Forged in Flame Anthology

Isn't this cover gorgeous? I love it!

From the back of the book: 

Forged in flame, wrought in blood, bone and steel, from the bowels of the earth and the inner most chambers of the heart, dragons arise. Fired by their passion, inspired by legend, six talented storytellers delve into realms of myth and fantasy as they explore what it means to be human.

First Flight: Vanderson Egilhard yearns to fly, but when he discovers his father’s secret, the fate of his family and perhaps the world falls into his young hands.

A Dragon’s Honor: When ancient alliances fail and friends stand alone to face certain doom, one dark secret and Calrym’s courage spell the utter destruction or dawning new age of two failing nations.

Birth Pains: Bellalinde made a terrible sacrifice for love. Years later, her choice sends her and her granddaughter on a journey from which only one can return.

Golden Legacy: Hated, hunted, marked for extermination, when a young assassin hunts down Zachariah, he must decide which of them truly deserves to live.

Heart of Steel: When murder steals his wife from Gideon Hendry, lust for revenge fires his passions. Only his fantastic creations know if he can escape his obsession before it seals his fate.

A Chink In The Armor: Blessed by the gods, Job has never lost a battle. He has triumphed over every challenge from man and nature. Arrogant? Yes, but he's invincible. Or is he?

My take: Fantasy ranks toward the top of my list in preferred genres, so I was excited to read this anthology. The stories are each unique, although some were a little dark. There are a couple of the stories that are steam-punk, but I thought it added to the story. 

I am not a huge fan of short stories, mostly because I end up wanting more. This was true of a couple of these stories from wanting more information to wanting the story to be fleshed out a bit to wanting the story to continue. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book. No other compensation was given.