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Starlit Realms: A Fantasy Anthology
Ten unforgettable stories of mystery and adventure from ten fantasy writers are woven together by the great Storyteller's own eternal magic.
The mysterious Logunder Library houses no ordinary books, but those created from trees from the Enchanted Forest in a bid to save itself.
A young princess must choose a husband from four unlikely and undesirable suitors.
A girl's father goes off to battle dragons in an alternate war and she undergoes dangers to find him.
A shape-shifting queen risks her life for a family condemned by age-old prejudice.
One young slave girl risks her life for the sake of reading sacred texts.
The final day of one of the waterfolk is celebrated with songs and music as she wanders back into the sea.
A magic boot takes a young couple for the ride of their lives.
A poor girl deceives the royal family to snag a husband, but it is not as easy as she thinks.
A biological lab covers up the truth about its research and sends two science students into danger.
On the summer solstice at Willow Woods Peak, animals may speak and a cat enlists the help of a human to unravel a secret.
The mysterious Logunder Library houses no ordinary books, but those created from trees from the Enchanted Forest in a bid to save itself.
A young princess must choose a husband from four unlikely and undesirable suitors.
A girl's father goes off to battle dragons in an alternate war and she undergoes dangers to find him.
A shape-shifting queen risks her life for a family condemned by age-old prejudice.
One young slave girl risks her life for the sake of reading sacred texts.
The final day of one of the waterfolk is celebrated with songs and music as she wanders back into the sea.
A magic boot takes a young couple for the ride of their lives.
A poor girl deceives the royal family to snag a husband, but it is not as easy as she thinks.
A biological lab covers up the truth about its research and sends two science students into danger.
On the summer solstice at Willow Woods Peak, animals may speak and a cat enlists the help of a human to unravel a secret.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2022
25 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Klein
27 books153 followersElizabeth Klein, grew up in a small village in New South Wales. She trained as a teacher and taught for almost thirty years, but in 2015, she and her husband left Sydney to travel around Australia in a caravan. She’s written three YA books, two junior fiction and two educational texts, with four more to be released soon. She has also written many short stories, articles, plays and poems.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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December 12, 2022As this anthology includes a story of my own - The Shadow Queen - I will refrain from rating (or extolling the virtues of my own story, for while I loved writing it, I can only be biased in my opinions of it). Suffice to say, I love the cover and Starlit Realms has a wonderful mix of stories interwoven with Elizabeth Klein's Story teller tale. It has whimsy, and action, and dragons, and impossible choices, twists and turns, libraries and shapeshifters to entertain, delight and leave one pondering.
January 27, 2023
Starlit Realms is a multiple-author anthology. I found it to be a great collection of literary talents. There were a few stories that stood out more to me than the others, but overall, each was a great experience. I will be following every author to see what else they have to offer.
Bellow find my review for each individual story.
The Storyteller by Elizabeth Klein: ⭐⭐⭐
The Storyteller opens this collection of fantacy, but it brakes off into sections that are scattered through the rest of the book. This caught me off guard in the first section and I felt disappointed with such an incomplete story. But once I found the second section It realised the author intended it to bind the rest of the stories together. It does this well but I do think if "to be continued" had been added to at least the first section, the transitions would have easier. The story is really good in places and the end definetly holds a punch.
That being said, the story is writen in a classic old tale fasion and is narrated by The Storyteller.
Logunder Library by Clarice Noel: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed this story, whimsical and magical and with just the right amount of books and dust that go along with them. It's well written with fun and mystery to pull you in.
The Choosing by Jean Saxby: ⭐⭐⭐
A classic prince's tale. Well written. Leaves you looking for more at the end.
Missing in Action by Jenny Woolsey: ⭐⭐⭐
A girl searches for her father who has been declared missing in action. Dragons! Some really good emotions in the beginning and end.
