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Princes' Game #8
Major Pieces: A Peltedverse Collection
Everybody's got a story... even the bystanders.
The staff of the Alliance's foremost restaurant... the forgotten children of the imperial Chatcaavan harem... the story of how an empress hired a D-per, and an entire ship full of Glaseah came to settle on an alien world... here, woven amid the larger stories of the participants in the Chatcaavan war, are the smaller scenes observed by its minor characters, or shifted by its major ones in moments of contemplation. Major Pieces collects 21 stories starting from before the events of Even the Wingless and ending just prior to the first book of the Jubilee Summer duology. Some are as short as a talk with a therapist and his dog over cookies--others are nearly novel-length examinations of important events previously left off-camera, like the wedding of a wingless freak to an Emperor and his consort. All of them were reader-selected, and many, reader-suggested.
You've survived the war. Now come back to the unexplored corners of the story and linger.
The staff of the Alliance's foremost restaurant... the forgotten children of the imperial Chatcaavan harem... the story of how an empress hired a D-per, and an entire ship full of Glaseah came to settle on an alien world... here, woven amid the larger stories of the participants in the Chatcaavan war, are the smaller scenes observed by its minor characters, or shifted by its major ones in moments of contemplation. Major Pieces collects 21 stories starting from before the events of Even the Wingless and ending just prior to the first book of the Jubilee Summer duology. Some are as short as a talk with a therapist and his dog over cookies--others are nearly novel-length examinations of important events previously left off-camera, like the wedding of a wingless freak to an Emperor and his consort. All of them were reader-selected, and many, reader-suggested.
You've survived the war. Now come back to the unexplored corners of the story and linger.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
592 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
21 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
M.C.A. Hogarth
145 books387 followersDaughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 8, 2019
Collection of shorts, ranging from very short vignettes to two novella-length pieces, set in and around Hogarth's Princes' Game series. Some really interesting additional insight into the cast of those books, from the very minor to the (ahem) major pieces. Really nice to spend more time with these characters, and if you enjoyed the series it's a must read.
June 23, 2020
Substantial and Rewarding
When you are as enamored of an author's works as I am of MCA Hogarth's, a book of outtakes and cut scenes (as the book description suggests) sounds fun and, as the author states in the intro, "fluffy." But, I found this to be incredibly substantial fare, with two longer works moving this anthology away from being a mere collection of short stories. I wouldn't have missed a word of this volume, for it has rounded my experience of multiple series and helped me to better link and contextualize events that overlapped in time, but not in books. A truly rewarding and remarkable achievement.
When you are as enamored of an author's works as I am of MCA Hogarth's, a book of outtakes and cut scenes (as the book description suggests) sounds fun and, as the author states in the intro, "fluffy." But, I found this to be incredibly substantial fare, with two longer works moving this anthology away from being a mere collection of short stories. I wouldn't have missed a word of this volume, for it has rounded my experience of multiple series and helped me to better link and contextualize events that overlapped in time, but not in books. A truly rewarding and remarkable achievement.
December 8, 2019
excellent and satisfying
This set of stories enriches the series and helps fill in some gaps in the major books. There are times I wish MCA Hogarth could just write everything she dreams of and not worry about standard book length, but I guess that kind of book would also never be finished either. . . I am very happy to have these, however, and whatever else she chooses to write as they enrich and expand our vision of the Peltedverse in all sorts of lovely directions. Thank you!
This set of stories enriches the series and helps fill in some gaps in the major books. There are times I wish MCA Hogarth could just write everything she dreams of and not worry about standard book length, but I guess that kind of book would also never be finished either. . . I am very happy to have these, however, and whatever else she chooses to write as they enrich and expand our vision of the Peltedverse in all sorts of lovely directions. Thank you!
November 29, 2022
These vignettes add so much to the canon. It’s a treasure and really enriches the series. I really love the quiet bits between the major events, so this was right up my alley. :D
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November 19, 2019This is a wonderful collection of short (and not so short) stories, set in the Pelted universe, mostly around the time of the Prince's Game stories. Some stories are about the Chatcaava in the aftermath of the civil war, others about the Eldritch and friends, they all shed light on the characters in ways that don't really fit into the plot of a longer work. Liolesa first coming into her pattern-sending power, Vashih't bringing his family to the Eldritch homeworld, The Queen Ransomed's first child, and Lisinthir's wedding. All of these, and the rest, are beautifully and lovingly written. If you have read the Prince's Game set of stories, this is truly not to be missed.
June 13, 2020
Magnificent
What an extraordinary concept, beautifully implemented. Because this collection of short pieces fills in the books and crannies of the series, you must have read the series. That said, I cannot remember ever reading such a delightful collection of shorts. They answer questions I wanted answers for, raise new questions, explain motivations, reveal personalities, and generally being the earlier parts of the stories into a fuller, richer vibrancy.
What an extraordinary concept, beautifully implemented. Because this collection of short pieces fills in the books and crannies of the series, you must have read the series. That said, I cannot remember ever reading such a delightful collection of shorts. They answer questions I wanted answers for, raise new questions, explain motivations, reveal personalities, and generally being the earlier parts of the stories into a fuller, richer vibrancy.
December 11, 2019
This is everything I ever wanted as a reader, which makes sense because this book was entirely reader funded. Expect lots of cozy scenes featuring characters from the later Peltedverse series (Princes Game, Dreamhealers, Her Instruments). So many lovely behind-the-scenes glimpses and some great lead-in to upcoming books. If you wanted more Peltedverse, this is what you want.
May 16, 2023
Rare beauty
To read an author who loves language is so rare. To read characters that the author obviously loves is a nearly intimate joy. The peltedverse has provided me with endless hours of pure joy. Thank you M C A Hogarth for creating and sharing the immense world you have built
To read an author who loves language is so rare. To read characters that the author obviously loves is a nearly intimate joy. The peltedverse has provided me with endless hours of pure joy. Thank you M C A Hogarth for creating and sharing the immense world you have built
September 6, 2025
The sheer gamut of stories in this anthology is staggering, and all of them are good. Some are sad, some are happy, and some I don't know what to do with yet. I'll say that two of them hit particularly hard: Legacy (with memories of Oviin) and Hope's Navy (with its joy and hope for the future). I hope Hogarth writes for years to come. <3
November 24, 2019
Filling in the spaces
This collection of short and not so short stories expands the Princes’ Game and associated series with tales that feature many of the major and minor characters. It was lovely to learn more about people that intrigued but got little coverage in the novels. And to have side stories covered in more depth. As always, there is great character development and visualization. Hogarth builds worlds you can believe in and become lost in.
This collection of short and not so short stories expands the Princes’ Game and associated series with tales that feature many of the major and minor characters. It was lovely to learn more about people that intrigued but got little coverage in the novels. And to have side stories covered in more depth. As always, there is great character development and visualization. Hogarth builds worlds you can believe in and become lost in.
September 3, 2021
An In Between
I love that the Author went back and created some fill-in-the-blank stories to round out the original series of books. They give a greater insight to the back story and feelings of the main and secondary characters.
I love that the Author went back and created some fill-in-the-blank stories to round out the original series of books. They give a greater insight to the back story and feelings of the main and secondary characters.
November 24, 2019
A wonderful addition to the Pelted universe. A good mix of characters and times/locations from the Prince’s Games series
December 15, 2021
21 short stories to " fill in the gaps". Well written, and self explanatory
January 29, 2023
A set of short stories and a couple of novellas set in and around the Princes' Game series, this was very enjoyable and filled in a number of holes in the backgrounds of various characters. A wonderful adjunct to the series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews