Gargoyle Book Review

 

Book: Gargoyle: Three Enchanting Romance Novellas

 

Authors: Beth Barany, Kay Keppler, Patricia Simpson

 

Given by: Beth Barany via Goodreads First Reads

 

Rating: 3/5 Won-derfuls (I liked it)

First book review of the new blog! Thanks to Goodreads and Beth Barany for the book. This was a pretty quick read divided into three short stories. As promised on the back cover, I will never think of gargoyles the same again!

The first and shortest novella, "On a Wing and a Prayer" by Kay Keppler, introduces us to an easy to love statue. With the help of some well known Roman deities in modern form, little Craig the garden gargoyle spreads his stone wings to protect his mistress. This cute story was told with the main focus on the mythical characters and humans in the background - a perspective a definitely enjoyed.

"Touchstone of Love" by Beth Barany was the second and longest novella in the book. Star-crossed lovers must conquer obstacles of arranged marriage, cruel adversaries, and time itself to protect their new love. There were a few nicely placed steamy bits (Mmm... steamy bits) to keep the reader turning pages in hope of more. In this middle story, our heroine's personality and behaviors did not seem consistent throughout which threw me off a bit. Either she was very good at adapting to startlingly new environments or she knew that she only had about a hundred pages to resolve the plot she found herself written into.

The final novella,"The Miller's Daughter" by Patricia Simpson, is a new twist on an old gargoyle legend. Displaying some rather barbaric practices in an AD 629 setting, this story brought out a very visceral reaction in me. I did not expect this after reading the first two novellas, so it was a bit a an adjustment. In this adventure an unlikely trio searches for a misunderstood creature, but the real beasts in this story aren't always the ones being hunted. A strong story with a satisfying conclusion.

Overall I really enjoyed this anthology. Each author's interpretation of "Gargoyle" varied to create three completely different stories. Although I am a big lover of mythology and fantasy, I have not wandered with gargoyles before. This is why I recommend this book. It was new, different, and fun. This  book gave my imagination a chance to finally meet the creatures I have seen and passed by one too many times.

Interested? Get the book here: Gargoyle