Bardic Tales and Sage Advice

edited by Julie Ann Dawson, Julie Hedge, Colleen Schonat, Stijn Hommes 

Review by Lori Williams-Brown

'Bardic Tales and Sage Advice' is a wonderful introduction to a variety of fresh new writers in the speculative literature genre.  This book has a little bit of everything:  from a swashbuckling high seas adventure (the poem "Pirates" by Bob Quinn) to classic knights and dragons fare (the novella "Dragon's Ire, Phoenix Flame" by Megann mcVey) to mind-bending futuristic man versus society tales (the short story "Through the Data Storm" by David Lawrence).  Each story has a unique voice, and the collection as a whole is an excellent resource to sample what can be accomplished in the genre. 

The book contains 16 selections in all, broken up into poetry, flash fiction, short story, and novellas.  The editors did a lovely job of laying out the book, so that the selections compliment each other quiet nicely.  Transitions from one work to another move well, so that you don't feel jolted from one genre to the next.  Which, considering the wide range of styles and works included, must have been something of a challenge.  

In fact, if the book has a flaw, it is that it perhaps tries to encompass too much by including fantasy, horror, science fiction, poetry, and short stories all in one book.  While I personally adored the poems included in the work for their sheer epic feel, casual readers of fiction might not appreciate them.  Fans of science fiction may not enjoy the horror stories, and/or vice versa.  But if you are like me and love the whole spectrum of speculative literature, this book will be a favourite on your bookshelf.

Publisher: Bards and Sages

ISBN: 1411660293 - Paperback (136 pages)