Reviews

Forget the Sleepless Shores: Stories by Sonya Taaffe

katybug25's review

4.0

This short story collection was captivating. I loved that each story dealt with mythological beings and their interactions with the mundane world. Sonya Taaffe is a very talented writer. Her words felt like poetry. The imagery she created was fantastic. I could clearly picture the events as they unfolded in each story. My favorite stories were: “All Our Salt-Bottled Hearts”, “The Trinitite Golem”, “The Salt House”, and “The Boatman’s Cure”. All of the stories were strange, with some odder than others. (I love reading weird books and stories). After reading this collection, I look forward to reading Sonya Taaffe other works.

cristinamirzoi's review

5.0

I am in awe of this collection. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but since I often prefer style over plot, in situations where it delivers a deeper experience, such as a feeling or an idea that will stay with me, then I will embrace it completely. Sonya Taaffe is both a poet and a classical studies scholar and it shows. Her style is simply gorgeous; well balanced between literary and cosmopolitan. I loved the soft tones, the vivid imagery - I could almost feel the sea smell and the chilly breeze. Each word seems to fall exactly where it was always meant to; even when quotes were inserted, it flowed so naturally; it didn’t feel like distinct authors. You need time to take it all in, so I welcomed a pause between each story. Most of them are odd, unsettling, melancholic, sad and surprisingly tender. They touch upon themes such as death, grief, yearning, or tragic love. We follow these tragic characters and stumble upon haunting creatures such as monsters, ghosts, angels, dybbuks and golems. Some stories are actually heavily imbued with Ashkenazi Jewish folklore, one of my favourites, The Dybbuk in Love, is simultaneously romantic and creepy. Also, most have LGBTQ+ representation.

It’s very difficult to place into a certain category. I would recommend for weird fiction readers who enjoy surreal, unsettling and sensual writing.

theartolater's review

4.0

A solid collection of short weird tales, some of which I really loved. "All Our Salt-Bottled Hearts" is especially a new Lovecrafty favorite.