Tag Archives: Fantasy

The Light That Passes Through You by Conrad Williams

June 4, 2020Book ReviewConrad Williams, Fantasy, Sirens and Other Daemon Loversskyebjenner

Image result for sirens and other daemon lovers book cover

Title: The Light That Passes Through You
Author: Conrad Williams
In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy
Dates read: 8th May 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: EOS
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: We tooled up and down the main drag, trying on sunglasses and hats.

It’s not always wise to visit the past. Especially when she comes with strings attached.

I think that everyone has that person in their past that somehow haunts them. Whether it is the what if person, the one you let get away, or just generally someone that you reminisce about the good times, even though they ended. I am also a strong believer in the idea that once that person has left your left, it’s probably for a good reason and you really don’t need to revisit that relationship. This story just drove home that belief for me.

From the very beginning, Louise had this incredibly intense and haunting quality to her. She was waif like at the beginning, and then, as her inner “light” returns, she becomes a haunting figure of a completely different quality. Although there was definitely a supernatural feel to the story, it was that haunting of the past that really stuck with me. That sense that you can never return and should never try to kept on jumping at me from the pages…

Although I wasn’t completely enthralled at the time, the more that I think about this short story, the more I appreciate it. There is lust and a sense of sexuality to the story that is so very subverted. It kind of lingers long after you turn the final page. One that I’m still experiencing as I write this review.

<- O for a Fiery Gloom and Thee

Private Words ->

Image source: Goodreads

Bitter Draught by Michael Earp

June 2, 2020Book ReviewFantasy, LGBTQI, Michael Earpskyebjenner

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Title: Bitter Draught
Author: Michael Earp
In: Kindred (Michael Earp)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, LGBTQI
Dates read: 7th May 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Walker Books
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: The stories say that shopkeepers and traders will hear a knock on their door close to midnight.

Simeon has always been content in his little world with his parents, his sister and Wyatt. But a horrible illness and a journey to find the village witch rip his world apart.

Starting this story, I was really intrigued to find out where the “bitter draught” was going to come from. I was honestly expecting something that dealt with prejudice or the difficulties in realising that you are LGBTQI+. But, it wasn’t that at all. Like the first few short stories in this collection, the fact that Simeon was gay wasn’t even dealt with in any way expect to say that he had a significant other who was also male. I love this acceptance and simplicity in the writing. What I wasn’t sure on though was what the “bitter draught” would then end up being…

Simeon’s desire to help his sister, even if it means following a floating pebble and finding a witch that he’s kind of scared of was a nice little journey. It didn’t have that horrifying intensity of some of the similar stories that I’ve read. But it still lent a sense of urgency to Simeon’s journey. The fact that cracks in his relationship with Wyatt begin to appear just helps lend this sense of surrealness and intensity to their adventure. Even if it is technically all about saving Simeon’s sister…

The reveal of the “bitter draught” at the end of this story is bittersweet. It’s not as tragic as I was expecting, but it is also quite sad. Mostly, this story serves as a reminder that sometimes the most painful thing in the world is just the truth. And that can be quite a bitter pill to swallow…

<- In Case of Emergency, Break Glass

I Like Your Rotation ->

Image source: Bookdepository

Last Rites by Louise Cooper

May 30, 2020Book ReviewDeath, Fantasy, Louise Cooper, Magic, The Mammoth Book of Dark Magicskyebjenner

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Title: Last Rites
Author: Louise Cooper
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Death, Fantasy, Magic
Dates read: 30th April 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1994
5th sentence, 74th page: Again the warning gesture, but now the sly humour was back.

They’re in a world surrounded by chaos. And their leader is about to pass on… who will perform the last rites?

This was a seriously tripped out story. I did enjoy it. But I can’t really remember much of what happened… I suppose many of the more trippy stories that I read are like that though. They have this ethereal quality that makes you feel like you’ve forgotten what you’ve read… even though you only just turned the last page. And it’s kind of suited that a story about chaos does this so well…

I think that this is one short story that I’m going to want to read again and again. It is intriguing and was most certainly enjoyable. But I felt like I was constantly missing things as I went through the story. There were so many symbolic moments interwoven throughout the story and tales of chaos. Moments that may have a little more clarity to them after I read through this story a second time.

