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A review by carlyalynnsia
Hillfire Anthology, Vol. 2 by Skye Wilson, Elena Sims, David Blakeslee, Nicole Christine Caratas, Malina Shamsudin, Anthi Cheimariou, Alex Penland, L. K. Kraus, Hayley Bernier, Wren True, M.H. Monica, Miriam Huxley, Lauren N. Thurman, Katie Hay-Molopo, Alexandra Ye, Emerson Rose Craig, Hanna-Maria Vester, Julia Guillermina, Michael Howrie, Todd Workman, Anna Jones, Zala Jambrovic Hatic, Juliann Guerra, Wendelin Law, Tess Simpson, Thomas Carroll
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
They've done it again! Hillfire Press is back with Volume 2 of Hillfire Anthology, with my favourite cover yet. Full disclosure, I worked as a proofreader on this volume (as you might see on my copy in the photo). Much like Volume 1, Volume 2 has a rich variety of poetry and prose to offer its readers. To use one of my favourite Veggie Tales quotes, "I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob."
Some of my favourite pieces this time around were "Plunder, Hearts, Plundered", a series of ten tankas by Wendelin Law, set in Edinburgh in September 2022 during the bin strike and the national mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II; "The Lot Lizard and the Wrecking Ball", a short story by David Blakeslee about a liminal encounter at a truck stop and the spark of hope it ignites; "Potsherds: A Poem, in Two Parts" by Katie Hay-Molopo, which ponders love and fear and faith; and "Spirals" by L.K. Kraus, a sensory-rich short story about family rituals - bittersweet like a hug goodbye, nostalgic in the comfort of tradition and the inevitability of loss and change.
Some of my favourite pieces this time around were "Plunder, Hearts, Plundered", a series of ten tankas by Wendelin Law, set in Edinburgh in September 2022 during the bin strike and the national mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II; "The Lot Lizard and the Wrecking Ball", a short story by David Blakeslee about a liminal encounter at a truck stop and the spark of hope it ignites; "Potsherds: A Poem, in Two Parts" by Katie Hay-Molopo, which ponders love and fear and faith; and "Spirals" by L.K. Kraus, a sensory-rich short story about family rituals - bittersweet like a hug goodbye, nostalgic in the comfort of tradition and the inevitability of loss and change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Gore, Murder, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Trafficking
Moderate: Suicide