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Struggles: Microfantasy in the World of Aöth
A gladiator seeking blood in a burning city.Turf war between urchins in a haunted graveyard.A drunk blademaster facing his match in a tavern.A colossal dragon closing in on a defeated army.One of the mageborn battling the very sea. This is the world of Aö violent, beautiful, woven through with magic. These ten microstories touch upon its epic grandness using the shortest of formats. They offer glimpses of its ancient races, its vast natural landscapes and the struggles––both deep and banal––that confront its people and its nations.
44 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2020
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85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 5, 2023
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
Struggles is an intriguing appetizer. Great Microfantasy to spark reader’s interest in the world Aöth.
Lately, I’ve been impressed by what fantasy authors can do with shorter forms of storytelling. I am no stranger to voicing that short stories and novellas often didn’t click with me. I DNFed a lot of novellas, which sounds crazy considering how short they are already, and I frequently found myself unsatisfied when I finished a short story/novella. Usually, this leads to a lack of interest in the continuation of the series of novellas. But in Struggles by Santiago Lozano, it’s the opposite.
This collection of short stories—ten of them—was each only about 3, 4, or 5 pages long, and it incredibly felt like the authors have packed plenty of things that would make fantasy readers crave for more. In these ten stories, a variety of characters, magic, creatures, landscapes, and battles were displayed. The author also included a few beautiful interior artworks that he did himself in the paperback edition. Struggles shows great potential for the world of Aoth. I truly hope the author is writing a full novel right now. If Lozano’s intention for Struggles was to get the reader’s attention, I think he has succeeded.
You can order the book from: Amazon US
You can find the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
3.5/5 stars
Struggles is an intriguing appetizer. Great Microfantasy to spark reader’s interest in the world Aöth.
Lately, I’ve been impressed by what fantasy authors can do with shorter forms of storytelling. I am no stranger to voicing that short stories and novellas often didn’t click with me. I DNFed a lot of novellas, which sounds crazy considering how short they are already, and I frequently found myself unsatisfied when I finished a short story/novella. Usually, this leads to a lack of interest in the continuation of the series of novellas. But in Struggles by Santiago Lozano, it’s the opposite.
This collection of short stories—ten of them—was each only about 3, 4, or 5 pages long, and it incredibly felt like the authors have packed plenty of things that would make fantasy readers crave for more. In these ten stories, a variety of characters, magic, creatures, landscapes, and battles were displayed. The author also included a few beautiful interior artworks that he did himself in the paperback edition. Struggles shows great potential for the world of Aoth. I truly hope the author is writing a full novel right now. If Lozano’s intention for Struggles was to get the reader’s attention, I think he has succeeded.
You can order the book from: Amazon US
You can find the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
November 23, 2022
It didn't take long to finish this very short collection of short stories. It is only 43-44 pages in length, but there's a surprising amount of content packed in here and they are quite large pages, some with pictures as well as text.
This is more for those of you who are fans of dark/grimdark fantasy; which is why it gets 4-stars from me instead of 5.
The author is self-published, multi-talented and well-travelled. Check out his digital artwork by typing Santiago Lozano into Google and looking at his Artstation images.
Thanks for reading.
This is more for those of you who are fans of dark/grimdark fantasy; which is why it gets 4-stars from me instead of 5.
The author is self-published, multi-talented and well-travelled. Check out his digital artwork by typing Santiago Lozano into Google and looking at his Artstation images.
Thanks for reading.
January 24, 2021
If the author’s intent was to entice the reader to future writings in the world of Aoth with these short pieces, he has succeeded in grand fashion. Despite the short form, each story is somehow imbued with characters that have depth, mini plots that come to fruition, while giving tantalizing hints of a wider world with what looks to be mysterious and interesting magic system. There are stories about warriors with honor and other’s without, spellcaster’s and shamans, political ambassadors, and those of other races. Whether you find yourself in a strange subterranean setting, the warrens of a city, crossing a dangerous plain, or on the deck of a ship in the middle of a tempest, these stories both excite and fulfill their promise. I can’t wait to delve further into this world.
