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Touchstones: A Collection
The glass molded to my foot as neatly—and as chillingly—as if it had been made for me.
“This,” I said, “is a most unfortunate coincidence…”
From tongue-in-cheek fairy tale reframings to forbidden Victorian-era romance and contemporary ghosts, dive into an immersive world of magic. Touchstones is a collection of sparkling short fantasy fiction from Stephanie Burgis, including two new stories as well as fourteen short stories and novelettes that have been previously published in magazines and anthologies.
This collection includes The Wrong Foot, Undead Philosophy 101, A Cup of Comfort, Dreaming Harry, Offerings, Dancing in the Dark, The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain, The Wildness Inside, The Art of Deception, Midnight, Clasp Hands, Crow, True Names, Good Neighbors, Love, Your Flatmate, and House of Secrets.
“This,” I said, “is a most unfortunate coincidence…”
From tongue-in-cheek fairy tale reframings to forbidden Victorian-era romance and contemporary ghosts, dive into an immersive world of magic. Touchstones is a collection of sparkling short fantasy fiction from Stephanie Burgis, including two new stories as well as fourteen short stories and novelettes that have been previously published in magazines and anthologies.
This collection includes The Wrong Foot, Undead Philosophy 101, A Cup of Comfort, Dreaming Harry, Offerings, Dancing in the Dark, The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain, The Wildness Inside, The Art of Deception, Midnight, Clasp Hands, Crow, True Names, Good Neighbors, Love, Your Flatmate, and House of Secrets.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2022
4 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Burgis
81 books1,368 followersI grew up in America, but now I live in Wales with my husband, fellow writer Patrick Samphire, our two sons, and our sweet (and extremely vocal) tabby cat, Pebbles. I write fantasy rom-coms for adults (most recently Claws and Contrivances and Good Neighbors) and fun MG fantasy adventure novels, too (most recently The Raven Crown duology). My next series will be the adult romantasy trilogy The Queens of Villainy, published by Tor Bramble, starting in 2025 with Wooing the Witch Queen.
To get early sneak peeks at new stories and novels, sign up for my newsletter here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter.
To join my Dragons' Book Club and get early copies of every ebook that I put out myself (so, all of my novellas, short story ebooks, etc!), check out my Patreon page, where I also published a series of fantasy rom-coms (Good Neighbors) across 2020-2021.
I only rate and review the books that I like, which is why all of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars.
To get early sneak peeks at new stories and novels, sign up for my newsletter here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter.
To join my Dragons' Book Club and get early copies of every ebook that I put out myself (so, all of my novellas, short story ebooks, etc!), check out my Patreon page, where I also published a series of fantasy rom-coms (Good Neighbors) across 2020-2021.
I only rate and review the books that I like, which is why all of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars.
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July 11, 2022ETA: And it's out! Hooray! Snap up the ebook or the paperback now. (Right at this moment, the paperback edition is only showing up on Amazon, but it should start popping up on other booksites soon.)
I'm so excited to share these stories with you! Some are romantic, some are funny, and some are darker but with a thread of hope and magic running through every one of them - I really want this collection to be a comfort read overall.
Now to celebrate with chocolate! :)
I'm so excited to share these stories with you! Some are romantic, some are funny, and some are darker but with a thread of hope and magic running through every one of them - I really want this collection to be a comfort read overall.
Now to celebrate with chocolate! :)
June 30, 2022
Touchstones is one of those rare books, I want to give more than 5 stars. Which means even more, as it's a story collection, and I usually prefer longer formats.
These stories however felt like they were written especially for me, and I feel like I need to tell everyone and their dog about this wonderful book!
There's a lot of different tones and styles to be found in here, and not one of them I didn't like. They all have a touch of romance, but they all have a lot more than that!
From cosy to funny, from thoughtful to silly, from fluffy to darker and from regency to a campus in our time.
There's two things though, all these stories have in common:
🌪️ A good twist
♀️ Amazing female main characters, who know or learn about, their own strength and goals!
I loved the way this book made me feel when reading, from a small contented sigh, over smirks and snorts, to full on "Yay girl, you got this!" air punch moments, I got it all along the way.
If you're looking for a book with strong female protagonist forging their own paths, but you also want something that leaves you more resilient and happy than before, instead of angry or depressed, I can't recommend this enough!
(oh, and it also has some nice LGBT moments as well! 🏳️🌈)
These stories however felt like they were written especially for me, and I feel like I need to tell everyone and their dog about this wonderful book!
There's a lot of different tones and styles to be found in here, and not one of them I didn't like. They all have a touch of romance, but they all have a lot more than that!
"A deeply impractical way to find his missing dance partner." I shook my head, setting one finger in my book to mark my place. "It certainly fits his appalling reputation, though. Has anyone suggested that he simply look at maidens' faces as a better way to recognize the girl he loves? Or was her face not actually what he was looking at last night?"
From cosy to funny, from thoughtful to silly, from fluffy to darker and from regency to a campus in our time.
