Review: Metro Winds by Isobelle Carmody

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

An engrossing collection of stories from one of Australia's most loved fantasy writers, and creator of the acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles.

A girl is sent across the world to discover her destiny in the dark tunnels of the Metro. Another seeks a lost sister in a park where winter lasts forever. A young man fulfils a dying wish. A mother works magic to summon a true princess for her son. A man seeks an ending to his story. An old man goes in search of his shadow.

This is a world of desire and transformation, the real and the not real, from the queen of modern fantasy

First, I again apologise for another late review. The reason that this review is late is because I had so much trouble trying to finish this book. It was not that I didn’t enjoy the book, I did, it is just that I found the last two stories really long winded, with not much happening in them. I really enjoyed this first four stories. All the stories were unique and interesting. They mostly dealt with otherworldly things such as unicorns, faeries and vampires and they were all definitely eye opening.

Each story was complex in their own different ways, at times maybe a little too complex. With some of the stories I had trouble keeping up with what was happening, particularly in The Girl Who Could See the Wind and The Wolf Prince. In the case of those two stories I think that the problem was the constant flashbacks, without much warning that the time of the story had changed.

The Wolf Prince almost felt like there were two stories occurring in the one, because we would get flashbacks of the Queen’s journey as well as the hunt her son was on. This was one of the reasons that I found it a bit complex. However I still had managed to guess roughly how the story was going to end, so I was a little disappointed about that. It was also one of the reasons why I had trouble finishing that story, because I felt like the Queen’s flashbacks were a little unnecessary.

I really enjoyed The Dove Game and The Stranger. Both stories where about travellers who were both looking for the answer to a question. I enjoyed the mystery that surrounded the story of The Dove Game, and I also really liked the main character in that. I loved mystique of The Stranger, with the feeling that there was something otherworldly involved from the beginning and then the ending was perfect for the story.

I did enjoy most of this book, but at times it was too complicated and a little slow. I give this book 3/5 stars.

I read this book for the Australian Women Writers Challenge and the Short Story Summer reading challenge.

Mel.

Up next: Review – The Merlin Chronicles edited by Mark Ashley.