Review of Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar

If you had told me I would be reading another anthology so soon, I would have chortled incredulously, yet here we are. Amal El-Mohtar has put out Seasons of Glass and Iron, collecting eighteen previously published stories and poems. I bought it because I loved her novella from last year, The River Has Roots and have previously enjoyed some of her short stories, including some from this collection. If you are looking for atmospheric fantasy, you’ve come to the right place.

If you asked me who my favourite poet is, I might say amanda lovelace. I love how their poetry foregrounds female friendship and the way that women can help one another heal from the trauma of misogyny and patriarchy. So imagine my delight when, in the brief introduction that opens Seasons of Glass and Iron, El-Mohtar says that these eighteen items surprised her when she put them together and discovered they were all about loving women. Much like lovelace’s poetry, El-Mohtar’s stories reflect the complicated, beautiful ways women show up in each other’s lives.

There weren’t many stories that stand out to me now, nearly a week after I read the anthology, on their own. That’s more of a problem with how I remember (or don’t remember) stories than with this collection, and it’s one reason I tend not to read short stories! Here’s a few standouts though.

“John Hollowback and the Witch” was included in another collection I have read, and it was just as good the second time around.

The titular “Seasons of Glass and Iron” might be my favourite story in the anthology. I enjoy the duality of Tabitha and Amira, the way that El-Mohtar plays very successfully with folktale and fairytale tropes.

“The Green Book” is somewhat horrific yet also fascinating. The idea of a relationship mediated through a book like this is really neat, even if the relationship itself is less than ideal.

None of the stories spoke to me as deeply as The River Has Roots, and that’s OK. I don’t expect a treasured author to do that every time. Rather, Seasons of Glass and Iron showcases El-Mohtar’s breadth as a writer and the care she puts into telling stories.