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Named as one of '50 Writers You Should Read Now' by The Guardian. From the award-winning author of The Rift, Nina Allan, this early story-cycle explores the lives touched on by the enigmatic, elusive figure of Ruby Castle.
Multi-award-winning author Nina Allan takes us on a journey exploring the elliptical nature of time and place, and in precise and beautiful prose explores the very nature of storytelling.
The story of Ruby Castle is told in snapshots and fleeting glimpses and secret histories, in tales repeated and reinvented by those who fall under the horror film actress's spell: her childhood sweetheart; an antiquarian bookseller with a passion for magical artefacts; the mistress of the poet who was once Castle's lover; a young girl in a future Russia who dreams of the stars.
As worlds collide, the boundaries between the real and the fantastic begin to break down. Is Ruby Castle a living person or a collective fantasy? By the time the final page of Ruby is turned, the world that Castle created through her films has become dangerously indistinguishable from our own.
Multi-award-winning author Nina Allan takes us on a journey exploring the elliptical nature of time and place, and in precise and beautiful prose explores the very nature of storytelling.
The story of Ruby Castle is told in snapshots and fleeting glimpses and secret histories, in tales repeated and reinvented by those who fall under the horror film actress's spell: her childhood sweetheart; an antiquarian bookseller with a passion for magical artefacts; the mistress of the poet who was once Castle's lover; a young girl in a future Russia who dreams of the stars.
As worlds collide, the boundaries between the real and the fantastic begin to break down. Is Ruby Castle a living person or a collective fantasy? By the time the final page of Ruby is turned, the world that Castle created through her films has become dangerously indistinguishable from our own.
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Vilja Puustinen
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Rozanne
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“*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
♠ PUBLISHED: January 2021 ♠ PAGES: 354 ♠ GENRE: Science Fiction, Horror Fiction, Fantasy Fiction ♠ Paperback ♠
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Ruby written by Nina Allan immediately had my attention. I found the cover and synopsis so captivating that I just couldn't leave it on my TBR. This book consists of 7 short stories circling the character of Ruby Castle. We get to know Ruby as a circus performer who later becomes a famous actress who then murders her lover Raymond Latour.
As I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. The first two stories, B-SIDE and The Lammas Worm, had me rooted to the spot. Even though this book is described as Horror fiction, I did not find it scary but somewhat weird, especially The Lammas Worm. But as I read further I felt confused, at some point I felt like "What did I just read?"
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I felt trapped inside one of the Gelb brothers' mirror mazes mentioned in The Gateway. It wasn't a bad feeling, I just felt disorientated.
If Ruby Castle was a painting, the 7 short stories are the colours used to paint her. The feeling I experienced while reading this book is different to what I've experienced before, it's an eerie feeling gripping the edges of your mind. The stories are well-written and the characters are interesting. I felt Stardust was a bit hollow compared to the other stories, but it might just be me. The other stories had a mystery to it and Stardust did not quite have the same effect. My absolute favourite is Wreck of the Julia, it kept me guessing and the revelations left me astonished. This is not a story with a traditional plot line, but a maze of different plot lines coming together and forming the picture of Ruby Castle.
This review is posted on my blog
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.com/2021/02/21/ruby-by-nina-allan-book-review/”
About Nina Allan
Nina Allan's debut novel The Race was shortlisted for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the BSFA Award and the Kitschies Red Tentacle. Her follow-up The Rift won the BSFA Award and the Kitschies Red Tentacle. She has won the BSFA Award for Short Fiction, the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, and the Aeon Award. She has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Award four times and was a finalist for the 2014 Shirley Jackson Award. She blogs at ninaallan.co.uk.
Other books by Nina Allan
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