September 19, 2020
Struggles is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of 10 microstories that take place in the world of Aöth; a place I most assuredly want to become better acquainted with. The writing is excellent, vividly painting the world and it’s characters in few well purposed words. A fun glimpse into a vast world with limitless potential!
January 26, 2021
Excellent collection of short works. The structure of the book really helped paint a picture of a vast, wondrous world with depth, replete with emotions, heartache, and triumph. What you observe in Lozano's stories are lives lived. There's a presence to them. These vignettes succeeded in the best way possible: they left me both emotionally satisfied and wanting more. The illustrations, also done by Lozano, are a beautiful accompaniment.
I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite. They were all notable. None of the stories get lost in the crowd. I cannot wait to read more in this world and from this author. Highly highly recommend.
I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite. They were all notable. None of the stories get lost in the crowd. I cannot wait to read more in this world and from this author. Highly highly recommend.
February 12, 2021
A fun set of micro-stories. Lozano demonstrates how one can create a world that feels lived in and has depth while also playing within the limits of a relatively small word count. Authors prone to bloat like Brandon Sanderson should take note on this microfantasy about how much information can be conveyed when an author chooses to show instead of tell the reader about the world they created.
April 8, 2021
Stunning, awesome, curious. Ten stories each in it's own very good. From fight of street kids to animal perspectives over elementary fight of sea gods and mages. The stories leave you hungry for more of the pantheon of gods, the culture of people and the magic of the large world Aöth. I hope we see more of Santiago's excellent crafted world as his writing style is really rephresing. My favorite story was 'The Ragged King'.
November 12, 2020
Say it short or don`t say it at all. Santiago Lozano masters the art of fantasy haiku in this collection of ten very short stories from the world of Aöth. In only fourty some pages he reveals a vast world with the Aulevänsa or Dreamland or Deeper Land as the world behind reality. These stories or rather moments or “Struggles” show a grimdark and violent world where every page is a physical proof of the beauty of surviving and struggling and ultimately of life itself.
“Somewhere close Blockhead gibbers in terror and Sparrow can hear a mind breaking in that sound.”
Santiago Lozano has illustrated the stories with a handfull of b/w drawings and a beautiful cover - “not enough - give me more” my mind cries. And as my hands close the book I realise my mind is right - I need to know more about Aöth and Deeper Land...
“Somewhere close Blockhead gibbers in terror and Sparrow can hear a mind breaking in that sound.”
Santiago Lozano has illustrated the stories with a handfull of b/w drawings and a beautiful cover - “not enough - give me more” my mind cries. And as my hands close the book I realise my mind is right - I need to know more about Aöth and Deeper Land...
July 12, 2022
Struggles: Microfantasy in the World of Aöth is a collection of short stories in the fantastical world of Aöth. It is obvious the author is a skilled writer and I really enjoyed his prose. The glimpses of Aöth hint at an interesting worldbuilding. I would be really curious to read a novel(la/lette) by this author.
A recommended short read by an author I want to read more from.
A recommended short read by an author I want to read more from.
December 28, 2021
Well written, quick tales from a world that feels rich and deep and dark. Lozano's writing voice is very strong and clearly influenced by the likes of Steven Erikson (in a good way). One thing I loved was that each of these ten microstories features very different characters, environments, and narratives. It all gives the world a sense of being very full and deep. We get taken from the child gangs of city slums to the icy mountains where giants dwell, to the dark forests and battlefields and ruins of various other regions with everything in between. Through it all, Lozano's prose shines and his narratives leave you wanting more and waiting for the day when he writes something lengthier.
The tales that stood out most for me are The Graveyard, The New Sovereign, and The Old One. Each featured immediately sympathetic and original characters in situations and locations I instantly wanted to know more about. The action within The Graveyard story feels swift and desperate, while the more exploratory tone of The New Sovereign had the effect of making me want to study the ice giants just as the narrator did, and I was completely drawn in to the mystery and more spiritual feel of The Old One and was sorely disappointed it ended so quickly.
