[Review] Clockwork, Curses and Coal by Rhonda Parrish (Editor)

Title: Clockwork, Curses and Coal
Series: Punked Up Fairy Tales #2
Author: Rhonda Parrish (Editor)
Genre: steampunk, fantasy, paranormal, gaslamp, short stories, fairy tales
Format: ebook
Publication Date: March 2 2021
Published By: World Weaver Press
Source: NetGalley

Synopsis from Publisher

Fairies threaten the world of artifice and technology, forcing the royal family to solve a riddle to stop their world from irrevocable change; a dishonest merchant uses automatons as vessels for his secrets and lies; a woman discovers the secret of three princesses whose shoes get scuffed while they sleep. These and so many other steampunk and gaslamp fairy tales await within the pages of Clockwork, Curses and Coal.

Retellings of Hansel and Gretel, The Princess and the Pea, Pinocchio, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and more are all showcased alongside some original fairy tale-like stories. Featuring stories by Melissa Bobe, Adam Brekenridge, Beth Cato, MLD Curelas, Joseph Halden, Reese Hogan, Diana Hurlburt, Christina Johnson, Alethea Kontis, Lex T. Lindsay, Wendy Nikel, Brian Trent, Laura VanArendonk Baugh and Sarah Van Goethem.

About Rhonda Parrish

Like a magpie, Rhonda Parrish is constantly distracted by shiny things. She’s the editor of many anthologies and author of plenty of books, stories and poems.

She lives with her husband and three cats in Edmonton, Alberta, and she can often be found there playing Dungeons and Dragons, bingeing crime dramas or cheering on the Oilers.

Her website, updated regularly, is at http://www.rhondaparrish.com and her Patreon, updated even more regularly, is at https://www.patreon.com/RhondaParrish.

My Thoughts:
I don't read a lot of short stories because I prefer to really immerse myself in a story and really get to know my characters, and I find I often can't do that when it's a short piece. I was drawn to this collection because of the Steampunk theme, and the whole idea of gaslamp, which I had never heard of before. According to the introduction, gaslamp fantasy is "set in the same Victorian/Edwardian era as steampunk, but with a focus less on tech and more on the supernatural and magic. Often with an obvious gothic influence." So of course I had to check this out, and I don't regret it for a moment!

The editor warned that some of the stories might be dark, and she assumes this is because of the whole COVID thing going on while she was choosing the stories for the collection. Boy was she right! Some of these stories are D-A-R-K! I am going to break the collection down by story, but let me start off by saying that the collection of 14 stories as a whole was very well done, enjoyable, and entertaining. I loved the twists on many of the fairy tales.

The Iron Revolution by Christina Ruth Johnson

This story picks parts of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Princess and the Pea, wrapping them all neatly into a very well written and enjoyable tale. It does a very good job of showing the sexism of the time (1851). "Not many ask the girls if they want to go, but they all do anyway." The racism of the time is also emphasized as the girls in the story are split into two groups, girls of "porcelain skin" and girls with "darker complexions and more vivid fabrics." The story is filled with beautiful descriptions and is very visual. I loved how unique each girl is and how they are described by looks and talent. Unfortunately I found the story quite predictable and the ending quite rushed. I never really felt the connection that seems to be implied by the end. A good story, but could have been better.

Clockwork Tea by Joseph Halden

This story was one of my least liked stories. I understand the time and place they are writing about, but it still comes off a little racist to me. I also found the writing style very awkward and hard to get a good reading flow with, which in turn made it hard to enjoy. It was very dark and disturbing, which isn't a bad thing, seeing this evolution of what basically turns out to be a serial killer of sorts. He even keeps souvenirs like a serial killer would. There were some Pinocchio undertones that the author tried to work in, I am just not sure it really works. An odd little tale to be sure.

A Future of Towers Made by Beth Cato

I enjoyed this reimagining of Rapunzel. In this tale Rapunzel is a brilliant young woman trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage where her husband steals all of her ideas and markets them as his own. Rapunzel, with the help of her dear friend, comes up with a plan to keep her most recent invention under her own name, and escape her marriage. It is a very well written story of feminism and standing up for yourself, and I loved every moment of it. I will have to look for more of Beth Cato's work.

