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The Books of the Raksura #0.3; 3.4; 3.5; 3.7; 3.8
Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below
Moon, Jade, and other favorites from the Indigo Cloud Court return with two new novellas from Martha Wells.
Martha Wells continues to enthusiastically ignore genre conventions in her exploration of the fascinating world of the Raksura. Her novellas and short stories contain all the elements fans have come to love from the Raksura books: courtly intrigue and politics, unfolding mysteries that reveal an increasingly strange wider world, and threats both mundane and magical.
“The Dead City” is a tale of Moon before he came to the Indigo Court. As Moon is fleeing the ruins of Saraseil, a groundling city destroyed by the Fell, he flies right into another potential disaster when a friendly caravanserai finds itself under attack by a strange force. In “The Dark Earth Below,” Moon and Jade face their biggest adventure yet; their first clutch. But even as Moon tries to prepare for impending fatherhood, members of the Kek village in the colony tree’s roots go missing, and searching for them only leads to more mysteries as the court is stalked by an unknown enemy.
Stories of Moon and the shape changers of Raksura have delighted readers for years. This world is a dangerous place full of strange mysteries, where the future can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for with wits and ingenuity, and often tooth and claw. With these two new novellas, Martha Wells shows that the world of the Raksura has many more stories to tell…
Contains:
The Dead City #0.3
Mimesis #3.4
Trading Lesson #3.5
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment #3.8
The Dark Earth Below #3.7
Appendices
Martha Wells continues to enthusiastically ignore genre conventions in her exploration of the fascinating world of the Raksura. Her novellas and short stories contain all the elements fans have come to love from the Raksura books: courtly intrigue and politics, unfolding mysteries that reveal an increasingly strange wider world, and threats both mundane and magical.
“The Dead City” is a tale of Moon before he came to the Indigo Court. As Moon is fleeing the ruins of Saraseil, a groundling city destroyed by the Fell, he flies right into another potential disaster when a friendly caravanserai finds itself under attack by a strange force. In “The Dark Earth Below,” Moon and Jade face their biggest adventure yet; their first clutch. But even as Moon tries to prepare for impending fatherhood, members of the Kek village in the colony tree’s roots go missing, and searching for them only leads to more mysteries as the court is stalked by an unknown enemy.
Stories of Moon and the shape changers of Raksura have delighted readers for years. This world is a dangerous place full of strange mysteries, where the future can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for with wits and ingenuity, and often tooth and claw. With these two new novellas, Martha Wells shows that the world of the Raksura has many more stories to tell…
Contains:
The Dead City #0.3
Mimesis #3.4
Trading Lesson #3.5
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment #3.8
The Dark Earth Below #3.7
Appendices
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2011
162 people are currently reading
1655 people want to read
About the author
Martha Wells
112 books23.9k followersMartha Wells has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series, The Murderbot Diaries series, and other fantasy novels, most recently Witch King (Tordotcom, 2023). She has also written media tie-in fiction for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering, as well as short fiction, YA novels, and non-fiction. She has won Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and a Dragon Award, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the British Science Fiction Association Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, the Sunday Times Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. She is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, and her books have been published in twenty-five languages.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 26, 2015
OK, I am a giant fan of the Raksura books, but I think this volume may contain the best of Wells' novellas. "The Dead City" is an in media res flashback, starting as a much younger Moon flees the doomed city of Saraseil in the wake of his fateful encounter with the Fell. This is not quite the hardened, angry Moon of the later stories, note, although this is the beginning of his hardening. Here one can still catch glimpses of the inquisitive, hopeful boy he used to be... and here we realize this was the moment when that boy died. But meanwhile, Moon meets the people of an isolated community who are being menaced by horrifying creatures called "Miners". I'm just gonna say it: SPIDER PEOPLE. It's a good thing Moon really really wants to kill something at this point.
"The Dark Earth Below" is less dark, since it takes place in the post-trilogy "present" and Moon is no longer a lonely, bitter outcast. In fact, he's about to become a new father -- so of course a mysterious hostile entity threatens the colony. Jade's not exactly helpless, but Moon's got a lot of new-papa jitters to work off, so the bulk of dealing with the threat falls on him. This one's worth it for all the layers of nuance that get added to the Raksura we know and love: we see Pearl and Stone showing obvious pleasure that Indigo Cloud is growing again; we see the Arbora go into "swarm" mode when something invades the tree; we see that Balm is suddenly very glad she can't get pregnant; and we meet Jade and Moon's children! It's positively heartwarming.
There are some other short stories rounding out this volume, most of which are reprinted from other sources or Wells' website; I particularly like "Mimesis" since it's all about Jade saving the day (though it's hilarious to see that the Indigo Cloud warriors constantly worry that Moon will kill them if anything happens to Jade). But frankly it's the two novellas here that earn the price of admission.
"The Dark Earth Below" is less dark, since it takes place in the post-trilogy "present" and Moon is no longer a lonely, bitter outcast. In fact, he's about to become a new father -- so of course a mysterious hostile entity threatens the colony. Jade's not exactly helpless, but Moon's got a lot of new-papa jitters to work off, so the bulk of dealing with the threat falls on him. This one's worth it for all the layers of nuance that get added to the Raksura we know and love: we see Pearl and Stone showing obvious pleasure that Indigo Cloud is growing again; we see the Arbora go into "swarm" mode when something invades the tree; we see that Balm is suddenly very glad she can't get pregnant; and we meet Jade and Moon's children! It's positively heartwarming.
There are some other short stories rounding out this volume, most of which are reprinted from other sources or Wells' website; I particularly like "Mimesis" since it's all about Jade saving the day (though it's hilarious to see that the Indigo Cloud warriors constantly worry that Moon will kill them if anything happens to Jade). But frankly it's the two novellas here that earn the price of admission.
March 25, 2017
For those of you who haven't discovered the world of the Raksura:
Seriously, if you have more than a passing interest in fantasy and enjoy being immersed in a lush world with interesting cultures and a huge variety of sentient species - not to mention a full cast of endearing characters - you need to read the Books of the Raksura. Start with The Cloud Roads. You will appreciate the novellas much more if you're already invested in the world.
It's not your typical western-medieval-style epic fantasy with huge, world-devastating conflicts of one or two peoples who wield swords and maybe bows and spears (not that those aren't fun). This is an entire world full of wonder with a huge variety of life and endless possibilities for danger and adventure. Plus, winged shape-shifters with retractable claws for weapons make for some different types of fight scenes.
We see danger up close as it affects a clan of Raksura and those around them, but this world is too vast and varied for it to be so simple as good vs. evil. It's definitely not like any other world I've read about, and certainly not any version of ours that I can recognize. It's much more complex and imaginative than that, and I love it.
This world is seriously one of my all-time favorites. There's a lot of competition out there for the top spots, and these are solidly on that list. I've never read anything like them, and that's saying a lot.
It's OK if you don't love it as much as I do (that is allowed!), but you could really be missing out on something wonderful if you don't give it a try. Go read it!
Now for existing Raksura fans:
This is another set of fantastic stories about the Raksura. I only wish they were longer, and I want more! I don't usually find shorter fiction very satisfying, especially series tie-ins, but these novellas are so much more than that. They are explorations of a world that are told at just the length that’s needed for the story. They’re not teasers. They are gripping and fully textured, even when there's not a lot of action going on. There are so many details about life in the Court that I wish I lived there, and then when something does happen, the sense of danger is immediate.
I miss it all when I'm done - just the feel of the world and my friends there. That's rare, I think, and is what makes all of the Raksura books an easy 5 stars for me, even the novellas.
The Dead City
This is the first novella in the collection. It takes us back to Moon before he found his people when he was routinely ostracized, and so it was hard to read at times. It's amazing that with all the abuse he receives from Groundlings, he still wants to help them when their village is threatened by a hostile species. There is plenty of shifting and claw action in this one, but I did miss the other Raksura. Even though the story is very good, it's sad because Moon is so alone. Raksura should not be alone! I had to remind myself that he does find his way later on.
Bonus Short Stories
Three short stories are included between the novellas that are not listed in the book description. They are:
★ Mimesis - Jade and her hunting group run into some trouble.
★ Trading Lesson - A very short snapshot of another court coming to trade at Indigo Cloud. (No action here.)
★ The Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment - A wind-ship's crew is hired to ransom a ship captured by pirates and runs into trouble. I hope to read more about the crew someday. It was short, but I'm attached to them already. This just proves that there's much to explore in this world beyond the Raksura. Endless possibilities, I hope.
I still find short stories just too short to be satisfying, but these were nice as bonuses. I'm really glad that they were in the middle, because it saved the best for last...
The Dark Earth Below
I really loved this story. It's a bit longer than the first novella, and there are actually two story lines, which adds depth. First, waiting for Moon and Jade's first clutch to arrive. This offers a good view of the colony's life at peace after they've settled in to their home. Then of course, that peace is broken and things get exciting. (Yes!) All of my favorite characters receive a moment or two in the spotlight, and we also learn more about the Kek and the ground level of the Reaches. Lots of fun!
This last story was enough to make me homesick at the end of it. You know that gaping hole you feel when you realize you have to leave one of your favorite worlds again? Yep.
At least I know there's a new series of full-length Raksura books starting next year (!!!). I can't wait for The Edge of Worlds: A Novel of the Raksura. Funny how the future looks brighter just knowing that it's coming.
Seriously, if you have more than a passing interest in fantasy and enjoy being immersed in a lush world with interesting cultures and a huge variety of sentient species - not to mention a full cast of endearing characters - you need to read the Books of the Raksura. Start with The Cloud Roads. You will appreciate the novellas much more if you're already invested in the world.
