As this is an anthology collection of short stories I thought that I would do this review a little differently. I've rated each of the stories in this collection as I found that I enjoyed some more than others. I wrote down my thoughts and ratings after reading each of these short stories, some of the below are just those thoughts and other's I've added some more onto.

When Life Hands You a Lemon by Amerie

Rating: 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟✨

Genre: Science Fiction

I enjoyed this story, I thought it was a very interesting story to start with. I didn't really know what was happening to start off with. The opening to this story intrigued me a lot though so I kept going with it. This story kept me guessing and I really enjoyed that. It was a little strange, but in a good way. This story had orcs - an alien race that attacks Earth - space travel, and a little time travel too. It wasn't my favourite story but it was still good. 

Gilded by Elizabeth Acevado

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Historical Fiction and Fantasy

This was a really good story, I was gripped by this story straightaway. I really loved how this story starts from her birth, goes through her life as a slave and then the arrival of new slaves that change her life. This story was based on slavery and colonisation, possibly the Spanish colonies in North and South America but it is a guess.

This story was really good and I really enjoyed reading it. I felt that the fantasy was very simple; the main character Eula is born with an affinity to metal, she can move and manipulate it if she wishes or can use it to find metal more easily than others. It's very simple and not overly complicated which I thought was great. 

Gilded is definitely a story of "Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope".

Wherein Abigail Fields Recalls Her First Death and, Subsequently, Her Best Life by Rebecca Roanhorse

Rating: 2.5/5 🌟🌟✨

Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBT+ and Fantasy

This was a Wild West inspired story that I thought was good. It wasn't my favourite story but I thought it was good. This story is about how Abigail Fields died, the first time, and how she comes to get her revenge on the man that killed her and her friends, wiping out nearly everyone in their settlement expect for her and her lover. I liked this story but I didn't find it very rememberable.

The Rules of the Land by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Fantasy

I loved this story, I thought it was so good! I love a lot of stories that are about the sea and the magical creatures from it. This story had a fisherman, a selkie/sea-cow woman, and a sea goddess. This story was told by the daughter of the fisherman and the selkie, who was also the granddaughter of the sea goddess. It tells the story of her parents, her father's death, the bargain she makes for her mother with the goddess and the dis-functionality of family. This story reminded me of classic Scottish selkie mythology, where they are coerced into relationships with fishermen when they steal and hide their skin. 

A Hagiography of Starlight by Somaiya Daud

Rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Fantasy

Really loved this one, it was so imaginative and captivating. I think this might be one of my favourites in this book. Divinity, powerful beings that protect and power the world, song and dance that life in every part of the world. This story was beautifully written and I loved it

Meile by Justina Ireland

Rating: 2.5/5 🌟🌟✨

Genre: Fantasy

I enjoyed this one, it was fun to read. But I think that it could have benefitted from being longer to be honest. Because there was a lot happening in this story. There was lore, history and a whole magic system that I think could have been explained and explored better in a longer format. 

The Goddess Provides by L.L. McKinney

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Fantasy

I liked this one, it was very good. I felt very engaging.

I liked that it was about losing religion, after a loved one's death who was devout, and finding it again when nearly dying themselves. Also being h=given the opportunity to take revenge on the person that helped to destroy their life. 

It was really interesting to read. I liked the use of flashbacks, and how it related to the present. It was a really well rounded short story. This is one that I also think would make a great longer story, but because I want more of it. 

Hearts Turned to Ash by Dhonielle Clayton

Rating: 3/5 🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Contemporary > Fantasy

Very intriguing. I liked that it was about learning to love someone without giving all of yourself away — to not be consumed by them — and to learn to love yourself first before loving someone else. To not let them be your sole focus and to do what you enjoy outside of the relationship/away from them.  It was like a classic fairy tale, a cautionary tale.

Letting the Right One In by Patrice Caldwell

Rating: 3/5🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Contemporary > Fantasy & LGBT+

I liked how this story started at the end, giving a small glimpse to what was happening before bringing it back to the start. The main character is obsessed with all things vampires, she spends most of her time in the library reading every single vampire book that they have often more than once. Then she meets a girl reading the book she wants, after meeting her at the library she keeps bumping into her all while she's trying to figure out if she's a vampire or not. 

Her love of vampires is also a coping mechanism for having to move and leave everything behind, and also because it's one of the few things that makes her happy while battling depression and feeling like her parents are making her carry part of their problems. Plus her mother just doesn't understand her love of vampires or understand what she's going through with her depression, trying to push her to make friends and do something "worthwhile". I think that a lot of people with mental health problems would probably be able to relate to that, as often parents that have never experienced mental health issues aren't able to fully understand what their child is going through. 

