Last Car to Annwn Station
Urban Paranormal Lesbian Fae Adventures in Minneapolis
First, a full disclosure – I know Michael Merriam personally. He’s a fellow member of The Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers Group. Michael and I also share the same psychotherapist.
Second, a disclaimer – I’m all about the paranormal, but romance stories aren’t really my thing. I’m also not the target market for this genre. So when I tell you that I enjoyed it, that’s saying a lot, although I may have to keep my y-chromosome in check as I give this review.
Third, a quandary – Michael Merriam’s paranormal romance novel, Last Car To Annwn Station was released in e-book format only, and I didn’t have an e-book reader. So I waffled over the different options available – namely the Nook, the Kindle, and the Sony e-book reader. I finally decided to give Google Books a try. I read Last Car on my Samsung Droid Charge phone, and while that was an awesome experience in itself, I’ll stick to the book review in this post and report on smartphone-e-book-happiness another day.
From the Publisher:
“The fare is ten cents, miss.”
Mae Malveaux, an attorney with Minneapolis Child Protective Services, is burnt-out, tired and frustrated. Passing on an invite from Jill, her flirtatious coworker, Mae just wants a quiet night in. Leaving the office late, she’s surprised to find the Heritage Line streetcars up and running and hops aboard, eager for a quick trip home.
But this is no ordinary streetcar. Death is one of its riders, and Mae is thrust into Annwn, a realm of magic and danger.
“Your transfer, miss. You’ll need that.”
Mae’s life is turned upside down as human and fae worlds collide. Her budding relationship with Jill takes a perilous turn when they are hunted by mythical beasts, and Mae is drawn into a deadly power struggle. With Jill at her side, Mae must straddle both worlds and fight a war she barely comprehends, for not only does the fate of Annwn rest in her hands, but the lives of both a human and fae child…
My Review of Last Car to Annwn Station
The Cover
I won’t lie. I do judge books by their cover, and I’ve even created a system for doing so. And the cover graphics for Last Car to Annwn Station are minty-golden. I mean ice-cold-hotness. But as I mention in my system of how to judge a book by its cover, this doesn’t mean the story is necessarily good, just less likely to suck. However it would look quite good on a bookshelf or coffee table… if there were a physical version available. Just sayin.
The Heroine
The protagonist in Last Car is Mae Malveaux, an attorney living and working in Minneapolis, MN. She seems a bit prim at first, and her character arc sees her growing in many different ways. Mae has at least three major ‘coming out’ arcs.
The most obvious arc is in her sexuality. This is a lesbian-coming-out story, and if you aren’t secure enough in your own sexuality to handle reading something like this… then maybe you shouldn’t. I thought the romance between Mae and her coworker, Jill, was well done. In some ways the relationship seemed to move too slowly, almost teasing the reader. But the sexual tension added to the overall tension of the story, reminding me of the very best parts of agents Mulder and Skully’s interactions in The X-Files.
Mae also develops a bit of backbone and pluck throughout the story, growing into the kick-ass heroine role. She probably wouldn’t stand against Sookie Stackhouse, well… maybe at the end of the story she would.
The third way in which Mae develops is… a surprise. You’ll have to read to find out.
The Downtime
Now remember, I’m trying to keep my y-chromosome out of this, but I couldn’t help but notice that there was a lot of ‘domestic upkeep’ in this story. Lots of cooking, cleaning, packing, unpacking, etc. Lots of coffee and tea-making. Lots of snuggling and lounging while wearing fleecy pajamas. There were plenty of great action and chase scenes, and I won’t argue that there needs to be something to buffer the action scenes, and I don’t expect them to sit around drinking Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey while cleaning their H&K MP5…
…OK, that’s a lie. I actually was hoping for that. Sorry, Michael.
Suffice to say, I’d have enjoyed the book more if there was less lounging, noshing and kibitzing. But I’m a guy. Your chromosomes may vary.
The Plot
The story starts in modern-day Minneapolis, but Mae unknowingly boards a streetcar that takes her into the land of Annwn, home of the fae. Soon she’s chatting with Death and being chased by the Cwn Annwn. (Actually the hounds of Annwn, not to be confused with Cwn Annwn, the Minneapolis Prog-Metal Band.)
It didn’t take much digging to come up with the history of the Heritage Streetcar line in Minneapolis, the ghost of which plays an important role in the story. This also shows Michael did a bit of hometown homework. He also makes the city very apparent in the story. Anyone from Minneapolis will feel quite at home as they follow Mae on her adventures. That is, until she crosses over to the realm of Annwn. Those who are up on their Welsh mythology will appreciate the appearance of King of the Fair Folk, Gwynn ap Nudd in the story.
The story sticks to the core conflict and steers clear of High Fantasy Politics. While the influences of the leaders of the paranormal races are made real through the plot and character actions, we are thankfully kept out of the High Council Chambers except for a few combat-laden moments which don’t count. I guess if faerie-political-intrigue was the option, I’d choose fleecy-pajama-lounging myself.
Michael’s dry and wry sense of humor shines in the writing in Last Car. His timing is spot-on, breaking the tension in just the right places with plenty of laugh-0ut-loud moments. The line “I’m about as magical as a dead gopher” made me laugh so hard I nearly drove right into the ditch. Hey, it’s hard to drive while reading e-books on your smartphone!
The Short Story
Michael Merriam’s Last Car to Annwn Station is an exciting paranormal fae lesbian romance coming of age story in Minneapolis. Plenty of modern-day action crossed with paranormal adventures, interesting characters, and some pleasant breaks for tea and croissants.
Conrad Zero — September 19th, 2011 – http://www.conradzero.com/fiction-book-review-last-car-to-annwn-station-by-michael-merriam/
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When I was growing up, I was convinced that the wall in my parents’ basement was actually a door, a door to another world—I even left notes for the people who lived there! I guess you could say I had an overactive imagination—but there’s something so intriguing to me about the idea that just beyond our reality is another world, a world we can see and touch if only we knew the way in. And that’s why I love Last Car to Annwn Station.
Michael Merriam introduced me to a new world through the eyes of Mae Malveaux. Mae has a stressful job and is on the verge of burnout when mere chance (or so it seems) whisks her into Annwn, a Welsh Fae underworld, a world just beyond our own. The author paints such a vivid picture of Annwn that it’s impossible not to believe it’s just beyond our reach. Couple the intrigue of Annwn with a great suspense plot and a lovely romance, and you’ve got a book that will keep your imagination going long after you’ve read the last page…
—Eleanor Elliott, Director, Digital Properties & Social Media, Carina Press. June 27th, 2011.
Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep
Crippled as a teenager, Grace survives in her post-apocalyptic world as best she can, but time is beginning to weaken her defenses against those who see her as a burden. While she sleeps, she hears the mysterious loons whose magic governs human’s new way of life. Nobody else can, and the annual meeting to sacrifice one of their own to them is upon them…
One of my resolutions this year is to be pickier about which books I read, and by read, I mean actually finish and review. I started two before settling on this short novella, one that was DNF and one that left too little to talk about to waste time on a review. My hopes are that it’ll give me a lot more to be excited about this year than I was last.
This short futuristic fantasy from Carina is a solid entry into those ranks. It’s the story of Grace Kriske, a young woman in her twenties who has been stuck in a wheelchair since she was a rebellious thirteen. She’s still rebellious, hating to be waited on, but she is slowly losing her strength to beat against those odds. Sometimes, she dreams that she can hear the mysterious loons that reputedly populate a nearby lake. These same loons are the focus of an annual ritual whereby locals and traders meet up at the lakeside, conduct a lottery amongst the citizens, and send the chosen one to the loons. Supposedly, it’s to give something back to the community, but those who are chosen don’t seem to benefit from it. At the meet-up, Grace gets to see her once a year lover David, but it’s there, too, she discovers something that will change her life forever.
Because of the story’s brevity, to give away too much of the details would spoil what happens. That’s a shame, because it’s those plot twists, even in such a short space, that add to its compelling nature. What I can say is that the authorial voice is by far the strongest aspect of it. The tone is ethereal and melancholy, very much matching Grace’s mood and emotions, with haunting details that seep from every page. It sucked me in, even when I had lingering questions about what was going on and what the loons part in it all was. It definitely makes me want to seek out more of this author’s work, since a unique voice is often so hard to find.
What I wish worked better was the exposition side of the story. Some details are skimmed over or simply not given at all, and the resolution, while a natural progression from the plot, occurs too abruptly and with little emotional arc. I imagine a good number of these weaker aspects are due to the story’s short length. I don’t think it should’ve been a novel by any means, but perhaps just a thousand or two more words might have answered enough of my questions to anchor me more securely within its world. It would have enriched some of the secondary characterizations as well, giving David a bit more depth for me to understand Grace’s complex feelings for him, or to help differentiate the various elders amongst the others.
