Grumpy Old Gods: Volume 1

by Vanessa Wells, Katharina Gerlach, Elizabeth Shaffer

What happens when gods wane, retire, or just decide they need a change of employment?

13 writers took up the challenge and let their imaginations run wild in this anthology that is nearly-always amusing, somewhat insightful, and completely irreverent as we imagine the gods of yore in retirement:

Pan by Vanessa Wells: Gwen Henson is a witch trainee with a nose for trouble; when she gets into something deeper than her mentor can help her with, they are forced to contact a cantankerous former god for help…help that he is willing to give, for a price.


A Low Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer: Family Game night is always a risky situation when a former god of mischief is involved; add in a son bringing a new mortal girlfriend to meet the godly household and the stakes get a bit more interesting than anyone intended.


For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop: When the God in charge of afterlife management goes AWOL, two intrepid (if somewhat dead) souls and a talking cat set off to find him. What they find isn’t exactly what they anticipated.


Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaighty: Loki, God of Mischief has a history of going too far: when one of his pranks goes wrong, he and the rest of Gods are out of luck…literally.


Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle: When the Primal Terror goes AWOL, Demeter is forced to chase him down in order to keep humanity from destroying themselves; unfortunately, he has a new hobby, and it’s for mature audiences only.


Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu: When Cara accidentally invokes Coyote after a terrible date, the young woman has to channel her inner trickster so that the bored deity doesn’t wreck her life.


God of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary: When Morrow, god of morning is informed he is in danger of losing his position to Chaos god of well...chaos, he has to pull himself out of his recent funk and find joy in the morning once more.


Zeus Really Needs To Go by Shawn Klimek: Lactose intolerance and a distinct lack of a statute of limitations combine to give the former King of Olympus one very bad day.

Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren: Odin finds that escaping his throne to make mischief at a rest home might be exactly what the doctor ordered.


The New Chief Medical Officer by Tom Vetter: Controlled chaos reigns in the Elysian Fields Retirement facility. The new chief medical officer arrives to take charge; but when retired gods are involved, nothing is ever as easy as it seems at first glance.


Playing Hooky by Juneta Key: Death’s FA can’t catch a break; the head reaper himself has gone AWOL and someone placed an ad in the Paranormal Chronicles implying that the position was open! Now Alister has a waiting room full of deities who are demanding to interview for the position, a position he’s fairly certain can’t be filled by anyone except Death himself!


Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach: A mortal with a distasteful job finds that he can be more than he ever dreamed, if he simply has the courage to reach out and take what he wants.


Whither Athena by Marshall J. Moore: In which Althea Stagg has a client she can’t refuse and a missing Goddess who has no intention of returning: caught between two primal beings, what’s a demi-goddess detective to do?

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Mythology

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2019

Reviews

[Juneta Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an author in the book. My story is Playing Hookie. I loved all the other stories because they were light, intelligent, and fun. I found the majority humorous but all worth the read which is why they made it into the anthology.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grumpy Old Gods (Stormdance Publichations 2019) is an excellent collection of stories written by Indie authors themed to the idea that the gods can be grumpy. All thirteen stories are cleverly original, lightly humorous, and cover the gamut of ways the gods can be grouches as they interact with humans. Some I chuckled over while others, I bit my nails. A few were so gobsmackingly hilarious, I only stopped reading to giggle. Topics deal with human interactions, how the gods play on Earth, the afterlife, a godly game of Risk, and more. Two really caught my attention. "Breaking the Habit" by Ronel Janse von Vuuren is a delightful story of an older god who takes a break from his ethereal responsibilities to cause havoc in an earthly retirement community. The second, "Playing Hooky" by Juneta Key, tells the harrowing tale of how Death's representative at the offices of Mortality, Chaos, and Conflict (aka Reaper Central) must find a replacement when Death decides he needs a break. 