Tender-Headed by Danny Lore

Rating: 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟✨

Genre: Contemporary > Fantasy

This was a bit weird to be honest. But I enjoyed it. A story of how people shouldn't put the all the blame on themselves — she believes that she should have to pay for her friends, give her brother money, when she shouldn't just because she's the only one that has a job. That she should appreciate those that care for her and don't ask for anything in return but her love and time spent with her.

It wasn't 100% clear what the story was about. There was some magic involved but it was slowly revealed bit by bit and I didn't really get what was happening for the first few pages. 

Kiss the Sun by Ibi Zoboi

Rating: 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟✨

Genre: Fantasy > Contemporary

I had never heard of soucouyants before so this was a very interesting tale. To me they sounded a bit like a cross between a vampire and a selkie — they shed skin and become a soul sucking creature of the night. Although they become a fireball that flies through the sky.

There was a bit about revenge and betrayal, fighting amongst the sisterhood, boy trouble and not being happy in your own skin. All but one of the soucouyants are black, the darker their skin the closer to being kissed by the sun and the stronger their flames are. This story definitely goes into how black women aren't portrayed as being as desirable/beautiful by society & media as white women. There is mentions of bleaching skin and one character changing their skin to fit those standards. This story had a clear and strong message that I liked.

I also would've liked more murder and revenge. It was built up but we don't get to see it which I found very disappointing.

The Actress by Danielle Paige

Rating: 2.75/5 🌟🌟✨

Genre: Contemporary > Fantasy

Fun to read but I wasn't that invested in the story. It's mostly about first kisses and discovering you have magic suddenly after a fire. It was fine just not really my kind of story. I don't really like stories where the character(s) is a celebrity.  

The Curse of Love by Ashley Woodfolk

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Fantasy > Contemporary

Like the title states love's a curse, for this family anyway. The women in this family die, grow old and ill when they fall in love. I loved getting to discover why it's just Aubrey and her Aunt Gigi left. Her mother's dead and so are her other aunts. It was a really mystery and it was so enjoyable to discover their famy secrets. This was so much fun to read. I loved the curse, the friendships and the love story. I really enjoyed this one!

All the Time in the World by Charlotte Nicole Davis

Rating: 3/5 🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Science Fiction > Contemporary & LGBT+

This was pretty cool. Its about a girl that discovers that she can stop time. Whenever she wants. The only issue is how she got this power. I think that this story is based off of the Flint Water Crisis that started in 2014. As it focuses on how people have been effected by contaminated water in a prodomintely black community; livestyle changes, using bottled water to drink, cook, clean, shower, everything, having rashes, getting sick, some dying, people leaving because of it, and lastly getting superpowers. Obviously that last one didn't happen in Flint, but it was very interesting to read a story based off of a fairly recent event with a Sci-fi twist.

The Witch's Skin by Karen Strong

Rating: 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟✨

Genre: Fantasy & Science Fiction

I thought that this was a very interesting story about revenge. The main character is pregnant and wants revenge for her fiance who is killed, an evil witch took his soul killing him and leaving her pregnant and alone. During this story she is heavily pregnant and running out of time before the baby is born to get her revenge. 

I liked reading about how she uses old potions/ingredients from the island to harm and kill this witch. Finding out why she wants to kill her, seeing flashbacks of her and her fiance and seeing the dystopian world that she lives in. That she doesn't realise she's living in. 

I definitely enjoyed this one and thought that it was really interesting to read. 

Sequence by J. Marcelle Corrie

Rating: 3/5 🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Science Fiction & LGBT+

I thought that this was a very interesting story. It's about a girl that is unsure if she should tell the girl she likes that she likes her. She's a closeted young girl and she has two options: either tell her that she likes her or don't. She might regret it either way.
At a party Eden's friend talks about Sequence, it shows the two different choices that someone might take. I thought this was really interesting and a good story to end this book with.

Overall this is a really good short story collection. There's some really good and different voices in this book that are talking about some difficult subjects like death of a loved one/deceased family members, racism, slavery, sexuality, first love, pregnancy, rape, mental health, being closeted, and more. They were really great stories and I felt like they were all very important to read too.

Some of these stories have stayed with me and stuck in my head since finishing this book. Those are Gilded, The Rules of the Land, A Hagiography of Starlight, The Goddess Provides, Kiss the Sun, The Witch's Skin, and All the Time in the World.

I would 100% recommend reading this book! It's great for anyone that loves short stories, especially collections that are filled with a range of different stories from different genres. If you enjoyed books like Kingdom of Souls, The Hate U Give, To Kill a Kingdom, Platform 13, Wonderland: An Anthology. Also, if you enjoyed books by any of these authors I think you'll enjoy this book.