All posts by skyebjenner

The Orphan Bird by Alison Littlewood

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

Title: The Orphan Bird
Author: Alison Littlewood
In: Black Feathers (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Dates read: 22nd February 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Pegasus Books Ltd.
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The water no longer felt cold; it was warming against his skin, running down his face and into his eyes.

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Synopsis

Birds and orphans intertwine to create a horrifying tale of revenge.

Thoughts

This story gave me the heeby jeebies. Which most of the stories in the Black Feathers collection do. The watching of birds and flashbacks to a past of bullying and abuse gave this story a very disjointed feel. But it isn’t until the end that I start to feel truly uncomfortable. After all, that is kind of horrifying. And it did leave me with some very not-okay dreams.

I think one of the reasons that I find this story so horrifying is that I like the idea of adopting in my future. And this child, the orphan bird, is a terrifying idea. He thinks nothing at murder, and even finds himself a young child to train in his place. There is such a sense of horror at the calm and assured way in which he follows the birds and commits his acts. Just. Terrifying.

 <- The Season of the Raptors ReviewThe Murmurations of Vienna Von Drome Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Siren by Kiera Cass

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the siren

Title: The Siren
Author: Kiera Cass
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Romance
Dates read: 26th February 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: The moment of truth.

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Synopsis

Love is a risk worth taking.

I’d waited an eternity for this.

I’d have waited all over again if I had to. I was meant to kiss this boy, designed to be held by him. All the careful postures I held melted away, and I pulled him closer.

We were STARS.

We were MUSIC.

We were TIME.

A heart-pounding romance from the bestselling author of The Selection series.

Thoughts

I was surprised by how much I loved this story. I was expecting a good, fun bit of fluff. Something that would be easy, cute and only slightly entertaining. Instead I found it impossible to put down and so thoroughly enjoyable that I had a huge grin on my face when I finally turned the very last page. There was just something so simple, cute and just quintessentially sweet about it.

Kahlen was a really great lead character. She is feminine, sweet and withdrawn. Throughout the entire story, she highlights the fact that it’s okay to not want to be the kind of person who clubs or socialises. It’s even okay to have the desire to just grow up and get married (it’s not my desire, but I like that it’s hers). I also kind of love how she wears vintage clothing and loves to bake. She’s the soft, beautiful best friend that I kind of want for myself. Actually… my best friend is like this in a lot of ways to be honest…

I believe in love at first sight. I even got that for myself with my partner. And yet, when I read about it, I tend to find that I just don’t really believe in it. there is often something so false and overdone in stories about young love. Yet, there is something about Kahlen and Akinli that actually makes this completely plausible. Their love has a kind of sweet and angsty feel, but it also has a genuineness to it. They see beyond the superficial to something far more deep and meaningful. Something that is integral to a true relationship. The very reason that I loved their relationship completely. And can’t stop thinking about it to be honest.

<- More fantasy reviewsMore romance reviews ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Arbeitskraft by Nick Mamatas

Book Review, ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Title: Arbeitskraft
Author: Nick Mamatas
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Steampunk
Dates read: 19th February 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: A great buzzing rose up from the device and a flickering illumination filled the room.

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Synopsis

Is it the time for a revolution? Or is this mad man just another over-privileged man from the upper class, trying to enforce his own ideals?

Thoughts

I enjoyed the fact that this short story was split into a series of almost interconnected chapters and stories. They create one long journey, but they also have a series of smaller moments that can be read independently of one another. I don’t often enjoy chapters (and so many chapters) in a short story. But Mamatas worked this perfectly and I almost found it more difficult to put the story down because of the stop-start flow of the tale.

The part of this story that struck me most heavily is that although the protagonist is trying to bring about change for the better, he’s not really doing it in all that great-a-way. First of all, he’s trying to bring about change and equality when he’s part of the upper class. He’s also forcing people to conform to his view of thinking and not listening to theirs. It’s forcing his ideas of equality on others and not actually listening to their views – which isn’t any kind of form of equality really.

 <- Cinderella Suicide ReviewTo Seek Her Fortune Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Black Spring by Alison Croggon

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover black spring

Title: Black Spring
Author: Alison Croggon
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Gothic, Retellings, Twisted romance
Dates read: 18th – 25th February 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Walker Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: But now I suspect that they might not have become so close if Lina hadn’t behaved so cruelly to begin with, and that part of his respect for her stemmed from his initial experience of her demonic temper.

