Scan barcode
A review by ivy123
Te Kōrero Ahi Kā: To Speak of the Home Fires Burning by Evelyn Doyle, Simon Petrie, Grant Stone, Aaron Compton, Sally McLennan, Sean Monaghan, Edwina Harvey, Piper Mejia, I.K. Paterson-Harkness, Juliet Marillier, Daniel Stride, Kevin G. Maclean, Paul Mannering, Matt Cowens, Mike Reeves-McMillan, Eileen Mueller, A.J. Ponder, Marolyn Dudfield, Darian Smith, Grace Bridges, Kevin Berry, Robinne Weiss, Jane Percival, Gregory Dally, Alan Baxter, Serena Dawson, Mark English, Lee Murray
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I usually avoid books written based in New Zealand I find myself wanting an escape from reality with my reading and these stories are usually too close to home for me however this collection surprised me. As with most collections, I find myself having a mix of stories I loved, those that were average and those that did not speak to me at all.
There were some strong themes that came through in a few of these stories including climate change and grief. There was also a mixture of genres from science fiction, fantasy and horror as well as a mixture of formats normal prose, diary entries and poetry.
Some of my favourites in the collection were
The eye of the beholder- a short story that brought back my childhood reading stories of fae and dragons who could not be trusted.
An extract from the diary of Peter Mackenzie- told in diary format the taniwha and its influence on the main characters had me hooked.
Her grief in my halls- a spellbinding haunted house with a focus on grief that was both solemn and poignant
Big enough for two- a slower-paced tale about a woman being taken advantage of as she renovates her house with a payoff that was worth the pacing.
Some of the stories that were not so great for me were those I struggled to understand some of the poetry and short stories. I also struggle with stories that involve strong use of kiwi slang, I think it feels too close to home and takes me out of the escape I am looking for in novels and makes me feel super cringy.
Overall a good introduction into what some New Zealand authors have to offer.
There were some strong themes that came through in a few of these stories including climate change and grief. There was also a mixture of genres from science fiction, fantasy and horror as well as a mixture of formats normal prose, diary entries and poetry.
Some of my favourites in the collection were
The eye of the beholder- a short story that brought back my childhood reading stories of fae and dragons who could not be trusted.
An extract from the diary of Peter Mackenzie- told in diary format the taniwha and its influence on the main characters had me hooked.
Her grief in my halls- a spellbinding haunted house with a focus on grief that was both solemn and poignant
Big enough for two- a slower-paced tale about a woman being taken advantage of as she renovates her house with a payoff that was worth the pacing.
Some of the stories that were not so great for me were those I struggled to understand some of the poetry and short stories. I also struggle with stories that involve strong use of kiwi slang, I think it feels too close to home and takes me out of the escape I am looking for in novels and makes me feel super cringy.
Overall a good introduction into what some New Zealand authors have to offer.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Cursing, Incest, Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Body horror, and Death
Minor: Vomit, Rape, and Sexual assault