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theartolater's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of short, semi-interlocking tales with a bit of a weird bent to them but generally more straightforward mystery. It's True Detective-esque in a sense in that everything is super gritty and hints at something more, but I was ultimately simply disappointed that this didn't follow through fully with what I was looking for. It has its bizarre moments but it's almost too secondary to fully make an impact.
aksel_dadswell's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful, dark, violent, taut, incendiary collection of novellas this is. I could go on with the adjective obesity but that wouldn't really pay proper service to this great writer.
Southard writes without compromise, and this permeates every aspect of his stories. The characters are troubled at best and the situations they find themselves in do nothing to better their lives (except perhaps in one case). His prose winds tight and his language is evocative and poetic without losing the reader in a lush forest of words. Each of the stories here acts like a great self-contained set piece but Southard's skill is such that the narrative evokes a much larger world around the peripheries, with its own weirdness and conflict and unanswered questions.
There's a sense of melancholy and terror in these stories, and an emotional impact that goes beyond the dread that a lesser writer would evoke. There'd be nothing wrong with that of course, but Southard's characters, their motivations and troubles, left me breathless and empathetic and shuddering with the suckerpunch of his talent. His stories work on so many levels, not the least of which is that they're just enormously entertaining; an incredible, fast-paced read that you can't stop devouring but don't want to finish. There's violence there - and plenty of it - but Southard paints on the blood with relish, leaving me horrified and exhilarated at the end of every page.
Essentially - as you can tell from this near-sycophantic review - I cannot praise or recommend this collection enough. It has a variety and weight and originality that makes it an absolute pleasure to read. I wolfed it down in a few sittings, and so should you. Right now. Go.
Southard writes without compromise, and this permeates every aspect of his stories. The characters are troubled at best and the situations they find themselves in do nothing to better their lives (except perhaps in one case). His prose winds tight and his language is evocative and poetic without losing the reader in a lush forest of words. Each of the stories here acts like a great self-contained set piece but Southard's skill is such that the narrative evokes a much larger world around the peripheries, with its own weirdness and conflict and unanswered questions.
There's a sense of melancholy and terror in these stories, and an emotional impact that goes beyond the dread that a lesser writer would evoke. There'd be nothing wrong with that of course, but Southard's characters, their motivations and troubles, left me breathless and empathetic and shuddering with the suckerpunch of his talent. His stories work on so many levels, not the least of which is that they're just enormously entertaining; an incredible, fast-paced read that you can't stop devouring but don't want to finish. There's violence there - and plenty of it - but Southard paints on the blood with relish, leaving me horrified and exhilarated at the end of every page.
Essentially - as you can tell from this near-sycophantic review - I cannot praise or recommend this collection enough. It has a variety and weight and originality that makes it an absolute pleasure to read. I wolfed it down in a few sittings, and so should you. Right now. Go.
bloodinthesigil's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic set of stories! The first especially, I could have read a whole novel made of that story!
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