#18 Alabaster

Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of my favourite writers for her dark, glowing and sensually charged view of the world. She has written two of my most prized books. Having said that, Alabaster was disappointing. Dancy Flammarion is an engaging character in her own right, and the lead story in this collection is tight, well-written and vivdly imagined. However, the momentum does not carry through - and the reverse order does not help with one bit. Part of the problem with this collection clearly rests with the editor. The work here could have been cleaned up and reordered without too much effort, resulting in a much more professional feeling book. I look forward to better books from her in the future.