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spriggana's review against another edition
3.0
Very difficult book to rate.
Starts with two three-star stories (both loosely connected to the Flora Segunda books). But then we get three stories which can be dubbed as Hardhands and Tiny Doom: The Early Years, and I really did not like them. But I dislike writers never using one word if they can use two or – better! – more. It very rarely works for me, and in this case it did not. The fact that Hardhands and Tiny Doom’s family is the very model of a disfunctional one does not help…
Luckily the last two stories I really liked, the Hand in Glove being my favourite. Strangely, the best stories have almost nothing to do with Flora books – they simply happen to be happening in the same world, and that’s all.
Starts with two three-star stories (both loosely connected to the Flora Segunda books). But then we get three stories which can be dubbed as Hardhands and Tiny Doom: The Early Years, and I really did not like them. But I dislike writers never using one word if they can use two or – better! – more. It very rarely works for me, and in this case it did not. The fact that Hardhands and Tiny Doom’s family is the very model of a disfunctional one does not help…
Luckily the last two stories I really liked, the Hand in Glove being my favourite. Strangely, the best stories have almost nothing to do with Flora books – they simply happen to be happening in the same world, and that’s all.
mandygris's review against another edition
5.0
Give me anything to do with the worlds Ysabeau S. Wilce builds. I want to read it all. I believe I would be called a rabid fan, at this point. The short stories here were so much fun, and I loved that they were all set in different points in the history of Califa. Sometimes that meant you got to glean an extra detail or two about the people in Flora's stories!
lisalark's review against another edition
5.0
I love Ysabeau Wilce and she needs to write more stories and I need to know more about Hardhands, particularly the final conflict with Tiny Doom.
That is all.
Well actually the main takeaway is READ HER. Read this one last.
That is all.
Well actually the main takeaway is READ HER. Read this one last.
woolfardis's review against another edition
1.0
A confusing start to what I assume will be a confusing book. Probably a side order to the previous books from this author, but the writing nor the stories made me care for any of it.
kentcryptid's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of fun (read the Flora trilogy first, otherwise this will make no sense) and with the very welcome addition of queer characters to the world of Califa.
pdestrienne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I think I have run through all of Wilce's published-in-a-book oeuvre which leaves me with a melancholy feeling upon finishing this collection.
jennybeastie's review against another edition
5.0
Weird and tasty, hilarious and surreal. If you don't know Flora I can only assume that this book would be incredibly hard to follow, but at the same time Califa is hard to get under the best of circumstances, so it doesn't much matter. Fascinating in writing, in language and slang, in costume and imagery and all the backfilled corners of story that are here revealed. I only wish for an audio version, because the only thing better than following Wilce down the rabbit hole is hearing the language sung aloud.
wmhenrymorris's review against another edition
Wilce's Califa captures the spirit and history of California in such a weird, wonderful way. I love how these stories are weird, unique, funny with lingering notes of menace and tragedy.
fraeyalise's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely. I am in love with Califa and pretty much everyone in it.
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