A Bird Girl in the Dark of Night by Sarah Van Goethem

This story was another one I didn't enjoy very much. It was very dark as well, which I don't mind, and intriguing, but it was just all very odd. I suspected the twist that comes up near the end of the story, so I wasn't surprised. I did however kind of like the feeling of female empowerment that was brought up near the end, and I like the way certain things worked out, but it was all just a little too weird for me, and it did leave me with some questions not answered.

Checkmate by Brian Trent

I enjoyed this story so much I wanted more. I would read a whole novel, maybe even an entire series, set in this world. The world building was just so well done. It was intriguing and dark. I want to know how it got to be the way it is. I want to know so much more! Edward's character was well done and I understood his motivations for what he does, which makes the ending make sense. I expected the very ending, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment for me in this story because it was so well done. Brian, please tell me there is more!

Necromancy by Melissa Bobe

Where to start with this story? There is so much going on, and all of it wonderful. It's a dark and mysterious reimaging of the Pied Piper tale. The plague is attacking all the women of town, but what exactly is the plague? It's not what you would expect. I don't want to spoil it, but it fits the time and works really well for this dark story. There is so much I want to comment on, but with short stories it's hard to say much without basically giving away the whole story. Just read it! The writing is beautiful, the story is well written, and I loved the end. I will be looking for more of Melissa Bobe's work for sure.

Blood and Clockwork by Wendy Nikel

This story is one of my favorites in the collection. I read it so quickly. I didn't even stop to take notes! As was typical in this collection the story is very intriguing, and very dark. It was a little predictable at parts, but it was so well written, and just so damn good, that the predictableness of it is forgivable. 

Sappho and Erinna by Lex T. Lindsay

This story is a very well done reimaging of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I loved all of the characters in this story, each one was their own character that stood out from each other. I really loved the end.

Divine Spark by Diana Hurlburt

I didn't enjoy this story at all. The writing style was very awkward and I just couldn't get into the story at all. It had a kind of Frankenstein feel to it, which is too bad as the original is one of my favorite novels. Overall I found this story very confusing and not enjoyable at all.

The Balance of Memory by Reese Hogan

This story was a very interesting and very well written reimaging of Hansel and Gretel. There isn't a whole lot I can say without giving things away, but I was intrigued right away. I likened it almost immediately to someone who is dealing with identity issues, only to later discover that the author is non-binary, so they obviously have a very strong understanding of this. I still was left feeling like I was missing something at the end, but maybe that is the way it was meant to be.

The Giant and the Unicorn by Alethea Kontis

The beginning of this story threw me off a bit as it was written like a steampunk version of the bible. Some might find if offensive, just as a warning, but it didn't bother me. It was just odd. The rest of the story is a reimagining of The Lion and the Mouse. It was a cute little tale, but awkward in places, and a little predictable, but still an enjoyable read.

Ningyo by Laura VanArendonk Baugh

This story starts out on what we later learn is an airship, but I originally thought it was a regular ship. I was glad that section was very short as all the sailing terminology was starting to irritate me, all the unfamiliar words pulling me out of the story. The rest of the story made up for the beginning though. Overall it was an intriguing and entertaining story with interesting characters.

Father Worm by Adam Breckenridge

This story was dark and odd, and very difficult to read with its run on sentences and awkward writing style. The only thing I really liked about this story was the one quote: "Even if the trip didn't reinvigorate her old friend, she would not let her duties as captain keep her from the obligation all keepers of animals have to see their beloved companions through to their deaths." As a loyal pet owner this is something I feel strongly about. Overall it was a very strange story, with an equally odd ending. I did not find it enjoyable.

The Coach Girl by M.L.D. Curelas

For some reason I didn't take any notes while I read this story. I do remember enjoying it quite a bit, even though parts of it were very predictable. I think my favorite part of it is that there is no man needed to rescue the main character, and I remember being intrigued to figure out how she was going to get out of the mess she was in. Very well done and enjoyable.

I am not going to do pros and cons as it is very story dependent, but it was a very good collection and I am glad I took the time to read it.