All the stories are quick reads, great for that time between classes or while waiting for the nice Amazon Help folks to take your phone call. Each leaves you wanting the next. Highly recommended for anyone who loves extraordinary tales and has a quirky sense of humor.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This boxset of short stories all feature one or more god or goddess from mythology as a character, with a mix of Greek, Norse and others. I love the variety of ways that the authors have brought those gods into more modern contexts, and would definitely recommend this boxset to anyone who enjoys reading myths but is open to seeing those characters in a new, often funny setting. I hope to read a new boxset soon!
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions
Individual stories:
Pan by Vanessa Wells (5*) 20/8
This story features (unsurprisingly!) the Greek god Pan, and I loved it! With an appearance by harpies too, this is definitely one for fans of Greek mythology.
A Low-Key Game Night by Elizabeth Schaffer (5*) 21/8
This excellent story has a lot of Norse gods in it, all related to the god of mischief Loki. It's a fabulous story, and I really enjoyed it, laughing out loud at many points.
For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop (4*) 21/8
This story is very different and kind of gives a 'what-if' for when the surge in lack of religious belief causes increased workload for the god who judges those people in the afterlife. It's very funny, and also features the Egyptian god Anubis (whose judgement method of weighing the heart against a feather gives the story its title). An interesting, enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaughty (4*) 21/8
This story features the Norse gods and shows what can go wrong when you play pranks... especially when you're Loki, God of Mischief!
Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle (5*) 21/8
This story real made me smile. Starring Demeter (Greek goddess of Harvest), Loki (Norse god of mischief) and Cthulhu (also known as The Primal Terror, created by Lovecraft), this is a fabulous story, and I loved the novel idea of what Cthulhu would be doing in the modern world, and how he would use it to change people's attitudes and save the world!
Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu (5*) 22/8
Featuring the Native God Coyote, this is a very funny story. I loved it, and the ending made me smile.
God of Morning by Elizabeth McClearly (4*) 22/8
This is a lovely story, proving the value and beauty of a fresh, new morning.
Zeus Really Needs to Go by Shawn Klimek (5*) 22/8
A very funny story that includes many gods from several pantheons, with Zeus (Greek) as the main character. I loved the setting of a retirement home for the gods, and imagining them all as grumpy old men and women really made me laugh!
Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren (5*) 22/8
I LOVED this story!!! The mayhem that Odin causes in the retirement village? That's the kind of place I'd love to live - now, never mind in my old age! A fabulous story, though a slightly ominous ending.
The New Chief Medical Examiner by Tom Vetter (5*) 22/8
Hilariously funny, and full of more gods and goddesses than you can shake a stick at! Loved it!!
Playing Hooky by Juneta Key (3*) 22/8 - LOT OF ERRORS!
While this was essentially a good story, the proliferation of errors, grammatical mistakes and general issues meant that this essence was fundamentally tarnished for me as it made it very difficult to read. A good edit of a story prior to publication should take care of the majority of these issues, and it is a pet hate of mine to see good stories so badly let down by something so easily rectified. Please, please use that wonderful invention called the spell check and an editor in future - your stories and readers beg you!
Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach (5*) 23/8
This was a really good story about an inspector who is sent to a retirement home by his boss with the sole purpose of closing it down and selling the property... but finds more than he bargains for! With a wide range of gods and goddesses, it's a brilliant read, and I really enjoyed it.
Whither Athena? by Marshall J Moore (5*) 23/8
An excellent short story and a great finale to the box set. Very thought-provoking yet still thoroughly enjoyable. Loved it!

[J. Dorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to those who enjoy pondering where the Old Gods are now, what they might be doing since the religions that worshipped them have so greatly declined in followers. A large chunk of this book uses myths from the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Norse mythologies.

I really wish there was an included link list to more information about the referenced deities and myths. I knew most, but still, I think it would be useful. Most of the stories have Gods who were formerly worshipped in parts of Europe (some from Africa or Asia) now retired in the United States. (Coyote was the only Native American omnipotent being I spotted.)

I read the whole book because I've read a few of these authors before and looked forward to seeing what they contributed. As a bonus, I found some new-to-me authors to look up and fan-stalk. The title goes very well with the book, as it does describe several of the characters. There are some references to sex, alcohol, and rock-n-roll, but it's a clean-read overall.

