Being busy means that having a short story collection is great, and this wonderful collection came my way at the right time. The Ring is a collection of stories written by various authors. The Reading Agency has many wonderful people supporting libraries and helping children and adults find enjoyment in reading, and The Ring is one of their wonderful initiatives.

The Ring is a special anthology as its stories are in chronological order, with a ring at its centre. The story of the ring weaves through history, starting in ancient Rome, through to modern-day New York.

The stories are very divers in The Ring, but I loved the common theme and the thread of the ancient ring. Inside the ring is an inscription, FORTUNA, and as we all know, Lady Luck can be fickle. Some of the characters trusted her, some disregarded her, but the ring made its way through life regardless.

It’s hard to say which story in The Ring was my favourite. The one set in France, with familiar characters? Or the start, again with well-known names? Or the one that brought us to Palmyra. The Ring is a wonderful collection, definitely doing what it’s supposed to do: bringing enjoyment to the reader.

The Ring has ten unique stories, in different styles and times, but the book doesn’t jolt you from story to story; it’s one cohesive read, and the charity Reading Agency has done a fabulous job.  Some of the authors, like Val Penny (her story was set in New York), I have read before, but the others were completely new to me, and I assume the Agency will be pleased to know that I feel I ought to read more of what has been written by those wonderful authors! It is one of the things I enjoy about anthologies, as it’s a great introduction to new authors.

After the second story, when the penny dropped that there was a line going through the stories, I couldn’t wait to find what new era and place the next story would be based in. Occasionally, it’s easy to guess the start of the next story, but a lot of them are a lovely surprise. The characters vary from rich to poor, but each character has been wonderful to meet through the short window into their life.

I highly recommend this anthology, The Ring, and although I received a copy via Reading Between the Lines, I was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review