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tricapra's review against another edition
4.0
This was fucking disgusting, revolting, unsettling. I say that with the highest reverence for what Livia Llewellyn has achieved here, which is thoroughly gross. An exploration of the darker side of desire, love, sex and the female psyche. If you like un likeable women protags you will have them in droves. Dark, weird fiction that is unflinching and doesn't care about your sensibilities.
rhiandroid_'s review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
lincolncreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Engines of Desire is comprised of ten stories, including two novellas and two novelettes. It’s stunning enough even without the knowledge that it is Livia Llewellyn’s debut book. Llewellyn, whose catalog of published work stretches back to 2005, has clearly demonstrated more dedication and patience than many of her peers, this reviewer included, and it shows through in every page of Engines.
Several pieces stand out from the pack. The collection leads off with ‘Horses,’ one of the novelettes, which begins as an end-of-the-world tale and finishes as something else entirely. ‘At the Edge of Ellensburg,’ a novella, tells the story of a college girl wrapped up in her addiction to a mysterious, drug-dealing stranger. ‘The Engine of Desire,’ from which the book gets its title, is about a woman’s decades-spanning association with a girl named Kelly who is definitely more than a girl. ‘Take Your Daughters to Work’ can’t really be described in-depth without ruining it, but further demonstrates Llewellyn’s flair for the apocalyptic and otherworldly. ‘The Four-Hundred Thousand’ is a dystopian piece centered around sacrifice and the supposed greater good, as manipulated by the powers that be. ‘Omphalos,’ the other novelette, is an incestuous round-robin affair that’s main character is at least slightly reminiscent of Jack Sawyer from Stephen King’s Talisman.
As a whole, Engines of Desire can be characterized by two overarching themes. The first is the strong erotic overtones (and the occasional subtle undertone) woven through many of the stories. Llewellyn writes hotter and more graphic scenes than the average horror reader is likely to encounter, almost always to the benefit of whichever story such scenes occur in. The second is the sense of otherworldliness present in several pieces; some of it is outright (the chimera in ‘Her Deepness,’ the book’s other novella, for instance), while much of it is more subtle (elements of both ‘The Engine of Desire’ and ‘Omphalos,’ and Kelly in ‘Engines of Desire,’ for instance, will certainly raise some questions).
Engines of Desire is an excellent introduction to a fine, relatively new, author who is sure to develop a rabid following in years to come.
Several pieces stand out from the pack. The collection leads off with ‘Horses,’ one of the novelettes, which begins as an end-of-the-world tale and finishes as something else entirely. ‘At the Edge of Ellensburg,’ a novella, tells the story of a college girl wrapped up in her addiction to a mysterious, drug-dealing stranger. ‘The Engine of Desire,’ from which the book gets its title, is about a woman’s decades-spanning association with a girl named Kelly who is definitely more than a girl. ‘Take Your Daughters to Work’ can’t really be described in-depth without ruining it, but further demonstrates Llewellyn’s flair for the apocalyptic and otherworldly. ‘The Four-Hundred Thousand’ is a dystopian piece centered around sacrifice and the supposed greater good, as manipulated by the powers that be. ‘Omphalos,’ the other novelette, is an incestuous round-robin affair that’s main character is at least slightly reminiscent of Jack Sawyer from Stephen King’s Talisman.
As a whole, Engines of Desire can be characterized by two overarching themes. The first is the strong erotic overtones (and the occasional subtle undertone) woven through many of the stories. Llewellyn writes hotter and more graphic scenes than the average horror reader is likely to encounter, almost always to the benefit of whichever story such scenes occur in. The second is the sense of otherworldliness present in several pieces; some of it is outright (the chimera in ‘Her Deepness,’ the book’s other novella, for instance), while much of it is more subtle (elements of both ‘The Engine of Desire’ and ‘Omphalos,’ and Kelly in ‘Engines of Desire,’ for instance, will certainly raise some questions).
Engines of Desire is an excellent introduction to a fine, relatively new, author who is sure to develop a rabid following in years to come.
tyler_j's review against another edition
3.75
10 Stories, really enjoyed it over-all. Most being between 3.5-4 stars. Average 3.68
bookwisp86's review against another edition
5.0
Read this as a read alike for Clive Barker. Like a nightmare mixed with a wet dream. Favorite story was "Take your daughters to work"
codalion's review against another edition
4.0
Giving up on any sort of accurate chronological record of what I've been reading in 2020 - because hey, what the hell, I'll loop back around to the rest sooner or later - I found this ebook again when I was poking through my files restlessly looking for something that held my attention. I can't remember when I purchased it, I can't remember why I purchased it or where I undoubtedly found the rec, but I'll give a novelty a shot if I've passed over 30 familiar things first and am lying on my mattress in the middle of a global pandemic.
