Tag Archives: Glitter and Mayhem

With Her Hundred Miles to Hell by Kat Howard

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: With Her Hundred Miles to Hell
Author: Kat Howard
In: Glitter and Mayhem (Amber Benson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2013

Thoughts

This was a very convoluted, dream-scape type short story. For me, it was all about the darkness of dreams and the journey to death and hell. It was really fun to read and kind of brilliant, but, as I mentioned, kind of dark and, almost felt a bit like a fever dream to read.

Reading this felt very disjointed and dreamy, and was probably not the best short story to read right before bed. But, I kind of enjoyed being in a dream scape, before actually entering my own dream world.

With Her Hundred Miles to Hell was all about the little deaths that we must sacrifice to bring our dreams to life. And I seriously enjoyed the premise. I kind of wanted this to be longer and expanded. It was a truly intriguing and dark story. One that I would most definitely read again (and probably find new things to be fascinated by).

<- Apex JumpStar Dancer ->

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Apex Jump by David J. Schwartz

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Apex Jump
Author: David J. Schwartz
In: Glitter and Mayhem (Amber Benson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: LGBTQI, Science fiction, Space
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2013

Thoughts

Roller Derby, whilst something I’ve never seen (or tried), is something that I am completely intrigued by. Which means that the idea of Roller Derby in space just makes me all that much more intrigued. Honestly, Roller Derby in space is a fantastic idea that I absolutely loved, and the way that Schwartz executed this, completely brilliant!

This would have been an amazing story regardless of who the narrator was, but the fact that they are a trans woman and keep alluding to a painful past? Somehow that just made it all that much better. Plus, the narrator was brilliantly able to explain the dynamics of her team and how much they all love each other, even if they’re not perfect. I also love how there are multiple (in the double digits) gender groupings for the aliens. It just serves as a great reminder of how narrow-minded our culture is about gender.

This short story felt like a snippet in time and just a beautiful moment in somebody else’s life. And I really like that I got to visit this. It had such a positive and joyful feeling to it. One that involved Roller Derby and a fun trip to space. I absolutely loved this story and found it a joyful journey into an unimaginably creative world.

<- Sister TwelveWith Her Hundred Miles to Hell ->

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Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster by Christopher Barzak

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Sister Twelve: Confessions of a Party Monster
Author: Christopher Barzak
In: Glitter and Mayhem (Amber Benson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2013

Thoughts

I don’t know what I was expecting to start this collection, but a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princes wasn’t quite what I had in mind. And I loved it! Plus, there was a bit of a glam dance theme going on that I dug. And the father as the villain? A fantastic spin on the already eerily beautiful fairy tale.

The narrator of this is the quintessential stereotype of a youngest sibling – impulsive and just a little bit selfish. All she wants throughout this is her freedom and independence, which i can understand. However, there was also something painfully naive and selfish.

I’m not 100% about the choices made at the end of this story. I mean, she runs away to a world of dancing and independence. There’s also drugs and ambiguity, and living in a not quite there realm. It’s maybe better than being forced into a marriage with a gross old man, but I’m not entirely sure by how much…

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