Well, this collection was unexpected; but welcome.  This is a collection of thirteen short stories by the author of two very different series plus a couple of reimagined fairy tales. 

"Araminta, or The Wreck of the Amphidrake" was enjoyable; combining several oft-used plots but to good effect.  Araminta was raised a bit more roughly than her step-sisters; accompanying her father hunting and other activities that her gentle brother resisted.  So her behavior was not what her mother expected of her; nor did any potential suitors.  A suitable husband was eventually found; one that hadn't yet met her.  So Araminta was packed off to travel by ship accompanied by two maids, a chaperone, and a mysterious charm "to be used in dire circumstances, only".  Since she had dabbled in spellbooks found in her father's library, she had a suspicion what the charm's function was.  And she finally had occasion to test it when their ship was boarded by pirates.  So it was as "Aramin" that she convinced the pirate captain to keep her alive for ransom.  Having been onboard for some time now; she pretty much knew what sailors did in their bunks with each other.  And the pirate captain was no different; the captain just hoped he had enough time to seduce the handsome young noble before ransoming him.

Eating heartily and learning from the sailors started to put weight and muscle on her new form.  She wondered what the lasting effect would be on her female form should she ever remove the charm; but that wasn't going to happen while she was still onboard.  But she did end up having a reason to do so after the ship was attacked by a giant leviathan and then wrecked on an island. The island being home to a goddess' shrine; Araminta had the presence of mind to make an offering of jewels she had kept hidden from the pirates.  The goddess, in turn, did the usual:  made her an offer.  So Araminta actually got what she'd always wanted.  I enjoyed this one, sorry for the wordy review.

There was, thank goodness, a short story about her Scholomance world.  It takes place after those events and Orion Lake even makes a cameo appearance.  But the story is about three young freshmen, desperate for certain supplies which would only be accessible to lowly freshmen if they went in the middle of the night to the supply closet.  But 'middle of the night' is just another way of saying "I'm going to be something's late-night snack."  If it weren't for Orion showing up providentially, they probably wouldn't have made it back to their rooms.  But the story was really about seeing past the facades people put up to protect their secrets, and helping someone just because they need it.

There was also, another thank goodness, a story in the Temeraire world but much removed in time.  Novik wondered how the practice of training dragons might have started and Marc Antony looked like a good place to start.  Antony was sent to slay a dragon - most were expecting him to die and no one would miss him - but the gods were looking out for him.  Ever the avaricious sort, he collected the dragon's hoard for himself… which included an egg.  Since we know now that a dragon acquires both language and knowledge from listening within the egg, this reader was not surprised at what happened when the egg hatched; unlike poor Marc Antony.  But the possibilities were enormous; especially in the imagination of Julius Caesar.

The title story "Buried Deep" is a new telling of the origin of the Minotaur; but it isn't really as much about the Minotaur as his sister.  And you might think that Theseus was the one who slayed the Minotaur but you'd be wrong…

Novik also included the short story that spawned the novel "Spinning Silver."  In a foreword, she said she included it because it was a different story than the novel became.  I wanted to pull out my novel and compare it but lost motivation when I realized it was in a box deep in a shed.  She did note there was a lot of overlap; which really makes me want to find that novel.  I don't remember the novel well enough to determine what's different; this story was familiar enough - and completely enjoyable.

The next offering was a delightful visit to the world of Sherlock Holmes in the guise of Irene Adler.  Those who know those stories will know of Irene Adler.  But they won't have known how she personally dealt with the news of the famous man's death.  This was great fun.

The next one, "Seven", was wonderful - from a feminist's point of view.  For generations, the seven city gates each had a statue that was made by the very best artist in the city, using a sacred clay that only they were allowed to use.  The statues lasted a long time so there was no telling when one might be worn enough to cause the city fathers to decide a new one needed making.  When such a time occurred, the craftsmen in the city competed fiercely for the honor; even knowing it meant their death in a handful of years.  It was the clay, you see.  The special clay carried by the river beneath their city, the clay which would have an opalescent sheen unlike any other material, the clay that carried something within it that would start killing the artist immediately.  Kath was not an artisan; her husband was the craftsman but he died after fathering three children on her and leaving her in debt.  Everyone knew that the chosen grandmaster would, in addition to the glory of creating a new statue, be the only one allowed to continue using the sacred clay until his death.  The items cast from this clay were greatly prized and the grandmaster would die a wealthy man.  It occurred to Kath that since she knew how to throw pottery, having learned from her husband, that she might have a go at the prize; thereby relieving her poverty and providing for her children.  And she accepted the inevitability of her death but she intended to make it as difficult as possible for death to claim her.  Once she was heralded as the new grandmaster, there was nothing she couldn't ask for; including some rather outlandish methods for working the clay.  Maybe the men should've thought of these methods themselves.

