So this is a collection of some of the most original short stories I have read in a long time. In all honesty, this is a concept I toyed with in an original iteration of the Fantastic Comedy back when I was sixteen. For those who are unfamiliar with this collection, Visions of Grandeur, here is some brief background about these stories and the man behind them.
Josiah DeGraaf is a lover of epic fantasy who grew up engrossed in the classic roots of the genre, stories like Beowulf and the Iliad. He worked as a high school English teacher, then joined the faculty of blogs like Story Embers and joined the awesome Brett Harris in running the Young Writers Workshop.
Now, some background on this collection, which is his first set in the world of Morshan. To give you the tagline from his website. "Medieval superheroes face a variety of heart-breaking dilemmas in this illustrated short story collection." That sums it up pretty well for those who want zero spoilers. (For those who want minor spoilers, read on.)
The world of Morshan was once a peaceful kingdom ruled by the Mancian Dynasty. Then its God's descended and offered the elite powers beyond all human reckoning. Within weeks, the system of the empire collapsed as the land devolved into warring factions. The golden age dissolved into a bloody anarchy. But a few of these "god blessed" decided that they would use their powers for good.
So that is the background for those of my readers who don't want to go in blind. Anyway, on to the positives. Mr. DeGraaf says that he wants stories that show the difficulties of being heroic. Well, he delivers, and the result makes for visceral edge of the seat reading. This fact carries over into other aspects of the collection. We can relate to the characters, we empathize with their struggles to do the right thing even when it would be easier not to. The stories provide an accurate representation of what it would be like to receive power and struggle how to use it in an unselfish way. Other positives would be the intriguing world building and the seamless integration of the gods and their blessings with a setting that has well-structured medieval verisimilitude.
Now for the two negatives. (Josiah, if you are reading this, understand this is nitpicking.) First would be chronology. Several stories have recurring characters, and while there are some indicators in the stories themselves, my history brain wants a timeline and clearer chronology. My other negative would be I want more, especially concerning a certain character from the story "Fractured Masks" This is personal preference and Mr. DeGraaf has expressed a desire to write more in this setting. (if it's in the works Josiah, I would love more of Grimweld)
So in conclusion I would say that this collection, Visions of Grandeur, is well worth your time and I would give it a rating of 4 and a 1/2 stars.
In case I've gotten you guys really intrigued, here is the link to the page on Mr. DeGraaf's site where you can download the collection and see for yourself. https://josiahdegraaf.com/visions-of-grandeur-collection/
And here is the story "Fractured Masks" for those who are curious about my comments https://josiahdegraaf.com/fractured-masks/