[Review] Monsters of L.A. by Lisa Morton

Title: Monsters of L.A.
Series:  n/a
Author:  Lisa Morton
Genre:  adult, horror, anthology
Format:  Trade paperback, 321 pages
Publication Date:  October 2011
Published By:  Bad Moon Books
Source:  Publisher for Blog Tour

Synopsis from Goodreads

In these pages you'll find the dark stars you grew up watching: Frankenstein, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, the Phantom, the Hunchback...all the silent ones and the first to find their voices are here, and they're even presented in roughly the order in which they first appeared on a silver screen. The Haunted House of the '30s gives way to the Werewolf of the '40s, the Monsters of L.A. Creature of the '50s, and so on, all the way up to our favorite modern boogeyman, the Zombie.

In some of these stories, you'll find an earthly incarnation of a famous namesake: Frankenstein is a patched-together, homeless vet, the Invisible Woman is so ordinary you'd never see her; but some of these familiar friends - Dracula, the Devil, or those seriously creepy Clowns - will be instantly recognizable.

My Thoughts

As I have mentioned before, I'm generally not a big fan of anthologies. The reason I accepted Lisa Morton's Monsters of L.A. is because since I have started reviewing I have drifted away from my horror roots and focused more on the ever popular YA novels. With this anthology I thought it would be a great way to work some horror back to my reading in bits and pieces.

There were many things that made this collection quite enjoyable. First off, some of the stories slightly overlap with each other, not enough that you have to read them all in order or miss out, but just enough to make you smile when you read about a character from another story, or an event. It was quite ingenious to weave those in. The best part of this collection is the comparison of the monsters from my childhood, to more modern stories, events and people. And the best thing about this anthology? The writing. The humour alone was enough to leave me in giggling hysterical fits as I rode home on the subway. (Especially a very awesome vampire crack...and if you read it you know exactly what I am talking about!)

I also love how the author provided background information on the stories, however I feel they should have been placed with each story individually instead of at the end as more of a reference. I think it would have made the story to read the background first and then dive in prepared, especially if you weren't familiar with the monster in a particular story.

One other little thing that bothered me was that one longer piece was included, and although I enjoyed it, I feel it should have been left as the very last story in the collection to avoid interrupting the nice flow that was going on up until then.

As usual, I feel the need to rate and review each story separately, not finding it quite fair for each story to be based on the anthology overall grade. This is very time consuming and why I don't do this very often.

Now on with the ratings!

