Fire - An Anthology

by Zoe Black, Louise Foerster, Stephen Leatherdale

Fire! It warms our bones and purifies but can also destroy - especially in the wrong hands. This anthology unites twelve writers from around the world in the first book of their Elements series. Meet the troubled girl who claims she can predict fires, a young witch travelling by SparkFlyte, and a Greek god’s muse. See what happens when man harnesses fire and when global warming soars out of control. Flee from a dragon, discover why it’s dangerous to be human during the Flame Games, and experience the healing touch of Kali. Watch the havoc wreaked by a man of unwavering faith, take heart from a young woman changed by her philosopher, and explore the myriad dangers of getting what you wish for. Through its stories of magic, death, destruction and rebirth, this Fire anthology showcases imagination at its best. You will be enthralled from the first page to the last.

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[Fiona Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this anthology too uneven for me - in tone and in quality, though there was a good variety to the stories.

Flaming Cassandra, or I Hate Being Right, by Louise Foerster stood out for me, and had a wickedly good ending.

Letter of the Law, by Pat Aitcheson, was phenomenal. My absolute favourite of the collection, and genuinely worth reading the whole thing just for this story - I'll be looking for more from this author.

Read with Spells, Space and Screams for June; thank you for the company, team!

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Letter of the Law by Pat Aitcheson ★★★★½
Whoops! Hahaha 😈, best typo ever.

The Global Warming Myth by Paula Frew ★★★★½
“In reality, the Earth’s orbit had been steadily drifting nearer the sun.”
Shiiiit. That was excellent. Short and brutal. It was a prosaic version of The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever by Daniel H. Wilson.

Flaming Cassandra, or I Hate Being Right by Louise Foerster ★★★★☆
I love it when a story flips on the last sentence! A girl who is blessed to see fires and cursed to have no one believe her - or not :)

Playing with Fire by Tess Wheeler ★★★★☆
“God sighed. He suppose he really had allowed things to get out of control.”
God, or the General Overseeing Developer, accidentally let those creature with opposable thumbs have access to fire. They have been nothing but trouble since and now their days are numbered.

The Trouble with Moonberries by Danielle Nolan ★★★½☆
A cute children’s story of an elf child that helps a baby dragon and saves his tree dwelling community.

Eve and the Fire by Stephen Leatherdale ★★★½☆
I’m not sure about this one. Was it a dream or a magical version of The Secret?

Misfire by Elizabeth McCleary ★★★½☆
A cheerful story of a young witch who accidentally pulls off an advanced spell.

The Flame Games by K. Kris Loomis ★★★☆☆
Another children’s story about an adolescent female dragon who empathizes with her humans need for education and freedom.

Entertainment of the Gods by Eleanor Hartley ★★★☆☆
A handsome wrestler is taken in by the God Hephaestus. Doriskos models and cleans up after his god. This read like a short story intro to a series on Doriskos.

An (Un)expected Illness by Zoë Black ★★★☆☆
A new take on the Persephone myth. It was just ok.

Kali Dancing by Zarina Braybrooke ★★☆☆☆
Travel is an excellent test of a relationship’s potential endurance - Jack and “Kali” are a poor match. The magical part of the story makes little sense, if she is part goddess then so is my doorknob. Or maybe she is the doorknob? Whatever.

Bringing God to School by Seth Moriarty DNF
This was a dislikable story that I couldn’t get into much less finish.

I finished 11/12 stories averaging 3.5 stars that I will round up to four stars because indie gems should shine. That and how often do you find children’s stories mixed in with apocalyptic stories?

[John Dilworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read collaborative anthologies and was admittedly sceptical about how much I would like a series of stories by different authors under the rather broad theme of "Fire", but I'm happy to say that there was a lot of enjoyable material here. "The Global Warning Myth" and "Playing with Fire" both have politically charged, interesting concepts that contrast sharply with stories such as "Bringing God to School", which has a strong and thoroughly readable narrative voice. "Letter of the Law" may be my favourite interpretation of the "Fire" theme, but overall the standout story to me is "An (Un)expected Illness". What begins as a very relatable and human tale transforms somewhat unexpectedly (but fluidly) into something else entirely. Overall I had a lot of fun with this anthology, and for its generously low price on Amazon I would recommend that anyone give it a chance.

[C E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire enraptures, fascinates and terrifies. Fire is an anthology that does all of these and more. Set flame to your imagination.
Fantasy fiction short bites at their best.
Suitable for all ages. A fantastic addition to genre.

[Gina Rae Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite impressed by this anthology. The stories all have a fire theme yet are each unique & entertaining. You might be the type of reader to devour the entire book in one setting but it works well to simply read a quick story or two when you have time. I recommend Fire: An Anthology to lovers of flash fiction, short stories, fiction, fantasy, and more. Congratulations to the authors on a job well done.

[Louise Foerster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi, I'm one of the authors. I'm honored, amazed, privileged to be a member of this international group of diverse, accomplished writers. Together, we selected a theme, drafted and revised, and launched our mystical, fun stories for others to enjoy. I'm giving this book five stars with fireworks and jubilation for perseverance, originality, and enthralling stories!

[Michelle Cornish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique collection of stories with various themes all revolving around fire. I enjoyed each author's incorporation and interpretation of the fire element. Favourites include 'The Flame Games', 'The Global Warming Myth', and 'Kali Dancing'. Looking forward to the next installment.