In 2014 I remember seeing the #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag on Twitter and thinking, yes! We do need more diverse books! I think I took part in the discussion? There’s a question mark there because April 2014 was a busy time for me; I was coming to the end of year three of my English Literature degree, finishing assignments and thinking about exams. I also wasn’t as active as I am now on Twitter. Either way, what I do remember is that feeling of acceptance, understanding and community as other people cried out in agreement. I didn’t feel so alone at that moment. I love that what started as a conversation between two authors grew into a movement and then eventually a whole organisation that is hosting events worldwide and publishing books. Social media gets a lot of grief for the negativity that comes with it, but this really does show the power and positivity it can bring about too.

That’s why anthologies like this one are so important, and why the mission of We Need Diverse Books is so important. I became aware of my sexuality in college when I was 17, and honestly, if I hadn’t had LGBTQA+ friends to help me find my way I’m not sure where I would have been. There just wasn’t any bisexuality representation back then, and there still isn’t much today. That’s 18 years later! Something should have changed in that time, and through the work of organisations like We Need Diverse Books and individuals such as the authors participating in this anthology it is beginning to, but considering it’s been almost twenty years that’s ridiculously slow progress. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center the amount of children’s books that “have a main character who identifies as LGBTQIAP+” is only 3.1%.

I didn’t formally identify as disabled until I was in my twenties, however, I was always a sickly child and as my hypermobility started to show I was beginning to injure myself frequently. There was never anyone like me in books either. There still isn’t. The same study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center in 2019 found that only “3.4% of books have a main character with a disability”. I can’t help but wonder how different my life would have been if there had been more disability representation in books (and all pop culture) of disability characters. Would I have known I was disabled?

This is an incredible anthology with all the stories being of top-notch quality. While there is one story that I feel didn’t really deserve to be here due to its lack of diverse content, the story itself was still enjoyable. Likewise, there was a wide range of genres, characters and well, pretty much everything. I feel that A Universe of Wishes has an excellent balance of diverse content too. I’ve seen other “diverse” anthologies that have included no disabled characters or have not included such a variety of cultures. I really appreciate that We Need Diverse Books made an effort to try to fit as much diversity as they could into one anthology. I hope that the young adults reading this get as much (and more) from it as I did as an adult.

The story that meant a lot to me personally was 'Wish' by Jenni Balch. As I got further into the anthology I found myself getting more and more concerned about the lack of disabled representation. Then at 52%, I got to ‘Wish’ by Jenni Balch and simultaneously cheered and cried as I read a story about a chronically ill character. I myself have seven chronic health conditions and this story made me think of things that I hadn’t even thought about, so I really hope it opens non-disabled people’s eyes to what it’s like to be disabled. In particular, Balch really brings to the forefront what it’s like to be born with a condition, to have it control your entire life from the day you were born. It’s always there in the background, limiting your choices.

I’m making this story sound really depressing, and I’m not going to lie; having a disability isn’t fun but this is an anthology about wishes and dreams, and while magic doesn’t exist in real life disabled people are strong and adaptable. We do achieve our wishes and dreams and I hope people take that away from this story too.

I go into a detailed breakdown and review of each story on my blog.

4.5 stars
A Universe of Wishes is probably the first anthology I've read in a long time. And it is so utterly stunning; all authors that have contributed to this are ones I admire a lot. Every single story is written beautifully; some are set in worlds that are familiar. And every story has so much depth; they're complex too and make you think as well. I feel so glad that I got the chance to read this because it is really so good. I'm looking forward to having a physical copy of this!

This was a really interesting anthology, with a vast array of genres and writing styles on display. I found myself being swept away to so many different world and times. My standouts had to be Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie McLemore, The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roanhorse, Longer Than The Threads of Time by Zoraida Córdova, Unmoor by Mark Oshiro and The Weight by Dhonielle Clayton.

This is a fantastic mix of fantasy and sci-fi with romance and magic, disasters and joys. Honestly, each of the stories are so unique packed with interesting worldbuilding, intriguing characters. We have a real diverse mix. We have diversity from all spectrums, which can be safely assumed as it is a collection from We Need Diverse books.

We have extra stories from well known series from Libba Bray and V.E Schwab. Exciting sci-fi stories that jump into the action and really made me smile. There are heart-breaking stories of love and loss that were really emotional. Fantastic retellings of Cinderella and Rapunzel, dystopian and climate crisis nearfutures and others that were beyond fantastical exploring gorgeous worldbuilding.