Frankenstein - 5/5
This story fits the Frankenstein model very well. It was a good length, evoked the perfect emotions and was very well written. I loved it!
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - 3/5
I found this story too be too long and often too confusing. I think it would worked better as a longer/novella length piece at minimum. It would have been better to get inside the doctor's head a little more to find out more about the motives for what she was doing. Some parts seemed to be missing and some emotional reactions from the characters also seemed to be lacking. I was not a fan of this story.
The Phantom - 4/5
The Phantom of the Opera has been one of my favourite tales as long as I can remember, and Lisa Morton did a fabulous job with her interpretation. I love the uniqueness she has added by making the phantom a female junkie who was ruined by fame. It was lovely. My only real complaint is that is was way too short and I would have loved to read more.
The Hunchback - 5/5
I'm ashamed to say I have never read the original Hunchback story, but I know the Disney version remarkably well (thanks to having a young Disney obsessed child), so some of the story was unfamiliar to me, and kind of a spoiler at the end, but I can't blame the author for my lack of knowledge. I think it was brilliant that the author used a gay male student who was the constant target for bullies as the Hunchback character. This story was so well written that even though I saw the end coming it was still just as emotional.
Dracula - 5/5
At first I found the humour in this story to be slightly irritating, but once I figured out what was going on I realized just how perfect for this story it was. Dracula being shown as this egotistical movie star was hilarious, especially once he starts getting upstaged by his new on the scene co-star. If this story doesn't make you laugh there is something wrong with you!
The Bride - 3/5
I liked how this story tied in with Frankenstein, but that was all I really enjoyed about it. It was really too short to develop any emotional bond to the main character. The events also came off as too coincidental for me. 
The Mummy - 4/5
This story started off strong but I felt it fell apart as it approached the end. I was left confused as to the motivation for what is going on and how things will move forward from here. (Although a little more does come to light in The Zombie story, but still not enough to make me want to rate it higher.)
The Invisible Woman - 3/5
This was an interesting concept, but I don't think it came together as well as the author hoped. Part of the reason for this is it's too short length. It's always hard to make an idea clear and concise in a limited amount of words, but it's especially difficult when you tackle more difficult topics. I would love to reread this as a longer piece.
The Mad Scientist - 2/5
This story was way too short to be enjoyable. It almost felt as if it was simply thrown in to fill space and cover another monster topic. I really wanted to know more about the doctor and his work, the bond he had with his wife that would lead him to do what he did, and so much more. A little more from this story comes up in The Zombie, but still not nearly enough to make me happy.
The Werewolf - 4/5
I loved the idea of the werewolf as a famous musician who sort of "wolfs-out" on stage to make his music better. I felt really bad for his assistant though and all the stuff that nasty werewolf put him through. The ending left me highly confused as I don't understand why things didn't go another way...of course I can't say why because that would ruin it...but yeah...
The Haunted House - 5/5
I absolutely loved this story. I think it might have been my favourite of the whole collection. It tells the story of an old house and how this ghost hunter show tries to make it into a haunted house to raise their ratings. The house is so upset because all it wants is to be happy and have a family live inside to take care of it, and it feels like these ghost hunters are ruining her chances at happiness. It was fabulously written and I highly enjoyed it!
Cat People 4/5
This was an odd and quirky story. I had no background knowledge of "cat people" so I went into it completely blind. I feel in love with the main character, a young woman who feels like she has been walked all over most of her life and becomes obsessed with this female cat creature because she portrays a strong feminine role. It was quite an interesting read and I did enjoy it. I like how part of it surfaces again in another story.
The Creature 3/5
I'm not overly sure how I feel about this story. It started out very well. I liked the whole creature from the black lagoon coming out of the famous tar pits angle...and I liked everything including the creature as a whole...but once the story spun off into life with one of the characters after the event it lost me, and I started hating it. Sometimes authors just need to know when to end it. Often that is the hardest part...they either gone on too long, or not long enough.
The Alien 2/5
I actually had to go back and skim this story a second time when I came to write the review. It was spectacular, a simple story about a plant that shows up one day and seems to alter the thoughts of those who come in contact with it. The writing was good but the story itself just didn't stand out.
Kaiju (Giant Monster) 4/5
This was an interesting tale about a giant monster that comes out of the water (kind of like a Godzilla) but seems to take extreme care in not hurting anyone...ironically enough it is a human male who does most of the damage as he tries to "save" the people around him.
The Devil 4/5
I really liked this story as well. We have this poor guy who is terrified of haunted houses and he is being dragged to one of those haunted house type rides at an amusement park by a woman he really wants to impress. Obviously he can't wimp out and forces himself to "man-up" for her sake. The ending was slightly unexpected and very well done.
The Slasher 4/5
The writing in this story had a beautiful and creepy flow to it. The whole fascination with the crack in the foundation that draws the main character in is very well done. I think a little of the story that is told by the secondary character is a little over the top, but it is a horror story, so I guess it is to be expected.
The Killer Clown 4/5
This story creeped me out the most. As a small part of the story makes reference to, the clown from Stephen King's It has always scared the daylights out of me, so to me, as to the main character in this story, clowns are scary scary creatures. Add to that that this story has an "It" nightmarish kind of feel to it and you have the makings of many sleepless nights for me in the future. The one things that did bother me with this story is that if my fear of clowns was as crippling as this young woman's...I think my boyfriend would be a little more careful about not only dressing up as a clown for Halloween (that's just pure heartless) but also taking her to a location that has a giant clown as a mascot. Just saying...
The Urban Legend 4/5
I really enjoyed this story, however, due to it's more novella like length I feel like it should have been placed at the very end of the collection. I loved seeing the growth of the main character, especially through her relationships. She was a very strong woman, which was easy for us all to see, but she couldn't realize it herself until the end. I would like to read more from this story...and I actually think the author might have more coming.
The Zombie 5/5
I'm not a huge fan of zombies, but Lisa Morton wrote a fantastic zombie story in this collection. I can't say too much without ruining it, but it nicely weaves together a few of the other stories from this collection and paints a vivid picture of a post-apocalyptic world and the characters trapped within it.

Overall this was a great collection and I highly enjoyed reading it. I'm glad I took the chance on it, and it was wonderful to have a little horror thrust into my world for however short a time.

My rating?