Anyway, this is four stars because I absolutely loved one of the stories ("At the Edge of Ellensberg"), liked a couple others, was enh on one or two, and thought one was accidentally hilarious for the wrong reasons ("Take Your Daughters To Work Day"). I think the ones where the cosmic horror influences are too overt are the silly ones. But what I liked about the whole thing was that the good stuff was great in the way of an author whose misfires are going to be weird and stupid: that's meant positively, I mean that arch, mannered waffling is why most slipstream and litfic short story collections are unreadable and the subgenre survives on MFA-related nepotism and pyramid schemes.
Nothing in this book is arch, mannered, or waffly. The most brilliant story in it (still "At the Edge of Ellensberg"!) is like 30% porn by weight, with the kind of sex written by someone who doesn't feel obliged to make sure you know the sex wasn't a spank bank thing for them because it probably was (and it definitely was for the viewpoint character) - basically like, every strength in this author's writing comes out in this weird surreal slipstream cosmic story about a woman growing increasingly obsessed with an entirely distasteful and unworthy hookup and stalking him from place to place like it is all-out the most divine thing that has ever transpired in her life; and unlike the equivalent in other stories with a technically similar premise (the Ian McEwan approach or whatnot), you start really believing it is. I think that it takes to write sexy cosmic horror or whatever - being so ready to admit desire to fuck the void that you'll go all in on trying to convince your reader to fuck the void too.
So basically a lot better than Ligotti here. (I don't think Ligotti is unreadable but I think he is just an upmarket creepypasta writer.) But admittedly also several complete misses and pieces of high-octane narm.
I am an easy sell on this kind of thing because I too crave transcendent experience and think gruesome things are hot and am happy to read about big dick many times over for pages; well, I should be an easy sell, but to be honest I find lots of things like this (loosely defined) to be underwhelming. But I really liked "At the Edge of Ellensberg," I guess it's going to join my little mental library of novellas I'm obsessed with that no one I know has read ("Sea of Cortez" by Sandra McDonald is another one; but unlike "Sea of Cortez," I doubt I'm going to foist the metaphysical violent dick parade that is "At the Edge of Ellensberg" on any friends). I really cannot say how anyone else would react.
No idea how to even begin content warning for a collection like this, except to say that you can definitely read worse on AO3, but generally with less imaginative context to drive it in.
Anyway, this is four stars because I absolutely loved one of the stories ("At the Edge of Ellensberg"), liked a couple others, was enh on one or two, and thought one was accidentally hilarious for the wrong reasons ("Take Your Daughters To Work Day"). I think the ones where the cosmic horror influences are too overt are the silly ones. But what I liked about the whole thing was that the good stuff was great in the way of an author whose misfires are going to be weird and stupid: that's meant positively, I mean that arch, mannered waffling is why most slipstream and litfic short story collections are unreadable and the subgenre survives on MFA-related nepotism and pyramid schemes.
Nothing in this book is arch, mannered, or waffly. The most brilliant story in it (still "At the Edge of Ellensberg"!) is like 30% porn by weight, with the kind of sex written by someone who doesn't feel obliged to make sure you know the sex wasn't a spank bank thing for them because it probably was (and it definitely was for the viewpoint character) - basically like, every strength in this author's writing comes out in this weird surreal slipstream cosmic story about a woman growing increasingly obsessed with an entirely distasteful and unworthy hookup and stalking him from place to place like it is all-out the most divine thing that has ever transpired in her life; and unlike the equivalent in other stories with a technically similar premise (the Ian McEwan approach or whatnot), you start really believing it is. I think that it takes to write sexy cosmic horror or whatever - being so ready to admit desire to fuck the void that you'll go all in on trying to convince your reader to fuck the void too.
So basically a lot better than Ligotti here. (I don't think Ligotti is unreadable but I think he is just an upmarket creepypasta writer.) But admittedly also several complete misses and pieces of high-octane narm.
I am an easy sell on this kind of thing because I too crave transcendent experience and think gruesome things are hot and am happy to read about big dick many times over for pages; well, I should be an easy sell, but to be honest I find lots of things like this (loosely defined) to be underwhelming. But I really liked "At the Edge of Ellensberg," I guess it's going to join my little mental library of novellas I'm obsessed with that no one I know has read ("Sea of Cortez" by Sandra McDonald is another one; but unlike "Sea of Cortez," I doubt I'm going to foist the metaphysical violent dick parade that is "At the Edge of Ellensberg" on any friends). I really cannot say how anyone else would react.
No idea how to even begin content warning for a collection like this, except to say that you can definitely read worse on AO3, but generally with less imaginative context to drive it in.
jwdonley's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing collection. I may have enjoyed this more than her later collection. The final story, 'Her Deepness', is my new favorite of hers. I've never read a cosmic horror story with such interesting characters.
dasrach's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0