Edited By Dhonielle Clayton
Universe of Wishes (Advanced Reader Review)
From a Cinderella retelling and a tale of the recultivation of a post-apocalyptic Earth to a story of a boy stealing wishes from dead bodies, A Universe of Wishes is a charcuterie board of diverse science fiction and fantasy talent from the already famous to the underhyped.
Well-known authors like V. E. Schwab and Libba Bray are sure to draw devoted fans, especially as they resuscitate well-loved characters. But these big names leave new-to-them readers out of the loop by using past novels as a crutch, wowing their fans by bringing old characters into new stories while leaving newbies too much in the dark. The fact that two such stories made it into one collection is honestly just overkill, and one relies so heavily on the worldbuilding and character building of the past that it’s unreadable for those like me who don’t know the series. Instead, it’s the lesser-known writers that shine with moments of originality and brilliant prose.
As a whole, however, this anthology is honestly a weaker one, and the fantasy and science fiction that can be so hard to fit into short formats often feels rushed, incomplete, or just plain underdeveloped. Still, even with their flaws, each story brought something new and interesting to the table that will stick with me even if the rest of the story was forgettable. And although there were no new favorites of all time, stories like Habibi by Tochi Onyebuchi and Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed were still able to wow me.
The opportunity to dip a toe into new authors was worth every page of A Universe of Wishes, especially to see Nic Stone go full queer fantasy goddess in her story Dream and Dare. And I’ve certainly taken notes on authors I want to try full-length works from.
I rated A Universe of Wishes 3 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
A Universe of Wishes is out now out and available at Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and more.
talk of harassment, sexual assault, cyberbullying, death and loss of a loved one, and some violence
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