Reviewed by Cameron Trost on
As discussed in my interview with Kyla last month, the senses play an important role in many of these offerings. In "And in Her Eyes the City Drowned", one of the highlights of the collection (and picking favourites is hard with a such a consistent display of talent), takes place in Venice. Music and voice accompany the reader through this unique cityscape as Kyla guides us into the dark waters beneath the city's ancient buildings and we attend an unearthly musical performance.
"Who Looks Back?" and "Should Fire Remember the Fuel?" will be particularly relevant to Kiwis and Aussies as we explore a volcanic landscape in the former and face devastating bushfires in the latter. Along with the closing tale, "The Boneyard", these two demonstrate the author's interest in the interplay between nature and humankind, and she makes us ask ourselves some important questions.
"The Beautiful House" is another of my favourites and one of the most memorable haunted house stories I've read in a long time. Kyla builds the tension at just the right pace and ends the narrative at exactly the right spot, allowing the reader to speculate as to what will happen next.
Kyla's writing is deep, elegant, and rich in detail, and her imagination is boundless. This collection is voyage around the world and through time, as well as beyond the veil of reality as we know it. Kyla takes us from Venice to Japan and New Zealand to Prague, and we visit the past, present, and unless this reader is mistaken, one tale is set in a terrifying future world.
Lastly, credit to Independent Legions Publishing and the proofreader, Karen Runge, for the topnotch work on producing a polished final product.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 19 November, 2022: Finished reading
- 19 November, 2022: Reviewed