The One From Carcosa is told in a diary format, without designation of dates, with visceral use of sensory descriptions. There is a fantastic sense of disorientation and haze, like a written hypnagogic hallucination. Repetition is effectively used to build suspense and desperation. The pivot from suspense to the introduction of Cahors and nighttime romance is well executed and lends to the endearing nature of Cahors' character. The description of Cahors' physique is fed in small portions which allows the reader to follow the narrator's same gradual exploration. What comes to mind in an attempt to describe the tone is "night-soft and warm." If Cahors has one million fans, then I am one of them. If Cahors has one fan, that is also me.
The protagonists of To Skin A Lindworm, Enoris and Maeve, have a wonderful dynamic. Captivating raw egg eating by Maeve, who is distinctly nonhuman from the start but behaves in increasingly nonhuman ways as she grows more comfortable with her environment. In many ways this is a practical character study between a socially beloved murderer (per her own self description) and a socially outcast monster. The description of the castle ruins is a lovely, evocative image. I am still enamored with the mental image of Maeve slaughtering an adult deer with her bare hands. The description of the events at Kaer are poignant and perfectly satisfy the questions the story poses through Enoris's behavior, and nicely complements Maeve's past. One parent loving yet not cognizant, one parent biological and unloving. I wish them a long life of belligerent pharmacy and keystone predation.
Counting Teeth features erotic cannibalism, my beloved. Fantastic dialogue where Versipelle describes how she intends to devour Akenaos, which I read over several times before continuing out of sheer enjoyment. Short, pointed, and an enjoyable send-off to a wonderful short story collection.
← Return to book
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
The One From Carcosa is told in a diary format, without designation of dates, with visceral use of sensory descriptions. There is a fantastic sense of disorientation and haze, like a written hypnagogic hallucination. Repetition is effectively used to build suspense and desperation. The pivot from suspense to the introduction of Cahors and nighttime romance is well executed and lends to the endearing nature of Cahors' character. The description of Cahors' physique is fed in small portions which allows the reader to follow the narrator's same gradual exploration. What comes to mind in an attempt to describe the tone is "night-soft and warm." If Cahors has one million fans, then I am one of them. If Cahors has one fan, that is also me.
The protagonists of To Skin A Lindworm, Enoris and Maeve, have a wonderful dynamic. Captivating raw egg eating by Maeve, who is distinctly nonhuman from the start but behaves in increasingly nonhuman ways as she grows more comfortable with her environment. In many ways this is a practical character study between a socially beloved murderer (per her own self description) and a socially outcast monster. The description of the castle ruins is a lovely, evocative image. I am still enamored with the mental image of Maeve slaughtering an adult deer with her bare hands. The description of the events at Kaer are poignant and perfectly satisfy the questions the story poses through Enoris's behavior, and nicely complements Maeve's past. One parent loving yet not cognizant, one parent biological and unloving. I wish them a long life of belligerent pharmacy and keystone predation.
Counting Teeth features erotic cannibalism, my beloved. Fantastic dialogue where Versipelle describes how she intends to devour Akenaos, which I read over several times before continuing out of sheer enjoyment. Short, pointed, and an enjoyable send-off to a wonderful short story collection.