A review by countingthecars
Speaking to Skull Kings and Other Stories by Emily B. Cataneo

5.0

Emily B. Cataneo's Speaking to Skull Kings is full of stories for weird kids who grew up into weird adults -- or for fans of Kelly Link, Karen Russell, Shirley Jackson, and Angela Carter. Every story transports the reader perfectly into a fully realized and often terrifying world, from the gothic horror of "A Guide to Etiquette and Comportment for the Sisters of Henley House" to the post-revolution steampunk Russia of "The Firebird" and the dystopian, portal-filled Boston that unfolds in "Purple Lemons." Despite the fact that the settings vary so widely across the book, they feel cohesive in their themes: grief, loss, regret, and the intensity of female friendship and family ties. If you've ever lost someone, you will see yourself in these stories, even as they deal with hair-eating ghosts and children raised by a bird. This is an exciting and imaginative debut collection, and I can't wait to see what Cataneo does next.