#this got fucking long kdfjghksdhjg

[shadowtearling]

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman

Details

Goodreads Rating: 3.91 Genre: YA Anthology (mix of contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy) Publisher: Greenwillow Books Published: June 26, 2018

Summary

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings. These are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renee Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong. A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie’s New York Times–bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.

My Thoughts

I was really excited to get my hands on this because I am in desperate need of representation, and then I found out there are two Filipino stories I just about died. Finally! Finally something for me! My culture, as unorganized as it is, is rich with many folktales from creation myths to terrifying creatures of the night. Then I deflated after reading them. Roshani Chokshi’s “Forbidden Fruit” was the better of the two, with her whimsical, flowery writing style perfectly suited to the story of Maria Makiling. The story felt like it was Maria herself, light on her feet and softly treading on mountainside grass. It was objectively well written, but I felt like something was missing. Maybe that’s me expecting more from it, but it wasn’t quite what I needed. Melissa de la Cruz’s “Code of Honor” was, to me, downright offensive. It tells the story of a “manananggal,” which she calls “aswang,” whose mother died thereby making it necessary for her to flee. De la Cruz’s writing is clunky at best, full of telling rather than showing. What particularly irked me was how the main character constantly reassured herself that coming back home to the Philippines was a mistake, that she didn’t belong there, only to find that she truly had a family among white vampires in NYC. It was frustrating because it reinforced the already popular notion that in order to belong, one must leave the Philippines. I also just hated how often the reader has to be reminded that the main character was a vampire. We get it. You’re “bad” for wanting blood. Please stop.

As for the other stories, it was a mix varying from really wonderful to Bad. 

“The Crimson Cloak” by Cindy Pon is by far my favorite, the narrator of the story emulating Jane Eyre by addressing the reader during crucial parts to set the record straight. I love the main character’s stubbornness and playful nature, and her story felt almost as though it were the original fairy tale. 

Alyssa Wong’s “Olivia’s Table” was delightful in exploring The Hungry Ghost Festival and serving the readers a sampling of some delicious-sounding food! It has a good balance of flashbacks and current events, and it’s overall a well-rounded story. 

“Still Star-Crossed” by Sona Charaipotra was frustrating because it might have been interesting had it been done better. As it stands, it only felt like the first chapter in a longer work because it was all set up and no pay off. Nothing actually happens except for the love interest showing stalker behavior, despite the main character showing visible signs of discomfort (aka literally running away). It was incomplete and not fully rounded as a short story. (And the first person POV with really flowery writing do Not mix).

“Spear Carrier” by Rahul Kanakia, about a kid who finds himself in the middle of a war because he wished to be a hero, was exhausting. It was full of lamentations of finding meaning in life, and it kept telling the reader “Look at me! I think a lot! I’m a deep guy!,” which got so tired after the first time. And the result? Nothing interesting. Just the main character being a “coward.” This was not worth the short time it took for me to read it.

Story Ranking (best to worst)

“The Crimson Cloak” by Cindy Pon

“Olivia’s Table” by Alyssa Wong

“The Land of the Morning Calm” by E.C. Meyers - I love the video game aspect that mixes with a ghost story! 

“Daughter of the Sun” by Shveta Thakrar - Very whimsical and lovely, but sometimes the flowery writing got distracting. I liked the mashup of different myths.

“Forbidden Fruit” by Roshani Chokshi

“Nothing Into All” by Reneé Ahdieh - I like Ahdieh’s writing a lot, and this read kind of like one of those Pixar short films. I wish there were consequences for the brother’s actions, though.

“Eyes Like Candlelight” by Julie Kagawa - The first part was paced well, and once we get to the ending, it felt almost rushed in concluding it with little explanation. Still good, though.

“Bullet, Butterfly” by Elsie Chapman - This was interesting, but it would be better as a longer work so there isn’t insta-love and the world building can be done better. 

“The Counting of Vermillion Beads” by Aliette De Boddard - I feel like this story was told through a foggy mist, like it’s the sky: there but untouchable. I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.

“The Smile” by Aisha Saeed - I like that this tackled the idea that master/servant romance as Not Good and gave the main character the power to choose for herself. I still take issue with flowery writing in first person POV and the phrase “hugged my curves.” 

“Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers” by Preeti Chhibber -  There were two stories in this, a reiteration (kinda) of the original myth and the actual retelling. I liked the the myth of Mā Durgā and Mahishāsur better than the contemporary story.

“Steel Skin” by Lori M. Lee - It could have worked were it more developed. Needed another round of editing.

“Still Star-Crossed” by Sona Charaipotra

“Spear Carrier” by Rahul Kanakia

“Code of Honor” by Melissa de la Cruz - save yourselves