About the Book:
Fate: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic
If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you leave the future to the turn of Fate?
Tales of Variety. Tales of History, Mystery and Magic – some comprising just one of these popular fiction genres, others, a mild mixture of all three. Perhaps you prefer historical fiction rather than a story about magic or fantasy? Maybe you enjoy exploring new themes or prefer sticking to the familiar? Historical fiction can often inform, imparting knowledge of the past, of its events and its people. Stories of mystery exercise the ‘little grey cells’ as Poirot would say, while fantasy and magic create new worlds and awed wonder.
Whatever result, this is where anthologies come into their own, and where short stories are often appreciated as enjoyable, entertaining, quick or easy reads shown through the eyes of a variety of extraordinary characters and situations. In this instance: an Anglo-Saxon woman facing the consequence of conquest, the pursuit of alchemy, the concern of a mother for her daughter, the shifting of time, the necessity of hidden identity, souls who will linger as ghosts, a warning from the supernatural, the necessity for (justifiable?) revenge. All mingled with the rekindling of romance through a mutual quest, and the preparations for a Cotswold village celebration. (Along with a good tip if illicitly snaffling cakes.
The binding theme? Destiny... Kismet... FATE!Published 2025 ✧ R. Marsden ✧ Taw River Press ✧ KU Loan
Review:
"The Black Onyx Box" marks my first experience with R. Marsden, and the story left a mixed impression.
There is undeniable creativity in Marsden's ability to weave history, ambition, grief, and the fantastic so convincingly in such a modest page count, and the story boasts brilliant pacing. The world-building could have been stronger, but the simple landscape doesn't detract from the narrative.
If the seventh story in Fate: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic has a flaw, it's that Marsden allows minor storylines to trail into open-ended ambiguity. The author's note points readers to Marsden's larger canon, but offers no hint as to whether or not his full-length novels will bring these lost notes into focus.
