Synopsis:
Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.
With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.
Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Stories includes “Seasons of Glass and Iron,” “The Green Book,” “Madeleine,” “The Lonely Sea in the Sky,” “And Their Lips Rang with the Sun,” “The Truth About Owls,” “A Hollow Play,” “Anabasis,” “To Follow the Waves,” “John Hollowback and the Witch,” “Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers,” “Pockets,” and more.
Review:
I was first introduced to Amal El-Mohtar when I read the novella This is How You Lose the Time War, co-written with Max Gladstone. I came to the award-winning book late, but I was still captivated by the atypical storytelling that put you on your back foot from the first page onward. It was strange and beautiful all at the same time. When I saw she had a collection coming out of short fiction collected from over the years, I leapt at the chance to read and review it. Just like with TIHYLTTW, many of the stories turn the narrative in unexpected ways, ultimately leading down charming and slightly arresting prose pathways to get there.
I really admired so much of the work in Seasons of Glass and Iron, even if I couldn’t quite identify with the protagonist in many cases. And the stories are wide and varied with roots in the Middle East, America, as well as various places around the U.K. A few of the works are told in parallel with English and Arabic. It’s a touch that I could see many authors and publishers rejecting due to the “audience” for sci-fi/fantasy works, but I love that it was there. And frankly, I had both the digital version as well as the audiobook, narrated by Rachel Elizabeth Smith, and the lilting sounds of the Arabic prose coming off the page was lovely, even if my ears didn’t understand it.
I don’t necessarily want to go through every story, but there is one that I can’t help but mention. Before I do, let me take you back in time. When I was in college, taking Philosophy 101, the professor assigned a novel — Sophie’s World by Jostien Gaardner. At first, as I read, I thought it was a nice story where the author is just cramming all sorts of Western Philosophy in as a learning device. But then…(and if you’ve read Sophie’s World, YOU KNOW what I’m talking about)…everything changes. In the 20+ years since that day, I guess part of me has been searching for that high of what Sophie’s World does. I’m thrilled that Amal El-Mohtar gave me a taste of it in her story Madeleine. I really don’t want to spoil anything else beyond that (and for some of you, I know that tells you nothing. Whatever — go read Sophie’s World as well as this collection). Madeleine was a wonderful trip and I will remember it for a long time to come.
This collection has speculative fiction, straight-up fantasy, folktales, letters, and so many other creative storytelling devices at El-Mohtar’s disposal. She acknowledges in the preface that many of her stories are focused on women and women’s experiences, so that is a persistent theme throughout, which is frankly refreshing with all the other works available in the speculative fiction spaces.
I had a wonderful time in this short collection and the narrator performed her role wonderfully as well, in whatever languages she was asked to read. I’ll definitely read more from El-Mohtar and look forward to seeing her name on the spine of future releases.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group as well as Macmillan Audio for providing this book and audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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