Naomi Novik's Buried Deep and Other Stories is a captivating anthology that elegantly weaves together magic, mythology, and mystery, showcasing the author's remarkable range and imagination. Within this collection, readers are treated to a variety of tales that traverse genres, each infused with Novik's signature blend of rich storytelling and complex characters.

The opening tale features a quirky mushroom witch navigating the treacherous social dynamics of the Scholomance, a wonderfully dark setting that highlights Novik's ability to balance whimsy with genuine tension. This story not only entertains but also resonates with anyone who has faced challenges in their relationships, making it relatable despite the fantastical elements.


One of the most poignant stories revolves around a young bride gambling with Death, exploring themes of fate and choice against the backdrop of the medieval setting. This narrative is both haunting and beautiful, capturing the essence of what it means to confront one's destiny head-on.

Novik also playfully reimagines Pride & Prejudice with an exciting twist, where Elizabeth Bennet not only navigates societal expectations but also commands a Longwing dragon. This clever twist on a classic tale showcases Novik's talent for merging the familiar with the fantastical, creating an engaging narrative that both fans of Austen and fantasy aficionados can appreciate.

Throughout the collection, the unifying theme of wrestling with destiny binds the stories together. Novik's characters are all in search of their paths, willing to push boundaries and defy expectations to carve out their destinies. This powerful exploration of fate versus free will resonates deeply and leaves readers contemplating their own journeys.

In conclusion, Buried Deep and Other Stories is a beautifully crafted anthology that showcases Naomi Novik's extraordinary talent. With its diverse assortment of tales, this collection is a must-read for fans of fantasy and those who appreciate rich storytelling, thoroughly immersing them in worlds both strange and familiar.

Please note that I also listened to some of this book as an audiobook.

Admittedly I am not the biggest fan of short story collections. However, this is Naomi Novik and I couldn’t resist. I am pleased I took that gamble.
There will always be some stories that a reader likes more than the others, but this collection should have multiple stories for everyone. My recommendation would be getting this as an audiobook. Each story is narrated by someone else they are all told so well. I think this might be one of the rare occasions where I think the audiobook is better.

My personal favourites were Araminta, After Hours, Buried Deep, Spinning Silver and Castle Courlieu.

I'm a huge fan of Naomi Novik's longer works, but hadn't read any of her short stories, so this collection was a real treat. My favourites were, unsurprisingly, the Scholomance story, the Temeraire story, and the Pride & Prejudice + dragons story - and, surprisingly, the original form of Spinning Silver (a surprise since the novel is actually the only one of Novik's books I've DNFed; the short story form felt much more contained and controlled). A lot of the stories are very dreamily written, and I was left confused at the end of several of them as they seemed to rely on the reader inferring an ending; this may just have been me not getting the point! I enjoyed every story while reading it, though, as the lyrical prose is very good at drawing you in, and the concepts are all really great fun. A definite must-read for a fan.

Each and every story is engrossing and feels like a whole story. I sometimes struggle with short stories as I they can feel unfinished, but that it not the case here. Loved that there were multiple genres, from fantasy to mythology and folklore, from mystery, to historical and sci-fi.

Naomi Novik has always been one of my favourite authors, so I was thrilled to dive into Buried Deep and Other Stories—and it didn’t disappoint. This collection is a wonderful mix of old favourites and fresh surprises, blending wit, imaginative world-building, and deeply human characters into rich mini stories.

One of the highlights for me was After Hours, a return to the world of the Scholomance series that I absolutely adored. Getting to see a familiar character in a new, quieter light—mushroom magic and all—was great. It hit that perfect note of closure and new beginnings and honestly, I didn’t realise how much I missed that world until I was right back in it. Might dive back into the world of the Scholomance!

The other stories were great to read, some were naturally slower than others but being used to Novik's style, it wasn't hard to get through them. Dragons & Decorum was an interesting read, I liked the twist on Pride and Prejudice and the short story version of Spinning Silver was a surprise too! Definilty making me feel like I need to revisit that book!

It was nice diving into the other worlds that she has created as well as a a little look at the her new series. I'm excited to see where that goes!

If you're a fan of Naomi Novik's work, you can't go wrong with picking this up!

Absolutely loved it! It is a collection of short fantasy stories that mix mythology, history and magic in really creative ways. My favourite was 'Buried Deep' which retells the Minataur myth from Ariadne's point of view which felt fresh and emotional. There is also a darker version of 'Spinning Silver' which was awesome.

A charming selection of stories from a great author. Dragon inspired stories will always be my favourite from Novik since I fell in love with Temeraire.

I liked this book as I could dip in and out. I would whole-heartedly recommend Buried Deep (as well as the Temeraire series!!).

I’m not usually a big fan of short story compilations- they are often uneven in terms of quality. However a set of short stories by Naomi Novik turned out to be a different story. Almost all of the stories were linked to her other works and I really appreciated their familiarity. I don’t know how I would have taken them if I wasn’t already a fan of her work. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

A fantastic selection of short stories, very different from each other but all brilliantly written. I really enjoyed reading these and would encourage everyone else to read them too!

