Review: Locks & Keys Anthology by The Secret Scribes

I’ve made it no secret that the key to my heart is fantasy with a good dose of mystery and intrigue, and that is exactly what The Secret Scribes offer in spades in Locks & Keys. Conjured up by ten of the most imaginative minds in the indie fantasy space, this short story anthology dives deep to the dark core of what we hide, protect, sacrifice, or risk everything to uncover. It’s like you get to unlock a new hidden door in each unique story, with some leading to wonder, others to heartache, and a few to the most delicious dread. Short but (bitter)sweet, what more could you ask for?!

Now, I am usually drawn to anthologies when they feature stories by some of my favourite authors, but in the case of Locks & Keys 8 out of the 10 authors were completely new to me. And you know what, I absolutely loved exploring new voices and worlds through these short stories, and I think the variety hidden within these pages is exactly what makes this anthology so strong and exciting. One moment you’re soaring through the skies with pirates raiding a floating fishing village, and the next you’re in a kitchen cooking up a last, desperate meal. From cursed treasure hunts and doomed heists to witches, demons, dragons, street gangs, and even samurai, there’s truly no shortage of chills and thrills packed into these pages.

Each of these uniquely talented authors was able to fully capture my imagination within just a few pages, and I would argue that the common thread binding Locks & Keys together is not just the theme of secrets, locks, and keys, but even more so the fact that these authors all prove that skilled storytellers don’t require hundreds of pages to deliver one hell of a memorable tale. No matter how wild and fantastical the tale, each of these adventures has a very strong emotional core, which is exactly what kept me grounded throughout this absolute whirlwind of a collection.

To me, there truly isn’t a weak link in Locks & Keys, but naturally there were a few stories that resonated the most with me and left an exceptionally big impression. The opening story “A Three-Knock Problem” by R.A. Sandpiper (who was already a trusted fave of mine) really grabbed me from the first page and had a big  “OH SHIT” twist that just hurt oh so good. Then the satirical heist fantasy “Rebels Without A Clue” by Sean O’Boyle was the story that I probably had the most fun with, and I can’t wait to devour more stories with his strong and witty authorial voice. And to round out the top three, we’ve got an action-packed tale full of sky pirates, fearsome animal companions, and lots of complicated family dynamics in “Cold Mutiny” by Tom Bookbeard, who just started his author career off with an absolute bang with this short story.

Needless to say, I had an absolute blast with Locks & Keys, and my TBR is currently crying from all the new books that got added as I discovered new authors to fall in love with here. No matter what vibe or flavour of fantasy you usually prefer, this collection of imaginative short stories will satisfy cravings you didn’t even know you had all while leaving you desperate for more in the best way possible.

Contributing authors: R.A. Sandpiper, Sean O’Boyle, L.M. Douglas, G.J. Terral, Bella Dunn, Tom Bookbeard, R.E. Sanders, Bill Adams, Dave Lawson & Alex Scheuerman.

Thank you to the Secret Scribes for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Locks & Keys is scheduled for release on 28 October, 2025.