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labunnywtf's review against another edition
4.0
ARC received from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
It's an interesting situation, receiving a review request from an author. The first time it happened, I was flattered, honored, really, that of the millions of Goodreads reviewers, I was asked to read an advanced copy.
Yeah. That would've been for the book [b: The Serpent's Head: Revenge|13607301|The Serpent's Head Revenge |Julian Malins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334769175s/13607301.jpg|19203138]. That did not end well. There after, the handful of times I've been asked to review a book, I've looked at the description carefully before saying yes, and either said no, or given a fairly heavy handed warning that I won't be nice just to pet an author's ego.
Between that and the complete lack of decent short story collections crossing my reading space lately, I was immensely pleased to find that this collection by Brendan Detzner was....actually pretty good.
This is a very strange collection of very weird stories. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the order, though maybe there is one that only the author can understand. The theme is (obviously) beasts, supernatural/freaking weird creatures that somehow make their way into the worlds of each story.
Not all the stories were winners, mind you. But I think there's a really nice balance of interesting and not so much, which usually tells me that for every one I don't care for, someone else is really into it.
Just a quick run down of some of my favorites. The very first story, In the Fall, starts with the story of a 16-year old girl who murders her abusive father and goes on the run. Yes, okay, you certainly have my attention, please continue. The story gets...well, yes, let's just say it, very weird, but wonderfully twisty. I can't even say it's a "didn't see that coming", because really. None of these are.
Spirits of the Wind is one of the longer stories, and hands down is my favorite. The writing in this short story is unlike all the rest, and it's so beautifully crafted. It's a meet cute story of a girl meeting a guy when he comes to give her a tow. I momentarily forget that this was a collection about beasts, so when the supernatural element arrived, I was actually disappointed to be taken out of the story. But it all wove together nicely.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty - Probably the scariest in the bunch, featuring what could be a ghost, or could not be. Watch your flying plastic ghosts, people. The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band, I read on one of my 15 minute breaks at work. People stared at how hard I cackled with laughter.
I-65 and Two Nights Only both had the kind of nifty twist ending I want in a short story.
Blue Eyes and The Specimen are both new twists on classics, though Blue Eyes is very erratic and poorly explained. I would've liked a bit more information on both of them, for different reasons.
And lastly, The Envelope Job was the story I liked the least, and the reason this collection took me so long to read. I didn't understand it, and it suffered badly from the quality of vagueness each previous and subsequent story also has. Each story leaves a little to the reader's imagination. This one left too much. But maybe another reader will get it and love it.
I would definitely recommend this short story collection. The ones that work genuinely work. The ones I didn't like, I can absolutely see someone else come up behind me, with different workings of the mind, and have everything click into place like it didn't do for me.
It's an interesting situation, receiving a review request from an author. The first time it happened, I was flattered, honored, really, that of the millions of Goodreads reviewers, I was asked to read an advanced copy.
Yeah. That would've been for the book [b: The Serpent's Head: Revenge|13607301|The Serpent's Head Revenge |Julian Malins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334769175s/13607301.jpg|19203138]. That did not end well. There after, the handful of times I've been asked to review a book, I've looked at the description carefully before saying yes, and either said no, or given a fairly heavy handed warning that I won't be nice just to pet an author's ego.
Between that and the complete lack of decent short story collections crossing my reading space lately, I was immensely pleased to find that this collection by Brendan Detzner was....actually pretty good.
This is a very strange collection of very weird stories. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the order, though maybe there is one that only the author can understand. The theme is (obviously) beasts, supernatural/freaking weird creatures that somehow make their way into the worlds of each story.
Not all the stories were winners, mind you. But I think there's a really nice balance of interesting and not so much, which usually tells me that for every one I don't care for, someone else is really into it.
Just a quick run down of some of my favorites. The very first story, In the Fall, starts with the story of a 16-year old girl who murders her abusive father and goes on the run. Yes, okay, you certainly have my attention, please continue. The story gets...well, yes, let's just say it, very weird, but wonderfully twisty. I can't even say it's a "didn't see that coming", because really. None of these are.
Spirits of the Wind is one of the longer stories, and hands down is my favorite. The writing in this short story is unlike all the rest, and it's so beautifully crafted. It's a meet cute story of a girl meeting a guy when he comes to give her a tow. I momentarily forget that this was a collection about beasts, so when the supernatural element arrived, I was actually disappointed to be taken out of the story. But it all wove together nicely.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty - Probably the scariest in the bunch, featuring what could be a ghost, or could not be. Watch your flying plastic ghosts, people. The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band, I read on one of my 15 minute breaks at work. People stared at how hard I cackled with laughter.
