Story Review: The Last Flowers of the Spring Witch by Shawn Speakman from Unfettered II

Spoiler Free Summary:  The Last Flowers of the Spring Witch by Shawn Speakman is the final story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  The spring witch is sick. Her children set out to defeat the troll that inflicted her with the illness, but the truth of her disease is more complicated than they know.

Character:  I can’t say I specifically remember the names of the characters, but I remember them the way I remember people I met in my travels and remember fondly. These characters are charming and sympathetic even if their names aren’t memorable. I also have to remind you that I listened to this on Audible, and it is harder for me to remember names I’ve heard as opposed to names I’ve read. These characters band together. This story is analogous to Speakman’s own life and, in a way, my own. The characters were easy for me to connect with because the subject matter was near-and-dear to me.

Exposition: This was fantastic. I don’t actually remember much exposition in this story. I do remember some prose, and I have to admit that if some find this a bit nostalgic, self comforting, or even preachy, I would probably not argue with you. However, I think the majority of this story’s strength is its connection to its intended audience. If you’ve ever seen someone you love pass on and felt helpless to do anything about it, you’ll enjoy this story. Even if you haven’t, I’d say that the story still holds up because Speakman limits his prose and exposition very well.

Worldbuilding: While I got what I needed from this story, I didn’t really get what I wanted. This is clearly a fantastical world with wonder and magic, but the scope of the story isn’t wide enough to warrant too much world-building. While I wanted to linger in this story more, I understand the editorial need to keep things down.

This image of Mr. Speakman was taken from the About Page on his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Dialogue: The dialogue was good but not impressive. Some of the characters’ charm comes from the dialogue. This story is driven more on emotion and pace than development of character.  

Description: This was good if not great. The scenes were vivid. I may have wanted a bit more description of the characters, but the ending was a lovely use of description to create emotion.

Overall: I have to admit some bias in this because the content is near to my own heart as both Mr. Speakman and I lost our mothers to cancer. This story perfectly articulates how hard a person fights to hold on to people he loves and yet how it ultimately isn’t in a person’s power. This was my second favorite story in the anthology and was a great way to end it. I think the five or so strong or outstanding stories here make up for some of the others that were frankly underwhelming, and this story is an example of what I mean. This story was worth the price of the anthology itself.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Story Review: The Thrill by Brandon Sanderson from Unfettered II

The Thrill is honestly nothing more than the flashback sequence from Oathbringer by Sanderson. You can read my review on the full book here.

I was a bit bummed seeing this. It’s not new content. It’s not an alternate universe. It doesn’t provide new information. Sanderson is my favorite author in the game these days, and I’m always excited for new material. I don’t even mind re-reading it. I’m currently re-reading The Way of Kings as a way to get ready for the new Stormlight book. For people who haven’t tried any of his work (if they exist), this is a nice introduction. I’m a huge Dalinar fan, and this arc is wonderful. I just wish I had new Sanderson rather than stuff I’ve already paid for and enjoyed.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Story Review: Little Wren and the Big Forest by Michael J. Sullivan from Unfettered II

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  Little Wren and the Big Forest by Michael J. Sullivan is the eighteenth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  Everyone knows not to go into the forest. Everyone. But Wren’s lost a sheep, and her brother needs to find it. When he doesn’t come back, her parents leave. When they don’t come back, she goes looking. What she finds is a terrifying situation that forces her to pit her wits against an ancient creature bent of bringing something terrible to life.

Character:  Wren was one of the more memorable characters in this anthology. There was a good amount of fear and bravery. Being young, she couldn’t be that competent (unless she was a prodigy, which she wasn’t), but she makes up for that with sympathy and proactivity.  

Exposition: This was also fantastic. The story flowed seamlessly and was very hard to stop listening to (I listened to the Audible version). I don’t remember any point at which this story slowed down at all for me.

Worldbuilding: This is probably where the story fell short a bit for me. The reader honestly gets everything he needs, but this world seems so fascinating, and we don’t get much information on how this world operates. This might be from a larger story or series, which would mean fans already familiar with the world already know what’s happening. Even though I did get what I needed, I wish I had a bit more of this world to enjoy.

