Review: The Gentle Brush of Wings

The Gentle Brush of Wings: A Free Short Story from Defining Moments (Unabridged) Author:  David Wilson Genre:  Fantasy Publisher:  Crossroad Press Release Date: November 21, 2011 Audio book: 41 minutes Narrator:   Basil Sands Source:  Free with membership to Audible.com Buy the Book:  Amazon

Book Description

Defining Moments is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated collection by author David Niall Wilson. The story "The Gentle Brush of Wings", first published in this collection, won the Bram Stoker Award for short fiction. The collection (first published by Welsh publisher Sarob Press) includes a lot of stories written over a lot of years. It was originally issued in only limited and lettered states, and has long been sold out. Print editions sell for in excess of $50.

Contents of the collection:
Preface by David Niall Wilson
"Defining Moments"
"The Lost Wisdom of Instinct"
"For These Things I Am Truly Thankful"
"Cockroach Suckers"*
"More Than Words"
"The Call of Farther Shores"
"Bloody Knife and Morning Star"
"The Gentle Brush of Wings"*
"The Death-Sweet Scent of Lilies"
"Dream of Scheherazade"
"A Taste of Blood and Roses"
"The Milk of Paradise"
"'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky"*

All previously published stories have been newly revised by the author for this collection.  *Previously unpublished

Review

Have you ever watched an old Black and White episode of The Twilight Zone?  The stories were interesting, very memorable, and extremely predicable.  You knew who was going to be wished into the corn field and that no one else saw or would see the gremlin on the wing of the airplane.  But the story was captivating and held you from beginning, middle and end.  

This short story from the "Defining Moments" collection is definitely in the same category as old episode of The Twilight Zone.  

When Jeffery, a professor buys a rare moth from a collector on the cheap, he gets lost in taking notes and observing his new specimen until he falls asleep.  I am not going to tell you what happens next but you can figure out that some how this will not end well for Jeffery.  I liked the overall story and the quick pace it took with a few detours about an ex-girlfriend that really has nothing to do with the story.  

The one thing I didn't like about this audiobook and I would love to change, would have to be the narrator.  I think his over the top, exaggerated reading of the story made it feel like a vintage radio show from the 1940's.  The story could have carried the feeling and emotions alone with out the heavy, hurried and exclamation point on every sentence the narrator gave it.  I don't think it was written that way.

   

Recommendations

I recommend this book to teenagers and older due some sexuality.  

Challenges

This book is number 5 in my Audio Book Challenge
This book is number 7 in my 2012 Goodreads Challenge


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