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tani's review
3.0
I've decided to try and read more short fiction, and since I recently got a free copy of this anthology, I thought it would be a good place to start. I'll try to update this review with my thoughts on each story as I read it.
"A Bane Returns" by Frank P. Ryan - In which a demon is released. This is a very short story, so it's hard to say much. The writing style was fine, but there wasn't enough for me to sink my teeth into. (Yes, I know it's a short story. This took me less than five minutes to read, and is very short indeed.) The concept was interesting, but the ending was extremely abrupt, which I didn't really like. 2 stars.
"A Special Taste" by Markus Heitz - In which a pair of demons take a step toward revenge. Heitz is an author I've been interested in for a while, so I was looking forward to reading this one. I liked the concept a lot, and there was a lot of imagination to the story. Unfortunately, I didn't have any kind of connection to the characters - I kind of disliked them, actually. Still, I thought it was a good taste of Heitz's style, and I continue to be interested in his work. 3 stars.
"All Aboard" by Christopher Golden - A grieving mother starts hearing a train that doesn't exist at night. I liked the writing style of this, and the emotion that the author put into it. It was a little stereotypical, but I still enjoyed reading it, and I liked the note that it ended on. 3.5 stars.
"An Imaginary Friend" by Sue Tingey - A bullied young boy's imaginary friend comes to life. This one was pretty short, and it felt kind of 2D because of it. The voice was nice and clear, but none of the characters had any real depth, and the imaginary friend trope was fairly conventional. 2.5 stars.
"Discordances" by Stephanie Saulter - This story is set in the same universe as Saulter's ®Evolution trilogy, which happens to be a series that's on my to-read list anyway. "Discordances" was pretty much a slice of life story of one of the genetically modified humans in this universe, and I really enjoyed it. I was pulled in by the main character, Lyriam, and really intrigued by the glimpse of the wider universe. 4 stars.
"Frontsman" by David Towsey - Omaro is a 'frontsman,' a warrior in his tribe, and he's always been proud of that. So when his daughter falls in love with a simple farmer, he struggles with acceptance. This was one of my favorite stories because of its emphasis on understanding and empathy for others. I enjoyed the story-within-a-story format, and the ending was just right. 4 stars.
"Hebe's Ocean" by Naomi Foyle - Lyricia is a poet-bot, sent to the newly discovered Hebe in order to come up with a marketing slogan for it. However, it turns out that the orange ocean of Hebe has some special powers indeed... I thought that this was one of the most imaginative of the stories in here, with a beautiful writing style and a truly interesting idea. 4 stars.
"Karle's Hunt" by Snorri Kristjansson - A prince hunts. This is a really short one, but it is actually a really interesting character study. I have been interested in Kristjansson's writing for quite some time, and this story reinforced the idea that I might enjoy his work. Although the plot is straightforward enough, I liked the depth of character that was shown in such a short piece, and I enjoyed this story a lot. 4 stars.
"Mountain Radio" by Tom Fletcher - A rock climber loses his way in the mist. This had a surreal horror feel to it, which is not very much my style. Although the idea was well-executed and clearly thought-out, I just didn't connect to the story. 3 stars.
"Saving Face" by Aidan Harte - In a world where the rich purchase Dorian Grey-esque paintings of themselves, one Maestro is forced to confront his past. I really liked the setting of this, and the character was interesting with his emotional issues and hidden past. However, something was missing for me - maybe I just wanted it to be longer. 3.5 stars.
"The Curious Affair of the Deodand" by Lisa Tuttle - A Victorian-age young lady in search of work takes up a job as an assistant to a detective. I'm really big on so-called historical fantasy, so I really liked this one. The two main characters were fun to meet, and I liked the integration of the supernatural with the regular. 4 stars.
"The Discord of Being" by Alison Littlewood - When her father tells her that her mother's grave has been disturbed, Emma travels to Morocco to investigate. I liked the layers of this one. The characters have an emotional depth that I sometimes feel is missing from short fiction, and although not a ton happens, the pacing and emotional journey felt just right. 4 stars.
"The Girl Who Went to the Rich Neighbourhood" by Rachel Pollack - A young girl from the poor neighbourhood seeks help from the rich. This reads like a fairy tale, and I thought that the style worked very well for it. Like traditional fairy tales, there's a bit space between the reader and the characters, which made it a bit harder for me to enjoy, though. 3 stars.
"The King's Poet" by John Matthews - This story and the next both take on the Arthurian Legend. This one tells the story of how a monk comes to chronicle the adventures of Taliesin and Arthur. The writing style is clear and the story is paced well, but I never made any real connection to it. 3 stars.
"The Three Gwenhwyfars" by Caitlin Matthews - The story of 3 Gwenhwyfars who acted as wives to Arthur. I saw a lot of potential in this story, but I thought it was too short to accomplish what it wanted to. The author has a clear idea of what she wants the story to be, but it's just not conveyed in the space that it's given. 3 stars.