This image of Mr. Sullivan was taken from his about page on his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Dialogue: I can’t put my finger on what this story reminds me of, but a significant portion of the story is Wren’s battle of wits with the creature she meets in the woods. That conversation was very well done and is probably why I enjoyed this so much.  

Description: I was satisfied with the description in this story if not impressed. Perhaps one of the reasons I didn’t put this story in my top three from the anthology was because I would have liked a bit more sensory data here. Levels of description in order of desired outcome: 1) The reader knows what’s going on. 2) The reader can imagine some of the scene or characters. 3) The reader can imagine all of the scene and characters. 4) The reader has vivid imagery and imagination of the story. However, the highest level is this: The reader FEELS like HE is the character in the story and FEELS like he is in the story. I have the description for this story somewhere around 3, which is good, but not great. A story this fantastic deserved a bit more.

Overall: This was a rather disturbing fairy tale. It’s compelling in its conflict and imagination. While I wouldn’t call it one of the greatest stories ever, it’s certainly deserving of being read or listened too. If you like your youth fairy tales a bit on the darker side (I.G. Witches or The Watcher in the Woods), this is probably right up your alley.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Story Review: The Gunnie by Charlaine Harris from Unfettered II

 

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  The Gunnie by Charlaine Harris is the seventeenth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  Lizbeth has to help a group of people travel across the post apocalyptic landscape her country has become. When her team is hit, can she find a way to even get back home safely? Let alone find the people she promised to see safely to their destination.

Character:  Lizbeth is the type of character I really like. She’s skilled and driven. She has good motivation. The secondary characters fall way short though. Her connection to other characters wasn’t really investigated, so we miss out on the emotion we’d normally want to see. 

Exposition: Even with first person, this is good. Again, Lizbeth isn’t the problem. It’s her lack of connection to other characters that holds this story back. Lizbeth has everything you could ask of a first-person narrator. She’s clever. She’s skilled. We learn about the world as she talks about it, and that keeps the pace moving even as we’re learning about things.

Worldbuilding: It’s not poorly written by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a post apocalyptic journey, and it doesn’t really stand out in my mind from any other “the world has been obliterated, and we have to survive” story.  To really stand out, I need a post apocalypse that is unique in some way, and this just isn’t.

Image of Ms. Harris was taken from her website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: The dialogue in this story isn’t bad. It doesn’t stand out, but the characters have unique voices, and the plot moves with the conversations rather than dragging.  

Description: As is typical of this genre, the description is good if graphic. I wouldn’t say it was more graphic than I could stand, and that’s nice. It wasn’t as cinematic as I’d like, but I could definitely imagine the scenes as I read. The character descriptions could probably have been a bit more consistent.  

Overall: If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, you’ll probably enjoy this story. It’s good, but it’s not unique in any way. It’s still a fun read or listen if you’re on a short drive.  

Thanks for reading

Matt

 

 

Story Review: Bulletproof by Mark Lawrence from Unfettered II

 

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  Bulletproof by Mark Lawrence is the sixteenth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  The story is set in a sort of alien western world. There are fantasy creatures and alien creatures, but it’s all set in a western age civilization. Mikos (I think. This is an audio book, so I have to spell by sound),  is about to watch a gunfight. That battle will determine who is in charge of the town, which is a foothold of the planet aliens intend to use.

Character:  I like the characters in this story. They’re sympathetic and proactive, which is all I really want out of any character. Mikos is a young boy (I think), and his father was the sheriff not too long ago. A story this short really demanded the listener to keep track of a bunch of faces, races, and terms. 

Exposition: I actually think this needed a bit more exposition. I’m glad the story didn’t drag down, and I don’t necessarily think all the pacing issues would be resolved by exposition, but I definitely could have used a bit more here. 

Worldbuilding: This was the other area I felt was lacking. The author just sort of forces you to go with whatever is happening. This may be because the story is from a larger series, which would make some sense. Still this story didn’t rank higher in my opinion because I just didn’t really know what was going on, and by the time I had a grasp on just what I needed to enjoy this story, it was over. There were so many cool details and implications in this story, and I felt a bit left out of all that cool information.