Definitely an enjoyable short story. One that I look forward to reading again in the future. It is the kind of story that will intrigue and enthral. The world of chaos and the questions it raises at the end… well, it was really quite intense.

<- The Last Witch

The Eternal Altercation ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Can’t Catch Me by Michael Cadnum

May 6, 2020Book ReviewBlack Thorn White Rose, Fairy tales, Fantasy, Michael Cadnum, Retellingsskyebjenner

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Title: Can’t Catch Me
Author: Michael Cadnum
In: Black Thorn, White Rose (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Fantasy, Retellings
Dates read: 6th April 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Prime Books
Year: 1994
5th sentence, 74th page: It was a shock, I can tell you, and I think I might have been a little bit more prepared, but I know everyone says Mom and Dad should have done a better job, and I get tired of people blaming someone else for their problems.

Did you ever wonder why the gingerbread man ran? Or why they chased him? This story will answer all those questions…

I just finished reading this short story and I can’t get the rhyme “you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” out of my head. There is something very lyrical and stuck-in-the head about it all. And now I’m going to spend the rest of the night chanting that to my dogs and just generally freaking them out…

I’ve never really thought about how the gingerbread man felt in the story. Or even why so many people were chasing a cookie… but this short story definitely gave a new spin to an old classic. There is something in the way it’s written and the intensity of the story that made me go “duh” of course that’s the way that it was.

My favourite aspect of this story though was the very beginning. Something about those very first words completely drew me in and made me absolutely fascinated by the world in which “hot” is the beginner. And parents are just trying to do what’s best for you… even if it is keeping you in the oven.

<- Ogre

Journeybread Recipe ->

Image source: Goodreads

Ogre by Michael Kandel

April 26, 2020Book ReviewBlack Thorn White Rose, Fae, Fantasy, Michael Kandelskyebjenner

Title: Ogre
Author: Michael Kandel
In: Black Thorn, White Rose (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Fantasy
Dates read: 25th March 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Prime Books
Year: 1994
5th sentence, 74th page: At least he had no problem carrying.

All he wants is to put on an amazing play. But, with a series of blunders, an inept crew and a few others out to get him… things aren’t quite going as planned.

You know that a story is going to be kind of funny and really interesting when it starts out with someone telling another character to stop eating human flesh. Because it gives him bad breath. And that he can’t have that when acting. It’s a pretty interesting and funny start to a story. One that I was giggling about from the very beginning of this very short story.

I’ve never really had an inclination to do any form of acting. Just not my thing I suppose. But I do love the fodder that it provides for story telling. And the fact that this was shifted to include what I can only assume is a paranormal / fae cast (one of which I hope is an ogre) just made it all the more fun. And incredibly funny.

This is a seriously short story (only about 5 or 6 pages). But it’s just enough to make me enjoy Kandel’s writing and wonder at what else he has written. That, and just enjoy the journey that I got to go on with this writing in the first place. It is enjoyable, fun and totally unique. Definitely a short story that I won’t mind reading again.

<- Near-Beauty

Can’t Catch Me ->

Image source: Goodreads

Tastings by Neil Gaiman

April 24, 2020Book ReviewFantasy, Lust, Neil Gaiman, Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers, Smoke and Mirrors, Twisted Romanceskyebjenner

Title: Tastings
Author: Neil Gaiman
In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) & Smoke and Mirrors (Neil Gaiman)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Lust, Twisted romance
Dates read: 25th March 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: EOS
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: You’re very beautiful.

A male escort and a famous woman are spending one evening together. But what they want from each other is a little more than anticipated.

Any story that starts off talking about an escort and a famous woman is going to be a little interesting… especially when it’s in a collection such as Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers. Then you just know that there is going to be FAR more to this story that initially assumed… after all, it’s a collection about lust and romance in the shadier sides of the supernatural world.