It's not your typical western-medieval-style epic fantasy with huge, world-devastating conflicts of one or two peoples who wield swords and maybe bows and spears (not that those aren't fun). This is an entire world full of wonder with a huge variety of life and endless possibilities for danger and adventure. Plus, winged shape-shifters with retractable claws for weapons make for some different types of fight scenes.
We see danger up close as it affects a clan of Raksura and those around them, but this world is too vast and varied for it to be so simple as good vs. evil. It's definitely not like any other world I've read about, and certainly not any version of ours that I can recognize. It's much more complex and imaginative than that, and I love it.
This world is seriously one of my all-time favorites. There's a lot of competition out there for the top spots, and these are solidly on that list. I've never read anything like them, and that's saying a lot.
It's OK if you don't love it as much as I do (that is allowed!), but you could really be missing out on something wonderful if you don't give it a try. Go read it!
Now for existing Raksura fans:
This is another set of fantastic stories about the Raksura. I only wish they were longer, and I want more! I don't usually find shorter fiction very satisfying, especially series tie-ins, but these novellas are so much more than that. They are explorations of a world that are told at just the length that’s needed for the story. They’re not teasers. They are gripping and fully textured, even when there's not a lot of action going on. There are so many details about life in the Court that I wish I lived there, and then when something does happen, the sense of danger is immediate.
I miss it all when I'm done - just the feel of the world and my friends there. That's rare, I think, and is what makes all of the Raksura books an easy 5 stars for me, even the novellas.
The Dead City
This is the first novella in the collection. It takes us back to Moon before he found his people when he was routinely ostracized, and so it was hard to read at times. It's amazing that with all the abuse he receives from Groundlings, he still wants to help them when their village is threatened by a hostile species. There is plenty of shifting and claw action in this one, but I did miss the other Raksura. Even though the story is very good, it's sad because Moon is so alone. Raksura should not be alone! I had to remind myself that he does find his way later on.
Bonus Short Stories
Three short stories are included between the novellas that are not listed in the book description. They are:
★ Mimesis - Jade and her hunting group run into some trouble.
★ Trading Lesson - A very short snapshot of another court coming to trade at Indigo Cloud. (No action here.)
★ The Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment - A wind-ship's crew is hired to ransom a ship captured by pirates and runs into trouble. I hope to read more about the crew someday. It was short, but I'm attached to them already. This just proves that there's much to explore in this world beyond the Raksura. Endless possibilities, I hope.
I still find short stories just too short to be satisfying, but these were nice as bonuses. I'm really glad that they were in the middle, because it saved the best for last...
The Dark Earth Below
I really loved this story. It's a bit longer than the first novella, and there are actually two story lines, which adds depth. First, waiting for Moon and Jade's first clutch to arrive. This offers a good view of the colony's life at peace after they've settled in to their home. Then of course, that peace is broken and things get exciting. (Yes!) All of my favorite characters receive a moment or two in the spotlight, and we also learn more about the Kek and the ground level of the Reaches. Lots of fun!
This last story was enough to make me homesick at the end of it. You know that gaping hole you feel when you realize you have to leave one of your favorite worlds again? Yep.
At least I know there's a new series of full-length Raksura books starting next year (!!!). I can't wait for The Edge of Worlds: A Novel of the Raksura. Funny how the future looks brighter just knowing that it's coming.
February 18, 2016
Final rating: 5/5 stars
The second volume of the short stories was amazing as well. I will keep this one review a bit shorter than the first, but if you want the general opinion, just read my review for Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud.
This one though, is more focused on the sequels, as it consists of only 1 prequel out of 5 stories. All of them were worth it, but especially the last one, The Dark Earth Bellow, which was the most important.
Therefore, do not read the rest of this review unless you read books 1-3 and volume 1 of the short stories.
Sorted in chronological order:
◈ Rating: 4.5/5 stars
◈ POV: Moon
◈ Chronological order: Prequel 3, set after the events of Saraseil
◈ Recommended order: After book 1
◈ Synopsis: After Moon left Saraseil, he stopped caring about himself and what could happen to him. Broken, shocked and traumatized, still not knowing what he is, he comes across groundlings. Even though no one discovered what he is yet, he didn't really get a warm welcome. But the visitors, Cedar-rin race of groundlings, are interested in what the miners, another predator race is digging near the settlement.
◈ My opinion: This is one of the points in Moon's life when he was at his lowest. He didn't care about himself in the beginning and just moved on like a ghost. He lost interest in his people and vowed never to search for them again. But his heart never changed - even though it's not his problem, even though they are not his people, he ends up helping however he can and save even those who would rather chase him away or worse.
◈ Rating: 5/5 stars
◈ POV: Jade
◈ Chronological order: Sequel, to be read after third book - #1
◈ Recommended order: To be read next after third book, set three months after the end of The Siren Depths.
◈ Synopsis: Jade and her entourage are away from the court. But then, one of the warriors goes missing. Jade decides to explore before someone gets hurt.
◈ My opinion: Interesting short story, I love reading through Jade's POV.
◈ Rating: 5/5 stars
◈ POV: Moon
◈ Chronological order: Sequel, to be read after third book - #2
◈ Recommended order: see above. Set one month after the end of Mimesis.
◈ Synopsis: Sunset Water arrived along with one groundling to trade things. Moon is not really surprised to see that Raksura have no sense of value, especially when it comes to beads and pearls... Moon starts giving advices.
◈ My opinion: Reading this story made me realize that most of the raksura now see him as someone worthy of being protected, either by words or by actions. Also, it was kinda funny to see Moon struggling to save his court and friends from bankrupting.
◈ Rating: 6/5 stars
◈ POV: Moon
◈ Chronological order: Sequel, to be read after third book - #4
◈ Recommended order: see above. Set a turn and a half after the events of The Siren Depths.
◈ Synopsis: Jade is almost near her birth period and Moon is besides himself. He doesn't want to think anything could go wrong, but then Kek, the groundlings living beneath their tree, ask them for help because some of their hunters went missing. Raksura agree to help and discover more weird groundlings. Groundlings are in coma and are not waking up, and something wants to enter their court, no matter what the cost...
◈ My opinion: Probably the most important short story. Aside from the obvious filler plot in between, Moon and Jade scenes are actually important. It was really cute to see both Moon and Jade struggling with her pregnancy. And Moon was really cute in this one.
Bonus:
◈ Rating: 5/5 stars
◈ POV: Jai
◈ Chronological order: Spin-off, to be read after third book, anytime.
◈ Recommended order: see above
◈ Synopsis: Jainin dan Ethana "Jai", captain of the ship Escarpment, and her navigator, Flaren, decide to carry ransom to the kidnappers to the location in order to set the hostages free.
◈ My opinion:Very interesting story - and interesting new characters. Hopefully we will meet them again in one of the new books.
Great, great and great, especially The Dark Earth Below, which actually took half of this book. Great stories, all in all.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ Standalone: No. Closely related to the main series, in fact, prequels and third book's sequels.
⚠ Point of View: Third POV, 1 different (mostly) character per story.
⚠ Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Angst: Oh yes.
⚠ Supernatural: Dragonlike Shapeshifters and new unknown beings.
⚠ Explicit content: No. You know what happened but no descriptions.
⚠ Recommended: HELL YES. The last story, The Dark Earth Below, is the most important.
◈ The Cloud Roads (Books of the Raksura, #1)
◈ The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura, #2)
◈ The Siren Depths (Books of the Raksura, #3)
◈ Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud
◈ Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below
The second volume of the short stories was amazing as well. I will keep this one review a bit shorter than the first, but if you want the general opinion, just read my review for Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud.
This one though, is more focused on the sequels, as it consists of only 1 prequel out of 5 stories. All of them were worth it, but especially the last one, The Dark Earth Bellow, which was the most important.
Therefore, do not read the rest of this review unless you read books 1-3 and volume 1 of the short stories.
► STORIES:
Sorted in chronological order:
► STORY 1: The Dead City
“I thought they’d fight them to clear the way for trade, but now it seems they want what the miners are digging for.”
“It seems that, does it?” Ghatli made a derisive noise.
Ventl threw an awkward look over his shoulder, having to turn the upper half of his over-muscled body to do it. “But we could work with them, perhaps. Maybe we want what the miners are here for too—”
“You don’t,” Moon said. He thought it was obvious. “The miners will kill to keep it, the Cedar-rin will kill the miners to get it, someone will kill you to take it.”
Ventl went silent. From behind them, one of his companions whispered, “I told you so.”
Ghatli muttered, “I just hope no one kills us before we have a chance to say we don’t want it, whatever it is.”
◈ Rating: 4.5/5 stars
◈ POV: Moon
◈ Chronological order: Prequel 3, set after the events of Saraseil
◈ Recommended order: After book 1
◈ Synopsis: After Moon left Saraseil, he stopped caring about himself and what could happen to him. Broken, shocked and traumatized, still not knowing what he is, he comes across groundlings. Even though no one discovered what he is yet, he didn't really get a warm welcome. But the visitors, Cedar-rin race of groundlings, are interested in what the miners, another predator race is digging near the settlement.
◈ My opinion: This is one of the points in Moon's life when he was at his lowest. He didn't care about himself in the beginning and just moved on like a ghost. He lost interest in his people and vowed never to search for them again. But his heart never changed - even though it's not his problem, even though they are not his people, he ends up helping however he can and save even those who would rather chase him away or worse.
► STORY 2: Mimesis
Balm bared her teeth, but after a moment dropped her spines and muttered, “All right.” Jade released her and Balm stepped back, but said, “If I come home without you, Moon will kill me.”
