4 out of 4 stars
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The Game & The Challenge is an extremely diverse collection of thirteen short stories written by author Kim Ekemar. The genres run the gamut throughout this compilation of tales ranging from horror to tragedy, from action to intrigue and beyond. In addition to the styles of story, they also vary greatly in setting and periods of time. The collection encompasses the years from 500 BC through AD 1996 and has its happenings occurring literally all over the world. This gathering of stories definitely does not get stale or become predictable at any point throughout its length. The stories are just as engaging as they are diverse.
No matter the genre, setting or year being represented, the one thing that they all have in common is the excellent writing style of the author that is consistently showcased throughout each individual story. The same style is apparent as an undercurrent to each story even as they quite often shift in tone as the book progresses. It is indeed an impressive feat that the author has been able to pull off in this collection. I am not sure if I can remember an overall stronger book of short stories that I have ever come across prior to reading this one.
Instead of going through all of the stories, and the review potentially getting bogged down by describing all thirteen of them, I have chosen a choice few to discuss instead. The opening tale, Carved Out for an Infinite Game is a very solid opening for the book and whets the reader’s appetite for what is to come throughout all thirteen stories. It surrounds a chessboard that is initially created for a warlord ruling Cathay in 475 BC. The astoundingly talented craftsman takes almost two full years to carve a board made out of two specific tones of rosewood along with one set of pieces made from ivory and the opposing set crafted from jade of the deepest green. We then follow this chess set to Persia in AD 813, Florence in the early 16th century and finally in Buenos Aires where a German and a Russian-born Jew play for the title of world champion on the cusp of a horrific world-changing event.
My favorite story of the bunch, The Lasting Logic of a Chance Challenge takes place in a warzone between the Russians and the Chinese in the 1890s. The action takes place along the border between the two countries where both commanders find their troops in a long-standing stalemate that seems to have no end in sight. The two generals end up in a very deadly blended game of chance versus logic in which the balance of power ultimately shifts to the one who is victorious and able to survive the contest.
A third story, The Prospects of a Secure Investment follows the dealings of a slick, but small-time conman who tries for a huge score through a real estate deal. He soon finds himself swimming with the big fish and way beyond his depth. Since the story starts with him being in jail, we know that something went wrong, but finding out how and why makes for a very interesting and engaging tale.
Overall, this compilation has something for just about any reader out there as it covers so many tastes in such a myriad of ways. There is truly so much variety in this collection that it is still quite amazing to me that the author made it come together so well as a cohesive overall piece of work. Though one might not find all of the stories in the book matching up with their preferences, they will surely have quite a few that they will enjoy no matter their favorite genres.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I would easily give over half of the stories the full four stars, with none of them being less than three stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good, enjoyable, diverse read, which I can assume pretty much includes everybody out there.
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The Game & the Challenge
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