I-65 and Two Nights Only both had the kind of nifty twist ending I want in a short story.
Blue Eyes and The Specimen are both new twists on classics, though Blue Eyes is very erratic and poorly explained. I would've liked a bit more information on both of them, for different reasons.
And lastly, The Envelope Job was the story I liked the least, and the reason this collection took me so long to read. I didn't understand it, and it suffered badly from the quality of vagueness each previous and subsequent story also has. Each story leaves a little to the reader's imagination. This one left too much. But maybe another reader will get it and love it.
I would definitely recommend this short story collection. The ones that work genuinely work. The ones I didn't like, I can absolutely see someone else come up behind me, with different workings of the mind, and have everything click into place like it didn't do for me.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
A harrowing collection of odd creepy, and bizarre short stories that is perfect to get you in the spirit for Halloween. Brendan Detzner assembles a great collection of "things that go bump in the night" short tales, ranging from ghost stories, paranormal, horror, science fiction, and more. Readers will delight in the creepily told stories of the skeleton man, chupacabras, artificial intelligence, and haunted figures. Some tales will delight, others chill, but all will entrance you. This collection is hard to put down and readers will find themselves coming back to it again and again. For fans of Neil Gaiman and Ray Bradbury.
I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.
I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.
beardedbarista's review against another edition
4.0
I do love me some short stories. The only issue I had with these short stories was that some of them were too short! I needed more.
This book sadly took me a while to read as it was in a drop box format that was hard to keep track of. None the less it was a brought to my attention from the writer Mr. Detzner himself and I am stoked to be one of his selected readers/reviewers.
The stories had plenty of range and for the most part were chilling and had a level of strange that you don't often find. I like that the ideas all came off really original and they could all be expanded upon. I also like that Brendan did story analysis at the end which was really cool to read and brought back some of my more favorite stories in the book. I feel good finally getting this book and his other book Millersville done this week and look forward to more things from Brendan Detzner. Check him out get his books and support this upcoming author!
With my love and heart and beard,
Justin
PS. Should I tone down the flamboyant feel of my reviews? Is it just me?? Now I feel like I need to check my other reviews :/
This book sadly took me a while to read as it was in a drop box format that was hard to keep track of. None the less it was a brought to my attention from the writer Mr. Detzner himself and I am stoked to be one of his selected readers/reviewers.
The stories had plenty of range and for the most part were chilling and had a level of strange that you don't often find. I like that the ideas all came off really original and they could all be expanded upon. I also like that Brendan did story analysis at the end which was really cool to read and brought back some of my more favorite stories in the book. I feel good finally getting this book and his other book Millersville done this week and look forward to more things from Brendan Detzner. Check him out get his books and support this upcoming author!
With my love and heart and beard,
Justin
PS. Should I tone down the flamboyant feel of my reviews? Is it just me?? Now I feel like I need to check my other reviews :/
gslife's review against another edition
3.0
Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories is a good little short story collection in the vein of Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. There is some great, creative stuff in here, and I’m impressed by the varying ideas: some of which are references to mythological ideas and some of which seem wholly original. Occasionally the writing is missing a certain cadence I feel would enhance the inhuman mythopoeia some stories turn into, but this is a minor quibble and likely relevant only if the reader is used to a writer like Lord Dunsany.
There are some stories that I feel aren’t fully on the page. It seems like there’s more to them, like some un-introduced clues that bring the story together. Because this clue is lacking, some of the stories are confusing. The problem her, is that Mystery, the Unknown, the Eldritch, can be confusing, but it should all snap into place in the end. There can remain the Unknown, but I should have all the story pieces I need to understand the motivations of all the “normal” characters, and enough to understand that the Eldritch are operating at a level of mythic madness.
Those few stories aside, the others are great and probably won’t appeal to those who are scared out of their pants by horror fiction. But if you like having the ghostly whips of chthonic things wrapped around your brain, pick up Beasts. The settings might seem familiar, but the destinations are not.
There are some stories that I feel aren’t fully on the page. It seems like there’s more to them, like some un-introduced clues that bring the story together. Because this clue is lacking, some of the stories are confusing. The problem her, is that Mystery, the Unknown, the Eldritch, can be confusing, but it should all snap into place in the end. There can remain the Unknown, but I should have all the story pieces I need to understand the motivations of all the “normal” characters, and enough to understand that the Eldritch are operating at a level of mythic madness.