Review of Adrian's Lost Chapter by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines: Adrian's Lost Chapter
Series:  Bloodlines, Book 0.5
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  YA, paranormal, vampires
Format:  Ebook, 8 pages
Publication Date:  August 2011
Published By:  Richelle Mead
Source:  Read on Author's Blog

Synopsis from Goodreads

A glimpse at the original scrapped first chapter, which is told from Adrian's POV. 

Originally, Bloodlines was going to be told from a few different characters' points of view. It was going to be in third person and alternate characters each chapter. A few chapters in, problems were emerging from this (you've got to trust me on that!). 

I ended up starting completely over and simply doing the entire book from just Sydney's point of view in first person (the "I" voice). The all-Sydney version is what you're going to get when the book hits the shelves August 23. 

Hope that clears things up!

My Thoughts

I'm really fond of the new trend where authors write and release short stories to their readers that fall in between other books in their series. I think it helps keep momentum and interest in the series while waiting for new books in the series to be published. It also helps flesh out some character development as well as some of the story that might have been rushed through, or skipped all together in a previous book.

With this specific short story offering, the author is giving us an inside look at how she attempted to start her new novel before scrapping it for a different approach. Richelle Mead originally planned to write Bloodlines with characters alternating between who was actively telling the story. The first chapter was initially meant to be told by Adrian, and this is that chapter.

This short piece (a much too short 8 pages) is incredibly true to Adrian's character that was developed during the Vampire Academy series. The drinking, the smoking, the flirting, all ways to help him deal with the bad things that happen to him. I always felt a little bad about how things ended with him, and this chapter doesn't make me feel any better. Experiencing his reactions and feelings from his true inside self is even more heartbreaking than reading them as they were described in the last book of the Vampire Academy series, shadowed by a third-party perspective. It literally tore my heart to pieces to see just how much he is still suffering from the whole Rose conflict. The "Rose" colored glasses are gone now, and the truth is too painful to bare. It's so real...I know because I have been there...I am sure we all have been...

Let's hope things get much better for poor Adrian in Bloodlines. I'll let you know soon...it's next up in my TBR pile.

My rating?

Review of Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Title: Winter's Passage
Series:  The Iron Fey Series, Book 1.5
Author:  Julie Kagawa
Genre:  YA, paranormal, fantasy, faeries
Format:  E-Book, 51 pages
Publication Date:  June 2010
Published By:  Harlequin, HarlequinTeen
Source:  Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

My Thoughts

I had read The Iron King, book one in the Iron Fey series, back in April of this year. I remember ranking it 3 out of 5, meaning it was OK, but nothing really special. As such, I actually didn't remember all that much about it. This short eBook occurs between book one and book two (The Iron Daughter) and was a perfect re-introduction to the series.

I was immediately re-submerged into the world of faery (which is a beautiful, yet dangerous place to be) and was reintroduced to all the characters I actually enjoyed meeting in the first instalment. Ash, Grimalkin, and even Puck brought wide smiles to my face.

There was so much in this short story I really enjoyed. It was really great to get inside Ash's head a bit and see the increasing inner conflict develop over his feelings for Meghan. The character of The Hunter as the wolf of all stories, kind of like a Wolf God was another favourite development of mine. Luckily the story wasn't long enough for Meghan to whine me into irritation.

Overall it was a nice and short entertaining story to tide the readers over between books. Now if only the longer length novels were this good.

My rating?

Afraid of the Dark

I'm still here, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. I also have two other Blogs up and running (nuts right?) so I am keeping myself very busy.

The writing is coming along very nicely. I am quite happy with the progress I am making on this trilogy. It's the most progress I have made on my writing in years.

I am still getting stuck now and then on the actual putting down of words onto the paper. I have GREAT, I mean FABULOUS ideas. They come across just as awesome in point form. But when it comes to actually writing the scene, it no longer feels as magical as it did in my head. Is this normal? I almost feel like I am murdering my story by writing it.

I think perhaps I need a little more writing practice. I think I am still a bit rusty in the ways of weaving words together. As such I think I might try my hand at some short fiction. This might help get the ink flowing.

I have scanned a few anthologies out there asking for stories and have picked my first goal. I don't actually plan on getting published in it, I just think that having an actual goal to work towards helps me better. It might not be the same for you.

So here's a question for you, as a little research...

Have you ever been scared of the dark? If so why?

Did you ever have some nasty nightmares that scared you so bad even to this day you remember them as you fight your eyes from closing?

Let's hear them! I am intrigued!