When the author of Alchemy contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in reading her collection of flash fiction and poetry, I had to admit I’ve never read any flash fiction before and to be honest I wasn’t really sure what it was! Well, I now know that flash fiction is very short stories, often only a few paragraphs long. However, it’s amazing how much story Jade Kennedy manages to convey through her writing. Even though the stories, and poems, were very short they were thought provoking and full of beautiful imagery.
A lot of the stories were linked to the power of nature and the sea and I particularly enjoyed this as I live by the sea so see it every day in all its different moods. I thought that the author captured so well the drama, power and mystery of the sea. I especially enjoyed the stories Poppies in the Snow, Red Wine & Frost and The Storm. One of the poems I thought was beautifully written and just captured a moment perfectly was Sanctuary, describing the subject’s feelings as he or she lies in the arms of the one they love. As flash fiction, and the poems in this book, is very short, words have to be carefully chosen to convey the meaning. Jade Kennedy’s writing was very atmospheric, filled with emotion and at times mystical.
If you’ve never read flash fiction before, I’d recommend you give this lovely collection a try. It’s a short read but one which is very enjoyable.
My thanks to the author for giving me a copy of her book in exchange for my review. Alchmey was published as an ebook on 12th July 2015. You can buy a copy of Alchemy here: Alchemy
Alchemy
‘Alchemy’ is a collection of flash fiction interspersed with poetry which explores a world of surrealism and magical realism. The name alchemy came from my desire to create stories about transformation and are other-worldly. The opening piece ‘A Collection’ tells of a woman who collects borrowed expressions; ‘Eden’ is about a woman who transforms into a lizard while struggling with isolation. The stories themselves range from dark to light.
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