And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe has the honor of being the first book I read completely digitally. That is a testament to its readability. I loved having it in my pocket to page through whenever I had downtime over the past month. This is a fantastic collection of short stories. Each one has its charms. The Man in the Ambry was a particularly spooky standout that had me glancing a little longer at the closet by my bed, while The Five-Day Summer Camp and The Tower Princesses provided Twilight Zone-esque social commentary. Kiste’s prose is often beautiful as she mixes tragic romance, nature, and societal flaws into a delicious cocktail. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe is how well the tales fit together on a thematic level. While I pick up a copy of Kiste’s novel, The Rust Maidens, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this collection.
