Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Tales of Sorcery and Silicone

Author: Terence MacManus

Book Series: Short Stories

Rating: 2/5

Recommended For...: short stories, fantasy, sci-fi

Publication Date: December 30, 2019

Genre: Short Stories, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Recommended Age: cant’ recommend, dnf-ed

Publisher: Terry Talks Fiction

Pages: 269

Synopsis: A magical researcher having to—literally—defend her thesis in front of the academic board; a sentient toaster whose morning is just *ruined* when its owner inconsiderately decides to have a heart attack; sorcerers who can't sleep for fear of losing their magic—and their life; an artificial archaeologist searching for his ancestor on the barren plains of Mars; and behind it all, an Advanced Virtual Intelligence strengthens her grip over humanity.

Together for the first time, these are the thirteen short stories that appeared on www.terrytalksfiction.com throughout 2019. Written by Terence MacManus, these tales not only explore bold new fantasy and science fiction, but they also draw on the author's decade of experience as an archaeologist to showcase his innovative method of building imaginary worlds through the archaeological process.

This must-have SFF collection comes with author notes, and the combined presentation highlights the deep connections between multiple stories set within shared universes—in particular, the stories of the Silicone Universe—and reveals the full scope of the meta-narratives like never before.

You'll never look at fiction (or your toaster) the same way again.

Review: This book sounds really good, but I just couldn’t get into it. The book was really slow in the beginning and by 23% I couldn’t read anymore. I might try to come back to this later as the concept sounds interesting, but I can’t at the moment.

Verdict: Not for me right now but maybe for you!