I would like to thank the author for an advance copy of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Reflex Press

Published - Out Now

Price - £10.99 paperback £5:99 Kindle eBook also available via the publisher at https://www.reflex.press/product/the-stairs-are-a-snowcapped-mountain/

The stories in this collection speak of togetherness and separation: how we strive to connect with that one person who could save us, how we attempt to save the people who matter to us and how we sometimes (often) get things wrong.

Consider the things we slowly come to understand, and then can’t grasp how we didn’t know sooner. Not all is as it first appears. Genders and time frames may skew; perceptions warp. What seems to be unreal may be real, or vice versa. Magic may uncurl in the most commonplace corners. Everyday concerns shuttle past minor miracles.

Discover the lost, the self-conscious, the reckless. Learn how to milk an alpaca. Encounter a river with one thing on its mind. Touch on moments of isolation amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Find out how a ghost-tree could bring a community together. Witness the moment when friendship sparks into something more. Consume a life in one mouthful. Meet the lovers, the families and the undefinable others who make up these worlds and sweep us along.

Short fiction can often be overlooked but at its best it can be amazingly powerful. Its economy and focus can tell the reader a lot in a few pages or paragraphs. Not every tale is a ten volume one thousand page epic….and I’m yet to be convinced any should be. In The Stairs Are A Snowcapped Mountain Judy Darley contains with a collection of very short fiction that gives us moments of a characters’s life, an appreciation of the world or the joys of being human.

In the many many enjoyable tales in this collection I enjoyed

Self Defence Against Yesterday - a woman comes to remove a guy from a friend’s house. Expect the guy is an Octopus. Our main character is named Hera and Darley is playing with and pointing a finger at Greek myths in a refreshing way.

Tidal Suck - a tale that sounds very domestic hides a more personal and warmer tale that doesn’t reveal itself until the last few lines. Impressive short short fiction storytelling

Skirting the Perimeter - one of my favourites is a young couple who have had a huge row and we slowly unpick their secrets. Darley creates a really fascinating tale of two people in love and yet also not perfect which leads the reader to think about what the best result will be for them

Wild Times - a tale of lockdown and a couple realising that nature actually is everywhere - even in your home. We get the stresses and strains of just being with your loved one in one space and yet also the warmth of a relationship too.

Charged Particles - a fantastic tale of sibling life. Two estranged sisters meet to see the Northern Lights. It captures the way petty arguments and yet love are often constant and Darley makes you understand who these two are. Nothing is resolved but they do perhaps understand each other again which is more important.

Why Rivers Run To The Sea - A gorgeous piece of writing about the joy of being a river. Just so much fun to read.

Preservation - an unusual but smart tale about a world where words not animals are slowly disappearing and one woman’s constant attempts to save them. Thoughtful and makes its point.

How To Milk An Alpaca - 10 important notes funny and yet also tell you the tale of the writer who made them. Enjoyable!

Aftermath - a surreal disturbing piece of flash fiction where we sense something horrible between a woman and her father. all delivered powerfully in just a few lines.

Cornish Gold - a tale of children desiring fudge and yet also a relationship about to implode. Despite this warm and life-affirming.

Shadows and Shine - a delciously creepy tale of two brothers who notice a new neighbour they may prey on

There are tales of childhood, surrealism, growing up and growing old. A huge variety that offers something for everyone and continues to mark Darley as a short fiction writer well worth exploring. Tales to savour and well worth your time