Tag Archives: Warner Holme

Warner Holme Review: Forbidden Lands Book of Beasts

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Forbidden Lands Book of Beasts by Andreas Marklund and Henrik Rosenborg (Free League, 2023)

By Warner Holme: Andreas Marklund and Henrik Rosenborg’s Forbidden Lands Book of Beasts contains more than the name would imply.

Quite early in the book on the page 6-7 spread we already begin to see the talent and quality that went into the volume. There is a wonderful pencil style drawing and summary about a creature called an amphibian. In addition to providing a lovely example of the ugly cute aesthetic, the right up gives a delightful example of a morally complicated creature that can be seen as more than cannon fodder.  Instead motives like religion, survival, and family paint a picture where the creatures can be allies or enemies depending upon the circumstance.

Other creatures scattered throughout are given similar levels of detail and explanation. Some of them are quite universally a danger to people of any type, such as the entertaining and clever adaptation of the “Mara” starting on page 54. Yet even knees are detailed with not only abilities and mechanical details, but also a variety of situations as well as environmental and behavioral details to make them believable within the world of the game.

Detailed selections for encounters which might bring out a variety of the creatures described in this book are given a little later, and while the charts may not be appreciated by many the multiparagraph setups are delightfully entertaining reads. Many of these refer back to classical fantasy tropes like page 133’s “Petrified Troll” while others take a more naturalistic approach like the very next pages “Monster Droppings” which touches upon some rarely used in fiction biological functions.

One of the strange aspects of this volume comes in the section on page 165, the “Solo Rules.” A set of charts and detailed explanations for how to essentially run the basics of A game with no one else, it is a very nice supplement for any individual who wants to try it alone. That said while it seems well thought out and constructed, it is a strange addition to a book which purports to be about the creatures and beings populating the setting. This and, to a lesser extent, the section on “Gamemaster Tools” feel like they might be better suited to another volume, however are such major elements they are likely to be appreciated by anyone playing it as a game.

One of the more surprising elements of the book comes up to a start with an illustration on page 98 and a description on page 99. This would be the entertaining yet very oddly named “Twisted Ent.”  While making perfect sense in relation to that name, the strange tree creature seems a surprise and light of the fact that certain rights holders related to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have gone out of their way to make other fantasy authors and game creators change the latter of those two words to something else for any strange tree creature. Only time will tell the future printings of this book have a similar result.

With its dark blue leather-like binding this volume is marked off as a more major release than many of the other supplements to the game. The gorgeous art from the field of corpses and papers to the little sketches of bottles would be greatly appreciated by anyone flipping through it. To fans of the game as it already exists this particular book is likely unmissable. For someone looking for ideas or entertaining little Snippets of information about creatures and places it’s certainly not a bad experience either, although some of the material is certainly likely to be skimmed over by the non-gamer.

Warner Holme Review: They Will Dream

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  • They Will Dream by Gabriela Damián Mirave. Translated by Adrian Demopulos (Rosarium Publishing, 2023)

By Warner Holme: Gabriela Damián Mirave’s They Will Dream in the Garden is a collection of the author’s stories freshly translated from Spanish into English. 

Featuring many pieces that range from horror to fantasy, they often slip into a nebulous area that doesn’t fit either traditional American genre exceptionally well. A pair of stories illustrate this expertly, both dealing in similar themes and ideas without remotely repeating in plot.

“La Purificación” deals with a woman describing, in first person present tense with sensory experience that slowly makes its way to discussions of foodstuffs used to celebrate the Dead. It is all very matter of fact, feeling simultaneously like the reminiscences of an adult or the experiences of a young woman. This leads, ultimately, into visions which allow her to look at the past experience of life and commune with those whom she considers long lost.

The titular story is placed at the end, with a woman making plans for a pilgrimage of sorts even as her loved ones see it as a terrible or foolhardy idea. It is a setup with a fair degree of understanding which is added to by the idea of something not quite a normal way of telling a story, starting with its status as first person future tense. It is a woman calmly and carefully explaining what she expects to happen on a trip to experience a certain mystical cleansing. Indeed, the fact that most of the characters go with only titles or positions rather than names lends itself to the theoretical rather than experienced for the woman in question.

