Publisher – Fox Spirit Books

Published – Out Now

Price – £8.99 paperback £3.99 Kindle eBook

Love. That many-splendoured thing. It can move mountains and makefools of us all, but what is it? Does it come courtesy of a cherub’s bow? Is it abattlefield? Endless? Crazy? Only available on a Friday? Well, the answermight be between these covers. Inside you’ll find stories from fantasticalworlds to fairy tales, from dark places to virtual reality, tales of transformation,hope, and despair. Above all else, each one is, at heart, about love.With stories from Douglas J. Ogurek, Dolly Garland, Alec McQuay,James Bennett, David Tallerman, Joyce Chng, Xan van Rooyen, Michelle AnnKing, Lawrence Harding, Charlotte Bond, Kit West, Emma K. Leadley, RoSmith, Lisa Shea, K.A. Laity, Jenny Barber, and G. Clark Hellery.

Ah Love – subject of songs, plays, poems and the odd split from the Catholic Church. It can be euphoric; it can be terrifying; and it can end when you least expect it. I always smile when some fantasy fans think romance spoils a fantasy – didn’t they notice it in Lord of the Rings. I was extremely impressed with The Fox Spirit Book of Love edited by C A Yates which is a superb anthology exploring this subject with a entertaining and often surprising fantasy perspective.

Amongst the stories I enjoyed were

Decomposing Corpses: A Love Story by Douglas J Ogurek – told you this anthology would be surprising! A visceral, funny, and highly entertaining opening tale about a vulture finding their mate over a common interest – dead remains. Deliciously funny and gory – loved it!

The Holy Waters by Dolly Garland – A really fascinating tale of a woman who is not a woman that appears to be killing her children but quickly becomes a more mystical tale using mythology from India. Loved the way it moved from something unsettling to something very heartfelt.

End Times in Paris by James Bennett – A fantastic tale set in Paris after the Rapture where a man falls in love with an angel. My favourite tale I the collection that makes beautiful romantic imagery in a landscape we are more familiar with catastrophe and the emotional punches re really well delivered.

Love In The Age of… by David Tallerman – the first few paragraphs will raise your eyes but this tale is multi-layered, erotic and explores why we always need stories of love and lust to make us human. Really well told.

The First Day of Khiirshi-Da by Joyce Chng – a short tale that reminds me a little of the Twelve Days of Christmas but here the gifts are following an ancient tradition. Loved the way this painted a huge epic tradition based around love.

By Blade and Bloom by Xan Van Rooyen – this fascinating tale asks if an act of violence can be an act of love. A man lies stabbed by his lover. Loved how this tale makes even the act of bleeding rread like poetry and we soon find out the history of this couple. An epic fantasy tale in miniature. Great storytelling!

The Fine Art of Fortune Telling by Michelle Ann King – a woman and her husband come to her aunt’s house to pay respect to the recent death of her mother. But her aunt’s type of fortune-telling can dangerous. A tale that manages to be both funny and tragic with a twist of hope that if you really want happiness, you’ll keep on trying. Loved the way this was constructed.

A Curse That’s Not For Breaking by Lawrence Hardman – I liked this story because it never quite goes where you expect it to. A man is cursed to not quite be a beast or man for ten years and soon the curse will be permanent until he seeks true love. A tale of how love can be where you least expect it.

A True Wish by Charlotte Bond – I really liked this tale exploring what happened to Cinderella after the happy ending. This time less magical gifts and having to use your own strengths to escape…ok still with a little magic.

Notes On A Haunting by Kit West – A tale of love in the afterlife and I really liked the construction of a one sided conversation by a very earthy yet unearthly narrator telling us of love after death. Funny, raucous and sentimental I really really enjoyed the world it created.

Subatomic For ‘It Must Be Love’ by Emma K Leadley – a fantastic piece of flash fiction where some online messaging turns into declarations of love across the stars and eternity that goes suitably stratospheric. Perfectly pitched.

The Wind’s Sony by K C Shaw – A tale of guitars, love and burnt cocoa in this mix of modern Mexico and classic folktale as a young woman seeks her injured lover who also happens to be the Son of the Wind.

Enchanted Garden by K A Laity – A magician wants to know what love feels like and asks a spirit to show him. He gets an unexpected reaction, but I loved how this tale examines how love is not nearly as sweet and joyous as some stories have said.

As you can see a lot I enjoyed this collection and I really enjoyed the variety and strength of the tales that I am sure there is something for everyone inside it. Creative, thoughtful an a very warm tribute to its subject – strongly recommended!