All posts by skyebjenner

The Mammoth Book of Steampunk edited by Sean Wallace

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Overview
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Title: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk
Author: Sean Wallace, Ekaterina Sedia, Jeff VanderMeer, Caitlin R. Kiernan, E. Catherine Tobler, Jay Lake, Genevieve Valentine, Cat Rambo, Shweta Narayan, Aliette de Bodard, N.K. Jemisin, Peter M. Ball, Sharon Mock, Catherynne M. Valente, Alex Dally MacFarlane, Eileen Gunn, Michael Swanwick, Tobias S. Buckell, Matthew Kressel, Margo Lanagan, Amal El-Mohtar, Barth Anderson, Jeffrey Ford, James Morrow, Cherie Priest, Margaret Ronald, Megan Arkenberg, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Mary Robinette Kowal, Samantha Henderson, Nick Mamatas, Nicole Kornher-Stace & Lavie Tidhar
Series: Mammoth Books
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Short story collections, Steampunk
Dates read: 3rd October 2018 – 6th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: He was in his library, or so he called it, a small room that smelled of pipe tobacco and old leather, so close that one could barely breathe.

Synopsis

30 anarchic mash-ups of past and future that push the boundaries of steampunk.

Great steampunk stories confront an uneasy history of oppression – of women, other ‘races’ and classes – and the abuse of science, by reimagining the past. The writers represented in this outsatnding collection look to the future through the lens of the past, imagining worlds in which technology is used to uplift rather than to oppress.

Thoughts

I’ve only recently gotten involved in steampunk. It’s a genre that I only started reading late last year and one that I kind of love. Although, as I discovered with this collection of short stories, it is also a genre that I have to concentrate a little more to read (unlike genre such as romance).

This anthology runs the gambit of steampunk stories and brings a number of themes, styles and settings to life. It is a perfect way to completely disappear from the world after a long day. Although, with many of the themes, once you have finished the story you are thrown back into reality ten times more heavily than you were before. After all, most of these stories have a great commentary about the world that we live in today.

From capitalism to feminist movements, every major issue and discussion that seems to be occurring in modern society is touched upon in this collection. Yet, these aren’t all serious commentaries on the world. Some of the stories are kind of hilarious, and some are downright weird. The one thing that they all have in common is that they are thoroughly enjoyable and have helped to give me a new addiction.

<- The TraitorSteampunk: Looking to the Future Through the Lens of the Past ->

Image source: Amazon

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for inkheart book cover

Title: Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Series: Inkworld #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fantasy
Dates read: 18th – 25th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: The Chicken House
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Gravel crunched under her feet as she raced towards the house.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Dare to read it aloud…

Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared. They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door. He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinarily secret – a storytelling secret that will change their lives for ever.

Inkheart is the thrilling new adventure from Cornelia Funke, the international bestselling children’s author of The Thief Lord. It’s a story within a story, where the imaginary becomes real.

Thoughts

I kind of forgot why I loved this book so much. I’ve been looking at it on my shelf for months, but couldn’t really figure out why I had such a need to stick my nose between it’s pages and lose myself. But this week I did. And it was so worth it. I’m incredibly glad that I finally succumbed to the voice in my head saying “It was awesome!”

One of the things I love about this book is the way that each chapter starts. Each chapter starts with a quote from another book (most of which are now on my wishlist). These quotes not only set the theme for the following chapter, but they also highlight the different worlds that were entered again and again throughout this story. Not just the parallel story of Inkheart throughout, but the different tales that Meggie and Mo find themselves swept away in.

I’m only realising as an adult that one of the things that I related most strongly to throughout this novel would was Meggie and Mo’s love of books. They are so hooked into the literary world that they are often unable and unwilling to relate to the real world around them. Something that I myself can relate quite strongly to. Actually, I kind of wanted Elinor’s house from the very first moment, and a number of years between readings really hasn’t changed my desires and impressions.

Inkheart is a fantastic beginning to a new series. It has everything that you want in a story – action, adventure and a lot of heart. The villains are the type that are likely to make you cringe repeatedly, the protagonists people that you can immediately relate to. This is one of those stories that I look forward to passing on to my future (theoretical) children.

