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A review by seahorsemojinow
Three Sides of a Heart: Stories about Love Triangles by Natalie C. Parker
2.0
This was not pleasant for me to power my way through. I think if I had gone in with low expectations, I might have enjoyed some of these stories more. But as it is, I was looking for soothing polyamory representation, was promised exciting subversions of the love triangle trope, and almost none of these stories delivered either to me, unless you count women making a choice or gay people existing significant or exciting subversions. I don't!
The one thing across all the stories - even the two I enjoyed - that I realized was chafing me towards the end was the inevitability of it all. It was always deeply romanticized 'undeniable' attraction. All the characters can't help but love the people they love, and so the subversion becomes safe. I just would have enjoyed something different!
Overall, this was a surprisingly straight collection, which was disappointing. Also, I'm reminded of that tumblr post illustrating a love 'v' versus a love 'triangle' - if their isn't a third side, so that every point is connected to two others, then it isn't a triangle! & that held true for almost all of these stories.
The two stories I liked did avoid that misstep; they were the last two in the collection, as if rewarding me for listening to the book all the way through. My very favorite was second to last, about the Moon Eater's Mistress and the two who loved her. I thought the plot was engaging, and the writing really lovely. The final story was a pretty cheesy vampire plot, and that will get me every time. It also was the most I felt Represented in my gay experience.
Two stars because I obviously didn't hate it enough to stop reading. Each story was just so frustrating in how close it came to being what I wanted out of a deep dive into love triangles. But ending a story without finishing it is not, to me, an interesting subversion; it's the same sort of story but shorter. This kept me I think from fully enjoying the fresh and interesting narrative styles of some of the authors.
The one thing across all the stories - even the two I enjoyed - that I realized was chafing me towards the end was the inevitability of it all. It was always deeply romanticized 'undeniable' attraction. All the characters can't help but love the people they love, and so the subversion becomes safe. I just would have enjoyed something different!
Overall, this was a surprisingly straight collection, which was disappointing. Also, I'm reminded of that tumblr post illustrating a love 'v' versus a love 'triangle' - if their isn't a third side, so that every point is connected to two others, then it isn't a triangle! & that held true for almost all of these stories.
The two stories I liked did avoid that misstep; they were the last two in the collection, as if rewarding me for listening to the book all the way through. My very favorite was second to last, about the Moon Eater's Mistress and the two who loved her. I thought the plot was engaging, and the writing really lovely. The final story was a pretty cheesy vampire plot, and that will get me every time. It also was the most I felt Represented in my gay experience.
Two stars because I obviously didn't hate it enough to stop reading. Each story was just so frustrating in how close it came to being what I wanted out of a deep dive into love triangles. But ending a story without finishing it is not, to me, an interesting subversion; it's the same sort of story but shorter. This kept me I think from fully enjoying the fresh and interesting narrative styles of some of the authors.