- Stories of the Raksura: Volume Two: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below (Books of the Raksura)

Stories of the Raksura: Volume II is the second anthology in Martha Wells Raksura series. This collection of short stories continues to follow the adventures of Moon, the Indigo Cloud Court and others in the bizarre, fantastical setting of the Three Worlds. It’s a place where there are no humans, only groundlings, and those who can shapeshift into winged creatures are feared. If you haven’t read any of the books in the series, the short story collections are a good way to get introduced to the characters and the setting. However, for those who are fans of the series, this is a must read. Beyond just providing new stories for readers, Martha Wells continues the tale of the Indigo Cloud Court with stories set after the events of the last novel, The Siren Depths.There are five stories in total in Volume II, each set in different time periods, and most of them feature Moon as the main character. “The Dead City” is set before The Cloud Roads. It explores new species and introduces new friends and enemies as Moon finds himself in trouble as groundlings fight over an ancient city in the jungle. “Mimesis” is a previously released story that was available in The Other Half of the Sky. It takes place three months after The Siren Depths and follows Jade, Balm, Sand, Aura and Serene on a hunting trip that turns into a rescue operation in the lower reaches of the forest. “Trading Lesson” takes place a month afterwards and has Moon teaching the Raksura a few lessons in trading with groundlings. “The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-Ship Escarpment” changes gears by leaving the Raksura behind. Instead, it stars a cast of groundlings. A ship captain named Jai takes on a mission to deliver a ransom for the Issilans. Aboard their wind-ship, they encounter sealings and find out first hand why they’re so feared. All in all it’s a great collection of stories, some more action oriented than others, but all of them colorful, imaginative and fun. Yet it’s the last story that really adds a lot to the book.“The Dark Earth Below” is really a novella. At 94 pages, it takes up a big chunk of the anthology. It’s also set after The Siren Depths, so it continues the story of the Indigo Cloud Court. Best of all, it covers a key event in the series: Moon and Jade’s clutch. Yes, they finally get kids. But it’s not just a story about Jade giving birth and readers finding out the gender of their kids, how many, and their names. Instead there’s a whole story about mysterious groundlings and predators. It involves the plant like Kek who seek Indigo Cloud’s help as they try to unravel the mystery behind dead groundlings, a floating leaf boat and invisible creatures. It’s a fun story and a great addition to the series.When it was first revealed that Martha Wells would be writing two story anthologies instead of a fourth book in the Raksura series, I was bummed out as I really wanted another full length novel. However, after reading Stories of the Raksura Volumes I and II, I have to say it worked out well. On one hand it continued the fun of the series, yet on the other, it explored new areas, time periods and characters we would not have seen in the series proper. Both collections turned out great and are must reads for fans of the series. I give Stories of the Raksura: Volume II a five out of five.

This took me a long time to read. No fault of the book or the author. I have read every book Martha Wells has published on the Raksura and their remarkable world in a very short period of time. I think I finally reached a saturation point during this book. I’m sure that I would have blitzed through this one like I’ve done everything else that Ms Wells has written. I’m equally sure that in a few more months I’ll be hoping for mor stories of the Raksura!

Martha Wells is an author whose books I buy the minute they come out. With great fortitude, I managed to save it to read on the lenghthy plane trip when I went on vacation. I'm glad I did 'cause the 11-hour flight was stressful and the stories helped me escape the confines of my narrow plane seat for a few hours. She's one of the few favorite authors whose books I approach withOUT the feeling of dread that I might not love the book.This books contains 2 brand new novellas and 3 short stories. It's really nice to have all of the stories together in one book. There are very useful appendices in the back, one listing characters, and two giving background info on the Raksura.Four of these stories involve Moon and members of the Court, both before, during, and after the novels of the Raksura trilogy and give us insight into how Moon's character developed, as well as the workings of the Indigo Court. It was very cool to see Moon and Jade anticipate their future children!The plots of the stories are immaterial, IMO. As with all Wells's stories, they're full of unpredictable action and adventure and some funny snark. The characters are complex and well drawn.I definitely recommend this book, but if you're new to the Raksura, I'd recommend starting with the trilogy starting with the Cloud Roads. You will NOT BE SORRY!!

The lovely thing about this collection is that even if you have not yet discovered Wells’ magical fantasy adventures about the alien Raksura, you can fall in love with them here. Written with swift yet intricate grace, Wells gives you ground to stand on and open skies for unexpected adventure. The Raksura are shapeshifting, flying sentients, their complex society matriarchal, their lives filled with danger around every turn. This world has dozens of disparate sentient peoples, most of them wary and interacting only for trade. The Raksura are among the few who are both cautious and yet open to alliances and even friendship with new peoples.The collection includes two novellas as well as a scattering of short fiction. Both long stories feature Moon, the male protagonist of the Raksura trilogy; he’s a foundling who finally finds his place in the world. One novella, “The Dead City,” takes us back a few cycles when Moon is still very young, on the run, and has no idea what he is or what name his people use. In it we see him as he cannot see himself—curious, inventive, adaptable, strong. Also bitter, as winged he looks all too much like a species feared the length of his world. He can never stay anywhere for long.In “The Dark Earth Below,” longtime readers finally get to see Moon handle impending fatherhood, as he is now consort to Jade, the Sister Queen of the Indigo Cloud court. We are given a many-layered tale that weaves together family, external threat, mystery, and claiming a home into one satisfying whole.I highly recommend starting with the novel The Cloud Roads, but there’s no reason not to try a taste of The Three Worlds through this collection. Looking forward to more Raksura!

Love the Raksura stories. Martha Wells has a vivid imagination and writes her stories with colour and action. Never a dull moment.

I found Martha Wells' Raksura books on recommendations by two of my favourite SFF authors, N.K. Jemisin and Kate Elliott. I devoured the three books that make up the Raksura trilogy and now automatically pre-order anything she published in this world (and anything else she writes, for that matter!).The stories in this collection take us back to Moon, Jade and the rest of the Indigo Cloud, but they also allow the readers a look into the wider world beyond the Raksura. However, for fans of Indigo Cloud story, the final novella, "The Dark Earth Below", is the big pay-off as Moon and Jade prepare for the arrival of their first royal clutch. Of course, things don't go off without a hitch...Wells has a wonderful evocative writing style, is a fantastic world-builder and, in her Raksura stories, has created a truly unique culture which is fascinating and easy to relate to in equal measure.

For anyone who has read the main novels and enjoyed them, these are a must.

A good collection of short stories, enjoyed it, but left wanting more.

Really enjoyed these short stories that help add some colour and depth to the Three Worlds. They also give you insight into the world of the Raksura and what it's like when they don't have world ending crises to contend with. Very enjoyable!