Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories

by Amal El-Mohtar

Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Adult, Anthologies, Science Fiction, Queer

208 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 24, 2026

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

most beautiful cover award 🌟

[h o l l i s · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short read comprised of many short reads; some stories with plots, some feelings with bits of stories, some magical and some real, some both, and even some poems.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful journey, whether you sit and devour them one after another or chip away at them over time. And even though I didn't love all of them, I did enjoy most -- whether by marveling at it, taking something from it, appreciating it, or just simply having a good time with it.

Full review to come.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) exchange for an honest review. **

[jenny reads a lot]

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Thank you Tor Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Maëlys]

This Is How You Lose the Time War: 5/5
The River Has Roots 4/5

already climbing up the walls and foaming at the mouth

[Shima]

This will be for those who know fairy tales are always cautionary stories.

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

After experiencing the brilliance of her novella The River Has Roots and the Bigolas Dikolas Wolfwood-famed and stunning This is How You Lose the Time War, co-authored with Max Gladstone, I am chomping at the bit for Amal El-Mohtar's upcoming short story collection. Mohtar's writing has always struck me as masterful, lyrical, and mesmerizing, and I can't wait to dive into the full scope of her talent. Seasons of Glass and Iron is sure to be a compendium of beautiful stories, folktales, and imaginings of our world's possibilities. You don't want to miss it. —Lyndsie Manusos

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection from a much-loved author! I'm glad that her stories were compiled in this because I probably wouldn't have sought them out individually.

A woman cursed to wear iron shoes meets a women cursed to stay on a glass hill. A women seemingly resides within the pages of a book, prompting the obsession of its readers. A women keeps findings items that don't belong to her in her pockets.

All short story collections are hit or miss, but even though these stories were written over many years and for many different projects El-Mohtar's unique style shines through. I always think of her writing being unintuitive but welcoming, like it wants you to do some of the work to understand it but is also fully willing to reward you for the effort. I also really liked the intro and her thoughts on the common threads across her works. I didn't really care for the poems between stories because that's not really my thing and there were some stories that didn't work for me, but a great showing nonetheless!

Thank you to Amal El-Mohtar and Tordotcom for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

[Korynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amal El-Mohtar has beautiful writing that doesn’t always make sense. Overall I enjoyed this collection but I didn’t love it. Some stories I liked more than others. All of them have a magical feel to them or are outright fantastical. The overarching theme of the collection is women: women being strong and independent, women learning truths about themselves, women going on adventures, and women loving women.

Seasons of Glass and Iron—4/5 stars
I liked the writing and the cadence of the words. This story gives off fairytale vibes mixed with the modern day. A woman hiking in iron boots meets a woman who lives on a glass hill. I liked it all quite a bit.

The Green Book—1/5 stars
A woman gets turned into a book. Sadly not as interesting as it sounds. This story honestly made no sense to me.

Madeleine—2.5/5 stars
A woman starts seeing visions of another woman in her memories and dreams and forms a friendship with her. Good concept, but it won’t stick with me.

The Lonely Sea in the Sky—3/5 stars
Theoretical sci-fi story about a woman who develops a condition that is basically an addiction to diamonds found on Neptune. Strange. But I liked it. Even if I didn’t understand the ending.

Song for an Ancient City—2.5/5 stars
Poem. Fine but forgettable.

And Their Lips Rang with the Sun—2/5 stars
I didn’t really care for this story or understand it either. A woman has an affair with the Sun and births its child? Meh.

A Tale of Ash in Seven Birds—3/5 stars
Literally just a long poem about seven birds, but with a fantasy twist. Enjoyable.

Qahr—3.5/5 stars
Powerful.

The Truth About Owls—4/5 stars
I liked this story a lot. You do learn a lot about owls, but it’s also the story of a girl. Worth reading.

Wing—3/5 stars
A girl wears a book around her neck, a book which holds a secret. I liked this story but I wanted it to be quite a bit longer.

A Hollow Play—3/5 stars
This is probably the longest and most developed story in this collection. It was enjoyable. Magical realism. The ending made me feel like I was missing something though.

Thunderstorm in Glasgow, July 25, 2013—1/5 stars
Huh?

Anabasis—2.5/5 stars
I don’t have much to say about this. It was fine.

To Follow the Waves—2.5/5 stars
I think El-Mohtar’s writing is beautiful, but this story was just okay. It’s about a gem and stone worker. Once again I didn’t really understand the ending.

