Kissed by Literature: A Collection of Short Stories

SCI-FI/STEAMPUNK:  “Kissed by Literature” is far less romantic than it sounds – in fact, most of the stories in the book are downright creepy, and will no doubt make goose bumps run up and down the reader’s spine. Be warned. Ghosts, serial killers stalking country roads, peeks behind the veil — this collection easily transports to reader to different worlds and often raises the question, “what is real and what is not?”

Some stories have a distinct steampunk feel, others a mysterious vibe, and several have skillfully written twists at the end. The narratives are strong and the author obviously has experience shifting the tone of her stories – from contemporary settings, from male narrators to female ones, and so on. While the majority of the stories are intriguing (to say the least), halfway through the collection, they also became slightly formulaic and repetitive. Some of this can be blamed on their size – some stories could be longer and more fleshed out, and this would have improved them. 

However, the collection certainly excels in terms of originality, and it offers several memorable stories that will leave the reader wanting more, such as “Scarecrow with a Clown Mask” and “House of Sixty Bells”. With over 30 stories in the collection, every reader is bound to find a few favorites. 

Majanka Verstraete