All posts by skyebjenner

Troll’s-Eye View edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

Book Review, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for troll's-eye view book cover

Title: Troll’s-Eye View
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Delia Sherman, Garth Nix, Wendy Froud, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Peter S. Beagle, Ellen Kushner, Joseph Stanton, Holly Black, Jane Yolen, Nancy Farmer, Michael Cadnum, Catherynne M. Valente, Midori Snyder, Neil Gaiman & Kelly Link
In: Troll’s-Eye View (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings, Short story collections, Villains
Dates read: 12th December 2018 – 1st March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I could have wept.

Synopsis

Everyone thinks they know the real story behind the villains in fairy tales – evil, no two ways about it. But the villains themselves beg to differ. In this book you’ll hear from:
the Giant’s wife from “Jack and the Beanstalk”
the oldest of the Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rumpelstiltskin
the witch from “Hansel and Gretel”
someone called Evil Cinderella

Just watch these old stories do new tricks!

Thoughts

This is an incredibly easy, fun and engaging short story collection. It takes some brilliant authors who take you on journeys through well known fairy tales. The fact that these retellings all focus on the villains of the stories just made me love it even more. I always love the highlighting of grey areas and alternate tellings.

Troll’s-Eye View is a collection that is written for a very young age group. It’s simple and quaint. Easily accessible and fun. But, that doesn’t mean that as an adult you can’t enjoy it. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting down at the end of a long day and reading one of these short stories or poems. It was a great, fun and quick escape from the real world at a time when I’ve been really quite overwhelmed and stressed.

Most of my anthologies and collections contain only novellas and short stories. Troll’s-Eye View also has poems. They were enough to break up the flow throughout the story and leave you with a smile on your face.

<- Why Light?Wizard’s Apprentice ->

Image source: Amazon

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the silver chair grafton book cover

Title: The Silver Chair
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: Chronicles of Narnia #6
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Fantasy
Dates read: 23rd – 27th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Grafton
Year: 1953
5th sentence, 74th page: The children thanked her again, with shining eyes, and the Lady waved to them.

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

Quick!” said Eustace. “Hold hands! We mustn’t get separated!”
And before Jill quite knew what was happening, he had pulled her out of our whole world into That Place.

Eustace and Jill are whisked to the land of Narnia where Aslan, the great Lion, needs their help to find the missing Prince Rilian. Teaming up with Puddleglum, the Marsh Wiggle, the search takes them through some of the most dangerous underland of Narnia. Even if they attain their goal, it can only be the start of further trouble…

Thoughts

This is probably my least favourite of the Chronicles of Narnia. It’s still really good, but it just doesn’t have the same adventure spirit and oomph as the other tales. Maybe it’s because the Pensieve children don’t feature in this story at all. They are completely out of the picture, and I really missed them. After all, they are the children that made me fall in love with this series in the first place.

This was a great message of not letting your pride stand in the way of doing what is right. Every mistake that led to extra complications throughout this story happened because one of the characters, mostly Jill, was too prideful and didn’t share what was in her head. Or what she was told. Basically this story could have been much easier and the adventure much simpler if it wasn’t for the fact that Jill was kind of a pain in the ass child…

I did like that this story helps to span the rest of Prince Caspian’s lifetime. It follows the stories of Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and gives him a happily ever after that just wasn’t quite expected. And was definitely appreciated. He’s the only Narnian in the whole series that you get to span his entire life, and I kind of really liked that fact. It made this story feel a little more rounded, and a little more reassured that he too got a happily ever after in the end…

 <- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ReviewThe Last Battle Review ->
Image source: Sherlockian Booklover

Blyth’s Secret by Mike O’Driscoll

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for black feathers ellen datlow book cover

Title: Blyth’s Secret
Author: Mike O’Driscoll
In: Black Feathers (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Horror
Dates read: 7th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Pegasus Books Ltd.
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: She sighed.

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

A man with a horrible past and a weird obsession with corvids is trying to communicate with a crow… but when he finally learns his secret, it is far darker than he ever imagined.

Thoughts

Well. This didn’t end like I expected it to. At all. But it did end in a great way. Well, not for Wil, but for me and my sick, happy little brain… it ended brilliantly.

I always feel sympathy for those who are not quite socially… adequate. There is something kind of vulnerable about them. And this was highlighted throughout this story. Wil isn’t quite capable of working with others, and he just wants to be reclusive and left to his own research. But between a creepy corvid who keeps leading him about, and his own social inadequacies, it just isn’t meant to be.

The actual villain in this story was not remotely who I was expecting. I thought that it would be a hidden secret from Wil’s past, but it was someone completely… surprising. Which makes sense, because people like Ted Bundy were also completely unpredictable.

