Those We Left Behind, and Other Sacrifices

This was a delightful little gem. A collection of short stories and flash fiction, this was one of the best written and best balanced collections I have read in a long time.

My partner and I have developed a little tradition where each year we hand each other 5 books we have read that we think the other should read. This was one that my partner handed to me. I knew next to nothing of the author, but the cover looked really cool so I was intrigued.

What we have is a brilliant collection of creepy and sad little stories. Brandon Applegate has a masterful way of building atmosphere in a very short space of time. He plays with ambiguity, with tropes and expectations. He understands the real history of fairies (see Tea Party - probably my favourite in the collection, but there are no weak stories here). All the emotional levers are pulled in all the most sensitive ways.

This is dark, brutal but strangely sympathetic stuff. A name to watch for the future!