Official Review: Cross-Section: a collection of short sto...

RILENTLISS · Post by **RILENTLISS** » 22 Mar 2014, 00:59

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cross-Section: a collection of short stories" by Conor Engelbrecht.]

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Summary:

Four hours

Conor Engelbrecht begins his collection with a story about a power crisis on a human lunar colony. A team of power plant engineers and mechanics split up to revive power, while becoming thwarted by a secret organization known as the OW (Over World), government. The men persist despite threats on their lives, in an attempt to rescue billions of people whose lives depend on the power plant’s artificially supplied oxygen. With rich dialogue, and realistic interactions, this story makes you feel like a man, and a hero, albeit briefly.

Maurice

One boy unknowingly stands as the single force that can defeat the Dark Man, an unknown and presumably sinister figure. The boy finds his courage against a father possessed by power, and seeks refuge in the house of a mysterious old man. The man turns to save him, as he knows the boy's true purpose and importance. The story reads as an old relic, and combines pieces of ancient myth with ancient, as well as modern, history.

A Prelude

A man leads a life filled with gunfire and prudent conversation, in an attempt to survive and keep from getting caught by a deadly organization, called the Over World. Within this story lies a beautifully imbedded thread that reveals the protagonist to be part of a bigger picture. A couple of quick twists make for an interesting read.

Compacted

This story details the singular event of a young girl who wreaks havoc on her school. It begins with much mystery, and a clear obsession of the girl’s own reflection that peers observantly through her golden compact. Little is known about the girl, but the roots of her mystery soon reveal themselves to be of dark origin. Compacted is a nice tale that leaves the reader curious, if not anxious, for more.

Desecration Gardens

Beginning with a quest for justice, the story plays on a man's susceptibility to crime when he aids police to track down a serial killer who has claimed many lives. As the story progresses, the private investigator begins to be haunted by grotesque figures in his dreams while he sleeps, and at the possible expense of his life, a chance to face them down. Can the investigator face his demons, and still be strong enough to walk away uncorrupted?

Death of a Day

Being the shortest of his stories, the poetic prose of each line reads from an air of contemplative content and gratitude, to melancholy and disdainful distaste. The story centers, briefly, on a man who is experiencing a place seemingly for the first time, capturing all of its aesthetic and sensory-rich quality, to then watch it slip away in observation of a shocking and horrifying sight.

The Duel

Starting in a Romanesque setting, The Duel begins with a man listening to the words of wisdom coming from the mouth of an aged man who has seen many battles. The fight is between two rivals, one of which possesses supernatural insights into his combatants mind. As the fight ensues, only one can walk away victorious, however, the result may be of little consolation in this stifled drama too short for satisfaction, but nonetheless enticing.

The Rogue Bus

The night is late, and everyone knows a strange sight when they see one in this tale about an unmarked bus, multiple strangers, and their interwoven destinies. A young man falls in love with a girl, a father seeks penance for a crime unsolved, and a mentally deranged homeless man puts his hard-earned streetwise to use. Both gripping and tantalizing, this short will keep you plugged in for the whole ride!

Review:

As a short story writer Engelbrecht truly grasps the concept of storytelling, reflecting savory mastery in each work. I loved the plots in each story, simple and set in motion, and yet developed and well defined; it was as if after a few minutes you had been along through all of the previous developments of the story. What I liked best, however, was how some of the shorts, being separate, included links to each other, providing fill-in information that was previously unavailable.

I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars! The stories were obviously well thought out, included wonderfully original plots, and fascinating characters. While I might have expected to see a pattern of similar tones throughout the stories, each one had delightfully different flavors, and I was refreshingly proven wrong. Lastly I will note that perhaps a mature audience is required, as rather profane language, gory descriptions, and overall dark elements pervade the majority of shorts in this collection.

***
Buy "Cross-Section: a collection of short stories" on Amazon

ConorEngelb · Post by **ConorEngelb** » 30 Mar 2014, 13:19

Thank you for the wonderful review, and for taking the time to review each story so thoroughly! Much appreciated!

RILENTLISS · Post by **RILENTLISS** » 30 Mar 2014, 14:40

You got it man no problem. So when do you publish?

ConorEngelb · Post by **ConorEngelb** » 30 Mar 2014, 14:44

It's up as an ebook on Amazon right now, and I'm working on getting it available as a print on demand title as well. (also got a free promotion coming up in the next few days)

RILENTLISS · Post by **RILENTLISS** » 30 Mar 2014, 14:53

Well good luck man the material's good stuff, all you got to worry about is if you're going to have the next one done in time. Thanks for the free copy.

ConorEngelb · Post by **ConorEngelb** » 30 Mar 2014, 14:55

Thanks, dude. And true that!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Tell your friends

RILENTLISS · Post by **RILENTLISS** » 30 Mar 2014, 15:07

Will do!

ConorEngelb · Post by **ConorEngelb** » 30 Mar 2014, 15:08

Awesome, thanks a bunch! Be well!

RILENTLISS · Post by **RILENTLISS** » 31 Mar 2014, 18:40

Hey man I have a question for you? Have you taken classes to write your shorts?

ConorEngelb · Post by **ConorEngelb** » 31 Mar 2014, 23:43

Hey, nope, I have not taken any writing classes. I mean, I've had to do writing throughout school and now in university, but I've never studied writing.

RILENTLISS · Post by **RILENTLISS** » 01 Apr 2014, 00:42

That's insane man. How did you cultivate a writing style? I mean, not to be shining you on or anything, but you sound aged in your craft.

ConorEngelb · Post by **ConorEngelb** » 01 Apr 2014, 02:14

I dunno, I guess it just sort of happened over time. It was definitely springboarded by Stephen King's style, but over time I've moved away from being a direct clone (I hope)