Themes related to celebrating life and appreciating the dead give only the most surface level for these two stories. Generation gaps, the pain of memory, and the need for closure are all key to the themes of this particular book. Mysticism being discussed in the same breath as telecommunications and corporate issues. Yet rather than feeling like a setup for urban fantasy, there is a world where natural reality can see these ideas as no more novel than peaches and cream. Still the beauty of even the most disturbing of these is undeniable, a delightful reminder of not only the skill of the author but the dignified and celebratory way one can see the passage of time.

Unlike many anthologies this collection adds little in the way of secondary material, introductions, afterwards, and explanations for individual stories. This is not in and of itself a condemnation as the tales are indeed the primary aspect of any such volume. Nonetheless it will leave readers comparatively in the dark as to Gabriela Damián Mirave’s process as well as her translator’s particular decisions.

The fact these stories are freshy translated is very nice, a new look at a celebrated set of genre works. While there is of course unevenness to the quality, that is only to be expected when dealing with an anthology be it from one author or many. Curious parties would do well to check out this collection, as they are likely to find more than one piece to interest them.

Warner Holme Review: Firsts & Lasts

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  • Firsts & Lasts, edited by Laura Silverman (Penguin Workshop, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Laura Silverman’s Firsts & Lasts is a themed anthology with a rather wide scope. While at first glance the concept is of covering important final and starting actions in life, the titles themselves often make it quite clear that this book goes beyond the normal by a good range.

“The First Time I Dated a Vampire” by Julian Winters deals with both death and romance in different measures. This is hardly a surprise given that title. A young queer POC named Tyrell is planning to watch a movie, something with a loose connection to a departed father. A cute young man working there, Sean Kam, is odd. Irritable pale, passionate, and cold skinned the twist with him is obvious even without the title. Coming to terms with change, and loss, and how the two are deeply interconnected is a surprisingly strong theme of the ensuing date.

The fact the author is familiar with Atlanta seems obvious, yet the story’s setting of Santa Monica feels quite well drawn. Further the pop culture references include more than a little bit of geek culture both celebrated and derided (Twilight being the big example of the latter.) While the racial and LGBTQ+ associations of wanting to be in groups because it is safer comes up in the story, one has a little trouble not thinking about how for many associated with geek culture at one time or another there was much similar policy in individual circles.

Kika Hatzopoulou’s “The (Hopefully) Last Demon Summoning” is another tale featuring classic supernatural creatures. Nina is the lead, and goes to school with a fair number of openly supernatural entities like half vampires and were-creatures. She also has feelings for a friend named Gino, and the pair are moving into very different directions after school. In her desperation she made contact with the titular entity, and now it is coming back to haunt her.

Change and fear are the main themes of this story, along with a certain degree of loss. They are dressed up in a very genre plot however that doesn’t even begin to disguise them, instead merely to give a face to self-sabotage. The idea that letting go may or may not be necessary, but one cannot simply hope that stagnancy is a good thing, is well expressed.

As with many anthologies there is a very nice “About the Authors” section which gives a respectable paragraph on each individual who provided a story. The acknowledgments are well written, not overly brief taking up about a full page of their own.

This is a solid anthology, one likely to introduce many readers to new authors. While this pair of stories is only a small sampling, it does illustrate the deftness with which the short pieces handle their themes and characters. Even without the ages of the characters the fact that this is targeted towards a YA audience is clear, however a wide variety of readers are likely to enjoy it. Recommended to curious parties, or those looking for an anthology along these themes.

Warner Holme Review: The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

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The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by T.L. Huchu (Tor, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme:  T.L. Huchu’s The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle is a continuation of the author’s Edinburgh Nights series, once again following Ropa as she attempts to deal with the rich and powerful in the Scottish magical scene while also pleasing her personal patron, only for bodies to start piling up. It’s an obvious but quite enjoyable setup which can easily expand in any number of different ways.

Class, race, and other excuses for bigotry are a major portion of this story. Ropa is attacked and looked down upon for it of course, a continuing theme throughout the book yet that is only the beginning of the use of themes in this particular story. The continued presence of characters like Francis Cockburn as individuals with a personal hatred of Ropa on such grounds is only reinforced by such characters as Montgomery Wedderburn.

