In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • Earth and Air: Tales of Elemental Creatures
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Dickinson, Peter . Earth and Air: Tales of Elemental Creatures. Big Mouth, 2012. [256p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-61873-058-9 $17.95 Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-61873-038-1 $14.95 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-61873-039-8 $9.95 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9 up.

Noted fantasist Dickinson concludes the cycle of elemental stories he began with Robin McKinley in Fire (BCCB 11/09) and Water (BCCB 7/02) in a solo outing with tales of earth and air spirits. Aside from the sci-fi influenced final story, "The Fifth Element," the five preceding tales evoke an old-world flavor of magic, incorporating pieces of Greek mythology and European folklore, sometimes placing archetypal beings in the modern world of cars and email. Appropriately, the two tales focusing on earth creatures, "Troll Blood" and "Wizand" (yes, that is the right spelling), are characterized by densely loaded prose and deal with themes of love, lust, and possession. Without McKinley's more adolescent-focused contributions, the stories lean more toward a new adult audience, though the two animal-centered stories, "Ridiki" and "Scops," will appeal to pet-friendly readers, particularly dog lovers. These stories are nonetheless thoughtful and provocative, and they will find an audience among Dickinson's usual fans.

...

pdf

Share