Mrs Fox by Sarah Hall
Published by Faber & Faber, 2019
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Beautifully written, strange enough to captivate, and brief enough to avoid overstretching our suspension of disbelief. This little allegorical tale of transformation could be interpreted in several ways, but to me it spoke poignantly of the difference between love and possession, embracing our true nature, and learning to let go.
As a taster of Hall’s work, it was great, and I’d definitely like to check out more from her in the future.
Come See the Living Dryad by Theodora Goss
Published by Tor Books, 2017
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
There’s a great concept here, and I love the sentiment being explored – that those vilified in the past due to ignorance deserve retribution. But sadly, I found it a bit surface level. Granted, given the story’s short length, the author didn’t have a huge amount of scope to work with, but the central mystery plays out exactly as you’d expect, and the final section becomes a bit heavy-handed and literal.
Perhaps with a little more breathing space, things could have rolled out more organically, and these characters’ stories could have made a greater emotional impact.
Callum McLaughlin 
Mrs Fox was one of the stronger stories in her collection Madame Zero, I thought.
This was the first time I’d read anything by her, but I’d certainly be open to trying more!
I’ve yet to read Hall, although I’m very keen to. This sounds like a good place to start.
This was a great little taster!
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