 <- The Murmurations of Vienna Von Drome ReviewThe Fortune of Sparrows Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: Chronicles of Narnia #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Fantasy
Dates read: 19th – 22nd March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Grafton
Year: 1951
5th sentence, 74th page: He realized that he was a monster cut off from the whole human race.

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

“Stop it!” cried Eustace. “It’s some silly trick you are playing! Ow!”
A great cold, salt splash had broken right out of the frame and they were breathless from the smack of it, as well as being wet through.

Lucy and Edmund, stuck with their awful cousin Eustace, suddenly find themselves on board the Dawn Treader – and realise they have fallen into the magical land of Narnia. Reunited with old friends, the young King Caspian and Reepicheep the mouse, they gladly join the voyage to the World’s End. Eustace, however, is not so happy…

Thoughts

It doesn’t matter how many times I read this story, I still love it. And my heart melts. And I get all gooey and happy on the inside. It really doesn’t matter how many times I read this, it is just as wonderful and amazing as the first time I read it when I was six years old.

I honestly don’t know why I love this story so much more than anything else from my childhood. It has the same level of writing, engagement and storytelling as some of the other tales I read as a kid. But it is just SO MUCH BETTER. It is change your life, melt your heart better. And honestly, I think part of the reason, is that as a child, Lucy was so easy for me to relate to. Even now, as an adult, I can understand and sympathise with Lucy better than most characters in the adult books I read today.

The other part of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader that I love is that it is a series of mini adventures. The overall story flows beautifully, but you could almost read each chapter separately. They are each their own tales and adventures. Something that I don’t often come across in novels. Or at least, this was the first time (as a child) that I read a story that was a little less dependent on what happened before to tell the story.

 <- Prince Caspian ReviewThe Silver Chair Review ->
Image source: Narnia Translations Home

The Ballad of the Last Human by Lavie Tidhar

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Title: The Ballad of the Last Human
Author: Lavie Tidhar
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Steampunk
Dates read: 6th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: They looked at the water and it seemed to form a strange, alien face, moonlight and moonshade adding to the semblance of a figure that mouthed words at them without sound.

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

Dogs and spiders can be best friends too… and they can go on many epic adventures in the mean time.

Thoughts

I kind of found it fitting that The Mammoth Book of Steampunk ended with a story called The Last Ballad. And that it talked about epic adventures by two best friends (who happen to be a dog and a spider) as they sail off into the sunset. An incredibly fitting ending to a very intense collection of stories.

This isn’t one of those stories that I really remember exactly what happened. It was just an easy and fun read. One that, whilst I might not remember the central storyline, I did certainly remember the end of the tale. Like I said, the imagery of riding off into the sunset together for more steampunk-esque adventures.

 <- To Seek Her Fortune ReviewThe Mammoth Book of Steampunk Adventures Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for dead end dating book cover

Title: Dead End Dating
Author: Kimberly Raye
Series: Dead End Dating #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 23rd October 2018 – 18th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: Not yet.

Synopsis

BITING IS SO LAST SEASON.

A vivacious vampire with a flair for accessorizing, Lil Marchette is unlike most of her kind. She prefers lively shades of pink to dismal black (soo not her color), plus she’s a hopeless romantic. In need of a steady paycheck to support a compulsive cosmetics habit, Lil starts Dead End Dating (DED), a Manhattan-based matchmaking service that helps smart, sophisticated singles like herself find eternity mates–and may even help her stake a claim to her very own Count Right!

When Lil meets geeky vampire Francis Deville, she knows he’s the perfect first client. If she can hook up Francis–after a little revamping, of course–she will prove her skills to the vampire community and turn DED into the hottest dating service in the Big Apple. But just as her business takes off, Lil meets the (literally) drop-dead gorgeous bounty hunter Ty Bonner, who is hot on the chase of a serial killer. Instantly drawn to the luscious vamp stud, Lil really wants a taste. But as a made vampire, Ty can’t procreate–and Lil will settle for nothing less. Luckily, between “vampifying” Francis and helping Ty solve his murder mystery, Lil has no time for silly romantic entanglements . . . even if Ty is all that and a Bloody Mary chaser!

Thoughts

It took me forever to read this book. And not because I didn’t absolutely adore it, but because my version was an ebook (I went online last night and rectified that mistake…).

Most vampire stories are kind of dark in some way, shape or form. Whether it’s the blood drinking, but skulking around at night or the (sometimes) ability to turn into bats, there is always an element of darkness to the tale. Not so with this vampire story. It was kind of funny and witty. It threw expectations to the wind and created a whole new form of vampire. Alright, Lil would drive me absolutely nuts, and I’d probably bond better with the dark and twisty vampires better… but this was far more enjoyable to read about.

