Like a box of assorted chocolates (some you love, some like, and others you spit out)
930215
I borrowed this book from the Prime lending library. I rate the individual stories as follows:
"Syenka" - **** - A darker epilogue of a little mermaid.
"The Golden Ticket" - * - A boring monologue with a most obvious ending. This was the only story in the collection that I hated.
"The Six Million Dollar Mermaid" - ***** - As the title suggests, a mermaid finds herself with a bionic tail and missions to fulfill. An excellent well written story.
"Fishtale" - ***** - The mermaid introduced in the first paragraph is an actor with a phoney tail, an airline in a large water tank in a casino. As everyone gawks and stares at her, something fishy is going on behind the scenes! Another excellent story.
"A King Reborn" - **** - An evil prince in a fantasy kingdom is aided by a rat of a man and a merman. Kind of a predictable good racing to defeat evil story, but enjoyable.
"The Storm Drain" - *** - One of the shorter stories, it seems to end just as it was going somewhere good. It would make a great first chapter in an adventure book written for kids.
"At the Waterline" - *** - A World War II adventure set in Norway with a mermaid as a naval operative  for the country and other interests. All sorts of mythical creatures are regional to the country borders of the time. The secret nature of the beings that meddle and don't meddle in humans affairs leaves the story kind of muddled. It had much better potential if the setting was on a Earth where these creatures were known and then the choices they made would have been more interesting.
"To Reach for Distant Shores" - *** - Another of the shorter stories of the anthology set on another planet where a mermaid learns more about humans.
"Hook, Line and Sinker" - ***** - Crime story where a Banshee detective sets out to find the murderer of a mermaid. A very entertaining detective story.
"Local Catch" -  **** - A knight has to play detective when the severed top half remains of people start showing up. Well executed story, but kind of transparent as to where it was going.
"The Pain of Being" - ***** - A producer/anchorman and his executive assistant set out to investigate a "mermaid" sighting by fishermen for their show "Challenge of the Unknown". One of the best stories in the book and well worth reading.
"Tinian Song" - **** - Survivor of the WWII USS Indianapolis sinking tries to come to terms with what he witnessed in the waters back then by revisiting where the ship went down in the present.
"Upon Waves, Wind and Tide" - *** - At a seaside city where people give themselves back to the sea with mixed results. A strange story that was almost too bizarre to enjoy, but at the same time was very imaginative.
Except for one bad story to spit out, I did enjoy all of the stories (some more than others), I do recommend this short story anthology for readers interested in adding some Mermaid variety to their reading.
3259352
This is definitely a nice gift.  The products are all quality and the presentation is attractive.  If you're in a rush and need to get a reasonable gift shipped to a chocolate lover - this could fit the bill.  However, I go 3-Stars for the value here.  I know most of us don't have the time to put baskets together, but it seems you could assemble this, and perhaps stuff in a little more weight, for a reasonable price.  If you needed several gifts, you'd be better served to buy a bunch of items to be able to include more in each basket for less cost.  As for what was in the basket - it was all delicious and high quality.  The chocolate chip cookies were the crumbly (almost shortbread like) kind that aren't really my favorite.

The saying goes - you get what you pay for.  In this case, that is only partially true.  You get the convenience of a prepared gift that is attractive and bound to be well received, however you do NOT get 5 pounds of chocolate.  As my 3-stars implies, I'm on the fence so I can't really say this is on the top of my list to buy again, but if the right situation came up I could also see sending this!
4217538
It's Hershey chocolate and a lot of it.  If you love chocolate, then this is the way to go.  Purchase a bag and I know you won't be disappointed.
1749093
Interesting attempt, and while this is not one of my personal favorite, everyone has different preferences.  If you are a chocolate lover, give these a try!
3190504
OMG! This assortment is crazy good!! I should mention though, that the chocolate will be 'melty' when you receive them (this time of year). I expected it though, and just popped box in fridge for awhile before eating.
22378
These are great chocolates and a fun assortment. There is something for everyone in the box. Quality at  a reasonable price.
3716295
The chocolate comes in a lovely well packed box with several layers of unwrapping. I really like this presentation especially when your giving it as a gift it really builds up the presentation. When you finally break through to the last layer it's a lovely display of chocolates. Each one bite sized in comparison to so many of the chocolates I've had from the state that are much larger. I like that they are smaller, it's easier to taste a few different flavors rather than committing to one giant piece of chocolate in a sitting. Also the smaller size gives them a look of preciousness. All and all a great display. Because of the expensive price it does seem like a gift item rather than something you would buy for a fancy snack.
The tastes are wonderful. The chocolate is super creamy.  I really enjoyed some of the nutty flavors and the white chocolate piece is also delicious. I do wish there was a guide to tell which flavors are which before biting in but then it's kind of exciting to be surprised when you get a really good one, and really they are all good ones.
4159855
I might be getting carried away with the food images after seeing the cover of "The Ice Cream Stand", but this book is like having a full box of chocolate truffles.  I want to gobble one after another but know I'll enjoy them more if I take one at a time.  I am limiting myself to two stories a day so I can savor each one.  Such self control!
1997007
I looked around before purchasing to try and get a feel for what these were and believe me it was difficult. The love and hate seems to be split straight down the middle for these but while people were keen on telling you how much they loathe/love it, they didn't really tell you why or what it is. So Im going to attempt to do that.