Some favourites of mine: Liberia – Kwame Mbalia – So emotional Sci-fi about family, love and tradition Take back Tango – Rebecca Roanhorse – Space heist! Wish – Jenni Balch – Sci-fi djinn Unmoor – Mark Oshiro – very emotional, love and memory magic A universe of Wishes – Tara Sim – beautiful world building and romance

A Universe of Wishes is an anthology of fifteen young adult fantasy and science fiction short stories featuring a whole host of diverse characters from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, beliefs, and sexual orientations.

Usually, when I read an anthology like this, I find myself liking only a handful of the stories, but with this one there were actually only two I didn’t connect with. The rest were immensely readable and there are some which I wish were full novels.

The anthology starts off strong with the titular story, A UNIVERSE OF WISHES by Tara Sim. This was a great story featuring necromancy, romance, dreams, and two queer boys from different backgrounds each looking for something more. I loved this and would happily read a more of this world and characters.

Next up was THE SILK BLADE by Natalie C. Parker. Again, another strong story about three warriors (one male, two female) competing for the hand of the prince, and what happens when the two female characters fall for each other instead. This I desperately wanted as a full novel and actually shrieked when the story ended where it did.

The third story, THE SCARLET WOMAN by Libba Bray, should not have been in here. It’s set in the same universe as the author’s Gemma Doyle books, and if you’ve not read them then this will go over your head. Suffice it to say, I have not read anything by Bray before and thus this story was confusing and I felt so lost in a very convoluted plot. I didn’t care about it or the characters at all. Maybe great for fans or those already familiar with this universe, but to the casual reader this was a missed opportunity.

Next was a different perspective on Cinderella, CRISTAL Y CENIZA by Anna-Marie McLemore. This was a challenging story to read, with LGBTQIA+ couples forced into “corrections” and only heterosexual couples “permitted”. The daughter of a lesbian couple goes to a ball to entreat the royal family to provide shelter for affected families, and gets more than she bargained for when she meets both the prince and the mother of one of his suitors. A great read overall.

LIBERIA by Kwame Mbalia is the first science fiction addition in this anthology, and it’s a story about ancestral memory, lineages, and honour — as well as plants, ecology, science, and loyalty — set on a spaceship heading towards a new colony on a distant planet. I really loved this one and wish it was a longer novel.

The next story, A ROYAL AFFAIR by V. E. Schwab, is set in the author’s A Darker Shade of Magic universe — but, unlike the story by Bray, this has an introductory paragraph so that newcomers do not get lost. The story is also written with enough world building dripped in, so that enough background information is given to anyone unfamiliar with the series. I’m a Schwab fangirl, and this story did not disappoint. It also gave me something to look forward to when I get around to reading A Conjuring of Light. I love this universe so much, and I’m pleased that Schwab is writing another trilogy based here.

Rebecca Roanhorse’s THE TAKEBACK TANGO was such a fun read and my introduction to Roanhorse’s writing style. I will definitely be searching out more by this author! This was a straight-up heist set in space and with great characters. I would love to see more of them.

I have mixed feelings about DREAM AND DARE by Nic Stone. It’s an interesting queer flip on the idea of who needs saving — the princess or the monster in the woods — and I did like how this played out. However, the writing style was quite jarring with lots of interior thoughts and telling not showing, so probably one of my least favourite in this collection, but I didn’t not like it.

I found WISH by Jenni Balch to be immensely fun! A great science fiction twist on the genie and the lamp sees the genie activated by a lonely girl in a space colony on Venus. The wish is particularly challenging but the genie is particularly drawn to befriending his mistress and we’re given a sweet story about friendship and connection.

The editor’s own addition to this anthology, THE WEIGHT, sees two lovers attending a futuristic facility where hearts can be temporarily removed and weighed to determine one’s biggest/truest love. While it follows a couple undergoing this process, we never actually find out what their respective hearts reveal, and thus was a bit of a let-down. Despite this, I did enjoy the story — I just wish the ending had been handled differently.

UNMOOR by Mark Oshiro broke my heart. It was the one story in the book where I had to stop and remember how to breathe once it was over. In this magical world, Unmoor representatives are powerful mages who can disconnect memories from physical spaces, allowing the heartbroken and bereaved some respite from painful memories and places. This story was so poignant and the ending had me in tears.

