My thanks to First Reads Giveaways for this ARC--I am not being compensated for my review.

Valerie Laken's collection of short stories, Separate Kingdoms, alternates between settings in the United States and Russia. In the eight stories, the people find themselves divided and separated--by disability, need, species, and past hurts. It's a slice of life, where there are no easy answers, no true plot, and not necessarily a "happily ever after".

I found the stories quite thought provoking and unique, especially the story for which the collection is named. It's been some time since I've read such fresh short stories; I think my only reason for subtracting a star would be wanting it to be longer and maybe a little less obvious reason for calling the collection "Separate Kingdoms". Make us think a bit more.

I definitely would recommend this book for someone wanting something that feels new and fresh, and gives an opportunity to see a different viewpoint on things.