This image of Mr. Lawrence was taken from his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: This was good. Each character sounded unique. The conversations advanced the plot without sounding like author explanation. 

Description: This is probably where the story shines. The action sequences were cool.  The town felt real. The creatures and aliens all felt real. Like I said, listening to this story felt more like I was listening to an excerpt of a bigger story than the entirety of one. I had a glimpse into this really cool world and concept, but I never got to investigate it the way I wanted. 

Overall: This story is worth a listen. If you’ve read Lawrence’s work before and know if this is part of a series or bigger story, please let me know. This tale is one of the better ones in the anthology, but it wasn’t one of the best.  

Thanks for reading

Matt

 

 

Story Review: The Raven by Erin Lindsey from Unfettered II

 

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  The Raven by Erin Lindsey is the fifteenth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  Tom is brother to the king, and his kingdom is at war. The war, caused by the king’s transgressions, is causing bloodshed and strife. The only alternative, rebellion. Will Tom betray his brother for the sake of peace?

Character:  It took a good minute for me to remember this story, but once my memory was jogged, I remembered liking Tom. The arc made a ton of sense, and watching a loyal brother be placed in an impossible position time and again was a very powerful source of conflict (and therefore interest) for me. While the author did a fantastic job of showing the strain Tom went through to protect his brother and aid him out of several questionable situations, what I think made this fall short (i.e. forgettable) was the author didn’t do such a great job showing me how much the brothers loved each other. I understood it, but I didn’t feel it, and that’s why the story didn’t stick with me. 

Exposition: On the other side of forgettable stories is the benefit of not remembering it was bad. Usually this means the exposition was just fine. The story flowed well and quickly. The prose was solid. Poor character plus poor exposition = a bad story. Poor character with good exposition = an easy to read but forgettable story. 

Worldbuilding: This was good, especially if you like political intrigue and things like that. Those who liked The Game of Houses from The Wheel of Time of the economic details in Dune will appreciate that part of the story. The best and most interesting part of this story is the political ramifications of the choices Tom and his brother make.

This image of Ms. Lindsey was taken from her Goodreads profile page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: The conversations were interesting. There’s a debate about a course of action to take that I found very compelling, but I don’t think the characters felt unique to listen to. That puts the dialogue for this story in the “not bad” category. It’s probably better than average since that scene is one I remember most. 

Description: There wasn’t much in the way of description. Sure, there was battle, but that’s not what I remembered about the story (see above). I think this could have been a bit better. At the very least it could have been a bit more vivid. I think if the characters were at least memorable by description, this story would have been stronger. 

Overall: This was a good story; it just wasn’t memorable, and that’s because the characters didn’t quite meet the mark for me. I understood the goal and complications, but the motivation seemed off. I didn’t get that sense of love for the brother. It felt more like duty, which took away the potential for emotional power. It’s still interesting. It still has scenes that grab you, but like most average stories, I read it, wasn’t too disappointed, and then I forgot it soon after. If that relationship were better conveyed, I connect with the character, and this story is probably one of the better stories, especially considering Lindsey’s strong prose.  Still, if  you like good world building and political intrigue, this story has merit and deserves a fair shot. 

Thanks for reading

Matt

 

 

Story Review: Victim with a Capital V by Scott Sigler Durst from Unfettered II

 

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  Victim with a Capital V by Scott  Sigler is the thirteenth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  Lisa is a Victim. Yes, she was once a victim, but then she was trained to become something more, an avenger. She trained her whole life to prepare for the day she came face to face with the man who hurt her. That day has just arrived. What will she do? There are others nearby who are showing a bit too much interest in her as well. What will they do?

Character:  I actually like Lisa. She’s not the driven killer most stories make characters like her out to be. In fact, that’s why this story is unique. Here she is faced with her “opportunity for vengeance,” and she doesn’t respond the way most books portray it. There’s a fine line between “weak” or “stereotyped” women and characters who simply have every right to be afraid or sad. I affirm that people may be over sensitive to women being emotional. In Caught, my book, Sal, a man, cries plenty. No one has ever said he was too weak. But Kaitlyn, a teenager, sheds one tear and some people declare her type cast. But, there is a point at which people need to evaluate a female character to see if they’re being too weak. I advise authors to listen carefully to their editors when this is mentioned. Don’t be over defensive, but don’t be quick to make changes either. Just listen carefully.

I think the author does a great job of letting a traumatic event actually be traumatic. This story has nice development. I’d read another story about Lisa if it were out there (time and TBR list permitting).

Exposition: This was probably a little heavy handed in my opinion. I really felt like the story was great. I didn’t need the additional context that was there, but that’s just me. There wasn’t so much exposition that I felt the story came to a screeching halt, but I definitely noticed it. 

Worldbuilding: This was standard rouge’s tale. This might be early Earth history or it might be a different planet. I don’t know. Neither changes the plot very much. Now, if it was a different world or setting (and not just historical), I would have been happier with a bit more world building instead of the exposition I got. It’s possible that was the author’s goal, but it fell short.

Photo by Joan Allen taken from the author’s website. Permission to use this photo was expressed in the caption.

Dialogue: This was good. It wasn’t the greatest dialogue I’ve ever read, but it might be the second best dialogue in the book (all respect to Dresden and crew). The characters had unique voices, and I appreciated that. The narrator may have helped in this regard, but the words and style were still unique.   

Description: This probably could have had a bit more description. I can’t tell you what Lisa looks like, but I have a pretty solid memory of the other men around her. I’d assert that if I felt it needed more, it probably did because I never really want that much description in any story. 

Overall: This is one of the better stories in the anthology. I’d definitely read more about Lisa, and I’d probably be willing to read more from the author (again, time and TBR permitting). It’s a great vengeance story with plenty of action and drama. 

Thanks for reading

Matt

 

 

Story Review: The Hedgewitch by Sarah Beth Durst from Unfettered II

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  The Hedgewitch by Sarah Beth Durst is the twelfth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  Hannah’s visit to the hedgewitch for charms to protect herself from the spirits that attack the village turns into something much larger. What will she do when the duty to protect people becomes her duty? How will she handle that task?

Character:  Hannah is a decent enough character, and there is a bit of an arc here despite being a shorter story. Hannah is competent, but not very proactive. That is a plot point. active, which is always a plus. I can’t say I really bonded with them, but they held my attention. 

Exposition: This story’s exposition is solid. There’s some worldbuilding going on, and that always requires a degree of exposition. The only down side is that exposition is front loaded, so the story may be hard to get into for some, but if you’re patient, you’re in for a pretty nice story. 

Worldbuilding: This felt a lot like the Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. It’s nice in that the concept is similar (nature-based creatures attack and kill humans), but I felt like the concept was too similar. Swap out a little boy with a little girl, and the general premise isn’t changed all that much. That doesn’t mean this story isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it creates a comparison. For the record, anyone trying to compete with that story is at an unfair disadvantage. For all I know, Brett’s story started after this one came out (I really don’t know). Regardless of which followed which, Brett’s was far better. If you haven’t read either, I think you’ll love this story. If you’ve read the Demon Cycle, you might feel like this is just falls short. That’s interesting to note. Look, there are not original ideas, but we authors have to work very hard to provide some twist or angle that makes a story unique, and I didn’t find it in this one.

Image of Durst was taken from her website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: This was ok, but I’m not sure I was able to buy some of the conversation points and how things progressed. It wasn’t bad or wooden, but there was a lot of talking leading to thinking, and that sort of felt like Hannah was simply doing what she was told rather than growing. This is most notable during one particular scene. Outside of that scene, the dialogue was pretty sparse, which is why I remember that part so vividly.  

Description: This may be the strength of the story. The author does a great job providing vivid scenes. The description is probably better for locations than people, but I still had some great visual and audible cues for the characters.  

Overall: This is a good story. It’s a much cleaner (age appropriate) story than Demon Cycle. It’s a pretty nice set up for what would be an interesting longer story. It’s a nice glimpse into an interesting world. 