Samira Ahmed’s THE COLDEST SPOT IN THE UNIVERSE is another emotional read, following a young archaeologist from a different planet as she and her team land on Earth to determine what happened to its people. Her connection with a girl, long lost, leads to two points of view narrating this story. Very depressing but well crafted.

I really enjoyed Tessa Gratton’s The Queens of Innis Lear, so I had high hopes for THE BEGINNING OF MONSTERS, set in a world where designers can craft you a new body when you’re tired of the old one. A young designer is assigned to a king but she has her own ideas. A sprinkling of romance, the threat of invasion, and an action-packed ending made this a great story but I would have liked to know more about the designers and how they hone their abilities.

The penultimate story, LONGER THAN THE THREADS OF TIME by Zoraida Córdova, is an interesting take on the story of Rapunzel, set in a New York where two realities — the mundane and the magical — bleed together and only some have one foot in each. The tower is found in Central Park, and the rescue doesn’t quite go as planned. There’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye and I would have loved this as a full novel.

HABIBI by Tochi Onyebuchi is the final story, and revolves around two prisoners — one in California and one in Gaza — who strike up a penpal romance via magic. This one missed the mark for me, sadly.

For me, the standouts were A UNIVERSE OF WISHES, THE SILK BLADE, LIBERIA, A ROYAL AFFAIR, LONGER THAN THE THREADS OF TIME, and my favourite, UNMOOR. I will probably re-read this anthology in time, but I wouldn’t include THE SCARLET WOMAN or HABIBI, as these two really didn’t do anything for me.

If you’re a fan of any of the authors contributing to this anthology, and pick it up solely because of that, then you will enjoy their contribution and probably find some new authors to explore. As a We Need Diverse Books collection, this is a great assortment of stories showcasing a number of diverse characters (and authors!) who offer empowerment and representation to those readers who may not otherwise see themselves in the vast majority of stories. Overall, a very good anthology.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Titan Books, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard of this book I knew I had to pick it up because some authors that I love have co-written this anthology . Each story takes you into a new world where you can help but be immersed in it. Each story is so unique and takes you on different tales and adventures that you can't help but want to continue reading about. While reading this anthology most of the time I wished that each short story had a whole book of its own because I loved them so much. This Anthology also helped me further understand different cultures and diversities better which is always a good thing. I fell in love with that book and rated it 5/5 stars. Please pick this book up especially if you're a fan of any of these authors.

This book is a collection of fifteen diverse stories from award-winning authors including V.E. Schwab, Anna-Marie McLemore and Tochi Onyebuchi. I don’t read a lot of short stories since I tend to like books with a bigger page count the best - more is more and all. That said, I’m so glad I decided to make an exception and read this book because it was much more, so much more, than I ever expected it to be.

Being a heterosexual (at least I think I am but only future can tell I guess) white cis woman, it is only in the last couple of years that I’ve truly began to understand just how important it is for a reader - especially at a younger age - to feel represented in the books they read. I was privileged enough that for a long while, I took that for granted (which may seem a bit ignorant but I was young and didn’t know better). The last couple of years I’ve tried to include a lot of more diverse books into my reading, because what better way to broaden your perspective is there but through a book. It was with this in mind that i decided to read A Universe of Wishes and I don’t regret it in the least.

A Universe of Wishes is a book about the magic and the impossible, about wishes coming true. But most of all, it is a book about people and love. Each and every one of these fifteen short stories is a reflection of the many shapes love can take on. There are just as many shades and variations of love as there are people on Earth.

I truly recommend A Universe of Wishes! It’s an absolutely brilliant anthology and its stories and their characters will definitely stay with me for a while.

***I received an eARC of A Universe of Wishes through NetGalley (thank you Titan Books!) in exchange for an honest review.***

This is an amazing collection of 15 short stories. I enjoyed every singe one, which is quite unusual in an anthology. Each story had me hooked

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this anthology. Some of the short stories were average, some I really didn't enjoy, but there were a few that I absolutely loved, and it makes rating this as a single book an absolute nightmare. One thing that's good to know is that the anthology is pretty heavy on the romance.

A UNIVERSE OF WISHES by Tara Sim
★★★★
There is magic in corpses, if you know where to look for it. Thorn does, and there are plenty of corpses in the morgue to harvest from. Until he gets caught. This was pretty sweet and a solid story overall.

THE SILK BLADE by Natalie C. Parker
★★★
Three warriors must compete for the hand of the Bloom, but what happens when two of them fall for each other instead? I enjoyed this, even though I'm not a fan of insta-love, but I liked the world and the premise.

