Book Review: Third Name's A Charm (Anthology)

All good things come in threes.

Once upon a time, a group of authors accepted the challenge from a fairy tale name generator. Not just once or twice, but thrice! Volume three of these quirky stories is a collection stories featuring trios and triple threats.

In this clean YA anthology, follow the fates of three IVF-manufactured (oops, sorry, potion-begotten) triplet princesses, be enlisted as the third lucky bodyguard to stave off monsters, see if the third wand works wonders for an unlucky mage, try to discover the true name of a unicorn prince, discover why the magical artefacts come in threes and climb towers with thieves to step into abductions of well-known fairytale characters.

Don’t forget, with the rule of three, there are always exceptions. Venture into this collection of adventurous stories by award-winning and up-and-coming authors and maybe you’ll be thrice enchanted.

All proceeds donated to a charity in support of reading and literacy.

GENRE: Fantasy / Fairytales (Anthology)

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

STORIES AND AUTHORS:

A Feather for a Kingdom by K.A. Last

Three Eyes of Ra by Elena Shelest

The Sea Witch's Book of Shadows by Kristin Harley

The Magic of Trees by Serene Conneeley

The Haunting of Neve Ravensblood by Sophia-Rose Johnson

Threads of Gold by Rebecca Fittery

Forged Destiny by M.S. Weaver

Lady of Forests and Seas by Astrid V.J.

To Catch A Thief by Sky Sommers

Allie's Dream by Eurelia Winters

The Unicorn of Sovatia by N.D.T. Casale

Threads of the Battlefields by Meadoe Hora

Third Year's A Charm by Marie Reed

The Guardian of the Falling Rains by B. Luna Covello

Lavender Locks and the Three Trolls by Alex Stubblefield

Amira and the Healing Flower by Ashley Steffenson

At the Crossroads by Sarina Langer

In the Wicked Wilds by Jo Holloway

Some Gnarly Sea Monsters by Donna White

The Gambit of Threes by Susan Stradiotto

Review

I love anthologies and short stories. Some days I just really like taking a book slow, reading a chapter (or in this case, a story) or two a day, in between work meetings or before going to bed. And this had such a fun concept!

It's well curated too, in that there's a cohesive magical/fairytale feel to the stories (aside from the theme of threes) even those that take place in contemporary settings.

I also loved seeing familiar names and authors I've come to love after discovering them in the Enchanted Forests anthology! Elena Shelest is one of my favorites, and I particularly enjoyed how different Three Eyes of Ra was from her other stories. (I hope she writes a full novel or novella for this!)

The best part? All of the anthology's proceeds are donated to a charity in support of reading and literacy. It's nice being able to support a good cause by reading.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read this #IndieApril, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