Still, it made a welcome change to read something that takes more risks than typical genre fiction. I’ve also found a new author to check out, which is always a bonus.
Book Utopia — 4 January 2012
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Short stories are both a joy as well as a difficulty to read. If done properly they can tell stories & leave the reader as full as if they were to have read hundreds of pages. If improperly done the reader leaves unsatisfied & empty, wishing for something more substantial. Michael Merriam is one author who knows how to properly pen a short story.
Set in an unknown time & location, this story focuses on a post-apocalyptic world that has been torn apart by war. People must do what they can to get by, which includes trading as well as having a yearly sacrifice to the loons. Each year the loons cry & only Grace Kriske seems to hear them. She regularly dreams of them, hearing their calls & seeing their plumage. Grace knows that she will never be chosen to be the sacrifice as a past injury has left her crippled for life. But as she grows increasingly more unsatisfied by her life in the village & what is never to be hers, will Grace be able to answer the loons’ call or will she spend the rest of her life in her wheelchair?
While this is a short story (being just over 40 pages), the length truly does suit this apocalyptic fantasy. It’s the absolute perfect length, which is something to commend Merriam about. (Although if he chose to, he could pen future full length stories set in this world.) Grace is a character that readers will be able to sympathize with & as the conclusion of the story looms ever closer they’ll find themselves becoming impatient to see what fate will bring her & how everything will end up. There’s also a little bit of romance to this story, although the main force of the story lies with the loons & Grace’s desire to do more than what she currently is.
This is a great story & well worth the time to read, although at times readers will wish for just a teensiest bit more information about some of what is going on in the story. I heartily recommend this to anyone looking for a great short story to read inbetween their lengthier books.
Book Goggles – 30 October 2010
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I have said before that I am a sucker for post apocalyptic stories, which is why my interest was piqued by Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep.
This is a lovely story that looks at a post apocalyptic community through the eyes of a woman who is disabled. I loved the way Merriam intertwined folklore with various religious branches and how they interact with each other in a new world. The author deftly creates a fresh new story by focusing on local folklore and a protagonist who is an outsider in her own community (and an outsider who is at once separate but must rely on them for her own survival).
I really enjoyed how Merriam played with the themes of life, death, and rebirth.
While there are “romance” elements to this story, it is not what drives the story (if that makes sense). This story will probably be added to my faves in post apocalyptic fiction because Merriam manages to play with so many topics in one short story and does it successfully. This story does not have a predictable conclusion and is rather lovely when you sit and ponder it. I look forward to seeing what Merriam produces in the future.
Culinary Carnivale - 26 October 2010
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A clever commentary on the state of our world mixed with an enjoyable story. Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep touches upon environmental, political and religious topics without delving too deeply or offending too completely. It works to make the reader think while we are carried on the wings of the story…and the loons.
Although the post-apocalyptic (or post-horrible things) world is nothing new, the author has taken a fresh approach. The environment is dead or suffering, but the atmosphere of the story isn’t desperate or depressing as the people have begun to survive in this new world. In addition, the story takes an interesting angle when it looks at religion, faith, and miracles.
Our heroine is a good mix of weak and strong. She’s has moments of 5-year-old child, throwing tantrums when she feels her independence is being threatened, but it adds to the depth of her character, even if it possibly could grate on a reader’s nerves. Although her greatest struggle–keeping independence while being limited to a wheelchair–is not anything new, the parallels the author draws between her and the loons pushes this beyond a story of a handicapped individual and into a story of overcoming fears of our weaknesses.
While I won’t divulge the end, I found it appeasing to the buildup through out the story. We are given a happy ending that many post-apocalyptic stories do not give us, while it isn’t completely unrealistic.
Between the Covers – 11/12/10
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Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep is a moving novella full of deep, emotional imagery and transcendent beauty. It is easily one of the top five stories I have read all year.
Written by Michael Merriam and published by Carina Press this story follows a shattered woman, Grace Kriske, who becomes attuned through her dreams to the last surviving loons, descendants of the legendary First Pair, who await someone to help them heal earth after an apocalyptic incident.