Jade didn’t want to think about her consort’s reaction. Moon was a survivor; whatever happened, he could handle it. He was Jade’s first consort, and first consort over the court; if she died, his place was assured and he wouldn’t have to accept another queen unless he wanted to. Though the idea of another queen taking her place with him made her disemboweling claws itch. She just said, “I intend to come back with you.”
◈ Rating: 5/5 stars
◈ POV: Jade
◈ Chronological order: Sequel, to be read after third book - #1
◈ Recommended order: To be read next after third book, set three months after the end of The Siren Depths.
◈ Synopsis: Jade and her entourage are away from the court. But then, one of the warriors goes missing. Jade decides to explore before someone gets hurt.
◈ My opinion: Interesting short story, I love reading through Jade's POV.
► STORY 3: Trading Lesson
Moon sighed. “I know.” Every species, every different community, had its own ideas about value and trade, but the Raksura’s ideas were odder than anything Moon had ever encountered in any of his travels, and that was saying a lot.
“What?” Chime demanded again.
“Nothing.”
◈ Rating: 5/5 stars
◈ POV: Moon
◈ Chronological order: Sequel, to be read after third book - #2
◈ Recommended order: see above. Set one month after the end of Mimesis.
◈ Synopsis: Sunset Water arrived along with one groundling to trade things. Moon is not really surprised to see that Raksura have no sense of value, especially when it comes to beads and pearls... Moon starts giving advices.
◈ My opinion: Reading this story made me realize that most of the raksura now see him as someone worthy of being protected, either by words or by actions. Also, it was kinda funny to see Moon struggling to save his court and friends from bankrupting.
► STORY 4:The Dark Earth Below
Jade was having her first clutch at the end of the second rain season, and Moon was beginning to have doubts about his ability to survive the process.
◈ Rating: 6/5 stars
◈ POV: Moon
◈ Chronological order: Sequel, to be read after third book - #4
◈ Recommended order: see above. Set a turn and a half after the events of The Siren Depths.
◈ Synopsis: Jade is almost near her birth period and Moon is besides himself. He doesn't want to think anything could go wrong, but then Kek, the groundlings living beneath their tree, ask them for help because some of their hunters went missing. Raksura agree to help and discover more weird groundlings. Groundlings are in coma and are not waking up, and something wants to enter their court, no matter what the cost...
◈ My opinion: Probably the most important short story. Aside from the obvious filler plot in between, Moon and Jade scenes are actually important. It was really cute to see both Moon and Jade struggling with her pregnancy. And Moon was really cute in this one.
Moon lay on his back on the floor in the main area and let the babies sit on his chest. It helped a little.
Most of his life had been spent in a state of painful anxiety and tension while trying to appear normal—or whatever passed for normal wherever he currently was—on the surface. Waiting for the clutch to arrive should have been easy, or at least no more nerve-racking than he was normally used to. But this tension was almost unbearable.
The other thing the arrival of the clutch would mean was the formal sealing of Moon’s position in the Indigo Cloud court; he would be as much a member of the court as if he had been born here. It would be a relief to have it settled, since it would make it next to impossible to throw Moon out of the colony, no matter what happened.
Bonus:
Jade transferred the highly annoyed glare to him. “Do not treat me as if I’m a delicate idiot.”
Moon said, “Fine. Then just shut up and have the damn babies.” Jade bared her fangs at him, and Bell, dumping the warming stones in the hearth, flashed his spines in approval.
► STORY 5: The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment
“You agree to carry the ransom to the savages who have captured our ship?”
“That is why we are standing here, yes.” Jai couldn’t help sounding dry, and Hain’s gaze flicked toward her.
“We’ll take it,” Flaren said. His voice was harsh. The bodyguards might think it was anger, but Jai could hear that it was pure nerves. “We’ll make sure the crew and passengers are released, and escort them back here.”
◈ Rating: 5/5 stars
◈ POV: Jai
◈ Chronological order: Spin-off, to be read after third book, anytime.
◈ Recommended order: see above
◈ Synopsis: Jainin dan Ethana "Jai", captain of the ship Escarpment, and her navigator, Flaren, decide to carry ransom to the kidnappers to the location in order to set the hostages free.
◈ My opinion:Very interesting story - and interesting new characters. Hopefully we will meet them again in one of the new books.
► OVERALL:
Great, great and great, especially The Dark Earth Below, which actually took half of this book. Great stories, all in all.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
⚠ Standalone: No. Closely related to the main series, in fact, prequels and third book's sequels.
⚠ Point of View: Third POV, 1 different (mostly) character per story.
⚠ Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Angst: Oh yes.
⚠ Supernatural: Dragonlike Shapeshifters and new unknown beings.
⚠ Explicit content: No. You know what happened but no descriptions.
⚠ Recommended: HELL YES. The last story, The Dark Earth Below, is the most important.
► REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ The Cloud Roads (Books of the Raksura, #1)
◈ The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura, #2)
◈ The Siren Depths (Books of the Raksura, #3)
◈ Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud
◈ Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below
June 29, 2016
Rereading on audio with the Flight of Fantasy group
Chris Kipiniak is very talented narrator; he captures the beauty of this world and these characters just right.
* * * * *
What else is there left to say about this series that I haven’t said in my last two posts? When an author hits her stride, it shows in the strength of the narrative and the writing is simply wonderful. Wells just gets better and better with every new Raksura installment.
I’d prefer a full-length novel because I love the Three Worlds and every single character in it, but these short stories and novellas are just as great and fulfilling in their own way. The ones in this second volume fill in the gap between the previous three books and from past events before Moon’s time, but these are more than just fillers because each story adds new depth to the continuous arc--Moon's story--and expands on wonders of the Three Worlds. I will never tire of reading about this world.
Chris Kipiniak is very talented narrator; he captures the beauty of this world and these characters just right.
* * * * *
What else is there left to say about this series that I haven’t said in my last two posts? When an author hits her stride, it shows in the strength of the narrative and the writing is simply wonderful. Wells just gets better and better with every new Raksura installment.
I’d prefer a full-length novel because I love the Three Worlds and every single character in it, but these short stories and novellas are just as great and fulfilling in their own way. The ones in this second volume fill in the gap between the previous three books and from past events before Moon’s time, but these are more than just fillers because each story adds new depth to the continuous arc--Moon's story--and expands on wonders of the Three Worlds. I will never tire of reading about this world.
November 25, 2017
I picked up this book by Martha Wells due to the fact I recently had read and quite enjoyed her book “All Systems Red” which is volume one of the beginning of a Science Fiction series. Unlike that book “Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below” is Fantasy.
Although it states this is Volume 2, the book is preceded by three novels and a further collection, the Volume 1, which refers to collections of stories in the Raksura sequence. The sequence of the books is as follows:
The Cloud Roads (2011) - Novel
The Serpent Sea (2012) - Novel
The Siren Depths (2012) - Novel
Stories of the Raksura Vol 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud (2014,) - Stories
Stories of the Raksura Vol 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below (2015) - Stories
The Edge of Worlds (2016) - Novel
The Harbors of the Sun (2017) – Novel
In this collection of stories you receive the following:
001 – “The Dead City” – takes place before the events of “The Cloud Road”
061 – “Mimesis” - first published in ‘’The Other Half of the Sky” (2013) and takes place three months after “The Sirens Depths”
077 – “Trading Lesson” - takes place one month after the end of “Mimesis”
087 – “The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment” – story is set in another part of the Three Worlds with a different set of characters
107 – “The Dark Earth Below” – takes place after “The Siren Depths”
205 – Appendices
.207 – Appendix I –The Court Of Indigo Cloud Aeriat
.213 – Appendix II – Excerpt from Observations of the Raksura
.215 - Appendix III – Excerpts from additions to the list of Predatory Species
Though basically YA the themes explored in this set of stories tend toward the adult.
Although it states this is Volume 2, the book is preceded by three novels and a further collection, the Volume 1, which refers to collections of stories in the Raksura sequence. The sequence of the books is as follows:
The Cloud Roads (2011) - Novel
The Serpent Sea (2012) - Novel
The Siren Depths (2012) - Novel
Stories of the Raksura Vol 1: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud (2014,) - Stories
Stories of the Raksura Vol 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below (2015) - Stories
The Edge of Worlds (2016) - Novel
The Harbors of the Sun (2017) – Novel
In this collection of stories you receive the following:
001 – “The Dead City” – takes place before the events of “The Cloud Road”
061 – “Mimesis” - first published in ‘’The Other Half of the Sky” (2013) and takes place three months after “The Sirens Depths”
077 – “Trading Lesson” - takes place one month after the end of “Mimesis”
087 – “The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment” – story is set in another part of the Three Worlds with a different set of characters
107 – “The Dark Earth Below” – takes place after “The Siren Depths”
205 – Appendices
.207 – Appendix I –The Court Of Indigo Cloud Aeriat
.213 – Appendix II – Excerpt from Observations of the Raksura
.215 - Appendix III – Excerpts from additions to the list of Predatory Species
Though basically YA the themes explored in this set of stories tend toward the adult.
March 23, 2016
HELL YEAH! Pure perfection! And once again, I am speechless (almost) when it comes to my favorite books! I highly recommend checking out the three original books before moving on to the collections of short stories.
This is a general review for all of the Raksura books.
The Raksura chronicles are set in a magnificent, colorful, yet dangerous world - trees as tall as mountains, floating islands in the sky, underwater cities, metropolises built on the backs of giant whale-like creatures, etc.
