Sex, Drugs and Tales of Wonder

Lilac Fever #1

by Yanko Tsvetkov, Alphadesigner (Illustrator)

Enter a whimsical realm of gender-fluid deities, leprechauns in distress, shape-shifting cyber insects, scorpions that hatch out of broken human hearts, and sea monsters that make entire planets spin backwards.

Fast paced and irreverently funny, the eclectic story cycle spans multiple genres, from fantasy to horror and science fiction. Inspired by the classic One Thousand and One Nights and medieval travelogues, bestselling author Yanko Tsvetkov reinvents the fairy tale and builds an imaginary world full of mystery and wonder.

The text is accompanied by eye-catching illustrations created by Alphadesigner, Tsvetkov’s equally creative alter ego.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Humor, Short Stories, LGBT

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2018

About the author

Yanko Tsvetkov is a Bulgarian-born interdisciplinary artist who lives in Spain, writes in English, and publishes books in France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Turkey, China, and South Korea. He has visited several continents, traversed thick jungles, picnicked in scorching deserts, and booked a few taxis in crowded metropolises. He leads a second life as a caped superhero who fights prejudice with his giant laser.

Reviews

[Irene Balmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually put a limit on how much I read a day otherwise I will finish a particularly good book in a day, two at most. My one complaint is that it was too good and too short. I finished it in one day. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!

[Audrey Buckhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to mix sex, romance, religion and political satire in a single coherent narrative, especially in short stories that (on top of everything else) pay homage to classic tropes and almost immediately after that grotesquely subvert them. This is Gaiman on cocaine.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always complained there weren’t any books with giant scorpions stabbing people in their hearts but my dream has finally come true!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a hard book to review so I'll just go with my overall enjoyment of it and award 3.5 stars (Rounded up to 4 since I'm feeling nice.)

Its a strange collection, like reading a book of religious myths from an alternate universe. I did enjoy the author's creativity and the imagery of the book and at no point did I get bored. Although the book being somewhat short may have played a role in that.

The book is a collection of stories and fables so don't expect a conventional plot arc or arcs. I did find some minor spelling errors that snuck past spellcheck: "Bore" where it should have said "Boar", "filed" instead of "field", that sort of thing. I probably noticed around 5 of these errors in the book and they did annoy me but I was able to look past them and continue reading.

Recommended for readers interested in semi-weird fables from an alternate version of our reality.

[Dio Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting all that much from this, but I was absolutely transported into a world that I really want to explore more. This is the type of book that really shows just what can be achieved with short stories, and is something that I'm going to recommend to the people I know who get so wrapped up in world building that they forget to populate it.

[Autumn Rose Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant short stories. I could not believe how much I enjoyed this book, after reading the kindle version I brought it in hardback.

That art inside the book is very unique and pretty but the way the words flow makes each story worth reading.

[Teodora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, down to the last word.

[Richard Kettlewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

RA

Witty and enjoyable inversions and perversions of Biblical and religious mythologies (many of which were already pretty perverse to begin with!). Much more fun than the originals. High quality irreverence, reminding me of Monty Python and Douglas Adams at their best.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection reminded me of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities coupled with an almost Pratchian sense of humour, with a satisfying queer element.

There are occasional typos, as I suspect this was a self-published work. But definitely worth the read. I like how the stories, while separate, interlink and are all in the same world.

Possible Triggers: Some of the stories make off-hand comments to sexual assault. It doesn't happen "on-stage," as it were, but it may sit uncomfortably on your triggers. There is some war violence as well.

[Salim Almaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the cover but the book turned out to be equally delightful. It's a fresh ironic take on many fairy tale stereotypes, great for grown ups who hadn't given up on daydreaming!

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those cases when you read something very witty and you want to say something matching about it but you just can’t. The book is very playful and funny. I know that sounds simple but the reason because it’s funny is the brilliant humor that has a bit of a British flavor. A second reading reveals things that might have stayed unnoticed. There is a lot of wordplay and a lot of cultural references that can be missed initially because it’s such an easy read overall. The good thing is the more you go back to it, the better it becomes. My favorite story is about the original sin and the creation of the world. It’s like a satirical take on the Bible and it’s narrated so well.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short stories by a fun author. The short stories share the same world and some intertwine. Short stories are a complex genre where an author must tell enough of a story to entertain without getting longwinded. This author is able to maintain that balance. Great collection.

[Erick Garcia G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

perspectivas del deseo, el deseo, la creacion y la divinidad.

[Nedyalka Ivanova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning!

[Emiliano Géant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful reminder that the ancient art of the fairy tale encompasses much more than scaremongering of gullible children or common folk moralizing. Even in modern fantasy, short stories are often relegated to the sidelines, while most of us focus our attention on epic volumes that can fracture our skulls if we, god forbid, fall asleep and let them fall on our faces.

This elegant book is packed with ideas that usually fill several volumes and most of them are so brilliantly executed that they linger in your mind long after you have reached the last page. And while there’s plenty of humor and subversion of tropes, they aren’t mere gimmicks used to lighten the tone, but themselves present philosophical challenges. Some of them are set up in the titles, like in the case of the nested story cycle about a barbarian called Occam and an aristocrat called Sophisticus, Both names clearly serve as puns illustrating the divide between pragmatism and spirituality in the modern world. Even though the author doesn’t shy away from such allusions, he rarely takes a side and his impartiality brings tension to the narrative. You never quite know how a story might end.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accidentally deleted my first review, so I'll do my best to recreate it from memory, which is hard because this book has so many dimensions. First, I believe that anyone who likes classic fairy tales will find it exquisite. I'm not talking Disney stuff and cute stories aimed at children, but real folk stories that were told by adults for adults. Also, fans of Neil Gaiman and especially Terry Pratchett will appreciate the imaginative world-building and the cheeky humor very much. This is only the first in a series of story collections by Yanko Tsvetkov and I hope he keep them coming. Loved the notes at the end where the author shares his thoughts on each story. Some of them go to unexpected depth that can initially be missed (the contemplation about beauty and its connection to religion was the most striking one). Highly recommended for true comic fantasy nerds.

[Cassandra Marie Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first few tales then it went awful and then the end peaked up a little. Very creative work is the only reason I gave it the stars. However, its just not written in a way that I like or find enjoyable. Some stories were just like wtf and overall just didn't do it for me. Snippets which I highlighted tickled me but other than that could take it or leave it. I have the second book but I am a little reluctant to read, we will see.

[Cloé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing, beautiful, confusing, delicate... I sometimes enjoyed and sometimes got annoyed by the intricacies of those short stories. Loved the explanations at the end

[Katie Stenzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit, reading the stories were interesting, even though I had a hard time following the point of each one. It’s almost as though the plot to each story is not supposed to make any sense. I don’t know, my reaction to reading this book was very mixed.