 <- Inkdeath ReviewInkspell Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Flame After the Candle by Catherynne M. Valente

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for mad hatters and march hares ellen datlow book cover

Title: The Flame After the Candle
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Wordplay
Dates read: 22nd March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Everyone liked the pig screaming about its mother.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Olive has visited Wonderland and finds that things aren’t all as they ought to be. Meanwhile, Mrs Hargreaves and Peter are sitting down for a dinner and reminiscing on the pasts that were stolen, but never should have been.

Thoughts

This is a bit of a jumpy short story. Which is pretty typical for a tale from Mad Hatters and March Hares if I’m being truly honest with myself. But, it felt kind of jumpier and more confusing than some of the other stories that I had read. Not to say that it was bad… but it did take me a little more to understand what I was reading than usual. I actually read through this twice… just because there was not one, but two different storylines to try and get my damn head around.

Although I liked the storyline about Olive, it was the secondary tale that really caught my attention. The parallels drawn between Peter Pan and Alice were ones that I had never even considered. But they were really powerful and potent in their own way. And now, when I finally get the time to read Peter Pan, I’m going to be drawing those connecting lines the entire time.

 <- A Comfort, One Way ReviewMoon, and Memory, and Muchness Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

The Simple Procedure by Paul A. Freeman

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: The Simple Procedure
Author: Paul A. Freeman
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Crime
Dates read: 24th March 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: You said yourself it was assumed that Strangling Stan died in the fighting, thus ending the persecution of Kabul’s fallen women.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Sherlock Holmes is on the case of Jack the Ripper, and you’ll never guess who the villain truly is!

Thoughts

As soon as I discovered that there was a Sherlock Holmes tale about Jack the Ripper, I was kind of excited. After all, Sherlock Holmes is an amazing storyline and character. And he always catches the bad guy. So I knew there would be a new version as to just who Jack the Ripper was. The answer to that was not what I expected in the slightest. But it was oh so good.

My biggest complaint about this short story was that it was far too short. I was expecting a strong adventure with a little bit of action. It really wasn’t like that. But, it worked brilliantly, most of this tale is Holmes explaining how he figured out just who the true villain is… and it makes you kind of wish that Sherlock was actually a real person…

 <- Blue Serge ReviewJack’s Back Review ->
Image source: Amazon

A Sound, Like Angels Singing by Leonard Rysdyk

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for snow white, blood red book cover

Title: A Sound, Like Angels Singing
Author: Leonard Rysdyk
In: Snow White, Blood Red (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales
Dates read: 21st March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: His eyes bulged and he caught his breath.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Nails and her family just want to eat, sleep and get fat. But the sound of angels singing keeps on drawing them out for the promise of a better future.

Thoughts

The introduction to this short story tells you that you are going to recognise the fairy tale upon which it is based at the end of the tale. And, to be honest, I wasn’t really sure that I was going to recognise it. there just seemed to be nothing recognisable in it. Until the last two pages… then I finally understood exactly which fairy tale this was. And I loved it.

I was expecting this story to be a slightly twisted version of a tale from the villains’ point of view. It had all of the gore and self-centred-ness of this kind of tale. But, at the end, it become clear that it wasn’t really about the villains per se, but rather, a totally different perspective to a story that I don’t often see retellings of. Which also made me kind of love it all the more…

 <- Troll Bridge ReviewPuss Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Howling Girl by Laurie Penny

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Howling Girl
Author: Laurie Penny
In: I Am Heathcliff (Kate Mosse)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror, Twisted romance
Dates read: 15th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Borough Press
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: She could.

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Synopsis

She’s returned to an ex-lover to see if she can fix the mistakes of the past. But, is his haunting about to become hers?

Thoughts

This was a great play on the haunting of Heathcliff. It took the ideas and themes that highlight how badly Heathcliff treated Catherine, but twisted them into something a little more contemporary. Rather, it isn’t Catherine’s counterpart which is providing the haunting, but she does encourage it. And finds a way to twist it about so that he isn’t able to get away with his past and present actions.

This short story had a great intensity and beautiful symbolism throughout. It may not be one that I will read again and again, it just wasn’t that kind of happy, feel good tale that I like. But it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. And one that I think I gained from experiencing.

 <- One Letter Different ReviewFive Sites, Five Stages Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Forever Mine by Donna Grant

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Forever Mine
Author: Donna Grant
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Scottish romance
Dates read: 16th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d been fighting Niall for two years.

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Synopsis

He’s been fighting a tyrant for years, but when Niall takes a hostage, his life is going to change in ways that he just didn’t anticipate. And couldn’t ever imagine.

