A Review: Shards and Ashes

Shards and Ashes

Edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong

An Anthology of Dystopian Short Stories

Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy, Sci-Fi (Young Adult)

 

 

"The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological, or supernatural causes. Suvivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations, an one another; their resources are few and their courage is tested."

 

I have a weak spot for dystopian stories, especially ones that are exceptionally creative and offer some hope at the end. Dystopian stories are about the end of the world, so most of these stories were depressing, but nearly all of them offered a glimmer of hope at the end. I also liked the deep issues these stories tackled, and the exciting way in which they did so. My favorite stories were "Branded" by Kelley Armstrong, "Necklace of Raindrops" by Margaret Stohl, "Dogsbody" by Rachel Caine, and "Love is a Choice" by Beth Revis, although I'm not sure if I like how that one ended or not. Some of the stories could be elaborated on, and some were just downright strange/creepy, like "Pale Rider" by Nancy Holder. I also grew tired of the similarities in some of the stories, so it might be good to read other things in-between them. But overall, the characters and plots were intriguing and well thought out. This is the first anthology I have read for fun, so I have nothing to compare it to. I give the whole thing a 3 out of 5.

 

All of the writers who contributed to this anthology were: Veronica Roth (author of the Divergent Series which I have yet to read), Kelley Armstrong, Margaret Stohl, Rachel Caine, Nancy Holder, Melissa Marr, Kami Garcia, Beth Revis and Carrie Ryan (author of the The Forest of Hands and Teeth series). I recommend this anthology obviously to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels, and anyone who likes reading about unique worlds and creatures and darker subjects.

 

What I learned from this anthology: Even in the darkest of times, there is hope. Love and life is always worth fighting for, family impacts who a person is and behaves, and when fighting zombie-like creatures, it's always good to have a teammate to bail you out of trouble!