Review: dark and magical short stories
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2012
This is a collection of dark and melancholy stories. What I found interesting was the different points of view in the stories; they aren't the normal kind. I can't tell you about them because discovering who or what is telling the story is part of the experience. I wouldn't call it horror, but it does take you to some dark places of the human mind and soul.I really enjoyed the short stories featuring the heroes from Merrie's two novels, Afterlife and Feast. "Learning to Hunt" shows Ash, the hero from Feast, as a young Darklyn learning to harvest dreams from his father. The writing had the same haunting fairy-tale like quality I loved so much in the novel. "Chasing Spring-Heeled Jack" will give you a feel for her novel Afterlife and the world she created where people can download their selves into clones to extend their lives. Chaz, the main character from Afterlife, is tracking down a clone and comes up with a macabre way to trap him. Feast and Afterlife are very different in tone and style and show the diversity of Merrie's writing. Her two short stories are a great way to sample what she has to offer.My favorite short story is "Letters from Home", it is about what lengths a mother will go to for her child. A science fiction tale with a bitter sweet ending.The flash fiction pieces are like a snap shot or a single scene. They don't have a real beginning or resolution; just open a window into someone's soul. Some of them I enjoyed more than others and one, "Chiroscuro", I didn't understand at all, and yes I even looked up the definition of "Chiroscuro" <G>If you enjoy dark short stories and looking for something a little different then give Merrie's collection a try.4 "macabre" Sheepsee this and more of my reivews: [...]I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review