Title:
Face in the Mirror and Other StoriesAuthor: Nickie Fleming
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Publisher URL:
http://www.roguephoenixpress.com/ISBN: 978-0-9824833-7-4
Genre: Paranormal; Anthology
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Rose Nymph
Face in the Mirror – 4.5 Nymphs
Rickie has been living rough on the streets of London since running away from an abusive stepfather and a mother blinded by love. She thought she’d seen everything until Rickie hides out in a nearby abandoned house. A house that isn’t all that it seems. She hadn’t heard the rumors; she didn’t know the mysterious history of the abode but something draws her in and is trying very hard to keep her there. Well written and captivating, this is a strong opening story to the anthology. I love the English setting that is present in most of these stories. Rickie’s character is believable and the dialog flows nicely. The mystical element of the house was my favorite aspect and likable supporting characters make it an enjoyable read.
Rivers of Mist – 3 Nymphs
Marion Lacey is sick of the rat race and longs to escape. She thought she had found the perfect spot to relax - Hermit’s Close. The house seemed like the answer to her prayers but the townsfolk make her feel like there’s something wrong with the place. Her new neighbors seem nice enough; however, they are vague about the strange rumors. Also, why does nobody else notice the increasingly thick mist encroaching on her fantasy dwelling? There is a lot of promise to this story, the author built up the suspense very well and I empathized with Marion for wanting a change of pace. Unfortunately, the ending was too abrupt, with no real explanation as to what caused the mist or why it even existed. This was a great shame as I was left unsatisfied by the ending when the beginning really was skillfully done.
The White Horses of Porto Corvo – 4 Nymphs
Trapped in an abusive marriage, Lynda feared she’d never experience happiness again. She thought back to when times were happier when she truly felt free. Back then, when she went exploring, she never imagined she would find such a beautiful valley. She can’t help but think it’s time to go back. This is a very atmospheric story. The sense of hope for the future in the latter part is well balanced with the sensitive issues at the beginning. Lynda is a well written, complex character who drew a mixture of emotion out of me and it was a joy to witness her journey.
The Italian Garden – 3 Nymphs
Mark had always dreamed of exploring Italy but when he finally gets the chance, he is more than a little disappointed with the company on the tour. It doesn’t take long for him to split from the group and find his own adventure. Little does he know what’s in store for him when he stumbles upon a statue of a beautiful woman in a picturesque garden. He has been warned of the curse but can’t seem to tear himself away, despite the increasingly angry looking male statue across the way. I wanted to like this story but throughout, I could not escape the puzzling feeling of a man lusting over a statue. The writing didn’t build the mystical sense of the statues or why Mark would be so susceptible to the female statue’s charms. The plot itself wasn’t a problem but the way in which the story was told was confusing and consequently, I couldn’t really feel much at all for Mark.
The Witch of Hawestone Moor – 4 Nymphs
Marie felt stuck in a job with seemingly little prospect and has a serious problem with self-confidence. She doesn’t know how to break out of her current rut. Marie meets a struggling elderly lady and does the only thing her conscience will allow and offers the lady a ride. However, Marie soon finds out that there’s something very strange about this mysterious woman; she just can’t put her finger on what it is. Meeting this woman is either going to be the biggest mistake of her life or just the thing to get her back on track. I like what the author did with this story; creating a character that I could sympathize with and building up intrigue as to how Marie is going to find happiness. I was left guessing as to whether things were going to turn out well for Marie until the very end.
Falling Leaves – 3 Nymphs
Colin is devastated when his wife Cheryl leaves him. They had worked so hard to fix up the house and garden so that they had their ideal home. Sure, they didn’t have the perfect marriage; Colin’s so busy with work and Cheryl seemed to spend a lot of time in her beloved garden but for her to just wash her hands of it all makes no sense. Colin tries his best to keep up the maintenance but it proves too much work. The leaves just seem to keep on falling and Colin feels more and more trapped each day. This story had a very interesting plot but I couldn’t help but feel that I was made to work for it. The reason behind the strange behavior of the leaves is never really explained. The characters aren’t particularly likeable, which diffused a lot of my interest in the plot and a somewhat gruesome ending left me puzzled.
Candle in the Night – 4.5 Nymphs
Anna’s life, while growing up, wasn’t great but once her mum met Paul, things started to improve. Anna is sent to stay with her new aunt and while there, formed a lasting bond with her. Her aunt seemed to understand all her fears about life and through the years Anna was able to grow into a mature, independent woman, all thanks to the kindness shown to her. Now an adult, Anna learns of a strange myth that makes her see her past growing up with her aunt in a whole new light. This was the most charming story for me with very likable characters that I cared about from the start. It was nice to see Anna’s journey into adulthood and her relationship with her aunt progress. The plot was well-paced and the ending very satisfying.
The Black Coach – 3 Nymphs
Long ago, the town of Hickering was terrorized by a horse drawn coach that would race through the streets. No one knew the driver of the coach but legend has it the devil himself was at the helm. Fast forward to the present and Cindy Phelps is about to find out firsthand the fear that haunted people in the past is still very much alive. She’s also going to find out that if a guy seems too good to be true, he probably is. This story was too disjointed for me. The historical introduction set the scene nicely enough but the link from past to present didn’t really work for me. The characters didn’t really have time to develop as there was a lot of plot to deal with and the ending was harsh, although the author realizes readers may feel this way so tried to set things right in the sequel.
The Black Coach 2 – 3.5 Nymphs
Cindy is fighting for her life as the legend of the black coach returns to Hickering with a vengeance. She realizes that things can’t go on like this any longer – too many people are losing their lives but Cindy never was one for believing in myths and magic; oh no, Cindy knows exactly what needs to be done to put an end to things. Whether she can actually bring herself to carry out her plan is another thing altogether. It was nice to see an attempt at concluding this story and the author was partially successful in giving us the happy ending that eluded us in the previous installment. There was still the sense of too much plot crammed in to a short space of time though and not enough character development for my liking.
Face in the Mirror and Other Stories has a nice variety of paranormal stories; some with a hint of romance, others more gruesome. The mixture of stories displayed the author’s talent for setting a scene, creating likable characters and leaving me pretty spooked by the eerie goings on. If you are a fan of the strange and peculiar, I would definitely recommend this anthology.
