Paranormal – Carol – She's So Novel!

Short Story Review: A Whisper in the Weld by Alix E. Harrow

Shimmer 2014: The Collected Stories by E. Catherine Tobler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5★

The cool thing about reviewing on WordPress is that I can review a short story only – not have to use the entry for a whole collection! I understand Goodread’s reasons but sometimes it is frustrating!

Another amazing story from the most exciting new writer I have read this year. This is an earlier effort from 2014.

Isa dies in a tragic accident at the mill. She yearns for her dead husband, (killed in the war) but her main priority in protecting their orphaned daughters from a life at the mill. Her ghostly love encircles them.

I don’t think I can say more without spoiling this evocative and stunning story.

Read it here https://www.shimmerzine.com/a-whisper-in-the-weld-by-alix-e-harrow/

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The Ghost Bride

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5★

“The problem with the dead was that they all wanted someone to listen to them.”

Now, I wouldn’t have thought this was my sort of read at all, but it shows how wrong you can be.

More than what I was expecting as I knew there would be the fantastic and paranormal,this was also a (somewhat tepid) romance and a murder mystery. Ms Choo’s use of evocative language is assured – quite amazing that this book was a debut. Ms Choo allows us to pick delicately through Li Lan’s complicated beliefs – every bit as complicated as life in nineteenth century Malaya would be. I just accepted everything I was shown.

Quite wonderful. I’m only knocking half a star off, because in the middle it dragged a bit & because I guessed the two twists quite easily.

Another quote from this very quotable book

“It was strange to think that power in this world belonged to old men and young women.”

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Lusus Naturae: A Dark Days Club Novella

Lusus Naturae: A Dark Days Club Novella by Alison Goodman

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5★

When I read a post in the Librarians’ Group that this novella was available online

https://hcau-assets.supadu.com/wp-con…

I snapped it up. I saw Ms Goodman speak at a Georgette Heyer conference a few years ago;

and she was a very engaging speaker.

Unfortunately this is a fragment which makes just about zero sense unless you have read the rest of the books. It is well written though, so if I do pick up the rest of the series I may revise my rating. May. I think every piece of published writing should make sense to the reader, no matter where they pick up a series.