A review by brenticus
Moccasin Square Gardens: Short Stories by Richard Van Camp
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a bit of an odd collection. A mix of sci-fi and Indigenous-style magic, sometimes within the same story and sometimes not. Generally I found that the more a story leaned into sci-fi elements the less impactful it felt.
All of the stories star Tlicho men, most are placed around Fort Smith, and some reference the dance hall called Mocassin Square Gardens. I don't think it had any relevance to any of the stories.
I think "Grandpa" stood out as an exceptionally powerful story, maybe because of losing my own grandfather recently. "I am filled with a trembling light" and "The Promise" both seemed like very strong stories that I think just didn't quite connect the same way for me. The two "Wheetago Wars" stories seemed like they would be interesting in a longer format, but they fell a little flat for me.
Overall I enjoyed this collection, but I did so unevenly and not as much as I'd hoped or expected. Still, if it seems like it might be interesting it's probably worth picking up.
All of the stories star Tlicho men, most are placed around Fort Smith, and some reference the dance hall called Mocassin Square Gardens. I don't think it had any relevance to any of the stories.
I think "Grandpa" stood out as an exceptionally powerful story, maybe because of losing my own grandfather recently. "I am filled with a trembling light" and "The Promise" both seemed like very strong stories that I think just didn't quite connect the same way for me. The two "Wheetago Wars" stories seemed like they would be interesting in a longer format, but they fell a little flat for me.
Overall I enjoyed this collection, but I did so unevenly and not as much as I'd hoped or expected. Still, if it seems like it might be interesting it's probably worth picking up.