Heroes Wanted: A Fantasy Anthology

I have been reading a lot of fantasy short stories recently. There is definitely an art to condensing everything needed into a short form. They are also great for introducing you to new authors. Most anthologies have a theme running through - this one is themed on what it means to be a hero. The heroic super character is an oft used fantasy trope, but the stories contained here take a much more nuanced look at the idea of heroics. They focus on the small things, the beginnings and the ideals. I have read a few of Laura M. Hughes short stories before, and have been thoroughly impressed. She takes that deft grasp of what makes a good short story and has managed to curate a fantastic collection of good up and coming authors works in this collection. Her own contribution ‘Ratman' doesn't disappoint either, a great story about redemption and turning weakness into strength. ‘Half-breed' and ‘Fresh off the boat' were two others that I found particularly memorable, but there were no especially weak stories in this collection.

These are all young, new authors and if this is the future of fantasy we have a lot to look forward to! This collection is also a steal, being free on amazon. Definitely check it out!