Molly Reviews and Guest Post: Myths Untold: Faery Anthology

Blurb:
Faeries are part of mythology the world over, past, present, and future. Called elves, brownies, the fae, and more, they evoke a sense of wonder and a little danger. Faery has its own rules, and humans enter at their peril.

In this spirit, we bring you the first book in the Myths Untold anthology series—four stories from the land of the Fae: a homeless man in Cardiff and the luck that could destroy him; the trans man in future San Francisco who falls for an elf; the village boy who has always been a little different; and a faery prince whose birthright was stolen from him.

Welcome to Faery.

The Pwcca and the Persian Boy by Gus Li
Despite beauty and luck, something about Glyn makes everyone uncomfortable. Homeless on the streets of Cardiff, he has nothing to keep him going but his friendship with Farrokh. Through stealing and fortune’s occasional favor, Glyn keeps them alive. But then homeless youths begin to disappear, and when Farrokh goes missing, Glyn begins to discover the reasons behind both his luck and the way people react to him. Determined to save his friend from a danger he never imagined, he enlists the help of Lleu, who might be an ally, or might be manipulating Glyn to achieve his own goals.

The Other Side of the Chrysalis by Brandon Witt
In a species that values beauty above all else, Quay looses both his freedom and his birthright as prince of the fairies. Lower than an outcast, he watches over his younger brother, hoping against hope that Xenith’s rebirth will provide safety and positions that has slipped through Quay’s grasp. Though he expected kindness from no one, Quay gradually starts to trust that there is more to life, even for the likes of him, as sexual encounters with Flesser, a fairy barely accepted himself, turn from lust to love. Quay knows having forbidden relationships will be his undoing, but he is powerless to turn away.

Changeling by Skye Hegyes
With his pointed ears and a tail, Tyler’s always been different than the other children, but until Marsh, a brownie tells him he’s a changeling, he never thought he wasn’t human. Now he will discover what faery life is like, and just how being a changeling could change his life. On the way, his ties with his mother will be pushed and prodded even as his friendships grow and his love life blossoms. However, in a village of God-fearing people, those who are different are spurned and Tyler will discover how much trouble a fledgling changeling can get into.

Through the Veil by J. Scott Coatsworth
In the not-too-distant future, San Francisco has been swamped by rising sea levels caused by global warming, and has only survived by building a wall to keep the water out of the heart of the City. Colton is a trans man barely getting by on the canals outside the wall. Tris is an elf who has come to the human world on his journey to become a man. Fate brings them together, and everything changes for Colton when he sets out with Tris to find the elf’s missing brother, taking Colton behind the Wall for the first time.

Where To Buy:
Wilde City Press || Amazon

Review:
This anthology was fabulous. I enjoyed all of the stories and how each author took faeries and the Feary realm and made it their own. It’s a smaller anthology but it had pretty much everything I could want since I’m such a huge fantasy, faery and magic fan. Many of the stories had me wanting more from the characters or ended in a way that made me think there could be sequels and that would definitely make me happy!
Overall Stars:
Four
The Pwcca and the Persian Boy by Gus Li
This story was really fascinating. I loved how throughout the story, the question of giving people what they want and taking things for yourself is explored. I really liked how Glyndwr learned about himself and who he was over the course of the story. It was interesting that his actions were noble and for a good cause but may not have been what he thought. I did feel like this was the start of a series with how the story ended. I would definitely be interested to read more about this world Mr. Li created and the characters we’ve met. I kind of want to know if Glyndwr handles the repercussions of his actions and if Lleu winds up being an ally or not.
Stars:
Four
The Other Side of the Chrysalis by Brandon Witt
Oh my word. This was such a good story. The world building was so effortless. You learn about the customs and celebrations as you go and it feels like a natural part of the story. It’s almost as if you knew it already and just needed reminding. BUT THAT ENDING! I pretty much just yelled “NOOOOO!!” really loud at the end of this story. I wanted this to end differently. However the way the story is set up there’s sadly no way it could have ended how I wanted. The brotherly love and affection between Quay and Xenith was so beautiful. It was sweet how Quay continued to protect his little brother long after it was needed. My heart broke for Quay though. He was dealt a hand he didn’t deserve. He had such a kind and gentle heart but he wasn’t appreciated the way he should have been. I desperately want to see more of Quay and Xenith in a future story in this world. I need these two brothers to be happy.
Stars:
Four and a half
Changeling by Skye Hegyes
This story was really good. I like how Ms. Hegyes built this world with different types of Fae and how they’re similar yet slightly different in how they act and appear. I loved how Tyler and Marsh had tails yet it wasn’t a big deal. It was just a part of who they were. I liked the slow build of their relationship and how Marsh helped Tyler gain confidence in himself. The ending is so sweet. I would love to se how Tyler hangles going to the Faery world and how he likes it there. I want to see Marsh and Tyler again to see how they handle their relationship long term.
Stars:
Four
Through the Veil by J. Scott Coatsworth
I really enjoyed the world Mr. Coatsworth created with a future San Francisco that is very different than how it looks now. I also like how he explained that future came about. It was logical but wasn’t a huge deal to the overall world or the characters since it had happened far enough in the past to not matter as much. Colton was an amazing character. He was so courageous going up against the unknown each time something new came his way. I loved Tris. He was so sweet and innocent yet also selfless. The journey these two go on to find Tris’ brother brought a wonderful depth to the world. You’re immersed almost immediately and you don’t realize  the place  you’re taken to isn’t actually real. I love the way Mr. Coatsworth can effortlessly build a world and pull you into it as if you’re really there. This felt like the start of a series and ended in a way that makes me want to know what happens next. I really hope there will be more stories in the future in this world so we can find out more about the upcoming war and which side will triumph.
Stars:
Four

Guest Post:
The wonderful J. Scott Coatsworth stops by to talk about research. I have to say I would have loved to see how this kind of research went down. But I imagine it was a fun day of “what if”. Read and enjoy!
It’s always fun researching a new story. For “Through the Veil”, my novella in the new book “Myths Untold: Faery”, I did more than usual.

“Through the Veil” takes place in San Francisco in about 50 years’ time – after the city has been partially swamped by global warming.

I did some online research – finding a site that gave me maps of what would be flooded with a sea rise of ten or twenty feet. Then I figured out where they might build a wall to keep the Bay from encroaching any further.

You can do a hell of a lot with the ‘net, using Google maps’ street view, for instance, or the Apple Maps 3-D city view. But on some level, there’s no replacement for actually being there. Luckily, we live in San Francisco, just an hour and a half from downtown San Francisco.

I mentioned this to Mark, and he was gung-ho about the idea. So we jumped into the car and drove down to The City. I actually got to walk the route of a large part of my story, from Market Street to AT&T Park. I took notes and photos, figuring out how someone could get from one building to another two stories up, and these figured prominently in my story.

And I stopped by AT&T Park and asked some questions there to help fill in some holes in my story.

It was an amazing afternoon, more so because my husband Mark shared it with me.

I’m hoping the result is a story that will feel “real” to my readers. Especially to folks who are familiar with the City by the Bay.

Consider it my love letter to San Francisco. 🙂

About The Authors:
Gus Li
August (Gus) Li is a creator of fantasy worlds. When not writing, he enjoys drawing, illustration, costuming and cosplay, and making things in general. He lives near Philadelphia with two cats and too many ball-jointed dolls.

He loves to travel and is trying to see as much of the world as possible. Other hobbies include reading (of course), tattoos, and playing video games.

Brandon Witt
Brandon Witt’s outlook on life is greatly impacted by his first eighteen years of growing up gay in a small town in the Ozarks, as well as fifteen years as a counselor and special education teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities.

Add to that his obsession with corgis and mermaids, then factor in an unhealthy love affair with cheeseburgers, and you realize that with all those issues, he’s got plenty to write about…

Skye Hegyes
Dragons, wolves, and sharp objects are commonplace in Skye Hegyes’s home in North Carolina. She spends most of her time between writing and working. When not doing either of these things, you may find her making crafts or adventuring with her family, which consists of her husband, two daughters, two birds, and three cats… and a partridge in a pear tree…

J. Scott Coatsworth
Scott has been writing since elementary school, when he and won a University of Arizona writing contest in 4th grade for his first sci fi story (with illustrations!). He finished his first novel in his mid twenties, but after seeing it rejected by ten publishers, he gave up on writing for a while.

Over the ensuing years, he came back to it periodically, but it never stuck. Then one day, he was complaining to Mark, his husband, early last year about how he had been derailed yet again by the death of a family member, and Mark said to him “the only one stopping you from writing is you.”

Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories – some new, some that he had started years before – and seeing his first sale. He’s embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs the Queer Sci Fi (http://www.queerscifi.com) site, a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatural fiction.

Author Contact:
Gus Li
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ninja.Gus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ninja_Gus

Brandon Witt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.witt.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wittauthor
Webpage: http://www.brandonwitt.com/

Skye Hegyes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkyeHegyes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkyeHegyes
Website: http://www.skyehegyes.com/

J. Scott Coatsworth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth
Website: http://www.jscottcoatsworth.com/