Fire Molten and Ash by Clarence Barbee - Book Review

Fire Molten and Ash by Clarence Barbee is a short and diverse poetry collection divided into 3 parts: Heat, Fuel, and Oxygen; kind of like the recipe you need to get a fire started.

When I first started reading Fire Molten and Ash I felt lost in the pieces. I liked some parts of the wording and how Barbee phrases his pieces but I was lost. I'd read the poem from start to finish, silently or out loud, but in the end, I wouldn't 'get' it.

Bit by bit, I got used to Barbee's style and there were a few political poems in there; some of which I could relate to, because who hasn't been keeping up with news about US politics, but some were too US-focused for me. For those who don't know, I'm an Egyptian living in Egypt so the details of US politics can sometimes evade me (especially now that I no longer work in the news business).

But back to Fire Molten and Ash, there were a few pieces that wowed me including "Crudeship," one of those political pieces.

Many of the poems in this collection are relatable, especially "To Continue" and "Sometime Before Tomorrow and 5pm," which talk about life and work and the two combined. These two pieces were 5-star poems for me.

I also loved "#Fragile II." It's a brilliant poem, using the hashtag #vss which is short for 'very short story.'  All of the pieces in the second segment of the book "Fuel" have the #vss hashtag.

I read Fire Molten and Ash in one sitting in March but I've postponed the review to April to coincide with National Poetry Month.

Overall rating for Fire Molten and Ash is 3 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of Fire Molten and Ash from its author Clarence Barbee in exchange for an honest review. This did not in any way affect my review.

Spotlight & Excerpt for new fantasy anthology MERMAIDIA

Mermaidia

A Limited Edition Anthology

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal 

Love mermaids and all creatures aquatic? This limited time anthology is just for you! With more than 700 pages of captivating fiction, you’ll be enchanted by sirens, dive the depths with a mermaid, and fear whether the sea witch is friend or foe.

Mermaidia features stories from authors: 

Catherine Banks

Kai Ellory Viola

Mia Ellas

Anthea Sharp

Kristi Lea

LA Fox

Nicole Zoltack

Mara Amberly

Raine English

Margo Bond Collins

Sara Elizabeth

Mikayla Symonett

Tricia Schneider

Merrie Destefano

Bokerah Brumley

Rachel A. Marks

and

Pauline Creeden

Are you ready to dive in before your chance is lost forever? Then order this limited-edition collection of exclusive material from USA Today and award-winning authors.

Here are a few of the stories you can read in Mermaidia 

"Queen of the Island" by Bokerah Brumley

Fated to be together, Calder and his mate must overcome the evil nymph that would keep them apart.

"Seize the Storm" by Kristi Lea 

An Isyre hides from the hunters who killed her family, as far from any ocean as she can be. The fire mage who discovers her secrets has a few of his own. Can they trust each other to face their pasts.

"Touched by a Mermaid" by Raine English

A secret society. A sea witch bent on revenge. An ancient world in peril.  

"Paranormal Maritime War" by Nicole Zoltack

A stolen selkie skin just might start a war between the merfolk, the selkies, and the sirens.

"Racing the Clock" by Catherine Banks

"You will seduce the prince and convince him to give you his soul. If you fail, you will give me your soul for eternity."

"The Church of Moon and Sea" by Sara Elizabeth

She must choose between two loves – the sea or the land.

"Fury" by Merrie Destefano

To survive, she made a secret deal in the Underworld.

"Soul's Reef" - Kai Ellory Viola

A mysterious phenomenon. A weird cult. Vaccines needed at the end of the universe - Captain Holloway just needs to get through the reefs.

"The Sea of Time and Stars" by Mara Amberly

"A woman watched from just above the water line, her sleek blue hair drifting in the water around her. One moment she was there and the next she was gone; so quickly I could’ve put it down to my imagination or a hallucination from my injuries."

Excerpt from"Fury" by Merri Destefano 

The palace corridors felt cold and hollow, my footsteps echoed off polished granite walls. From time to time, a familiar face nodded and spoke a greeting, but I never heard their words.  I felt like I was caught in a whirlpool.

