Status Updates From Children of War: an antholo...

The Borrowed Life, by Elena Shelest
Historical fantasy
⭐⭐⭐⭐Wonderful; I loved the historical Ukranian vibes, the world, together with a bit of the fantastical sprinkled in. And Elena stories always carry a deeper message that strikes at the heart

Through the eyes of a child, by Pamela Floyd
Literary fiction
⭐⭐⭐⭐Sadness, loss and pain. All the feels in this story of the aftermath of a little girl's survival in the Russian-Ukranian war

Child of Destruction, by Astrid V.J
Fantasy
⭐⭐⭐ I appreciated the horror the event that would lead to the MC becoming a child soldier, though I would have liked to see how that actually happened. Though I missed a bit of a punch at the end, and could tell that this wasn't really a standalone story (part of a bigger set of stories in this world) I appreciated the inner conflict throughout.

The Curse of Blood, by Lauren Lee Merewether
Historical fantasy
⭐⭐⭐⭐it took me some time to get into the story and the start was a little disorienting but I became more engaged throughout and the ending packs a good emotional punch