"Then that keeps women and the lower orders safely in their place, doesn't it? Leaving the magic to the gentlemen who rule the empire." The other girl snorted. "No wonder they don't want anyone else sharing their power. They wouldn't let me into university either, even though I'd taught myself Latin and Greek as well as any Eton student. But do you think I'm going to let them stop me?"
There's two things though, all these stories have in common:
🌪️ A good twist
♀️ Amazing female main characters, who know or learn about, their own strength and goals!
I loved the way this book made me feel when reading, from a small contented sigh, over smirks and snorts, to full on "Yay girl, you got this!" air punch moments, I got it all along the way.
If you're looking for a book with strong female protagonist forging their own paths, but you also want something that leaves you more resilient and happy than before, instead of angry or depressed, I can't recommend this enough!
(oh, and it also has some nice LGBT moments as well! 🏳️🌈)
June 23, 2022
My favorite short stories in this SFF collection:
- The Wildness Inside
- The Art of Deception
- Love, Your Flatmate
I read an advanced copy for newsletter subscribers.
- The Wildness Inside
- The Art of Deception
- Love, Your Flatmate
I read an advanced copy for newsletter subscribers.
August 13, 2022
cute, lovely fantasy (mostly with a touch of romance|) short stories
June 26, 2022
As a longtime Stephanie Burgis reader I've enjoyed many of these stories before, but it was a delight to revisit them in the context of this collection. The Art of Deception was as sparkling and satisfying as I remembered, the ending of The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain made me feel just as triumphant as the first time, and although I've reread it more than once, Clasp Hands still gets me right in the heart.
I also discovered some new favourites that I hadn't read before - I was struck by the creepiness of True Names and loved its courageous heroine, and I was moved by Dancing in the Dark's exploration of grief and family. I loved the depth of emotion and the vivid setting of The Wildness Inside and the subtle tension of A Cup of Comfort.
I could probably list every story in this collection and why I loved it, but the thing I love about all of them is how hopeful they are - sometimes because people who really need it get their fun, frothy happy ending, sometimes because there's hope in having a community around you, or in making a different choice, or in just knowing who you are and what you're capable of.
I also discovered some new favourites that I hadn't read before - I was struck by the creepiness of True Names and loved its courageous heroine, and I was moved by Dancing in the Dark's exploration of grief and family. I loved the depth of emotion and the vivid setting of The Wildness Inside and the subtle tension of A Cup of Comfort.
I could probably list every story in this collection and why I loved it, but the thing I love about all of them is how hopeful they are - sometimes because people who really need it get their fun, frothy happy ending, sometimes because there's hope in having a community around you, or in making a different choice, or in just knowing who you are and what you're capable of.
July 14, 2022
This is a delightful collection of shorts, mostly fantasy romances, which, if you enjoy Stephanie Burgis' longer works, you should love. They read like glimpses into full-length novels without seeming rushed or incomplete, and feel like stepping into somewhere warm and comfortable, familiar without ever being boring.
My favourites:
The Wrong Foot, The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain, and House of Secrets: I'm putting these all together because they're all Regency-style fantasy romances, and I love them for their similarity. If you've read Scales & Sensibility, you will adore these. Clever heroines with overbearing or neglectful family members pushing them into unwanted engagements (or, in the case of House of Secrets, something worse), which the young ladies must of course escape using their wits and newfound sense of self-worth, sometimes with the help of a dashing servant (or another lady). I would read all three of these as novels.
Dreaming Harry: a darker story, but not VERY dark, about a boy whose dreams (most often nightmares) keep manifesting in his parents' bedroom, to their despair - and to the interest of certain menacing outsiders.
Dancing in the Dark: about grief, loss, and family. Maybe I'm getting more sensitive as I get older, but this one wrecked me!
The Art of Deception: I think this is one of the longer stories in the collection? There are swordfights and politics and aristocracy and so many people lying to each other, and it's mostly set in a giant magical library tower, which should be its own selling point. And a much higher body count than most of the others, too! I consider that a selling-point even if no one else does.
True Names: another darker one! A woman down in the American south is fed up with her husband and her life when she gets a dangerous stranger at her door. Flannery O'Connor vibes with a fantasy (paranormal? occult?) twist.
Good Neighbors: a novella about a witch and the annoyingly handsome necromancer who lives next door, with whom she wants nothing to do. This is also the start of a whole series of novellas you can read as their own collection, which I highly recommend, because they're all lovely.
My favourites:
The Wrong Foot, The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain, and House of Secrets: I'm putting these all together because they're all Regency-style fantasy romances, and I love them for their similarity. If you've read Scales & Sensibility, you will adore these. Clever heroines with overbearing or neglectful family members pushing them into unwanted engagements (or, in the case of House of Secrets, something worse), which the young ladies must of course escape using their wits and newfound sense of self-worth, sometimes with the help of a dashing servant (or another lady). I would read all three of these as novels.
Dreaming Harry: a darker story, but not VERY dark, about a boy whose dreams (most often nightmares) keep manifesting in his parents' bedroom, to their despair - and to the interest of certain menacing outsiders.
Dancing in the Dark: about grief, loss, and family. Maybe I'm getting more sensitive as I get older, but this one wrecked me!
