FREE Book Reviews

(5) REVIEWS: Flights of Fancy (Anthology)

Flights of Fancy By Wolf Bolz (Gadralneure)

When I run into writing like this on Wattpad with so few views, I get angry. Mostly because it gives me false hope that mine is just as good and as of yet undiscovered. Which is untrue. This is way better.

Flights of Fancy is a collection of one-chapter short stories that gives you a lot to think about. I'll admit, some stories are a bit overdone, but the ones that aren't, (kiss of the fingertips: muah) perfect. There are about thirteen stories so far and growing. What's incredible is that each holds its own. Every story (from start to finish) feels full and satisfying. You're not left with any lingering doubts or confusion. I think the ones the author thought would have the biggest impact, for me personally, didn't resound as much. But there is something for everyone in this. From the romantic to the morbid, to the fascinating, to the twisted. It's all here. And ALL DONE IN GOOD WRITING.

One weak point (grammatically) is that the use of dialogue tags aren't always accurate. But it's not to a great degree where you can't enjoy the story. In fact, I think the average reader won't care or notice. But since I edit, I spotted them.

You get not only good writing but GREAT storytelling, all in under 3k (on average) or less. More than one of these shorts tugged at the heartstrings. Some made me wonder what, oh what, such good stories were doing out here for free. Others made me laugh. One of the most impressive feats is how the author's voice changes with each story. They read brand new. There's no carry-over. Every single story is its own. It feels different, the tone's different, the pacing is different. And each and every time, even when I thought I had a good idea where the story was going, I'd be given a nice twist to make me smile.

This anthology is great food for thought and a nice pick-me-up when you've got a minute or two to disappear into a new universe.

These are the ones I recommend starting with and then continuing on.

In order of my absolute favorite and downward, here are the titles (I'll include my reason for liking it in parenthesis).

1. Ascension Day (Romance/Humor)
2. The Neighbor (Twisted Sci-Fi/Occult)
3. The Player Busts (Fate)
4. Journey to Cogitan (Deep Twist)
5. The Egg (Absurdly Fun)
6. The Edge of Never (Deep)
7. ConTrolled Experiment (Absurdly Fun)
8. Darkness (Suspenseful)
9. Paddy's Elf (Absurd but Nice)
10. A Proud Man (Good Writing)

Most of these stories hit the ground running but the ones that need a bit more build up, that's fine, too. It's worth it because they never leave you feeling unfulfilled. I tip my hat to this author because I know I've got a long way to go if I ever hope to be half as good.

I highly recommend this, especially if you'd like to tackle multiple genres in one spot.