Each of the stories was a page-turner, though I read the book over a week's time because it was my "I have 20 minutes" book, so I mostly read one story at a time.

The current genres listed are correct for this book.
Greek & Roman Myth & Legend
Greco-Roman Myth & Legend Fantasy eBooks
Fantasy Anthologies & Short Stories

Disclaimer: I signed up to host a #bookblast and to read an ARC (April 17, 2019, was the last updated one I received). I am a speculative fiction author who is writing a series where the main characters are omnipotent beings.

Pan by Vanessa Wells - I had never heard barbed wire called bob wire before, so I learned something. The story itself I really liked. It pulled me into the book. Excellent opener. It left me wanting more of the Clair character.

A Low-Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer - I like the hidden joke in the title. I found this quite amusing. Pretty sure fans of the traditional lore will enjoy this far more than fans of the MCU.

For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop - A very interesting concept. It didn't end exactly as I thought it might, but I was close to guessing. Good philosophical debate opener, especially for atheists.

Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaughty - This one is full of feels by the end. Love the HEA. Very meaningful.

Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle - You know, this is kind of realistic fiction because it *could* be true. I mean, it'd be hard to prove one way or other, wouldn't it? Authors of romance and erotica will probably get the biggest kick out of reading this gem.

I really loved this part:
“You’re a harvest deity, Demeter. You’re only concerned with procreative sex.” Loki leered. “But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A force like sexuality -- then you add human imagination -”

Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu - This was my favorite story. (I'm a Native American. This story used Coyote as a trickster, who is from the lore from some Native American tribes. That makes me happy.) I like that it was more Urban Fantasy, and that the immortal and mortal had real interactions, and that she was able to help him and others in the end.

I don't know the Scrub Jay mythology. (Or jackrabbit, muskrat, or tule elk.) I've heard of Coyote as a trickster in several mythologies/ religions though. I do wish I knew which tribe's lore was used in this case though.

A part I enjoyed:
She’d never heard of that one and for a moment she was embarrassed that she knew the names of all the current game shows. Yes, she had been a little depressed in the winter and had watched too much television, but her recent resolve to cultivate new interests and find greater fulfillment still held firm.

God of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary - This was a complex story. I enjoyed it. Excellent ending.

There's a part I really loved:
There was a homeless man on a bench, enjoying the first rays of the sun as they warmed his face. His joy at the morning was earthy, but heartfelt. Mere existence spawned depression in some, but here was one who savored every moment. He treated the day like a brother.

And then there's a part that I feel a lot of LGBTQIA+ people would appreciate:
“Don’t call me Dawn. I’m not a goddess, I’m a god.” He sounded sulky. This was an old argument. In truth, the gods and goddesses were neither masculine nor feminine—or maybe they were both—but were assigned characteristics by their believers based on their perceptions. But Morrow—Dawn—had never wanted to be a girl.

I really love the ending. It was full of feels. HEA!

Zeus Really Needs to Go by Shawn Klimek - Love the duel meaning of the title. The part about the "me too" movement caught my attention. The setting is intriguing.

There's a conversation that had me pondering:
“The jury of public opinion, Dad. Media.”
“A fig for the opinion of mortals.”
“Mr. Zeus!”
Mars held up a palm and blocked the chair. “Dad, our power faded when people stopped worshipping us, right? What do you think will happen if they start hating us?”

Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren - Sneaky "Woody Allen" use in there. I loved the idea of them golfing. I could picture it. Well-done. Good plot-twists. I like the theme of the importance and continued value of the old. My third favorite story in the book.

The New Chief Medical Examiner by Tom Vetter - I ended up liking this far more than expected. My second favorite story in the book. I love the inclusion of Elvis. Very entertaining. The setting made me wonder several things, mostly at the end while SF is in the restroom. I'm curious as to the lore of the story, if it's more fantasy/myth where people don't know the place exists, or more like "magical realism" where it's accepted that the world population would know about the place.

Lines that made me laugh:
"When things get particularly bad, we bring in George Patton or Chuck Norris to slap him back into line.”

