Fantastic Hope - Book Review

Fantastic Hope (Anthology)
Edited by Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey

What is it about:
A collection of sixteen sci-fi and fantasy stories edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton and author William McCaskey.

A child’s wish for her father comes true. The end of the world has never been so much fun. Conquering personal demons becomes all too real. It’s not always about winning; sometimes it’s about showing up for the fight. It’s about loving your life’s work, and jobs that make you question everything.

In this anthology, seventeen authors have woven together brand-new stories that speak to the darkness and despair that life brings while reminding us that good deeds, humor, love, sacrifice, dedication, and following our joy can ignite a light that burns so bright the darkness cannot last.

Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey are joined by Kevin J. Anderson, Griffin Barber, Patricia Briggs, Larry Correia, Kacey Ezell, Monalisa Foster, Robert E. Hampson, John G. Hartness, Jonathan Maberry, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Jessica Schlenker, Sharon Shinn, M. C. Sumner, Patrick M. Tracy, and Michael Z. Williamson in this collection.

TWILIGHT FALLS by Jonathan Maberry
NOT IN THIS LIFETIME by Sharon Shinn
MR. POSITIVE, THE ETERNAL OPTIMIST by Larry Correia
NO GREATER LOVE by Kacey Ezell
BROKEN SON by Griffin Barber
HEART OF CLAY by Kevin J. Anderson
REPRISE by John G. Hartness
ASIL AND THE NOT-DATE by Patricia Briggs
IN THE DUST by Robert E. Hampson
FALLEN by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
WORKING CONDITIONS by Patrick M. Tracy
LAST CONTACT by M. C. Sumner
RONIN by William McCaskey
SKJÖLDMÓÐIR by Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker
BONDS OF LOVE AND DUTY by Monalisa Foster
ZOMBIE DEAREST by Laurell K. Hamilton

What did I think of it:
Did I preorder this book because of the Asil story by Patricia Briggs? Totally! But this anthology has more pearls to offer.

As is always the case with an anthology, this is a mixed bag. Some stories are part of a larger series, while others are standalone for as far as I can tell. I decided to skip the Anita Blake story by Laurell K. Hamilton, as I am planning to read the series and have only read two books so far.

My favorite stories were Not in This Lifetime by Sharon Shinn and Asil and the Not-Date by Patricia Briggs. Shinn's story is a standalone and it's such a sweet story in my opinion. Shinn's writing is beautiful as always, and I was hooked from the first sentence. Briggs' story is part of the Mercyverse and the second story in a series of stories about Asil, but also perfectly readable as a standalone. I love Asil, so you bet I gobbled up this story.

Other stories I really enjoyed were Twilight Falls, Mr. Positive, The Eternal Optimist, No Greater Love, and Last Contact.

All in all this is a very enjoyable anthology, it introduced me to some new authors, and rekindled my love for others.

Why should you read it:
Even if just one of these authors is a favorite of yours, it's worth getting this anthology imo.


Buy from bookdepository