Splinters of Truth

A Tasty, Startling Delight

I would like to thank NewCon Press & LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program for a copy of this e-ARC to review. Though I received this ebook for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review.

Amazon Teaser: ""Storm Constantine is a myth-making Gothic queen. Her stories are poetic, involving, delightful and depraved. I wouldn’t swap her for a dozen Anne Rices.” – Neil Gaiman

Storm Constantine is one of our finest writers of genre fiction. This new collection features fifteen stories, four of which are original to this volume, that transport the reader to richly imagined realms one moment and shine a light on our own world’s darkest corners the next. A writer of rare passion, Storm delivers here some of her most accomplished work to date.

“Storm Constantine… is a daring romantic sensualist, as well as a fine storyteller.” – Poppy Z Brite

"Storm Constantine is a literary fantasist of outstanding power and originality. Her work is rich, idiosyncratic and completely engaging. Her themes have much in common with Philip K Dick – the nature of identify, the nature of reality, the creative power of the human imagination – while her sensibility reminds me of Angela Carter at her most inventive.” – Michael Moorcock"

This collection of short series is best consumed in small doses, leaving time for the necessary contemplation of each one as they burrow deeper into both your conscious mind and subconscious. As with any gathering of stories, some will reach more deeply than others, maybe linger on as you wake from a dream inspired by one such story. However in the interest of getting this review out in a timely manner I was not afforded the leisure of sipping from the cup of these tales, but rather had to consume them all in one large draft.

Each story impacted me in its own way, just as their brief introductions did. In fact I'm sure that Constantine's introductions colored the way I viewed each tale. If that was intended or not I'm unsure, but as it happened I must go forward with those colors already in place. In some instances the lead in was useful and a welcome addition to the story, while in others I felt it altered my potential point of view and possible enjoyment. I'm not going to bore you with which of the stories were positively impacted by her explanations, for I strongly sense that they will be different for each reader, and my impressions may color what you take away from the story even further.

Never having the pleasure of reading any of Constantine's work, this collection offers a delightful sampling. Yet it left me yearning for a longer story, so imagine my joy in learning that she's penned multiple novels and not just short stories. I don't want to sell these stories short, for they are powerful in their own right; I simply prefer longer formats for my fiction than can be found within the confines of a short story. Without a doubt these stories will leave you thinking, and if you're anything like me you'll find yourself circling back to certain stories days after you read them. Indeed I'm guessing that these stories will pop into the mind weeks, months, maybe years after you've read them. Which is, without doubt, some of the highest praise one can offer an author - or that their work can engender in the reader.