THE SCARLET WOMAN: A Gemma Doyle Story by Libba Bray
★
Maybe if you've read The Diviners you'd enjoy this, but I just felt lost. This definitely can't be read as a standalone short story. It ends on a cliffhanger and feels like it contains spoilers for The Diviners series, so beware if you pick this book up.

CRISTAL Y CENIZA by Anna-Marie McLemore
★★★★
In a world where corrections take place to break up non-hetero couples, the daughter of two women decides to sneak into the Prince's royal ball and beg the King and Queen for sanctuary. McLemore has a way with words, and I loved the twists in this take on Cinderella.

LIBERIA by Kwame Mbalia
★★★
A group of young scientists is sent off into space to inhabit a new world. It's Earth's last hope, and they carry the memories of their ancestors with them. Really enjoyed this scifi story.

A ROYAL AFFAIR by V. E. Schwab
★★★
This one deals with how Rhy and Alucard fell out. I haven't read the Shades of Magic trilogy yet, but I liked this and didn't feel like I was missing a lot of background information.

THE TAKEBACK TANGO by Rebecca Roanhorse
★★★★
A fun heist story. Anything Roanhorse writes is gold in my opinion, would love to read a longer version of this.

DREAM AND DARE by Nic Stone
★
What if the monster in the story needs to be saved instead of the princess? This was fairly predictable and I didn't like how modern the speech was, especially because there was nothing in the story to suggest that this was set in our world. That's something that's very much personal preference, but it always yanks me out of the story and setting.

WISH by Jenni Balch
★★
The next time someone activates the LAMP, Lane finds himself on a different planet, and has to figure out a way to make a difficult wish come true. Nice scifi twist on the genie and the lamp, but the wish part felt very rushed.

THE WEIGHT by Dhonielle Clayton
★★
Each heart has a weight, and it can show one's biggest love. But the answer isn't always what people expect it to be. I really liked the idea behind this, but it was kind of wishy-washy and the ending was abrupt.

UNMOOR by Mark Oshiro
★★★★★
When memories prevent you from visiting specific places, Unmoor can disconnect the memories from the physical space. This was brilliant. I wasn't sure about it, but the end blew me away.

THE COLDEST SPOT IN THE UNIVERSE by Samira Ahmed
★★★★★
Archaeologists from another world come to Earth to find out what happened to its people, and the youngest member of the team finds a connection with a young girl who once lived there. This was beautiful and emotional. I loved the dual perspectives in this one.

THE BEGINNING OF MONSTERS by Tessa Gratton
★★★
A small king wants a new body, but the designer assigned to her has plans of her own. This was fine, but I think I would've liked this more without the romantic element.

LONGER THAN THE THREADS OF TIME by Zoraida Córdova
★★★.5
Everyone with a touch of magic knows about the girl imprisoned in the tower. Fabian plans to rescue her. This definitely didn't go the way I expected it to. Still has insta-love elements.

HABIBI by Tochi Onyebuchi
★★★★★
Two young men, both in prison. One is in the US, the other is in Gaza. Pen pals only by virtue of magic, this is a heartbreaking story of what it means to not be free. It's my favourite by far. I don't get emotional often, but this story did a number on me. Absolutely amazing.

Would honestly recommend it based on Habibi alone.

This anthology was truly crammed with stories. Some, I think, to their detriment. There were some stories which didn't feel like they had an ending. The Scarlet Woman is the worst. I didn't realise this was part of an existing series and it felt like one single chapter from a book. Not a fairy tale in the slightest, it seemed like the author just wanted in there as a teaser. However, there were some that were complete, I just wanted more of! Those would be A Universe of Wishes, The Silk Blade and Cristal y Ceniza. Perhaps even The Take Back Tango.

Overall, all of these books were well-written, it just fell short because of wanting more from some books and wondering what others were even doing there. Some were just downright depressing and again, didn't feel like fairy tales. I give this anthology 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastically rich and diverse collection of stories that had me hooked throughout! I especially loved the idea of love loss magicians!

A fun, diverse book just in time for pride month!
Some storys are great, some are funny and some are just nice. I totally recommend this book to any fantasy lover!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for sending me a copy of this book to review. I was excited to read this as I am always happy to read diverse stories. I enjoyed some of the stories in this collection and others weren’t for me which is common with short story collections.

I’ll run through each of the stories and share my thoughts.

