I liked every story in this book, but I think the very first story, Weird, is the one I like the best. It is the story of couple holed up in a bathroom while some disaster seems to rage outside. An explanation for what is happening out there is not offered. He invites her to tell the story of the weirdest thing that has ever happened to her. She tells a couple of stories but after each telling, he prompts her to tell something weirder. All the time, there is pounding on the door. During the tellings, there is calm between the couple. Between the tellings, the outside trouble becomes tangible. The woman’s stories of weirdness and the trouble outside will reach a surprising climax and then…..well then you will have something to weird think about.
I picked this book off of NetGalley because of the beautiful cover. Thomas Canty is the artist of the piece titled By the Window. After further research I learned that he is an illustrator and cover designer in fantasy fiction. He is said to have pioneered a ‘New Romantic’ style of illustrations. I could not find much more on the artist himself, but I did find this Pinterest page https://www.pinterest.com/na8e/thomas-canty/.
The cover illustration is just an hint of what is inside. Patricia A. McKillip displays an amazing imagination in Dreams of Distant Shores. Each story is unique. Each story has vivid setting and engaging characters. The imagery is absolutely beautiful. Surprises are the norm in these tales, so prepare to be entertained.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
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