Martha Wells's imagination is unlimited and the variety of races and animals inhabiting her world is even more impressive.
The main reasons why these books are among my favorites:
-A mixture between fantasy, steam-punk and dystopia. The series is set in a world almost reminiscent to our own, but maybe thousands of years in the future. The creatures, as well, remind me of humans that have adapted in order to survive their much harsher environment. The adaptation is not just physical but also sociological, leading to different types of government structures and life styles. There are settlements where all kinds of species co-exist and rely on eachother, while other races are far better off on their own. And, of course, some species, such as the Fell, prefer to prey on everyone else, not only devouring whatever is on their way, but also destroying whole civilizations while they're at it.
-The Raksura - the focus of the series is a race of shapeshifters consisting of queens, their male consorts, warriors and the wingless "arbara". They might prefer a peaceful and uneventful existence, but boy, can they fight if their court is attacked! Agile, fast, and deadly, the Raksura are definitely intimidating to most of their neighbors and enemies, yet, they posses one of the most beautiful and envy-worthy connection between each other. They are a society that relies on each one's unique abilities to survive, prosper and, well, have fun. The warriors might defend the court and engage in political relations, but the wingless arbara are the ones that produce the clothing, jewelry, art, and everything their court needs. It's a beautiful synchrony, filled with many heart-warming moments and some freaking amazing fighting moves!
Art by Matthew Stewart: Website
- The main characters - absolutely brilliant! You know the characters are amazing, when you completely forget they are just a production of another person's imagination. I can use all the nouns - 3-dimensional, complex, relatable, etc. - but these are just words that cannot even begin to describe someone who feels real to me already.
I won't go in any further detail or I'll have to spend a couple of hours praising the originality, the superb world-building, the excellent character development, the rich culture, history and traditions, etc.
I own both the audiobooks and the hard-copies and they are both worth getting! The narrator is absolutely perfect and the cover art is stunning!
Original series:
Collections of novellas and short stories:
AND THE NEWEST EDITION! (the news came out a couple of days ago)
This is a general review for all of the Raksura books.
The Raksura chronicles are set in a magnificent, colorful, yet dangerous world - trees as tall as mountains, floating islands in the sky, underwater cities, metropolises built on the backs of giant whale-like creatures, etc.
Martha Wells's imagination is unlimited and the variety of races and animals inhabiting her world is even more impressive.
The main reasons why these books are among my favorites:
-A mixture between fantasy, steam-punk and dystopia. The series is set in a world almost reminiscent to our own, but maybe thousands of years in the future. The creatures, as well, remind me of humans that have adapted in order to survive their much harsher environment. The adaptation is not just physical but also sociological, leading to different types of government structures and life styles. There are settlements where all kinds of species co-exist and rely on eachother, while other races are far better off on their own. And, of course, some species, such as the Fell, prefer to prey on everyone else, not only devouring whatever is on their way, but also destroying whole civilizations while they're at it.
-The Raksura - the focus of the series is a race of shapeshifters consisting of queens, their male consorts, warriors and the wingless "arbara". They might prefer a peaceful and uneventful existence, but boy, can they fight if their court is attacked! Agile, fast, and deadly, the Raksura are definitely intimidating to most of their neighbors and enemies, yet, they posses one of the most beautiful and envy-worthy connection between each other. They are a society that relies on each one's unique abilities to survive, prosper and, well, have fun. The warriors might defend the court and engage in political relations, but the wingless arbara are the ones that produce the clothing, jewelry, art, and everything their court needs. It's a beautiful synchrony, filled with many heart-warming moments and some freaking amazing fighting moves!
Art by Matthew Stewart: Website
- The main characters - absolutely brilliant! You know the characters are amazing, when you completely forget they are just a production of another person's imagination. I can use all the nouns - 3-dimensional, complex, relatable, etc. - but these are just words that cannot even begin to describe someone who feels real to me already.
I won't go in any further detail or I'll have to spend a couple of hours praising the originality, the superb world-building, the excellent character development, the rich culture, history and traditions, etc.
I own both the audiobooks and the hard-copies and they are both worth getting! The narrator is absolutely perfect and the cover art is stunning!
Original series:
Collections of novellas and short stories:
AND THE NEWEST EDITION! (the news came out a couple of days ago)
January 6, 2020
The Dead City
A tale of solitary Moon, fleeing the ruins of Saraseil and arriving in a fishers' settlement, where he tries to help some groundlings fight strange new creatures.
Impressive how Martha Wells manages to add even more new and innovative types of creatures in the wonderful, uncommon Three Worlds.
The Dark Earth Below
Again Martha Wells introduces new and interesting species and adventures. As Jade and Moon are waiting for their first fledglings to make their entrance in the Three Worlds, there's a problem in the Kek village below Indigo Cloud's mountain-tree and the colony gets involved.
I very much liked this story and I'll miss the characters that I came to care about, as this is the last story featuring them.
A tale of solitary Moon, fleeing the ruins of Saraseil and arriving in a fishers' settlement, where he tries to help some groundlings fight strange new creatures.
Impressive how Martha Wells manages to add even more new and innovative types of creatures in the wonderful, uncommon Three Worlds.
The Dark Earth Below
Again Martha Wells introduces new and interesting species and adventures. As Jade and Moon are waiting for their first fledglings to make their entrance in the Three Worlds, there's a problem in the Kek village below Indigo Cloud's mountain-tree and the colony gets involved.
I very much liked this story and I'll miss the characters that I came to care about, as this is the last story featuring them.
March 21, 2019
Very short story about Moon's negotiating skills.
Merged review:
Interesting little story, with new species and adventures, the sole connection to the series being the Golden Island wind-ship Escarpment.
Merged review:
Interesting little story, with new species and adventures, the sole connection to the series being the Golden Island wind-ship Escarpment.
Want to read
March 20, 20163/19 sale $1.99
March 8, 2024
3.4⭐
A collection of short stories, mostly about the characters from the author's Raksura series but with one in the greater Three Worlds setting. All of them are worth reading, with my favorites being The Dead City and The Dark Earth Below, both featuring Wells' grumpy, conflicted Raksura hero, Moon.
Good for fans of the series but OK for new readers because Wells recaps the backstory and Includes appendices with background on the characters and setting. Well written fantasy that fans of Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber etc. Will appreciate.
A collection of short stories, mostly about the characters from the author's Raksura series but with one in the greater Three Worlds setting. All of them are worth reading, with my favorites being The Dead City and The Dark Earth Below, both featuring Wells' grumpy, conflicted Raksura hero, Moon.
Good for fans of the series but OK for new readers because Wells recaps the backstory and Includes appendices with background on the characters and setting. Well written fantasy that fans of Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber etc. Will appreciate.
February 17, 2022
2022: 4 stars
2017: 4 stars
Dos novellas (The Dead City y The Dark Earth Below ) y 3 historias cortas conforman este volumen de historias de los Raksura:
The Dead City, pasa antes de la primera novela. Moon esta en un estado de shock después de su encuentro con los Fell durante la caida de Saraseil. Es muy emocional, porque es la primera vez que encuentra a seres semejantes a él , cambiaformas voladores, y son unos monstruos que engañan y comen gente. Es de donde parte su idea de abandonar la esperanza de buscar a su gente, y seguirá asi por muchos años, hasta que Stone lo halla por casualidad. Cuando deja de volar alejandose, llega a un pequeño lago con un caravanserai y se detiene a descansar. Pero como los problemas siguen a nuestro amigo, los pescadores y comerciantes hablan de desapariciones y luego llegan unos soldados hablando de que alguien/algo ha invadido su ciudad de los muertos.
Una vez más, Martha Wells sorprende con su imaginación, y sus ideas que bordean en la ciencia ficcion , inventandose razas e idosincracias tan variadas.
Moon y su empatia a pesar de ser un extraño que desea desesperadamente pertenecer , y busca ayudar aunque sabe que recibira al final un ataque , apela a nuestras simpatias.
Since he had first come out of the forests and tried to live as a groundling, there had been a wall between his real self and what he had pretended to be.
(...)
With no mental wall between his real self and his groundling self, there was nothing for him to fall back on. If he couldn’t pretend to himself that he was just another groundling, he couldn’t pretend it to her. Not while she was looking at him like this.
{
As he crouched to leap, Ghatli said, “I think you’re helping us because you have a deathwish.”
“I don’t know.” Maybe. He knew he didn’t have a lifewish.
--Mimesis
Donde Jade en un viaje se le pierde un guerrero y con lo que se encuentra.
--Trading Lesson
Esto es un rascado de cabeza de Moon ante las ideas de los Raksura acerca de negociar, perlas por hierbas y cosas asi. Moon tras haber vivido entre los groundlings tiene otra idea del costo de la vida, jaja.
--The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment
Un relato con personajes de este universo, pero que no son conocidos. La verdad es que no me atrajo mucho.
The Dark Earth Below
Bueno aqui Jade esta a punto de dar a luz su primer clutch real, esta cranky y todo el mundo esta en tension, y es entonces cuando los Kek esos habitantes de las raices de los arboles montaña envian un mensaje pidiendo ayuda porque han desaparecido unos de sus cazadores de plantas. Moon se debate entre ir porque esta aburrido y no querer dejar a Jade, se pregunta acerca de su habilidad para criar sus hijos por no haber sido criado como consorte y entre su raza, o algo asi..
Jade transferred the highly annoyed glare to him. “Do not treat me as if I’m a delicate idiot.”
Moon said, “Fine. Then just shut up and have the damn babies.” Jade bared her fangs at him, and Bell, dumping the warming stones in the hearth, flashed his spines in approval.
