Review of five stories found in short story collection "Rambling" by Edd Voss
Summary:
Thirteen short stories including tales of early American history, of American soldiers and the effects of war, along with stories of nature and the wild ... all memorable stories stemming from the experiences and imagination of a man who lives in the great northwest and travels the USA in an eighteen wheeler.
Edd Voss is a family man who loves horses and photography. A man who writes from the heart.
Table of Contents:
WELCOME HOME
THEIR FIRST HUNT
CHRISTMAS ON THE MESA
JO ANNA
AIRBORNE: ONE MAN’S JOURNEY
APACHE TEARS
THE GHOST OF HI JOLLY
BLIND?
SHADE
STORM
DREAMING OF A WARM PLACE
TYLER’S COURAGE
GOING HOME
Review:
This review covers five of Edd Voss’s works, including three shorter pieces and two slightly longer stories. Several of these works are period pieces, including “Dreaming of a Warm Place” and “Storm,” or are based in part on historical fact, as in “The Ghost of Hi Jolly.” In each case, the author capitalizes well on the enduring reputation of the American West as mysterious and untamed. Although Voss presents a varied body of work, the classic theme of “man versus nature” is something that endures in each piece.
Voss’s three shorter works, “Blind?,” “Ghost of Hi Jolly” and “Dreaming of a Warm Place” run the gamut from alien abduction to wild west heroism. Tying them all together are their American West settings, a region the author clearly knows and loves well. Anyone who has spent time in the deserts of the Southwest or the mountains and prairies of Colorado and Wyoming will connect instantly with the beautiful backdrops of Voss’s stories.
While the premises and settings of these three stories are intriguing, their actual execution leaves something to be desired. The author’s writing style isn’t bad, though it is a bit clumsy at times. The biggest issue lies in how poorly edited the stories are. Grammatical errors and punctuation issues plague Voss’s writing, and the occasional incoherent sentence leaves the reader feeling like they are reading a rough draft rather than a finished story. If the editing of these stories was done with the same care as Voss’s historical research, they would have fared much better in this reviewer’s estimation. Careless editing drops these stories collectively to 2.5/5 stars.
In his longer pieces, “Storm” and “Tyler’s Courage,” Edd Voss takes us once again to the American West. In both stories, Voss focuses on the struggle of humans to survive in the harsh but beautiful American West. His kind hearted heros are both likable and believable, leaving the reader rooting for them as they face a number of trials.
Unlike the author’s short stories, both “Storm” and “Tyler’s Courage” are polished, well written and well edited, making these stories much easier and more enjoyable to read. Entertaining plot and well crafted characters earn these stories a collective 3/5 stars.
Reviewed by Aubrey Bennet
Buy this collection on Amazon US.
Thirteen short stories including tales of early American history, of American soldiers and the effects of war, along with stories of nature and the wild ... all memorable stories stemming from the experiences and imagination of a man who lives in the great northwest and travels the USA in an eighteen wheeler.
Edd Voss is a family man who loves horses and photography. A man who writes from the heart.
Table of Contents:
WELCOME HOME
THEIR FIRST HUNT
CHRISTMAS ON THE MESA
JO ANNA
AIRBORNE: ONE MAN’S JOURNEY
APACHE TEARS
THE GHOST OF HI JOLLY
BLIND?
SHADE
STORM
DREAMING OF A WARM PLACE
TYLER’S COURAGE
GOING HOME
Review:
This review covers five of Edd Voss’s works, including three shorter pieces and two slightly longer stories. Several of these works are period pieces, including “Dreaming of a Warm Place” and “Storm,” or are based in part on historical fact, as in “The Ghost of Hi Jolly.” In each case, the author capitalizes well on the enduring reputation of the American West as mysterious and untamed. Although Voss presents a varied body of work, the classic theme of “man versus nature” is something that endures in each piece.
Voss’s three shorter works, “Blind?,” “Ghost of Hi Jolly” and “Dreaming of a Warm Place” run the gamut from alien abduction to wild west heroism. Tying them all together are their American West settings, a region the author clearly knows and loves well. Anyone who has spent time in the deserts of the Southwest or the mountains and prairies of Colorado and Wyoming will connect instantly with the beautiful backdrops of Voss’s stories.
While the premises and settings of these three stories are intriguing, their actual execution leaves something to be desired. The author’s writing style isn’t bad, though it is a bit clumsy at times. The biggest issue lies in how poorly edited the stories are. Grammatical errors and punctuation issues plague Voss’s writing, and the occasional incoherent sentence leaves the reader feeling like they are reading a rough draft rather than a finished story. If the editing of these stories was done with the same care as Voss’s historical research, they would have fared much better in this reviewer’s estimation. Careless editing drops these stories collectively to 2.5/5 stars.
In his longer pieces, “Storm” and “Tyler’s Courage,” Edd Voss takes us once again to the American West. In both stories, Voss focuses on the struggle of humans to survive in the harsh but beautiful American West. His kind hearted heros are both likable and believable, leaving the reader rooting for them as they face a number of trials.
Unlike the author’s short stories, both “Storm” and “Tyler’s Courage” are polished, well written and well edited, making these stories much easier and more enjoyable to read. Entertaining plot and well crafted characters earn these stories a collective 3/5 stars.
Reviewed by Aubrey Bennet
Buy this collection on Amazon US.
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