Tag Archives: Evolve

Alia’s Angel by Rhea Rose

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Alia’s Angel
Author: Rhea Rose
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Dates read: 19th February 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘”Let me see.”

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Synopsis

Alia is trying to help her Angel survive. But, is there are more sinister, hidden relationship going on here? Will Alia or her Angel truly survive?

Thoughts

The idea of a vampire (which I’m assuming Angel is, because it’s never really explicitly explained) in the slums of an apartment building work kind of brilliantly. After all, I really don’t like those stories which tote vampires as the epitome of society. They’re predators. And generally the bad guy. So I kind of liked that there is a story that features one in a kind of horrible position. The dankness fits the theme a lot better than I was expecting.

This was one of those gloriously open-ended short stories. Although there is a beginning, a middle and an end. You can expect Angel returning to visit Alia again. The boy achieving his ultimate goal. Any number of endings and storylines that would work in so well.

 <- All You Can Eat, All the Time ReviewWhen I’m Armouring My Belly Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

All You Can Eat, All the Time by Claude Lalumiere

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: All You Can Eat, All the Time
Author: Claude Lalumiere
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Dates read: 17th February 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Why the hell is he telling me all this?

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Synopsis

Jenny is a young woman on the prowl. Hunting for something that will just make her feel alive. But what she ends up finding might be a little more than she bargained for…

Thoughts

I can’t say that I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. I liked that it took a new spin on an old classic. I even liked the rough shape of the story. The narrative voice drove me absolutely nuts though. There was a like, in like, every, like sentence…

This was one of those weird, trying to do a remake of vampire lore, but only halfway managing it kind of stories. It was a great premise. And even the execution wasn’t too bad. But it just felt seriously lacking in something. Which means that whilst it was kind of an enjoyable read… it’s also a read that I will be forgetting about quite quickly.

 <- The Morning After ReviewAlia’s Angel Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Morning After by Claude Bolduc

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: The Morning After
Author: Claude Bolduc
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: She could have chosen another.

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Synopsis

A woman wakes up blind and alone, now she just has to figure out exactly what happened to her…

Thoughts

I mostly enjoyed the premise of this story. It was just obvious that it was a translated short story, and I think that in that it lost some of its oomph. The general, fun gist of this story was great – but as I said, there were many moments that felt like they could have been more interesting, but there was something that just didn’t make it across translation…

I like that in this journey to remembering who she is, the young woman seems to be finally getting her feet under her. There is a sense of completion, and this idea that maybe she has a slightly interesting immortal life ahead of her. Until the end. When you realise that she really doesn’t have all that much time left after all.

 <- Mamma’s Boy ReviewAll You Can Eat, All the Time Review ->
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Mamma’s Boy by Sandra Wickham

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Mamma’s Boy
Author: Sandra Wickham
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Demons
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Ruth cursed him, but lowered the knife.

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Synopsis

Ruth is about to give birth to a half monster baby. But will she find a way to make him a Mamma’s Boy?

Thoughts

This very short story gives a whole new meaning to the term “mamma’s boy”. And I know a few mamma’s boys… so it kind of made me feel uncomfortable. Maybe if they were a half demon baby, they would have turned out like this too…

I couldn’t believe how quickly this story went through the emotions and trials. It seemed like mere moments from the point in which Ruth is trying to get rid of her demon ex, to starting her new life with her demon baby. And although I really enjoyed it and could trace the entire storyline, it was pretty much over in the blink of an eye. A bit like this review.

 <- An Ember Amongst the Fallen ReviewThe Morning After Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

An Ember Amongst the Fallen by Colleen Anderson

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: An Ember Amongst the Fallen
Author: Colleen Anderson
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Then he opened a vein on the cow’s wrist and dripped the blood into the wine, watching the drops swirl and spread.

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Synopsis

An interesting take on the idea of vampires keeping their own “sheep”, and the ways in which they view them. It’s a little too similar to how some people view cattle.

Thoughts

I felt super uncomfortable reading this short story. Which I’m pretty sure was the aim. It took a weird turn at the end which made me go from morally questioning and uncomfortable… to just downright uncomfortable. Like really. Like I have struggled to write any kind of review for this because I’m just… yup, you guessed it… uncomfortable.

Actually, this made me so uncomfortable that I’m just not going to say much more about it. Other than it is really worth the read…

 <- Come to Me ReviewMamma’s Boy Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Come to Me by Heather Clitheroe

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Come to Me
Author: Heather Clitheroe
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Those days, she was glad to leave tiny Vauxhall – the short main street with the farm supply store at one end and the fire station at the other, the flat horizon that stretched out and away until it met the sky.