The Art of Deception: I think this is one of the longer stories in the collection? There are swordfights and politics and aristocracy and so many people lying to each other, and it's mostly set in a giant magical library tower, which should be its own selling point. And a much higher body count than most of the others, too! I consider that a selling-point even if no one else does.
True Names: another darker one! A woman down in the American south is fed up with her husband and her life when she gets a dangerous stranger at her door. Flannery O'Connor vibes with a fantasy (paranormal? occult?) twist.
Good Neighbors: a novella about a witch and the annoyingly handsome necromancer who lives next door, with whom she wants nothing to do. This is also the start of a whole series of novellas you can read as their own collection, which I highly recommend, because they're all lovely.
June 30, 2022
This is a lovely collection of beautiful stories by Stephanie Burgis. As per her other work, ths stories are uplifting, but cover a variety of themes. I love her storytelling, each of these short stories is pacy, easy to read and comforting, whilst covering some difficult topics. I would whole-heartedly recommend.
April 20, 2023
Lovely collection, I might be getting the good neighbors collection sooner than later. :)
July 10, 2022
Touchstones is a collection of short stories that are connected by their insistence on happy endings, and a thread of (sometimes very unexpected) kindness that’s woven throughout. They’re also not nearly as simple as they look at first glance; for example, The Crow, which is one of the shortest stories in the collection and one of my favourites, is about finding your voice and learning to set healthy boundaries…even if it looks like a story about getting a real live crow stuck in your throat.
Most if not all of the stories have some gentle message in them – independence and freedom are both big, beautiful themes – but none of them are preachy. This isn’t Aesop’s Fables, where the stories are thin disguises for various life-lessons; Burgis’ stories are intended to entertain and delight, to offer distraction and escape from a Real World that, let’s be honest, we all need occasional breaks from.
And they do that beautifully! After the first few, I started saving Touchstones to read just before bed, allowing myself just a story or two to calm my mind down and make me smile before curling up to sleep. I’m not saying I didn’t have my heart in my throat a few times – sometimes the various characters find themselves in pretty horrible straits before they get their happy ending – but Touchstones is a wonderful collection to unwind with; charming, sweet, and eternally hopeful (and hope-full, at that).
This is a joy of a book, and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a softly magical pick-me-up.
Most if not all of the stories have some gentle message in them – independence and freedom are both big, beautiful themes – but none of them are preachy. This isn’t Aesop’s Fables, where the stories are thin disguises for various life-lessons; Burgis’ stories are intended to entertain and delight, to offer distraction and escape from a Real World that, let’s be honest, we all need occasional breaks from.
And they do that beautifully! After the first few, I started saving Touchstones to read just before bed, allowing myself just a story or two to calm my mind down and make me smile before curling up to sleep. I’m not saying I didn’t have my heart in my throat a few times – sometimes the various characters find themselves in pretty horrible straits before they get their happy ending – but Touchstones is a wonderful collection to unwind with; charming, sweet, and eternally hopeful (and hope-full, at that).
This is a joy of a book, and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a softly magical pick-me-up.
August 13, 2022
This is an entertaining collection of short stories, comprising fairy tale retellings, romances, and finding oneself, with some light horror added in.
-The Wrong Foot: a nice subversion of the Cinderella story, where the wrong woman’s foot fits the shoe of the woman the prince is looking for. The main character is not interested in marriage and would prefer to continue her education. How she deals with her situation is funny and smart.
4 stars.
-Undead Philosophy 101: Hey vamps! don’t underestimate someone just because they don’t look like what you think they should look like!
3.5 stars.
-A Cup of Comfort: the story starts with such a cozy, warm and comforting feel, and transforms into a chilling tale.
4 stars.
-Dreaming Harry: This was both funny and alarming, as a child’s nightly dreams literally manifest.
4 stars.
-Offerings: A witch and a squirrel must deal with a problem together. Light and amusing.
3.5 stars.
-Dancing in the Dark: A sister and her younger brother must cope with their grief after their parents die, and they’re taken in by an uncle. It’s sweet, it’s poignant.
4.5 stars.
-The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain: delightful. From its unconventional main character Agatha, who tries to forge a different, independent path for herself, rather than the expected and stifling one destined for gentlewomen, to the wonderful romance she begins with an unconventional lady’s companion.
5 stars.
-The Wildness Inside: Much as I like stories of shapeshifters, I found this offering slight. Though I totally loved the detail of the two dogs saving objects they like in their outdoor kennel.
3.5 stars.
-The Art of Deception: A swordsman and a tavern keeper/Librarian with magical powers must brave political wrangling and assassination attempts when the Head Librarian position is up for election. It’s a fun and light story full of bantering and reversals.
4 stars.
-Midnight: Another (very short) Cinderella story, with a surprising protagonist.
3.5 stars.
-Clasp Hands: A young witch’s initiation ritual goes somewhat awry, and the circle of witches in her family must deal with the outcome. I liked the warm family vibes.
4 stars.
-Crow: A young woman who has made herself and her life small because of her mother’s years of bullying and abuse has a crow spirit (maybe?) land in her and help her transform herself.
3.5 stars.
-True Names: a travelling salesman stops by while an overtired and heavily pregnant young woman is about to make dinner. How she deals with the stranger is what makes the story.