Because no matter how far I walked, I couldn’t shake off the warmth of Riley’s kiss.

It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t my type. She was too young and too feisty and too much like me. I hated to admit it, but I preferred girls who were easy to manipulate and who weren’t all that bright.

Riley was neither one of those.

The sooner I got her out of Rìoghachd, the better. Then I could get back to my regular life. I pulled my shoulders back as I picked up my pace, walking faster, remembering how I used to spend my days and nights. Gambling with Sea Warriors who sank and plundered human ships. Taking midnight strolls through Scottish villages where the girls didn’t notice my blue skin. Dining at the King’s table from golden plates and drinking salty seawine from diamond-embellished goblets.

Everything about my life had been off-kilter since that wretched Selkie arrived.

It felt empty.

I hated it.

**Only 99 cents until March 8th! **

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Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate by Bharat Krishnan– Book Review

Book: Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate

Author: Bharat Krishnan

Genre: Mythology, middle grade, children's

Number of pages: 72 pages

Publication date: 8 October 2019

Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate by Bharat Krishnan is a collection of 25 short stories on Hindu mythology, covering topics like karma, dharma, kama, and more. The book also includes several artworks that give some visual to the tales.

Growing up, Krishnan fell in love with Hindu mythology, but when he went to research, he discovered that there were no texts on the rich Hindu mythology, at least none that were "targeted towards kids my age then." Hence, Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate became a project that was born on 8 October 2019.

In the intro, Krishnan explains the reason he wrote Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate, saying: "I wrote this book because I wanted my loved ones to hear about Rama and Krishna and Saraswati as they also learned of Thor and Hercules, of Horus and Ra, of Noah and Moses."

After every tale, Krishnan highlights why he added that particular story. In some pieces, Krishnan makes comparisons with other mythology, Greek, Egyptian, along with Christian references.

An important point to remember about Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate is that "In Hindu mythology, time and again, we find that good and evil are meaningless words. It is the actions that go behind those words that matter."  I struggled with this a bit as I read, feeling that good should conquer evil but as you read, you will notice that some characters can be good or evil, depending on the story and situation.

The book opens with "The Egg Came First," the story of how the Hindu gods were created. As you move along the book, you'll notice more bits on creation. The Brahman, the supreme being of infinity, had 10 children, including Vishnu, the Preserver, who appears in many of the stories in various forms. From the Brahman's thighs, demons were created and later we see a witch as well.

Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate on my Kindle.

In Hindu mythology, and as Krishnan puts it, "balance is key…and what seems right in one instance may not be so in other cases."

I loved the story of "The Elephant God" as I have often been curious about Ganesha. I liked how several of the story titles had literary references, like "The Lady of the Lake," which is reminiscent of King Arthur's Camelot and "The Lion King."

The story titled "Ganesha's Hubris" is a five-star piece. I felt like it was a kind of fable and therefore highly recommend it.

"A princess once prayed to the sun that she would have a boy, but she did not consider the truism that sometimes not getting what you want is a marvelous stroke of luck…" This is how one story opens. It's a powerful tale that had me wondering who's side I was on and why I couldn't sympathize with the mother in this story, Kundi.

The longest story carries the name of the collection "Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate" and is a remarkable piece. however, it's considerably bloody and violent compared to the rest of the stories.

I liked "Fish Justice" which is reminiscent of Noah's Ark and introduces the concept of Dharma in the Hindu way of life. "Dharma serves as the basis for law, the notion that people have a duty towards one another to fill societal roles that transcend self-interest," Krishnan explains. I wish this would be something cultures can recognize because it would make life more peaceful.

In the story "The Lion King" one particular speech reminded me of Macbeth and the punned words of the three witches.

I would have liked an explanation of the "boons" that people in the stories ask the gods for because there were several instances where people requested them and the gods gave them readily. It seems to be a concept in Hindu mythology.

One of the things I liked about Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate was the use of Indian and Hindu words. They are often followed by the English meaning between brackets, but it gave an exciting feel to the stories.

