Festive Fates: 11 Spirited Holiday Tales Anthology by SE Smith, Jill Wallace, Eliza Sinclair, Kyndra Hatch, Candace Colt, Natalie Palma, Winnie Winkle, Electra Gajdos, Stephanie Harrell, Pauline Baird Jones, Cassandra Chandler – Review by Tanya Wall, December 2023

Festive Fates: 11 Spirited Holiday Tales by Natalie Palma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Festive Fates” earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars for its engaging mix of 11 short stories by a diverse group of authors. The anthology delivers a delightful holiday escape, seamlessly blending genres and capturing the spirit of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The stories, ranging from dragons on Thanksgiving quests to Christmas battles with Santa’s army, offer a unique and enjoyable read.The two I liked best were: “Sunshine’s War” by Jill Wallace and “Retired, but not Forgotten” by Natalie Palma stealing the spotlight. Wallace’s heartfelt narrative about two individuals caught in the crossfire of war, unexpectedly meeting in a veggie patch, is a true gem that tugs at the heartstrings. On the other hand, Palma’s “Retired, but not Forgotten” adds a fun twist to the anthology, blending luck, work troubles, and a missing Christmas spirit into a lighthearted yet mysterious adventure. I didn’t much like the alien and paranormal stories -but this is a good winter weekend read.

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