Anthology Review: Never Too Old to Save the World

Title: Never Too Old to Save the World
Editor: Alana Joli Abbott; Addie J. King
Genre: Anthology; Fantasy; Short Stories 
Publication Date: February 7th, 2023
Publisher: Outland Entertainment

Once every generation there is a Chosen One, who will stand between humanity and darkness.

But why is the Chosen One so often a teenager? Why do only children get swept through portals to save the fantastic world on the other side? Whose idea was it to put the fate of the world in the hands of someone without a fully developed prefrontal cortex?

In Never Too Old to Save the World, nineteen authors explore what would happen if the Chosen One were called midlife. What would happen if the Chosen One were:

a soccer mom
a cat lady
a nosy grandmother
a social worker
a retiree
an aging swordmaster?

The Chosen One could be anyone— because when the universe calls, the real question is whether the hero will take up the mantle and answer their midlife calling. Sometimes the world needs a hero who's already been in the thick of chaos and survived. In those cases, age does matter.

Rating

*I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Hello Fellow Readers,

Oh boy,m did I enjoy this book! Are you tired of teenage heroines? Why do the underage protagonists get to have all the fun? Do you like the chosen one trope but are tired of all the same old stories getting played out? Then, this book is for you. As a woman who most people think is past her prime it's nice to read a story with a protagonist that I could relate to that isn't a second chance romance. Don't get me wrong I love them but women past the age of 30 are able to do amazing things. 

In most anthologies, there is always a couple of stories that miss their mark but in Never too Old to Save the World I enjoyed every single one. There were times I wished that a particular story would have kept going or that I hope would turn into a series, but that's one of the downfalls of reading short story anthologies. Each writer was able to put their own unique twist on the chosen one trope and no two stories felt the same, it was a breath of fresh air each time. I was so sad when I got to the last story because that meant that the book was going to end. Here's me holding out hope for a second anthology soon.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book.