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A review by calissa
To Spin a Darker Stair by Catherynne M. Valente, Faith Mudge, Kathleen Jennings, Tehani Croft Wessely
4.0
To Spin A Darker Stair is a short chapbook that pairs two fairytale reworkings: "A Delicate Architecture" by Catherynne M Valente and "The Oracle's Tower" by Faith Mudge. Valente's story is a reprint, picked specifically to complement the story by Mudge.
Thematically, the stories are well-matched. Both carry a strong fairytale atmosphere and give the reader a sense that anything is possible. Both have a similar angle on their protagonist.
However, this similarity is a double-edged sword. "A Delicate Architecture" is a wonderfully deft tale, full of rich detail. Pairing it with "The Oracle's Tower" serves to highlight the flaws in the latter--flaws that may have perhaps been overlooked if paired with a more contrasting story.
For example, "A Delicate Architecture" simply launches into the tale, drawing the reader along with a strikingly unique situation. "The Oracle's Tower", in contrast, follows a worn path wherein the narrator urges the reader to listen to her tale in a somewhat clumsy attempt to impart a sense of wisdom and urgency. This approach always tends to backfire a little for me; I rarely like being told what to do. The ending was likewise framed, setting out a possible conclusion to the story without being at all satisfying. It came across as a writer's frantic attempt to wrap up the tale before the word count blew out.
Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Being only 51 pages, it is the perfect travel book and I devoured the whole lot in a single bus trip. The illustrations and cover art by Kathleen Jennings beautifully ties the stories together.
Thematically, the stories are well-matched. Both carry a strong fairytale atmosphere and give the reader a sense that anything is possible. Both have a similar angle on their protagonist.
However, this similarity is a double-edged sword. "A Delicate Architecture" is a wonderfully deft tale, full of rich detail. Pairing it with "The Oracle's Tower" serves to highlight the flaws in the latter--flaws that may have perhaps been overlooked if paired with a more contrasting story.
For example, "A Delicate Architecture" simply launches into the tale, drawing the reader along with a strikingly unique situation. "The Oracle's Tower", in contrast, follows a worn path wherein the narrator urges the reader to listen to her tale in a somewhat clumsy attempt to impart a sense of wisdom and urgency. This approach always tends to backfire a little for me; I rarely like being told what to do. The ending was likewise framed, setting out a possible conclusion to the story without being at all satisfying. It came across as a writer's frantic attempt to wrap up the tale before the word count blew out.
Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Being only 51 pages, it is the perfect travel book and I devoured the whole lot in a single bus trip. The illustrations and cover art by Kathleen Jennings beautifully ties the stories together.