Tag Archives: Mythology

The Coyote Road edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

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Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: The Coyote Road
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Pat Murphy, Carolyn Dunn, Steve Berman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Christopher Barzak, Delia Sherman, Richard Bowes, Ellen Klages, Patricia A. McKillip, Theodora Goss, Charles de Lint, Katherine Vaz, Caroline Stevermer, Midori Snyder, Michael Cadnum, Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth E. Wein, Kim Antieau, Will Shetterly, Kelly Link, Holly Black, Carol Emshwiller, Jedediah Berry, Jeffrey Ford, Jane Yolen & Kij Johnson
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Short story collections, Tricksters
Dates read: 11th March – 24th October 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: She handed me a message, one that read I was to be married to a stranger.

Synopsis

Coyote. Anansi. Brer Rabbit. Trickster characters have long been a staple of folk literature – and are a natural choice for the subject of the acclaimed Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling’s third “mythic” anthology. Twenty-six authors, including Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Charles de Lint (Little (Grrl) Lost), Ellen Klages (The Green Glass Sea), Kelly Link (Pretty Monsters), Patricia A. McKillip (Ombria in Shadow) and Jane Yolen, have crafted stories and poems drawing from cultures and traditions all over the world – each surprising, engrossing, and thought provoking. Terri Windling provides a comprehensive introduction to the trickster myths of the world, and the entire book is highlighted by the remarkable decorations of Charles Vess.

The Coyote Road, like its companions The Green Man (winner of the World Fantasy Award) and The Faery Reel (a World Fantasy Award Finalist), is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary fantastic fiction.

Thoughts

This collection took a long time to read. Yet, I absolutely adored it. Mostly it took a while to read because there were so many short stories filling the pages, and whenever I finished one, I often went searching for more stories by the authors I was discovering. My wishlist has grown by leaps and bounds since starting this collection.

Like many of the Ellen Datlow collections lining my shelves, the theme and collected authors in this are brilliant. Each and every story is perfectly curated to match into the theme of Tricksters. Often in surprising and confusing ways. After all, the prefect trickster never does what is expected, and many of the stories in this managed to take me by surprise.

I would suggest this collection to anybody who loves short stories, fantasy, mythology, tricksters… really I would just suggest it to almost anyone. There are sad stories and happy ones. Insanely complex tales and ones that are so beautifully simplistic. Definitely one of those collections that I’m going to read again and again.

<- The Cinderella Game AnthologyOne Odd Shoe ->

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African Myths & Tales by Flame Tree Studios

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for book cover flame tree studios african myths and tales

Title: African Myths & Tales
Author: Flame Tree Studios
Series: Flame Tree Studios
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Mythology
Dates read: 3rd June – 10th October 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Flame Tree Studios
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: So Mohammed came out from the bathroom and took the leg and hung it up at the top of the house, and went back to wash.

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Synopsis

Africa south of the Sahara is a land of wide-ranging traditions and varying cultures. Despite the diversity and the lack of early written records, the continent possesses a rich body of folk tales and legends that have been passed down through the strong custom of storytelling and which often share similar elements, characters and ideas between peoples. So this collection offers a hefty selection of legends and tales – stories of the gods, creation and origins, trickster exploits, animal fables and stories which entertain and edify – from ‘Obatala Creates Mankind’, from the Yoruba people of west Africa, to ‘The Girl Of The Early Race, Who Made Stars’, from the San people of southern Africa, all collected in a gorgeous gold-foiled and embossed hardback to treasure.

Thoughts

I’ve never had the pleasure of reading a collection of African mythos before. And now I’m kind of wondering why it took me so long with my obsessions… after all, I love Africa and I love mythologies. And now I’m kind of disappointed that it’s all over… but I’m sure I can find more to add to my shelves.

I honestly bought this book because the cover is pretty. I wasn’t expecting such a fantastic breakdown of African myths and legends to fill the pages. Some of the stories felt like they were slightly awkward in their breakdown, but the general gist was still there and it was still seriously enjoyable. Generally, the stories which lacked a certain level of flow were incredibly short and segued into the next tale perfectly.

African Myths and Tales is a very easy read. It’s one of those books that you don’t need to read in order, but tend to get a little more out of it if you do. The myths are broken into their themes, but they don’t flow onwards from one another. Definitely a collection that I’m going to pick up again and again… learning something new each and every time.

 <- Time Travel Short Stories ReviewAgents & Spies Short Stories Review ->

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The Naughtiest Cherub by Kevin Hearne

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: The Naughtiest Cherub
Author: Kevin Hearne
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #8.8
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 30th September 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: By all reports, more hellish than other places on the human plane.

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Synopsis

Loki has entered the terrifying bowls of hell to try and make a deal with Lucifer. But will the Prince of Darkness be open to the discussion? Or will he just be another adversary in Loki’s quest?