Set on a Minnesota lake where northern lights ripple through the night like cold fire, and the gusting breeze off the water chills you to the bone, the true strength of this work lies in the carefully drawn human characterizations, and the magical fantasy that takes hold of these lives and transforms them using the tools of promise and redemption.
In the hands of a lesser writer such themes would become maudlin and downright embarrassing. But Merriam protects the fragile beauty of his story, and the human strength of his characters, and delivers an ending that resonates and speaks of the wonder all of us can find in the corners of our lives.
I have read other stories by Merriam. This is by far his best work. I cannot recommend this novella strongly enough.
Buy it and read it. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Inky Horizons: The Blog of K. Mark Hoover – 11/16/10
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Grace Kiske is a prisoner of her own body in the post-war community that is all that is left of the world she once knew. Her rebellious ways are all she has left in her control, all she has that is still all hers, and those ways make her an outsider. She is overly conscious of how much she depends on her family to help her and she refuses to run away with her love, David, because she doesn’t want to be a burden to him, as well. Her only freedom from the prison that is her body comes in her dreams, when the loons call to her and she swims with them.
This novella was just released a week ago, and I snapped it up on that day. Honestly, it was the cover art that initially grabbed me, being an tattooed diva with pink hair myself! The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic America, society taken down to the basics of living of a time long since past. On top of which, Grace is limited physically by her injuries. Life as she once knew it was gone and being dependent on those she loves goes against everything the once-rebellious Grace stands for. All of this could make for a very depressing story, but somehow the spirit of Grace shines through and there is hope among the despair. My only complaint was that it was far too short because I wanted more! I highly recommend this novella!
Kiki Deister — Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep (Kindle Edition) 11/22/10
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5 Stars!! I was really looking forward to this short story by Michael Merriam. For one it takes place in the state I live in, MN. And for two, loons have such a special place in my heart. And after reading the blurb for the story, I had to guess that Merriam has looked into the eyes of a loon and seen their remarkable intelligence. That said, I still seriously wondered how a futuristic story like this would turn out!
Grace Kriske is an unhappy woman in a war-torn society, and she is bound to a wheelchair. She feels dependent on those around her. Her boyfriend longs for her to leave with him, yet she is hesitant to do so. She dreams of the loons, and is soon called to make a frightening sacrifice.
Should We Drown In Feathered Sleep turned out beautifully! It was a touching story, even while Merriam did not hesitate to show mankind’s unkindness, or gloss over certain subject matters. Hard for me to say more without really giving away the story, since it was short. But I do recommend it!! And I hope to see more from this very talented and insightful author!
Another Reader’s Bog and Reviews – 1/13/11
Horror at Cold Springs
I just finished reading a novella by Michael Merriam called Horror at Cold Springs published by Sam’s Dot Publishing. It’s a steampunk western with all the trappings: magic, electrical guns that you have to crank for power, Zeppelins, awesome mechanical devices that actually have an impact on culture, elves, werewolves and a rapacious demon born from a woman’s desire for revenge.
In short, it’s a damn fine genre-bending story that rockets right along from the first page to the last. The only time I found it lagging was for about two pages when the protagonists were getting ready to kill the demon with dynamite. But then Merriam starts throwing curves and the grisly action continues apace…with dynamite and crunching bone and shape-shifting horror. Who could ask for more?
Seriously, it doesn’t get any better than this. I also liked how Merriam presented the story through disparate POVs. Difficult to pull off even in the best of circumstances, but somehow Merriam does it. My only quibble is that sometimes I got confused as to who was telling the story when, even after the page breaks. So I wondered if maybe character titles before each section wouldn’t have been beneficial? But that’s probably just me — I get confused easily. I also felt the demon was an ordinary demon. He has a good creation story behind him, but the way he acts and looks is fairly ordinary. I mean, for a demon. He’s akin to a rampaging monster from the movie Alien and I would have liked to see some character growth from the demon itself — that is, before he gets whacked. As it is, he goes through town crunching and ripping like any stock demon. I wanted more from him, I guess, especially since, like I said, he had such a cool creation and all the other characters in the story are three-dimensional portraits.
While I am not a fan of steampunk I admit I liked this story a lot. Mostly because the steampunk elements themselves aren’t the story, which is so often the case in this sub-genre. Here, Merriam creates an intricate, believable world filled with fantastic imagery carefully molded with the culture, and trappings, of the Old West. It’s a masterful job. The best part is he leaves the story sort of open at the end so maybe we will see more adventures from these characters (the ones who survive) later on. I sure hope so.