A Universe of Wishes - This is an m/m romance with fantasy elements. One of the characters steals magic from dead bodies for wishes. It was an interesting read. I liked it.

The Silk Blade - This is an f/f competitors to lovers which was a good read. It had lots of potential but I was a little let down and I’m not sure why.

The Scarlet Woman - I didn’t really care for this and I haven’t read the series it is connected to which could be why.

Crystal y Ceniza - A Cinderella retelling with a transgender Prince. Not something I’ve ever seen before and I liked it.

Liberia - This is set in space, plants are being grown on a ship to save a colony. I didn’t fully comprehend this one and I was left confused.

A Royal Affair - This follows the courtship of Alucard and Rhy from the Shades of Magic series. It was okay, nothing much to say about it.

A Takeback Tango - a thief meets another thief on a mission. I liked this one, it made me smile.

Dream and Dare - Two princesses have to deal with gender norms. This one wasn’t for me.

Wish - a genie is summoned. It’s set on Venus not earth and it was a short sweet read. I enjoyed it more than I expected.

The weight - This one was interesting. It is about a process where doctors can read your heart and tell couples if they are in love. I really enjoyed it.

Unmoor - Magic is used to get through heartbreak. It was okay, not usually a story I would naturally pick up.

The coldest spot in the universe - Earth is uninhabitable. There wasn’t any dialogue. This one wasn’t for me.

The beginnings of monsters - an architect artist who can design bodies. I wasn’t sure about this one. I felt a little meh about it.

Longer than the threads of time - a retelling of rapunzel. A girl is locked in a tower and a Brujo boy might be able to save her. It was an okay read.

Habibi - two prisoners, one in California and another in Gaza find a way to communicate and develop a relationship. This was enjoyable.

Overall I enjoyed the collection and would recommend it to others as there will be something for everyone in this collection.

I want to preface this by saying I don't usually read anthologies however A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton, sounded right up my alley.

This was a great anthology full of diverse characters and unique stories perfect for sci-fi and fantasy readers. My favourites were the title story A Universe of Wishes and Dream and Dare.

Ratings per short story and brief thoughts:
A Universe of Wishes _ 5* _ loveable characters, very cool magic
The Silk Blade _ 3* _ rich scenery, however insta love was rediculous
The Scarlet Women _ 2* _ Part of an existing series, and felt like it was a random chapter taken out of another book
Crystal y Ceniza _ 5* _ Cinderalla inspired, empowering, heartfelt LGBTQIA+ themes
Liberia _ 5* _ Explored connections to our ancestors and nature
A Royal Affair _ 4* _ I love the shades of magic series series but why was this here?
The Takeback Tango _ 4* _ Space heist! fun fun
Dream and Dare _ 5* _ Sapphic romance, challenged gender norms
Wish _ 4* _ Aww this was sweet, had a disabled protagonist
The Weight _ 2* _ Just wasn't to my tastes
Unmoor _ 3* _ Heartbreaking
The Coldest Spot in the Universe _ 2* _ On the nose in its message, found it quite depressing
The Beginning of Monsters _ 3* _ Fascinating concept about redesigning human forms but confusing in its execution
Longer Than the Threads of Time _ 4* _ Rapunzel retelling with fleshed out characters
Habibi _ 4* _ Full of raw emotions and human connection

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an advanced reader's copy.

A Universe of Wishes is the new YA short story anthology collaboration between Titan Books and We Need Diverse Books, a non-profit organisation of children's book lovers that aims to create work in the publishing industry where all children can see themselves reflected in the stories they read. As such, A Universe of Wishes presents readers with a varied and interesting array of stories from a diverse group of authors. The stories within this collection cover a variety of genres, from urban fantasy, to historical fiction, to sci-fi, and even some romance thrown in too.

The first story in the book, 'A Universe of Wishes' by Tara Sim starts the collection of wonderfully, introducing readers to the feel of the entire book. In this story we follow Thorn, a teen living on the streets following a family tragedy, who is trying to collect magic from corpses in order to have a wish come true. Having discovered that people contain a spark of magic within them, but rarely even use it, Thorn breaks into a funeral home to harvest this magic from the dead, but is caught by the boy who works there, leading to an unlikely friendship and budding romance between the two. Not only does this story introduce the readers to some of the key themes of the book, but it's also a sweet story about these two teens learning to trust each other, and the love that eventually begins to form between them

'Cristal y Ceniza' by Anne-Marie Mclemore is a wonderful re-imagining of Cinderella, that sees a young woman travelling to a neighbouring kingdom to beg sanctuary for her family from the king and queen. With the government of her home land tearing apart queer couples and forcing people into heterosexual marriages she fears that she will lose her mothers to cruel men, and seeks an audience during a ball to celebrate the prince's renaming ceremony, him having just transitioned. however, once she arrives at the ball, thanks to the magic contained within the crystal shoes she was given, she finds herself face to face with the handsome young prince, and begins to fall for him.