Certain chapters don't quite hold up and feel too undeveloped in large part because the format is so short. For example, The Dragonfall packs too much narrative together, causing the drama to lose its impact because we're swept along to the next image/event before we've had time to digest the one before. And Tavern Hopping, which at first looked to be a fun, delirious jaunt, falls short because the climax again feels under-developed, robbing the story of the laughs it was working toward.
Another thing I wanted to see more of was dialogue. It's used very sparingly throughout the various tales, and some stories have none whatsoever. The dialogue that is in there works very well, and what's fantastic is that Lozano manages to make the narrative flow well despite the absence of conversation (I couldn't find any moment that could be flagged as info-dumping). All the same, more dialogue would've brought additional life to these characters and this world.
So, in conclusion: I'm intrigued, I'm impressed, and I want more!
The tales that stood out most for me are The Graveyard, The New Sovereign, and The Old One. Each featured immediately sympathetic and original characters in situations and locations I instantly wanted to know more about. The action within The Graveyard story feels swift and desperate, while the more exploratory tone of The New Sovereign had the effect of making me want to study the ice giants just as the narrator did, and I was completely drawn in to the mystery and more spiritual feel of The Old One and was sorely disappointed it ended so quickly.
Certain chapters don't quite hold up and feel too undeveloped in large part because the format is so short. For example, The Dragonfall packs too much narrative together, causing the drama to lose its impact because we're swept along to the next image/event before we've had time to digest the one before. And Tavern Hopping, which at first looked to be a fun, delirious jaunt, falls short because the climax again feels under-developed, robbing the story of the laughs it was working toward.
Another thing I wanted to see more of was dialogue. It's used very sparingly throughout the various tales, and some stories have none whatsoever. The dialogue that is in there works very well, and what's fantastic is that Lozano manages to make the narrative flow well despite the absence of conversation (I couldn't find any moment that could be flagged as info-dumping). All the same, more dialogue would've brought additional life to these characters and this world.
So, in conclusion: I'm intrigued, I'm impressed, and I want more!
October 24, 2022
I enjoyed the absolute hell out of this.
Ten short stories packed with flavour and variety, set in a world I'm longing to dive headfirst into.
Short stories and the fantasy genre don't often mix, but this collection shows how great the combination can be.
Rather than the brain-bending twist that science fiction relies upon - and which fantasy does not do well - these instead offer richness and intensity and vast possibilities... and gone in a couple of bites.
Author is going on my (very short) automatic-purchase list.
Ten short stories packed with flavour and variety, set in a world I'm longing to dive headfirst into.
Short stories and the fantasy genre don't often mix, but this collection shows how great the combination can be.
Rather than the brain-bending twist that science fiction relies upon - and which fantasy does not do well - these instead offer richness and intensity and vast possibilities... and gone in a couple of bites.
Author is going on my (very short) automatic-purchase list.
July 8, 2022
If no book is written, to enlarge our understanding of the Threads or any other aspects of these Micro stories.
It will be a crime I say.....ACrime
R
It will be a crime I say.....ACrime
R
September 5, 2022
Could have used a map
June 29, 2024
3.5/5 rounded to 4*
June 26, 2023
Such captivating stories captured in so few pages. Would love to read more of this world in additional short stories or in full fledged novels. Very well written and so enjoyable. Write more please!
August 14, 2022
3.7 rounded up to 4 stars.
All in all, a very fast read that showcases certain spots of a world I’d like to see more of. I can understand a bit the authors choice of doing such short stories as perhaps him still honing his craft as well as better defining the world he’s creating. That being said the stories presented here had enough substance to them that I felt that maybe they could have been a bit longer to carry more of a weight that I would be likely to remember more of. The prose was also surprisingly good for what appears to be a writer still establishing himself.
All in all, a very fast read that showcases certain spots of a world I’d like to see more of. I can understand a bit the authors choice of doing such short stories as perhaps him still honing his craft as well as better defining the world he’s creating. That being said the stories presented here had enough substance to them that I felt that maybe they could have been a bit longer to carry more of a weight that I would be likely to remember more of. The prose was also surprisingly good for what appears to be a writer still establishing himself.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews