After reviewing books by the big publishing houses and by mostly well- known authors for the past few years, I decided to try something different and give a product from a small press a chance. What I stumbled upon was a collection of speculative fiction titled, Nemeton: A Fables Anthology, edited by Megan Powell. This collection of short fiction is 211 pages (trade paperback edition) of stories by various authors that took me on a nice little ride through several different genres and a few wild predicaments.

From sirens to gladiators, werewolves to Spanish knights and everything in between, Nemeton proved to be more than just an enjoyable read. This book contains pieces by sixteen different authors, some of whom were names that I immediately recognized through my recent dealings with the small press while a few of the others were quite new to me. I'll list them here in alphabetical order just to fulfill your curiosity: David Bowlin, Terry Bramlett, Jason Brannon, Alan Bruce, Stephen Crane Davidson, Kate Hill, Stuart Jaffe, Shawn James, Lawrence D.P. Miller, Nora M. Mulligan, Daniel Olivas, Megan Powell, David Randall, Stephen Rogers & Bill Vernon.

Taken together, the stories in this collection seem to compliment each other as you read through the book. Nemeton mixes some very short fiction (just a few pages long) with some longer fiction (up to twenty-five pages) along with some others of intermediate length and does all of this very nicely.

There are some real gems among the diamonds in this collection -- my two favorites: "Soul Survivors," by David Bowlin -- a spooky piece of religious fiction that gives the reader a sneak peak into just how the inner workings of the spiritual world may be transpiring behind the scenes of our world; and "The Knight of Olmedo," by David Randall -- a beautifully written piece in the romantic style of old Spanish swashbuckling tales about a knight who fights treachery every step of the way in order to be with the woman he loves.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed each of these stories very much and give credit to the editor for putting together such a rich collection of varying forms of fiction. Stories such as Kate Hill's "Moon Warrior," about the infighting that takes place within a clan of werewolves; Stuart Jaffe's "Jeo Defined," about a futuristic type of prison sentencing and the peculiar punishment for parole violations; and Terry Bramlett's "Umando's Revenge," about an alternate-universe- hopping young woman who is the ultimate gladiator on the world of the Bonhar all blend together with the other stories in this anthology to keep the reader turning pages until the book is finished.

I was very satisfied with this collection of short fiction and look forward to getting my hands on the works of some of the new authors who were introduced to me within its pages. Now, I can't wait to get started on another anthology put together by Silver Lake Publishing and edited by Megan Powell -- The Witching Hour. With more authors I recognize and some that I don't within this new anthology, I know that I'm in store for another good read, hopefully as good as Nemeton.

This review was first published on The Outer Rim Website