4 stars.
-Good Neighbours: The first part in the “Good Neighbours” story. It’s an amusing start to a story about an inventor whose creations are a little bit more than anticipated, and a necromancer whose creations keep showing up at her house for fixing.
I like this! It’s amusing, even with the potentially grossness of the visiting dead people with mismatched parts.
4 stars.
-Love, Your Flatmate: an epistolary story set during the pandemic lockdown. A young woman has an unwelcome new roommate, a Fae, and she and the roommate both complain to their respective mothers about their incompatibility. It’s quite funny as the two must learn to live with one another. Silliness and romance ensues.
4 stars.
-House of Secrets: Wonderfully dark and gothic from the creepy house, the iron preventing Lily’s her movement in the house, mysterious purpose hinted at by Lily’s father, and the power greenery has to revivify her. And there’s a hint of romance.
4.5 stars.
Thank you to the author for this ARC in exchange for my review.
-The Wrong Foot: a nice subversion of the Cinderella story, where the wrong woman’s foot fits the shoe of the woman the prince is looking for. The main character is not interested in marriage and would prefer to continue her education. How she deals with her situation is funny and smart.
4 stars.
-Undead Philosophy 101: Hey vamps! don’t underestimate someone just because they don’t look like what you think they should look like!
3.5 stars.
-A Cup of Comfort: the story starts with such a cozy, warm and comforting feel, and transforms into a chilling tale.
4 stars.
-Dreaming Harry: This was both funny and alarming, as a child’s nightly dreams literally manifest.
4 stars.
-Offerings: A witch and a squirrel must deal with a problem together. Light and amusing.
3.5 stars.
-Dancing in the Dark: A sister and her younger brother must cope with their grief after their parents die, and they’re taken in by an uncle. It’s sweet, it’s poignant.
4.5 stars.
-The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain: delightful. From its unconventional main character Agatha, who tries to forge a different, independent path for herself, rather than the expected and stifling one destined for gentlewomen, to the wonderful romance she begins with an unconventional lady’s companion.
5 stars.
-The Wildness Inside: Much as I like stories of shapeshifters, I found this offering slight. Though I totally loved the detail of the two dogs saving objects they like in their outdoor kennel.
3.5 stars.
-The Art of Deception: A swordsman and a tavern keeper/Librarian with magical powers must brave political wrangling and assassination attempts when the Head Librarian position is up for election. It’s a fun and light story full of bantering and reversals.
4 stars.
-Midnight: Another (very short) Cinderella story, with a surprising protagonist.
3.5 stars.
-Clasp Hands: A young witch’s initiation ritual goes somewhat awry, and the circle of witches in her family must deal with the outcome. I liked the warm family vibes.
4 stars.
-Crow: A young woman who has made herself and her life small because of her mother’s years of bullying and abuse has a crow spirit (maybe?) land in her and help her transform herself.
3.5 stars.
-True Names: a travelling salesman stops by while an overtired and heavily pregnant young woman is about to make dinner. How she deals with the stranger is what makes the story.
4 stars.
-Good Neighbours: The first part in the “Good Neighbours” story. It’s an amusing start to a story about an inventor whose creations are a little bit more than anticipated, and a necromancer whose creations keep showing up at her house for fixing.
I like this! It’s amusing, even with the potentially grossness of the visiting dead people with mismatched parts.
4 stars.
-Love, Your Flatmate: an epistolary story set during the pandemic lockdown. A young woman has an unwelcome new roommate, a Fae, and she and the roommate both complain to their respective mothers about their incompatibility. It’s quite funny as the two must learn to live with one another. Silliness and romance ensues.
4 stars.
-House of Secrets: Wonderfully dark and gothic from the creepy house, the iron preventing Lily’s her movement in the house, mysterious purpose hinted at by Lily’s father, and the power greenery has to revivify her. And there’s a hint of romance.
4.5 stars.
Thank you to the author for this ARC in exchange for my review.
July 9, 2022
TOUCHSTONES was an entertaining assortment of fantasy stories. I liked that some of the stories take place in a fantasy world and have a fairy tale feel, while others take part in our real world but with a lovely taste of magic.
Many of the stories were new to me. Others I had read before. They range in tone from humorous to mildly creepy. I liked that the main characters all had agency and unexpected depths. I liked that some of the stories include some romance too.
I recommend this collection which gives a nice taste of the author's writing style.
Many of the stories were new to me. Others I had read before. They range in tone from humorous to mildly creepy. I liked that the main characters all had agency and unexpected depths. I liked that some of the stories include some romance too.
I recommend this collection which gives a nice taste of the author's writing style.
August 26, 2025
This collection of magical stories is excellent! From amusing to poignant, frivolous to thoughtful, these short stories are well worth reading.
July 12, 2022
I received this story collection from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
This time around, the delightful surprise in receiving Stephanie Burgis’ new work to read and review was compounded by the discovery that it was a collection of short stories and, more important still, that they went in quite unexpected directions - narratively speaking - from this author’s usually light and playful style. Which does not mean, of course, that you will not find some of her spirited and plucky heroines here, or that you will not travel through some of her Regency-inspired worlds: there is that, of course, but also some darker stories and themes that follow the time-honored fairy tale pattern of mixing darkness and light for added narrative depth.
