Reviews

Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women by Geneve Flynn, Lee Murray

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certifiedbookdragon's review against another edition

3.5

As it always happens with collections of stories, there is a tendency for the reader to end up enjoying some more than others, and this book was no exception. Hence, it has not been totally perfect for me.
I generally take this opportunities to read a little from each genre, sometimes even combined. The experience in this case was surprisingly rewarding, because the stories have elements of horror, speculative fiction, and dystopian. Overall, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

anastasia_raf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to Netgalley and the RDS Publishing for providing me with an e-book!!

"In Black Cranes: Tales of unquiet Women, Southeast Asian writers of horror both embrace and reject these traditional roles in a unique collection of stories which dissect their experiences of 'otherness,' be it in the colour of their skin, the angle of their cheekbones, the things they dare to write, or the places they have made for themselves in the world."

This collection of short stories was very enticing and intriguing. Some of the stories I loved and some I think, would benefit better as a novella or even a novel.

The foreword by Alma Katsu was my favorite part of this anthology. It was passionate, so unflinchingly real, and so unapologetic. It was a statement that "Asian women can be many things. The only thing we can't be is defeated." Here are more quotes from it:
"We are expected to attend to the psychical needs: lifting, carrying, feeding, bathing. We change their diapers and wipe up their diarrhea, the insult stinging twice as bad for knowing we were always the less-favored child, being women."
"These stories demonstrate the diversity of Asian life as reflected in its storytelling. Just as there is no one type of woman, there is no single, all-encompassing notion of Asia. It is too multifaceted to be contained in one identity."

My favorite stories were:
1. The Genetic Alchemist's Daughter by Elaine Cuyegkeng. The storytelling was flawless. I want a whole book dedicated to this story.
2. A Pet is For Life by Ganeve Flynn. A horrifyingly delicious story.
3. Fury by Christina Sng. I'm a sucker for anything dystopian, and this delivered on so many levels; especially the characters. They were so well rounded and felt like we even got a backstory for them. I would follow them to every apocalypse.
4.Little worm by Geneve Flynn. Haunting and memorable.
An honorable mention is Mark by Grace Chan. I liked the atmosphere of this story and how unrevealing it was but I believe it was way too short for it to actually stay with you.
The only criticism I have, as with most horror books, is the use of some ableist phrases and/or words, but on that we all have to check further with disabled reviewers, readers,writers.

I had a splendid time reading each and every last one of these stories, and I can't wait for more people to experience them and love them.

Content Warnings

sarasoleil's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

An excellent collection of short stories ranging from horror to sci-fi written by Asian women who have a story they need to tell, and they all do it so uniquely. Each of these stories has a message and they're told from a variety of lenses. Different POVs, different writing styles, different cultural takes, and while I wasn't fond of every single one, they all left me thinking and appreciating the writing.

It's hard to pick a favorite, so I won't. "Skin Dowdy" by Angela Yuriko Smith stuck out to me differently than anything else I've ever read. Its concepts are so real in how people try and change for others rather than themselves, and it often leads to negative consequences.
"The Ninth Tale" by Rena Mason was dark and fun, everything that it should have been.
"Frangipani Wishes" by Lee Murray tells a story about ghosts and how they haunt us, and the writing was so beautiful and unique. I absolutely love it.

An amazing read and one I will not hesitate to recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for giving me access to this!

thedreadcat's review against another edition

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4.0

The Genetic Alchemist’s Daughter by Elaine Cuyegkeng: 5

Kapre: A Love Story by Rin Chupeco: 4

A Pet is for Life by Geneve Flynn: 4

Phoenix Claws by Lee Murray: 3.5

Of Hunger and Fury by Grace Chan: 3

Skin Dowdy by Angela Yuriko Smith: 4

Truth is Order and Order is Truth by Nadia Bulkin: 2

Rites of Passage by Gabriela Lee: 4

The Ninth Tale by Rena Mason: 4

Vanilla Rice by Angela Yuriko Smith: 3.5

Fury by Christina Sng: 2

The Mark by Grace Chan: 4

Frangipani Wishes by Lee Murray: 3.5

Little Worm by Geneve Flynn: 5

51.5 / 14 = 3.67 rounding up to 4

kpkulski's review

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5.0

Powerful. As a half Korean woman, this collection resonated on a very personal level. These stories are often painful as they are about strength, they are just as much about cultural confusion-- confusion of loyalty and how to be loyal to family and self... as well as about clarity. About feeling hollow and how otherness plays a role in each aspect. It is also contains damn good horror stories that include monsters, lore and ghosts that are not often brought to English speaking audiences. I loved it and is it one of those works that will now occupy a very meaningful place on my shelf of books that left not just a mark but an influence.