Thoughts

This short story kind of had it all – romance, conspiracy and a fair amount of action. I was only going to read a page or two (since it was a little bit of a longer short story), but then I found that I just couldn’t put it down. The sprinkling of action and conspiracies throughout the romance, all set against a great Scottish background made me walk into a wall (actually) since I found it so difficult to tear my gaze away.

I love that although this is a romance, the story was also one of revenge and reclaiming ones’ heritage. It was about finding your own power and taking care of others. Concepts that I always enjoy, but I don’t always find so strongly intertwined with a romance. I was actually quite disappointed that this was a short story for this reason… after all, there was so much room for a greater storyline that interweaved the powers of passion and revenge.

 <- The Reiver ReviewThe Laird’s French Bride Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Realer Than You by Christopher Barzak

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: Realer Than You
Author: Christopher Barzak
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Japanese mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 23rd March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: My dad’s boss, Mr. Fujita, got my dad acclimated to the area quickly, so I don’t think he ever felt that vertigo.

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Synopsis

It’s hard to find yourself, but when you’ve moved across the world to a country you don’t understand, it can be even more difficult. But a visit from a trickster spirit could help this young boy figure out what his new path to happiness will be.

Thoughts

We all know the feeling of not belonging. Of being a fish out of water, so to say. Sadly, not many of us necessarily know how to get rid of this feeling. And, sometimes when people are teenagers, they never move beyond this. Which is all the kinds of feelings that this short story reminded me of. The feeling of not belonging and loss. And, quite honestly, the suicide forest that I’ve heard of in Japan. It just had that beautifully and tragically eerie feeling to the tale that I just didn’t quite know what to do with.

I really like the idea of kitsune in the Japanese folklore, but I don’t know much about it. Nor have I read much based on this (as I am writing this review, I’m also ordering some novels to fix this gap in my reading). This didn’t give me much more information than I already have, but it did help to fill my need to find out more. After all, this is a mythology I’m not familiar with, in a culture that I think is fascinating and beautiful. And I’m especially obsessed with tricksters, so it just makes the book nerd in my salivate all the more.

I was kind of expecting a bit of a sad ending in this short story. After all, it immediately reminded me of suicide forests and tragedy. Luckily, it didn’t end in this way. And I had the privilege of closing the final page with a smile on my face.

 <- The Listeners ReviewThe Fiddler of Bayou Teche Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Bend to Beautiful by Bradley Somer

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Bend to Beautiful
Author: Bradley Somer
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Dates read: 23rd March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: So trapped.

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Synopsis

He’s bought a tragically beautiful man home, but what they both get out of the interaction is far more than they had bargained for. It might be time to bend to beautiful.

Thoughts

When I started reading this story, I thought that it was just another tale of a vampire seducing someone and taking them home. It felt a little different because it was about two men, but it still kind of felt same, same. Until about halfway through.

Halfway through the tale, my perception started to change. I wondered if the narrator’s voice was really the predator, instead of the prey. And just who was hunting who. Which was kind of nice. It provided a little bit of something new to a pretty typical story.

Reading this short story was quite fun, it was just easy and simple. Slightly unexpected, but nothing that will haunt me in the future. Just simple, comfortable and kind of fun.

 <- Soulfinger ReviewEvolving Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Coven of Mercy by Deborah Cooke

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of vampire romance 2 book cover

Title: Coven of Mercy
Author: Deborah Cooke
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Medical, Vampires
Dates read: 29th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: But one kiss, one kiss was nothing.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Dr Taylor is about to find out the true meaning of mercy. Taught by a man who has haunted her dreams for years, against the villain she has always fought.

Thoughts

I think if you talk to most people, you will find that cancer has impacted on them in some way, shape or form. Which means that there tends to be a whole heap of stories out there that feature cancer. What I wasn’t expecting was to find such a story in a collection of vampire romance tales… that kind of took me by surprise. In the best way possible.

I loved the play of mercy in this story. After all, everyone’s ideas and experiences of mercy are different. And this story was able to highlight that in a very few pages. The idea that each person’s experiences and needs for mercy are different. Actually, as the story unfolds, Rosemary’s ideals and experiences of mercy change too.

The naming of the chief protagonist as Rosemary was a final, nice touch to this story. Rosemary is used in funerals with Thyme (for remembrance I’m fairly certain) and I loved that a story which featured death as a mercy has a main character named for such…

 <- Paris After Dark ReviewLe Cirque de la Nuit Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository