REVIEW >> Amidst Fury & Valor

Happy Friday!

I hope your week has been lovely. Other than pesky allergies this time of the year, my family & I have fared well, and I hope the same for you. :]

I have a marvelous anthology for you today!!!

One question, though:

Do you like DRAGONS??

READ ON!

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Amidst Fury & Valor

compiled by Anne J. Hill & Moriah Chavis

Twenty Hills Publishing | March 28th, 2025

Fantasy,

{GoodReads}

In realms of new tales and ancient legends, dragons take flight in this collection of stories filled with courage, heroism, and sacrifice in the dark unknown.

Whether fighting foes on a battlefield or struggling against inner demons, these heroes in Amidst Fury and Valor remind us that true bravery is facing our dragons even when afraid.

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I was provided with a complimentary copy for my honest review.

WARNING: Possible Spoilers!

THE BASICS

As this is an anthology of multiple short stories featuring unlikely heroes, good dragons, evil dragons, furry dragons, icy dragons---did I mention it's a collection of DRAGON stories???---and set in a variety of worlds, be that fantasy, contemporary, and even historical! it is difficult to review each individually. Thus, I have decided to give an overall review here of this collection, and leave the rest up to you.

But that said, if you are yourself a Book Dragon (not a "Bookworm," mind you), then I shall decide for you:

YES. You DO need this book on your shelves.

There.

First of all, this anthology is dedicated to a young man fighting his own dragon: Cancer. Second, each story is so uniquely creative, engaging, and altogether brief enough to be almost cruel, you may certainly find yourself desiring more---only to get sucked into another short story and have the process repeat itself. Haha! Seriously, I found myself so invested in a majority of these tales that I certainly wished for more!

And lastly, as mentioned before, you will encounter dragons of ALL kinds. Some good, and some clearly belonging to the Dark Side. At least one story takes you to the scene of the Titanic's demise. And another gives you an entirely new take on the story of Pinocchio---but with dragons...

Interested, yet??

VIOLENCE

One story takes place in the bloody aftermath of a battle. Carnage & death everywhere. Goblins fight two young men with blades; slashing, stabbing, cutting. But nothing too graphic.

Another story has men (& women) fighting undead, enchanted skeletons with swords, axes, and other weapons. At one point, the undead skeletons guard a passage called the Way, or the Way of Bones (aptly named), where our heroes must traverse. The creatures are described as "cadaverous" or simply as "cadavers"---known as oskoll.

Warriors from many stories sport injuries; bandages show dark streaks of blood through them.

A brave warrior faces his death with courage before a wicked dragon.

A young man fractures his wrist in a fall; the pain is intense as he's stalked through a forest by a demon dragon.

SPIRITUAL CONTENT

Someone says, "Thank God," in relief.

Dark magic from one particular villain dragon's essence, shows as a purple energy.

In at least two stories, the mindless evil dragons are either comprised of smoke and flames, or so obviously wicked as to be considered demonic.

LANGUAGE // ALCOHOL & DRUGS

Mild slang scattered throughout the short stories. Including, "butt," "geeze," "freaking," and "darn."

ROMANTIC CONTENT

None.

CONCLUSION

All in all, I most certainly enjoyed this collection of stories, and yes! even more so because of the amazing theme. Dragons come in all shapes & sizes, and some are more disguised than others---be that in a debilitating disease, a particularly difficult trial, or even a burglaring journey to a dragon's self-claimed horde.

Find it. Read it. Let me know your own thoughts!

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5 OUT OF 5 STARS