And speaking of fairy tales, Touchstones contains not one but two retellings of the Cinderella myth, a longer one where the girl in question is quite reluctant to accept her destiny, and a shorter story that takes a very, very unexpected direction: in both instances I was thoroughly amused at the way Ms. Burgis turned the well known fable upside down, particularly in The Wrong Foot where we get a closer look at the famous Prince Charming only to discover that he’s… well, no, find out for yourselves! ;-)
Staying with the lighter mood of the collection, The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain is a fun romp through the idiosyncrasies of Regency society thanks to a spirited girl and her evil aunt, very much in line with the author’s previous offerings, while The Art of Deception follows a somewhat unlikely sword master and his friend as they move through the treacherous waters of a magical academy. On the other hand, Love You, Flatmate is set in our present world during the Covid outbreak, but it will make you smile as you consider the effects of forced cohabitation between… ahem… different species.
For the darker themes, I would like to mention Dreaming Harry, in which we discover that a child’s imagination, when fueled by the wrong images (and a particular accident at the time of birth…) can be a quite dangerous thing. Dancing in the Dark is a very poignant story about loss and the way a friendly ghost can assuage it. And again, True Names will take you on the harrowing path traveled by a young woman whose unexpected visitor brings a deadly threat. My favorite story, however, is House of Secrets: the dark journey of a very special girl whose distant father you will come to hate and despise as much as I did.
Once again, Stephanie Burgis managed to take me out of this world into her special realms, in a variegated tour that proved to be both amusing and shocking, whimsical and weird, but always, always totally engaging: I mentioned only a handful of the stories included in this collection, but there are many more that will take you down unusual paths and fuel your imagination.
If you already encountered her works, you will find in Touchstones her trademark narrative skills; if she’s a new-to-you author, this anthology might very well be the way to get to know her writing. In each case, it will be a reading experience not to be missed…
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
This time around, the delightful surprise in receiving Stephanie Burgis’ new work to read and review was compounded by the discovery that it was a collection of short stories and, more important still, that they went in quite unexpected directions - narratively speaking - from this author’s usually light and playful style. Which does not mean, of course, that you will not find some of her spirited and plucky heroines here, or that you will not travel through some of her Regency-inspired worlds: there is that, of course, but also some darker stories and themes that follow the time-honored fairy tale pattern of mixing darkness and light for added narrative depth.
And speaking of fairy tales, Touchstones contains not one but two retellings of the Cinderella myth, a longer one where the girl in question is quite reluctant to accept her destiny, and a shorter story that takes a very, very unexpected direction: in both instances I was thoroughly amused at the way Ms. Burgis turned the well known fable upside down, particularly in The Wrong Foot where we get a closer look at the famous Prince Charming only to discover that he’s… well, no, find out for yourselves! ;-)
Staying with the lighter mood of the collection, The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain is a fun romp through the idiosyncrasies of Regency society thanks to a spirited girl and her evil aunt, very much in line with the author’s previous offerings, while The Art of Deception follows a somewhat unlikely sword master and his friend as they move through the treacherous waters of a magical academy. On the other hand, Love You, Flatmate is set in our present world during the Covid outbreak, but it will make you smile as you consider the effects of forced cohabitation between… ahem… different species.
For the darker themes, I would like to mention Dreaming Harry, in which we discover that a child’s imagination, when fueled by the wrong images (and a particular accident at the time of birth…) can be a quite dangerous thing. Dancing in the Dark is a very poignant story about loss and the way a friendly ghost can assuage it. And again, True Names will take you on the harrowing path traveled by a young woman whose unexpected visitor brings a deadly threat. My favorite story, however, is House of Secrets: the dark journey of a very special girl whose distant father you will come to hate and despise as much as I did.
Once again, Stephanie Burgis managed to take me out of this world into her special realms, in a variegated tour that proved to be both amusing and shocking, whimsical and weird, but always, always totally engaging: I mentioned only a handful of the stories included in this collection, but there are many more that will take you down unusual paths and fuel your imagination.
If you already encountered her works, you will find in Touchstones her trademark narrative skills; if she’s a new-to-you author, this anthology might very well be the way to get to know her writing. In each case, it will be a reading experience not to be missed…
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
July 20, 2022
This collection of fourteen sparkling short fantasy stories, by Stephanie Burgis, captures everything about her style and writing that I love.
There are fairy tale retellings, tounge-in-cheek Supernatural comedies, Regency period tales of magic and society and a dash of romance.
There were so many good ones to choose from, that it's difficult to identify my favourites, however, the lead story 'The Wrong Foot' and Cinderella reimagining with a plus size heroine is great fun.
The Art of Deception is one of the hilights, in which a master swordsman accompanies his landlady and sometimes lover to a meeting at a mysterious and infinite library.
With swashbuckling, magic, betrayal, danger and romance, I really liked the world build in this one.
In fact, those are traits that most of the stories in this collection possess; as well as fascinating characters and professional level snark.