Pieces—2/5 stars
Each set of words in this poem was lyrical and beautiful on its own. But as a whole I don’t know what the poem was about or was trying to convey.

John Hollowback and the Witch—4.25/5 stars
John Hollowback has a hollow back, so he goes to a witch for help. This was a unique story and I really enjoyed it. It felt like a fairytale. It’s the longest story in this collection.

Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers—3/5 stars
A retelling of the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd, which I didn’t know about prior to reading this book. It was interesting, but I don’t know how accurate it is.

Pockets—4.5/5 stars
This was a really delightful story of a woman who pulls random items out of her pockets that just show up there without rhyme or reason. I loved the direction this story went in, and I would enjoy a much longer version of this.


I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Karen Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories that are great to be read all at once or story by story. I will say, not all the stories were my cup of tea. There definitely were stories that I would have loved to have been a full-length book while others I almost wanted to skip. Even with that, I enjoyed the collection. The center of all the stores is women, even if only a brief part of story. The inclusion of their wins, their losses, and their actualization of themselves really kept me interested.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Miss Susan]

if anyone's looking to get me a birthday present...this is your hint!!!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

yeah i’ll read anything she writes

[bailey elizabeth smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

From the moment I read the Introduction, I knew I was going to be locked in -- "But the sheer consistency of it, the insistence on it, was reassuring to encounter -- to find myself, year on year, recommitted to my love for women even as every generation upcycles new, more fashionable ways to hate them."


Seasons of Glass and Iron is a collection of short stories and poems. At times, they feel rather abstract, as though you have been abruptly placed into a thought or story at anypoint the author decides. However, no matter how short or long the story, she always finds a way to make things make sense in the end.

While each story is different, there is a great use of overlapping language and themes that somehow weave things together in a beautiful way. From scents to birds, the language of flowers, grief, language, culture, heritage, acceptance, and love, she pulls you through some of the most unique tales I have ever read. It is all at once both unfamiliar and familiar.

I don't imagine you will walk away from this book without taking something away from it.

I highly recommend this collection, and I thank Macmillan/TOR Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Below are my favorite stories, and a quote that stood out to me from each:

...

SEASONS OF GLASS AND IRON
"...and Amira does not know what to do except to reach for her hand, clutch it, looks at her in the way she looks at the geese, longing to be understood."

THE GREEN BOOK
"How lucky for you, to not have to concern yourself with politics."

A TALE OF ASH IN SEVEN BIRDS
"We fall as cinders, scattered on the wind. We fall as leaves, a bruising brightness -- land lightly on foreign shores, foreign ports, foreign parts. Our shapes are unseamed, our mouths untoungued, we swallow our burning into new bodies. We break space around our hearts, keep our memories nestled in the hollows of our bones built from the outside in."

QAHR
"As if a single word in my language
could hold all this wrecking grief."

THE TRUTH ABOUT OWLS
"...because if she doesn't hurt herself, she knows with absolute certainty that she will hurt someone else."

PIECES
"The world is wrong and I am wrung,
a bell of cloth dripping salt
into an earth too broken for roots."

FLORILEGIA; OR, SOME LIES ABOUT FLOWERS
"You were made of flowers, my love, but those are only pieces of you, the seeds from which you grew. You--you cannot be pressed into a book. You are so much more than a work of wizards."

[BoetBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

From the moment I began reading This is How You Loose the Time War, I knew I needed to read more from Amal El-Mohtar. The River Has Roots was nearly as enthralling, of which the ARC included a sneak peek of John Hollowback & the Witch and I was feral for more. Thank you a million times over for providing a physical ARC of Seasons of Glass & Iron, Tor Dot Com!

It is challenging to review an anthology as there are multiple plots, characters and themes throughout the collection. El-Mohtar’s imagination, outlook and voice is unique to any other author I’ve come across. The imagery of prose pulls me into a whimsical dream of which I do not wish to wake up from (oh, and there’s a lovely story incorporating dreams as well!). One thing I adore about anthologies is that you can read it from cover to cover, or savor it by reading a story, a poem or two between larger books.

I was already gushing while reading the introduction, which set the stage for a collection of stories while quite different from each other, still felt cohesive as a collection with El-Mohtar’s stunning prose, all of them tugging my emotions in one way or another. I love that this collection of stories also includes a couple of poems in both English and Arabic. I was giddy when I discovered we are both of Lebanese descent! Although I cannot speak or read it, seeing Arabic brings fond memories of my grandmother’s church.

