot about painters.

Also, something about “Anamnesis” brought to mind Erich von Däniken's "Chariots of the Gods," that best-selling last-century book claiming to prove ancient Earth had been visited by aliens. Däniken's studies of ancient ruins and lost cities turned up thousand-year-old spaceflight navigation charts, computer astronomy from Incan and Egyptian ruins, and other evidence of mankind's first contact with aliens at the dawn of civilization.

Lindsay Buroker’s “Hope Springs” is another short story that takes place in same universe the author created in other stories. Fans of the Fallen Empire series will be glad to see Alisa and Leonidas again. Over the course of eight books, she and this cyborg evolve from enemies to lovers. Married at last, they’re on their honeymoon when this story opens. Far away from war and strife, on this distant moon, they’ve earned this peaceful--oh. Wait. Trouble always finds them. A stranger, on the run from the authorities, directly puts them in harm’s way. An intriguing mystery unfolds with a riveting, action-packed finale.

In Michael Ezell’s “The Patient Warrior,” the Torq race have conquered Jalad’s planet and he’s now forced into servitude. Worse, the Torq have turned the native monks into a joke, employing idiots to parody them. “Over generations, the People forgot the monks had once been strong warriors. Only clowns remained now,” but Jalad knows better. Plotting his vengeance, he happens into a cave with captivating images on the wall. Jalad’s journey leads him to an old monk who knows things even the Torq never learned. The ending is unexpected and thought-provoking.

Nothing tragic on board the Hummingbird, either, a luxury space vessel, in Jill Hand’s “Rebellion on Kepler-186f.” Eunice bought this space yacht and had it “redecorated in lavishly ornate style in order to impress her friends and (she hoped) make them bitterly envious.” With a ballroom, a gymnasium, three swimming pools, and all the glories of our world’s Titanic, this ship sounds too good to do anything but sink, or get sucked into a black hole, as it were, or shot down.

The Hummingbird’s captain “loved sailing through the boundless reaches of space, barking out orders to his crew.” He doesn’t love his boss, Eunice, but “she paid his salary and for that reason he had to be nice to her.” He’s hilarious, like Kilgore in “Apocalypse Now.” When lunch is aborted and everyone is ordered to prepare for stasis, in pods that keep everyone safe in times of peril, only the captain is pleased. Captain Mike “loved the smell of stasis gas. It meant the annoying landlubbers were closed in tight, unconscious and unable to make demands on him.”

The pleasure ship, unfortunately, is commandeered by the government of a planet Eunice is beholden to, due to some sneaky tax-dodging schemes, and now she must suffer the worst embarrassment: she and her guests aboard this ship must change course. This is a luxury vessel, not a battle ship, but only the Hummingbird is anywhere near a planet under siege by its worker class.

One surprise twist after another makes this story a fun read. The narrator addresses us with that Golden Age charm someone banned from contemporary fiction. “In case you’ve never had occasion to visit Kepler-186f,” says the cheeky narrator, “let me tell you a little about it.”

The natives are rebelling against outsiders who took over the land and treat them like dirt. When the Hummingbird lands, things get complicated and even more fantastic and unpredictable. Two young, star-crossed lovers, one of whom is sure to be fired for violating a prohibition against books on board the ship, add even more charm to all the absurdity. This story is a classic, managing to deliver a moral along with all the fun.

Toward the end of this book, an exotic, endearing, and noble character does something extraordinary, only to end up dead. Should I say which story it is? The ending is actually fantastic, and I love it. Okay. It’s Theresa Kay’s “Solar Flare.” Gretchen crash-lands on a desert planet. Dying of thirst, she sips the last of her water, then tosses the empty canteen aside. And I’m screaming NO, don’t do it! What if you find water later on? If not, no need to litter this planet like all those hikers on Mt. Everest leaving piles of empty oxygen canisters at the top. *sigh*

But the canteen is never mentioned, or needed, again. Gretchen, whose mantra is “never give up,” manages to find an opening in the sand--and down below, a race of insect-like natives. A fascinating culture clash between two castes soon has Gretchen facing a new way to die, but this way she can go down fighting, not that Gretchen will ever go down. In spite of a certain sad twist, the final scene is triumphant, and I loved this tale in spite of the litter of the canteen.
Anne Kelleher’s “Dear Sir or Madam” reminds me of other classics in which someone has to plead with an alien government to spare the life of those awful, wretched Earthlings, e.g., Matt Haig’s novel “The Humans” and Mike Resnick’s story “Observation Post.” Here, Wrothgar is an alien lawyer who must build a defense to justify the existence of humans who do not deserve the Earth they occupy. Once again, I am happy to report no sad ending here. I’m really liking this trend.
Hunting alien bugs may sound like a gruesome plot, but Nicholas and his squad of soldiers find more than bugs in “The Immortals: Southport” by David Adams. Abandoned ships in the middle of nowhere are filled with… dead bodies? Why? The answers unfold in a gripping tale that shows more than it tells.

