Bite sized stories bursting with magic.
Suspend your disbelief and let your imagination take you away. Trust yourself to fly as you follow 23 talented authors on a journey through magical realms. There, find love with a werewolf, make it rain with a coven of witches, fight alongside dragons, and more. Give into the magic, and step into our worlds.
I received a copy from one of the authors for an honest review.
To start, I find anthologies a tad bit difficult to review. Each story in an anthology is different; they have different styles, authors, and genres. Whenever you read an anthology, you have to be open to experiencing something new. Mystical Bites is no exception to that. With 23 individual authors, that means there are 23 poems and stories to enjoy or dislike depending on your preferences.
The first thing to remember is to look at the theme of the anthology. If it is a theme you don’t like, don’t bother reading the anthology. Each story in Mystical Bites has something about magic. Sometimes the magic isn’t all good and the characters aren’t trying to keep everything clean cut.
As a whole, I found the anthology entertaining. There were stories that pulled at the heartstrings and stories I wasn’t expecting because of previous works from that author. Yes, I did find a couple stories that I didn’t care for. It wasn’t because of the style of the workmanship though. It was because the characters and the story didn’t really call to me.
I love that each style is unique. As a writer, it helps me realize that my own voice is just as important as others. I don’t have to sound like someone famous. I have to sound like me. These stories had a piece of their authors and you could see that.
The magic in the stories could be something very subtle or over the top. There were a few stories with dragons. Which, by the way, I don’t care for dragons so much, but the stories with them gave me a new respect. There is one story with a Fey Queen and an ancient goddess. I won’t go into that story, but the feels are serious. The last line is haunting.
Now, to be honest, I don’t read anthologies. This is probably my first one (aside from short story collections for when I was in college). So, if this review seems incomplete, it’s because I’m not sure what to write without giving too much away. The stories and poems are shorts. The tiniest detail could spill the beans. I don’t want to do that to you.
Therefore, know this: the compilation of stories is worth your time. You can read them at your leisure. When it’s cold and dark outside or you just need a magical pick me up; this is the book for you.
Casia's Corner 