Silvia Moreno-Garcia

In a Nutshell: An interesting short story focussing on a protagonist who waits for her lover. Not a light romance. More of a dark fairy tale. Well-written. Good for dark short fiction lovers.

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Story Synopsis:

Judith’s elder sister Alice has always been the pretty and pampered one, so Judith has always been the one to do the hard labour at their guesthouse. Though luck has never been on her side, Judith can’t stop wishing for love, especially as she knows that her lover will someday come from the forest, thanks to a prophecy.
Soon, two men make an appearance in Judith’s life, both coming from the forest. She wants the first but he ends up marrying Alice. She doesn’t want the second, but he is always around her. As a strange wolf also begins his prowl at the same time, the hunger in Judith’s heart explodes. What will the consequences be?
The story is written in Judith’s third person perspective.

I enjoyed this short story from beginning to end. It has all the hallmarks of Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing – a compelling central protagonist, excellent descriptions and lyrical prose.

It also has all the essentials that make a short story work – a proper story development, interesting characters, the right amount of intrigue, and the perfect ending. At just 43 pages, this story won’t take you too long to read. The pacing is quick, but the proceedings aren’t rushed.

Judith is a great character. I loved the hidden rebellious streak in her, though she has never been encouraged to follow her heart by her family members. It is very easy to root for her, even when she takes some questionable decisions.

I must add that I loved her name! In this era where most stories contain either over-simplified names (Elle, Emma, and the likes) or overly cartoonish names (Ryder, Coriander!?!?), it was great to see a character with a good old traditional yet uncommon name.

I almost didn’t read this story because of the words “wickedly sensuous” in the blurb. The cheesy title also doesn’t help. But the “sensuous” content isn’t overdone. The author keeps the passions more classy than crude.

At its core, this is a story not about love but about hunger. Hunger for affection, hunger for attention, hunger for financial and social security, and of course, hunger for food.

The reasons my rating is slightly lower are mostly trivial. It is easy to see the secrets and guess the direction taken by the story. The characters, other than Judith, are mostly cookie-cutter in style. The cover is also a buzzkill, as it reveals something well in advance. (Though this part isn’t hard to guess even early in the story.) However, I was still entertained and that is what ultimately counts.

Definitely recommended, not as a path-breaking piece of short fiction, but as an entertaining dark tale to be read on a cold winter night by the embers of a fire. (or if you are in India, just read it any time you want.… (más)

In a Nutshell: A short survival story based in Mexico in 1917 during the revolution. Good story, bad title.

Story Synopsis:

Our first-person narrator is a brave young girl who loves adventures and playing with boys. Her elder brother, contrary to her, loves books. Living at a time when revolutionary soldiers have made their routine life difficult, the siblings know to escape into a nearby cave in the mountains when the soldiers come around with their demands. However, one night in the cave, there is a mysterious visitor…

Imagine how nice it would have been if reading my synopsis would have made you curious to know who the visitor was. But thanks to the silly title, you can already guess its identity. Sheesh! The “visit” doesn’t even happen until the final section of this tiny 28 page story, so the title somewhat kills the entire suspense.

If I hadn’t been waiting for the tiger to pop up, I would have enjoyed the scene setting even more. The life of ordinary Mexicans in that time of turmoil is depicted well. The first-person writing has a strong narrative quality that keeps us hooked on to the events though we know what’s yet to come.

The story feels more special when you learn that it is based on the author’s recollections of her own great grandmother’s story. Whatever parts I had assumed were farfetched (a Mexican girl indulging in taxidermy in the 1910s or circus animals escaping from a derailed train) were based on facts!

All in all, this is an engrossing story of two teens’ experiences with a dangerous tiger and its aftermath on their lives. A good read for a quick break.

Keep in mind that it is more of historical fiction and not a fantasy, unlike what the GR tags suggest.

3.5 stars.

This story is a part of the Trespass Collection, and is available to Amazon Prime subscribers.




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In a Nutshell: A nice blend of Mayan mythology and dark fantasy. Will suit the YA Fantasy audience as well as older readers. Just wish it had toned down the descriptions.

ETA: The author has made it clear that this isn't a YA story but an adult fiction. But the writing style and the character development gives me strong YA vibes. There's nothing in the content that can't be read by the YA target age group of 12-18.


Story:

1927. Eighteen year old Casiopea Tun slogs like a maid at her maternal grandfather’s place where she has been staying with her mother after her dad’s death. She dreams of a life from away from that small town and drudgery. One day, she opens a strange chest in her grandfather’s room and ends up accidentally freeing the spirit of Hun- Kamé, the Mayan God of Death, who in turn erolls her to join him on his quest of recovering the throne of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, from his cunning twin, Vucub-Kamé. Thus begins Casiopea’s adventure through various Mexican cities and other-worldly realms, with a God for company and interactions with strange beings along the way.

Where the book worked for me:
… (más)