Las 'traducciones' de Jade acerca de Moon son tan certeras cuando media entre Moon y Stone son muy divertidas tambien.
Mientras tanto, parece que el peligro llegara hasta el arbol.
De nuevo hay razas interesantes, y cosas grotescas y depredadores desconocidos con cosas nuevas en este universo.
June 17, 2016
It took me a long time to finally read the last novella in this bind up, but it was really good and makes me super excited to read the book that just recently came out. There were some short stories that I didn't love so much and some that I really liked, so they averaged out to be 4 stars. I love the Raksura and love learning everything I can about their culture! I definitely recommend the original trilogy!
October 9, 2015
Yea, we have babies! What else is there to say? O, I know, that skin creature was just creepy!
The greatest news, there is a title for the next book already! Hurray!!! Can not wait!
The greatest news, there is a title for the next book already! Hurray!!! Can not wait!
March 17, 2021
Top-notch storytelling and an amazing worldbuilding. I loved the first volume of the Stories, but this one was a great and somehow bittersweet read...I’ll miss Moon, Jade, Stone, Chime and the many characters who flesh out this series. I totally recommend both collections to all fans of the Raksura books, best read after “The Harbors of the Sun” (or at least, “The Siren Depths”).
As usual, hats off to Martha Wells!
As usual, hats off to Martha Wells!
July 24, 2015
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Stories of the Raksura: Volume Two: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below is the second volume of stories about the Raksura. It's just as good and interesting as its predecessor (Stories of the Raksura: Volume One: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud) and will appeal to readers who enjoy reading about the Raksura and the Three Worlds.
I was impressed by this collection and its contents. I honestly think that this short story collection deserves all the praise it gets, because there's no fluff here, only quality fantasy from start to finish. With this collection, Martha Wells once again proves that she's one of the best authors of original and compelling fantasy fiction. I have nothing bad to say about this collection, because it's a perfect collection for fans of the Raksura.
I think it's good to mention that if you haven't read any of the other previous Raksura novels and stories, it may be difficult to understand the contents of this collection. "The Dead City" is the most accessible story in this collection and can probably be understood well by new readers, but if you're new to the Raksura novels and stories, it's difficult to understand what's going on in the other stories. I recommend reading The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea and The Siren Depths before delving into these stories (trust me, you won't regret reading them).
The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea and The Siren Depths introduced the Raksura, their enemies and the Three Worlds to fantasy readers. The first short story collection (Stories of the Raksura: Volume One: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud) added more depth to the characters and the fantasy world. Now this collection adds even more depth and provides important information about the characters and the world to the readers.
All the trademarks of the novels and the previous stories can be found in this collection. Whether it's engaging characters, rousing adventure or enchanting storytelling you're looking for, this collection has it all.
This collection contains the following five stories:
- The Dead City (novella)
- Mimesis (short story)
- Trading Lesson (short story)
- The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment (short story)
- The Dark Earth Below (novella)
Just like in the previous short story collection, the appendices that can be found at the end of the collection are useful and helpful to readers. They contain information about the different Raksura and their known enemies.
Here's more information about the two novellas and my thoughts about them:
The Dead City:
- The events in this novella take place a few turns before the events of The Cloud Roads.
- In this story, Moon has travelled far from Saraseil, a groundling city that was destroyed by the Fell. He has almost given up hope of finding other beings like him. He is tired and careful around the groundlings so that they won't notice him in his winged form, because shapeshifters are regarded as vicious predators. Moon finds a friendly caravanserai. He hears that miners, who dig into hills, have attacked anyone who goes near them and have frightened off many traders. Soon Moon meets the menacing miners...
- This novella is charmingly dark and has a thrilling atmosphere that will please many readers.
The Dark Earth Below:
- The events in this novella take place a turn and a half after the events of The Siren Depths.
- In this story, Moon is consort to Jade, the Sister Queen of the Indigo Cloud court. Jade is expecting her first clutch and Moon will soon become a father and has to deal with fatherhood. The Kek (groundlings who dwell in the roots of the colony tree) ask for help from the Raksura, because some of their hunters have gone missing...
- This is an excellent and well written novella, because readers have an opportunity to see how well the Indigo Cloud Court works and what happens among the Raksura.
- It was nice to read about the familiar characters (Jade, Balm, Stone etc), because they're well-created characters.
Both of these novellas reveal interesting things about the lives of the Raksura and the Three Worlds. They're important and welcome additions to the Raksura series, because they bring more depth to the series.
The short stories ("Mimesis", "Trading Lesson" and "The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment") are probably familiar to many readers, because they've been previously available for readers, so I won't write much about them. I'll only mention that they're good stories and worth reading.
I think it's great that the author shows how strong, curious and tired Moon is in "The Dead City", because it adds depth to his character and makes the reader understand him and his feelings better. I enjoyed reading about how Moon had to hide his winged appearance from others, because many groundlings would've feared him if they'd seen him in his winged form (in his winged form he looked a lot like the dreaded Fell). It was impossible for Moon to stay for a long time in one place, because he has to move from one place to another in order to protect himself and hide his appearance from others.
"The Dark Earth Below" reveals a new side of Moon, because he's becoming a father. He has to deal with issues related to fatherhood. This multilayered novella also shows that the Indigo Cloud Court has begun to grow.
I'm sure that readers will be delighted to read about the heartwarming scene in which Jade gives birth to her first clutch. The author wrote well about the birth of the clutch and how Moon and Jade named their babies.
Martha Wells writes excellent and evocative prose. She easily evokes vivid images of the characters by describing what they do, how they interact with each other and what happens to them. Her descriptions of the happenings are realistic and fascinating, and what's best, she never resorts to sentimental storytelling and avoids clichés.
There's a wonderful sense of mystery and threat in these novellas that will be of interest many readers. In my opinion, it's great that there are mystery elements in these novellas, because they add quite a lot of fascination to them. It was intriguing to find out what was going on, because the story unfolded gradually.
Just like in the Raksura novels and in the previous short story collection, the worldbuilding is stunningly good and effective. The author's vision of the Three Worlds comes fully to life through her skillful storytelling and sophisticatedly detailed descriptions of the different places. One of the best things about the fantasy world is that it feels completely natural and realistic yet charmingly magical. The world is so immersive that you'll find yourself wanting to read more about it and its wonders and terrors.
In my opinion, the shapeshifting Raksura are among the most interesting species ever to appear on the pages of fantasy novels and stories. Martha Wells is one of the few authors who have successfully managed to create a species that differs wholly from other species found in contemporary fantasy novels. The menacing spider-like miners and the Cedar-rin are also fascinatingly different kind of beings.
I'll mention separately that it was enjoyable to read about the Kek in "The Dark Earth Below". The Kek were groundlings who lived in the twilight of the forest floor among the roots of mountain-trees. They prefered colony trees and were believed to be good for the health of the trees. Their strange appearance will intrigue readers.
Ever since I read The Cloud Roads, I've been fascinated by their biology and court politics of the Raksura. There's something insect-like yet deeply human in the Raksura that makes them interesting beings. They're surprisingly human in many ways, but they also act on instict when necessary. They're intelligent beings and capable of doing many things.
I enjoyed reading all of the stories in this collection and look forward to reading more stories about the Raksura. The good news is that the next brand new Raksura novel, The Edge of Worlds, will be published in April 2016. I look forward to reading it, because the Raksura series is one of the best and most original fantasy series for adult readers who are intrigued by intelligent storytelling and are fascinated by a rich fantasy world filled with strange beings and creatures.
If you haven't read any of Martha Wells' Raksura novels or stories yet, I strongly urge you to read them as soon as possible (why waste time on reading mediocre novels and stories when you can read something that's really good, original and unique like these novels?). I can assure you that you're in for quite a delicious and rare treat when you begin to read these novels and stories. They're so different from other contemporary fantasy novels and stories that you can't help but be mesmerised them. You'll do yourself a big favour by reading them.
Stories of the Raksura: Volume Two: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below offers excellent entertainment and escapism for fans of the Raksura novels. If you're a fan of the Raksura novels, please read this collection, because you'll enjoy it immensely. It's an excellent collection (if you want quality, depth and style, you'll find it all here).
Highly recommended!
Stories of the Raksura: Volume Two: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below is the second volume of stories about the Raksura. It's just as good and interesting as its predecessor (Stories of the Raksura: Volume One: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud) and will appeal to readers who enjoy reading about the Raksura and the Three Worlds.
I was impressed by this collection and its contents. I honestly think that this short story collection deserves all the praise it gets, because there's no fluff here, only quality fantasy from start to finish. With this collection, Martha Wells once again proves that she's one of the best authors of original and compelling fantasy fiction. I have nothing bad to say about this collection, because it's a perfect collection for fans of the Raksura.
I think it's good to mention that if you haven't read any of the other previous Raksura novels and stories, it may be difficult to understand the contents of this collection. "The Dead City" is the most accessible story in this collection and can probably be understood well by new readers, but if you're new to the Raksura novels and stories, it's difficult to understand what's going on in the other stories. I recommend reading The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea and The Siren Depths before delving into these stories (trust me, you won't regret reading them).
The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea and The Siren Depths introduced the Raksura, their enemies and the Three Worlds to fantasy readers. The first short story collection (Stories of the Raksura: Volume One: The Falling World & The Tale of Indigo and Cloud) added more depth to the characters and the fantasy world. Now this collection adds even more depth and provides important information about the characters and the world to the readers.
All the trademarks of the novels and the previous stories can be found in this collection. Whether it's engaging characters, rousing adventure or enchanting storytelling you're looking for, this collection has it all.
