Endeavours of the Unsung

by Melissa A. Joy

From Armaran in the west to Icetaihn in the north and Zaern’Kairnell in the east, there are 10 unsung tales to be told.

In the frozen north lies a crystalline fortress in the farthest reaches of a treacherous glacier, and in the east a demonic fissure beckons from the scarred depths of a formidable gorge. Long kept are the secrets in a silver forest cloaked in fog, and atop the highest peak in Armaran a prince seeks a pact with an ancient dragon. Somewhere in the northern lands is a pint-sized bookworm with a penchant for adventure, and elsewhere covert operations take place at a vampire soirée.

Many are the tales of Aeldynn.
Here are the Endeavours of the Unsung.

Genres: Fantasy

ebook

First published April 18, 2018

About the author

Melissa A. Joy is an Autistic + ADHD fantasy author who challenges the conventional expectations of fantasy and takes them to a whole new level. It is no secret that she/they believe(s) in the existence of all things fantastical, and that anything is possible.

She/they began building the world of Aeldynn and started writing seriously aged approximately 13, and has since developed it into something truly magical worth sharing. From the glorious winged Drahknyr and wise and fearsome dragons to pirates of the high seas and a world rich with history and lore, her/their imagination could be said to be limitless.

When not locked in a reverie about what’s going on in the world of Aeldynn, she/they are probably out sailing the high seas on a tall ship, training at Kung Fu, gaming, or perhaps dressed up in costume at an anime convention.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read of June and it was brilliant, what a fantastic collection of short stories. Stories of love, duty, thieves, exploration and events connecting to the main story. This is a brilliant book by Melissa, it shows her talent as a writer and that she can switch to short stories easily - my first June read and it was brilliant!

[Selene Kallan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written short stories in the world of Aeldynn.
I can't choose a favourite, each story is unique on its own. Love, lost, mystery, action; I devoured it in no time.
If you are not familiar with Melissa A. Joy's work, then this would be a great start. However, some of the stories link to the plot of The scions of Balance.
Perfect for those who have read Keys of the Origin and are hungrily awaiting the next book in the saga.

[David Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully realised set of short stories that dovetail nicely with Melissa's debut fantasy novel "Keys of the Origin (The Scions of Balance)". Having written short stories myself that are all set in different times/places/locations/worlds/etc, I found this an incredibly intriguing read, since each of the stories are directly connected to her world of Aeldynn itself.

The true mark of a superb short story collection written in this way to me is if each one of the tales could have enough potential to have their own individual novel flesh out these fascinating vignettes further. Melissa does this both admirably and effortlessly with each and every one of her stories presented in this volume.

The stories in this collection can all be read either as an aside to give you insight into the intricately crafted universe that Melissa explores and expands upon in her debut novel or as companion pieces that complement the plot of her Keys of the Origin novel, along with giving background detail to additional characters that were not focused on as heavily in her debut.

Melissa combines elements of magic, ancient lore, dragons, nautical swashbuckling, well developed atmosphere, fantastical kingdoms, drama, romance, vivid imagery and so much more, it is easy to immerse yourself entirely and you will want to spend as much time as you possibly can there.

This book will easily whet the appetites of those who enjoyed Melissa debut novel and want to enjoy more of her writing to tide them over until she releases the next book in the series.

[Jacob Rundle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of these short stories in exchange for a true and honest reviews. I would give Endeavours of the Unsung a strong 4.8/5.0. I really enjoyed each story. They were attention grabbing. It's ok if you haven't read Melissa's Key of the Origins. I really recommend this set of stories. Some of the do connect to her other work, but you won't get lost.
I recommend this set; you won't be disappointed.

[James__ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Endeavours of the Unsung, which I read after the Keys of the Origin (the authors previous novel). This short story collection provides 10 stories set in same setting as the Keys of the Origin providing some enjoyable short stories on a range of fantasy themes. The book does a good job of following up Keys of the Origin, providing some additional life to the setting the author started to lay out in the novel, though this not a sequel to the Key of the Origin. Several of the stories take place round events from the original book but are stand alone stories and don’t require the reader to have read the first novel to follow to the plot of the individual stories. The book also includes some lovely internal artwork to preface most of the stories which adds a nice little extra to those stories and the book also includes a handy glossary as well as a nice map.

In Summary, this short story collections provides a nice bit of addition world building to the Key of the Origin and if you enjoyed that this is a great follow on read. As a stand alone the collection gives a nice set of easy to read short stories.