Those few stories aside, the others are great and probably won’t appeal to those who are scared out of their pants by horror fiction. But if you like having the ghostly whips of chthonic things wrapped around your brain, pick up Beasts. The settings might seem familiar, but the destinations are not.
devon_marie's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I thought the collection was okay. Being an ARC, I knew there would be spelling errors, but when the title came spelled wrong (Beats instead of Beasts), I was worried. And yes, there are quite a few grammatical errors throughout; but, that’s to be expected without intense editing (which I’m assuming came after the ARCs were sent). There are so many grammar struggles that it does impact the readability, so I found myself frequently having to re-read sentences or paragraphs because a run-on sentence, change of tense, or what-have-you would throw me off. In one story, it seems as if Detzner changed a character’s name but didn’t catch them all, either. The name changes almost every other use. Either that, or some plot point completely flew by me.
Detzner has a defined writing style, and each of his stories very much feel as if they’re written by the same person. While it’s good for authors to have a defined voice, it’s not so good when it shows up, jarringly, at a stylistically different time. Detzner would paint a scene, stylistically follow it, and then out of nowhere a sentence would show up that hits you like cold water to the face. For example, Suddenly a 1st person narrated story has Detzner’s author voice showing, which is out of character.
And finally, I think some work could be done to flesh the stories out a bit more. There were many, many times I felt we didn’t get enough of a scene setup to truly understand what was happening. “The wildflowers seemed to be trying their hardest, like dancers on an audition.” I don’t understand this. Trying their hardest at what? Blooming? Swaying in the breeze? I can tell a scene is meant to be painted before my eyes, but I’m not seeing it through the fog.
Detzner is very much trying to achieve an almost Stephen King-like blunt style with his wording, which succeeds in some stories more than others. I found a few stories in the collection to be very entertaining—so much so that I wished them to be longer. Some were very weird. Some were also not my thing. I very much enjoy short stories by authors like Neil Gaiman, but his stories leave you feeling as if there’s some greater truth being reached, and Detzner’s do not. Still, they are enjoyable stories and I hear the collection’s only going to cost 99¢ for the first period it’s available for purchase, and I definitely think it’s worth the buck to read.
Overall, I thought the collection was okay. Being an ARC, I knew there would be spelling errors, but when the title came spelled wrong (Beats instead of Beasts), I was worried. And yes, there are quite a few grammatical errors throughout; but, that’s to be expected without intense editing (which I’m assuming came after the ARCs were sent). There are so many grammar struggles that it does impact the readability, so I found myself frequently having to re-read sentences or paragraphs because a run-on sentence, change of tense, or what-have-you would throw me off. In one story, it seems as if Detzner changed a character’s name but didn’t catch them all, either. The name changes almost every other use. Either that, or some plot point completely flew by me.
Detzner has a defined writing style, and each of his stories very much feel as if they’re written by the same person. While it’s good for authors to have a defined voice, it’s not so good when it shows up, jarringly, at a stylistically different time. Detzner would paint a scene, stylistically follow it, and then out of nowhere a sentence would show up that hits you like cold water to the face. For example,
Spoiler
in the story where a college student drowns under a frozen river and shows back up at their dorm, everyone is chatting like she never left, because only the dead girl and her friend (the narrator) were there when it happened. The narrator is getting anxious and freaked out, as expected, but when “I realized only after the words left my lips that my heart was racing, that I was sweating and that my mouth was hanging open like a fucking dog.” shows up, it’s a 90° turn.And finally, I think some work could be done to flesh the stories out a bit more. There were many, many times I felt we didn’t get enough of a scene setup to truly understand what was happening. “The wildflowers seemed to be trying their hardest, like dancers on an audition.” I don’t understand this. Trying their hardest at what? Blooming? Swaying in the breeze? I can tell a scene is meant to be painted before my eyes, but I’m not seeing it through the fog.
Detzner is very much trying to achieve an almost Stephen King-like blunt style with his wording, which succeeds in some stories more than others. I found a few stories in the collection to be very entertaining—so much so that I wished them to be longer. Some were very weird. Some were also not my thing. I very much enjoy short stories by authors like Neil Gaiman, but his stories leave you feeling as if there’s some greater truth being reached, and Detzner’s do not. Still, they are enjoyable stories and I hear the collection’s only going to cost 99¢ for the first period it’s available for purchase, and I definitely think it’s worth the buck to read.
jsilber42's review against another edition
3.0
Upfront caveat: I received a free advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Brendan Detzner writes some odd stories. Horror stories, but experimental. Quirky. Sometimes funny. With the exception of "Spirits of the Wind", the stories in this volume are on the short side, often ending well before I expected them too. Detzner doesn't hold your hand, or info-dump; you'd best be paying attention if you want to understand what's going on, and even then, I sometimes had to re-read a portion of a story right after I finished it. Even after rereading, I was sometimes puzzled. I often felt like there was a subtext that I couldn't quite put my finger on, or that the main event was going on in the background and I was paying attention to the wrong thing.
This is not to say that the stories weren't any good, or were always confusing. Detzner's biggest strengths, I think, are his creativity and weirdness, as well as an above-average insightfulness into human nature. Some of the stories were delightfully weird and funny, featuring antagonists such as an AI who is obsessed with partying in Florida during spring break, or a cursed playboy who continues his life as a skeleton. Others such as "Shadow", "The Walk Home", and "Two Nights Only" movingly feature recurring themes of childhood alienation and loneliness, that reminded me a little of some of Brian Hodge's work. Detzner's prose is fairly plain and straightforward, but it is generally not clunky or obtrusive.
One of my favorite stories in the book, "Spirits of the Wind", was a deliberately paced yet beautiful story that spent most of its time expertly detailing a budding relationship date between a young woman and a tow truck driver that she happened to meet after her car broke down; only near the end was the supernatural element properly revealed, and personally, I think it would have been a great story without it.
Another story that I really liked, "Blue Eyes" turns the werewolf into a metaphor for an abusive relationship, from the perspective of the werewolf's (human) wife.
So, did I like the book? Yeah, I did. As with many short story collections, it was a little hit-or-miss, and it was a bit too far on the confusing/experimental side for me to wholeheartedly recommend it, but Detzner definitely has some talent. Check it out if you are up for something different.
Brendan Detzner writes some odd stories. Horror stories, but experimental. Quirky. Sometimes funny. With the exception of "Spirits of the Wind", the stories in this volume are on the short side, often ending well before I expected them too. Detzner doesn't hold your hand, or info-dump; you'd best be paying attention if you want to understand what's going on, and even then, I sometimes had to re-read a portion of a story right after I finished it. Even after rereading, I was sometimes puzzled. I often felt like there was a subtext that I couldn't quite put my finger on, or that the main event was going on in the background and I was paying attention to the wrong thing.
This is not to say that the stories weren't any good, or were always confusing. Detzner's biggest strengths, I think, are his creativity and weirdness, as well as an above-average insightfulness into human nature. Some of the stories were delightfully weird and funny, featuring antagonists such as an AI who is obsessed with partying in Florida during spring break, or a cursed playboy who continues his life as a skeleton. Others such as "Shadow", "The Walk Home", and "Two Nights Only" movingly feature recurring themes of childhood alienation and loneliness, that reminded me a little of some of Brian Hodge's work. Detzner's prose is fairly plain and straightforward, but it is generally not clunky or obtrusive.
One of my favorite stories in the book, "Spirits of the Wind", was a deliberately paced yet beautiful story that spent most of its time expertly detailing a budding relationship date between a young woman and a tow truck driver that she happened to meet after her car broke down; only near the end was the supernatural element properly revealed, and personally, I think it would have been a great story without it.
Another story that I really liked, "Blue Eyes" turns the werewolf into a metaphor for an abusive relationship, from the perspective of the werewolf's (human) wife.
So, did I like the book? Yeah, I did. As with many short story collections, it was a little hit-or-miss, and it was a bit too far on the confusing/experimental side for me to wholeheartedly recommend it, but Detzner definitely has some talent. Check it out if you are up for something different.
overhillunderhill's review against another edition
2.0
I received a free ARC of Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories by Brendan Detzner in exchange for an honest review. I had originally planned to review this book story by story. I changed my mind when I realized that 1. That would be dishing out a large dose of spoilers and as mysteriousness is the master of this book that would be a great disservice and 2. I could sum up my overall opinion without breaking it into specifics.
That opinion is that Detzner is one of the many who took that “iceberg” method of writing to heart. The bit where you only tell 10% of the story and let the reader infer the remaining 90%. Detzner’s writing reminds me a great deal of Margo Lanagan (Short story collections: “Black Juice” and “Red Spikes”). My complaint with this method is that a majority of the authors attempting the process don’t write the complete 10%. In fear of saying too much and just telling instead of showing, they do neither. While I ended each story with a solid idea of what I had just read, I would have preferred a little touch of confirmation. I’m not asking for the answer key, I would just prefer one final nod to confirm those of us who’d guessed correctly got it correct.
There is a distinct possibility that I have no idea what I’m talking about and am just dense and all the confirmation nods were there and my thickness just missed them. I am better a deducing the end of a novel than many people I know. However, I have met people who are better.
Final thought, if I handed (when I hand) this book to my roommate, I suspect that she will love it, or at least like it more than I did.
