Patricia A. McKillip at Westercon 64 in the Fairmont San Jose Hotel on Saturday 2 July 2011 (Wikimedia Commons)

For LUXURY READING, Jamie Friddle reviews the exhilarating DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES.

DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES by Patricia A. McKillip is unique, captivating, and a work of art. The fantasy writer certainly paints intricate scenes that draw the reader in from the first sentence. McKillip transports us to different dimensions throughout the collection, from a young artist who is in love with his art and the model who posed for the art, to a witch that takes on the role of being a sea goddess’ host body for a hundred years, among many other short stories.

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I highly recommend this book to any lover of fantasy, or even mythology. A fantastic read for people of all ages, although better suited for adults. I found the short stories to be exhilarating and very thought provoking. You definitely have to be giving this book your full attention!

Becki Weston at THE FLUTTERBY ROOM enjoys her introduction to Patricia A. McKillip.

DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES was my introduction to the writing of Patricia A. McKillip. McKillip has published numerous books including The Riddle Master Trilogy, and more recently Kingfisher. I only heard about this short story collection because I read and reviewed another book published by Tachyon Publications and they suggested that I might enjoy this one. I am actually really glad that I had the opportunity to read this collection, as on the whole I thought DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES contained some interesting and well-thought stories that asked some interesting questions. It was a nice collection to dip into and was an enjoyable read.

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Overall I really enjoyed DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES and think fantasy fans will enjoy it. I can’t say how it compares to other works by McKillip as this is the only work by her I’ve read, but I can say that it has made me want to explore her previous books and maybe give one of her series a try. If you are a fan of short stories, like fantasy and science fiction and are okay with horror elements then you should definitely give this book a try.

SPILLED INK quotes “Writing High Fantasy,” from DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES.

At its best, fantasy rewards the reader with a sense of wonder about what lies within the heart of the commonplace world. The greatest tales are told over and over, in many ways, through centuries. Fantasy changes with the changing times, and yet it is still the oldest kind of tale in the world, for it began once upon a time, and we haven’t heard the end of it yet.

SPILLED INK has shared numerous quotes from McKillip’s books.

For more info on DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty