Buried Deep and Other Stories, by Naomi Novik

January 30, 2025 Lark_Bookwyrm Book Reviews 0 ★★★★★

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Published by Del Rey on 9/17/2024
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 427
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: the publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Chirp
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five-stars

Also by this author: His Majesty's Dragon

A thrilling anthology of thirteen short stories that span the worlds of the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, including a sneak peek at the land where her next novel will be set.

From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the gothic magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik’s most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:

• A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.

• The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon’s egg and bonds with the hatchling.

• A young bride in the Middle Ages who finds herself gambling with Death for the highest of stakes.

• A delightful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.

• The first glimpse of the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik’s upcoming epic fantasy series—a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.

Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

A stellar collection of short stories

Naomi Novik’s Buried Deep and Other Stories is a stellar collection of short fiction that displays all of her skill as a writer as well as the breadth of her imagination. I read it slowly, savoring each story. (Well, most of them.)

The book includes two tales set in the world of Temeraire, and while you don’t absolutely have to be familiar with the Temeraire novels to enjoy these stories, it certainly helps. “Vici” offers a glimpse at how Marcus Antonius (yes, that Mark Antony) first came up with the idea of a dragon-mounted air force. “Dragons and Decorum” reimagines Pride & Prejudice, with Elizabeth Bennett as the confident, capable captain of a Longwing, and was one of my favorite tales in the book.

Another favorite was “Araminta, Or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake“, a feminist, fantasy take on some of the familiar Regency and pirate romance tropes, including a heroine disguised as a man. It’s one of the lightest stories in tone, and left me smiling.

As with the three stories above, quite a few of the tales in Buried Deep reference other tales or genres. The title story, “Buried Deep,” revisits the Greek myth of the Minotaur from Ariadne’s point of view. It’s both beautiful and heartbreaking; I loved it. “After Hours” takes place in Novik’s magical school, the Scholomance, after the events of her eponymous trilogy. (I had no difficulty following along, although I have not yet read the Scholomance books.) “Commonplaces” explores the character and later exploits of Irene Adler, from the Sherlock Holmes story “A Scandal in Bohemia,” giving her even more agency and wit than are hinted at in the original. (In this instance, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the source material first.)

Several of the stories are fairytales in the styles of times past. “Castle Couerlieu” reminds me of medieval myths and fairytales, where the magic is unknowable, unpredictable, and often fearsome, but the hero (or heroine, in this case) comes through. “Lord Dunsany’s Teapot,” on the other hand, reads (as the title might suggest) like an early 20th-century fairy story, in keeping with its setting.

On the other hand, some of the stand-alone stories owe little to anything beyond Novik’s own imagination. “Seven” is a gem of a story, with rich worldbuilding that hints at a much deeper, broader history without ever losing sight of the human element. It’s notable, too, for its descriptions of pottery and the pottery-making process. “Seven Years from Home” is science fiction rather than fantasy, and one of the longest tales in the book. I found it rather disturbing, but it is well-written and compelling nonetheless.

Novik gives readers two glimpses into her writing process. The first is “Spinning Silver,” the short story that eventually evolved into her novel of the same name. While fans of the novel will recognize many of the elements that made it into the book, there are significant differences between the two. “The Long Way Round” is the final tale in the collection; Novik explains in her foreword that the story was written as part of her early process of world-building and exploration, toward a book which is still taking shape. The story and worldbuilding are intriguing, and I really enjoyed the first-person narrator, Tess. I look forward to seeing where these ideas lead Ms. Novik in the future

I haven’t mentioned every story here, just most of them, but all of them made an impression on me, and several I would happily read a second or even third time. If you’re not familiar with Ms. Novik’s writing, Buried Deep and Other Stories may not be the best place to start, if only because you will lack the background that those familiar with the Temeraire books, the Scholomance trilogy, and Spinning Silver already possess. But this collection isn’t a bad entry into her work, either. Novik’s imagination is wide and deep, her storytelling impeccable, and her prose is gorgeous. One way or another, I hope you read these stories.

Challenges: Audiobook Challenge 2025; COYER 2025: Out to Lunch; Library Love Challenge 2025; NetGalley & Edelweiss Challenge 2025; Robin’s Recs; Ilona Andrews Edge & Innkeeper Series Read-Along