It's not all about finding love in these stories, however, as 'Unmoor' by Mark Oshiro tells the story of a young man dealing with the heartbreak of his recent relationship coming to an end. In this world where magic is real and there are more supernatural ways of moving on following a break-up Felix employs a powerful spell-caster to help remove the connections of places from the memories of his former love. But as the process goes on he begins to suspect it might not be enough as we discover more about his former boyfriend.
'Habibi' by Tochi Onyebuchi is a powerful story written in the form of letters begin shared between two young people in solitary confinement in prison. One of them is housed in Long Beach, California, whilst the other is prisoner in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. This story deals with the cruelty of imprisonment, the horrors that people do to each other, and helps to raise some awareness of the awful ethnic cleansing that the coloniser state of Israel performs on the people of Palestine, acts of genocide that the world turns its back on.

The book also has a couple of short stories set within existing book universes for readers to try out. 'A Royal Affair' by V.E. Schwab is set within her Shades of Magic universe and shows readers the relationship between Alucard and Prince Rhy, set long before the start of the series. There's also 'The Scarlet Woman' by Libba Bray, which is part of the Gemma Doyle series.

A Universe of Wishes has a lot to offer readers, it has a diversity not just in the topics on offer, but the authors contributing too. Queer characters, same sex relationships, love, heartbreak, imprisonment, colonisation, and even death play parts in these stories. But through them all is a sense of hope, hope that magic, wishes, and a belief in yourself can get you through and give you a better life. Now more than ever it's important for people, especially younger readers, to see themselves in fiction, to be represented and recognised in good ways. With racism, homophobia, transphobia, abelism, and xenophobia on the rise, and right-wing fascism a constant threat, it's important that we celebrate a diverse and varied world, and this book helps to do that.

A Universe of Wishes is a wonderful collection of fifteen short stories from some of YA's most popular authors including V.E. Schwab, Anna- Marie McLemore, Nic Stone and Samira Ahmed and is edited by Dhonielle Clayton. As part of the We Need Divers Books movement , the authors have come together to create an anthology crammed with wonderful stories, some retellings of familiar fables , others set in worlds many of the readers will know and love, featuring characters they are familiar, while still others are completely new but equally enchanting.
The stories are truly diverse in both characters and setting, and provide a fresh viewpoint. It is great to read about warrior princesses who are trying to woo the bashful prince or see the parallels between a young man in Gaza and one imprisoned in the USA. Many of the stories have an element of fantasy or magic woven in, others leant more towards science fiction and all of them were enjoyable. Of course some I enjoyed more than others, such is the nature of any anthology , but there was not a single one that I did not like, which is rare.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Satisfyingly devourable all together or dipped into in single-serving doses, A Universe of Wishes is a stockpile of ownvoices snippets and shorts that does dead-on what it says on the tin: tells the tales of those who time and again are snubbed or go unsung. The alphabet soup of stories that makes up an anthology are by default difficult to take stock of, but this one goes above and beyond in allotting space to all shapes and sizes and backgrounds and beliefs, according those who derive from different traditions and divergent destinies the attention they deserve.

Sadly, the succinct nature of anthology submissions also means it's tricky for stories to make a meaningful mark if your attention span isn't the best - so some that didn't move or stick to me might overall be more to others' taste. That said, the standouts for me in this one (in order of appearance) were the titular A Universe of Wishes by Tara Sim, Cristal y Ceniza by Anna-Marie Mclemore, Liberia by Kwame Mbalia, A Royal Affair by V.E. Schwab, The Takeback Tango by Rebecca Roadhouse, Dream and Dare by Nic Stone, and The Coldest Spot in the Universe by Samira Ahmed. (I'm aware I have a strong sci-fi bias, but the bulk of them turned out to be the most memorable for me!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for kindly passing on this ARC! 💫

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc!!

As a lover of anthologies and short stories I really liked this! As always, some stories were better than others- but on the whole I really liked this! None of the stories went below a 3 star rating for me- most were 4-5!! I highly recommend this!