A Thousand Beginnings and Endings Review

Title: A Thousand Beginnings and Endings
Author: Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman (Editors)
Series: Not Applicable
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: 26 June 2018
Source: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Rating: 3.75 Stars
Reading Timeline: 05 March 2019 - 16 March 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. 

Sixteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman—who both contributed stories to this edition, as well—the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.

From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. 

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I am so excited to jump into this anthology. This book answers the call for diversity and the call for more people of colour to be published so that their voices can be heard. I cannot wait to not only read the stories that these authors wrote but also the legends and myths on which they are based.

Thank you so much to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book! Just a quick disclaimer for those reading this review, I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinions in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology. Not only did it provide me with insight into different Asian myths and legends but it also allowed me to get a taste of what the different authors are capable of. Some stories I enjoyed a lot and they left me wanting more. Whilst others I just couldn't seem to get into. I was really excited to read from authors that I loved and to discover some new authors that I can't wait to read more from. I highly recommend this anthology for everyone as there is a mix of genres that could be found and there is definitely a story for each reader in this book. Thank you so much to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading,

Melleny