The Other World, It Whispers

by Stephanie Victoire

From the secrets of the forest, to the magic of the sea, these nine stories tell of what happens when passion, desire, loneliness and imprisonment lead us on a search for freedom and empowerment – no matter what the cost.

A woman makes a deal with gods and goddesses in order to bring a slanderous town down to its knees, a man who has lost everything finds himself in the graveyards of Paris, turning to dark magic to ensure success, an opulent masked ball becomes the stage of spite and revenge, a teenage boy who believes he is in the wrong body calls out to mermaids to enchant him.

With strands of classic fairy and folklore weaved through, the unknown – the silent and dark – is explored. Where spirits, deities and witches lurk, but also where the beauty of life and renewal can be found.

Genres: Short Stories, Magical Realism, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story Collection

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2016

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually like short stories, but the gothic, fairy tale-like quality of these stories was enchanting. I felt like I was reading something ancient but with very modern themes. I really enjoyed them!

[Kalyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of short stories. My favourite by far was "The earth-bound express "

[Zuzana Be · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poviedková kniha s témou fantázie a mágie. Neviem či to malo potenciál, ale nejak ma príbehy nebavili. Aspoň obálku má peknú.

[Nisha Vyas-Myall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of short stories. Some are brilliant (Bouquet Witch), others poignant (Shanty) and others weird and unexpected (Dark Arts and Deities). A couple of the stories seemed a bit lacklustre but overall, I enjoyed this collection.

[Hannah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of shot stories were absolutely mind blowing! A part of me loved every single one of them, every single story invoked an emotion, a thought, a feeling. This collection of gothic, fairytale-esque stories filled my gothic fanatic heart with love. My favourites are: The Bouquet Witch, The Earth-Bound Express (this one made me SOB), The Animal Ball, and Dark Arts & Deities. Stephanie Victoire’s narrative was so uniquely excellent that I felt as though I was actually inside these short stories, experiencing everything the Protagonist is.
This truly an amazing collection, please, go read it now.

[Beachesnbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the fabulism and fairy tale elements in this short story collection, which were reflected both in the content of the stories and the almost old-fashioned, fairy tale style of writing. Would definitely recommend to any other short story fans out there. My favorites in the collection were "Time and Silence," in which a mysterious girl is discovered in the show by an abused young boy; "The Bouquet Witch," in which a lonely young woman joins forces with a local witch to avenge the brokenhearted; and "Shanty," a powerful exploration of gender identity and mermaids.

[Jessica Healy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely wanted to like this more than I did. It was... like a very, very rich chocolate cake. You think you want a whole slice, but, actually, two bites is enough. Though I admit my judgement may be impaired by mood and illness.

[M-L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story collection debut from Stephanie Victoire is full of magic, trickery, malice and darkness. My absolute favourite has to be The Bouquet Witch, but all 9 stories in this collection offer a contemporary twist to some dark fairytales from a new, haunting perspective.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up for €3 on a whim after spotting it on a clearance shelf while on holiday in Ireland. If all my impulse buys turned out to be this good I'd be a very happy bunny! Sometimes frustrating, sometimes haunting, sometimes heartbreaking, always beautiful.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final rating: 3.75

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

[Imogen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
An unfussy collection of fairy tale-inspired short stories. Some I found a bit lacking, others were wonderfully weird.

[Lisa Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am new to the short story genre, having only really read Stephen King short stories in the past. I really enjoyed this collection, but didn't love every story. There were a few i really enjoyed, but there were also a few i know i will eventually forget about. It is a good place to start though i think if like me you're new to short stories.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fabulism isn’t a literary mode that I have a particularly easy time with. The discomfort that I often feel when reading something with an overtly “magical realist” tinge is, I’ve discovered, the same as the discomfort I get from “contemporary” translations of texts from classical antiquity. It’s a form of register clash. Reading a translation of Virgil’s Eclogues that includes the phrase “Put up or shut up” (as I once did) is jarring, a yank out of the clearly established classical context into a slangy modernity that feels false. In the same way, reading a story obviously set in a world like our own becomes bewildering when elements of fantasy creep in: witches, spells, sculptures that come to life, but also Paddington station, a bar called the Red Oak, Paris’s Sacré Cœur glimpsed from an apartment window. More often than not, when stories like this work, it’s because the author has planed her prose smooth, every word chosen to encourage and nourish the reader’s belief.

Read the rest of the review here: https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/2016...

[Lorna Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Beautiful writing with a definitively fairytale-esque style of simplicity. Elements of a mature Francesca Lia Block worshipping at the feet of Tales from the Darkside, but in a kind predictable sort of way. I enjoyed all the stories, but some just went too long and sacrificed their edge. Still, this will sit nestled in amongst my favourites shelf for future readings.

[samogie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

There are a couple stories with extremely interesting concepts that I had so much reading and others where the whimsical fairytale writing style was a bit forced, a total struggle to get through.