Shadow Queen by Jeanette O’Hagan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A story that pulls you in and develops its characters while making you care about them right away. Some of the wording used at the beginning is confusing because there isn't time for explanations and backstories, but once you get far enough in it explains itself. Loved this one.
Just Dragon Scat by R. J. Rodda ⭐⭐⭐
I like the idea behind this story. I felt it ended way too soon. Because the writer had to fit in a lot the descriptions of the world were a bit sparse. The main character is really interesting and I wanted to know what happened next and what he would choose as he struggled with what he believed.
Feeling the Waves by Sally Odgers ⭐⭐⭐
This one is cute. I like the idea of fays living and interacting with the human world. But I am not quite sure I get the point of the story. Feels a bit more like a snip from another tale. I think this might be one you have to have ready some of the author's other work to enjoy fully. It is well written otherwise.
Magic Boots by Kamal Weerakoon ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one is ridiculous and funny and had me snorting in laughter a few times. A little mini adventure with a yellow boot. The author gives us a full story that doesn't just feel like a moment plucked from a longer one. It was fun!
The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Ky Venn ⭐⭐⭐
A fairytale retelling of sorts, this one was sweet and well-written.
Inexplicable by Adele Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Well written, exciting, and stands out from the rest because it's so different. I enjoyed this one. Science and miracles.
What the Cat Said by Jake Doberenz ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A cat, crow, and human, a team so save the kingdom. This one had fun, humor, and action all rolled into one. The story was well laid out, the goal clear, and the author did a good job of wrapping it up at the end while still leaving things open for more at a later date. A complete story.
Bellow find my review for each individual story.
The Storyteller by Elizabeth Klein: ⭐⭐⭐
The Storyteller opens this collection of fantacy, but it brakes off into sections that are scattered through the rest of the book. This caught me off guard in the first section and I felt disappointed with such an incomplete story. But once I found the second section It realised the author intended it to bind the rest of the stories together. It does this well but I do think if "to be continued" had been added to at least the first section, the transitions would have easier. The story is really good in places and the end definetly holds a punch.
That being said, the story is writen in a classic old tale fasion and is narrated by The Storyteller.
Logunder Library by Clarice Noel: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed this story, whimsical and magical and with just the right amount of books and dust that go along with them. It's well written with fun and mystery to pull you in.
The Choosing by Jean Saxby: ⭐⭐⭐
A classic prince's tale. Well written. Leaves you looking for more at the end.
Missing in Action by Jenny Woolsey: ⭐⭐⭐
A girl searches for her father who has been declared missing in action. Dragons! Some really good emotions in the beginning and end.
Shadow Queen by Jeanette O’Hagan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A story that pulls you in and develops its characters while making you care about them right away. Some of the wording used at the beginning is confusing because there isn't time for explanations and backstories, but once you get far enough in it explains itself. Loved this one.
Just Dragon Scat by R. J. Rodda ⭐⭐⭐
I like the idea behind this story. I felt it ended way too soon. Because the writer had to fit in a lot the descriptions of the world were a bit sparse. The main character is really interesting and I wanted to know what happened next and what he would choose as he struggled with what he believed.
Feeling the Waves by Sally Odgers ⭐⭐⭐
This one is cute. I like the idea of fays living and interacting with the human world. But I am not quite sure I get the point of the story. Feels a bit more like a snip from another tale. I think this might be one you have to have ready some of the author's other work to enjoy fully. It is well written otherwise.
Magic Boots by Kamal Weerakoon ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one is ridiculous and funny and had me snorting in laughter a few times. A little mini adventure with a yellow boot. The author gives us a full story that doesn't just feel like a moment plucked from a longer one. It was fun!
The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Ky Venn ⭐⭐⭐
A fairytale retelling of sorts, this one was sweet and well-written.
Inexplicable by Adele Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Well written, exciting, and stands out from the rest because it's so different. I enjoyed this one. Science and miracles.
