Dragon Spring & Other Things is a short story collection of fantasy, steampunk and speculative fiction stories by author Raven Oak. Like all short story collections, there were stories that I liked better than others and stories that I wish I could see fleshed out as full books. I really appreciated the stories that dove into some of the side characters from the author's Boahim series. I loved being able to dive back into that world and reconnect with the characters.
Some of my favorite stories from the collection are:
Mirror Me: A very immersive and strong start to the collection. A young detective has been passed a strange skill to see his face mirrored in other people and pick up on their feelings and emotions. In his job, the mirror promotes empathy, but when the victim is the detective's own father, the Mirror must extend his empathy more than usual.
Water the Fire: What if what you believed was a curse was actually protecting you? A cute and unexpected story of fire and water demons and how the things that frustrate us the most in life also have a purpose.
Alive: The tragic backstory of Ida from Amaskan's Blood. A nice trip back into the Amaskan's world and see Ida in a new light.
The Ringers: A magical story of a village that is plagued by the Ringers, the undead who come to take away those who do not follow the rules of the magistrate. Luckily, young Elise has studied her magic and is prepared to help the people of Dekwood come out from under the magistrate's spell.
Peace Be With You: A sweet and touching story of the end of the world and it's last two living inhabitants, a starving dragon and a young girl. I loved their conversations and interactions down to the very end.
Some of my favorite stories from the collection are:
Mirror Me: A very immersive and strong start to the collection. A young detective has been passed a strange skill to see his face mirrored in other people and pick up on their feelings and emotions. In his job, the mirror promotes empathy, but when the victim is the detective's own father, the Mirror must extend his empathy more than usual.
Water the Fire: What if what you believed was a curse was actually protecting you? A cute and unexpected story of fire and water demons and how the things that frustrate us the most in life also have a purpose.
Alive: The tragic backstory of Ida from Amaskan's Blood. A nice trip back into the Amaskan's world and see Ida in a new light.
The Ringers: A magical story of a village that is plagued by the Ringers, the undead who come to take away those who do not follow the rules of the magistrate. Luckily, young Elise has studied her magic and is prepared to help the people of Dekwood come out from under the magistrate's spell.
Peace Be With You: A sweet and touching story of the end of the world and it's last two living inhabitants, a starving dragon and a young girl. I loved their conversations and interactions down to the very end.
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