More than even the previous volumes in the series, there is a strong anti-Scottish cultural streak in this book. That is not to say it is bigoted or jingoistic, but instead merely that any Scottish organization is depicted as both out of date and corrupt. While there may be some truth to this, there is for most organizations that are significantly old and have any level of power, the introduction of new branches to help make this point has a mixed effect. Specifically, Ropa finds a new Council of sorts complicating her life when she has the allegedly leading figure of the Society of skeptical inquirers as her personal patron. Sir Ian Callander is, suddenly, not nearly as powerful as depicted previously. The idea of organizational changes causing this might be interesting, but a group called The Extraordinary Committee are instead responsible, and it seems they have suddenly always existed. 

Given that this is the third book in the series, and Ropa began the series as a teenager it does seem strange she hasn’t managed to learn any significant facts like this. Really, it’s something equivalent to discovering after living in a place for a couple of years that there is a court system, with the idea you would have been completely unaware of it simply because you were friends with the Prime Minister. Odd, foolish, and with a character who’s supposed to be frequently skeptical and experienced about the regular world it’s utterly bizarre that she wouldn’t have considered such a possibility.

The book very much reminds how an author and series can grow. The first book in the series, The Library of the Dead, is far more flawed and difficult read in comparison, while in several ways sporting much the same structure and better characters. The social commentary in it is stronger, with fewer negative and probably unintentional implications, then in the proceeding books as well. The lead has become a more likeable individual, and her support for her friends more understandable.

Fans of the series should definitely check this book out, however new readers might find themselves a little lost. The book takes a little time to catch readers up, just as it gives hints to a potential new status quo in the following upcoming volume. However even on its own it’s a decent read, merely one with a lot of orphaned references. To someone looking for a book that isn’t traditional urban fantasy but never steps far outside of it, easy to recommend.

Warner Holme Review: Wild Spaces

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  • Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney (Tordotcom, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: S.L. Coney’s Wild Spaces is a novella at its longest, and a short and bittersweet piece dealing with concepts ranging from family to Lovecraftian horrors. While a book handling such disparate concepts is certainly nothing new, it is nonetheless impressive both due to style and the relative brevity of this work.

Teach is an adorable dog rescued by the young lead and reluctantly accepted by his parents. Fitting with the classic archetype he is a pretty Inseparable companion of the young man as he notices the oddities of his family and surroundings, before discovering how he is changing as well because of them. While Teach and the parents, as well as in disturbing and often dangerous grandfather, play major roles in the story they are not by any means the leads.

The young man is given a fair bit of focus, yet kept deliberately opaque in terms of a great many of his details. The most obvious of these is that names are avoided whenever possible, leaving him largely identifiable as “the boy” even while the occasional mention of an actor or piece of culture reminds readers that proper names do indeed exist. In fact even local names, such as the page 92 mention of a young woman named “Lissa Martin” who represents a first somewhat physically romantic encounter for the young man. This is well sandwiched within other statements, and the concept only serves to make it disturbing in decidedly atypical ways.

There is a question asked of many books, like this one, with a dog on the cover. That is whether or not it lives. In this particular situation, that’s not nearly as easy to answer as someone might have hoped. Nonetheless in one manner and another the book begins and ends on the animal. The status of the dog is a character and not merely a plot device is relevant throughout the book, however the separation various individuals feel is well illustrated by the fact he is given a proper name when most individuals appearing in the pages of the book as characters do not receive such a detail. This seems not sloppy, but instead used for the purpose of reminding readers of different types of isolation as well as pushing into the cosmology of a child where a dog will be remembered more for a given name than a parent.

At around 120 pages this is not a long read, and will likely be finished in a single sitting for many readers. There is a quiet elegance to much of it, a sad and disturbing tale of discovery that exquisitely uses concepts pioneered and popularized by Lovecraft in a way that would make Bradbury proud. This one is easy to recommend to curious parties, in no small part because of its length and quality. That said, the tastes of the reader will always make a difference, and the feeling of this story lending so much towards both strange everyday life and using the grotesque in the style of a fairy tale give it a style that will remind readers of many things but not quite map to any of them.

Warner Holme Review: A Stranger in the Citadel

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  • A Stranger in the Citadel by Tobias S. Buckell (Tachyon, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Set in a world with sharp class divides and deeply buried secrets, this book provides a variety of fascinating looks at a strange world especially terrifying to readers.

