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Tide of Shadows and Other Stories

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From Aidan Moher—Hugo Award-winning editor of A Dribble of Ink—comes Tide of Shadows and Other Stories, a collection of five science fiction and fantasy stories spanning adventure, comic whimsy, and powerful drama—from a star-faring military science fiction tale of love and sacrifice, to a romp through the dragon-infested Kingdom of Copperkettle Vale.

“A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes” is the story of a young man reliving the last moments of his fellow soldiers’ lives; “The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down” tells the tale of a broken family and a girl with mechanical wings; “Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons” introduces a typical prince, princess, and dragon—and a not-so-typical love triangle; “The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended” follows a girl and her ghost dog as they search for a bright light in the darkness; and “Tide of Shadows” is about a soldier and his lover, a mother, and planetwide genocide.

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2015

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About the author

Aidan Moher

12 books212 followers
Aidan Moher is a Hugo award-winning writer and editor who has written about almost every niche facet of geek culture you can think of from Terry Brooks to Dungeons & Dragons. And whether he’s penning wildly read essays on Lunar: Silver Star Story, the undeniable lasting power of Chrono Trigger (the best RPG ever made), or the forgotten history of Magic: the Gathering, he manages to infuse deep, personal, endearing hooks into every story he tells. He’s written for outlets like Wired, Kotaku, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Uncanny Magazine, Fanbyte, Tor.com, and more.

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31 (43%)
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Nicole.
115 reviews372 followers
July 19, 2015
Some thoughts on the individual stories in the collection. Note: I received this book from the author in return for an honest review.

1. "A Night of Spirits and Snowflakes" - 2.5 stars
A small band of mercenaries is fleeing the aftermath of a battle where both sides were nearly annihilated. I liked the premise of this story, but wasn't thrilled with the execution. The story shifts between perspectives a lot for such a short piece, and I found it disorientating and hard to follow.

2. "A Girl with Wings of Iron and Down" - 4.5 stars
This story first appeared in the Sword & Laser Anthology, and I had read it there. I remembered enjoying it so I re-read it, and still really enjoyed it. A young girl wakes up in a lab to find a scientist has artificially attached metal wings to her. Cool concept, I got a good feel for the main character in a short time, and I liked the ending.

3. "Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons" - 4 stars
This story is a parody of the classic Prince rescues a Princess from a dragon story. I was not sold on this one in the beginning, but I did enjoy the twist and felt the second part of the story was quite strong.

4. "The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended" - 3 stars
A piece of flash fiction (reading on my kindle, but most likely less than 5 pages, might even be less than 3 pages.) It was okay. Not the best piece of flash fiction I've ever read. Might actually work better if the setting was expanded into a longer story.

5. "Tide of Shadows - 4 stars
On a newly colonized planet, humans unexpectedly encounter a new type of alien threat. After many years in exile, one of the children who fled the destruction of the colony has been training to retake the planet.
Profile Image for Rob Boffard.
Author 10 books103 followers
June 10, 2015
This book is a little bit like an indie game. It doesn’t last long, but you can’t stop thinking about the damn thing. It’s the sort of book which would never, ever be put out by a big publisher, and yet you’re extremely glad that it exists.

Tide Of Shadows and Other Stories is a book of five short stories by Aidan Moher, a Hugo-Award-Winning website editor. This alone is eyebrow raising; I stand to be corrected on this, but it seems pretty unusual for someone to win the science-fiction equivalent of an Oscar before they release a substantial work. But Moher’s blog, A Dribble Of Ink, is excellent, and with this book, he’s planted himself firmly in the middle of a conversation as a writer to watch.

Each of the stories is like a little clock: beautifully crafted, intricate, distinctively handmade, with a dozen tiny complications in its inner workings. The range is unreal: space stations, angel wings, fairytale dragons, ancient shadow monsters…all unconnected, and yet it feels like it’s all part of a bigger whole. It’s exquisite.

Not to say it’s perfect. The first story, A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes, doesn’t really hold the attention, and the notes that follow each story feel self-indulgent and unnecessary — like explaining how the clock works when all the reader wants to do is watch the damn thing move. But this books sticks with you. I finished it in an hour flat, and I’m still thinking about it.
1,152 reviews6 followers
August 10, 2017
I believe that Aidan Moher is someone we need to look out for. These stories are strong and imaginative and original. I cannot wait to see what else he writes.
Profile Image for Lianne.
Author 6 books107 followers
February 4, 2016
I received a review copy of this book for review from the author. You can read my full review of the book at my blog, eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/201...

Tide of Shadows and Other Stories is quite an eclectic collection of stories featured, each with a different tone and atmosphere to them. Each also had its own narrative voice that fit with the story it was telling. The stories themselves can be whimsical and a play on familiar fantasy tropes, like in “Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons”, or introspective like in “A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes.” I think my favourite story from this collection was “The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down”; I was just so invested in the character and intrigued as to what happened to her and how she got to where she was.