I definitely recommend Horror at Cold Springs. If you click on the cover below you will be taken to Sam’s Dot Publishing where you can order your copy. I think you will like this clever little story quite a lot. I sure did.
– Kenneth Mark Hoover — Jul. 5th, 2010 at Inky Horizons: Celestial Musings of a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer
All The Leaves Your Bed
“Michael Merriam presents in “All the Leaves Your Bed” a dying tree and Danielle, a girl on the verge of adolescence who is experiencing physical difficulties that she fiercely rejects. Her mother wishes to be protective, but Danielle wants to climb trees. She finds her way to the dying tree, who wishes to hand off its experience and wisdom to a being with enough capacity to embrace its vision. And here, climbing up through its branches, is Danielle…who is not strong enough to stay in the top of a tree.
Merriam deftly skirts the well of sentiment that could so easily have drowned this story, and takes it to surprising places. There is an image near the end that is simply breathtaking. It might have been best to end there; the actual ending is more of a setup that one finds in the first chapter of a book, because the questions raised are so fascinating they just about overwhelm the story. Meanwhile, there is no resolution to one of the key emotional relationships, and the other is abruptly bridged. Despite this caveat, it is a strong story, and Merriam has a sure touch for the voice of young protagonists.” — The Fix. Review of “All the Leaves Your Bed” in Shiny #4
And a Song in Her Hair
“Rounding out the issue is Michael Merriam’s enchanting myth “And a Song in Her Hair.” This darkly poetic story tells of a talented musician who is trained by a fairy. The morality tale takes the reader on a downward spiral, exploring the dangers of human greed. This kind of fiction demonstrates just how powerful ASIM can be, and would have worked better as an opener to the issue rather than being buried down the back.” — Horror Scope: The Australian Web Log For Dark Fiction Views, News, and Reviews. Review of: “And A Song In Her Hair” in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #26.
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“The spookiest story, in many ways, is “And a Song in Her Hair,” by Michael Merriam. I love dryads – always have – so that is one reason for its appeal. As many might know, most relationships of any stripe between mortals and faery creatures is doomed. This one is no different. Henry is a cellist, who learns to play from a dryad. With only two characters, you have time even in just 10 pages to get to know the characters well. In a riff on “power corrupts,” this story shows how fame and success can sour even the sweetest and most earnest of people. It is a poignant and rather chilling story.” — As if!:Austrailian Specfic in Focus. Review of “And a Sing in Her Hair” in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #26.
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“The issue concludes with “And a Song in Her Hair” by Michael Merriam. This story, a hybrid of Greek tragedy and fairy tale, details the relationship of a music-loving dryad and one of her more troublesome apprentices. She teaches him cello during his adolescence, and he grows up to be the finest musician she has ever taught. He is not content, though, with his musical accomplishments; he wants much more. His greed leads both him and his mentor into great peril.
This tale is well-told, if rather dismal in parts, and the resolution is satisfying. The setting is limited and sketchy, but this is true of many fairy tales, and readers should have little trouble filling in the blanks. But despite the importance of music in this piece, the individual songs are described rather generically; more attention to auditory description might have made this story richer. That aside, the piece as a whole is strong enough that it’s easy to imagine it as part of a fictional mythology.” — Tangent Online Short Fiction. Review of “And a Song in Her Hair” in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #26. February 20, 2007.
Rainfall
“”Rainfall” by Michael Merriam is a breathtakingly beautiful story of a love that transcends time and space, a pure, self-sacrificing love. I was in tears by the end of it.
Robert, who lost both his legs in a car accident, first notices Zoë at a bus stop in the rain, where drops fall around but not on her. Curious, he strikes up a conversation. She is a fey, fleeing from her perfectly ordered destiny, trying—with varying degrees of success—to blend in with the mortals. Over time, their friendship turns to love. Both are willing to give up anything for the other, and they may have to. Two people of two different worlds can’t mix easily for long. Is love strong enough to hold them together?
“Rainfall” will make you smile, make you cry, maybe even make you laugh a little. Because in spite of its sadness and difficulty, we still live in a beautiful world. And love is still a beautiful thing.” — Tangent Short Fiction Review. Review of “Rainfall” in Deep Magic Issue #45. March 3rd 2006