“Well, he’s certainly high-functioning, and his intellect is intact. Completely crackers, of course. Totally self-deluded and immersed in this (*SPOILER) identity to the point of having lost his original persona."

If any readers are highly offended though, please write and send me your valid postal address. I’ll personally apologize and send you a free gift: Medusa’s head in an unmarked box.

Playing Hooky by Juneta Key - I really liked the bartender, even if that's a minor character. I enjoyed the wider variety of deities. The use of Gameboys made me laugh.

Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach - This one made me hungry. It was inspirational and entertaining. I like how it turned out.

Whither Athena? by Marshall J. Moore - I liked the twist on the old-school detective story. I loved the scene at The Lincoln Memorial. This story made me laugh and left me pensive. Excellent emotional rollercoaster. A perfect story to end the book.

This conversation cracked me up:
“Ah.” He set the phone down on my desk, steepling his fingers. “Again, my apologies. You can call me Mr. Mercury.”
“A Queen fan, I see.”
A smile cracked his tan face, wide and genuine. His teeth were perfectly white. “Who isn’t?”

And then this hit me like a ton of emotional bricks:
“As you said, wisdom now is needed. Your leadership is corrupted by greed, the populace divided by fear and dissent. In a land of strength and prosperity wealth and power are held by the few, and the many suffer for it. Change is coming, but it rests with the people to determine if it be for good or ill.
“So I will step away, to see if this democracy can weather the storm it finds itself in. To see if the people have learned well the lessons of justice and equality, and can use them to right the course of this ship before it wrecks itself upon the reefs.”

That is the most powerful lesson in the book. It should be quoted and spread all over the Internet. Meme viral wildfire! Ask how candidates feel about it when the elections come. Really, that's an excellent quote and made me grateful to have read this book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An overall good read, even if the second half was inexplicably bogged down with typos and punctuation errors when the first half was fine. It's an ARC, there's leeway for correction there. Three and a half stars.

One story, Zeus Really Needs To Go, was a DNF (Did Not Finish) because I couldn't go a page without stumbling over another mistake (random commas mid-sentence, missing speech marks, skipped words, discrete/discreet confusion, etc) and I didn't care enough about the story to plough through. It was the most egregious of the lot.

The rest weren't as bad. Most of the stories were middling-to-good. I have to admit I skimmed a couple because the storylines bored me (Terry Pratchett, for example, did a far better "Death retires" plot; also, there's a reason I was wary embarking on Rule 34).

My top three favourites:
(yes they have an order, but in the interest of fairness, no I'm not telling you what that order is)

Whither Athena? by Marshall J. Moore
- Very USA-centric, but some gorgeous imagery and a much-needed dose of hopeful reality in these dark times.
The New Chief Medical Examiner by Tom Vetter
- I love transcript-style stories done well. This was done very well.
A Low-Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer
- The humour! The horse! The resigned/snarky comments from the boyfriend that I couldn't help hearing in Hiccup-from-HTTYD's voice!

...with special mention to God Of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary because even if the pacing was an outright mess, I love the opening section and the concept.

I am, of course, a morning person.

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally speaking, a book that is a mix of different authors writing short stories about a topic is usually a mixed bag. Some the reader will really enjoy, some will pass along and leave them underwhelmed, and in the worst case, they will be unpleased with the read. It has always been this way for me and I am fairly sure it works that way for other readers as well. That is not to say it will be the same stories that we find rankings on, but I think it has to do with the style you enjoy or not. This book was an exception to that rule. There were no stories that I found that I disliked and none that I just went meh. I enjoyed all the stories in this book, some more than others but all of them were enjoyable. I mean really who can't enjoy the image of Loki playing chess with his family, all of them, the animals and all. Or even more satisfying if not more enjoyable, Zeus facing the consequences of his philandering. This was a really good dive into this type of fantasy.

[DeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book alone was able to interest me. Anything incorporating mythology will typically pique my interest, so when it was pitched to me as a short story collection with gods who are perhaps...past their prime.

