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greader's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Some great stories! And some kind of boring stories
kyrajanson's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
joshgauthier's review
4.0
Khaw's writing is always fantastic, and this collection of their short stories is no exception. The book opens violent and bloody with monsters in the dark and fairy tales with teeth. But as the book continues, new layers unfold across these stories of rage and grief, horror and beauty. With trademark lyricism and flowing descriptions, Khaw delivers quieter turns as well--moments of love, of power, of quiet tenderness and glimmering shards of hope. It's a bold collection, varying from fantasy to horror, from grand and primal to modern and strange. With fantastic imagination and delightful delivery, these may be stories of breakable things--but a broken thing comes with sharp edges, and what was once fragmented may become whole once more.
lbelow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.25
I very much enjoyed this collection and adore Khaw's use of language and imagination. Because of the content warning of sexual assault on here, I skipped two stories ("An Ocean of Eyes" and "Goddess, Worm") that felt like they might move in that direction. The rest of the stories do not contain any sexual assault, though it is implied in "And in Our Daughters, We Find a Voice." That story also could be a prequel to their recently-released novella, The Salt Grows Heavy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Body horror, and Death of parent
beebsreads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Read physically. Really wonderful dark stories, Khaw shines in short fiction.
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
I think this would be better read during October. It was body horror and gore - I very much was not in the mood to read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Gore
sargasso_c's review against another edition
More ethereal than the horror I was looking for at this time.
jessereadsthings's review
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An interesting set of horror short stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Suicide, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Physical abuse and Child abuse
bubblescotch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shawcrit's review
4.0
Beautiful, gorgeously written collection with dark fairytale Angela Carter vibes. Khaw's writing shines in the short story format. Many of the stories deal with grief, cathartic anger, and monstrous or ambiguous transformations. Lots of body horror. My one complaint is that some of the stories could use more clarity.
Don't Turn On the Lights - 5* - A story about a young woman and her roommate told from three angles - a fun take on the unreliable narrator. Genuinely creepy as hell and each version of the story gets better/scarier.
A Leash of Foxes, Their Stories Like Barter - 3.5*
Radio Werewolf - 2*
Recite Her the Names of Pain - 5* - one of my favourites. The sirens of Greek mythology host tourists on vacation in Greece. SO GOOD OMG. Any further explanation is a spoiler. Not scary but so smart and the language is beautiful.
The Truth That Lies Under Skin and Meat - 2*
An Ocean of Eyes - 3*
Mother's We Dream - 4*
How Selkies are Made - 4*
A Secret of Devils - 4*
Goddess, Worm - 5*
A Priest of Vast and Distant Places - 5*
The Games We Play - 3*
For the Things We Never Said - 5*
She Who Hungers, She Who Waits - 4*
Monologue by An Unnamed Mage, Recorded at the Brink of the End - 4*
You Do Nothing but Freefall - 5*
The Ghost Stories we Tell Around Photon Fires - 3*
The Quiet Like a Homecoming - 5* - My second favourite of the collection. About a woman processing the end of a relationship that took her away from herself.
And In Our Daughters We Find a Voice - 5* - My favourite of the collection. Vaguely a retelling of The Little Mermaid but creepier and addresses the problematic gender politics of the original tale.
Some Breakable Things - 3.5*
Don't Turn On the Lights - 5* - A story about a young woman and her roommate told from three angles - a fun take on the unreliable narrator. Genuinely creepy as hell and each version of the story gets better/scarier.
A Leash of Foxes, Their Stories Like Barter - 3.5*
Radio Werewolf - 2*
Recite Her the Names of Pain - 5* - one of my favourites. The sirens of Greek mythology host tourists on vacation in Greece. SO GOOD OMG. Any further explanation is a spoiler. Not scary but so smart and the language is beautiful.
The Truth That Lies Under Skin and Meat - 2*
An Ocean of Eyes - 3*
Mother's We Dream - 4*
How Selkies are Made - 4*
A Secret of Devils - 4*
Goddess, Worm - 5*
A Priest of Vast and Distant Places - 5*
The Games We Play - 3*
For the Things We Never Said - 5*
She Who Hungers, She Who Waits - 4*
Monologue by An Unnamed Mage, Recorded at the Brink of the End - 4*
You Do Nothing but Freefall - 5*
The Ghost Stories we Tell Around Photon Fires - 3*
The Quiet Like a Homecoming - 5* - My second favourite of the collection. About a woman processing the end of a relationship that took her away from herself.
And In Our Daughters We Find a Voice - 5* - My favourite of the collection. Vaguely a retelling of The Little Mermaid but creepier and addresses the problematic gender politics of the original tale.
Some Breakable Things - 3.5*