What the Cat Said by Jake Doberenz ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A cat, crow, and human, a team so save the kingdom. This one had fun, humor, and action all rolled into one. The story was well laid out, the goal clear, and the author did a good job of wrapping it up at the end while still leaving things open for more at a later date. A complete story.
March 10, 2024
A collection of ten stories with the first eight linked with the tale of the master storyteller.
These are stories that will charm you, make you smile, make you cry and show you that there is indeed good people still in this world!
Each story is unique and worth reading in its own right! I was caught up in each story and captivated by
them and the messages they gave. They spoke of hope, of wanting to better oneself, to fight against injustice.
Each story takes you into a different situation but love is present there in most all of the stories for really isn’t that the driving force behind what we really do that means the most to us really when all is said and done? People strive for power wealth and control and some achieve it but are they really happy? The adage money can’t buy happiness is true!
I enjoyed this anthology and wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend you get and read this
collection!
These are stories that will charm you, make you smile, make you cry and show you that there is indeed good people still in this world!
Each story is unique and worth reading in its own right! I was caught up in each story and captivated by
them and the messages they gave. They spoke of hope, of wanting to better oneself, to fight against injustice.
Each story takes you into a different situation but love is present there in most all of the stories for really isn’t that the driving force behind what we really do that means the most to us really when all is said and done? People strive for power wealth and control and some achieve it but are they really happy? The adage money can’t buy happiness is true!
I enjoyed this anthology and wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend you get and read this
collection!
December 22, 2024
There were good things about this collection. I enjoy some of the characters and stories, but all of them felt so unfinished. Because of that, the whole hopping between a main story and other short stories ended up being on the disorienting side. It worked well for another collection (the stories in that one felt a lot more finished and polished), but it just didn't work as well for this one. There was also one story that had several instances of innuendo, which is a "no" for me.
October 15, 2022
I read this book while I was secluded at home earlier in the year. I wanted to save my review until my mind cleared, but that took a few more weeks than I expected, and I've only just picked up my list of books and begun.
This anthology was unlike any others that I've read. There was one central story that unfolded around a storyteller, with each of the other stories interspersed in between. That made it compelling, as I wanted to move forward and find out what was happening to the storyteller while providing me with a natural introduction to stories written by the other authors.
There were a couple of the smaller stories that I wanted to keep reading, and will add those authors to my watch list and keep watch for more. I'd recommend this anthology for anyone looking for short stories that spark the imagination and provide a glimpse into new fantasy worlds.
This anthology was unlike any others that I've read. There was one central story that unfolded around a storyteller, with each of the other stories interspersed in between. That made it compelling, as I wanted to move forward and find out what was happening to the storyteller while providing me with a natural introduction to stories written by the other authors.
There were a couple of the smaller stories that I wanted to keep reading, and will add those authors to my watch list and keep watch for more. I'd recommend this anthology for anyone looking for short stories that spark the imagination and provide a glimpse into new fantasy worlds.
June 9, 2022
An Escape and a Reckoning
Cleverly sandwiched between the Storyteller’s saga, all the fantasies woven together in “Starlit Realms” accomplish their purpose of giving readers a memorable escape from their own realms of life.
One of my favorites from the anthology is Adele Jones’ “Inexplicable,” an intense and brilliant medical research story with realistic characters and infallible scientific bones padded with disparate human encounters. What is the danger of GMO? Is there room for faith and science to stand on the same ground? Can God heal?
And perhaps the greatest drama of modern life—balancing the need and greed for money and success with the welfare of others.
Cleverly sandwiched between the Storyteller’s saga, all the fantasies woven together in “Starlit Realms” accomplish their purpose of giving readers a memorable escape from their own realms of life.
One of my favorites from the anthology is Adele Jones’ “Inexplicable,” an intense and brilliant medical research story with realistic characters and infallible scientific bones padded with disparate human encounters. What is the danger of GMO? Is there room for faith and science to stand on the same ground? Can God heal?
And perhaps the greatest drama of modern life—balancing the need and greed for money and success with the welfare of others.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews