Review by HR Stanley -- Tales from the Gray Area

HR Stanley · Post by **HR Stanley** » 16 Mar 2021, 09:06

[Following is a volunteer review of "Tales from the Gray Area" by Curtis Stephen Burdick.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Tales from the Gray Area[/1] by Curtis Stephen Burdick contains seven novellas, each a mixture of the weird and fantastical. No novella is the same from reincarnation, to deep-sea octopuses, to hell and everything in between. I wanted something unusual and different to read, and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the novella ‘Vacation from Hell’, satan is cornered into giving three fallen angels a vacation, and for one of them, life will never be the same. For some, however, this tale may be considered blasphemous.

Although each tale had an ending, which draws all plot lines together, I longed for more. What happened after the octopus’ reign of terror? Did humans once again thrive or slip into oblivion? Each tale had me wanting more. I would readily and greedily read these tales if they were brought to life as novels to discover the glimpses of what happened after we leave them at the end of their stay with us. The only tale I struggled with was ‘Sorceress’. For some reason, I could not connect with the story or the characters. It was not the writing; it was as intriguing and intense as the others but did not resonate with me.

Each character had their own role to play. They were written to tell their tales as individuals and as a group. The settings’ imagery flickered into life as I read, and it was in its own right, a character helping each story to be told. We are not only informed of who the characters are and what is going on in their lives. But we get to see their inner world as they go on their way along their path of life. My favourite characters were the old supporting couple in ‘addiction’ I hope I can be like that when the time comes.

There were odd moments in the book that were gruesome, along with profound and sexual language and sexual imagery. None of which went outside of the character’s role or the tale being told.

I love this book and give it 4 out of 4. I would recommend it to those who love the weird and unusual and fantasy. It is not suitable for younger readers due to the odd, gruesome scene, language and imagery. I would also not recommend it for people with sensitive dispositions due to the same reasons.

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Tales from the Gray Area
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