Lilith is the daughter of the Lord Musketeer, and also a trained guard under the auspices of the much respected Kira. Yet a man is caught, the first visitor in many decades and he has brought the forbidden to this land in the form of books. As a result this stranger, calling himself Ishmael, is to be sentenced to death. Lilith, while curious about this, reveals more than she intends to Kira and sets off a personally catastrophic chain of events.

Rather than a fantasy or alternate world, this novel is very decidedly post-apocalyptic, albeit very distantly. References, obvious and not, to cultural touchstones of today and the past couple centuries are scattered throughout the story. Major and minor pop cultural touchstones, whether people or stories, are brought up dozens of times, some of the mass as rather key elements and others merely in passing. All of them are twisted noticeably, even ones as well known as creation myths having blended over whatever timespan has passed.

Little details early on pay off throughout the story, such as the complete absence of a mother for Lilith, referencing not only to the mythological nature of the name but also the idea there is something rather wrong with her father. A variety of terminology that is a religious or political is sprinkled about in various settlements, with the many different ways that it has drifted over time helping to illustrate the strangeness of this world. These require less explanation, and lend fairly well to the themes about the risks of illiteracy and an oral tradition. Nonetheless, the way that the book seems to avoid answering questions definitely feels slightly unsatisfying after an otherwise very well constructed book.

Very few answers come at the end of this book, and pretty much every piece of discovery relates to lessons learned within a human lifetime or two. Questions about the apocalyptic events of the past, while interesting, remain unanswered even in the final pages. What answers one does get about the current setting are obvious enough as early as halfway through the book, and even when such entities as the archangel appear later they do nothing to provide further clarity.

By a similar token the book is practically advertising itself as intended for a series, ending with the current threat taken out but the lead outright planning to continue her adventures. Combined with the lack of answers to virtually any questions involving this world, it very much feels like baiting rather than an open ending on the part of the author.

There is an entertaining and adventurous plot, with many wonderful twists and oddities happening throughout. Movements and style of setting might leave a reader looking for other post-apocalyptic stories, like Vampire Hunter D rather than Shannara or Deathlands. It is so post-apocalyptic one is left with only hints of the motivations of anyone involved, yet treats these questions as too prominent in the plot to justify the complete lack of explanations. Curious parties can definitely look this book up and are very likely to enjoy it, and the very fact it leans so into wanting a sequel suggests it might cover over some of the holes certain readers would find in it at a later date.

Warner Holme Review: Martha Wells’ City of Bones

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City of Bones by Martha Wells (Originally published in 1995; revised edition from Tordotcom in 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Martha Wells’ City of Bones is an early entry in the bibliography of a woman who has become a major name in science fiction and fantasy today. Having bounced briefly between publishers, even the introduction’s note that it started out at Tor Books decades ago and ended up at Tordotcom is amusing.

The book handles Fallen World fantasy better than most, giving clear depictions of science that might be magic and Magic that might be science in turn. Certain elements might even fit into the Lovecraft-lite genres, although influence could just as if not more likely be taken from Raiders of the Lost Ark. At the same time, and in spite of certain implications to the contrary, it never flirts with being the particular kind of post-apocalypse one might find in Vampire Hunter D or The Chronicles of Shannara. 

Much of the volume centers around an individual named Khat. In what will surely feel like it was echoed with the Murderbot Diaries, he is a member of a species or race, the line is left somewhat ambiguous, who works in recovering and selling relics wild part of the lower class of the City of Charisat. Wild pieces of the world are explained in a slow and steady way that seems natural to the narrative, it’s still manages to pretty quickly build up the fact that whether magical or machines there are a variety of relics considered powerful, some of them actually so and others seemingly more symbolically or out of assumption.

A character given almost as much time but, amusingly, no mention in the advertising matter is Elen. She serves as part of a particular group known as Warders, and spends a fair amount of it accompanying Khat in an effort to discover a series of powerful artifacts that seem likely to be used to create something known as an “arcane engine” which has the highest echelons of the city more than a little curious about their potential. Fitting in with a common trope to a certain era of fantasy, Elen is the first woman Warder. She has confidence issues, while also understanding that the reason there aren’t more of them has a lot to do with the fact the people in the selection process are all men and few seem to have a desire to elevate women.