'True Names' is an interesting little fable about dangers, males and the strength of womanhood; again a theme that weaves through the collection.
From the very witty 'The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain' to 'Undead Philosophy 101' and the emotional 'The Wildness Inside', we see strong women who defy society's expectations, fight for what they want or those they love and thrive or bloom.
Love, Your Flatmate, sees two women - one human, one fey - trapped in a flat together through lockdown, in a series of emails, texts and diary entries, as they attempt to get middle ground between them. There's also Fey Nights, a lowbrow reality TV show. Very funny.
However, with the finale, Burgis has chosen well.
It's a powerful story of a woman coming into her own as she discovers secrets about the father who sired her, and sent her off to be raised by a nanny/carer until her seventeen birthday.
As the title suggests, secrets abound in this one.
The characters who support them are equally intriguing and the depth and colour of each world is wonderful.
Of course, the best gift of all was the inclusion of 'Good Neighbours' the first installment in a series of short novellettes and novellas about a female craftworker and her father, who move into a cottage next door to a necromancer who lives in a castle.
It's almost a frenemies to friends to lovers story with the perfect odd couple.
The whole series is fantastic fun and I recommend you get the follow up stories once you've read this one. There's Austen level sarcasm and irony amidst shambling, damaged but happy corpses, and note passing.
These stories are a delight, executed well and teaching us something about humanity - even when the creatures are not necessarily human.
I have to admit, Agatha was close to my heart, pursuing this society's unacceptable love she desires, as well as studying a role women are not meant to have.
Sometimes we rebel with protests and marches.
Other times, we rebel with words.
Simply superb.
There are fairy tale retellings, tounge-in-cheek Supernatural comedies, Regency period tales of magic and society and a dash of romance.
There were so many good ones to choose from, that it's difficult to identify my favourites, however, the lead story 'The Wrong Foot' and Cinderella reimagining with a plus size heroine is great fun.
The Art of Deception is one of the hilights, in which a master swordsman accompanies his landlady and sometimes lover to a meeting at a mysterious and infinite library.
With swashbuckling, magic, betrayal, danger and romance, I really liked the world build in this one.
In fact, those are traits that most of the stories in this collection possess; as well as fascinating characters and professional level snark.
'True Names' is an interesting little fable about dangers, males and the strength of womanhood; again a theme that weaves through the collection.
From the very witty 'The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain' to 'Undead Philosophy 101' and the emotional 'The Wildness Inside', we see strong women who defy society's expectations, fight for what they want or those they love and thrive or bloom.
Love, Your Flatmate, sees two women - one human, one fey - trapped in a flat together through lockdown, in a series of emails, texts and diary entries, as they attempt to get middle ground between them. There's also Fey Nights, a lowbrow reality TV show. Very funny.
However, with the finale, Burgis has chosen well.
It's a powerful story of a woman coming into her own as she discovers secrets about the father who sired her, and sent her off to be raised by a nanny/carer until her seventeen birthday.
As the title suggests, secrets abound in this one.
The characters who support them are equally intriguing and the depth and colour of each world is wonderful.
Of course, the best gift of all was the inclusion of 'Good Neighbours' the first installment in a series of short novellettes and novellas about a female craftworker and her father, who move into a cottage next door to a necromancer who lives in a castle.
It's almost a frenemies to friends to lovers story with the perfect odd couple.
The whole series is fantastic fun and I recommend you get the follow up stories once you've read this one. There's Austen level sarcasm and irony amidst shambling, damaged but happy corpses, and note passing.
These stories are a delight, executed well and teaching us something about humanity - even when the creatures are not necessarily human.
I have to admit, Agatha was close to my heart, pursuing this society's unacceptable love she desires, as well as studying a role women are not meant to have.
Sometimes we rebel with protests and marches.
Other times, we rebel with words.
Simply superb.
September 11, 2023
Overall Review: Really underwhelming 😢 Stephanie Burgis' books always SOUND like something I should enjoy but they so rarely are??
I didn't care for most of the stories in this collection. Many of them were boring with really flat characters (I know it's a short story, but other authors can still do it well! Rosamund Hodge, Tansy Rayner Roberts, etc.) There were some interesting concepts here but often executed in a way I didn't like, in addition to some with concepts I didn't like either! And although I like her writing well enough, I don't seem to click with the way she develops characters and relationships, especially in such limited page times.
And good Lord the internalized misogyny!!! Does Burgis have any female friends? The only women who are allowed to get along in her stories are family members or romantic partners. And of course those relationships are important too - but I find it incredibly weird that in none of these stories does a female character have a friend who is another woman 🥴
Thankfully at the very end there were a few stories I genuinely really enjoyed that made me happy I tried this collection...but as a whole I just don't know that Stephanie Burgis is an author I'm going to keep pursuing outside of a few specific books. Like, I've been really enjoying her Dragon with the Chocolate Heart series but I was completely underwhelmed by her Kat series, was loving Masks and Shadows until the last third, and I'm seriously wondering if I should just unhaul Good Neighbors...
***
The Wrong Foot: 3.5 stars
Undead Philosophy 101: 3 stars
Interesting concept but a whole HEAP of internalized misogyny.
