Irony of Survival (Zharmae Anthology Series #2) - Ashley's Review (Book III)

*I received this anthology from The Zharmae Publishing Press in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Irony of Survival
Edited by: Anna McDermott
Year Published: 2013

My review of Irony of Survival: Book I
My review of Irony of Survival: Book II

Synopsis: Futures teetering between fate and chance unravel in fantastical realities spanning time and space; each bringing us face-to-face with the unexpected in Irony of Survival – a dynamic collection that explores how life’s ironic twists and turns challenge and, at times, ensure mankind’s survival. 

Never before has the role of irony in challenging our perspective, questioning consequence, and disrupting equilibrium been more distinctly illuminated than in this artfully spellbinding work that provides readers a looking-glass through which to view their own tales of survival. 

Experience firsthand how an unlikely instance, in an instant, can be the turning point of destiny.

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Review: Since this anthology is split into three different books, I think I'll review each story, with the reviews separated by Book. Anthologies are always so weird for me to review.

1. The Hollow Temple by M.A. Ligocki: This story tells the tale of an adventurer with a cursed sword and an elf whose paths cross as they both seek the same treasure. The beginning is kind of slow, and I think too much time is taken to describe their fighting and the temple. Then, things start to pick up as they get weird. I actually enjoyed the weird part of it, and I think that the ending saved this story. 3/5

2. Hall of the Slain by Maria Herring: A doctor, Torny, is killed on the battlefield and finds herself amongst warriors in Valhalla. I was so confused at first because I had no idea what was going on, but eventually it made sense and the story was actually not so bad. I still had so many questions at the end though, and I think it ended very abruptly. 3/5

3. Machines by Michael Simon:In a futuristic world, humanity is at war with the machines. Humans must become more like the perfect machines in order to have a chance at victory, but the machines are always one step ahead. I think this story jumps back and forth near the beginning, and it was a little disorienting. Then the main character is drafted and things are a little more linear. It was an interesting concept that would have made a better book than a short story, I think. 2/5

4. Nowhere to go but Mars by Barry Nove: Colonies are being set up on Mars, and people have begun terraforming and attempting to create a new inhabitable world. America has become a third world country, and many children between the ages of 12-20 have decided to migrate to Mars in hopes of achieving a better life. I liked the concept, and I thought it was pretty well done... but then it ended without ever wrapping anything up. If the ending had been better, I would rate it higher! 3/5

5. ARK-11 by Jak Kavan: ARK-11 is a ship transporting a group of people to a new planet light years away so that they can start colonizing it. People are mysteriously being awoken and others dying though, so most of the story focuses on why/how people are dying. And then... spiders. I personally hate spiders, so that was terrifying in and of itself. The idea and the characters aren't terrible, but I do think this story was too long to be included in an anthology like this. If it had been trimmed down some, I think it would have been better. 2/5

6. The Sun of a Distant Horizon by Corbin Maxwell: A young boy wants to go to Mars in order to help his struggling family. He's tired of life on Earth, and is willing to do drastic things if it means he can leave. Most of this was really graphic and gross and not at all my style, so I found myself skipping ahead quite a bit. It also ended up being some sort of romance story mixed in with everything... it was just really weird. And the main character is like 12 and that just made it worse. I didn't really enjoy this story at all... 1/5

Overall, Book III would be a 2/5 for me. This Book was didn't have stories in at that I enjoyed as much as some of the ones in Book II, but it was more consistent as a whole than either the first or second one. This anthology is a decent look at life's twists and turns and mankind's survival in spite of or thanks to the events that happen. If you're looking for a sci-fi/fantasy anthology, this one might be the right one for you.

--Ashley

Irony of Survival (Zharmae Anthology Series #2) - Ashley's Review (Book II)

*I received this anthology from The Zharmae Publishing Press in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Irony of Survival
Edited by: Anna McDermott
Year Published: 2013

My review of Irony of Survival: Book I

Synopsis: Futures teetering between fate and chance unravel in fantastical realities spanning time and space; each bringing us face-to-face with the unexpected in Irony of Survival – a dynamic collection that explores how life’s ironic twists and turns challenge and, at times, ensure mankind’s survival. 

Never before has the role of irony in challenging our perspective, questioning consequence, and disrupting equilibrium been more distinctly illuminated than in this artfully spellbinding work that provides readers a looking-glass through which to view their own tales of survival. 

Experience firsthand how an unlikely instance, in an instant, can be the turning point of destiny.

------------------------------------------------------

Review: Since this anthology is split into three different books, I think I'll review each story, with the reviews separated by Book. Anthologies are always so weird for me to review.

