In many ways, an anthology is comparable to a group project. There are two, maybe three, people who, in fact, work, while the rest of the group members contribute with almost nothing. In this particular case, I would deem it appropriate if the other authors offered to pay Jaqueline Carey for the physiotherapy she obviously needs after carrying this entire book on her back.
Organized by Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, Songs of Love and Death is an anthology of tales about star-crossed lovers by different fiction authors that crosses genres and writing styles. The blurb promises tragedy, heartbreak. The issue, though, is that most authors didn't bother to google the phrase "star-crossed lovers" and ended up writing stories that feature a couple and something relatively bad that happens to it. That being said, the anthology turned out to be an interesting read, but the kind that leaves you wishing the good tales would outnumber the bad.
The first tale, by Jim Butcher, is the prime example of how some authors decided that writing fanfiction for their own series was more important than creating a good star-crossed lovers story. Butcher decided to write his tale about the main couple in his fantasy series, so nothing that happens to the characters in the story is actually relevant, since Butcher obviously needs to keep their important romantic development on-page in the actual novels. Harry and Murphy spend the whole story dancing around each other, and by its end, their romance subplot is exactly where it was in the beginning. I can see this story being enjoyable to those who are already fans of the Dresden series, but unlike Jacqueline Carey’s and Diana Gabaldon’s short stories, which are set in existing universes but accessible to new readers, this one depends on previous attachment to the characters, and falls flat to the readers who didn't already have them going into it.
"The Marrying Maid" was an interesting read for me since I had never read historical romance before. It was better than most stories in the anthology regarding its romance, since the protagonist and love interest actually spend time on-page getting to know each other and have engaging conversations and banter, both elements that are missing in most of the tales. The inclusion of fae folklore into the story was smooth, and added another layer of interest to the historical romance. The ending felt a bit rushed and messy though, and there were some issues regarding consent which made the couple getting together less satisfying.
"Rooftops" by Carrie Vaughn was bad and barely qualifies as a star-crossed lovers story. The same can be said about "Hurt Me."
''Demon Lover" by Cecelia Holland was developed from a fascinating concept, and the final product is an alluring story, though brief. The author's use of horrifying imagery creates a gripping atmosphere, and the author’s handling of folklore, especially regarding the power of names in fae mythology, created a story that stood out from the rest in the “fae renaissance” that recently took place in the fantasy genre.
"The Wayfarer’s Advice" was great in terms of representation: the love interest is the resolute and privileged daughter of the galaxy’s sovereign and is Hispanic, which is unusual in mainstream sci-fi—in which Latin women are usually relegated to playing seductresses and cleaning ladies—and both the leads are over forty. However, it was not great in terms of quality. The leads are immature despite their age and have banter that makes them seem like teenagers. Tracy, the protagonist, is a walking contradiction: his backstory revolves around him wanting to prove himself as capable as his richer peers in a Generic Sci-fi Military Academy by being exemplary and playing by the rules, but in the time the story is set, he has become a Rogue Space Pirate Smuggler Han Solo Guy—which would be really interesting, if there was an explanation regarding how he got from one point to the other. Which there isn’t. Mercedes is described as a competent military official trained to do what it takes no matter the cost, yet she seems incapable of making decisions or dealing with their aftermath. The ending is not satisfying nor cathartic and feels speed-of-light rushed.
"Blue Boots" is plain. Not a bad story, but it's very slow, relies heavily on the miscommunication trope, and features an underdeveloped romance. "The Thing About Cassandra" was not bad either, but disappointed me, since Neil Gaiman usually delivers delightful short stories for anthologies, like "How the Marquis Got His Coat Back” in Rogues.
"After the Blood" was incredibly atmospheric, though I could not describe what effectively happens in terms of plot to save my life. A gripping post-apocalyptic horror story, it offers glimpses of a star-crossed lovers narrative rather than making it its focus. Additionally, the protagonist's farm is filled with cats who follow her around whenever she goes out of the house at night, so extra points for that.
"You, and You Alone" by Jacqueline Carey was easily the best story in the anthology. This is much due to the author’s use of timeskips to convey a love story that spans over several years and features the two characters in different phases of their lives, which allows the story greater complexity, and a feeling of greater length despite the limited number of pages. To tie the narrative fragments together, Carey adds the reflections of an older Anafiel Delauney, who narrates and ponders over his past in his dying moments. He is a delightful protagonist to follow even when he’s making bad decisions (often) or being petty (frequently), and as a result, this story made me want to read the Kushiel series to see more of him and of this universe. A masterclass on how to portray long relationships in short stories.
"His Wolf" is one of the worst short stories I have ever read, unfortunately. And I’ve read bad ones. The concept is bizarre—which wouldn't be a problem, had the execution been good. The protagonist is an English Literature teacher, despite the fact that she does not mention anything remotely related to books or authors in any of her descriptions or internal monologue, even though she states that “literature is her whole world” or something similar. Her descriptions are not especially literary either, and I doubt that someone who spends most of their time reading and teaching about books would see the world how she describes it. Also, her name is Catherine, why are there no references or allusions to Wuthering Heights? She’s an English Literature teacher. The plot is composed of a myriad of creative decisions that make no sense and have no coherence, and while the whole gangster-boyfriend-who-turns-into-wolf phenomenon may be interesting to certain subgroups of romance fans, the final result was an insta-lovey, miscommunication-trope-reliant, off-paced mess.
"Courting Trouble" is the anthology's second sci-fi story. It is also a convoluted mess capable of confusing the most dedicated readers which features an insufferable pair of star-crossed lovers. Serri Beck was fine, though forgettable, but her love interest was one of the story's biggest problems. Besides having no charisma or interesting traits, his excuse for doing something that hurt Serri years ago was one of the worst I've ever seen, but the protagonist nevertheless acts like he had a great reason for doing what he did. The miscommunication trope makes a comeback in this one, and it is inserted in the midst of action sequences that are extremely hard to follow, with stakes that are also difficult to comprehend.
"Demon Dancer" by Mary Jo Putney was bizarre. It felt like the author stole Cassandra Clare’s worldbuilding and decided that the missing element was a Kafka-by-the-Shore-esque romance between the main guy and a woman old enough to be his grandmother. The story was underwhelming, the ending felt like it came too quickly, and the whole concept of the romantic storyline felt illegal. It still managed to be a bit better than His Wolf, though, just because it felt quicker and shorter.
"Under/Above Water" reminded me of "After the Blood" with its lyrical prose and poetic lack of sense regarding what was actually happening. The imagery and atmosphere were breathtaking, with snippets of mythology and fairytale elements. This story feels like a fever dream in the most incredible way, the type that could easily be adapted into a mysterious and artsy short animation movie. I expected a bit more of the ending, but the story is dazzling nevertheless.
"Kaskia" was plain, flavorless, overall bad, and additionally not a star-crossed lovers story. When reading bad stories, the ones in this anthology included, it is usually possible for me to see ways in which they could have been good. This one was the exception, though, because no matter how good the author, I can't see how a story about a forty-something guy who hates his wife falling in love with a teenage alien with whom he speaks through a computer could be enjoyable.
"Man in the Mirror" started out delightfully atmospheric. However, like "Under/Above Water", its star-crossed lovers do not have dialogue or interactions on page, and unlike "Under/Above Water", this story’s prose is not strong enough to compensate for that. The protagonist’s cat is very present, though, so like “After the Blood”, the story gets extra points for that.
"A Leaf in the Wind of All Hallows" seems loved by all Diana Gabaldon fans, which I understand. Had this story, which is the anthology's last, been a part of a universe I already loved, I would have enjoyed it greatly. Without the reader’s previous familiarity with the Outlander series, the story itself is good, though not great. Its ending left even me, who had never read anything by Gabaldon before, feeling for the characters.
While the anthology is diverse in terms of the genres its stories cross, it is not diverse at all in terms of romantic storylines. For a collection of stories that is all about star-crossed lovers, I wish the lovers themselves were as different from each other as the stories they appear in. There is only one same-sex couple in the entire anthology, which comes from Jacqueline Carey's story, and all other couples are formed by two monogamous, heterosexual people. There are no characters who are explicitly people of color, apart from the Hispanic couple in "The Wayfarer's Advice", or disabled, or trans. And while authors have the right to write about straight white people, it was the editors' responsibility to ensure more diversity, possibly by inviting diverse authors.
Overall, an okay anthology with some good stories and many bad ones. From this anthology, I recommend "You, and You Alone" and maybe "After the Blood" and "Under/Above Water" if you feel like reading something atmospheric.
Love Hurts, Jim Butcher: 
The Marrying Maid, Jo Beverly:
Rooftops, Carrie Vaughn:
Hurt Me, M.L.N. Hanover:
Demon Lover, Cecelia Holland:
The Wayfarer's Advice, Melinda M. Snodgrass:
Blue Boots, Robin Hobb:
The Thing About Cassandra, Neil Gaiman:
After the Blood, Marjorie M. Liu:
You, and You Alone, Jacqueline Carey:
His Wolf, Lisa Tuttle:
Courting Trouble, Linnea Sinclair:
The Demon Dancer, Mary Jo Putney:
Under/Above Water, Tanith Lee:
Kaskia, Peter S. Beagle:
Man in the Mirror, Yasmine Galelorn:
A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, Diana Gabaldon: