Glass Dolls

Spoiler Alert: There aren't any here.

One of the best things about writing on Vocal is the support that comes from brilliant creators. Then, of course, there's the privilege of reading their work. I've been a huge fan of L.C. Shäfer's writing since I was fortunate enough to find it here. Given that, it should come as no surprise that Glass Dolls was the first book in print by a fellow Vocal author I purchased.

The surprise, much to my chagrin, is that it's taken me so long to write a review of it here. I left an Amazon review, of course, but at the time, it never occurred to me to write one on Vocal. It's high time I corrected that.

Now, because it's been so long since I first read these stories, I decided to scan them again, but the fact is, it can't be done. You can't scan stories that draw you in the way these tales do. That's the magic of excellent storytelling, where genius meets unbound imagination.

This collection is spine chilling, hilarious, revolting (in the best way) and absolutely one of the best batches of short stories I've ever read. It runs the gamut from fractured (and ground and burned) fairy tales to horrific, bloody portrayals of beautiful creatures from our most-loved childhood fantasy stories. There's even a look at the future of the human race that will make you go, “Hmmmm...”

The title story, Glass Dolls, is as delightfully weird as it gets, offering some really twisted sci-fi and a not-quite-subtle look at a scientific, biological breakthrough gone horribly wrong in a warped society that's not hard to envision as a reality. Unique is an understatement, and that applies to everything in this book.

L. C. (or S.E. if you prefer), broaches sensitive subjects that might even border on taboo. They're handled with such tact that you won't mind. As a matter of fact, one of the highlights of the stories for me was tongue-in-cheek comments scattered throughout the pages.

Overall, this entire collection is a twisty, turny, fun ride, created by a master storyteller. It will leave you wanting more, and I assure, you, I enjoyed re-reading it every bit as much as delving into it for the first time. I think you will, too.

So, my friends, I'm going to come right out and say it: Buy this book. I'll give you the link, below. Then, prepare to be uncomfortable, surprised, tricked, tickled and enthralled. It's a great ride, and one you'll want to take again.

I hope readers will appreciate my stand on including spoilers in this review. I'm not a fan of them to begin with, and I think giving away any portion of any of these stories would be an injustice to the mind that created them. It's a case of, “I'd love to tell you more, but I don't want to ruin it for you.”

Thanks for reading and as promised, here's the link: