I found this collection to be very uneven, and think it could have benefited from more editorial oversight to make it more cohesive. I found it jarring to go back and forth between historical fiction and historical-based fantasy, and thought that many of the fantasy stories were trying to do more worldbuilding than they had space for in a short story, at the expense of developing characters and plot. In addition, the vast majority of stories in this collection are set in America or western Europe in the last 300 years, which was disappointing in an anthology subtitled "throughout the ages".

Out of the fantasy stories my favorites were by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia; both did a good job of limiting the scope of plot to something appropriate for a short story, and both drew their fantasy elements from the culture and time period they were set in. Out of the historical fiction stories my favorite was Malinda Lo's, which created a very strong sense of place and time, and ended on a satisfyingly open note.

Well, the entire reason I decided to put my old list of books on this website is because my friend and I had a conversation about how frickin weird these books are, so I guess it's got that going for it...

...they killed ....God?? What even was this book.

...volcanoes???

I can't believe it took me, #1 fantasy nerd and absurdly prolific reader, until I was 15 to finally read this. But it's been great ever since!

I was ...really weirdly attached to this book in middle school

Another in the Mists of Avalon-inspired Arthurian retelling pile, but top of the pile, I'd say. Pity the series never finished...

At some point when I was 15 I got really into capital A-Adult fantasy stuff, which in hindsight is a little weird

Talk about formative influences

Let me tell you: I have read A LOT of Lord of the Rings-inspired teen fantasy, and this series truly stands out.

First Tamora Pierce book I read ...start of an era.

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My roommate left this in the living room so I read it, don't judge

had a really hard time doing anything else until I finished this book

the platonic ideal of the queer historical fiction i am forever seeking!!!

Ok, so I screwed up and put the series review on the 2nd book. It's over there.

A snappy dialogue, weird characters, and violent silliness. I really should finish this series.

There is some very interesting information here about trans men in 1860s America. Unfortunately the authors themselves don't seem to realize they are writing about trans men as well as cis women.

The first of a solid two years of reading climbing book after climbing book. Inspirational!

This was the victim of my altered book project for class, so I read it before putting it out of its misery

(reread)

Ok so I was trying to read 100 books in 2010 and it was New Years Eve and I was in a hurry. Made it, though!

The start of the Shackleton Obsession (a subset of the Antarctica Obsession)

A mountain pictures

This book makes me so emotional about the Cascades

I remember really enjoying this. Note to self: reread?

Well, now I understand RSA encryption.

Definitely better than any other history of fashion books.

This may have been the start of the Antarctica Obsession (that continues to this day)

This is literally an action movie in book form. Secret agent kids, weird violence, world traveling, cults??? Apparently the recipe for success for me and all my weird friends at 14. Fond memories of my friend who owned the series dealing people books out of her locker during passing period like they were drugs.