The Alchemy of Sorrow was a Kickstarter anthology, and this is a review of the early ebook version given to backers. But it’s out now and available for purchase!

This anthology is a beautiful blend of stories centered around grief, sorrow, and hope. Each of the thirteen stories centers around grief in a different way, providing a wildly wide grasp of overcoming grief. There’s a huge chance at least one of these stories is going to hit you in the heart if not all of them. Since each are powerfully emotional, I wanted to give a snapshot of what else each story did well! Read on to see why you should definitely pick up this incredible anthology!

Lullaby by K.S. Villoso
The choice of the POV and the way the story was told created a really strong voice that was only enhanced by K.S.’s fantastic prose. I was enthralled from beginning to end with it!

Skies on Fire by Sonya M. Black
The worldbuilding utilized the small amount of space so well and crafted such an interesting setting to tell this story in. And I now I would like to bond a phoenix if at all possible, please…

A Matter of Trust by Angela Boord
Angela is just so incredible with characters, and this story is no different! The moments between the characters are just magical, and their interactions feel so natural.

A Recurrence of Jasmine by Levi Jacobs
The atmosphere for this story, and the way it was told, were just so strong. Maybe influenced by recent readings, but it drew comparisons to Sandman for me in that way.

Twice Domesticated Dragons by Intisar Khanani
I love dragons and I love gnomes, so this was just set up to be a home run for me! I loved the dynamic of how the two play off of each other, and the world that was built around it was so unique and interesting.

The Witch in the Woods by Quenby Olson
The atmosphere and character dynamics built a lot of tension for this story, and an interesting concept that tells a beautiful tale of motherly love.

Thief by Virginia McClain
This is a beautiful tale of missed goodbyes, and it hits hard. The concept is a great take on something I’m sure many people have thought of before, a way to change something in the past.

Thicker Than Water by Carol A. Park
The worldbuilding was great in this story, it built out a very interesting world, and gave a lot of insight into the guilt of being a Banebringer, which are always perceived as evil.

Death in the Uncanny Valley by M.L. Wang
M.L. is just about one of the best writers when it comes to emotion, and this story shows her talents with it well. And this was all wrapped up in a fun and interesting setting to explore it with.

Summer Souls by Clayton Snyder
The concept that Clayton plays with here was so intriguing and the atmosphere improved it all the more and led to a very powerful moment.

Reliquary of the Damned by Rachel Emma Shaw
Rachel’s concept was also really interesting and creates such a fascinating dynamic between characters that was explored really well.

The Quiet by Madolyn Rogers
This is such a visceral view of depression and how it affects people, and it’s put into a fantastic tale of a woman who is in the depths of her depression and how she deals with it.

The Paperweight Watch by Krystle Matar
Krystle is so good at delving into how the loss of parents and can affect someone. The dynamics between characters and their interactions are excellent, especially when they are shown through memory. Her relationships are so strong here.

The Art!
Finally, the art for the anthology is fantastic! A beautiful cover by Zoe Badini
A wonderful map constructed by Diana Sousa
And gorgeous individual art pieces by Kerstin Espinosa Rosero

Overall: 5/5 Sad Crying Faces

Links: Purchase Links | Goodreads