Review: Transcendence
Anthologies are always difficult to review, this one as much or even more so than others I've recently read. The link between these stories is transcendence, the act of becoming more than you were. This isn't always a positive change, but the submissions - for the most part - are able to carry the common thread.
There are four poems included in this collection, but half were ultimately forgettable. Two poems, Dervish and Death, stayed in my mind after reading and caused me to pause... Neither of these poems were long to really contain a story, and yet they were compelling enough in the combination of words to keep me interested.
As for the stories themselves, there are both extremely short ones as well as longer tales. Some, such as Skippy and Purgatory, show the protagonist battling inner demons... One with a happy ending and the other perhaps less so. Some tales are on the darker side with endings we normally might not like, but in The Misses Moirai the ending was perhaps the best available to Asia, in a story that combines mythology with a horror that persists into the modern day. The ending story, Transcendence, fits its name and the title the best, showing the capability of change not only in the protagonist, but also in everyone she touches - and guides - afterward.
While some tales were more successful in my mind, none of the stories were disappointing, making this a successful 4 star anthology.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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