Thoughts

I love the partnership of Loki and Lucifer in this story. It’s not a mix of mythologies I’ve seen much of before. And the interplay between the two was hilarious, sassy and incredibly witty. It also set up a reality in which the different mythos of the world interplay a lot more succinctly and neatly than any other series I’ve come across before.

Loki is probably one of my favourite villains in any mythology retelling. Although he is traditionally a trickster, he is also the one who tends to equalise others. The fact that Lucifer refuses to play ball with him and acts as an equaliser of his own was a really nice bit of karmic poetry. And it sets up the battles which I’m sure are about to come in this series.

The Naughtiest Cherub is a great short story which sets you up in a world that I personally can’t wait to sink my teeth into. If this is how the villains battle one another, I can’t wait to see how they interact with the “good guys”.

<- KissThe Resurrectionist ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of celtic myths and legends book cover

Title: The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends
Author: Peter Berresford Ellis
Series: Mammoth Books
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Celtic, History, Mythology, Non-fiction
Dates read: 25th October 2018 – 22nd September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Where are the gods and their goddesses, where the heroes and noble knights?

Synopsis

STIRRING SAGAS FROM THE ANCIENT CELTIC WORLD

From an oral history and storytelling culture dating back to the dawn of European civilization, the Celtic peoples have developed one of the world’s most vibrant mythologies. In this collection from Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Breton sources, Peter Berresford Ellis has brought together the classic myths and legends, as well as exciting new tales which have never been published.

Berresford Ellis, a foremost authority on the Celts, brings not only his expertise but also his acclaimed skills of storytelling to this original and enthralling selection of gods and goddesses, magical weapons and fabulous beasts.

Thoughts

This is a bit of a hard slog of a book. Not in any negative sense, but in the sense that it is over 500 pages of Celtic mythology. Which encompasses all of the wonders of their convoluted names and intricate kinship ties. It doesn’t really matter which tale you read, this is something that can be a little bit difficult to work with. Especially, when like me, you know nothing about the names and communications of people from this part of the world.

I’ve long been fascinated by Celtic folklore. And I have dabbled a little bit in this world. However, The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths & Legends was a GREAT way to immerse myself in this otherwise unknown world. Now, when I read stories which have obviously used a thread of this tradition and folklore, I can recognise it, and even understand it a little more.

Each section of this book starts with an introduction which highlights the region which the myths come from and where these retellings are sourced from. As many of the folklore of the time was orally passed, it was interesting to see where this had been pulled from – opening up a new world but also helping to tie it to the past and the roots of the tale.

If you have any kind of interest in mythology. Pick this book up. Maybe do like I did, and read a few stories before turning to something that doesn’t have so many incredibly similar names. But still pick this book up. It is phenomenal, potent and completely impossible to put down. One that I would highly recommend to all fans of the past, supernatural and myths.

 <- The Mammoth Book of Celebrity MurdersThe Mammoth Book of Chess ->

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The Constable of Abal by Kelly Link

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

Title: The Constable of Abal
Author: Kelly Link
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Ghosts, Mythology
Dates read: 5th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Don’t tell her then, the constable said.

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Synopsis

Ozma and her mother, Ziller, have made ghosts all the fashion. But when her mother kills the constable, things start to take a turn for the weird. And Ozma might have to find a way to start a new life all on her own.

Thoughts

This was one of those enjoyable, easy reads that leaves you with a nice big smile after you turn the final page. It’s a little bit sad, and it’s a lot bit dark. But, that smile still lingers. Which was the part of it that I loved the most. There’s a happy ending that just feels like a beginning…

One of my favourite tropes in a story is the idea of being completely unloved and unaccepted by your family. Especially daughters by their mothers… I’m not sure why this draws me so thoroughly. But it does, and I always enjoy these stories. Which meant that Ozma and Ziller’s relationship is one that I completely lapped up. Especially even more once I found out exactly who Ziller is and what her history was… then I just sat there with a giant, slightly manic smile on my face.

I was honestly expecting the constable in this story to be the one who solves a crime or goes toe to toe with a trickster. Instead, he is just a catalyst for the split between Ozma and Ziller. One that ends up being an incredibly healthy and fun one. Not quite the trickster story I was expecting, but definitely one that was well suited to my mood…

 <- Black Rock Blues ReviewA Reversal of Fortune Review ->
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American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for american gods book cover

Title: American Gods
Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 7th – 12th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Headline
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: The men said, ‘We are far, far from our homes and our hearths, far from the seas we know and the lands we love.

Synopsis

IS NOTHING SACRED?

Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plant, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what – and who – it finds there…

Thoughts

I knew that reading a Neil Gaiman story would be an adventure. This is the third novel that I’ve read by him, and every single time they’re intense, fun and completely off-kilter. The fact that this is my first really adult book by him just made it all the more exciting. And that much easier to just completely devour it. Especially at a time when I was getting a little overwhelmed and upset by everything else going on around me. It was kind of a perfect, twisted, world to float away in.