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Synopsis

Lina is enchanting, vibrant by wilful. And her eyes betray her for what she truly is – a witch. With her childhood companion, Damek, she has grown up privileged and spoiled and the pair are devoted to each other to the point of obsession.
But times are changing.
Vendetta is coming.
And tragedy is stalking the halls of the Red House.

A stunning new novel by Alison Croggon, inspired by the Gothic classic Wuthering Heights.

Thoughts

The week before I read this I made an attempt at reading Wuthering Heights. I say attempt because I kind of hated it. Not the writing or the storyline, but the characterisation. So I wanted to tackle a retelling immediately after. After all, I like the idea of everything in the original, I just found Heathcliff so damn douchey that my rage couldn’t get past it to enjoy everything else that was going on. Black Spring helped to cure me of this.

Black Spring follows pretty much the same storyline as Wuthering Heights. It also makes Damek (Heathcliff) and Lina (Catherine) far more relatable. I still kind of thought that they were silly, and Damek was still the epitome of selfish, obsessive love. But, they were just on the wrong side of the line and so more approachable. It meant that I could appreciate the themes and ideas that were being shared, and actually enjoy the storyline while I was doing it.

My enjoyment of this story was probably helped along by the fact that there was a fantasy aspect to the storyline. The addition of magic and the emphasis on the disjoint between wizards and witches (gender) worked brilliantly to further highlight the unfairness and indignities which Lina was forced to face. It made her story a lot more tragic and sad than that of Catherine. I actually found myself liking Lina, although she had many of the same character flaws, it was much easier to see myself in her than in Catherine.

I absolutely adored everything about this book. But I think that the aspect I enjoyed the most was the ending. Damek’s haunting and horrible actions towards Lina’s daughter culminate in some kind of revenge. And the sway in which this was done was poetic justice at its finest.

 <- More Australian authors reviewsMore gothic reviews ->
Image source: Readings

Eating the Alice Cake by Kaaron Warren

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

Title: Eating the Alice Cake
Author: Kaaron Warren
In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy
Dates read: 7th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: For my uncle’s wine.

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Synopsis

The Mock Turtle keeps reminding Alice of her horrible past. But, what if it’s something that she doesn’t want to think about?

Thoughts

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is twisted. No matter which way you look at it, there is a lot of twisty-ness to the original story. This Alice in Wonderland story is twisted too. Just in a more… disturbing way.

The Mock Turtle always seemed like something that was a little dour and depressing. Something that highlights everything that you don’t like about yourself. So a short story that focuses on this aspect of the original made me really quite happy. The fact that the depressing moments in Alice’s life aren’t so nice… well, that made me less happy.

I thought that the end of this story was kind of incredibly… cruel. Which worked well with the theme. After all, it’s a twisted version of Alice’s Wonderland and the Mock Turtle. And it ends kind of twisted too.

 <- Worrity, Worrity ReviewThe Queen of Hats Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

Martha by Columbkill Noonan

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

Title: Martha
Author: Columbkill Noonan
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 7th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: And there were that time last year, when you done got so jealous and threatned that one lady with her own scissors.

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Synopsis

Martha is jealous of all of the women that her man is spending time with. But, when the Ripper starts killing these same women, she’s not sure whether it was her or something more sinister…

Thoughts

I really need to do a little more research on Jack the Ripper before I continue reading too many of these short stories. They’re amazing, and I love the journey that they take me on, but I don’t click as to the character’s names and the theories as quickly as I do with topics I’m far more knowledgeable on. So, it took me a while to figure out whether Martha was a woman who was a likely suspect, or one that was a likely victim.

At the beginning I thought that this was a great little retelling with the woman as the villain. It made sense in a completely perverse way, and it made me intrigued as to the who and the why (as I know many, many, many people have been before me). But, then, as the story progressed, I became more uncertain and confused. The misleads and the vagueness surrounding this story was actually surprisingly fun and has made me dig out my book on Jack The Ripper (the one that is actually the historical background, not the retellings).

 <- The Guided Tour ReviewThe Ripper Legacy Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Changelings by Melanie Tem

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

Title: The Changelings
Author: Melanie Tem
In: Snow White, Blood Red (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Fairy tales
Dates read: 27th February 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Signet
Year: 1993
5th sentence, 74th page: She ran a hand through her hair so that it fairly sparkled.

