I bought this collection because I’d already read more than half of the authors and I was intrigued to see what they’d do with the Magin & Mystery theme.
The only story that didn’t work for me was by Scott Lynch, and that was mostly because it was pitching a type of humour I don’t enjoy. Travis Baldree’s story was a smile. Sarah Beth Durst’s story was a charming cozy offering. Tananarive Due’s story was an exciting piece of historical fiction with Weird West riffs. The stories by Robert Jackson Bennett, Heather Fawcett and J M Miro were wonderful and very different from one another.
I’ve commented on each story later in this post.
I bought an audiobook version that bundles all seven stories together for one Audible credit. They’re also available as individual volumes in ebook and audiobook format.
Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk, written and read by Travis Baldree
A peculiar detective takes on a monastic murder mystery in a darkly funny fantasy short story.
This was an absurd, childish, fairy tale, played for pantomime laughs.
I ought to be way too grown up to have enjoyed it.
My eyes should have been rolling.
Except…
it hooked my curiosity.
Then it made me smile.
Eventually, it made me laugh.
Travis Baldree is sneeky like that.
The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst, narrated by Meg Runyon
A book-loving witch finds magic and mystery in a whimsical short story about the transformative power of friendship and community
This was so sweetly cosy; it made my teeth ache, but like the lavish afternoon teas it reminded me of, I consumed it with relish.
I loved the idea of witches coming into their power only when they finally connect with the right book.
The mystery was intriguing without being stressful, and the solution was surprising and amusing.
Oh, and the cats were… very catlike, so of course they disdainfully dominated the story.
I’ve had Sarah Beth Durst’s ‘The Spellshop’ in my TBR for over a year now. I think I’ll dust it off for Halloween Bingo.
The Lion’s Tusk by Robert Jackson Bennett, narrated by Hannah Curtis
An eccentric detective turns to the fantastical to solve a cold case.
This was fun. Ana Dolabra is one of my favourite characters from the Shadow of the Leviathan series, but this is the first time that Robert Jackson Bennett has told a story entirely from her point of view.
I loved the relish Ana Dolabra brought to her description of the semi-public nuptial sex and the truly horrific method of murder, knowing that each would embarrass and/or revolt young Din, her assistant. Of course, her main interest was in solving a 182-year-old cold case, simply by analysing the written records.
As usual, Robert Jackson Bennett’s descriptions were vivid, his world-building was detailed, his pacing was pitched to keep my curiosity engaged, and his overall message was that hereditary power will always harm those who wield it and those who suffer under it.
I’ve pre-ordered ’ATrade of Blood’, the third book in the series, and I’m looking forward to diving into it next week.
A Labyrinth of Honeybees by Heather Fawcett, narrated by Esther Wane
New rulers meddle with the whims of the old gods in a lush and twisty short story of devotion, intrigue, and murder.
This was an original and memorable story told with a distinctive voice that will stay with me.
A deceptively simple storytelling style, an apparently harmless narrator whose peaceful, almost serene approach to lethal threats is not so much a misdirection as it is one of the central mysteries of this story.
This story felt like stepping into a maze where the walls keep shifting. The deeper I went, the more I understood the extent of my own ignorance and the impact of my lazy assumptions.
Themes of devotion, power, faith, betrayal, and unending rivalry are woven like golden threads through this intimate story of the life of a priestess living near the temple of the Goddess.
I have Heather Fawcett’s ‘Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies’ on my shelves. I think it’s time to dust it off.
The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious by Scott Lynch, narrated by Joel Froomkin
When egos clash during an assemblage of wizards, grandstanding displays of magic become a matter of murder in a witty and suspenseful short story
This one wasn’t for me. Not my kind of humour.
To me, it felt like it was trying too hard. It had the smugness of a bore who believes he’s the smartest rather than the most tedious man in the room. A Terry Pratchett wannabe with all the appeal of an off-key Tribute Band.
I abandoned it after a few minutes.
Battle of the Round House by Tananarive Due, narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
This spellbinding short story reimagines the Wild West through the eyes of a young Black girl with a gift.
This was a very successful blend of historical fiction and Young Adult fiction with a Weird West twist.
The discomfort of travelling by wagon, the wildness of a cattle town at the end of a cattle drive, and the dangers faced by a black family travelling through towns where some of the cattlemen up from Texas were still wearing faded Confederate uniforms were brought vividly to life.
The confrontation in the second half of the story was given a supernatural twist that worked well partly because the action scenes were intense, partly because the magic seemed like a seamless extension of the well-grounded world described in the first half of the story and partly because everything was seen through the eyes of a young girl for whom everything was changing.
I was glad for the opportunity to sample Tananarive Due’s work. I’ll be looking into her back catalogue to see which of her novels calls to me.
The Cairndale Orphan by J. M. Miro, narrated by Will M. Watt
A world-weary detective and a mysterious young boy hunt an unspeakable terror in a haunting short story
A dark, Victorian Gothic horror monster story, set in the same universe as Miro’s ‘Ordinary Monsters’ and ‘Bringer of Dust’.
The gothic atmosphere of Victorian London was beautifully crafted; the monster was something from a nightmare and the action scenes were intense, but what I liked most was how clearly and delicately the character of the large, battle-scarred Detective Inspector Thomas Bromley was drawn. His loneliness and grief were surpassed only by his determination to do the right thing.
My favourite line from the story was:
“Arthur had been dead almost two years, and Bromley wore his aloneness like a pair of gloves he couldn’t take off, touching everything in the world with it.”
Mike Finn's Fiction 