"A Bane Returns" by Frank P. Ryan - In which a demon is released. This is a very short story, so it's hard to say much. The writing style was fine, but there wasn't enough for me to sink my teeth into. (Yes, I know it's a short story. This took me less than five minutes to read, and is very short indeed.) The concept was interesting, but the ending was extremely abrupt, which I didn't really like. 2 stars.
"A Special Taste" by Markus Heitz - In which a pair of demons take a step toward revenge. Heitz is an author I've been interested in for a while, so I was looking forward to reading this one. I liked the concept a lot, and there was a lot of imagination to the story. Unfortunately, I didn't have any kind of connection to the characters - I kind of disliked them, actually. Still, I thought it was a good taste of Heitz's style, and I continue to be interested in his work. 3 stars.
"All Aboard" by Christopher Golden - A grieving mother starts hearing a train that doesn't exist at night. I liked the writing style of this, and the emotion that the author put into it. It was a little stereotypical, but I still enjoyed reading it, and I liked the note that it ended on. 3.5 stars.
"An Imaginary Friend" by Sue Tingey - A bullied young boy's imaginary friend comes to life. This one was pretty short, and it felt kind of 2D because of it. The voice was nice and clear, but none of the characters had any real depth, and the imaginary friend trope was fairly conventional. 2.5 stars.
"Discordances" by Stephanie Saulter - This story is set in the same universe as Saulter's ®Evolution trilogy, which happens to be a series that's on my to-read list anyway. "Discordances" was pretty much a slice of life story of one of the genetically modified humans in this universe, and I really enjoyed it. I was pulled in by the main character, Lyriam, and really intrigued by the glimpse of the wider universe. 4 stars.
"Frontsman" by David Towsey - Omaro is a 'frontsman,' a warrior in his tribe, and he's always been proud of that. So when his daughter falls in love with a simple farmer, he struggles with acceptance. This was one of my favorite stories because of its emphasis on understanding and empathy for others. I enjoyed the story-within-a-story format, and the ending was just right. 4 stars.
"Hebe's Ocean" by Naomi Foyle - Lyricia is a poet-bot, sent to the newly discovered Hebe in order to come up with a marketing slogan for it. However, it turns out that the orange ocean of Hebe has some special powers indeed... I thought that this was one of the most imaginative of the stories in here, with a beautiful writing style and a truly interesting idea. 4 stars.
"Karle's Hunt" by Snorri Kristjansson - A prince hunts. This is a really short one, but it is actually a really interesting character study. I have been interested in Kristjansson's writing for quite some time, and this story reinforced the idea that I might enjoy his work. Although the plot is straightforward enough, I liked the depth of character that was shown in such a short piece, and I enjoyed this story a lot. 4 stars.
"Mountain Radio" by Tom Fletcher - A rock climber loses his way in the mist. This had a surreal horror feel to it, which is not very much my style. Although the idea was well-executed and clearly thought-out, I just didn't connect to the story. 3 stars.
"Saving Face" by Aidan Harte - In a world where the rich purchase Dorian Grey-esque paintings of themselves, one Maestro is forced to confront his past. I really liked the setting of this, and the character was interesting with his emotional issues and hidden past. However, something was missing for me - maybe I just wanted it to be longer. 3.5 stars.
"The Curious Affair of the Deodand" by Lisa Tuttle - A Victorian-age young lady in search of work takes up a job as an assistant to a detective. I'm really big on so-called historical fantasy, so I really liked this one. The two main characters were fun to meet, and I liked the integration of the supernatural with the regular. 4 stars.
"The Discord of Being" by Alison Littlewood - When her father tells her that her mother's grave has been disturbed, Emma travels to Morocco to investigate. I liked the layers of this one. The characters have an emotional depth that I sometimes feel is missing from short fiction, and although not a ton happens, the pacing and emotional journey felt just right. 4 stars.
"The Girl Who Went to the Rich Neighbourhood" by Rachel Pollack - A young girl from the poor neighbourhood seeks help from the rich. This reads like a fairy tale, and I thought that the style worked very well for it. Like traditional fairy tales, there's a bit space between the reader and the characters, which made it a bit harder for me to enjoy, though. 3 stars.
"The King's Poet" by John Matthews - This story and the next both take on the Arthurian Legend. This one tells the story of how a monk comes to chronicle the adventures of Taliesin and Arthur. The writing style is clear and the story is paced well, but I never made any real connection to it. 3 stars.
"The Three Gwenhwyfars" by Caitlin Matthews - The story of 3 Gwenhwyfars who acted as wives to Arthur. I saw a lot of potential in this story, but I thought it was too short to accomplish what it wanted to. The author has a clear idea of what she wants the story to be, but it's just not conveyed in the space that it's given. 3 stars.
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