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A review by lilyn_g
Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight: The Derby Cavendish Stories by Don Bassingthwaite
5.0
Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight is a hilarious collection of Derby Cavendish short stories by Don Bassingthwaite. It's chock full of sexual innuendos, puns, and general (hinted at) debauchery. The very first page wrenched an amused giggle out of me. Each story is exquisitely crafted absurdity that will have you in stitches if you've even the slightest bit of a gutter mind. From the original Mean Girl to the Three Bears, the villains are refreshing twists on age-old evils. The good guys- Derby, Andrew/Mitzy, and Matt - are adorable and easy to root for.
On a serious note, there were a few other things worth mentioning beyond the amusement factor. The first is that the author uses his stories to provide a bit of subtle (and some obvious) education for those who are not a member of the LGBT+ community. For instance, when a few of the villains are talking, one of them corrects the other on how to refer to a person that is in drag. I honestly didn't know how to do this, and was pondering it for the review, so it was nice to read! The second is that none of the villains that Derby and company go up against use homophobia as a reason to want to destroy them. Given the prejudices that still exist and get displayed on a daily basis, it wouldn't have surprised me if it had been addressed in this book. I'm glad it wasn't, though. It kept it all on a very light note.
I can truthfully say I liked every single story within this collection. (You have no idea how rare that is for me.) I do have a few favorites, though. Fruitcake - in which an ancient fertility symbol is used to make cake batter with horrible consequences. Sweater - a demon that manifests in ugly Christmas sweaters, and Derby's self-sacrifice to keep everyone safe. Finally, Organ - in which a perfect storm of happenings incites an orgy - simply because the, uhm, climax made me laugh and want to scrub the image off my brain.
Gloriously flamboyant and fantastically ridiculous, Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight is a must read for the naughty minded. Don Bassingthwaite did a great job, and I think people will get a kick out of reading it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher for review consideration.
On a serious note, there were a few other things worth mentioning beyond the amusement factor. The first is that the author uses his stories to provide a bit of subtle (and some obvious) education for those who are not a member of the LGBT+ community. For instance, when a few of the villains are talking, one of them corrects the other on how to refer to a person that is in drag. I honestly didn't know how to do this, and was pondering it for the review, so it was nice to read! The second is that none of the villains that Derby and company go up against use homophobia as a reason to want to destroy them. Given the prejudices that still exist and get displayed on a daily basis, it wouldn't have surprised me if it had been addressed in this book. I'm glad it wasn't, though. It kept it all on a very light note.
I can truthfully say I liked every single story within this collection. (You have no idea how rare that is for me.) I do have a few favorites, though. Fruitcake - in which an ancient fertility symbol is used to make cake batter with horrible consequences. Sweater - a demon that manifests in ugly Christmas sweaters, and Derby's self-sacrifice to keep everyone safe. Finally, Organ - in which a perfect storm of happenings incites an orgy - simply because the, uhm, climax made me laugh and want to scrub the image off my brain.
Gloriously flamboyant and fantastically ridiculous, Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight is a must read for the naughty minded. Don Bassingthwaite did a great job, and I think people will get a kick out of reading it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher for review consideration.