Written by far too many people to list here
Anthologies offer a great way to explore stories by a variety of authors. The short stories contained within offer quick bites that will likely introduce you to some authors whose work you are yet to read. There’s fun to be had with such discovery, even when not every story gels, Third Name’s a Charm one is such anthology. Even better, all proceeds from the book are donated to a charity supporting reading and literacy (unfortunately, the book and the Amazon listing don’t say which charity this is, so I can’t provide a link).
Featuring no less than twenty stories from as many authors (in order of appearance: K.A. Last, Elene Shelest, Kristin Harley, Serene Conneeley, Sophia-Rose Johnson, Rebecca Fittery, M.S. Weaver, Astrid V.J., Sky Sommers, Eurelia Winters, N.D.T. Casale, Meadow Hora, Marie Reed, B. Luna Covello, Alex Stubblefield, Ashley Steffenson, Sarina Langer, Jo Hollaway, Donna White and Susan Stradiotto), Third Name’s a Charm provides a grab bag of short stories aimed at the young adult audience, inspired by fairy tales, and loosely connected by the number three.
The book is part of a series of anthologies dubbed What’s in a Name; perhaps unsurprisingly, the third. The authors find different ways of including the number three, with some subtle inclusions mixed with ones that feature the number front and centre.Like many anthologies, Third Name’s a Charm is a mixed bag. There are some delightful stories, but also, others that I found less enticing. One issue I have with the collection is the number of authors continuing stories from the other anthologies or their own works. While I don’t have any major objections to the approach, an unfortunately high number require additional reading to get the most out of them. At an estimated 382 pages on Kindle, it doesn’t give the stories much breathing room. Some stories work perfectly fot their length, while others, unfortunately, miss the mark.
A Feather for a Kingdom
By K.A. Last
A Feather for a Kingdom presents a fairy tale, told from the perspective of a young prince. He and his two brothers are tasked with questing to find three items. Upon retrieving these items, one of them will be proclaimed the new king. The story works as a light fairy tale, with the morals one would expect. The prose and dialogue reads like it was written for children, as it should. As it reaches its conclusion, however, it feels as if it’s rushing to wrap the story up, undercutting the strength of the tale.
Three Eyes of Ra
By Elena Shelest
If the title Three Eyes of Ra didn’t give it away, the story revolves around Egyptian mythology. It tells a story about an Egyptologist living in Paris, who is drawn into a secret world via the mysterious organisation, Sphynx, The story builds mystery nicely, albeit in the confines of a light story. It has the vibe of a cosy mystery with a dash of the supernatural, which while entertaining, means the stakes don’t feel entirely real.
The Sea Witch Book of Shadows
By Kristin Harley
On one hand a young adult story about a love triangle, and on the other, a tale about the power of stories, books and reading, The Sea Witch Book of Shadows oozes charm. The story hooked me from its opening debate about The Little Mermaid through to the book within the story, The Sea Witch Book of Shadows. As the protagonist acquires the book, purported to include magic spells, the story ponders where the power truly comes from.
The Magic of Trees
By Serene Conneeley
The second story to feel like a classic fairy tale—this one starting with “once upon a time,” no less—The Magic of Trees tells the story of a prince and princess, who, following the murder of their father, are turned into trees by a wicked witch. It’s a unique story, one that will appeal to fans of epic fantasy as much as fairy tales. As it reaches its end, it wraps up as you would expect a fairy tale to, but it is a little less interesting as a result.
The Haunting of Neve Ravensblood
By Sophia-Rose Johnson
The Haunting of Neve Ravensblood is an utter delight. As the story kicks off in a cemetery, it plays with horror tropes; however, these are juxtaposed with a wonderful internal monologue from the story’s protagonist. She’s a witch, she skulks around graveyards, she’s haunted by ghosts. And yet, she still has to endure her days at school and the people there. The story is firmly a young adult tale, but regardless of your affinity with the genre, I dare you not to be charmed by it.
Threads of Gold
By Rebecca Fittery
Although Threads of Gold starts like a horror, playing with a mystery of what, exactly, is climbing from the dishwasher, Threads of Gold is a largely humorous tale. It tells the story of a woman cursed by a fae to only tell lies for three days. Through the humour comes a romantic story with a real sense of humanity. I had a smile on my face through the entire story. It’s sweet natured fun that never becomes too saccharine.
Forged Destiny
By M.S. Weave
Regular readers will know I’m a fan of mythological tales, so with Forged Destiny taking its cues from Norse mythology, I was immediately drawn in. The story tells a tale about a Dökkálfar ( or dark elf) and a Ljósálfar (light elf). It’s an entertaining story, but acts as a prequel to two of the author’s stories (Twisted Destiny and Cursed Destiny) in the previous collections. I haven’t read those collections, nor the stories, and I feel like I would have gotten more out of this story if I had.
Lady of Forests and Seas
By Astrid V.J.
Lady of Forests and Snakes acts as a conclusion to the author’s novel, Johara’s Choice. Although the story’s beautifully written, having not read the original book, it doesn’t have the impact it otherwise could. It was enough to pique my interest in Johara’s Choice, particularly as that’s a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Tinderbox, but it wasn’t enough for me to enjoy Lady of Forests and Seas on its own merits.
To Catch a Thief
By Sky Sommers
The third story in a row to require further reading to get the most of it, To Catch a Thief follows stories about the protagonists in the first two anthologies in the series. The story revolves around a dragon curse, with the story being told in further collections. To Catch a Thief features witty dialogue throughout which gave me a few chuckles, although this takes up the vast majority of the story, with very little prose to bring it together.