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Synopsis

We’ve all heard story about changelings… but what happens when you think you’ve got one and can’t find a way to prove it?

Thoughts

I’ve read a lot of fae stories in my time. And a lot of them have had a changeling as the lead character. There is always a sense of sympathy invoked by their plight too. Often the mother they have been left with doesn’t accept them and leaves them feeling lost and forlorn. This is the first story that I’ve read which focuses on how horrible and terrifying this situation would be for the mother. And now some of my favourite characters have made me feel turned on my head too.

For some ridiculous reason, I was kind of expecting a happy ending to this tale. One for the children, the changelings and one for the mother. It didn’t end like that. And, since this is in a collection of very adult fairy tales, I really, really shouldn’t have been surprised. All of the fairy tales in this collection have made me feel uncomfortable in one way or another. This story was no different, and although I loved it, I still felt that I needed to walk away from the dark fairy tales for a little while.

 <- Little Poucet ReviewThe Springfield Swans Review ->
Image source: Amazon

A Bird, Half-Eaten by Nikesh Shukla

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: A Bird, Half-Eaten
Author: Nikesh Shukla
In: I Am Heathcliff (Kate Mosse)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Sport
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Borough Press
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: The first thing you told me was that you’re a Southpaw.

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Synopsis

Preparing for a boxing match can be a single-minded and obsessive passion. Especially when you feel that revenge is necessary.

Thoughts

This is an incredibly intense story. It’s obsessive to the point of violence, yet, there is a recognition of this in the narrator’s voice. Moments of “problematic behaviour” are quickly recognised and recalibrated. Something that I don’t often see in stories with the slightly creepy stalker types. They don’t understand that there is something wrong in what they are doing…

I loved the way in which this story flickered from present training to past fights. The ways in which his own feelings of inadequacy (Heathcliff anyone) have developed and driven him to try and become a predator, someone who isn’t “a bird, half-eaten”.

 <- Anima ReviewThicker Than Blood Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Her MacKinnon by Sandy Blair

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

Title: Her MacKinnon
Author: Sandy Blair
Series: MacKinnon #1.5
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: Contemporary romance, Scottish romance, Time travel
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Grinning, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “May I have this dance?”

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Synopsis

Maggie is stuck in a marriage with a man who is obsessed with the past. But a surprise accident turns everything on its head as a legend comes to lief and the past comes back to haunt them.

Thoughts

I was kind of surprised by how much I liked this short story. At the outset Maggie’s husband is completely horrible and I couldn’t see how he would be redeemed. The fact that she’s married tends to mean that there’s not a good way in which to find herself a new partner. So I really couldn’t see a way in which the story could be redeemable. The man is a horrible excuse for a husband, and Maggie has no way to get herself a new romance in such a short story.

Luckily for me, Blair managed to create a fantastic world in which Maggie was able to be with her true love, he wasn’t a douche and they got their happily ever after. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it actually worked brilliantly. And I loved the fact that it all took place in modern day society. There was still a historical fiction aspect to the story, but it is still about a contemporary romance.

 <- Kissingate Magic ReviewThe Reiver Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Wagers of Gold Mountain by Steve Berman

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

Title: Wagers of Gold Mountain
Author: Steve Berman
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The hatchet man turned to Yuan.

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Synopsis

Yuan just wants to help his brother survive, but a deal with a pair of tricksters could be his downfall… or his salvation.

Thoughts

I really wasn’t expecting a Trickster story with a Chinese spin on it when I started reading this story. I was kind of expecting another Native American / Coyote story. But I really liked the fact that there was a very different spin on the Trickster tale. For starters, it is based in California during the Gold Rush and features a time long gone.

The duality of an immigrant moving to a new country is reflected in the duality of the trickster which Yuan comes across. There is the Chinese inspired woman who is a little blood thirsty and kind of terrifying, and then the fat American trickster who is a lot more pompous and self-centred. They work as two sides of the same coin… the impact which the gold rush and movements of immigrants into California during the period.

Most Trickster tales I’ve read involve the trickster getting the better of the victim. Instead, the tables are flipped and he spends his time figuring out the trap that has been laid for him. And, eventually it is the victim of the deal who is able to gain the upper hand.

 <- Coyote Woman ReviewThe Listeners Review ->
Image source: Amazon