Since our author is fond of twisting fairy tales, it was no surprise to see a new take on the Cinderella story.  This little story deals only with the baby's presentation to the local fairies and was so much fun.  Since her family was rather middle-class, no one expected much in the way of blessings; those were usually bestowed on nobility.  So her mother sent invitations to every fairy she could find; hoping one or two might deign to come.  She also went out of her way to present a feast worthy of fairies, including a great deal of drink.  Unfortunately, when time came to give the blessings, every single one of them, including the shadowed fairy, was soused to the gills.  In their inebriated state, all of them were feeling generous and wished to upstage each other.  The parents could barely breathe; first came Grace, second was Wealth, third was Power, and fourth… fourth was a mistake.  The shadow fairy was being sarcastic when she chastised her sisters for not giving the child Beauty; whereby, the fourth fairy, waving her eighth glass of wine and giving back sarcasm, accidently imbued the baby with Ugliness.  The fifth fairy, ignoring the hints her sisters gave her to mitigate the mistake, compounded it.  She gave the child Strength.  These were not, obviously, an attractive mix of characteristics.  While the first two alone would have guaranteed a good match, Power was not desirable in a maiden; combined with Ugliness and Strength, it practically insured that she was not bound for a fortunate marriage.  And, indeed, that is how it turned out.  The wealthy, powerful and graceful girl became an accomplished hunter; and spent time in the woods visiting the shadowed fairy and avoiding prospective husbands - some were still attracted to the Wealth aspect. Finally, having enough of such proposals, she was open to the shadowed fairy's suggestion…

"Lord Dunsany's Teapot" was interesting.  Novik places the story in WWI, in the trenches, and with a growing kinship between two men.  One is Edward, an officer, and the other is Russell, a soldier; a friendship not exactly encouraged but one that most would ignore.  The two men bonded over late night tea and started telling stories. Edward discovered that Russell regarded his little battered teapot as a sort of talisman. Russell showed him a curious pearlescent lump stuck to the bottom of the pot and assured Edward that everything "would be alright."  But it wasn't.  Russell's battalion was called to duty and Russell's death broke something inside Edward.  But it wasn't until his own teapot was burned that he had reason to use Russell's, given to him as a memento.  And, at last, he understood.

"Seven Years From Home" is a very straightforward science fiction story. Ruth is called to work as a diplomat on a settled world called Landfall.  The world supports two groups of humans; one lives as humans have always lived, full of their own self-righteousness.  The other group decided that they would not try to force the world to change to their specifications; instead, they decided they would change to meet the new conditions.  In this case, the latter group called Melidans, grew wings - only the most obvious aspect of their changes.  The Melidans are the last of their kind; other groups on other planets always seemed to invite the inevitable pogrom.  Ruth is sent by the Confederation to the Melidans to persuade them to allow the Esperigans to colonize on their pristine side of the planet.  The very thought is anathema to the Melidans; and, unfortunately, they have neglected the technology that now allows the Esperigans to take by force what was not given freely.  The Melidans do have a small advantage; they haven't exactly neglected technology, it just isn't anything the Esperigans or the Confederation would recognize.  For Ruth, the concept that human life is not inherently superior to any other kind, rang as truth in her; so her "going native" was not really unexpected.  She still thought she might be able to broker a peace and neither side would be bloodied; this was not to be.  But she felt at home with the Melidans and if events had progressed differently; she would probably been at home with them forever.  This was definitely a cautionary tale about imperialism.  Very well-written and intriguing.

Ms Novik admits she is a huge fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice so it is not unexpected to see that influence here.  She combines that era with the Temeraire world; to great effect. Captain Elizabeth Bennet is captain to her dragon Wollstonecraft.  Her mother still harbors a secret desire to find a suitable mate for Elizabeth and separate her from the obviously undesirable employment she enjoys. So, with no good way to excuse herself from being presented, she is subjected to attending a party in her honor. In order to please her mother, and keep gossip to a minimum, she agrees to dress appropriately and conduct herself as a dutiful daughter and not the formidable Captain charged with protecting England from Napoleon.  So it is unexpected when she meets the intriguing Mr. Darcy; although they do not experience any connection at that time.  But time and events conspire to put them together and Elizabeth finds, to her great surprise, that Mr. Darcy is not completely adverse to her unconventional life and vocation.  He even goes out of his way to support their war effort with supplies and respite. Despite their growing attraction, she knows she can never be a typical wife and give Mr. Darcy the home expected of a wife and homemaker.  But it is hard to put aside her attraction, even desire, while England is in the throes of war and desperately needs both her and her dragon.  And it doesn't help that her dragon, Wollstonecraft, keeps conspiring to throw her and Mr. Darcy together; the romance and potential wedding are irresistible to the dragon.  But both their society and her essential job are formidable barriers and Elizabeth can't quite see a way to overcome them.  But there's always her ever-helpful dragon…

The next one was a straightforward fairy tale/fantasy story.  It revolved around a young bride exploring her new home and a typically "haunted" tower.  Against all advice and warning, she happens to spend a night in the tower and encounters its residents.  And, in typical fashion, she has to gamble for the life of another.  While excellently written, this story was a bit prosaic.

The last one was the most intriguing for this reader.  In the foreword, Novik confides that she expects to write a novel in this world; while she warns that many things might end up changed from this introductory story.  Tess and her brother, Aston, are fisherfolk on what appears to be a rather primitive world.  Together they build a superior ship to attempt the impossible:  sailing around the world.  Everyone knows that's impossible; but if they can prove the world is round, trade will be more profitable by avoiding the straits where they have to pay a tariff.  This project attracts the attention of the masters of their society; magicians, all.  One of them declares he will accompany them on this journey; but his purpose is a concern to the siblings, nothing good ever comes from association with the High Lords.  The siblings have no way to deny the High Lord passage; and Tess worries over what he'll have them do on the way.  What she didn't expect was to both understand and empathize with the High Lord; nor did she count on her brother's attraction to said Lord.  And she did not anticipate the irresistible draw of the mysterious follies they encountered once they found new land.  Tess was terrified of drawing the attention of whatever built those gigantic monuments while the High Lord thought nothing of trying to deliberately contact them.  But what really terrified her was her beloved brother's solution to all their problems.

Overall, I was well-satisfied with the selections.  Novik is a powerful voice in this genre and I will always look for anything new from her.  As should everyone - just sayin'.   ~~ Catherine Book

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