Shadow Queen
by Deborah Kalin (Arena, 2009)
Kalin’s fantasy debut carries an inherent realism and explores questions of self-worth and female circumscription within a genre that often casts such considerations to the wayside. There are no easy answers here, no glorified notions of integrity. Matilde’s strength lies in surviving.
Cherry Crow Children
by Deborah Kalin (Twelfth Planet Press, 2015)
Shadows of fairy tale horror lurk beneath this cohesively themed collection of fantasy stories, Deborah Kalin demonstrating her characteristic narrative poise in immersing readers within her Grimm but exquisitely built worlds, then leaving them and protagonists both prey to a dark undertow.