Review | A Universe of Wishes – The Wandering Wordsmith

From We Need Diverse Books, the organization behind Flying Lessons & Other Stories, comes a young adult fantasy short story collection featuring some of the best own-voices children’s authors, including New York Times bestselling authors Libba Bray (The Diviners), Victoria Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic), Natalie C. Parker (Seafire), and many more. Edited by Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles).

In the fourth collaboration with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. This powerful and inclusive collection contains a universe of wishes for a braver and more beautiful world.

AUTHORS INCLUDE: Samira Ahmed, Libba Bray, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tochi Onyebuchi, Mark Oshiro, Natalie C. Parker, Rebecca Roanhorse, Victoria Schwab, Tara Sim, Nic Stone, and a to-be-announced debut author/short-story contest winner.

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The fourth installment in the We Need Diverse stories anthologies, this one contains 15 own voices stories that involve a wish in some ways. I enjoyed all of the different writing styles and cultures represented in this anthology. There are a few tied to other series, such as V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic series, so be warned if you haven’t read any that are from those universes.

In many ways the stories carry a theme, not just of wishing, but of what each character may want deep in their heart, even if that is not achievable. Some stories definitely leave you wanting to know more of the story, while others feel complete.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, told in each of the author’s unique styles, but not all of the stories captured me. I always enjoy We Need Diverse Stories anthologies because you do get that wonderful mix of cultures and experiences, but this one, while enjoyable, wasn’t my favorite so far.