Review: 'Buried Deep and Other Stories' by Naomi Novik

I've adored Naomi Novik's writing since Spinning Silver and then did very much enjoy the Scholomance trilogy as well. So when I saw Buried Deep, a collection of short stories, up for grabs, I knew it was for me. It then did take me longer than expected to settle down with it, but Novik came to my rescue in the midst of some anxiety and soothed the worried folds of my brain with her delightful words. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the delay in reviewing!

Pub. Date: 17/09/2024
Publisher: Random House; Ballantine; Del Rey

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.

Sometimes, especially if you're me, your brain is not your best friend. As I was trying to wrangle my anxiety under control, Buried Deep came in clutch and helped me escape towards a whole variety of worlds. Escapism is one of those things that is, in some corners, heavily debated. Tolkien wrote about escapism and how it has been unfairly maligned, arguing that readers are not so much looking to escape from something, but rather towards something and that literature, especially Fantasy, can provide that something. In this escape towards something, readers are not ignoring the present or their own, primary world, but rather they are mentally moving towards places and thoughts which will allow them to address what they are facing in reality. This is what Novik's short stories did for me, giving me a somewhere to go to, a whole variety of somewheres in fact. In the tradition of Jane Yolen's fairytale and short story collections, Novik presents a variety of stories from her writing past which cover different story telling traditions and tropes. There are fairies and dragons, but also historical settings and futuristic space confederations. There are characters fighting the every day battles and those facing off against grand dangers. The story which gives its title to the collection, 'Buried Deep', is a tale of how stories and myths come to be, about the struggles from which they originate, as well as a delightful retelling of Ariadne's plight. While sometimes life will have you lost in a labyrinth, there are stories you can tell which will bring you to an exit.

As with all short story collections, not every story will hit equally. This is also true for Buried Deep, especially because Novik hops around quite a bit. There is 'Spinning Silver', for example, the short story that eventually grew into the novel, and 'After Hours', which takes place within the Scholomance universe. Here, you'll find settings and characters you might already be familiar with. 'The Long Way Round' is a sailing story set in a universe/world which Novik is currently plotting out for a new novel/series (I cannot wait because I adored this story!). 'Vici', meanwhile, dives into Roman history plus dragons, while 'Dragons & Decorum' is an absolutely delightful Pride & Prejudice retelling plus dragons.  'Seven Years from Home', though, gives Ursula K. LeGuin Sci-Fi vibes, while 'Commonplaces' is Irene Adler fanfiction (both complimentary). And there's more, like 'Seven', which is about a city with fascinating statues and traditions! Buried Deep, in short, has something for everyone and because of that it also will have something that is not for you. I am the happy kind of reader who enjoyed all of it and I think many other readers will as well.

It is maybe a little trite, considering how much of Novik's writing I have read and enjoyed, to talk about how good her writing is. However, a short story collection like Buried Deep is an excellent way to get a sense of how broadly she can write, how she can play with style and characterisation, and how deeply infused her storytelling is with humour and insight. What I also enjoyed about this collection is that, much like in Jane Yolen's collections, each story is preceded by a little blurb, almost, in which Novik contextualises her story. When was it written, why, what was she trying to do, how does she feel about it now. This gives an extra kind of insight into the craft of writing, of how - to be dramatic about it  stories spring from the pens of authors. I liked reading about how some stories came to her almost fully formed, while others were an active exercise in world-building for other projects. She also credits the authors who might have inspired other stories, such as Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror (a historical account of the Black Plague) and its influence on 'Castle Coeurlieu'. As such, it is both a collection of stories and a collection of moments. I would recommend this collection wholeheartedly to lovers of Fantasy, but also those with a fondness for myths and fairytales or an interest in the craft of writing.

I give this short story collection...

5 Universes!

I absolutely loved Buried Deep and Other Stories and had a great time with each of the stories. Not only am I very intrigued to see where the world she explores in 'The Long Way Round' goes, but I am also just generally looking forward to anything Naomi Novik writes.