This collection contains the following five stories:
- The Dead City (novella)
- Mimesis (short story)
- Trading Lesson (short story)
- The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment (short story)
- The Dark Earth Below (novella)
Just like in the previous short story collection, the appendices that can be found at the end of the collection are useful and helpful to readers. They contain information about the different Raksura and their known enemies.
Here's more information about the two novellas and my thoughts about them:
The Dead City:
- The events in this novella take place a few turns before the events of The Cloud Roads.
- In this story, Moon has travelled far from Saraseil, a groundling city that was destroyed by the Fell. He has almost given up hope of finding other beings like him. He is tired and careful around the groundlings so that they won't notice him in his winged form, because shapeshifters are regarded as vicious predators. Moon finds a friendly caravanserai. He hears that miners, who dig into hills, have attacked anyone who goes near them and have frightened off many traders. Soon Moon meets the menacing miners...
- This novella is charmingly dark and has a thrilling atmosphere that will please many readers.
The Dark Earth Below:
- The events in this novella take place a turn and a half after the events of The Siren Depths.
- In this story, Moon is consort to Jade, the Sister Queen of the Indigo Cloud court. Jade is expecting her first clutch and Moon will soon become a father and has to deal with fatherhood. The Kek (groundlings who dwell in the roots of the colony tree) ask for help from the Raksura, because some of their hunters have gone missing...
- This is an excellent and well written novella, because readers have an opportunity to see how well the Indigo Cloud Court works and what happens among the Raksura.
- It was nice to read about the familiar characters (Jade, Balm, Stone etc), because they're well-created characters.
Both of these novellas reveal interesting things about the lives of the Raksura and the Three Worlds. They're important and welcome additions to the Raksura series, because they bring more depth to the series.
The short stories ("Mimesis", "Trading Lesson" and "The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment") are probably familiar to many readers, because they've been previously available for readers, so I won't write much about them. I'll only mention that they're good stories and worth reading.
I think it's great that the author shows how strong, curious and tired Moon is in "The Dead City", because it adds depth to his character and makes the reader understand him and his feelings better. I enjoyed reading about how Moon had to hide his winged appearance from others, because many groundlings would've feared him if they'd seen him in his winged form (in his winged form he looked a lot like the dreaded Fell). It was impossible for Moon to stay for a long time in one place, because he has to move from one place to another in order to protect himself and hide his appearance from others.
"The Dark Earth Below" reveals a new side of Moon, because he's becoming a father. He has to deal with issues related to fatherhood. This multilayered novella also shows that the Indigo Cloud Court has begun to grow.
I'm sure that readers will be delighted to read about the heartwarming scene in which Jade gives birth to her first clutch. The author wrote well about the birth of the clutch and how Moon and Jade named their babies.
Martha Wells writes excellent and evocative prose. She easily evokes vivid images of the characters by describing what they do, how they interact with each other and what happens to them. Her descriptions of the happenings are realistic and fascinating, and what's best, she never resorts to sentimental storytelling and avoids clichés.
There's a wonderful sense of mystery and threat in these novellas that will be of interest many readers. In my opinion, it's great that there are mystery elements in these novellas, because they add quite a lot of fascination to them. It was intriguing to find out what was going on, because the story unfolded gradually.
Just like in the Raksura novels and in the previous short story collection, the worldbuilding is stunningly good and effective. The author's vision of the Three Worlds comes fully to life through her skillful storytelling and sophisticatedly detailed descriptions of the different places. One of the best things about the fantasy world is that it feels completely natural and realistic yet charmingly magical. The world is so immersive that you'll find yourself wanting to read more about it and its wonders and terrors.
In my opinion, the shapeshifting Raksura are among the most interesting species ever to appear on the pages of fantasy novels and stories. Martha Wells is one of the few authors who have successfully managed to create a species that differs wholly from other species found in contemporary fantasy novels. The menacing spider-like miners and the Cedar-rin are also fascinatingly different kind of beings.
I'll mention separately that it was enjoyable to read about the Kek in "The Dark Earth Below". The Kek were groundlings who lived in the twilight of the forest floor among the roots of mountain-trees. They prefered colony trees and were believed to be good for the health of the trees. Their strange appearance will intrigue readers.
Ever since I read The Cloud Roads, I've been fascinated by their biology and court politics of the Raksura. There's something insect-like yet deeply human in the Raksura that makes them interesting beings. They're surprisingly human in many ways, but they also act on instict when necessary. They're intelligent beings and capable of doing many things.
I enjoyed reading all of the stories in this collection and look forward to reading more stories about the Raksura. The good news is that the next brand new Raksura novel, The Edge of Worlds, will be published in April 2016. I look forward to reading it, because the Raksura series is one of the best and most original fantasy series for adult readers who are intrigued by intelligent storytelling and are fascinated by a rich fantasy world filled with strange beings and creatures.
If you haven't read any of Martha Wells' Raksura novels or stories yet, I strongly urge you to read them as soon as possible (why waste time on reading mediocre novels and stories when you can read something that's really good, original and unique like these novels?). I can assure you that you're in for quite a delicious and rare treat when you begin to read these novels and stories. They're so different from other contemporary fantasy novels and stories that you can't help but be mesmerised them. You'll do yourself a big favour by reading them.
Stories of the Raksura: Volume Two: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below offers excellent entertainment and escapism for fans of the Raksura novels. If you're a fan of the Raksura novels, please read this collection, because you'll enjoy it immensely. It's an excellent collection (if you want quality, depth and style, you'll find it all here).
Highly recommended!
June 17, 2017
Fair warning: I love the Raksura series & am incapable of reviewing any part of it dispassionately - I'm a beekeeper, I'm into Queens & 'Courts.' And lately, when peeved, as often happens during election season, I've started saying things like "My disemboweling claws are itching," which is a great way to tell if someone is listening in on your conversation, I've found. :)
- - - - - - - - - -
I've read some reviews of this and the first volume of novellas and short stories by folks who haven't read the novels yet and they say these work as standalones. From the perspective of having read the novels (mainlined them, actually), I'd suggest starting with The Cloud Roads for maximum Raksuran satisfaction.
So: Vol. 2 has five more terrific stories about our favorite winged shapeshifters, three short stories and two novellas. Like all the Raksura stories, we learn more about the Three Worlds with every bit of storytelling Wells gives us.
The Dead City , a novella, takes place after Moon has fled the Fell takeover of Saraseil & before meeting the Indigo Cloud court. Still in shock from the horrors of the Fell he comes across a caravanserai that's suffering a lack of traders for a very good reason. Moon's innate honor, and a friendship with a truly decent groundling, form a strong base for a spooky encounter with some very strange species.
Mimesis , a short story, features Jade and others from the Court on an expedition. Not only fun to read something that introduced me to a new word, getting Jade's perspective as a sister-queen on dealing with her court is a nice treat since we so often see her from the outside, so to speak.
Trading Lesson , a very short story, features a slice of almost-everyday life in the court of Indigo Cloud.
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment , short story, takes us outside the Raksura onto a small Golden Isles wind-ship with a mixed, non-Golden Islander crew who've agreed to act as go-betweens and carry a ransom to a group of kidnappers … and then it gets interesting.
The Dark Earth Below takes place after book three of the series , and it takes place at ground level in the Reaches instead of the mid to high levels that the Raksura inhabit. The Kek are in need of assistance but the trouble that they've run into may very well threaten the entire colony.
Each story is its own little gem and great fun to re-read, without the commitment it takes to re-read the novels.
- - - - - - - - - -
I've read some reviews of this and the first volume of novellas and short stories by folks who haven't read the novels yet and they say these work as standalones. From the perspective of having read the novels (mainlined them, actually), I'd suggest starting with The Cloud Roads for maximum Raksuran satisfaction.
So: Vol. 2 has five more terrific stories about our favorite winged shapeshifters, three short stories and two novellas. Like all the Raksura stories, we learn more about the Three Worlds with every bit of storytelling Wells gives us.
The Dead City , a novella, takes place after Moon has fled the Fell takeover of Saraseil & before meeting the Indigo Cloud court. Still in shock from the horrors of the Fell he comes across a caravanserai that's suffering a lack of traders for a very good reason. Moon's innate honor, and a friendship with a truly decent groundling, form a strong base for a spooky encounter with some very strange species.
Mimesis , a short story, features Jade and others from the Court on an expedition. Not only fun to read something that introduced me to a new word, getting Jade's perspective as a sister-queen on dealing with her court is a nice treat since we so often see her from the outside, so to speak.
Trading Lesson , a very short story, features a slice of almost-everyday life in the court of Indigo Cloud.
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment , short story, takes us outside the Raksura onto a small Golden Isles wind-ship with a mixed, non-Golden Islander crew who've agreed to act as go-betweens and carry a ransom to a group of kidnappers … and then it gets interesting.
The Dark Earth Below takes place after book three of the series , and it takes place at ground level in the Reaches instead of the mid to high levels that the Raksura inhabit. The Kek are in need of assistance but the trouble that they've run into may very well threaten the entire colony.
Each story is its own little gem and great fun to re-read, without the commitment it takes to re-read the novels.
January 13, 2023
Just after reading the first volume, I knew that "The Books of the Raksura" would become one of my all time favourite fantasy series. Revisiting this wonderful place and these wonderful characters through the short stories was almost just as satisfying as reading the novels themselves and I could read 1000 more short stories revolving around Moon, Jade, Stone, Chime, and the rest.
June 18, 2018
I think this has been my favorite so far. I skipped the Dead City because it's Moon pre-Indigo Cloud but I plan to go back. I loved all the stories but really, really loved the ending of The Dark Earth Below.