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Synopsis

A voice keeps on telling her to go to the forest and never return. Will she obey the strange compulsion?

Thoughts

I’ve heard of the suicide forests in Japan. I’ve also read a lot about the kitsune. So a vampirific story that combines both of them? Well, that’s right up my alley. Especially when written with the dreamy, wafty style of this short story.

There is a constant quiet voice throughout this story that eggs on the unhappy lead. She is lost in her world and too stubborn to make a change. So someone else decides to make the change for her… in an incredibly negative way.

 <- Sleepless in Calgary ReviewAn Ember Amongst the Fallen Review ->
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Sleepless in Calgary by Kevin Cockle

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Sleepless in Calgary
Author: Kevin Cockle
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Urban fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: David pulled his arms back then struck again.

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Synopsis

A chance meeting with a vampire no one else can see on his daily commute causes David to start seriously thinking about the way he’s living his life.

Thoughts

This short story took an exceptionally unexpected turn. I thought that the man would either be insane or turn into a vampire. And he kind of did… to both. But not even remotely in the way that I was expecting. Actually… it was kind of super weird and tripped out to be honest. Fun though. And it gave me a good little giggle.

I’ve read a number of stories and theories that feature the idea that we just have to all believe in something strong enough for it to become reality. Cockle is able to harness this idea in a way that was completely unexpected. And one that was quite humorous and twisted in and of itself.

 <- The Drinker ReviewCome to Me Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Drinker by Victoria Fisher

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: The Drinker
Author: Victoria Fisher
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I was already thirsty when I arrived.

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Synopsis

Everyone remembers their first… even if it is the first soul that they destroy.

Thoughts

I’m not 100% how the vampirism works in this story… I get the feeling that the heart is taken from the new vampire. And then they start to suck away people’s souls and potential. That’s at least the gist that I got from this short story. Which is a really cool concept. If I’m correct. And honestly, my biggest issue with this story was the fact that I’m really not sure what was going on and the background behind the story.

Some people have a run of bad luck, but the fact that someone who is just a no hoper and willing to take someone else’s success kind of sucked. Especially when the voice of the story was so annoyingly self centred. As I said, great concept of a story, but didn’t necessarily enjoy the execution of it.

 <- Red Blues ReviewSleepless in Calgary Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Red Blues by Michael Skeet

Book Review,
Overview
Evolve

Title: Red Blues
Author: Michael Skeet
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: You wait.

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Synopsis

A jazz musician and a vampire have decided who they want… but will he get her with his musical ways?

Thoughts

The beginning paragraphs of this story are very well written. They are slightly vague, and make you think of a vampire sinking his or her teeth into a woman’s neck. They give this slightly titillating feeling to the words and a very sensual ideal to a hunger that is not your own. And then Skeet turns the tables and you find out that the narrator is discussing jazz and an instrument.

Although I loved the opening of this story, the rest was a little too typical vampirish for me… male vampire lures female victim in. Takes a while. Which builds suspense. Then he triumphs and the cycle is set to begin again. It’s well written and it’s fun. But it just doesn’t quite have that same sense of intrigue that less predictable vampire stories can hold…

 <- The New Forty ReviewThe Drinker Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The New Forty by Rebecca Bradley

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: The New Forty
Author: Rebecca Bradley
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I never properly saw his face.

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Synopsis

Vampires in the media are always beautiful, glorious and oozing sexual appeal. But what about those who are just that little bit older? Maybe they’ve become the “new forty”.

Thoughts

I’ve always been frustrated by the term “new _____” like thirty is the new twenty and such. It just seems so silly and frivolous, and this short story kind of highlighted that for me. It made fun of the phrase, made fun of vampires, and made fun of our obsession with media.

I’ve had very mixed feelings about vampire stories since Twilight became such a hit. On one hand, I can understand the fascination, and there are some amazing series based around it. On the other hand, I really don’t understand what is romantic about a set of creatures that hunt and kill humans to survive – if they weren’t vampires, they’d be serial killers. This confusion and frustration about modern perceptions of the myth comes through while the main character is watching Opera (another thing I really don’t understand).

This is such a nice, easy, fun and amusing story that takes the vampire genre and makes fun of it. all while still falling within the genre it is mocking itself.

 <- Resonance ReviewRed Blues Review ->
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