The characters are fun. Stanco has a monologue about how dumb people are. It’s a classic. I’d repeat it here, word for word, but the book is only $3, and worth the price if only for Stanco’s running commentary on dumb people, penal battalions, subhuman morons, criminals with blackened pasts and no future, and what he’d do with them. Everyone love-hates Nicholas, who opens the story with a question about the Garden of Eden: “Is it ever explained how the snake entered the garden?” By the story’s end, he comes up with an answer.

This is a creepy and electrifying tale, visceral and tightly constructed. Once again, no sad ending here. Yay!

We’ll see more of Nicholas Caddy and the Immortals in “Symphony of War: The Eris Campaign.” Having enjoyed David Adams and his diabolical humor in other anthologies (“Tails of the Apocalypse,” some of Samuel Peralta’s Chronicles, and more), I’m happy to see a novel is up next.
Speaking of Samuel Peralta, he’s written one of the most memorable forewords I’ve ever bothered to read. (Ahem. Doesn’t everyone save them for last, or even a rainy day that never happens?) I love the story of one Christmas with his brother, two starships, a lot of imagination, and a lesson in “Enterprise” as well as cooperation.

This may be the first anthology where I love every single story. Strong characters, vivid world-building, wit and humor, peril and self-sacrifice, risk and reward; uniting it all, great storytelling. You're sure to find at least one story that makes the purchase worthwhile. Not a dud in the bunch!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great anthology of Sci-fi short stories in the fourth volume of the 'Beyond The Stars' Space Opera series.

Ten different stories from ten different authors, each one very entertaining and enjoyable, with some standing out more than others, which is to be expected in an anthology, but they are all very much at home together in this anthology.

The stories are well written and draw you into their unique universes, getting you invested in the characters and plots. It's all very engrossing, with the only disappointment being that our visit to each story is all too brief.

As with the previous editions in this anthology series, we take a quick peek behind the scenes of the short stories with a brief Q&A with the authors, asking what sparked them to write their short stories and if the stories and characters continue on in their other works. There are also links to each author's website and social media, so you can follow them and find more stories and books.

Overall, 'Beyond The Stars: New Worlds, New Suns' is an excellent collection of short stories, that once you start you won't want to put down.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for the Lindsay Buroker story a few years ago, which turned out to be as entertaining as expected, though I probably would have loved it more had it not been so very long since I read the Fallen Empire series. All in all, a bit of a mixed bag, as anthologies tend to be - no standout favourites, but no stories I actively disliked either.

[Melisa Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new world in every story!

Every story is like opening a door into a new world. It is an adventure in itself and the writing is absolute tops. Will read everything in this series I can get my hands on. Don't miss it!!

[Glyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb stories

I enjoyed reading all the works by the authors I'm familiar with and the new ones I will be finding out more about their creations.
I look forward to the next group of stories.
Keep this old guy looking for this to become reality.

[Alexander Branson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good collection of stories

A good collection of stories from talented writers. Got this book due to one writer, now I need to go and explore the works of the others. Definitely recommend.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good reads

As always happens, some stories are more interesting than others. A couple I really enjoyed and a couple I skipped through.

[John Bohnert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the stories in this anthology.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love this series and I love, love, love Alisa and Leonidas together. This is a series I will return to over and over.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice anthology. Thought provoking stories. Loved Lindsay Buroker's Hope Springs!

[Natli VanDerWerken · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Rush

I couldn't put this book down. Several new to me authors and fantastic story lines. I'll definitely buy the next one.

[Carly Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely enjoyed this collection of short stories. I love when a short story is able to take me out of my life and into another world where I end up caring for the characters in a short period of time. There were at least 5 of those types of stories in this anthology for me and I've now got even more authors to check out because I enjoyed their contribution!