Really.
Squeee! ;-)
Really.
Squeee! ;-)
May 26, 2015
Eeeee Moon's hatchlings!
Getting this book was an immensely cheering event; I initially set it aside as a reward for getting stuff done, then ended up tearing into it anyway.
There are five pieces of fiction here, in chronological order:
The Dead City: Moon shortly after Saraseil and his disastrous first encounter with the Fell, when he's feeling lost more than ever -- his closest chance at belonging has just been shredded to pieces, and he can't bring himself to care anymore. Seeing Moon like this reminded me of how far he's come, and why he can still feel so vulnerable and tentative around other Raksura. I made the mistake of growing fond of Ghatli (a mistake because I'm unlikely to read about her again), who is a straightforward, kind sort and inspires Moon to take an interest in others again, especially as an increasingly hostile group of miners isolates a caravanserai; they're called miners because they're digging into the earth for a mysterious prize, and their activities attract even more attention.
Mimesis: Jade is out with a party of warriors when one of them goes missing. A solid display of how awesome Jade is and how weird the Three Worlds can be.
Trading Lesson: A brief reiteration of how Moon is not like most consorts, and how he deals with an eagerly anticipated foreign trader.
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wing-ship Escarpment: No Raksura here. Jai, the captain of an airship, agrees to deliver a ransom payment, but of course nothing's ever that simple. I admit that I originally skipped this one; it's enjoyable, but the family undercurrents weren't quite enough for me to make up for the lack of Moon.
The Dark Earth Below: Jade is expecting her first clutch, and Moon is only distracted when the Kek, the people who dwell in the roots of the Raksuran colony-tree, summon them to request help -- some of their hunters have gone missing. The injured strangers they find instead seem to draw even more trouble: whatever attacked them grows interested in the Raksura in turn, and it can marshal a particularly effective set of offenses against them. I relished seeing the Indigo Cloud court function as a healthy court, rich with past conflicts but mostly past them, especially in the face of a new intruder. Moon's also found his niche as the consort who's as ready to face danger as any warrior, with experience among a diverse set of groundlings, and also an anxious father-to-be.
Throughout all of these, Wells keeps inventing new peoples and abilities. And although the Raksura are the sort to elicit lines like:
The two titular novellas are definitely worth the price of admission; anyone who enjoyed the trilogy will not be left wanting here. (Except for more stories!)
Getting this book was an immensely cheering event; I initially set it aside as a reward for getting stuff done, then ended up tearing into it anyway.
There are five pieces of fiction here, in chronological order:
The Dead City: Moon shortly after Saraseil and his disastrous first encounter with the Fell, when he's feeling lost more than ever -- his closest chance at belonging has just been shredded to pieces, and he can't bring himself to care anymore. Seeing Moon like this reminded me of how far he's come, and why he can still feel so vulnerable and tentative around other Raksura. I made the mistake of growing fond of Ghatli (a mistake because I'm unlikely to read about her again), who is a straightforward, kind sort and inspires Moon to take an interest in others again, especially as an increasingly hostile group of miners isolates a caravanserai; they're called miners because they're digging into the earth for a mysterious prize, and their activities attract even more attention.
Mimesis: Jade is out with a party of warriors when one of them goes missing. A solid display of how awesome Jade is and how weird the Three Worlds can be.
Trading Lesson: A brief reiteration of how Moon is not like most consorts, and how he deals with an eagerly anticipated foreign trader.
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wing-ship Escarpment: No Raksura here. Jai, the captain of an airship, agrees to deliver a ransom payment, but of course nothing's ever that simple. I admit that I originally skipped this one; it's enjoyable, but the family undercurrents weren't quite enough for me to make up for the lack of Moon.
The Dark Earth Below: Jade is expecting her first clutch, and Moon is only distracted when the Kek, the people who dwell in the roots of the Raksuran colony-tree, summon them to request help -- some of their hunters have gone missing. The injured strangers they find instead seem to draw even more trouble: whatever attacked them grows interested in the Raksura in turn, and it can marshal a particularly effective set of offenses against them. I relished seeing the Indigo Cloud court function as a healthy court, rich with past conflicts but mostly past them, especially in the face of a new intruder. Moon's also found his niche as the consort who's as ready to face danger as any warrior, with experience among a diverse set of groundlings, and also an anxious father-to-be.
Throughout all of these, Wells keeps inventing new peoples and abilities. And although the Raksura are the sort to elicit lines like:
Though the idea of another queen taking her place with him made her disemboweling claws itch....and...
He glanced around the clearing. "What happened to the one I killed last night?"--as they are badass predators who generally have no cause to fear others and in fact tend to inspire terror themselves, they generally get along with others, engaging in trade and even alliances where they offer protection. I love these interactions, as well as the banter and varying roles among the Raksura.
"I ate it." At his look, Stone said, "I was hungry."
The two titular novellas are definitely worth the price of admission; anyone who enjoyed the trilogy will not be left wanting here. (Except for more stories!)
June 14, 2020
This is going to be short, because my body doesn't like me at the moment. *shakes fist*
I love all stories - the long novellas as well as the short stories.
The Dead City
I loved to see Moon as a young man and how the events in Saraseil shook/affected him. I love to see yet another new part of the Three Worlds and its inhabitants. I'm sad that Moon got once again betrayed and considered as bad. :/ The miners? *urgs*
Mimesis
I loved Jade being awesome and rescuing Fair. ♥ Also, I love how everyone else tries to keep Jade from taking risks because they fear the reaction of Moon. XD
Trading Lesson
Hehe, poor Moon. *pets him* Maybe he should give lessons before the others are allowed to trade with non Raksura? *g*
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment
I loved this one. I immediately fell in love with Jai and Flaren. I want more of them and their adventures. I want a book with them!
The Dark Earth Below
Papa!Moon! Mama!Jade! And we get to see the fledlings!!!!
Moon + fledlings is just a huge happy button for me. When he went to the nurseries and let the little ones crawl over him and sleep on him? *awwwwwwwwwwwwww*
I also love how nervous he is and that everyone is reassuring him (well, except for Stone who is very amused by everything. *g*).
I loved to see the Kek and Raksura interact and work together to protect their people and village/tree/home.
I'm amazed of the imagination of Martha Wells. She once again invented new species and abilites that just feel real and make me want to learn more of them.
I really loved every story, but the last one is my favourite for the sole reason that we finally get papa!Moon and baby Raksura. *___*
I love all stories - the long novellas as well as the short stories.
The Dead City
I loved to see Moon as a young man and how the events in Saraseil shook/affected him. I love to see yet another new part of the Three Worlds and its inhabitants. I'm sad that Moon got once again betrayed and considered as bad. :/ The miners? *urgs*
Mimesis
I loved Jade being awesome and rescuing Fair. ♥ Also, I love how everyone else tries to keep Jade from taking risks because they fear the reaction of Moon. XD
Trading Lesson
Hehe, poor Moon. *pets him* Maybe he should give lessons before the others are allowed to trade with non Raksura? *g*
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment
I loved this one. I immediately fell in love with Jai and Flaren. I want more of them and their adventures. I want a book with them!
The Dark Earth Below
Papa!Moon! Mama!Jade! And we get to see the fledlings!!!!
Moon + fledlings is just a huge happy button for me. When he went to the nurseries and let the little ones crawl over him and sleep on him? *awwwwwwwwwwwwww*
I also love how nervous he is and that everyone is reassuring him (well, except for Stone who is very amused by everything. *g*).
I loved to see the Kek and Raksura interact and work together to protect their people and village/tree/home.
I'm amazed of the imagination of Martha Wells. She once again invented new species and abilites that just feel real and make me want to learn more of them.
I really loved every story, but the last one is my favourite for the sole reason that we finally get papa!Moon and baby Raksura. *___*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2024
Wells continues to add more and more fascinating details and character development to her Raksura series, and I still can't get enough!
June 5, 2023
Another Raksura book finished! I think I liked this one a little more than volume one, personally.
The first of the two novellas in this volume is "The Dead City," which follows Moon immediately after his tragic backstory (you know the one) as he helps out a village by killing a lot of spider people. There were some interesting concepts here, like but I felt like this novella was a little lacking in its emotional center. This kind of makes sense. Since it's a prequel, if Moon were to fully come to terms with his emotions here, it wouldn't really make sense for him to, well, not have come to terms with this part of his life in the Cloud Roads, which is still far off in the future. Even so, it did make this novella a bit weaker for me as a result.
Next we have three short stories. The first is Mimesis, featuring Jade as the POV character (exciting!) and showing a brief adventure she and some of her warriors have. This one also had an interesting and creepy antagonist, but I don't think it made a big impression on me, because I was looking at the other reviews and went, "Mimesis? What was that one again?" A good short story, but for me it got a little lost in the shuffle.
"Mimesis" is followed by the very brief "Trading Lesson," which is about Moon using the powers of Outside Knowledge and being Politely Passive Aggressive to prevent the Raksura of Indigo Cloud court from being scammed by a groundling trader who's accustomed to low-key fleecing Raksuran courts. This was nice.
The final short story is "The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment." This story was good in the specific short story way where it left me thinking, "Why wasn't this way longer? Why is this only a short story?" This is why I can't do anthologies or short fiction. I look at everything and think "That could have at least been a novella." (The exception to this is probably The Traitor Baru Cormorant, which should have stayed a short story as far as I'm concerned).