If you're already an El-Mohtar fan, I am confident you will enjoy this. If you haven’t begun your El-Mohtar yet, you are in for a treat!

“She wonders at how change comes in like a thief in the night, dismantling our sense of self one bolt and screw at a time until all that’s left of the person we think we are is a broken door hanging off a rusty hinge, waiting for us to walk through.”

“You gathered flowers and read woman. You read woman and gleaned docile, pretty, fragrant, weak. But you misread me, Lleu. I have in me the hearts of great ships, the bones of cathedrals. I have in me the sharpness of claws.”

I could honestly pull pages upon pages of favorite quotes, but I urge you to pick up a copy for yourself ✨

While I enjoyed everything, the below were the standout stars for me:
✨ Seasons of Glass and Iron
✨ To Follow the Waves
✨ Pieces
✨ John Hollowback & the Witch
✨ Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers
✨ Pockets

[Sol]

I don't actually count how many times I announce to everyone that I love Amal El-Mohtar's writing, but if I were to genuinely count, I'd arrive at an incomprehensible number, I think. That's to say, this is what I'm doing in this review again.
The titular story is incredible. I like fantasy stories and sapphic stories and combine both those things with beautiful prose and the result is an unforgettable story.
Seasons of Glass and Iron is about a woman who's wearing down shoes made of iron, and the backstory reveals blinds spots in the logic of her wearing it down, something that the princess in the Glass house allows her to talk about. Our Glass princess on the other hand is there in a prison she chose for herself, a place where she is safe but unable to go wherever she wishes to go. Together, the two of them disentangle the riddle of how they could both be truly free--and as an added bonus, together.
I want to say it's my favorite story out of all the ones in the anthology but frankly I think I love them all equally.
the truth about owls made me put the book down and pace my living room and do all my errands while having it swirl in my mind before im ready to read again (': also the poems are worth savoring and/or reading twice (or more) before moving on i think. lovely. i wish i could read and understand Arabic, because I'm sure it's an added bonus for those who do, for reading things in one language always always feel different than another (this, coming from someone who's tasted multiple languages, and continues to do so for as long as i'm alive), but all that to say I liked the poems in their English form anyway.
AND OH. to end the anthology with the story of 'Pockets,' a story that ends with the sweetest letter I've ever read, whoever made that decision final for this collection you deserve a raise and a million bucks. That story is reminiscent of El-Mohtar's work in This is How You Lose the Time War, aka one of my all-time favs.

Brilliant anthology. I'll put it on my wishlist as I want a copy for myself to re-read at leisure.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for granting access to the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Nicole Pardus · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Tor — thank you so much for letting me read this early!
“She wonders at how change comes in like a thief in the night, dismantling our sense of self one bolt and screw at a time until all that's left of the person we think we are is a broken door hanging off a rusty hinge, waiting for us to walk through” — this quote made me sob. Full body, sit-in-silence-for-a-minute sob.

I’ve loved Amal El-Mohtar’s writing for years, but this collection reminded me why she feels elemental to me — like someone who can look directly at the seams of the world and name every fragile thread. Seasons of Glass and Iron brings together a selection of her short fiction, and while not every story worked for me, the ones that did… absolutely did. “Seasons of Glass and Iron,” “Pockets,” “Madeline,” and “John Hollowback and the Witch” were my absolute standouts — each one sparkling with that precise, lyrical, devastating magic Amal is known for. Even when a story didn’t land for me, the collection as a whole felt cohesive, like an incantation stitched from girlhood, grief, wonder, rage, and tenderness.

The introduction alone is worth the price of admission. It’s stunning — intimate, thoughtful, and deeply grounding for what follows. This line in particular feels like the thesis of the entire collection:
“Mostly, what emerged is that I love women. I love women talking to each other. I love women reading each other, through letters and journals and flowers, offering up the stories of themselves to each other's tender scrutiny. I love women being friends and being lovers, in all of their shapes, across the breadth and depth of their lives. Over and over, in these stories, I find myself returning to what Emily Yoshida called ‘the terrifying magic of two women in a room, talking,’ and agreeing that ‘there's still so much of it we haven't explored yet.’”

And truly — that “terrifying magic” permeates everything here. The stories are full of women naming their pain, their power, their thresholds. Women reshaping themselves. Women refusing to be small. Women speaking impossible truths to each other.
If you love El-Mohtar’s work, you’ll adore this.

[moka · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exquisite collection of short stories written in Amal’s poetic prose that might leave you shedding a few tears or staring at the wall after reading, contemplating life, love, and the many joys and horrors of our world.