OK, I lied, one more thought that doesn’t quite fit into the flow of the general opinion above. The male gaze in several of these stories was a bit over the top. Just a few too many statements that were unnecessary.
Now, I’m finished.
That opinion is that Detzner is one of the many who took that “iceberg” method of writing to heart. The bit where you only tell 10% of the story and let the reader infer the remaining 90%. Detzner’s writing reminds me a great deal of Margo Lanagan (Short story collections: “Black Juice” and “Red Spikes”). My complaint with this method is that a majority of the authors attempting the process don’t write the complete 10%. In fear of saying too much and just telling instead of showing, they do neither. While I ended each story with a solid idea of what I had just read, I would have preferred a little touch of confirmation. I’m not asking for the answer key, I would just prefer one final nod to confirm those of us who’d guessed correctly got it correct.
There is a distinct possibility that I have no idea what I’m talking about and am just dense and all the confirmation nods were there and my thickness just missed them. I am better a deducing the end of a novel than many people I know. However, I have met people who are better.
Final thought, if I handed (when I hand) this book to my roommate, I suspect that she will love it, or at least like it more than I did.
OK, I lied, one more thought that doesn’t quite fit into the flow of the general opinion above. The male gaze in several of these stories was a bit over the top. Just a few too many statements that were unnecessary.
Now, I’m finished.
stevendedalus's review against another edition
3.0
Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review. It's quite good, if uneven. The best stories are excellent: In the Fall; Sasquatch vs. Chupacabra; The Gardener Estate. Even the stories that don't quite get pulled off have very good ideas behind them that'll stick with you, even if the execution is a bit lacking.
One great thing about this book is the sheer variety of tales. From ghost stories, to comedy, to straight horror, there's a great mix and you don't get the sense you do with some story collections that you're reading a variation on the same theme over and over. This thing will keep you entertained, and it flows at a nice pace.
Detzner's writing is clear, though he has a tendency to use some twee phrases every once in a while, ie., "the wildflowers seemed to be trying their hardest, like dancers at an audition." But there's only the occasional pretension. Overall, Detzner really does a conversational tone well, which lends a nice intimacy to the stories.
There are some real flashes of great things, like the funny and sweet chronicle of a new relationship in "Spirits of the Wind". It's not a perfect collection, but there's solid substance behind a lot of the stories, even when they fall flat.
One great thing about this book is the sheer variety of tales. From ghost stories, to comedy, to straight horror, there's a great mix and you don't get the sense you do with some story collections that you're reading a variation on the same theme over and over. This thing will keep you entertained, and it flows at a nice pace.
Detzner's writing is clear, though he has a tendency to use some twee phrases every once in a while, ie., "the wildflowers seemed to be trying their hardest, like dancers at an audition." But there's only the occasional pretension. Overall, Detzner really does a conversational tone well, which lends a nice intimacy to the stories.
There are some real flashes of great things, like the funny and sweet chronicle of a new relationship in "Spirits of the Wind". It's not a perfect collection, but there's solid substance behind a lot of the stories, even when they fall flat.
keledae's review against another edition
2.0
I was provided a copy of Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories and ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review
The standout of this collection is Spirits of the Wind. The third tale in the book is the most complete with truly compelling characters and intriguing events.
Overall the book, while housing several very interesting characters and beasts, feels a little incomplete. Rather than reading full stories, instead I feel like I am reading unfinished tales. Many of them are lacking in details that would make them a richer and more satisfying read.
The book does show the potential of Detzners' creative mind and I look forward to his future works.
The standout of this collection is Spirits of the Wind. The third tale in the book is the most complete with truly compelling characters and intriguing events.
Overall the book, while housing several very interesting characters and beasts, feels a little incomplete. Rather than reading full stories, instead I feel like I am reading unfinished tales. Many of them are lacking in details that would make them a richer and more satisfying read.
The book does show the potential of Detzners' creative mind and I look forward to his future works.
amia's review
4.0
In this second story about Amber, a young girl that has been through many dangers and terrible events, I find myself wishing I could speak to her and perhaps help her in some way. She has become 'real' to me and I care about her.
I hope that you will read the first book in this series before you read this one. It could be considered as a stand alone book but you will enjoy it much more if you have the background information.
I'm am waiting, impatiently, for the next in the series, due out in the spring of 2017
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author as a gift and he does like honest reviews. And this is a very honest review.
I hope that you will read the first book in this series before you read this one. It could be considered as a stand alone book but you will enjoy it much more if you have the background information.
I'm am waiting, impatiently, for the next in the series, due out in the spring of 2017
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author as a gift and he does like honest reviews. And this is a very honest review.