Official blurb:
What’s in a name? Names have power. Magic . . . Some names spell a great destiny.
Once upon a time, twenty author friends accepted the challenge of a fairy tale name generator. Soon, twenty new characters were off on wild adventures.
In this clean YA anthology, meet a goddess, a countess, and a wannabe sorceress. Join a wolf pack leader and a guardian frog sidekick. Search for victims with a hunter-turned-detective, and swoon over the sultana who must prove she’s fit to rule.
Cavort with demons, wraiths, and demigods. Lose your way in the Mist, then lose your soul to the Bone Marsh. Root for a genie’s freedom. Hope for a witch to get her spell right. And yes, feel your heart flutter at unexpected romance.
Once Upon a Name includes short stories by New York Times bestselling authors, USA Today bestselling authors, and fresh new voices. Contributing authors: Lynn Rush, Alice Ivinya, Marie Reed, Jo Holloway, Alex Stubblefield, Sarina Langer Bekah Berge, Lyndsey Hall, D.M. Taylor, MS Weaver, R.S. Williams, Dani Hoots, Bethany Hoeflich, C.C. Sullivan, Susan Stradiotto, N.D.T. Casale, Sky Sommers, Arielle Willow, Ashley Steffenson, and Elena Shelest
All proceeds donated to charity in support of reading and literacy.
My rating: four out of five stars
The sheer creativity in these stories was a breath of fresh air. I love stories with a unique spin, and these took it to a whole new level. Plus, I flew through these stories because they were bite size and captivating.
Elves, pirates, mages, trolls, shifters, fauns, witches, goddesses, wraiths, dryads . . . there’s a bit of every sort of magical creature in this anthology. Themes range from dark to lighthearted, but still in the YA realm.
Some of these stood out to me more than others, as I would expect of any anthology. Honorable mentions go out to Goddess of Smoke and Steel, Forged in Fire, In The Mist, Prove Me Wrong, and The Killer Countess. But my favorites were Haunt of the Night Dolls (which surprised me because it could be considered the creepiest in my mind and yet it caused all the feels) and Sever (as the soul tapestries and the story were super intriguing).
So glad there’s going to be another anthology coming!
Disclaimer: I get commissions from purchases made through this link. This did not influence my review.
