Ambitious and energetic flash fiction.
In this collection of very short stories, Gimba blends fantastical elements, odd premises, and humorous situations.
Most of the tales in this book are no more than a few pages in length, but they show the author’s knack for finding unorthodox angles on familiar subjects. In “Beginning,” for instance, two cosmic mechanics craft universes in a workshop. Another tale, “Fifteen Percent,” shows the powers of Light and Dark singing the world into existence only to be interrupted by a talent scout who promises to make them big stars. In “Inspiration,” an accomplished writer reveals to a former classmate the dark secret behind his success only to receive a much-deserved comeuppance. A barfly turns out to be a hero of a fantasy realm in “Tall Tales.” In another story, a young man named Max Zane tries to learn the family business of villainy, and the story becomes more interesting as readers’ sympathies align with Zane and his fellow bad guys rather than with the sanctimonious, dimwitted heroes. “I Have a Cunning…” tackles similar themes, as the main character acts as a consultant for an unusual clientele: “He was the man that evil masterminds went to once they found out that they couldn’t quite live up to the second half of the job description.” Although Gimba’s stories can lack emotional heft and don’t create much sense of consequence, they’re often pleasant diversions. Many act as showcases for their author’s voracious imagination, which metabolizes tropes of fantasy, fable, and film to create enjoyable vignettes. The collection’s title is a bit of a misnomer; although the stories display a biting sense of humor, they also have an air of hopefulness, showing great affection for their characters and offbeat worlds. At times, reader may crave a story that isn’t so intent on reinventing existing genres, but at best, the results are charming, as if one is reading a script for a fantasy-based sketch-comedy show.
Ambitious and energetic flash fiction.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-79-500876-1
Page Count: 286
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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