Let me say that I think half the complaints could have been avoided if the candy had been appropriately labeled. Perhaps crme refers to a different or broader range of candy fillings in other countries, but in the West it exclusively refers to that mousse-like fluffy mallow that you find in most assorted chocolate boxes. This is not what this is, and Im sure just like myself it threw a lot of people off.

This is almost like a gel, very squishy, has more substance to it, and because its actual banana puree it has more solid bits inside it. Its also not sweet like you expect of crmes. Instead its semi-sweet but with a substantial tartness to the taste like you might expect from an unripened banana. The consistency lies somewhere between the titular crme and a quiche (weird example I know, but only similar consistency I can think of off the top of my head).

The chocolate is also far less sweet than you're expecting. Its not dark chocolate but its not traditional milk chocolate either. Treading some strange middle-line Ive never tasted before. Its not super strong, it has a tangy aftertaste reminiscent of mild dark chocolates, but with a hint of sweetness to it. It also is applied in a very thin layer so you get roughly equal amounts of the crme and the chocolate; this has the side-effect of giving the chocolate a satisfying crunch instead of feeling like an excessive chewy deluge of savory chocolate.

These combine to form a strange beast. At first I think  had the same reaction as some others Ive read online, the fact that this quite clearly wasn't crme (as far as western definitions go) mixed with the mild, tart, and all around uncommon flavors and consistencies on play here threw me off. As a knee-jerk reaction I wasn't very happy. But when I tried anotherand then anotherand then another they quickly began to grow on me. Once I stopped trying to compare them to the fruit crmes you get in your average assorted chocolate box I found they not only had their own unique flavor, but a good one at that.

I definitely recommend them to someone who likes banana and chocolate and is looking for something different. If you can toss your preconceptions about what you might expect from the name alone aside youll find that its mighty tasty.
4896017
All the chocolates had moved to the bottom of the box when this arrived.  Would have been OK otherwise.  It was a bit expensive though.
362297
The variety pack is a great deal and offers a wonderful variety of chocolates.
4484496
If you like your jokes short, sweet and sometimes too silly for words, this book will tick the boxes. As the writer says, it's better to dip in rather than devour in one go. A bit like a box of chocolates, unless you have zero willpower. A great gift for dads, brothers or uncles, although I'm pretty sure females with a sense of humour would appreciate it too. I certainly did.
4693833
Its like with any variety pack there are some favorites and some losers.  Would have been nice if they were organized rather than just dumped in the box.  Hard to keep track of the ones you like to reorder.
2470857
This was a gift, and the recipient said it was wonderful, so my experience is second-hand.  But she's usually very candid, so I trust her comments.  It does make a nice gift for someone who loves chocolate and popcorn.  She also said that the dark chocolate was better than the milk chocolate side - but, then, that's a matter of taste.
35928
Like with any Sample Box, it is a mixed bag, or rather box. Mine had 7 bottles and cans. They were 3 teas: Honest Tea Honey Green, Honest Tea Peach Ginger Unsweetened and Gold Peak's Vanilla Chai Latte.  The remaining 4 coffee drinks were Illy Caff Unsweetened, Illy Cappuccino, Gold Peak Almond Toffee Coffee Drink and Java Monster's Mean Bean.  This sampler box lets you try a variety of different products you might not ordinarily buy.  Some will be better, others not so.  The Honest Teas had a refreshing flavor, and the Illy coffee drinks were top notch.  Alas, the Gold Peak beverages are for fans of the overly sweetened coffee and tea set.  The Java Monster was more similar to the Gold Peak products than to Illy.
3478731
i absolutely love this chocolates. its great assortment chocolate to enjoy yourself, share it with friends or gift it to anyone you want.

totally amazing
313335
Some stories are great. Some are good. Some are just okay. If you like short pieces that will take you about 5 minutes per, the Chocolate book is for you. I found a few of them a little maudlin.