Thin Line Between

Wandjina Quartet #1

by Anne C. Petty, M.A.C. Petty

In Thin Line Between , newcomer M.A.C. Petty's exciting first book in the Wandijna Quartet series, Alice Waterstone has enough to worry about putting together the long-awaited Land of Legends Australian Aboriginal art exhibit. She's anticipated the grand opening for over a year. But from the moment the pieces begin to arrive, what should be her greatest achievement as arts curator of the Hardison Museum suddenly becomes a nightmare. Things quickly spiral out of control, in the museum and in ALice's personal life. Could this collection of both ancient and modern art carry a curse that echoes back to the Aboriginal Dreamtime? And what are the connections between the mysterious Wandijna of the exhibit and Alice's daughter Margaret, who dreams of a terrifying shapeshifting creature that bears a little too much resemblance to legends that frighten children in the dark? There's also the problem of Alice's father, an artist who disappeared in the Outback before she was born. In her search to uncover these mysteries, ALice may be in for more than she expected, unearthing clues to her past -- and some ancient secrets that may be better off left sleeping...

326 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2005

About the author

Writer, editor, publisher, anime/manga addict. Tastes run toward the dark side.

Anne Petty (Ph.D. in English, Florida State University) has over 30 years’ experience in the wordsmithing field as teacher, author, editor, and publisher.

Anne explores myth, legend, and the world of J.R.R. Tolkien in her online blog and her published non-fiction writing—Tolkien in the Land of Heroes (2005, a Mythopoeic Society Award Finalist), Dragons of Fantasy (2nd ed. 2008), and One Ring to Bind Them All (2nd ed. 2001). Chapters in anthologies include contributions to Modern Critical Views (2000); Tolkien Studies (2004); More People’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien (2005); Tolkien and Shakespeare (2007); Good Dragons Are Rare (2009); and Light Beyond All Shadow (2011).

Anne also writes dark urban fantasy/horror fiction. The first novel in her Wandjina series was Thin Line Between (2005), and the follow-up novel, Shaman's Blood, is due out later in 2011. Recent short stories include “The Veritas Experience” published in The Best Horror, Fantasy, & Science Fiction of 2009 (Absent Willow Review). Another story, “Blade,” received Honorable Mention in AWR’s 2010 Best Horror, Fantasy, & SciFi competition.

Anne is an active member of the Horror Writers Association, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, the Mythopoeic Society, and the Tolkien Society. She is a founding member of the Tallahassee Writers Association and is a regular presenter at writers’ conferences and pop-culture conventions such as Dragon-Con in Atlanta. In 2006, she founded Kitsune Books, a small press specializing in literary novels, short story collections, book-length poetry collections, and literary criticism. Kitsune Books authors have won Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards from the Florida Book Awards and the Florida Publishers Association.

Reviews

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note: I read in October 2011 from a copy I picked up myself. I am also reposting this review to spread the sad news that this author recently passed away after a battle with cancer. I would like to honor her memory by bringing a new group of people to enjoy her stories.

My Synopsis: Alice Waterston is a curator for the Hardison Museum in Citrus Park, FL. She has helped to put together an exhibit showing Australian Aboriginal art and it looks like it will be quite a crowd-pleaser. However, as soon as the exhibits arrive, strange accidents begin to happen, and Alice begins to experience strange events. To make matters worse, she has started writing a novel and it seems to have taken over her mind – she starts to think she sees the characters from her novel. Her daughter, Margaret, always prone to nightmares and night terrors, also begins to experience strange phenomena, and her dreams increase in frequency. Is the exhibit cursed? Is Alice somehow manifesting the characters from her book? Or is she going insane?

My Thoughts: “Thin Line Between” is an extremely creepy book – melding a camp legend from the Snake Bite, FL, area with ideas from the Aboriginal Dreamtime legends and lore, a slow, creeping horror builds as the reader experiences the fear and confusion that the characters in the book feel. I was pulled into the book and read it as fast as I could – often realizing I had skimmed over paragraphs too quickly in my haste to learn what was happening and having to go back to re-read the section I had not absorbed. This book is perfect for fans of horror fiction, and for those who are interested in the way that mythology can intersect with reality. Definitely a highly recommended book, especially for the Halloween season. Check it out!

[Julie Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini-review: I really enjoyed that this book was about a mythology that I have never read before: the Aboriginal Dreamtime. It talked about Wandjinas and Quinkans, and Namarrkun the Lightning Man. I had a hard time wrapping my idea around these entities, but I understood enough of it to be able to keep up with the story.

At the same time, they talk about a story from Florida's past (around 1899/1900), and what appears to be an evil preacher at a little church close to where the MCs (Alice Waterston and her daughter, Margaret) live. Ms. Petty did a really good job of blending the two stories, so it didn't give you whiplash switching back and forth between them.

The characters were all very likeable and Ms. Petty is an excellent writer, in that she can describe a scene so that you feel you are actually looking at it. Let me be very clear, this is not a book for teens. There are violent parts and there is a rape, and although these things do not happen constantly throughout the book, I personally would not feel comfortable with my teen reading it. That is only my opinion.

I also thought the book started rather slowly. I almost gave up a couple of times, but because Ms. Petty is such a good writer, I stuck with it, and boy am I glad I did!! The second half of the book is just one thing after another, with all of the action that the first half is lacking. By the time I reached the end I felt like I had run a marathon! I was out of breath from holding it through the sticky, suspenseful parts of the book!

Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5 because although it was slow at the beginning, it more than made up for it in the second part of the book.

"There was supposed to be a line where imagination stopped and cold reality existed - if you couldn't tell where the thin line between them was, you were judged insane or deluded or, in the old days, possessed."

[FSU Alumni]

Anne C. Petty (B.A. '66, M.A. '69, Ph.D. '72)