Carniepunk consists of 14 short stories in a steampunk anthology with the theme of…wait for it…surprise, surprise…carnivals! My opinion is somewhat scattered along the spectrum, since the stories were written by 14 different authors. To make things simpler, I’ll be rating each story separately.
Overall, I feel like the themes are disjointed — too loosely connected in terms of the type of reader they’d appeal to. I don’t know how the stories were chosen and I’m sure it’s a very tough process, but I feel like the styles and moods decline in quality until a belated spike at the very end. But that’s just my opinion.
Painted Love by Robyn Urman (4/5)
- very lyrical, bitingly beautiful writing style
- balance between the harshness of reality and the wonder of moments
- very interesting characters
- striking plot twist makes you double back and think
- psychological references
- surreal time and place
The Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah S. Dawson (4/5)
- breathtakingly magical writing style: astounding word choices, heart-shattering imagery, descriptions interwoven with striking emotions
- delightfully surreal mood
- dark and wonderful setting — this is probably my favorite “carnival” of the whole anthology
- also a nice slice of psychology
- interesting and sad twist
- my one complaint is the instalove — the instalove with Charlie just made the whole story shallower! It could have been a 5 but instalove peels back the story’s merits.
The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne (1/5)
- I couldn’t get into it. Maybe because it’s part of a series
- the conversations with the dog are amusing
The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry (2/5)
- zombie apocalypse…typical stuff
- nice and gory details
- tries to be deep, somehow, but misses the point
- redeeming try at being new — the main character is transsexual
The Werewife by Jaye Wells (2/5)
- interesting, holds on to your attention till the end
- entertaining with a hint of satire
- not really extraordinary
- lacking in thematic element
- cliches
The Cold Girl by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad (1/5)
- I remember reading about another reviewer describe it as too “teenage”. Yes, it’s too typical. That annoying stock teenage girl voice, the abuse, the vampires…
- It was trying too hard to be interesting
- Cliches
A Duet with Darkness by Allison Pang (3/5)
- interesting writing style, characters and premise
- but just wasn’t presented in the right way; there was something off about the buildup and resolution
- imbalance in climax
Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques (1/5)
- could not get into it
- confusing writing style
Parlor Tricks by Jennifer Estep (1/5)
- could not get into it
- feel like it was part of a story that already exists and if you haven’t read it, you won’t get it
Freak House by Kelly Meding (1/5)
- couldn’t get into it
- perhaps a bit too plot-heavy for a short story
The Inside Man by Nicole Peeler (1/5)
- couldn’t get into it
- might have a good plotline, but not for me
A Chance in Hell by Jackie Kessler (1/5)
- couldn’t get into it
- original, of sorts, I suppose, but not compelling for me
Hell’s Menagerie by Kelly Gay (1/5)
- maybe it was a story meant for kids?
- the emotions of it didn’t feel real for some reason, didn’t rise off the page and project themselves onto the reader
Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid and the Open, Lonely Sea (4/5) by Seanan McGuire
- the writing was nice stuff, sprinkled with bits of striking imagery and the personality of the protagonist
- intriguing premise
- could have been something more mystical, more of the surreal, saltwater feel
- emotions mixed in nicely
- and the title is just wonderful
**eBook provided by Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review
Tangled Inkspills 