CW: Murder, misogyny
A Cup of Comfort: 3.5 stars
CW: Poison, murder
Dreaming Harry: 4 stars
CW: Child experimentation
Offerings: 3.75 stars
Dancing in the Dark: 4 stars
CW: Grief
The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain: 3 stars
CW: Attempted forced marriage
The Wildness Inside: 2 stars
NOPE. These characters are bland, the romance is weird and creepy, and I will never understand stories/people that are all 'yeah we know you recently lost one of the dearest people in the world to you, but come on! get over it!' (And 2 years??? REALLY???)
CW: Hunting, guns, grief, cancer
The Art of Deception: 3 stars
I'm just so bored. And is Stephanie Burgis contractually forbidden from writing friendships between women or something???! WTF.
CW: Murder
Midnight: 3 stars
Clasp Hands: 4 stars
CW: Grief
Crow: 4 stars
True Names: 4 stars
CW: Murder (off-page)
Good Neighbors - skipped this one since it's also published in the full collection that I own
Love, Your Flatmate: 3.5 stars
CW: Pandemic
House of Secrets: 4 stars
A romance I actually believed and enjoyed!!! Amazing.
CW: Kidnapping, abuse
I didn't care for most of the stories in this collection. Many of them were boring with really flat characters (I know it's a short story, but other authors can still do it well! Rosamund Hodge, Tansy Rayner Roberts, etc.) There were some interesting concepts here but often executed in a way I didn't like, in addition to some with concepts I didn't like either! And although I like her writing well enough, I don't seem to click with the way she develops characters and relationships, especially in such limited page times.
And good Lord the internalized misogyny!!! Does Burgis have any female friends? The only women who are allowed to get along in her stories are family members or romantic partners. And of course those relationships are important too - but I find it incredibly weird that in none of these stories does a female character have a friend who is another woman 🥴
Thankfully at the very end there were a few stories I genuinely really enjoyed that made me happy I tried this collection...but as a whole I just don't know that Stephanie Burgis is an author I'm going to keep pursuing outside of a few specific books. Like, I've been really enjoying her Dragon with the Chocolate Heart series but I was completely underwhelmed by her Kat series, was loving Masks and Shadows until the last third, and I'm seriously wondering if I should just unhaul Good Neighbors...
***
The Wrong Foot: 3.5 stars
Undead Philosophy 101: 3 stars
Interesting concept but a whole HEAP of internalized misogyny.
CW: Murder, misogyny
A Cup of Comfort: 3.5 stars
CW: Poison, murder
Dreaming Harry: 4 stars
CW: Child experimentation
Offerings: 3.75 stars
Dancing in the Dark: 4 stars
CW: Grief
The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain: 3 stars
CW: Attempted forced marriage
The Wildness Inside: 2 stars
NOPE. These characters are bland, the romance is weird and creepy, and I will never understand stories/people that are all 'yeah we know you recently lost one of the dearest people in the world to you, but come on! get over it!' (And 2 years??? REALLY???)
CW: Hunting, guns, grief, cancer
The Art of Deception: 3 stars
I'm just so bored. And is Stephanie Burgis contractually forbidden from writing friendships between women or something???! WTF.
CW: Murder
Midnight: 3 stars
Clasp Hands: 4 stars
CW: Grief
Crow: 4 stars
True Names: 4 stars
CW: Murder (off-page)
Good Neighbors - skipped this one since it's also published in the full collection that I own
Love, Your Flatmate: 3.5 stars
CW: Pandemic
House of Secrets: 4 stars
A romance I actually believed and enjoyed!!! Amazing.
CW: Kidnapping, abuse
June 5, 2024
There are different skills involved in writing a short story compared to a novel, the difference perhaps between a solitaire diamond ring and a bejewelled necklace. The short story lives (or dies) by the strength of its central premise. For example in Burgis's amusing opening of a small footed young woman who happens to be a match for a glass slipper left behind by a prince's fleeing dance partner.
In this collection, Burgis gives the reader sixteen enticing but very different solitaire diamond rings, with a range of narrative voices and contexts. It made for several nights of pleasantly 'chunked' bedtime reading exploring diverse settings from an otherworldly infinite library, to a contemporary single mothers cottage with a foolishly rebellious little witch.
I enjoyed the Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell overtones in The disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain and the close first person narration in True Names
However, my favourite stories were probably
House of secrets with its beleaguered protagonist and the enticing opening line. My father's house is full of secrets. They cling to the thick, dusty curtains that he keeps tightly drawn all day and night
and
Dancing in the Dark with the orphaned protagonist raised by two uncles and benignly haunted by a third. The sharp grief of a child caught in this line "It took weeks... before I woke up in the morning simply knowing what had happened instead of having to remember it like a cliff falling on top of me every single day.
In this collection, Burgis gives the reader sixteen enticing but very different solitaire diamond rings, with a range of narrative voices and contexts. It made for several nights of pleasantly 'chunked' bedtime reading exploring diverse settings from an otherworldly infinite library, to a contemporary single mothers cottage with a foolishly rebellious little witch.