I loved the hijinks that were detailed in the stories. Some stories were based on either one god within one mythology, while others had a lovely mix of different cultures and religions. So many of the stories ended up being hilarious as the gods had to cope with their retirement or advanced ages in worlds that perhaps didn't worship them anymore.

I can't think of any particular story that I didn't enjoy, but there were definitely some that were absolute gems and left me laughing and thinking about them for a while afterwards.

[Deborah Boyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Grumpy Old Gods Volume 1 to be a mixture of humor, the right amount of grumpiness for the Gods, the way us humans get grumpy in our older age. It was fun reading, and I did not stop until I had read it to the end. It is a nice mixture of authors and so well put together that it just flows into one another. Very well written and put together, and I am looking forward to more reading from Grumpy Old Gods, we need some humor and twists and surprises in our lives. I would most definitely recommend it, it takes us away from our everyday grind and same old routine, so sit back, relax and enjoy. I most certainly did!

[Blakely · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite fun - dare I even say charming?

13 authors tackle the premise of what Ancient gods are doing today, languishing away largely forgotten by society. The 13 authors write about gods from various societies - Greek, Norse, Native American - and come up with different premises of what the gods are up to. Several stories deal with gods residing in retirement homes, others have gods serving as detectives, writing erotica, playing jokes on each other, even holding family game night. All of the stories are clever and original. They go by quickly and are good to read while commuting or at the gym. I'm looking forward to Volume 2!

[Harrison Vetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The New Chief Medical Examiner” by Tom Vetter is the best of the bunch!

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Pan by Vanessa Wells
Gwen Henson is a witch trainee with a nose for trouble; when she gets into something deeper than she and her mentor can deal with, they are forced to contact a cantankerous former god for assistance, only to find that his help comes at a price...but doesn't everything?
2. A Low Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer
Family Game night is always a risky situation when a former god of mischief is involved; add in a son bringing a new mortal girlfriend to meet the godly household and the stakes get a bit more interesting than anyone intended.
3. For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop
When the God in charge of afterlife management goes AWOL, two intrepid (if somewhat dead) souls and a talking cat set off to find him. What they find isn’t exactly what they anticipated.
4. Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaighty
Loki, God of Mischief has a history of going too far: when one of his pranks goes wrong, he and the rest of the Gods are out of luck…literally.
When Loki put what was suppose to be a temporary curse on his daughter Sygana, goddess of good luck and truth it has devastating consequences. It will take the actions of Tivlor, god of bad luck, to inadvertently bring about the answers needed. I love the tales of the Gods through mythology and of course, who doesn't know who Loki is? So when Vanessa Finaighty puts human emotions and personalities to these gods it brought them to life. I'm old enough to remember Aesop's Fables and this is what it put me in the mind of. I just loved it.

5. Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle
When the Primal Terror goes AWOL, Demeter is forced to chase him down in order to keep humanity from destroying themselves; unfortunately, he has a new hobby, and it’s for mature audiences only.
6. Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu
When Cara accidentally invokes Coyote after a terrible date, the young woman has to channel her inner trickster so that the bored deity doesn’t wreck her life.
7. God of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary
When Morrow, god of morning is informed he is in danger of losing his position to Chaos god of well...chaos, he has to pull himself out of his recent funk and find joy in the morning once more.
8. Zeus Really Needs To Go by Shawn Klimek
Lactose intolerance and a distinct lack of a statute of limitations combine to give the former King of Olympus one very bad day.
9. Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren
Odin finds that escaping his throne to make mischief at a rest home might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
10. The New Chief Medical Officer by Tom Vetter
Controlled chaos reigns in the Elysian Fields Retirement facility. The new chief medical officer arrives to take charge; but when retired gods are involved, nothing is ever as easy as it seems at first glance.
11. Playing Hooky by Juneta Key
Death's FA is having a heck of day.
What happens when Death places an ad in the employment section of the paper stating he's retiring? Complete chaos, that's what. How do you replace Death when that's what he was born to do? Azrael had created impending anarchy and left Alister with the mess. What was he suppose to do when Death was not around for a consultation?
The storyline is entertaining. Juneta Key has taken the characteristics of the gods, as we know them, and expanded them to fit into a scenerio that is perhaps so far fetched it made me wonder, what if? A great read that kept me entertained.

12. Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach
A mortal with a distasteful job finds that he can be more than he ever dreamed, if he simply has the courage to reach out and take what he wants.
13. Whither Athena by Marshall J. Moore
In which Althea Stagg has a client she can’t refuse and a missing Goddess who has no intention of returning: caught between two primal beings, what’s a demi-goddess detective to do?

Each of these authors in Grumpy Old Gods Volume 1 are new to me, but I have to say, after reading "Out of Luck" by Vanessa Finaighty and "Playing Hooky" by Juneta Key I'm intrigued. These stories were quick, easy reads with all the personality quirks I've grown up knowing about the gods and yet they've been given human characteristics as well. These really were fun reads to me but then I love the old mythology.

[Chrys Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this anthology, and I am SUPER late with reviewing it. For that, I can only apologize profusely. (Sorry!!!) I was really looking forward to reading these stories, because I love anything to do with gods and goddess. Honestly, some were hit or miss for me personally, partly due to a few having retirement home story lines, but also for what I'm going to bring up at the end of my review...

My Top 4 Favorites:
- Out of Luck
- A Low-Key Game
- The New Medical Executive
- Whither Athena?

Pan - This story seemed to follow a story and characters already established, so it was hard to connect to it. I really liked the part when the ghosts come into it and wish that could've been longer. Good writing.

A Low-Key Game Night - A game night to remember. The story, the characters, and the narrative and perspective of Jennifer made me laugh. I want to read more about Jennifer, Loki, and Narfi's family. Kept my attention. Great writing.

For Want of a Feather - Confusing beginning (and confusing writing). I liked that Anubis was a character, though.

Out of Luck - I enjoyed reading about so many gods, and I loved learning about Sygana, the goddess of good luck. The part about the farting made me laugh. Literally out loud. I'd say this is the funniest story out of the bunch.

Rule 34 - I was happy to find a story featuring Demeter. I wasn't prepared for the conversation about human sexuality, though. However, it was an interesting story, with interesting characters.

Immanent Domain - A story about a trickster called Coyote, who brings a dating game show to life for a woman who is too smart for him. Unique concept that stood out with funny moments.

God of the Morning - A story featuring the god of morning and the goddess of night and twilight. Not much stood out for me, but I loved the goddesses and family dynamic.

Zeus Really Needs To Go - Zeus as an old, grumpy god in a wheelchair is hilarious, but the stuff about the #MeToo movement made me cringe. With that said, I liked the "time's up" line at the very end. *claps*

Breaking the Habit - Odin needs a break and causes mayhem with folks at a retirement home. I could picture the things they did clearly, which made me smile.

The New Chief Medical Executive - Written as a memorandum for record, making it a neat format for storytelling. The rundown of all the gods and goddesses at the facility is quite humorous. I enjoyed it. The part about Elvis gave me a kick. The twist at the end was genius, too.

Play Hooky - Death has retired and his first assistant is stuck with all the applications for the job. I liked reading about what the job seekers did while waiting to be interviewed.

Harbinger of Doom - A surprising retirement home that shouldn't even exist. I liked the emotion that was brought into the story with the characters.

Whither Athena? - Someone is looking for a missing person...a god...Athena. She's gone and the world is falling to chaos. I was happy to read a story featuring Athena. This story is perfect for these times we are living in now.


I debated whether or not to add this. Usually I don't mention this because, as an author and editor, I know an error here and there (especially in a novel) is normal and can't be helped, but...for such short stories, they all (some more than others) had quite a bit of errors (missing words and quotation marks and punctuation marks, etc). I tried to not let it get to me, but after a while, it unfortunately did. :(

NOTE: Some or all of these errors may have been fixed, since my copy was from a year ago, but I can't be certain.

Nevertheless! The stories that I enjoyed I'd give 4 stars, and my Top 4 Favorites I'd give 5 stars.

