Blog Tour: Review: Tremble by Tobsha Learner
PUBLISHER:
Penguin
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for posting my thoughts on Fiction State of Mind
After reading Tobsha’s previous book Quiver I thought I had her style figured out. Lets call it reader’s hubris :) As an avid reader you begin to notice certain patterns and styles and think Ah Ha! I get this writers style. Tobsha is the exception to the rule. Their are many doorways in a humans heart and Tobsha’s gift is to to open each of those doors and thrill readers.
It’s my habit to look at Anthologies as a ‘Mixed Bag” . You often don't know what you will get and its possible that some stories will be more enjoyable then others. That wasn’t the case with Tremble. As I’ve mentioned earlier Tobsha can really access different parts of her self with each story. So though one author writes all the stories in this book no two are the same and each carries a different emotional resonance.
True To It’s Title
Mystical and Sinister. These stories really live up to the title. Witches, Ghosts, environmental revenge, these stories run the gambit from thrilling and strange to sexy and surprising. I also really enjoyed the variety of protagonists. There is a great balance of male and female leads and a variety of personalities. I also enjoyed the imperfections of many of the protagonists. Character depth and motivation are the main reason these stories have such resonance. The sexuality varies from story to story as well. Some encounters are comical, others are bitterly sweet and others consumed with passion. I’ve had my definition of erotica really broadened by reading Tobsha’s work.
Favorite Stories
The Root
The first story in the anthology and the most memorable. Dorothy Owen has returned to her natal welsh village to try to sort out her life. The Owen homestead has always had a hold on the Owens women no matter how far they have roamed. Rumors surround the family. They are thought to be witches and in reality are in many small ways. Dorothy settles into life with her Great-Aunt Winifred and finds joy in her archival work at a local museum.
Things change for Dorothy really quickly when her Aunt dies and leaves her a strange legacy. A mandrake root.Once she plants it her life takes another strange and erotic twist. I’m sooo not telling you guys why I read this story with a mixture of hilarity and disbelief. its such a unique twist that I don't want to spoil :)
Rainmaker
This story was so bittersweet. It starts with Jacob Kidderminister pulling into a small drought struck town. It is something he has done hundreds of times before. He offers the town a solution to their problems. Jacob doesn't want money or property. He wants flesh. All he asks is that one of the women in the town consent to a night with him. It outrages the town at first yet with in a few days Jacob begins receiving nightly visitors. How ever his main attention is drawn to the voice he keeps hearing in his head. A female voice from a young woman that has been trapped and abused her whole life. a woman with many of the same talents and powers of Jacob. As the two of them move closer to each other dark forces are in play that may tear them apart permanently.
This is just a few of the stories I enjoyed in this anthology. There were one or two stories I didn't connect with in this book but it probably had more to do with my narrative preferences then the stories themselves.
Thanks to TLC Tours I have 1 copy of Quiver and Tremble to give away to one lucky entrant!
Comments