As soon as I saw that this was a Neil Gaiman short story, I got quite excited. There is just something about his writing that I absolutely adore and it draws me in immediately. I didn’t expect the way that this story would go at all though. To start with a male escort who has the powers of mind reading and then switch that to the woman who then completely turns the tables on him… it was a very different approach. And one that I just completely lapped up. I was actually incredibly disappointed when it was all over. I wanted to keep reading about this incredibly weird sexual couple.

The use of a succubus was kind of expected for the collection that I read this in. But the double use of this power and the different ways in which it was manifested was something of a surprise. It was also intriguing when I’m fairly certain that one of the couple was killed at the end… it’s not outright stated. But that’s how I like to imagine the ending of this story.

<- A Wife of Acorn, Leaf, and Rain

The Sweet of Bitter Bark and Burning Clove ->

Image source: Goodreads

In the Season of Rains by Ellen Steiber

April 10, 2020Book ReviewEllen Steiber, Fantasy, Lust, Sirens and Other Daemon Loversskyebjenner

Title: In the Season of Rains
Author: Ellen Steiber
In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Lust
Dates read: 8th March 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: EOS
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: She reached a hand toward him and the scent of the datura became stronger.

Enrique has always pushed women away. Always kept himself in control of the relationship. Until one dark night when the rain is thundering down on his garden… then everything changes.

This short story had a great… quality about it. There was the sense of another (non-Anglo Saxon) culture about it. Although, it was a little vague on exactly which culture was inspiring the mythical woman in this story. I also loved the imagery of the garden and the rain. There is nothing like having a beautiful garden. And the sound and scent of rain surrounding it? Also stunningly beautiful. It worked well with a random, half-dressed woman strolling through the plants.

I felt like I should have had a little more sympathy for Enrique. But, honestly, I felt like he kind of got his comeuppance. He constantly wanted to show that he was less caring than the women he bought home. So he kind of got his poetic justice for using people. Fine, he did tell them that he wasn’t into commitment… but honestly, that’s just a kind of insane way to approach any kind of intimacy.

Although this story had a slightly dark feel to it, it also had me smiling all throughout. Probably because I really appreciated the poetic justice in it. There was just something refreshing and enjoyable about the whole story. Kind of like standing in the garden after a fresh rain.

<- Attachments

Bird Count ->

Image source: Goodreads

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

April 2, 2020Book ReviewFantasy, Romance, Sarah J. Maas, Strong Women, Throne of Glassskyebjenner

Image result for book cover empire of storms

Title: Empire of Storms
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Romance, Strong women
Dates read: 11th January – 4th March 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: His mother and younger brother were still ensconced in their mountain residence in Ararat.

BLOOD WILL RUN.
DREAMS WILL SHATTER.
AN ARMY MUST RISE.

The assassin-queen has sworn not to turn her back on her kingdom again. Especially when she might be the only one who can raise an army to keep the Dark King from unleashing his beasts upon them all. But Erawan will wield Aelin’s past, her allies, and her enemies against her.

With a poewrful court trusting Aelin to lead them, and her heart devoted to the arrior-prince at her side, what – or who – is she willing to sacrifice to spare her world from being torn apart?

This is an “oh my heart” book. And it’s like that from the very beginning. I’ve been putting off reading it for a while since I always get ridiculously hooked on Maas’ writing. Normally that’s not such an issue because I can read the whole book cover to cover in just a day… this book is a little longer, and I had to be an adult. But I finally put aside a day to read it. And… oh my heart.

There is just something about Aelin’s story that is both tragic and intriguing. From the very beginning of the story nothing seems to work out for her… her triumphant return to Terrassen? Not so triumphant. Her court? A little bit frayed. And the end battle? I had tears streaming down my face. It was just… hurtful and tragic. And just… wow.

As soon as I finished this book I rang my sister. She’s read this… I had to have somebody who understood the many, many feelings that this book inspires. I also had to clean the house because I needed happy, non-tragic thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, this book is amazing. But it will punch you in the heart. Be prepared to have your jaw drop. Continuously. As Maas manages to systematically rip your heart to shreds. Every time you think that something is going to go right… it doesn’t. Hopes are dashed again and again and again. Yet, it is done in such a way that you still walk away from this book feeling somewhat… happy. Which makes absolutely zero sense. Because, as I keep saying, this whole thing is a tragedy from beginning to end. But there is still this sense of hope at the very conclusion.

