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msoul13's review
4.0
NOTE: I won a free eBook copy of this book in MOBI format from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (June 2021).
This collection of ten tales walks the fine line between reality and fantasy. Stephens' prose is clear and keeps each story grounded within the realm of what is possible, while exploring the infinite limits of the impossible. In the forward, the author states that she sequenced the stories from "dark to light," and I enjoyed experiencing the unfolding of this tonal trajectory as I progressed through the book. However, for the life of me, I could not find the ambiguous "common thread" that Stephens claims runs through the entire collection. Was it immortality? Loss? Maybe I am due for a more critical rereading.
Here are my reactions to each individual story:
"Dreams of the Moon": Very abstract. Nephilim always kind of lose me.
"At Union": A contemporary crossing of the River Styx.
"Gravity": A lamentation on being tethered.
"Wendy": The Doctor ran an inn and took military men as lovers.
"The Intersection:" First story in the collection that made me smile. If only the ones we need could be there when we need them.
"Civil Liberties": Times (and space station living) don't change everything else very much.
"A Bear at the Fridge": Never underestimate the power of dreams.
"Fall Arrest": Alice, Prime Minister of Wonderland?
"Occupational Hazards": If art could talk.
This collection of ten tales walks the fine line between reality and fantasy. Stephens' prose is clear and keeps each story grounded within the realm of what is possible, while exploring the infinite limits of the impossible. In the forward, the author states that she sequenced the stories from "dark to light," and I enjoyed experiencing the unfolding of this tonal trajectory as I progressed through the book. However, for the life of me, I could not find the ambiguous "common thread" that Stephens claims runs through the entire collection. Was it immortality? Loss? Maybe I am due for a more critical rereading.
Here are my reactions to each individual story:
"Dreams of the Moon": Very abstract. Nephilim always kind of lose me.
"At Union": A contemporary crossing of the River Styx.
"Gravity": A lamentation on being tethered.
"Wendy": The Doctor ran an inn and took military men as lovers.
"The Intersection:" First story in the collection that made me smile. If only the ones we need could be there when we need them.
"Civil Liberties": Times (and space station living) don't change everything else very much.
"A Bear at the Fridge": Never underestimate the power of dreams.
"Fall Arrest": Alice, Prime Minister of Wonderland?
"Occupational Hazards": If art could talk.
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