Limericks Haiku and other short poems by Vanessa Ngam
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had a real problem reviewing this collection from Vanessa Ngam. While I tried hard not to be unkind and to find something inspirational, amusing or even meaningful it was not easy. There was page after page of very simplistic statements of only three or four lines and one which took up about five or six pages. However, this “poem”, about wining and dining according to the title, consisted of seemingly endless lines of square symbols with the occasional punctuation mark: commas, speech marks etc. It was followed by a few rather puerile lines of English words (a limerick?) that either needed editing or were so “profound” that their depth was completely lost on this reader. Admittedly most limericks are rather puerile and only consist of five lines but most cause a wry smile at the least – but not here, unfortunately. Several haiku verses looked unfinished, not conforming to the convention of three lines of 5; 7; 5 syllables/metres. Two poems that had some appeal were “Two Wrongs Never Make a Right” and “The Sword” but the majority did nothing for me. Taking into account the subjectivity of poetry I was still left with my opinion: this book requires re-publishing after some serious re-thinking and editing. At what point does the profundity and enigma of art begin to resemble the “king’s new suit of clothes”?

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Azaroth & Sefalin by Leonard Mokos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Azaroth & Sefalin is a very well written fantasy tale with two heroes, of those same names, who become reluctant buddies. When they are charged with finding and holding onto the Coda Uma, a book of evil powers, their dangerous adventures begin. We have Sefalin, a psychic prince, who is a talented swordsman and his companion, Azaroth the wizard, who seems to be disgruntled throughout most of the book. The pair have to take on numerous enemies and monstrous evils in many battles while a blossoming friendship between the two develops.

Unfortunately, I felt that the (very) many battles, humorous remarks and situations that are written about became almost clichéd for me when I was about half-way through the book. I kept thinking “another day/page/place another battle”. When I thought about this it was because so much of the story reminded me of Tolkein’s “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”. There is even a demon/dragon which has to be tamed in order to serve the pair of heroes. The author describes Skurbash as a demon but for me he sounded just like your “usual” dragon. Normally a dragon present in a tale carries its own fantastical twists and turns but I found Skurbash a little disappointing for his lack of surprises and lack of use of evil powers. While the main characters are well drawn the plot held little intrigue and interest, being too obvious in so many places and for me the well-described battle scenes did not provide enough compensation for me to enjoy the book as whole reading experience.


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WAYWARD: Poetry for Monsters, Muses & Other Deviants by Melody Klink
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This “wayward” collection of poems from Melody Klink contains many words of regret and sadness, and joy and celebration, while leaving the reader intensely thoughtful about life, lives and the meaning of it all. For me there seemed to be too few poems about the awe and wonder to be found in nature, though Flutterby and Lightning gave a hint of hope. The majority of the poems that spoke to me I felt were fundamentally about the happiness and fears that parenthood can bring. One or two of Klink’s poems were so full of pathos that one has to stop reading and consider a few moments of sympathy for anyone who has undergone similar experiences or circumstances. It may be that I am of a generation who consider the English language to be so full of wonderful words that there is no need to use expletives in the narrative of stories or poetry – unless it is in a character’s quoted speech. The occasional use here brought me up short in my pleasure reading this collection. However, the raw feelings and thoughts of the writer gave me cause to ponder and reluctantly accept this as a kind of cry in a darkness that once surrounded them.

My particular favourites were: A Mother’s Anxiety, Grass Stains, Sorrow Last, Child’s Fascination, Her Body, Mother’s Lament, Behind Pursed Lips, Smile Through It and A.L.M.V. (should I know what these letters stand for?). Never having been a fan of Haiku I found the inclusion of many very short pieces a little irritating, but each to her/his own as “they” say. A recommended read.


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