queen_of_the_rats's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
octavia_cade's review
4.0
This is a fantastic collection, in both senses of the word. It's mostly focused, I think, on boundaries - what it's like to live in the spaces between stories, between histories. It's got a distinctly New Zealand flavour, which is always something I enjoy, mixing mythology and modern life in stories that are sharp and frequently surprising.
I think my favourite was "shapeshifter", the Pania of the Reef story. I also really enjoyed the blackly humorous "blink", in which a young woman either spends time with an alien or alienates herself from another person - or both. I prefer to think of it as both. It's funnier (and sadder) that way.
I think my favourite was "shapeshifter", the Pania of the Reef story. I also really enjoyed the blackly humorous "blink", in which a young woman either spends time with an alien or alienates herself from another person - or both. I prefer to think of it as both. It's funnier (and sadder) that way.
triscuit807's review
4.0
It was serendipity that I even found this. N.K. Jemisin posted a link on FB 2 days okay that listed 10 women currently writing speculative fiction and Tina Makereti (one of 2 Kiwi authors, Karen Healey - I love her books, esp. "Guardian of the Dead" - was the other) was one of them. This is an anthology and is comparatively short. Some stories are fantastic (in both meanings of the word) and a couple are mundane. The first "skin and bones"is a re-telling of one of the Tane stories; the thing with Maori myth/legend is that it is very earthy. Tane has an erection and uses the warm earth to satisfy his urges; eventually he creates the first woman Hine - I loved this one. Another story, "shapeshifter", is that of Pania, whose statue is located in Napier's harbor. A third fun story, "the god-child", is that of a precocious baby, Eli. Many of the stories focus on birth/pregnancy, others, death. The penultimate story, "mokomoko" picks up the Hine legend when she becomes the guardian of the dead and must defeat Maui to keep death safe for the living. Anyway, this was a totally accidental read, it was lovely, I'm glad I found it, and I highly recommend it. It also satisfies one of the categories of my Reading Challenge "read an anthology by one person" (Read Harder 2015). And isn't the cover beautiful?
chachachuy's review
2.0
Guadalupe Reinas 2018 - Libro de un país que quieras visitar (Nueva Zelanda)
Para esta consigna quise buscar obras cortas de autoras maorí - que hay muchas - la dificultad es el acceso a ellas incluso en internet.
Terminé escogiendo este libro por casualidad, más que nada porque de todos los que me interesaron fue el único que encontré en línea. Me llamó la atención que el título se refiere al país con el nombre designado por su población indígena (Aotearoa, la nube blanca y larga).
La premisa del libro es de cuentos modernos inspirados en los mitos de creación y personajes de tradición maorí, cosa que suena interesante, pero resultó ser algo aburrida. Sólo me atraparon un par de cuentos y hasta cierto punto los personajes dejaron de resaltar y se volvieron indistinguibles. Cerca de terminar el libro me empecé a distraer mucho y al final me vi muy contenta de haber terminado por fin.
Para esta consigna quise buscar obras cortas de autoras maorí - que hay muchas - la dificultad es el acceso a ellas incluso en internet.
Terminé escogiendo este libro por casualidad, más que nada porque de todos los que me interesaron fue el único que encontré en línea. Me llamó la atención que el título se refiere al país con el nombre designado por su población indígena (Aotearoa, la nube blanca y larga).
La premisa del libro es de cuentos modernos inspirados en los mitos de creación y personajes de tradición maorí, cosa que suena interesante, pero resultó ser algo aburrida. Sólo me atraparon un par de cuentos y hasta cierto punto los personajes dejaron de resaltar y se volvieron indistinguibles. Cerca de terminar el libro me empecé a distraer mucho y al final me vi muy contenta de haber terminado por fin.
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