This is one of those novels that you will pick up nuances again and again as you read it. I spent a lot of the time on this, my first read through, trying to figure out which pantheon many of the old gods were from. Trying to figure out just who Mr. Wednesday was and what his motivations for hiring Shadow were. I didn’t spend as much time intrigued by the new age gods… which I think I will notice more next time.

I had kind of expected a bit of a romantic spin to this story when Shadow focuses on his wife so much at the beginning. It really isn’t even remotely romantic, and the relationship between Shadow and his wife turns a bit… well, weird. And, well, deeply disturbing in parts. Which is of course what I loved about this story – it made me kind of uncomfortable for the majority, and deeply disturbed at other moments. Not just in the storyline – but also with the message and themes that Gaiman is imparting throughout the story. It’s not supposed to be a happily ever after, comfortable story – it’s one that should really make you sit back and think about the choices you make in life, and just what it is that you worship.

American Gods is one of those stories that will stand the test of time. It discusses the battle that everyone must face at some point in their lives – old versus new. Which is better? Which should we worship? Are either of them actually any better than the other? As someone who is fascinated by ancient mythologies, but tends to live solidly in the real world, this is the perfect theme to follow – after all, it’s an internal discussion I often have too.

 <- Adventures in the Dream TradeAnansi Boys ->

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An Introduction to Jewish Myth and Mysticism by Steve Hockensmith

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: An Introduction to Jewish Myth and Mysticism
Author: Steve Hockensmith
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 30th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: I’ve known it all along.

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Synopsis

This professor of Jewish myth and mysticism has a few secrets in his closet. And he’s about to use them to make the world a better place…

Thoughts

I know next to nothing about Jewish beliefs and practices. And by next to nothing, I mean nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. And that’s probably not going to change. But this short story made me seriously consider changing my outlook for about twenty minutes. It managed to bring to life an aspect of a belief system that (I’m assuming) is a slightly off kilter and different one to what is normally displayed on TV.

As soon as the little professor offered to “fix” the nice lady’s problem, I was kind of expecting a vampire story. I’ve been reading a lot of them lately and it seemed suitable that a vampire would lecture of Jewish myth and mysticism (I believe Judas is also tied up in vampires and Judaism and Christianity). Then I spent the rest of the story trying to figure out what the little man was… because he certainly wasn’t a vampire!

This was a fun, easy and enjoyable read. There was a great level of humour throughout. A nice departure from some of the more serious books I was reading at the time…

 <- Magic Tests ReviewVSI Review ->
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The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of dark magic book cover

Title: The Sage of Theare
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Gods, Mythology
Dates read: 26th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1982
5th sentence, 74th page: As soon as he pushed the door open, thick smoke rolled in, filled with harsh crackling.

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Synopsis

The Gods are ruled by order and they like it this way. So when the Sage of Dissolution is born they begin to fear that it will be the end of the world as they know it.

Thoughts

Order is not something that comes easily to me. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly organised and have a system for things. But my life in and of itself is not actually organised. And I don’t tend to follow conventions about 90% of the time. So I kind of liked a dark fantasy tale that dealt with the intersection of order and chaos. How they are both important to the existence of life as we know it.

The gods in this story are kind of a sick-in-the-butt characters. They have rules and restrictions for literally everything, and there is no way in which to deviate from this set path and plan. It means that no one can be questioned and nothing can change. Which in and of itself isn’t horrifying, until you realise that it means the world becomes stagnant and… well, boring.

I like that the mechanism for change in this tale is the child of a god. And in trying to avoid a prophecy, they, well don’t necessarily make it happen. But they bring to light their stupidity and inability to understand the world around them.

<- The Witch’s BicycleTimekeeper ->

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 ->
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One Odd Shoe by Pat Murphy

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

Title: One Odd Shoe
Author: Pat Murphy
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Mythology, Tricksters
Dates read: 5th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: You’ll find small pools here and there.

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Synopsis

If there’s a shoe on the side of the road, it’s probably best not to pick it up… it could be Coyote teaching someone a lesson.

Thoughts

This was a really cute, funny story. I loved the narrator’s voice as it unfolds. There is a sense of wandering storytelling that isn’t common in a lot of other stories. It made me feel like I was being told the story by the woman in the story – sitting next to her as she told me about Mark, who really should have known better.

I’ve always loved tricksters – they’re equalisers and neither good nor bad. Any stories which have a grey area make me happy to be honest. And this short story epitomised the idea of equalising. Mark is obviously not the best person in the world, so Trickster decides to mess with him. And teach him a lesson. And show him how to be a little less not-good and a little more… better.

Now, every time I see a single shoe lying beside the edge of the road, I’m going to wonder about who is getting their comeuppance. And who is learning a new lesson.

 <- The Coyote Road ReviewCoyote Woman Review ->
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