Storm Constantine (1956–2021)

I don't normally read books out of a series... I literally stay away from them because I must have a fear of commitment. However, this book has long intrigued me and sat on my shelf for a long period of time. I couldn't find it at the library or any book stores, I eventually found it through Thriftbooks. SCORE! Why isn't this book more well known? Shame on you people! lol
I have completely savored this intricate plot, enjoyed the rich deep language, awestruck at the vivid imagery, loved the show more memorable characters.
I read this a little slower then my norm, because I just loved it that much! I didn't want it to end.
I also need to say, although this is labeled as gay romance, I think that is way to broad of a statement for this novel.
The species are actually hermaphrodites, so firstly- gender queer would be a better label. BUT, I feel even this label may hinder more people from reading it, a cis male reaching for a gender queer romance novel? Probably wont happen thanks to this ill labeling system. That is SAD! Labels take away something special from this book.
This is magic surrealism, fantasy, dystopian AND IT IS FILLED TO THE BRIM with beauty.
I really do not like labels as you can see. There were no uncomfortable romance scenes, the species has a different way of sharing romance with one another, it is a sharing of breath/essence, it is profoundly beautiful. I don't enjoy reading blatant sexual scenes of any gender, I usually skim them and squirm through it. But None of that was needed here, I acutually enjoyed it, because it was unique, tender and different.
I never thought that so much could be included into this reading adventure. Yu have a new species of human, a new world that they are conquering, and there is also a new language. The language
takes a while for you to learn. I never liked learning a new language in order to enjoy a book, but this was easy, especially since there is a glossary in the back. BE PATIENT, IT IS WORTH IT!

I need more from this Author's world. I do not feel satisfied with this as a standalone, and it is hard to jump into another novel without longing for a continuation of this series.
Hook, line and sinker, you got me! I am officially a Storm Constantine fan. :) show less

A collection of short stories loosely based on the theme of angels; some based in her established Wraeththu, Grigori and Magravandias settings; some more folktale-like; some urban fantasy. There is a dark edge to some of the stories and if you are uncomfortable with issues of sexuality this collection is not for you.

Even though some of the themes make uncomfortable reading I liked Constantine's style of writing; her rich imagination and this collection gives a taste of her longer works. I show more first read some of Strom Constantine's work many years ago, when I read some of her Wraeththu novels, and for some reason never returned to her writing. After reading this collection I will definitely be looking for the Grigori Books and I'm pleased to already have the Magravandias Chronicles sitting on a shelf waiting to be read. show less

This is the first book in the second Wraeththu trilogy by Storm Constantine

Again, I'm really blown away by her beautiful writing style and the characters I keep falling in love with. This book actually is timed between the second and third in the first trilogy. It is very much the story of the secondary characters in that trilogy. You would think initially that would belabor the story, or at best be "Ground Hog's Day" ad nauseum. It works splendidly. I found myself very grateful not only for show more the fill-in of detail to the original story, but her deft ability to draw the reader into several characters at once. It's awfully hard to choose a side in her writing, which is the whole point of androgyny anyway. There is no side.

This one really shows the struggles that the incepted Wraeththu have in contrast to those of the pure-born Wraeththu. Only males can be Wraeththu, usually boys or teens. Their inception involves exposure to Wraeththu blood, after which they are no longer human but hermaphroditic forms of perfection, for the most part. Eventually certain castes of the race could reproduce. For many of the young men who were incepted, they are still very much trapped in their masculine personas and their feminine virtues are suppressed, out of fear of them and discomfort with them. The ones that are pure-born don't struggle with that as much, especially if they conceive and bear life. Tthey are more accepting of their feminine. It's very interesting, cos I can see how in the depiction of sexual balance in how the main characters live in first trilogy the reader could easily feel it is just another literary projection of a masculine dominance. But she shows the characters struggling with that too. They know they aren't purely masculine. The Wraeththu don't know who they are yet, and are afraid they will destroy themselves before they can find out.

Oddly the 'women' in the book go through the same thing with regard to their masculine virtues. How familiar.

Interesting to observe how the voice of the feminine evolves in this trilogy. It's very fitting and artful for Constantine to allow it to emerge and shape now. She has an excellent grasp of how her characters grow and evolve and how to "teach" the reader much in the same way to remain included in the lack of sexual polarity she's created. I find that as I enter into the second book of the second trilogy, I don't bring any thoughts of them being human or a gender at all. It's really wonderful and shaped my worldview really well.

Apart from physical androgyny, there is also the presentation of nonpolarized "will," meaning, her presentation of the storyline is so artful that the reader learns in a very well timed succession WHY the characters make the decisions that they do, their true motivations and inner events, that you really can't judge any of them as right or wrong, good or bad. You see the whole picture. That is not an easy style to write, and I admire her for that. show less

NOTE: I won a free eBook copy of this book in MOBI format from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (July 2021).

The subtitle of this anthology is "Weird Landscapes"--a fitting description for the volume in its entirety. Most of the stories use setting as a key element in their plot development. The result is a collection of tales that are often eerie and sometimes unsettling, and always veering into unexpected territory. Some stories are more abstract than others and kind of lost me, which show more weakened the collection as a whole. However, I found each entry unique and enjoyed the reading experience.

Here are my reactions to each individual story:
"Between Skin and Sea:" Out with the old, in with the new.
"All That Dead Beauty:" Back to the garden, but not really.
"The White Wood:" Kind of reminded me of "The Woman In Black."
"Bog Goddess:" Salvation is found when you least expect it.
"Parrot’s Drumble:" Poem painting in prose.
"Ochre and Faience:" The Reaper took a roundabout path.
"A Hard Country to Die In:" Like one of those rambling stories your grandmother tells you whilst in your crib.
"Lightening Rose Biggin:" The birth of a mermaid.
"The Green Calling:" Got "Avatar" and "The Shape of Water" vibes from this one.
"The Mydford Medusa:" A neat and creepy tale with a conservationist bent.
"Sanatorium:" Wow, what a freaky poem! Read it twice for the full effect. Eerie and haunting in all the right ways.
"The Lighthouse:" Very "Twilight Zone"-esque, complete with multiple mental breakdowns. The quest for the lighthouse briefly reminded me of Gatsby and the green light.
"The Winter Wife:" A journey towards one’s destiny. (i.e., Death?)
"The Road to Tempol:" An excursion into astral travel. . . .
"Crabtree Field:" We all could use a sanctuary of renewal.
"On Venus Street:" A window into the future, life, and death.
"Work - Die, Heh Heh:" Everyone's drunk.
"Borderline:" Ennui and journalism.
"Icarus Fall:" A note from God? show less