I enjoyed the Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell overtones in The disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain and the close first person narration in True Names
However, my favourite stories were probably
House of secrets with its beleaguered protagonist and the enticing opening line. My father's house is full of secrets. They cling to the thick, dusty curtains that he keeps tightly drawn all day and night
and
Dancing in the Dark with the orphaned protagonist raised by two uncles and benignly haunted by a third. The sharp grief of a child caught in this line "It took weeks... before I woke up in the morning simply knowing what had happened instead of having to remember it like a cliff falling on top of me every single day.
June 25, 2022
I loved this collection!
Dancing in the Dark left me sobbing.
The Wildness Inside was beautifully bittersweet.
Dreaming Harry made me cackle unreservedly at the ending.
Offerings was wonderful.
The Wrong Foot is delightful.
A Cup of Cunning was clever.
Crow made me cheer.
Midnight just hurt.
Clasp Hands was mightily powerful.
True Names was bittersweet but powerful.
Good Neighbours was fun.
As was The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain.
Love, Your Flatmate was funny.
House of Secrets made me seethe, until the ending when I cheered.
The only one I didn't finish was Undead Philosophy 101. And that's because, for the most part, vampire stories don't interest me.
All in all, however, this is a terrific and very engaging collection of short stories and novellas and I'm delighted that I got the chance to read it early. My thanks to author Stephanie Burgis for making a review copy available in return for an honest review.
Dancing in the Dark left me sobbing.
The Wildness Inside was beautifully bittersweet.
Dreaming Harry made me cackle unreservedly at the ending.
Offerings was wonderful.
The Wrong Foot is delightful.
A Cup of Cunning was clever.
Crow made me cheer.
Midnight just hurt.
Clasp Hands was mightily powerful.
True Names was bittersweet but powerful.
Good Neighbours was fun.
As was The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain.
Love, Your Flatmate was funny.
House of Secrets made me seethe, until the ending when I cheered.
The only one I didn't finish was Undead Philosophy 101. And that's because, for the most part, vampire stories don't interest me.
All in all, however, this is a terrific and very engaging collection of short stories and novellas and I'm delighted that I got the chance to read it early. My thanks to author Stephanie Burgis for making a review copy available in return for an honest review.
June 23, 2022
This is an absolutely brilliant collection of stories! It starts with a laugh out loud Cinderella retelling and in the rest of the stories there are several varieties of vampires and witches, a shapeshifter, dreams that become real, a dragon, a necromancer, and fae.
My favorite was The Art of Deception - I adored Hrabanic! But all of the stories were great. A couple were sad, a few were scary, many were romantic, and almost all were very funny. The voice and themes varied, but one common thread was the idea of being true to who you really are; finding strength in yourself. I can’t recommend this collection enough - it’s terrific!
My favorite was The Art of Deception - I adored Hrabanic! But all of the stories were great. A couple were sad, a few were scary, many were romantic, and almost all were very funny. The voice and themes varied, but one common thread was the idea of being true to who you really are; finding strength in yourself. I can’t recommend this collection enough - it’s terrific!
September 15, 2022
A diverse mix of stories, from regency romance to modern day vampires. Almost all the stories were fun (one or two were a little dark) and were easy comforting reads. If you have mainly only read one type of book/story by Burgis, this collection will showcase some of the other genres/styles she has dabbled in.
4.5 / 5 stars
4.5 / 5 stars
June 24, 2022
A delightful collection of stories that kept me glued to the pages. I found the stories to be deep enough to be provocative and make me think, but light enough to move through them quickly. I have almost everything Stephanie Burgis has written. She didn’t let me down with Touchstones.
September 9, 2022
A lovely collection of stories connected by themes of resilience, humour and magic. I always enjoy Stephanie's heroines, and this story is packed with them -- fairy tale princesses, stubborn girls and mysterious, clever women all.
March 11, 2023
Excellent! Very cozy feeling fantasy stories with some nice touches of romance and some fun regency settings. My favorites included "The Wrong Foot" "The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain" "The Art of Deception" and "House of Secrets."
December 8, 2024
I don't usually enjoy short story collections but I devoted every one of these. Ms Burgis is an absolute whiz at drawing you into worlds, caring for characters, and left wondering what happened after the story ended. *Chef's kiss*
July 3, 2022
A lovely short story collection that I’ve been enjoying making my way through! ‘Crow’ is a particularly weird and wonderful favourite.
I received an ARC of this book from the author.
I received an ARC of this book from the author.
July 7, 2022
Review coming closer to release date. I will say this was amazing. Go pre-order!
July 18, 2022
I had read many of the short stories before, but enjoyed rereading them! The best part of the collection is the diversity of the stories. There is truly something you could
pick up for every mood.
pick up for every mood.
September 6, 2022
A great collection of fantasy short stories on the cozy side. I think my favorites were "Undead Philosophy 101" and "Good Neighbors".
September 20, 2022
charmingly entertaing
March 11, 2023
Really great collection with no weaknesses. Paced it out about one a night and it was just a delightful reading experience. If you like fantasy, you'll love this.
March 5, 2024
Being a collection of short stories, some are good, some are meh, some are bad.
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