If everyone loved women the way this author so dearly loves women, the world would be a more beautiful and safe place for all. The way my heart ached for the women in these stories, for all the evils the world of men has put upon them, for the way they were healed by fellow women, sisters, mothers, friends...the way they were accepted for who they were, not for who others (men) wanted them to shaped like...

My auto-buy author list has one more addition!

A standout story in this collection was the title track, Seasons of Glass and Iron. This was a story of women discovering new possibilities through their relationship with each other after being conditioned by men/systems into harmful beliefs. It was beautiful, and I cried.

Another poignant tale is John Hollowback and the Witch. This perfectly encapsulates the horrible habit men have of seeing something beautiful, wanting to cage it and shape it to their liking, thinking they are doing a wonderful service, demanding to be the hero, the main character in everyone’s story, and completely blind to the reality where they smother someone’s soul so much it shrinks to barely a whisper and it isn’t until this crushed and bruised soul breaks free that the full scope of such a harm is realized...and everyone hates the men for it but they don’t even know because they cannot see themselves in a poor light, it must be everyone else’s fault.

While these two might be the ones I point out in this review, it by no means diminishes the rest. Each piece in this work is as precious as any other. You’ll find stories, perspectives, and representations of queer, Palestinian, and immigrant characters. There are also West Asian supernatural entities such as the Peri and Djinn. In every piece, there is magic.

This book is for everyone; everyone should read this book! Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Tor for the eARC copy via NetGalley for review consideration. All my opinions are my own.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amal El-Mohtar is phenomenal!! I'd read a car manual if she wrote it. I'm usually not a short story person, but everything in this collection is so fleshed out, and maybe it's good to start the new year with something new to me. El-Mohtar always sticks out to me because of her precision. No word or phrase is wasted, and the way she writes is perfect for the fairy-tale sort of atmosphere she creates so often (especially in The River Has Roots).

I also want to highlight this section of the introduction:
"I love women talking to each other. I love women reading each other, through letters and journals and flowers, offering up the stories of themselves to each other's tender scrutiny. I love women being friends and being lovers, in all of their shapes, across the breadth and depth of their lives... But the sheer consistency of [this theme], the insistence on it, was reassuring to encounter - to find myself, year on year, recommitting to my love for women even as every generation upcycles new, more fashionable ways to hate them."

I always love reading stories that center women and their relationships like this, but I never see this idea put into words so well. The stories in this collection explore women connecting to themselves and to each other in so many different ways, with or without connection to a man. I loved seeing myself in these stories, and I know I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

[Book Club of One · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories gathers 18 short works published between 2008 to 2023 by the writer Amal El-Mohtar. Much of the work falls into the fantastical realm and, as El-Mohtar notes in the introduction, are about a love of women.

The stories are not arranged chronologically or with a specific theme, instead they are the author’s favorites. Like El-Mohtar’s other writings, they are light in length, but with themes or details that have a lingering effect. As short stories they move quickly, but do not get mired in genre tropes.

“Green Book” was an early favorite, about a magical book and the lives trapped within. The title story imagines two women in circumstances outside their control finding, at first, comfort from their shared company, before questioning their histories and reconsidering goals. Many stories see a challenge and the chance to make right, tragedy and recovery, or the foolishness of love and the efforts to undo mistakes.

El-Mohtar notes that for her, assembling these stories was a chance to look back and relieve what led to these stories. For the reader it is a compact work that shows the range of El-Mohtar’s imagination and the many worlds we might get to visit.

Recommended to readers of fantastical fiction, short stories or Feminist rescue.

I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Jessica Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and Amal El-Mohtar for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Last year I read The River Has Roots by El-Mohtar and was captivated by the beautiful writing style and the lessons learned through the unique storytelling. While browsing through NetGalley, I came across this title and requested it as soon as I saw the author. And like that book, this book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed how the book was composed of many different types of stories; poems, letters, fairy tales, and almost like biographies of women and their stories. Each different tale explored themes like grief, love, friendship, but in its own unique way. I really enjoyed the Author’s note at the beginning that explained and set up these short stories within a short story perfectly! I think this book is perfect for the reader who wants to try something different and unique to discover a new form of literature to enjoy or the reader who just loves women’s fiction told through varying perspectives.

