Trigger Warning

I'm about halfway through the final Wheel of Time book, but I found myself needing a break. That book is essentially an 1100 page battle, which can be wearing. I'm someone who tends to completely skip over battle scenes in books, so a book, so I've been having a hard-time focusing. I decided I needed a break, and Neil Gaiman's most recent short story collection was exactly the palate cleanser I wanted.

I've been a fan of Gaiman since I got American Gods for my 18th birthday, and a fan of his short stories since college, when I could never find the time to devote to anything longer. So I was excited when he released a new collection. Then I was surprised to discover how many of these stories I'd already read. Not because they're in previous collections (only one appeared in a collection I already owned), but because I follow Gaiman's online presence, and a lot of these have popped up on the web at one point or another.

I heard Gaiman perform (is that the word?) Click-Clack the Rattlebag at a local awards ceremony that I attended with my mother-in-law. I followed A Calendar of Tales from conception to release. Some of these stories have since been published in other formats, and others just gave me that deja vu feeling that Gaiman's writing tends to give me.

I enjoyed almost all of the stories. The one that fell flattest for me was, surprisingly, the Doctor Who short. I enjoy Gaiman. I enjoyed what I've seen of Doctor Who. Mostly. I never quite got over the ninth doctor's departure, but I've seen about half of Tenant's tenure, and I catch the Christmas specials with my mom every years. But Gaiman writing the Doctor just didn't work for me. It felt stiff and wordy.

But other than that, I really enjoyed this collection. There's a hint of magic, a hint of horror. A novella sequel to American Gods and a bunch of fairy tales. It's everything I've come to hope for and expect from Gaiman, and I'm glad I took the time out to read it.

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