Thanks for reading

Matt

 

Story Review: Magic Beans by Django Wexler from Unfettered II

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  Magic Beans by Django Wexler is the eleventh story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  A young man meets his girlfriend for what he thinks is a romantic interlude at her workplace. The intimate night turns comically nightmarish when that intimacy is combined with, you guessed it, the percolation of magic beans. The combination causes the small coffee shop to travel through time and space. The man and his friends are left with nothing to do but see what it would take to travel back home. CONTENT WARNING: The downside to anthologies is sometimes that you come across a story you wouldn’t read. While this is far from the most lewd story I’ve ever read (I’d imagine this story has an R rating as opposed to an X or NC-17), it turns sex into a joke-filled plot device. There is a message at the end that intends to build on the concept of sex as special, but I have a different viewpoint even beyond that.  That doesn’t mean that I’m unable to analyze the story. 

Character:  The characters here are an interesting blend. This is essentially a coming of age story about a group of young adults trying to figure out where their lives are going. They’re proactive, but not remotely competent. There is a lot to be amused about in how earnestly but foolishly they try to get back home. This is the charm of the story. active, which is always a plus. I can’t say I really bonded with them, but they held my attention. 

Exposition: Told from a first-person perspective, you need to just be ready for the standard amount of exposition. With this perspective, there really isn’t any getting around a certain amount of it, but it’s no more than necessary. I didn’t notice it really, which is a good sign.

Worldbuilding: I’d say this was well done in that the author very clearly winked at the reader and said, “If you’re five pages in, and you’re still reading, you’re not really interested in the suspension of disbelief.”  The tale as a whole is built more on the concepts listed above, and the ridiculous plot mechanics are just a vehicle to move the story forward. It’s not a well defined world with clear rules and interesting facets. It’s a bit of nonsense that isn’t trying to be more than it is.

Image of Mr. Wexler taken from his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: This was very well done. The characters had unique voices that revealed their character. It might be the second best aspect of the story. There was plenty of wit and characterization. 

Description: Once more I must stress the content warning. The use of sex as a plot device means I read about things I’d rather not read. It’s not nearly as descriptive and graphic as other stories I’ve read in the past, but I, personally, don’t need to be reading about it. Had there been simple “fades to black,” which 90% of the story actually does, I’d probably have less of a problem with it. That 10% was still 10% too much for yours truly. 

Overall: Wexler is obviously a talented writer. This story has charm, humor, drama, and meaning all rolled into a very concise format, but the content of the story is too contrary to my morals and belief system to recommend. 

Thanks for reading

Matt

 

Story Review: The Red-Rimmed Eyes of Tou Ma by Aidan Moher from Unfettered II

 

 

Cover for Unfettered II taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  The Red-Rimmed Eyes of Tou-Ma by Aidan Moher is the tenth story in the Unfettered II Anthology.  A former mercenary is driven to get to his destination, but instead he’s hired by a woman with red-rimmed eyes. Her people are trapped, but that trap is much more than simple unfair treatment by a leader.  

Character:  The characters here are interesting. Their motivations are believable. They’re proactive, which is always a plus. I can’t say I really bonded with them, but they held my attention. 

Exposition: As with last week, this is probably why the story didn’t stick with me so well. The exposition here isn’t nearly as bad as it was last week, but there was far too much of it, and most of it was right up front. It sort of felt like having to get a brief history review before I could actually start the story.

Worldbuilding: This was pretty awesome! This world has a great balance of tech, magic, and creatures. It sort of felt like steampunk in a high fantasy setting, and that was cool! Also, some characters have little dragons (I forget what they’re called) that do some pretty cool stuff as well.  This story didn’t really hook me, but if there’s a larger book out there set in this world, I’d probably give it a shot.

This image was taken from the author’s “about” page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine. 

Dialogue: This was solid. Each character had a unique voice (helped by the narrator). But even some parts of the conversation that were honestly just spoken exposition, I at least had some sense of character from the conversations. 

Description: This was good in that I had the images in my mind going off and didn’t have to slow down to absorb the author’s vision of the scene. I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve ever read, but it was what I needed.

Overall: I really would be interested in seeing if there’s a larger story set in this world. What this particular story lacked in reader connection and exposition would probably be resolved by a longer format. If you’re a fan of mixed genre stories, you should at least give this story a chance. 

Thanks for reading

Matt