1. Tower of Strength by Colleen Anderson: This story is a re-imagining of the Crucifixion/Easter story, but from the viewpoint of Mary Magdalene and with the addition of ancient magic. I wasn't really sure what was happening at first because the names were all different and there was a lot of dialogue. There are some elements of the original story, but the magic seemed weird and out of place. It was alright, but just didn't hold my attention well and left me with more questions than answers. 2/5

2. Restitution by James Wymore: A group of people live on a spaceship used to dump garbage, and are made to live in, eat, and scavenge through the garbage in order to survive. After receiving visions, our protagonist decides to stage a mutiny and get all these people out of their lives of trash. I think the concept was interesting, and the characters were likable, but the underlying setup was underdeveloped. How could people on Earth just forget about all the people they sent up into space? And why is he all of a sudden getting these visions? This one had potential, but fell short in the details. 2.5/5

3. The Sentinel by Jak Kavan: A tech company develops a super processor, it disappears, and all of a sudden banks and stock markets start to collapse. I actually thought the idea was really interesting, once everything became connected. I think too much of the beginning focuses on finding the processor though, and on trying to hunt down the guy who they think took it. If more time was spent on the program and how/why it becomes a sentinel, I think it would have been better. 3/5

4. The Romance Chip by Jon Del Arroz: Imagine a world where romance is dictated by a government issued chip that tells you when you are compatible with someone. Now, what if you have never had a match? The idea of making romance this simple is actually really interesting. How would people actually react to it? Would it be worth it? I did feel sorry for the main character, but I think the coincidence at the end was very unbelievable. It was just too much coincidence. 3/5

5. Replacement Hearts by Edward McKeown: A man is injured so badly that he becomes a cyborg - mostly metal, but with his brain, heart, etc. all in tact. He lives alone and has no relationships with full humans except for professional ones. When he has to transport an android "joygirl" though, things change. This story is actually one of the better ones I've read. It's written well, isn't too slow, and has realistic and likable characters. 4/5

6. The Ice Dragon by J.B. Rockwell: This story tells about the life of a fearsome ice dragon. How she falls in love with a man, has sons and daughters, and what happens to them. I actually really liked this story. It was on the longer side, but never felt too long. It has the feel of a fairy tale, which is pretty cool. I would love to have learned more about this world, but the glimpse we got was enough for the story. 5/5! 

Overall, Book II would be about a 3/5. This Book was definitely better than the first one. I hope Book III is even better! 

--Ashley

Irony of Survival (Zharmae Anthology Series #2) - Ashley's Review (Book I)

*I received this anthology from The Zharmae Publishing Press in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Irony of Survival
Edited by: Anna McDermott
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Futures teetering between fate and chance unravel in fantastical realities spanning time and space; each bringing us face-to-face with the unexpected in Irony of Survival – a dynamic collection that explores how life’s ironic twists and turns challenge and, at times, ensure mankind’s survival. 

Never before has the role of irony in challenging our perspective, questioning consequence, and disrupting equilibrium been more distinctly illuminated than in this artfully spellbinding work that provides readers a looking-glass through which to view their own tales of survival. 

Experience firsthand how an unlikely instance, in an instant, can be the turning point of destiny.

------------------------------------------------------

Review: Since this anthology is split into three different books, I think I'll review each story, with the reviews separated by Book. Anthologies are always so weird for me to review.

1. Of Dogs and Vomit by Kevin Bennett: This is a story about a cop and an escaped slave and involves theft, drugs, and a secret plot involving government officials. I think it had some potential, but felt really awkward as a short story. There were chapters and it kept going back and forth between characters and perspectives and didn't really work. I think it would have been better as a full-length novel. 2.5/5

2. Catalogue Phantasma by Frances Pauli: What would you do if you found a catalogue that could make your dreams come true and then had to choose just one? I actually really enjoyed this story, although it did get a little confusing at times with the jumps between dreams and reality. I thought the ending was actually interesting and well done, and I'm not surprised that the MC made the choice she did. 4/5.

3. Shall You Know Me When You See Me? by Johanna Lipford: After 15 years of marriage to an older woman, Henry has an affair with his secretary and considers divorce. I'm not really sure how I felt about this story. The only character I really liked was the wife, Cynthia, and we don't really see much of her. I have absolutely no idea what happened at the end, and it felt like the whole story just came to a screeching halt. I wish there was more to the ending and more of a plot. 1.5/5

4. Knackerman by Malachi King: In this story, a man - the Knackerman - goes to a farm to pick up dead cows that have strange cuts and things on them. This story was pretty far out there and was a little slow at times, but for the most part it kept me entertained. The ending was very abrupt and open, but it wasn't terrible. 3/5

5. Station 17-B by Brandon Steenbock: The crew of Station 17-B have severe cases of PTSD, but no one knows what happened to them because the only thing they can say concerning the incident is "Station 17-B." So of course, we get to find out! The set-up is very slow, and then the reveal is not at all what I expected, so props on that. I think if there had been a little more action and it had been explained more clearly, this story would have been better. 3/5

6. The Green Shadow by Nyla Nox: I honestly have no idea what happened in this story. There's a girl who sees another girl who is pretty much "the green shadow" and a King who has many wives and many babies by these wives... but I could not figure out what in the world this story was trying to do. I think it's too long and doesn't really fit in this anthology with stories that are 20 pages or less, and it did not hold my attention at all. 1/5

Overall, Book I would be a 2.5/5. Some stories are interesting and along the lines of what I expect from a short story, but others just fall short. I hope Book II and III are better! 


