A review by samanthabryant
Cinched: Imagination Unbound by John G. Hartness, Larry N. Martin, Gail Z. Martin
4.0
A creative and varied collection of short stories all of which include a corset.
I love themed anthologies. It's always fun to see how different writers come to the theme. This one included settings from long ago alongside stories that could have taken place yesterday, genres ranging from romance to Gothic horror to paranormal adventure to steampunk. This being a Falstaff book, of course there's something weird or supernatural going on in each story.
I found this anthology exceptional among others I've read for universally high quality and interesting tales. Not a dud in the bunch.
My favorite story was The Shadow Fatale by Nicole Burns, but I am a little biased towards superhero stories, since I write them myself. I also really loved The Blue Lights at Michelle Weston, a gothic revenge story, and Cazadora by Andrea Judy, in which a determined young woman sets out to avenge her friend with the help of a mysterious woman and finds a vocation. Bone of my Bone, Flesh of my Flesh by Sarah Joy Adams won the prize for surprising me the most with where the story went.
If you're already a fan of the Quincy Harker stories, you'll love High Fashion Hell by John G. Hartness (and if you don't know these stories yet, this is a good introduction, too). There's also a Storm and Fury adventure "Lagniappe"from Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin for fans of that series.
A great collection of stories with variations on how the corset is incorporated. Something for everyone, I'd imagine.
I love themed anthologies. It's always fun to see how different writers come to the theme. This one included settings from long ago alongside stories that could have taken place yesterday, genres ranging from romance to Gothic horror to paranormal adventure to steampunk. This being a Falstaff book, of course there's something weird or supernatural going on in each story.
I found this anthology exceptional among others I've read for universally high quality and interesting tales. Not a dud in the bunch.
My favorite story was The Shadow Fatale by Nicole Burns, but I am a little biased towards superhero stories, since I write them myself. I also really loved The Blue Lights at Michelle Weston, a gothic revenge story, and Cazadora by Andrea Judy, in which a determined young woman sets out to avenge her friend with the help of a mysterious woman and finds a vocation. Bone of my Bone, Flesh of my Flesh by Sarah Joy Adams won the prize for surprising me the most with where the story went.
If you're already a fan of the Quincy Harker stories, you'll love High Fashion Hell by John G. Hartness (and if you don't know these stories yet, this is a good introduction, too). There's also a Storm and Fury adventure "Lagniappe"from Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin for fans of that series.
A great collection of stories with variations on how the corset is incorporated. Something for everyone, I'd imagine.