3.5 Stars/ As a Novik fan, I was looking forward to this, and it’s a good and enjoyable collection, with some serious range—several of these stories belong to different genres and are written in impressively different styles. The 13 stories are so different that it gave a good variety.

A beautiful collection of shorts from Novik that create new worlds and expand upon ones she's invited us into before. Favourites might have to be Pride and Prejudice with the addition of Dragons... and the snippet from the world of The Scholomance. I will always come back to Novik's prose. And very pleased there's still quite a backlist for me to venture into.

Thanks, Netgalley, for the ARC (even though I'm super late with this).

Honestly, I'm not a huge anthology fan, but when I got a chance to read a Naomi Novak (my fave!) ARC, how could I say no?

It's got stories from a bunch of her books, and even though I haven't read them all, they totally work on their own.

That last story though? It's amazing; you seriously have to read the whole thing just to get to it!

I am a bit new to the party of Naomi Novik, so felt a good way to start was with this short story anthology."Buried Deep and Other Stories" is an anthology that certainly spans many genres, from fantasy to science fiction, myth, and even dipping its toes into historical fiction.

The anthology boasts a range of stories many of which have humour but are also thought-provoking. There are several stories that seem set in her other novel continuities or in nrext door realities and I enjoyed was an alt version of Pride & Prejudice with Elizabeth Bennet as a dragon captain obviously, whilst I have never read Novik’s Temeraire series it has put me in mind to add them to my ever expanding TBR pile.

The collection also offers a sneak peek into Novik's upcoming new series. The stories, while varied, are unified by a theme of wrestling with destiny, exploring how characters from different times and places strive to fulfill their fates.

For fans of Novik, this anthology I can only assume this would be a treasure trove of short stories as it not only revisits familiar worlds but also introduces new ones, with each one feeling distinct but never alien. For me I wonder If I got more out of the stories not connected to her established series as I didn’t need to know any backstory and they were just compelling narratives that stood on their own merit.

However, I think depending on your history with the author you may get more out of certain stories, as a newcomer though I found plenty to enjoy and whilst sometimes I wondered what I might be missing by not being as familiar with the world, I never felt shortchanged as there was enough to enjoy!

In conclusion, "Buried Deep and Other Stories" is recommended for both dedicated fans of Naomi Novik and newcomers to her work looking for an introduction to her work. It's a collection that whilst every story might not land 100% for you the majority I think will and there’s something to enjoy in all of them as she has a nice easy to read style. I think if you’re looking to try Naomi Novik, this shirt story anthology is a great place to start!

A really solid set of short stories from Naomi Novik.

I enjoyed going back to the world of the Scholomance, and reading her other stories that I hadn't read yet.

Some were better than others, the pirate one being my fav as a genderfluid person.

It's hard to give a summary for a short story collection, but this includes stories set in her own existing worlds, an introduction to a new book, and also takes on Greek mythology, fairytales and Sherlock Holmes.

Short stories can sometimes be quite hit and miss for me, with less time to get engaged in the tale, but I loved this.

I was varying degrees of familiar with the world's that were being riffed off in these stories but they still all worked. I of course loved the Scholomance follow up having been a big fan of that series, but I equally enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice AU with dragons.

Most of the stories has been published in other anthologies, so.you may have come across some before but they were all new to me.

4.25 stars

Rating: 4.5 stars

I love Naomi Novik. And the second I heard there would be a Scholomance short story in this collection I knew it needed to be mine.

I absolutely loved about half of the stories in here - though a few definitely carried more of my enjoyment then others. But I loved the foreword for each story and fell absolutely in love with Novik’s Ariadne short story.
I would also like to request a full lenght novel of the Scholomance short. It was everything I didnt know I needed and everything I could possibly want at the same time.

You will probably be picking up this book because you are already a fan of this author's work. Although you might be considering reading it to get a taste of her style without committing to a series.
In this collection are original stories inspired by myths and fairy tales as well as others that are precursors of, or based on, her other books. Even in the original stories she quickly manages to conjure up a world and atmosphere.
My favourite amongst the stories is Dragons and Decorum where Temeraire and Pride & Prejudice have a most fortunate encounter.
I think this is a good representative of her work and I enjoyed reading all the stories.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Del Rey for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review*

These are just a few short stories. I would like to read more of them, especially Lord Dunsany's teapot and seven years from home. Overall it was a great collection of short stories, that made me want to read the rest of her books since I hadn't read any other book by Novik.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a collection of short stories where I loved every single one and would happily have spent far more time in each one. Because I was savouring each story it took me a while to finish because I was enjoying dipping into each story so much.

This is a masterclass in short fantasy fiction and I can’t recommend it enough. For fans of Naomi Novik’s worlds there are stories from Scholarmance, Temperaire and Spinning Silver, plus a tease of a new world she’s building - which I am sooo excited about!

I found this a bit of a mix - some stories were very gripping and some dragged a little. My favourite was the story about a talking dragon - would love to see this adapted into a novel or series!