[Ben Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely strong collection spanning over a decade of El-Mohtar's writing. Themes of gender, sexuality, relocation, storytelling (both the act and the stories we tell ourselves), repeat and build throughout creating a thoughtful exploration without feeling repetitive. El-Mohtar also ranges in style and form; her poetry is a rich experience and highlights her gorgeous use of language. Some stories such as: Seasons of Glass and Iron, The Lonely Sea in the Sky, And Their Lips Rang With the Sun, The Truth About Owls, To Follow the Waves, and John Hollowback and the Witch, were incredibly strong, balanced out with some weaker stories that bring the overall rating to a really positive 4-star. For fans of El-Mohtar's writing from This is How You Lose the Time War, I would 100% recommend experiencing a fuller image of her oeuvre to date.

Thank you to Tordotcom for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Raquel Flockhart]

⇢ John Hollowback and the Witch: ★★★★
This story was included at the end of the audiobook of The River Has Roots, so I listened to it when I read that novella a few months ago. It introduces us to a young man who seeks the help of a witch to cure a hole in his back, the origin of which he can’t recall. In exchange for her help, the witch asks him to tell her stories related to objects he carries in his bag, which helps his memories resurface. A tale of greed, revenge, and redemption. I really enjoyed it; it felt like reading an old fairy tale. I didn’t see where it was going, and the twist surprised me.

I can’t wait to read the rest of the stories in this collection when it comes out in March!

[kay]

Going to DNF at 79%. I wanted to try to read more collections of stories, but I think it's maybe not for me. With this one in particular, I felt like each story would leave my brain as soon as I moved onto the next one, and that made it hard for me to enjoy. The writing was gorgeous, but sometimes obscure and I felt myself lacking understanding at times (that's on me). I felt the same about "This is How You Lose the Time War," so maybe I shouldn't have picked this one up.

These stories were my favourites: Madeleine, The Green Book, and Qahr.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

[Kareena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amal El-Mohtar's writing is absolutely brilliant. Every page spurs so many thoughts and pulls me into whatever magical world she's created. While I have read on of the stories so far, the rest were all new to me. Even the one I've read before had me thinking more deeply then I did the first time. For anyone whose doorway is writing, this book and author are a must. It's lyrical and poignant and inescapable. I find myself thinking about the stories constantly. It's definitely a book I will be preordering and rereading over and over.

[Emily Westerwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories and poems in the sci-fi/fantasy/magical realism genre. Themes are feminine relationships, immigrant/refugee experiences, magic, sacrifices, and birds. There's some really good stuff in here, but not everything quite resonated with me. The writing is beautiful and lyrical. My favorites were Madeleine, The Truth About Owls, A Hollow Play, John Hollowback and the Witch, Florilegia, and Pockets. A lot of the stories beg to be re-read and re-examined. A great collection to share and discuss.

[rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is the norm for Amal El-Mohtar, this anthology brimmed with creativity and exhibited her signature prose and style. Like other short story collections, they are a hit or miss; cautionary tales fully open to interpretation.

There were stories already familiar to me, such as Madeleine and John Hollowback. I’m glad works from her other projects were compiled in this since I wouldn’t have known of them otherwise.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the arc!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

El-Mohtar has a life long fan in me and any book that she comes out with, I will read. So I was incredibly excited when I got my hands on this one -short story collections can be hit or miss but I found myself loving this all the way through. This was heartwarming with a creative twist on the traditional fairytale that had some important and relevant commentary. This has El-Mohtar's signature prose and style, it's not for everyone but it is 110% for me.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of these short stories felt like modern day fables-so beautifully written, fantastically enchanting yet relevant to our time, and just an utter delight to read. Sometimes short stories feel like slices of life where the character walks into and right out of the story to carry on with their lives-each of these felt whole and satisfying to complete.

I can’t wait to purchase my own copy of this since I just finished an ARC ebook.

[Amira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I got this book was because I’m learning Arabic and there are two random Arabic short stories in it I thought would be fun to translate.
I showed it to both of my tutors and my husband.

And they all cried.

I’m trying to convince one of them to translate it to me, but they all say that it’s too hard—literally and emotionally.

If you can make three grown adults cry with two pages, I think that earns five stars.

(Though the other stories are definitely cute and fun)

[Gretal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beautiful! I loved so many of these stories, and of course I always love Amal El-Mohtar's writing. I definitely want to pick up a finished copy so I can see the final layouts of some of the stories in particular.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very beautiful collection of stories and poems - gorgeously written with immersive worlds and many delicious bites of adventures. Several I expect to stay with me, others will fade more quickly, but all in a lovely collection of writings by an author I enjoy greatly.