This small detail combines with others in a way that will help readers see an early example of the cultural criticism which Martha Wells has so readily incorporated into her work. Still it feels well built into this setting, and women with power are certainly present in different forms. Questions of class and cultural bias, down to certain disturbing details for the lives of minorities considered “exotic” all play roles in the pages.

The new edition by Tordotcom is a somewhat revised and expanded version and compared to what came before us slightly more polished though never strays from feeling like a relatively early work by a well-known author. The stylistic flares, a particular love for worlds that feel subtly or wholly culturally influenced by real world regions, and the use of not quite human characters to demonstrate human foibles are just the least amongst these.

Fans of Martha Wells should of course pick up this book. It’s a delightful early example of her material, updated and revised in a way that could make it seen as something of the author’s preferred text. While there is a short new author’s note and about the author section, this is not by any means an annotated volume which will reveal vast new secrets to the reader.

Warner Holme Review: Erik Granström and Henrik Rosenborg’s Forbidden Lands: the Bloodmarch

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Review by Warner Holme: Erik Granström and Henrik Rosenborg’s Forbidden Lands: the Bloodmarch (Free League, 2023) is an interesting volume expanding on a pre-existing setting. Expanding on the previously known setting, this volume details a disturbing region which includes large portions of forest with disturbing red foliage.

Most of the fantasy standards exist in this world. Orcs, elves, dwarves, humans, demons and more. Some of them are fairly in line with the genre expectations for them, particularly the dwarves, while others have strange and detailed cultures and cultural conflicts explained. Fortunately the setting starts, largely, from a point of view that should make it easy for a reader to jump in even to this development in it without worry about feeling truly lost. Potential alliances, conflicts, and hidden agendas are all discussed in a fair amount of detail.

One complication when dealing with an overall high quality translation like the one created here by Niklas Lundmark is a question of comparison to the original. While a great deal of the strange, weird, and wondrous nature of a dark fantasy setting can be seen throughout this book there are moments which suggest a certain amount of tongue in cheek. And obvious one comes with the adventure seed on page 160, wherein “Muder, Madam” focuses on a particular character’s death. This would be a normal idea for a fairly basic type of event, however the individual who died is named Madam Munna. This is stated repeatedly with both words throughout this small section, and leaves one with a strong suspicion that either one of the original writers or the translator was in fact a fan of the Muppets. Knowing which would be quite nice, and neither it nor some of the other jokes keep the overall tone from something that can be taken reasonably seriously. These include wordplay like naming a deity Kolor who is claimed to be responsible for shades other than red, and a group calling themselves “The Inglourious Butchars” on page 42.

The illustrations are in general high quality, done in the style of drawings and maps which might exist in universe of the people, objects, or places one might encounter. This is overall extremely effective, even to an extent providing justification as to why certain illustrations like that on page 69 seem to devolve into the earliest stages of sketching while large portions are incredibly detailed. Neither is exactly bad, however if they were made to compete with very stylistically different illustrations it might be somewhat less impressive.

In such volumes, specifically going back to the early era of gaming, organization was often one of the biggest problems. While this book overall maintains a fair bit of quality in that regard, the index might be a little sparse to some. And although it does include entries for most of the important individual concepts, it will often leave only a notice when they are the subject of a section rather than merely being mentioned.

As a gaming module it will be very much take it or leave it both for fans of the franchise and more general gamers. Still, it represents a high-quality release, with a lot of interesting ideas that can be incorporated into games or simply get the mind pumping for those who enjoy manuals on fictional worlds. With interesting world building, creatures, and character concepts there is a lot to recommend it.

Warner Holme Review: The Future Is Female! Volume Two: The 1970s

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The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories By Women Volume Two: The 1970s. Edited by Lisa Yaszek (Library of America, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Lisa Yaszek’s The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories By Women Volume Two: The 1970s is a continuation of the previous volume from the same editor. Putting together a selection of stories from a more condensed period of time, this volume focused on a single decade nonetheless includes a fascinating assortment of material.

A very nice introduction by the editor provides context for the pieces in the collection as well as thoughts from individuals for working at the time. In addition there are a number of unadvertised pieces by women involved. Specifically, as early as page xiv there are illustrations from various SF publications which were created by women of the time. The first of these is a very nice figure originally in Galaxy magazine circa June 1975 which is by the well-known artist Wendy Pini. While these are a major surprise, they are all carefully credited and appreciated, although a few that definitely appeared in color are rendered in black and white.

“Bitching It” by Sonya Dorman Hess opens the volume with real action. While many think of the early 1970s as still a time when science fiction was clean and aspirational about the future, this piece is dark and twisted and grotesque in a way that seems well matching horror or dystopia of the time. Featuring everything from spousal abuse to dog attacks, it’s a strangely disturbing story that actually has a lot to say.

Another interesting piece is Elinor Busby’s “Time to Kill.” Featuring a mixture of disturbing thematic ideas for time travel and a strange look at the idea of time evening itself out, it begins with a woman running back to her time machine before flashing back to her decision to commit a very specific murder. Really it is extremely short and doesn’t do much that hadn’t been done before with the concept of time travel, however it does so in a very in your face way that addresses a problem of both rejecting the past and taking drastic action to make matters worse. On the other hand the fact a number of less severe solutions are offered and rejected in favor of a religious version of child murder could be seen as making the entire story at metaphor for avoiding extremism.

Wrapping up the book are a variety of nice biographical pieces on the offers as well as a very detailed selection of notes which occasionally include single commentaries lasting for multiple pages. 

The biographies leave the reader in a strange position of remembering that this is one of the rare collections by Library of America in which a large percentage of the authors have passed on. This doesn’t so much affect the quality of the book as make it a very different read than one might have expected, at least with that little detail in the back of a reader’s mind.

The Future is Female! Volume Two represents a very nice companion.to the first book. While we mentioned stories each represent fascinating moments in the history of the genre, other included pieces are often brilliant and well-known, including the science fiction horror piece “The Screwfly Solution” by Raccoona Sheldon and Kate Wilhelm’s “The Funeral.” While not every story appeals to every taste, it does represent a fascinating book at that decade for women working in the field.

Warner Holme Review: Heather Webber’s At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities

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At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber (Forge, 2023)

Review by Warner Holme: Heather Webber’s At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities is the latest from an author who has made quite a name in the small town story genre. Weber has become known for such stories, and both they and she have gained a certain amount of following as a result.

While the title might evoke a cozy mystery or oddball fantasy novel, neither genre fits this volume very well. A murder is not a major driving force for the story, nor the investigation of a very specific crime. And while there are happenings in the book that might seem beyond normal, it does not at any point turn into a story focusing on these strange aspects.

That said the book is quite likely to fit the tastes of fans of both. Featuring quirky characters, a strange assortment of happenings which don’t seem quite natural, and a variety of complicated relationships and family secrets the story has hallmarks that will feel familiar to readers.

Aca Harrison gets a letter and chooses to rush at the chance to serve as a caretaker. Having suffered years with lost friends and medical issues, she is surprised that the letter from an old flame seems to contain a crumpled old job advertisement. In spite of the oddity and her own problems, some instinct tells her that this job offer in Driftwood, Alabama is the best hope she has.

Maggie May Brightwell is a single mother trying to run the same coffee place that her mother ran. The titular one in fact, and her father seems to be moving on and considering selling the facility. In response she has toyed with the idea of getting someone to take care of him. They reside in Driftwood, Alabama. 

The way that these two lives interact is a definite major catalyst for the story as a whole. Sadly the book does not involve the pair finding love together, but instead with a pair of men from the story. Each of their personal journeys is entertaining and involves forming friendships and looking into the information quite readily. fire, declining health, recurring medical issues, and difficult interpersonal relationships remain the largest obstacles the characters have to face.

Make no mistake, the implications that the book is genre are rather undeniable. Individuals living beyond their span, prophetic dreams and enhanced senses are just some of the subtle uses of the world beyond the normal in the book. Some of them are given partially or completely mundane explanations throughout the story, and these are varying levels of believable as the actual cause. Others never really receive such an explanation, except perhaps by proxy, and as a result leave this just a little more Supernatural than a book that would fit into the “maybe magic maybe mundane” category.

At The Coffee Shop of Curiosities is a slightly unusual turn on small town fiction. While certainly over idealized, this is less an endorsement of any particular region or its mores. Highly recommended to any fan of her work, this book definitely continues with many of the best traditions of Heather Webber’s work. As it is a standalone, this book would also serve as a perfectly acceptable introduction to pieces by the author, a little comfort reading for a cold day.