Allie’s Dream
By Eurelia Winters
Allie’s Dream follows a pair of characters as they investigate the secrets of a house which may or may not be haunted. If Allie can make it through a night in the house, it’s hers to keep. While the central concept isn’t original, it’s presented in a thoroughly entertaining manner. The two central characters are a delight, and the story builds mystery without sacrificing any charm.
The Unicorn of Sovatia
By N.D.T. Casale
Although most people have never seen a unicorn, almost everybody is in agreement that they’re beautiful creatures. It is rare that they are presented as beautifully as in The Unicorn of Sovatia, which mesmerises the reader as the author captures the majesty of such a creature. The story builds an air of mystery around it as it tells its story. The prose, like the unicorn it is writing about, is a thing of beauty.
Threads of the Battlefield
By Meadoe Hora
Although Threads of Gold starts like a horror, playing with a mystery of what, exactly, is climbing from the dishwasher, Threads of Gold is a largely humorous tale. It tells the story of a woman cursed by a fae to only tell lies for three days. Through the humour comes a romantic story with a real sense of humanity. I had a smile on my face through the entire story. It’s sweet natured fun that never becomes too saccharine.
Third Year’s a Charm
By Marie Reed
The second story to revolve around characters questing for items, Third Year’s a Charm tells a cute story set in a Hogwarts-type school. While the Harry Potter influence is strong, and it’s difficult to avoid thinking about that world while reading it, the story does away with threats that will rock the students to their core, and instead focuses on the rivalry between its protagonist and another character. The result is a story filled with amusing moments.
The Guardian of the Falling Rains
By B. Luna Covello
The Guardian of the Falling Rains tells the story of a character who must complete three tasks. The author has written lovely prose, told in the first person as its protagonist tells the story. As lovely as it is, however, the story is overwritten. It paints a picturesque view of the world, but does so at the expense of the story being told. The plot lacks complexity, which is absolutely fine for a short story, but it would have hit harder had the story been half the length.
Lavender Locks and the Three Trolls
By Alex Stubblefield
Although the title Lavender Locks and the Three Trolls is reminiscent of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the story bears no resemblance to the classic fairy tale. Instead, it tells the story of a young sorceress sent by her mother to retrieve a unicorn; a job she originally entrusted to trolls. Unfortunately, you should probably never entrust important jobs to trolls. Like some other stories in the collection, this is linked to the author’s other works in previous anthologies. Unlike those, it doesn’t feel like important information is missing. It does finish suddenly, however, like it’s just a chapter in a story that will continue later.
Amira and the Healing Flower
By Ashley Steffenson
One of the more interesting stories in the anthology is Amira and the Healing Flower. It takes inspiration from the Swahili culture, using the native titles to describe its characters. It’s not beholden to the culture, with the characters at the centre of the story being “pantherims”, or humanoid panthers. The tale tells the story of one such pantherim who is determined to travel further than the others of her kind are comfortable with, and the story builds well throughout, despite it coming to a sudden end.
At the Crossroads
By Sarina Langer
You may be familiar with the name Serena Langer, whose first two books in the Chaos of Ester Anderson series, A Dream of Death and Magic and A Dream of Stars and Curses, I’ve reviewed. I’m a fan of the author’s novels, and At the Crossroads doesn’t disappoint. It’s set within the universe of those two books, but in focusing on a character who is yet to appear in the series. The story plays with the concepts from the series, but does so in a way that will capture new readers’ attention, instead of confounding them.
In the Wicked Wilds
By Jo Holloway
In the Wicked Wilds is a tale about three characters whose home is nestled within a cage to keep its inhabitants safe from monsters. It’s a great concept as three characters embark on a perilous journey. The story is longer than it should be, with the prose providing explicit detail about every aspect of the world and adventure. This slows the pacing down, and as it resolves, the payoff doesn’t live up to the story’s potential.
Some Gnarly Sea Monsters
By Donna White
Some Gnarly Sea Monsters is one of the best titles in the entire book, conveying a true sense of fun. The actual story itself loses much of this spirit. Instead, it tells an overlong story where the protagonist’s siblings have disappeared. It builds slowly, but as the characters start interacting with the sea monsters, it picks up considerably. Unfortunately, this is a rare occurrence.
The Gambit of Threes
By Susan Stradiotto
The final story in the collection, The Gambit of Threes, begins with a simple lockpicking and goes from there. Although the story is heavy on prose, it builds well towards the finale.The prose is well written, which helps it strike the right chords, and the characters throughout the tale are engaging throughout it
Favourite Passage
The unicorn is beautiful, like the morning sun that kisses the night goodbye in a swirling farewell of purple, pink, and yellow. Her powerful body stands silhouetted in the moonlight, muscles rippling under a coat the color of new-fallen snow. Her long mane and tail resemble icicles hanging from bare trees.
But what captivates my attention the most is the spiraling long horn that protrudes from her forehead. The majestic creature shifts her weight, and I catch a glimpse of something on her right back fetlock. I squint my eyes and stare at the dark gray marking on the white fur. It resembles the number three. My heart leaps into my throat, and my trembling hands scratch the light brown stubble on my face as I remember how the number three and the power of love had gotten me into this predicament. The unicorn stares at me with soft brown eyes and stops from where I stand at the top of a hill, far away from civilization. Nighttime is the only escape from my life of servitude.
Third Name’s a Charm: Tales of Trios & Triple Threats, The Unicorn and the Castle
Third Name’s a Charm: Tales of Trios & Triple Threats was provided by the authors for the purpose of an honest review.
Third Name’s a Charm is available on Kindle, exclusive to Amazon.
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Third Name’s a Charm: Tales of Trios and Triple Threats (What’s in a Name?)
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