When you read these stories, you know they were written by a poet. I was immediately captivated by the settings, described in minute detail: shape, colour, sound and smell. Next I was drawn in by the characters. The intricate details of their lives and their families, friends and fellow workers. Finally, though, it is this […]
“Shadow Kalliore” by Skylar Gentry
I really wanted to like this novel. It starts out with a powerfully evocative writing style, with an opening scene that promises wonderful world building. It is a story about myth and faith and the power of the individual against all odds. This story is partly set in an alien post-apocalyptic reality, and partly in […]
“The Quest for the Holy Hummus” by James Allinson
There is a particularly British form of humour that society does better than anyone else, involving equal parts creativity, wit, and just plain silliness. Terry Pratchett and Rowan Atkinson come to mind as the bookends for the spectrum, with Monty Python filling all the gaps. This Quest falls somewhere in the middle, with great creativity, […]
Days of Clear Light: A Festschrift in Honour of Jessie Lendennie, in Celebration of Salmon Poetry at 40
It is important that you don’t get turned away by the wordy title or the academese of the presentation of these poems: “The Salmon, a journal of poetry and prose, as an alternative voice in Irish Literature.” With a foreword by the President of Ireland, no less. We are moving in a rarefied atmosphere, here. […]
“The Cautionary Tales: Reimagined Nursery Rhymes for a Post-Trump World” by Linus Bryn
Nursery rhymes are famous for their hidden political commentary, so making parodies of them would seem to be a fine source for ironic humour. Enter the Post-Trump World. This looks like a kid’s book of rhymes, and the best part of it is the polished, professional and creative artwork. The best use of parody is […]
“A Jack for All Seasons” by Lesley L. Smith
We have here a full-blown Space Opera of the humorous variety. In books such as this, everything is tongue in cheek: Characters are overly weird, plotlines are purposely shaky, and creativity and invention is the order of the day. This novel does not disappoint in any of these areas. The aliens are improbable, their names […]
“A Lullaby in the Desert” by Mojgan Azar
For those of us used to the story of Middle Eastern refugees when they arrive in Europe and the problems they experience and cause, this story is fascinating because it shows the opposite end of the story: where they started. This novel is at its best in its description of the life of a displaced […]
“A Lullaby in the Desert” by Mojgan Azar
For those of us used to the story of Middle Eastern refugees when they arrive in Europe and the problems they experience and cause, this story is fascinating because it shows the opposite end of the story: where they started. This novel is at its best in its description of the life of a displaced […]
“Parts of Me: Lost and Found” by Cisel Ozbay
I have seen a lot of poetry like this recently. These are not traditional poems. They are more like aphorisms influenced by social media memes. The strength of this collection is that, basically, I like the ideas presented. They reveal a snapshot of the truth of life that a wide range of readers will agree […]
“Falling into Magic” by Elizabeth Pantley
This novel has the standard YA Fantasy plotline of a normal young person who suddenly finds out that she has a very uncommon heritage. As we would expect, that heritage reaches out rather suddenly and dumps her into a magical world. A nice twist to this story is that the magical place she goes is […]