Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. The eponymous piece of this collection is its crowning glory and it left me wishing Baird had written a collection of short prose rather than poetry. This short piece immediately transports the reader into a twilight zone between reality and distortion. The end is utterly bizarre but in a way … Continue reading Review of The Girl in the Purple Room, Patrick Baird
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Softly Glowing Exit Signs is Georgia Park’s second collection of poetry and, in my humble opinion, is even better than the first. Her first collection was witty, pithy and touching and Park established herself as a voice for the 21st century. Softly Glowing Exit Signs not only continues to secure … Continue reading Review of Softly Glowing Exit Signs, Georgia Park
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Allen’s The Thirteenth Circle is a debut which explores man’s relationship with faith, temptation and possessing a sense of self. Through a combination of poems, drawings and autobiographical excerpts. Allen tells his story in the hope others can relate and find solace. The drawings are fascinating; each one a different … Continue reading Review of The Thirteenth Circle, Chaz Allen
*Advanced review as this book is not set to release until Summer 2020 I have always thought owls are beautiful and mysterious creatures. I own two intricate wood carvings and a set of three who nest on my mantelpiece. Slaght’s work, however, taught me to look beyond their majestic beauty and see their fight for … Continue reading Review of Owls of the Eastern Ice, Jonathan C. Slaght
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. The concept behind Bhat’s We Of The Forsaken World is original and interesting. He imagines communities living on the periphery of global advancement, and how the people living within them have similar stories to tell even when it seems they live worlds apart. Bhat’s writing is poetic and expansive. He … Continue reading Review of We of the Forsaken World, Kiran Bhat
You: A Novel in Verse by Micalizzi is an attempt to imagine and craft a love story told from beginning to end. At times there are glimpses of a poet beginning to flourish and bloom but for the most part, this collection captures love and loss very simply. Micalizzi’s verse is often limited by his … Continue reading Review of You: A Novel in Verse, A. T. Micalizzi
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Marilia - strong-willed, erudite and fallible. Cole has delivered a heroine so humbly human I found pleasure in reading fantasy again. Marilia’s entire story is one of struggle, defiance and vulnerability. Not once is her trajectory predictable. She is not invincible. She is frustrating at times in her quarrels with … Continue reading Review of Marilia, the Bastard, Morgan Cole
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Scarlet Shadows by Scylla Grand is a short yet powerful collection, carefully curated to reveal a journey of turmoil and lingering hope. Grand’s style reminds me of Wendy Cope, Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath, as she blends the straightforward with the whimsical. The collection is divided into three parts: Invisible, Inertia … Continue reading Review of Scarlet Shadows, Scylla Grand
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. I expected Conversations with Women to be about women through a male gaze. I expected to grimace at Campbell’s attempt to capture the female experience. Both expectations were to be proven false within the first few pages. Campbell provides an outlook which is original and unique; an outlook which challenges … Continue reading Review of Conversations With Women, Cebo Campbell
When S. K. Nicholas announced the X and I snippets on his blog were to become a novel, I stopped reading them. I knew at that moment I wanted to read the novel as a whole; I wanted as much as possible to be a surprise. I knew it would be beautiful. What I did … Continue reading Review of X and I, S.K. Nicholas