I rated them all for myself and found the average of them combined - 3.8 stars (rounded up)

[Heather - Just Geeking By · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided with a free copy of the anthology to provide an honest review. Please see the full review on my blog for individual reviews for each story: https://geeking-by.net/grumpy-old-god...

An enjoyable anthology is not just about the sum of its parts (the stories); it’s also about whether it successfully embodies the theme in a cohesive manner. That task falls to the editor of the anthology and is just as important as just having content to fill the anthology. A selection of stories that complement each other, that take the reader on a ride of emotions and adventures works much better than a jumble of words no one wants to read. Grumpy Old Gods: Volume 1 is mostly successful in creating a compendium of tales about gods that fit with the anthology’s synopsis. As you can probably tell from my review there is one glaringly obvious example that I feel did not fit at all, and there are a few others that I feel were great stories yet didn’t quite fit with the topic.

What I did absolutely love was the massive amount of variety when it came to pantheons and deities! I expected to find Greek and Roman gods everywhere. When I did come across the top three pantheons (Greek, Roman, Norse) there were many examples of minor deities explored. What some of the writers did let themselves down on though was their lack of research. It is particularly frustrating to come across people writing about mythological characters and then getting their Greek and Roman names mixed up. While the gods of those two pantheons may share a lot of similarities they are separate deities with entirely different personalities and traits. It’s like saying a tiger and a house cat are the same because they’re both cats.

It was these few problems, and the two stories that I felt were particularly problematic, that brings my rating for the anthology down from a 5/5 to a 4/5. For an initial outing, it’s a great start, and with better editing and story selection it can only get better. There are two other volumes of Grumpy Old Gods now available; Volume 2 which follows the same theme as this one and Volume 3 which is a special spooky themed edition.

[Toi Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is yet another series I'm reading out of order, but an anthology series can really be read in any order. For me, this first installment in the Grumpy Old Gods series was very entertaining, but it didn't blow my mind the way the first one I read (which I think was the 3rd installment).

Near the start of my reading experience, I wondered if this installment had the specific theme of "trickster god" because many of the stories include some form of a trickster god. By the time I got near the end of the collection, I felt there was more variety and edge to the stories and I was hooked once again. If I had read this one first, it definitely would have me interested in reading more of the series.

Honestly, there wasn't one story I wouldn't give an individual rating of at least 4-stars. Still, here are my standout favorites (5-stars) from the collection: Zeus Really Needs to Go by Shawn Klimek, The New Chief Medical Executive by Tom Vetter, and Wither Athena? by Marshall J. Moore.

Highly recommended to fans of humor, short stories, and mythology.

[Heila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories are filled with the humour promised in the title of the book, while some… not so much. Some of the stories are a bit longwinded, while others are snappy and a breeze to read. Personally, I don’t think that you need curse words to make your story work. The blasphemy made me skip paragraphs. And the stories consisting of dialogue alone… Grr! Reminds of school.

I enjoyed reading about the different gods. And the stories I enjoyed: I’m checking out the work of those authors.

My favourite was “Breaking the Habit” by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Though an uneven anthology, it is worth reading if you want to discover new authors that you might enjoy.

*I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion.

[Penny Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several short stories to keep you entertained. Most were good but very, very short. Even though they were short I didn't feel like a whole story was crammed into such few pages. My favorite was "A Low-Key Game Night" by Elizabeth Shaffer. Some were good, some were ok, but well worth reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny and entertaining group of stories that certainly tickled me! I have read book 2 and found that very entertaining as well and I am hoping that the challenge will be thrown up again for more Grumpy old gods.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashley Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildlings welcome. I love new twists on old tales, and Grumpy old Gods does not disappoint. New friends and old come together in clever fun ways with this collection of stories. I laughed, I cried, I danced with Glee to see these dusty old beings brought forth with such a clever and unique light. Recommend this book completely and looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun & thoughtful

Imagine Zeus in a nursing home. The short stories in this book bring laughter and contemplation. What happens when the Gods from different pantheons live in the same elder care facility? This anthology explores the possibilities.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the Grumpy Old Gods series a great set of very short stories. I enjoyed reading this set. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.