No Fair Maidens from Earth to Mars by Rowan Hill | Horror Book Review

No Fair Maidens from Earth to Mars by Rowan Hill is a collection of awesome sci-fi horror that has such an impressive range, each tale centered on powerful, brave women.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on No Fair Maidens from Earth to Mars by Rowan Hill –

The tales in this collection highlight strength in many forms; there’s resilience, defiance, survival, quiet courage, and so much more. There’s also a wide emotional range across the collection, and every story brings something different while still feeling connected. The structure of how each tale is organized within the whole collection enhances the themes themselves, not just the reading experience.

Rowan has captured some lovely feminine rage that I was SO here for!

Here are my notes on each tale!

Fruit Of Womb –

When trying to get to the ocean, a family discovers a farm. After helping the owners for a few months, the owners up and left the farm under their care. But there’s something strange about this farm.

The tone here was a killer mix of desperation, creepiness, and happiness. I was so nervous to see what was just around the next page.

Aurora Australis –

Finding herself alone after the ship she was on sank, this woman is thrilled to see a shelter. But this place will put her to the test as she finds herself in a terrible loop.

My gosh, that ending made me yell out loud! Poor Buddy… and this poor woman.

Teen Spirit –

Sneaking out to go to a party with a boy, this teenage girl, who was new in tow,n is about to learn why the whole town is so obsessed with the football team…

Ugh, from the start, you just know you have to be nervous for this girl. When things started getting weird, it just kept getting worse and worse! What an absolute nightmare!

Swarm –

Finding a girl on Tinder, this duo is ready to hatch the usual plan that has helped them on their travels… but they’re about to find out they weren’t the only two with a dark plan.

Holy moley! This tale was creepy and suspenseful from the start, but then we take a turn into the absolutely brutal!

A Better Chimera For The Toxic Workplace –

In a world that is dying and humans are modifying their DNA with that of animals to survive the new climates… a woman is haunted by “the incident.” This woman has made some secret changes off the record, and is keeping is secret. Waiting until her moment to strike.

Oh my gosh. A killer short story, but one where I would LOVE more! What a wild and terrifying world, with such cool DNA sequences.

Come In, Camp Zuma –

Fearing for the lives of her crew after being out of touch for too long, this botanist calls for assistance but then immediately calls it off as she sees her crew arrive. But her crew hasn’t come back unscathed…

Space horror freaks me out so much! This had such a tense and horrific element that made me feel so claustrophobic! That ending… my gosh.

Void –

Supervising a cargo of asleep humans on their 40 year trip, this human begins to search for any color other than the white and black they’re surrounded by… and there’s just one color that they find.

THAT ENDING. Oh my goodness. The build-up was so so so good!

Spaceport Marte –

Making a classic rookie move and removing her helmet while getting a spaceship into quarantine, this poor woman feels something nip at her neck…

Phew. As soon as we heard her coms were acting up, I had a feeling about where this was headed. It was so much more unsettling!

Gods of Mars –

While on a dig, these people find much more than they were anticipating…

Ah! Of course they have to go learn more instead of turning around and getting out of there! That darn boot rip was making me SO anxious.

My Favorite Passages from No Fair Maidens from Earth to Mars –

Mae blinked, the glazed sheen evaporating to study June with a more serious air. She gingerly kissed June’s cheek in return, though not enough to wear off her lipstick. Another light, little thing June didn’t feel in her heart, like it wasn’t strong enough to reach that far.
— Fruit Of Womb

No, this wasn’t surviving, this was hanging feeling onto a ledge with stiff, dead fingers, too cold and frigid to unhook. But that was all she needed.
— Aurora Australis

Praise used to be nice, but now CeCe only wanted the money. Money was a thing a woman could use. Praise never got a woman anything else but more notice.
— A Better Chimera For The Toxic Workplace

My Final Thoughts on No Fair Maidens from Earth to Mars –

What a great celebration of women’s strength told through beautifully varied and horrific stories!

This is a collection that feels intentional. I don’t quite know how else to summarize the feeling I have other than that! I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this one!

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