--Ashley

Irony of Survival (Zharmae Anthology Series #2) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this anthology from The Zharmae Publishing Press in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Irony of Survival
Edited by: Anna McDermott
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Futures teetering between fate and chance unravel in fantastical realities spanning time and space; each bringing us face-to-face with the unexpected in Irony of Survival – a dynamic collection that explores how life’s ironic twists and turns challenge and, at times, ensure mankind’s survival. 

Never before has the role of irony in challenging our perspective, questioning consequence, and disrupting equilibrium been more distinctly illuminated than in this artfully spellbinding work that provides readers a looking-glass through which to view their own tales of survival. 

Experience firsthand how an unlikely instance, in an instant, can be the turning point of destiny.


Review: For this anthology, I'm just going to give a brief description and mini review for two of its stories.

Tower of Strength by Colleen Anderson

This story started out with a lot if dialogue and I was confused. I quickly realized I knew these characters from a familiar story told once every year: the Easter story. Mary Magdeline is the protagonist. She and other "Mary"s have magical powers. There is a lot of female power in this story. It reminded me of one if those specials on Discovery about what really happened to Jesus and all the conspiracies.  This was an interesting idea, but many people may not enjoy it. 2.5/5


Nowhere to Go But Mars by Barry Nove

Planetary colonization is in effect, but you must pass certain qualifications and take a mate to journey to Mars. Even then, your chances of surviving the long sleep aren't the best. I liked that America was portrayed as not one of the top powers. I found the process the applicants had to go through interesting and thought some interesting body image questions were brought up. I think this would be interesting to see continued. 4/5

-PAUL

The Zharmae Anthology Sale Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY

We are happy to participate in The Zharmae Anthology Sale Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY!!! We are both big fans of short stories. It's always great to have an anthology sitting on your nightstand. You get a whole story all at once. These two anthologies are on sale for the month of September. Stay tuned to this blog where our reviews of the anthologies will be posted! And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter GIVEAWAY at the bottom of the post!

---Paul and Ashley

For the month of September, The Zharmae Publishing Press is putting their two amazing Anthologies The Irony of Survival and Real Lies, on sale for only $4.99

A complete steal of a deal!

Release Date: June 17, 2013
Publisher: The Zharmae Publishing Press
421 Pages
Some Authors Include: Frances Pauli, Nyla Nox, James Wymore, and Jon Del Arroz

Description: Irony of Survival being the second in the Zharmae Anthology series takes a deeper look at survival and how irony’s effect on it can grow into something we may, or may not have anticipated. While we wonder to ourselves, how it managed to happen, it does. That is the law of irony, if the possibility exists, then the instant will occur.

So we must look beyond the instant, to the series of occurances and ask ourselves: Is this really what was meant to happen? The answer to that, in our heads at least, is no. The reality may be far different.

When I was asked to sum up the theme of this year’s top shorts obviously the title comes to mind. It’s simple, quick, and to the point. Does that really answer the question “What do the contest entries actually say about the theme, and what does that say about the reasoning behind the theme?” Probably no, and probably nothing at all. Now, when I say “Yes, we did just survive that; but it’s ironic that we did, because now, What the hell!” Is probably a better demonstration of the theme at hand. This is the look at life, and what it really takes to survive. How irony seems to play a dominant role in our lives with concurring thoughts such as: It worked out differently in my head. Or the ever so ingenious. I didn’t die on the trip to Mars, though I should have, only to be killed 12 hours after arriving by Martian children. Of course!

But why is this important?

Sometimes irony works to your advantage. Sometimes, irony is what helps you to survive in the first place, what allows you to see beyond the near term and envision a future that was not present before. Sometimes, the irony of surviving allows for the greatest of accomplishments.

Featuring the top rated short stories of the 2012 Annual Spring Writing Competition, the Irony of Survival takes a keen look at the future, while strolling along a summer park full of adventure, love, and fright. The stories within these covers are spectacular and compelling even for those who scoff Irony in the face.

Amazon Buy link: Irony of Survival

Release Date: Feb 1, 2013
Publisher: The Zharmae Publishing Press
390 Pages
Some Authors Include: Dan Pike, D.H. Aire, and Oscar Francesco


Description: Enter a world where fantasy and reality collide, where seeking answers only raises more questions, and the paths you choose can change everything you have ever known. The pages in this collection will send you on an adventure into the unknown to discover the truth about yourself and the world around you. Create and destroy destinies when facts and reasons fail in Robson's "Walk on By." Question reality with Lisabeth in "Onward Into Dark," where dreams come to life and the past returns to haunt those searching to escape the truth. Don't believe in escapism? Join the characters of Pike's "The Wolf of Descarta," as they face reality head-on and struggle against wild fantasies that eclipse life itself. But be careful, our dear readers. One bite of "reality" and you might wish you could wrap the illusions around your eyes once more because as you will find, the truth lies.

Amazon Buy Link: RealLies: A Zharmae Collection of Short Works (Zharmae Anthology Series)

If you're looking to discover some great new reads written by some amazing debut authors. These Anthologies can't be beat!

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