And at last, we end with "The Dark Earth Below," which slaps. This is probably my favorite out of all of the Raksura novellas, possibly tied with "The Tale of Indigo and Cloud." "The Dark Earth Below" is about Jade and Moon preparing to have their first clutch, but it's also about Indigo Cloud having to face attacks from a mysterious predator with unknown motives who can manipulate minds and send animals (read: giant predators) to do its bidding. I think the two focuses of this novella (Jade's pregnancy vs. the mystery of this antagonist) worked really well, because it gives us the emotional throughline of Moon's first-time fatherhood anxieties to balance with the mystery and action. We also get to see more of the Kek and the forest floor of the Reaches. Plus I just loved how wonderfully creepy , especially since so much about them is left somewhat unexplained. It's reminiscent of the villain from the Siren Depths in a very good way.
Overall, I have enjoyed my time with the Stories of the Raksura, although I look forward to moving on to the next novel-length installment. I think all of the novellas are strong, with "The Dead City" maybe being the weakest for me personally, and all of the short stories are worth reading at least once (except maybe Adaptation, and Adaptation isn't even bad, just redundant and perhaps poorly placed in Volume One).
Also, I really like that the title page of each work in this volume tells you where it falls in regard to the previous books. That would have been a cool feature for volume one to have, as well (unless volume one does have this and I just missed it entirely).
The first of the two novellas in this volume is "The Dead City," which follows Moon immediately after his tragic backstory (you know the one) as he helps out a village by killing a lot of spider people. There were some interesting concepts here, like but I felt like this novella was a little lacking in its emotional center. This kind of makes sense. Since it's a prequel, if Moon were to fully come to terms with his emotions here, it wouldn't really make sense for him to, well, not have come to terms with this part of his life in the Cloud Roads, which is still far off in the future. Even so, it did make this novella a bit weaker for me as a result.
Next we have three short stories. The first is Mimesis, featuring Jade as the POV character (exciting!) and showing a brief adventure she and some of her warriors have. This one also had an interesting and creepy antagonist, but I don't think it made a big impression on me, because I was looking at the other reviews and went, "Mimesis? What was that one again?" A good short story, but for me it got a little lost in the shuffle.
"Mimesis" is followed by the very brief "Trading Lesson," which is about Moon using the powers of Outside Knowledge and being Politely Passive Aggressive to prevent the Raksura of Indigo Cloud court from being scammed by a groundling trader who's accustomed to low-key fleecing Raksuran courts. This was nice.
The final short story is "The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment." This story was good in the specific short story way where it left me thinking, "Why wasn't this way longer? Why is this only a short story?" This is why I can't do anthologies or short fiction. I look at everything and think "That could have at least been a novella." (The exception to this is probably The Traitor Baru Cormorant, which should have stayed a short story as far as I'm concerned).
And at last, we end with "The Dark Earth Below," which slaps. This is probably my favorite out of all of the Raksura novellas, possibly tied with "The Tale of Indigo and Cloud." "The Dark Earth Below" is about Jade and Moon preparing to have their first clutch, but it's also about Indigo Cloud having to face attacks from a mysterious predator with unknown motives who can manipulate minds and send animals (read: giant predators) to do its bidding. I think the two focuses of this novella (Jade's pregnancy vs. the mystery of this antagonist) worked really well, because it gives us the emotional throughline of Moon's first-time fatherhood anxieties to balance with the mystery and action. We also get to see more of the Kek and the forest floor of the Reaches. Plus I just loved how wonderfully creepy , especially since so much about them is left somewhat unexplained. It's reminiscent of the villain from the Siren Depths in a very good way.
Overall, I have enjoyed my time with the Stories of the Raksura, although I look forward to moving on to the next novel-length installment. I think all of the novellas are strong, with "The Dead City" maybe being the weakest for me personally, and all of the short stories are worth reading at least once (except maybe Adaptation, and Adaptation isn't even bad, just redundant and perhaps poorly placed in Volume One).
Also, I really like that the title page of each work in this volume tells you where it falls in regard to the previous books. That would have been a cool feature for volume one to have, as well (unless volume one does have this and I just missed it entirely).
July 7, 2022
Rating: Absolutely Loved It
I liked this collection of stories a lot more than the first one, and it was just a joy to be with Moon and Jade and the rest of the colony. I really wish that we would have been able to get a short story or novella focused on Stone, but I'm not going to complain.
The Dead City was a really fun novella focusing on Moon shortly after he first encounters the Fell. He stops at a caravanasei (or however you spell that), and of course trouble springs up. This was involving some spider people who were excavating a city of the dead. I really enjoyed seeing Moon who was determined not to care, but of course he does, and we got to meet other groundling species. I didn't think that I cared that much about Moon's time prior to finding the Raksura, but I greatly enjoyed it.
Mimesis was a short story that focuses on Jade and some companions while they are out hunting. One of their number goes missing, and Jade goes after him. I really enjoyed seeing Jade save the day on her own, and it was a fun, fast-paced story.
Trading Lesson was my favorite because we just get to see the Raksura living their lives without something horrible or intense happening. I loved seeing Moon being so exasperated with the Raksura being bad traders and ensuring that they don't get scammed. Loved it!
The Almost Last Voyage of the Windship Escarpment was my least favorite, and that's probably because there were no Raksura. But it was still exploring the world, and I want to know more about this place. It was a fun time but I would have preferred a story following a young Stone.
The Dark Earth Below gave me lots of happy feels because we got to see Jade have her first clutch. Of course there's some mysterious new threat, but I greatly enjoyed all the family feels in this one. I love Stone and Moon and their relationship and I just want to see more of it.
Overall just a good time hanging out with the Raksura and living life. Highly recommend this series!
I liked this collection of stories a lot more than the first one, and it was just a joy to be with Moon and Jade and the rest of the colony. I really wish that we would have been able to get a short story or novella focused on Stone, but I'm not going to complain.
The Dead City was a really fun novella focusing on Moon shortly after he first encounters the Fell. He stops at a caravanasei (or however you spell that), and of course trouble springs up. This was involving some spider people who were excavating a city of the dead. I really enjoyed seeing Moon who was determined not to care, but of course he does, and we got to meet other groundling species. I didn't think that I cared that much about Moon's time prior to finding the Raksura, but I greatly enjoyed it.
Mimesis was a short story that focuses on Jade and some companions while they are out hunting. One of their number goes missing, and Jade goes after him. I really enjoyed seeing Jade save the day on her own, and it was a fun, fast-paced story.
Trading Lesson was my favorite because we just get to see the Raksura living their lives without something horrible or intense happening. I loved seeing Moon being so exasperated with the Raksura being bad traders and ensuring that they don't get scammed. Loved it!
The Almost Last Voyage of the Windship Escarpment was my least favorite, and that's probably because there were no Raksura. But it was still exploring the world, and I want to know more about this place. It was a fun time but I would have preferred a story following a young Stone.
The Dark Earth Below gave me lots of happy feels because we got to see Jade have her first clutch. Of course there's some mysterious new threat, but I greatly enjoyed all the family feels in this one. I love Stone and Moon and their relationship and I just want to see more of it.
Overall just a good time hanging out with the Raksura and living life. Highly recommend this series!
June 23, 2018
“Now would be a good time to go, to fly west into the sun with no one to see. Except he didn’t appear to be doing that.”
Anthologies set in the world or featuring the cast of an author’s invented universe allow her to explore side issues, deepen characters and promote the greater series--especially when said short stories are offered free or included in other anthologies. Fans get a fix of a favored setting; new readers can sample without committing to a full novel. So it is here. Not great literature, not even as good as the Raksura novels, but enjoyable nonetheless.
“He had learned from bitter experiences not to try to explain unexplainable things.”
Anthologies set in the world or featuring the cast of an author’s invented universe allow her to explore side issues, deepen characters and promote the greater series--especially when said short stories are offered free or included in other anthologies. Fans get a fix of a favored setting; new readers can sample without committing to a full novel. So it is here. Not great literature, not even as good as the Raksura novels, but enjoyable nonetheless.
“He had learned from bitter experiences not to try to explain unexplainable things.”
November 17, 2021
Another Raksura anthology and so far this book in the series seems to be the least exciting for me.
We have about five stories in here and a number of species introduced to us. Out of all these stories, I believe only the last which tells the story of an unknown attacker by the colony in the midst of Jade and Moon's first clutch expectation held my interest.
Hopefully the next book in the series will be as captivating to me as the predecessors.
We have about five stories in here and a number of species introduced to us. Out of all these stories, I believe only the last which tells the story of an unknown attacker by the colony in the midst of Jade and Moon's first clutch expectation held my interest.
Hopefully the next book in the series will be as captivating to me as the predecessors.
August 11, 2017
I just love this series and would like an entire nother series that is just stories of Stone adventures, and fledgling adventures please.
August 27, 2025
Three good short stories with your favorite Raksura characters. The Dead City, Mimesis, and The Dark Earth Below were very good stories. The first one more backstory for Moon. The other two continue tales from the Cloud Indigo colony.
Trading Lesson was a dumb short story with your favorite Raksura characters.
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment was an interesting story in the same Three Worlds, but all no characters (no Raksura). My only complaint is that I think she could have done better with the ending, a more complete wrap-up.
Trading Lesson was a dumb short story with your favorite Raksura characters.
The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment was an interesting story in the same Three Worlds, but all no characters (no Raksura). My only complaint is that I think she could have done better with the ending, a more complete wrap-up.
April 20, 2023
My heart.
I loved every story.
I loved every story.
December 27, 2019
Another solid installment, I did skim through one story, but was otherwise enthralled.
March 30, 2022
the dark earth below was absolutely 5 stars and the dead city was good, but the short stories were a little...unnecessary
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