I really wanted to pick up Tower of Dawn as soon as I turned the final page. Yet, I also felt like I needed to take a step back and be a little more productive. I know that once I open the second to last book, I’m going to get sucked right back into this amazing, impossible to forget world. One that is impossible to walk away from and forget.

<- Queen of Shadows

Tower of Dawn ->

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The Colliers’ Venus (1893) by Caitlin R. Kiernan

January 18, 2020Book ReviewCaitlin R. Kiernan, Fantasy, Naked City, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

Title: The Colliers’ Venus (1893)
Author: Caitlin R. Kiernan
In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 18th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: “How very inspirational.”

There is something waking in the mines. But only he knows how to deal with it.

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that mines are kind of terrifying places. The passage of time is also terrifying, but in a more abstract way. So a story that somehow combines these two things? It actually worked out incredibly well as a scary short story. Nothing terrifying, not like the Stephen King books I’ve been reading lately… but still not a comfortable story.

There’s something about Kiernan’s short stories that are just a little darker and more twisted than the others in my collections. Or at least, in the collections that she’s been in. It’s nothing obvious and poignant, but, as soon as I finish one of her short stories I just feel… uncomfortable. And kind of just sit there feeling a bit “huh” over what I just read. Which is kind of amazing. But also means that I have to be in the right mood to enjoy her stuff.

I loved how this story was created out of a vague, dreamy state. Nothing felt concrete and real in the storyline and as I turned the last page I just kind of sat there staring at the wall. Trying to figure out all the intricacies of the storyline. I’m still not quite sure that I’ve got it… but that’s why I love to reread stories!

<- The Skinny Girl Review

King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree Review ->

Image source: Patricia Briggs

Reel Life by Steven Savile

January 16, 2020Book ReviewFantasy, Glass Town, Science Fiction, Steven Savile, Thrillerskyebjenner

Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: Reel Life
Author: Steven Savile
Series: Glass Town #1.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Science fiction, Thriller
Dates read: 17th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Taking him out of this place was the easiest way he knew how to hurt Eleanor.

His jealousy caused him to steal the girl of his brother’s dreams and keep her trapped in limbo with him. Now he wants out in the real world. But his reality might just stop him from finally getting everything he wants. After all, this is reel life.

There’s something about tales of obsessive love that really pull me in. I never like the people / characters who have this tendency. I always find it annoying and want to smack the moron who is being so intense… but I also always love them. Not sure why. Don’t want to know what that says about me. And this was one such story. I hated the lead character (he’s a villain, I think that you should hate him). I felt sorry for his victims. I couldn’t put this story down.

I think that jealousy is one of the worst emotions. It seems to be the driver for some of the worst acts committed. Which, of course meant that every bad act that the villain in this committed had it’s roots in this disgusting emotion. I know that the colour green on me is often when I do and say the worst things… apparently that is also the case in this story. But getting your revenge for this and what you wished for? Luckily, as Seth found out… that revenge often isn’t the best thing in the world. 😊

I think that one of the things I loved most about this short story is the playing around with time. It’s often been discussed in my anthropology classes and studies that time is a human construct. It’s our understanding of it that shapes time. Of course there is still a passage of time… but yeah, it’s super philosophical and I freaking love that discussion. Threads of it make their way through this story. Which might be why I just couldn’t make myself put it down and / or stop thinking about it.

<- Unexpected Choices Review

The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion Review ->

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

Tag Archives: Fantasy

The Light That Passes Through You by Conrad Williams

Bitter Draught by Michael Earp

Last Rites by Louise Cooper

Can’t Catch Me by Michael Cadnum

Ogre by Michael Kandel

Tastings by Neil Gaiman

In the Season of Rains by Ellen Steiber

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

The Colliers’ Venus (1893) by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Image source: Patricia Briggs

Reel Life by Steven Savile

Image source: Simon & Schuster