Unbound: Stories of Transformation, Love, and Monsters

by Emily Colin, Madeline Dyer, Lisa Amowitz

A dull AP English assignment interrupted by the resurrection of a 5,000-year-old mummy. A "boy meets boy meets time travel" tale. An ancient evil summoned from the Scottish moors. A sentient garden turned matchmaker. A troubled teen who rehabilitates monsters. A sinister society where love is punishable by death. A medieval pirate queen in love with a ghost. A demon who rebels against her birthright. A mysterious Power that turns people to stone. A girl who guards the secret behind her best friend's disappearance. A violinist on the brink who learns to listen to her heart.
The stories in this anthology have one common Transformation. They include international own-voices perspectives; a New York Times-bestselling author; Emmy, SIBA, and ILA award-winning writers; and emerging, independent voices in YA fiction. The collection's authors, like its stories, are UNBOUND-diverse voices exploring identity, love, betrayal, and becoming. They give us a glimpse into what can stories of possibility, love, friendship, the monsters around us and within us.

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT

532 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2021

About the author

Emily Colin writes love stories with a supernatural edge for adults and teens. Her debut novel, THE MEMORY THIEF, was a New York Times bestseller and a Target Emerging Authors Pick; she followed it up with THE DREAM KEEPER’S DAUGHTER.

Emily is also the author of the Gold Moonbeam Award-winning, young adult dystopian romantasy series, The Seven Sins. SWORD OF THE SEVEN SINS, the first book, was a Foreword INDIES Award finalist, won the YA fiction award of the North Carolina Indie Author Project, and was shortlisted for the 2021 Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy. The second novel of the series, SIEGE OF THE SEVEN SINS, is a 2021 silver IPPY Award winner and Foreword INDIES finalist. The third book in the series launches February 13, 2024.

Emily co-edited and contributed to the young adult anthologies WICKED SOUTH: SECRETS AND LIES and UNBOUND: STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION, LOVE, AND MONSTERS, which was a SUSPENSE MAGAZINE “Best of” 2021 pick as well as a 2021 Foreword INDIES Award finalist. DISSENT, the 2022 romance anthology to which she contributed a short story, was a #1 Amazon category bestseller in over eight countries.

Emily's diverse life experience includes organizing a Coney Island tattoo and piercing show, hauling fish at a dolphin research center, roaming New York City as an itinerant teenage violinist, helping launch two small publishing companies, and working to facilitate community engagement in the arts. A former Pitch Wars mentor and KissPitch mentor, Emily is a writing instructor, freelance editor, and book coach. She lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. You can find her at www.emilycolin.com and on IG at @emilycolin.books.

Reviews

[Pamela Usai · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I'm going to use a word I don't use very often: BREATH-TAKING. The stories in this collection are BREATH-TAKING. Some I enjoyed more than others, but each one was well-written, engaging and (this is me geeking out as a literature teacher) carried out the THEMES NAMED IN THE TITLE. AAAAAHH!

"Unbound: Stories of Transformation, Love and Monsters" is a collection of short stories that pushes our understanding and acceptance of what is means to "transform". Every story focuses on an aspect of a spirit being unleashed, of a being coming into themselves, or of a person crafting their own identity. Three stories really stood out to me as absolute favorites:

1. The Things Left Behind - a woman is confronted with the sudden disappearance of her best friend during a backpacking trip.

2. The Brollachan - I love anything horror and so when an ancient and evil spirit emerges from the Scottish Moors WHEN I TELL YOU I WAS SO HERE FOR THIS!

3. Inside the Night - greek mythology meets female empowerment any day, all day.

If you're looking for your next Short Story collection read, THIS IS IT.

Thank you to MTMC Tours, Emily Colin, Madeline Dyer and Five Points Press for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sienna Cornwall-Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for Smooth the Descent by Emily Colin in this anthology. I really enjoyed this book, I thought it had the right amount of suspense and romance to really pull you in. I was able to read it in one sitting, as I was very pleased with reading it. The only reason that it got a 4 star instead of a 5 is that it is set up like a prequel, but not sure it is one for Emily Colin’s other book series.

[Pnrbookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories which range in genres. There is something for everyone. I would say approach with and open mind and read outside your box. Hope you enjoy!
I read this for Emily Colin’s story and was lucky to get the rest.

[Jo-El Sidbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man. Love and loss. Real monsters. Transformation of self.

Grab the tissues, this one's gonna be a rollercoaster

[Cathy Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for “Smooth the Descent” by Emily Colin. In a cruel dystopian world called the Commonwealth, people aren’t allowed to have relationships with others, not even friendships, without the fear of punishment. Miriam is a scholar who cares and protects all of the books in the Commonwealth’s library. Due to an accident, she encounters a medic, Kennett Gundarson, whose gentle hands and curious mind leave her feeling peculiar. Miriam fears if she spends too much time with him, she may develop feelings that surpass friendship...sinful feelings that could lead to their execution. Miriam, however, thinks the punishment for being with Kennett is worth the risk!

Amazing world-building, especially for a novella or shorter story! I had a clear picture of the Commonwealth, its rules, and how it was governed. The book was so well-written and flowed effortlessly. The characters were strong, and their love story was so sweet. I caught myself holding my breath and rooting for them more than once. Warning, the ending is very emotional and leaves you on a bit of a cliffhanger. I am hoping this is a prequel to some of Emily Colin’s other stories of the Seven Sins. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work! I would highly recommend this novella to anyone who likes dystopian stories.

[S.E. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an author included in this anthology, and one of the people involved in its creation, there's a whole ethical dilemma over whether or not I should review it. But the other stories included are so brilliant, I feel like I would give this book the same review whether or not I was involved in it at all.

Each story so perfectly captures the theme of transformation in its own, personal way. The flow between stories is magical, really sweeping you through highs and lows that'll have your heart racing and your eyes blurry with tears. I have a few favorites, such as Inside the Night by Madeline Dyer - gimme Medusa all day every day - or The Things We Left Behind by Heidi Ayarbe - dark and chilling, with the ending giving me actual chills - and Over Time by John Klekamp - which NEEDS to be a full novel.

I'm honestly getting serious imposter syndrome from being in this book amongst these incredible authors. Their stories are just so good!

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly remarkable anthology, full of wonderful voices that move along the Middle Grade and the Young Adult with grace and power. Here you can find a lot of styles, so all tastes are served with an extra dose of inclusiveness that make this shine. Of particular note I liked Angela Sierra's story about a young girl trying to find herself between two cultures, a breathtaking modern tale of revenge that includes ancient greek gods, and the closing tragedy based on polyamour and burning passions. As with all anthologies, there is some expected uneveness in styles, types of stories and narratives, and one can find some more of the personal liking than others, but still even the ones that were not of my particular taste were very well written.

[liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[rainbowreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, each and every one of them.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories were fantastic, some were… not. But as a whole, great!

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.