Remember, it's better to read the stories in Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate in the order in which they were included in the book. You might be able to change the order after the first 5 or 6 stories, but as a reader, I recommend you maintain the order.

Unlike previous short story collections, I don't feel like I can rate each of these separately. That said, I found Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate by Bharat Krishnan to be an interesting introduction to and telling of Hindu mythology. Some stories were more exciting than others, some ideas were a bit confusing. But overall, I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

Overall rating: 4 stars

Add Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate on Goodreads.

Connect with Bharat Krishnan via Twitter and Facebook.

Buy Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate by Bharat Krishnan via Amazon.

Note: I received a free digital Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Love, Pride, Virtue, Fate from its author Bharat Krishnan in exchange for an honest review. This did not in any way affect my review.

Note 2: This book review comes a little later than I had intended.

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord by Emmanuella Hristova – Book Review

Book: The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord

Author: Emmanuella Hristova

No. of pages: 50

Publication date: April 2018

Synopsis:

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder is a short collection of poems that explores a tumultuous year of love, heartbreak and unimaginable loss. It documents the birth and death of a relationship, and the death of my sister. Each poem is an emotional time-stamp that plunges the reader into the depths of my feelings as they burgeon and wane. The book reads like a diary and chronicles the boundaries of the things that we all feel: passion, heartache, and pain that gives way to hope. 

Book Review by Nadaness In Motion

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord is a raw and emotional poetry collection by Emmanuella Hristova.

At first I was at a loss with the arrangement and titling of the poems. But I realized that they're done in a historic kind of arrangement with some days having more than one poem written. Many pieces don't have titles just dates.

A note to remind oneself when reading poetry collections, especially those in free verse, not everyone breaks lines the same way. I disliked many of the line breaks in The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord but that could just be me and others might prefer them that way.

The poem titled "September 29th" is one of the beautiful ones I enjoyed in the first half, though I disliked the repetition of 'and' and some of the line breaks.

"Upon Success" is a short piece that every person everywhere in the world can relate to. It's short and I'll quote it; I didn't like the line-breaks here either.

"America is a weird place where/we leave the/people we love to/pursue little green pieces of/paper and ink to/fill empty slots on/our resumes."

I felt that the piece titled "October 5th" was more prose than poetry but I loved the imagery.  "October 9th" is brimming with stunning imagery, dark, and just wow!

"I hesitate when you kiss me because I/ am afraid you will taste the disaster/brewing underneath my skin. Or maybe/my kisses taste hot, like a dangerous/sun storm raging on the broiling/surface of our most familiar star."  - that's just a sample of "October 9th" which is a long and gorgeous poem.

Another important note about The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord is that there are many pieces handling sexual and physical abuse. The poems are powerful. Like these lines from "October 17th":

"Letting my lips touch yours/was a contract I signed/without reading the fine print: participant subject to hasty sexual advances/ without warning."

I couldn't get the poem "November 14th," it was odd with a dry tone and felt more like a series of commandments. "November 16th" reads like a broken down prose piece but is full of strong imagery.

Other 5-star pieces in Hristova's The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord include: "October 18th," "October 19th," "Upon Saying Thank You," "Upon Inspiration," "November 17th," "December 15th," and "Upon Celebrating International Women's Day."

"You came, conquered,/stole my heart and/left me with a Moleskin full of/pensive poems documenting unrequited love/exposed on cream, lined pages." - "Upon Inspiration"

I must admit that the second half of the book was much better than the first half. The poems were longer and deeper after the 50% mark. That said, "Upon Diluting Myself" and "Upon Being a Woman" are the most powerful pieces in the entire collection. 10 stars each of these.

"Upon Diluting Myself" is long but super powerful. It's also explicit, painful, eye-opening, and emancipating, all at the same time. Similarly, "Upon Being a Woman" is the most painful piece in The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord. It does have a lot of Spanish words, which I couldn't understand. The poem is probably the longest in the collection but speaks for a lot of women suffering from sexual abuse.

"Upon inheritance" is a sad and painful piece that nearly made me cry.

Last but certainly not least, The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord ends with "Here's to the Woman," Hristova's perfect conclusion to her emotionally raw poetry collection that I believe is dedicated to all women out there.

This collection was hard for me to judge, but my overall rating is: 4 stars.

Note: I received a free copy of The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Discord from its author Emmanuella Hristova in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Emmanuella Hristova was born in Oakland, California and grew up in the Bay Area. She is the third daughter to Bulgarian parents who immigrated to California shortly before she was born. She began drawing at the ripe age of four, and studied the fine arts for five years in high school. In 2015, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley.

She began writing poetry at age twenty-four when she was in graduate school. She earned her Master's in Education from the same alma mater in 2017. Emmanuella spent two years as an English teacher in Richmond, California. During that time, she self-published her first poetry collection: The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder. Currently, she is writing her first novel.

Connect with indie author Emmanuella Hristova via her website, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram

Lost in a Quatrain by Adiela Akoo – Book Review

April is National Poetry Month, so I managed to squeeze in a couple of poetry collections to review.

The first is Lost in a Quatrain by South African author and poet Adiela Akoo. It is a collection I'm glad to have come across. There are many poems I could relate to and many I'd love to quote "whole".

The 65-page collection begins with the short but inspiring poem "Within" which I felt spoke to me as a writer and poet. "Empty Chairs," whose beginning is the same as its ending, leaves the reader aching. It's a painful poem of memory and loss; it also strikes a chord with me because in the past 45 days there have been four deaths in the family. It also reminds me of my poem "The Picture".

Back to Lost in a Quatrain, there were a few political and spiritual pieces, including "Know Thyself".

"Cape Town 1990," which tackles the issue of white versus black skin, is painful to say the least. Similarly, "New Apartheid" is a must read. And while I don't think my country had much of the skin problem, I related to this poem.

"Only to find a new apartheid walking in

That now wants to condemn us

For the way we are praying!"

"@2pm" is an interesting piece on the time 2 pm, where a lot of things are being done by different people. It gives a sense of togetherness and aloneness at the same time. Though a short piece, it's an idea that is definitely worth thinking about.

"What's Up?" is a hilarious story and conversation within a poem. I loved it!

Lost in a Quatrain includes several deep pieces such as "Not Enough," "Broken Winged Bird," "Are YOU Ready?" "As the Rain Pitter-Pattered," "Wrapped Up," just to name few. There are many and I enjoyed them all.

"Hormonal" is a powerful womanly poem about – you probably guessed it – women's monthly period. I appreciated that Akoo wrote about this and included it in her collection.

"Coupling" is poem about writing and I totally relate to it! I felt that Akoo was reiterating my thoughts about words and poetry that come to me in the middle of the night. This is a five-star piece.

One of the poems that I had me thinking a lot was "You Are a Woman, You Must Learn to Live with Being Sore" which Akoo says was a grandmother's advice. The poem tackles a contrast about women having to be strong but in pain in a way. They need to take care of their homes and husbands but at the same time they need to be strong. It's a poem worthy of study and being included in syllabi. I get the idea; I would assume my grandmother thinks the same way. I know I have a few points I'd argue about as would many young and older women nowadays. Still, it's worth reading and thinking about.

The language in Lost in a Quatrain is simple but the imagery and flow were amazing. Some were like songs and others were experimental like the one-sentence poem which I felt should be extended into a full short story. Meanwhile, the poem with the same title as the book, "Lost in a Quatrain," comes late in the collection but I adored its flow. Each quatrain tells of a situation or short story. I felt that if were longer, it would make a beautiful song.

Overall rating for Lost in a Quatrain by Adiela Akoo: 4.5 stars. A must-read and a collection to be remembered. Thank you for bringing to my world, Adiela.

Update

Note: I received a free copy of Lost in a Quatrain from its author Adiela Akoo in exchange for an honest review.

Update: Lost in a Quatrain by Adiela Akoo made it to Nadaness In Motion's Most Viewed Posts of 2019