| Category: | Fiction - Anthology |
|---|---|
| Author: | Robert Scott Leyse |
| Publisher: | Shattercolors Press |
| Publication Date: | July 14, 2025 |
| Number of Pages: | 282 |
| ISBN-13: | 979-8998509308 |
| ASIN: | B0FHGHC68Y |
In Adoration and Affliction by Robert Scott Leyse, love
and obsession walk a thin line. Each story explores how desire can quickly turn
dark, from unwanted attention at a glamorous party to office flirtations gone
wrong. Sixteen-year-old Nicoletta refuses to be a victim when her parents’
friend crosses the line, choosing her own path to justice. In another tale,
Penelope’s body draws unwanted attention, leading to misunderstandings with
dire consequences. Tales explore the unsettling side of infatuation, offering
the possibility of romance, only to twist into something more disturbing. Men’s
unhealthy fixations and women’s clever responses drive the tension, revealing
the dangers of seeing women as objects. How can one not be dazzled by “Abrupt
Awakening,” where coming of age involves revenge for a young girl, or “The
Rooms I Will Not Enter,” which explores the effect of loss on a man?
Each of these tales stands out in its originality and
uniqueness, each exploring an existential theme, each driving you fast towards
a nerve-jerking twist you won’t see coming. I savored each of the stories, and
while I enjoyed the characterization in others, the narrative voice gripped me
in some, while the sheer cleverness of the plotting kept me invested in others.
Robert Scott Leyse is a gifted storyteller with the unique ability to captivate
you in a brief moment. Each story felt like downing a cookie — you relish it
and then the aftertaste makes you want more. Adoration and Affliction is
a gorgeous collection for fans of short stories, and the author’s economy of
words and sparse prose make the stories more character-driven, focused, and
uniquely enticing.
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