This was one of those thoroughly enjoyable easy reads. There was a bit of a mystery throughout (who the evil kidnapper would be), a bit of romance and a lot of indecision. But, what I loved the most was the humour in the narrator’s voice. At every turn, fun was poked at common perceptions of vampires and vampirism, providing a far lighter fantasy journey that I have previously read. And now I can’t wait to see where Lil’s shopping problem and penchant for believing in true love will take her in Dead and Dateless.

<- More Kimberly RayeDead and Dateless ->

Image source: Amazon

A Comfort, One Way by Genevieve Valentine

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

Title: A Comfort, One Way
Author: Genevieve Valentine
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Wordplay
Dates read: 12th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Mary Anns show up at the door a little sooner; they don’t eat cakes and cordials that are just lying around.

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

We all know what happens to Alice, but what about the girls who are left behind? What about the duchess?

Thoughts

I loved the idea of a Mary Ann in the Alice world. This idea that every young girl who enters the world of Wonderland is a Mary Ann or an Alice and that there are defining moments which classify them as one or the other. It gives a great alternate point of view to the world which is a little less rushed and insane, and a little calmer and more deeply thought out.

I’ve never really thought much about the duchess in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She’s just yet another quite absurd and, well, creepy character that shows up in this calamity of crazy. But, now when I reread it, I’m going to pay far more attention to this one moment. After all, the backstory that this short tale provides makes me think about her in a whole new light.

 <- The Queen of Hats ReviewThe Flame After the Candle Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

Blue Serge by Martin Edwards

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

Title: Blue Serge
Author: Martin Edwards
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Easy reading, Historical fiction
Dates read: 13th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: But you had no fear, and you emerged vindicated.

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

A mysterious man approaches an old detective with the knowledge of Jack the Ripper’s identity. But as his story unfolds, so do the many twists and turns of the tale of the Blue Serge.

Thoughts

This short story really made me decide to pick up my book on The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper. It had this beautiful complexity and background to the storyline that I wasn’t expecting. There was also a lot of information and context in it that completely went over my head because I really don’t know all that much about Jack the Ripper.

I like the idea that the man who is perceived as the good guy at the beginning of the story slowly becomes unravelled. The roles become reversed and your sympathies slowly change throughout the unfolding of the tale. I always enjoy stories that make you question your perceptions and understandings. Although the change in your perception comes slowly, I love that the moments in which it most definitively hits are highlighted by a change in location. The symbolism and methodology work brilliantly together and gives you a sense of suspense throughout.

 <- The Ripper Legacy ReviewThe Simple Procedure Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman

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

Title: Troll Bridge
Author: Neil Gaiman
In: Snow White, Blood Red (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) & Smoke and Mirrors (Neil Gaiman) & Cursed (Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Villains
Dates read: 12th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: “She’s an innocent,” it said.

Synopsis

Promise and hope can quickly become lost in life. It might take the troll bridge for a young boy to finally realise this though.

Thoughts

I loved that this was a retelling of The Billy Goats Gruff, but through the lens of loss. Or, more specifically about a lost future and lost chances. It gave a fairy tale that already feels a little eerie a far more haunting appeal. There was something about a broken down village and an abandoned bridge that made you think of people who are broken and unable to fulfil their dreams and potential.

At the beginning of this tale, I kind of felt for the narrative. I thought that his life would be ended prematurely and that he would be sympathetic. And he was, to begin with… and then he quickly became less and less relatable. Less someone that I wanted a happily ever after for. And more someone that I wanted karma to visit… which it did in a round about way. But, that was enough to make me feel a little more comfortable. And to remind me why I love Neil Gaiman’s writings.

<- The Springfield SwansA Sound, Like Angels Singing ->

Image source: Amazon

One Letter Different by Joanna Cannon

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: One Letter Different
Author: Joanna Cannon
In: I Am Heathcliff (Kate Mosse)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Family
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Borough Press
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: Her father pulled straight into a space at the side of the road, and both her parents stared at her through the gap between the front seats.

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

Sometimes it takes the beauty and serenity of the Moors to find a way to move on. Sometimes you just need to stop and be still to breathe again.

Thoughts

This was so much less creepy than many of the other short stories in the I Am Heathcliff collection. Where the rest are about weird, obsessive, unrequited love, this is something a little more different. The moors still play a major part in the story. As does the sense of love and loss.

To me, this story was a lot about healing. From the outset I was kind of expecting a horror and another unhealthy and creepy love. But, as it unfolded, I realised that it was about a slightly different kind of love. It was still one that couldn’t be returned, but it was one that wasn’t so unhealthy. And mostly it just left me with a feeling of comfortable loss and sadness. One that I can’t fathom, but could kind of sympathise with.

 <- Thicker Than Blood ReviewThe Howling Girl Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers