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crunden's review
3.0
It was one of the most pernicious fallacies, common the world over: old ways are best. But old ways can outlast their usefulness. Old ways can live on pointlessly in worlds that have no room for them.
A good dark fantasy tale about predator and prey.
A good dark fantasy tale about predator and prey.
duplica123's review
3.0
A Tor.com short story
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/cold-wind-nicola-griffith?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=tordotcom&utm_content=-na_readblog_blogpost&utm_campaign=tor.comoriginalfiction
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/cold-wind-nicola-griffith?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=tordotcom&utm_content=-na_readblog_blogpost&utm_campaign=tor.comoriginalfiction
amyotheramy's review
3.0
She was here. It would go as it would.
Hunters in the city, a dance of predators and their prey.
(I probably would have rated this higher if the other two stories I read tonight weren't so excellent. See [b:Burnt Sugar|23568534|Burnt Sugar (Firebug, #0.5)|Lish McBride|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416448005s/23568534.jpg|43167245] for more urban fantasy and [b:Ghosts and Empties|25902244|Ghosts and Empties|Lauren Groff|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436801725s/25902244.jpg|45786152] for more just plain good.)
Hunters in the city, a dance of predators and their prey.
(I probably would have rated this higher if the other two stories I read tonight weren't so excellent. See [b:Burnt Sugar|23568534|Burnt Sugar (Firebug, #0.5)|Lish McBride|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416448005s/23568534.jpg|43167245] for more urban fantasy and [b:Ghosts and Empties|25902244|Ghosts and Empties|Lauren Groff|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436801725s/25902244.jpg|45786152] for more just plain good.)
eol's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
keu482's review
3.0
Another Tor.com short story.
I made the mistake of thinking the narrator was male for far too long and now I'm mad at myself. Neither of the named charaters are good people, but they are interesting and while the twist isn't that surprising I loved the imagery and lyrical choice of words (except for the sentence she uses to describe Guiness, i mean really?)
(no really, she wrote this: I savored the thrust of rusty-fist body through the velvet glove of foam, it's quite possibly the worst sentence I've ever read. It stands out so badly because the rest of her writing is good in the same way that sentence isn't)
I made the mistake of thinking the narrator was male for far too long and now I'm mad at myself. Neither of the named charaters are good people, but they are interesting and while the twist isn't that surprising I loved the imagery and lyrical choice of words (except for the sentence she uses to describe Guiness, i mean really?)
(no really, she wrote this: I savored the thrust of rusty-fist body through the velvet glove of foam, it's quite possibly the worst sentence I've ever read. It stands out so badly because the rest of her writing is good in the same way that sentence isn't)
callum_mclaughlin's review
3.0
A woman enters a bar on a cold, wintry night and begins to trail an enigmatic customer. This dark, folkloric short from Tor Books evokes a crisp, unsettling atmosphere to great effect, reaching an otherworldly, visually striking climax befitting of the genre. The prose itself is largely suited to the fantastical subject matter, but does feel a tad overblown at times.
anaelwynn's review
1.0
I have no idea why I disliked this short story as much as I did. Going of the premise this should have been something that I like, obviously that wasn't the case. I was so bored while reading it and I had to force myself to finish it. I was also confused about some parts, but that might be because my brain wasn't paying too much attention to the happenings. This story just wasn't for me.
anyaworley's review
4.0
I've long been fascinated by Washington state and it's ever changing, unforgiving weather. I love rain. I love the sound of it beating against the ground, the loamy, rich scent of earth after a downpour, the vibrant shades of green that paint the world like a mad psychedelic artist. Rain makes me happy.
See what I mean? The prose alone makes me want to lick the sky.
Also, the chilly weather means a veritable plethora of layering options! Imagine sweaters (<3), blazers, mufflers, cowls, cardigans, jackets, trench coats of so many varieties. The very thought makes my head spin.
Rain makes me want to build a fort out of blankets and read a book together with someone I care about. Or cuddle.
Cold Wind is a gorgeous, gorgeous short story which explores the ideas of predator vs prey, love and lust. Read it! You won't regret it, I promise.
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/cold-wind-nicola-griffith
"From the park on Puget Sound I watched the sun go down on the shortest day of the year. The air lost its lemon glitter, the dancing water dulled to a greasy heave, and the moon, not yet at its height, grew more substantial. Clouds gathered along the horizon, dirty yellow-white and gory at one end, like a broken arctic fox. Snow wasn’t in the forecast, but I could smell it."
See what I mean? The prose alone makes me want to lick the sky.
Also, the chilly weather means a veritable plethora of layering options! Imagine sweaters (<3), blazers, mufflers, cowls, cardigans, jackets, trench coats of so many varieties. The very thought makes my head spin.
"Inside the women’s bar, customers were dressed a little better than usual: wool rather than fleece, cashmere blend instead of merino, and all in richer, more celebratory colors."
Rain makes me want to build a fort out of blankets and read a book together with someone I care about. Or cuddle.
"Women have lit up that way for thousands of years when they have found someone they want, someone whose belly will lie on theirs heavy and soft and urgent, whose weight they welcome, whose voice thrills them, whose taste, scent, turn of the head makes them thrum with need, ring and sing with it. They laugh. They glow."
Cold Wind is a gorgeous, gorgeous short story which explores the ideas of predator vs prey, love and lust. Read it! You won't regret it, I promise.
http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/04/cold-wind-nicola-griffith