What’s also really cool about this collection is that the author included notes at the end of each story talking a bit about what inspired him to write that particular story and the process that went into it.

Tide of Shadows and Other Stories is a great debut publication from Aidan Moher. The short stories offers not only a range of his storytelling but the types of stories that has been churning in his mind. Readers of speculative fiction who are looking for new authors to read should check out his collection (and his website)!
Profile Image for Anya.
763 reviews181 followers
December 13, 2015
This is a collection of four short stories from the author. The first is that kind of fantasy where it is really just alternative historical without any magic or anything, and that's not really my genre of choice. The second is an interesting fantasy about a girl with wings that definitely raises more questions than it answers. The third is a parody fairytale about a prince rescuing a princess from a dragon, but with a twist that seemed a bit odd to me (and not because I'm against love triangles going that direction, ha). Finally, Tide of Shadows is the fourth story and from which this collection takes its name. I was excited to get to it since it seemed like the main attraction, and it was interesting, but didn't really tell a satisfying story. All of these short stories were artistic in a way that didn't really appeal to me, but I'm sure will appeal to other readers.
10 reviews2 followers
December 17, 2015
A beautiful variety of fun, thought-provoking and enthralling shorts. (For the record, I copyedited it, and even accounting for the bias therein, I found it to be delightful and satisfying.)
Profile Image for Sean Smith.
67 reviews1 follower
July 13, 2015


The first thing that impressed me about this book was the cover. Hauntingly beautiful, with an impression of scale and loneliness, an impression which is realised and amplified throughout each of the five stories which make up this wonderful little volume.
Each of the five stories is told from one or more unique perspectives, and the characters Moher draws are achingly real. Although each story is short and so the time we get to spend with the characters is all too brief, each leaves a real sense of completion, which can be a problem in some works so short.
'A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes' is a story of war, or rather of the after effects of war, of burying the dead and of saying goodbye. The main character buries each of his mates in turn, and we re-live their deaths through their own eyes. This is a very clever story telling technique in that each of the soldiers gets their own voice and their own motives.
'The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down' is loneliness personified, the eponymous girl wakes periodically to be called by a name which isn't her own, and subjected to pain and anguish. Feelings of a loss of self and identity are explored among other themes, and the result is strangely compelling, demanding repeated re-readings.
'Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons' is a quirky little tale, subverting the big bad dragon and damsel in distress tropes. Here Moher creates an unlikeable 'hero' and a equally unlikable damsel, but while this may be becoming standard in some fantasy circles, what marks this separate is the comic value. Deliberate use of language tools such as alliteration and repitition are employed to create a real fairytale scene with a difference.
'The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended' a beatifully written tale about a young girl and her (imaginary) dog on the hunt for a hidden fruit in a post-apocolyptic world. At less than 700 words, it packs a lot in.
'Tide of Shadows' brings the collection full circle, following another soldier, this time on the eve of battle. In the first story we meet a soldier dealing with the effects of war, in this we join a soldier about to enter the fray. Moher cleverly bookends his collection with similarly toned pieces, told from very different angles. What I found interesting was the positioning of the two, with the piece after the battle at the beginning of the collection and the story leading into war at the end, suggesting a never ending cycle of self-destruction and hopelessness. We see the terrible effects of fighting, yet even after this, another war is inevitable.
A very powerful work, with very much to recommend it.

(The author provided me with a free copy in exchange for this honest review)
Available on amazon
Profile Image for Dakeyras.
239 reviews3 followers
November 4, 2015
Disclaimers to get out of the way:
1. I tend to dislike short stories although as I age, I've begun to appreciate the medium. Still, I'm biased against them.
2. Aidan sent me a free copy of the stories via a give-away on Twitter.

Review:
Story 1 - A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes
At the start I was worried. The words are very lyrical and beautifully written....and that's not my style so I was beginning to suspect I wouldn't like this story. However, the further I got into the story, the more & more I liked it. Lots of stories struggle when they go back & forth between 2 times. This story successfully handled that and while the story overall is a little morbid, everyone gets their story told and they all have their moments. Lastly, while the title is very appropriate, this is a story that seems like it should have the word Lament or Dirge in it.

Story 2 - The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down
A tale that's been done many times before. A loved one dies/goes missing/is grievously wounded and a person goes over the edge trying to rebuild or replace them. Typically the results are not what the builder expected and that holds true here. Well written but isn't really distinguishable from other stories like it.

Story 3 - Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsals & Dragons
A fun tale that plays on familiar theme of the mighty Knight/Lord slaying the dragon to win the damsal's hand. This is a quick story and despite being filled with unpleasant characters, still manages to be whimsical and enjoyable.

Story 4 - The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended
Comes in at 2 pages in length on the PDF file I received. This, in my opinion, was the weakest of the stories as despite the author claiming "I wanted to see how much character and world-building I could fit into one piece of flash fiction.", the answer is very little. It takes me a lot longer to become attached to characters than this.

Story 5 - Tide of Shadows
Military sci-fi tale about the lead up to a battle with an implacable foe. For me, I like battles and want to see more of that so the story ends before they get to what I want to read. However, for what it's worth, Tide of Shadows does a good job building up how tough the enemy is and the fear that can affect anyone.

Overall, it's nice to see a solid collection of short stories covering numerous genre's. I think the stories could definitely benefit from being extended into at least a novella form....so long as the author can keep the quality consistent.
Profile Image for Keith Pishnery.
74 reviews4 followers
November 3, 2015
Considering how short this book is I'm going to offer a few words about each story.

"A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes"
Wonderfully atmospheric, this sad and foreboding tale shifts back and forth in time to great effect. It's almost perfect representation of what short stories can do that novels can't. This definitely set the collection off to a great start.

"The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down"
Unfortunately, this is the misfire of the collection for me. It's a bit too thematic and purposeful to the detriment of being interesting. In the end, it's a personal taste issue and not a writing quality one, though.

"Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons"
Both the lightest and most pregnant with meaning tale here, this seemingly goofy tale of love and dragons is secretly a morality tale in disguise.

"The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended"
Award for "the short fiction I most want to see as the opening chapter of an epic fantasy." An experiment in flash fiction, this is the most intriguing world building in the collection and almost begs to be expanded upon. Get writing that novel, Mr. Moher!

"Tide of Shadows"
I understand what this complex story is trying to do and applaud it, but didn't love the tale itself (but I don't read much military science fiction, so this is also a personal taste issue). There is maybe a bit too much import given to this as well. Almost as if it the events don't really support the weight given to them.

Which brings me to...the "Story Notes" included after each story. I'm afraid these hurt the book more than they offer any insight. This may be brutal to say, but they read a little too pleased with themselves to get me on their side. I understand being proud of creative work you have produced but the behind the scenes self congratulations about how clever you are reads a bit too egotistical.

In summary, come for the stories, skip the notes.
Profile Image for Pedro L. Fragoso.
684 reviews56 followers
May 16, 2015
Being a regular reader, and admirer, of A Dribble of Ink, I had to buy the ebook. The author is very clearly still finding his ground. He needed not come across as so humble. I've recently read Paul Theroux's Sunrise with Seamonters, an anthology of his first writings, but spanning more than 10 years and dozens of pieces. In the case, the transition between (something like a conscious effort of seemingly) tentative beginnings and (the absolute conviction of his own) mastery of subject and style was (so effortless as to be) almost undetectable. I don't know about "The Early Jack Vance", who is probably more adequate in the context. Anyway, beginnings. Quite good. I enjoyed the tale that gives the title to the anthology and the story with the dragon. The titles were consistently inspired. Worth reading.
Profile Image for Stephen.
24 reviews
May 8, 2015
I really enjoyed Tide of Shadows. Throughout the five stories I experienced different adventures and journeys of the characters the stories were about. What I especially liked was the commentary that Aiden utilized after each story to let us know how the story came about and what influenced him to write it. Also loved the tidbit in the opening about how a book is a quiet companion but stories have loud, loud voices. So true, and I believe you would find this to be true in the tales that Aiden has provided. Looking forward to his next project.
Profile Image for Priya.
Author 2 books14 followers
March 12, 2016
The stories in this short story collection were fun to read. But what I appreciated the most (and what put the collection over the edge) were the author notes at the end. As a writer they really helped me think through how we build stories and character development. That being said I really loved A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes and The Color of the Sky on the Day the World Ended.
Profile Image for Sally.
Author 130 books344 followers
September 3, 2022
Tide of Shadows and Other Stories, is a surprisingly solid debut collection from Aidan Moher, one that ably demonstrates his love for speculative fiction, along with his intimate understanding of the genre's tropes, forms, and styles. His Preface provides a nice author's introduction, and is in itself a well-written essay on the power and the voice of the short story. Meanwhile, the Story Notes that accompany each tale provide a glimpse into his mindset as reader, acknowledging his influences, both on the page and on the screen.

A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes is a grim sort of tale, one told with multiple voices, alternating between past and present. It's deliberately confusing and unsettling, placing the reader in the midst of both battle and ambush.

The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down is Twilight Zone sort of tale, full of sadness and loss, with new surprises to be found on every page. It's a story with more questions than answers, with an ending that's beautifully ambiguous.

Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons was probably my favorite piece in the collection. It's a very clever series of twists on the traditional Knight in Shining Armor trope, including one that's so perfectly absurd, I can't imagine how else the story could have ended. It's also a story that has a lot of fun with language, demanding a second (and even third) read to catch all the wordplay.

The Colour of the Sky on the Day the World Ended is the shortest piece in the collection, a bit of flash fiction that manages to pack a lot of story and emotion into just 700 words.

Tide of Shadows wraps things up with a story that, on the surface, seems to be an odd mix of coming-of-age space opera and hard military science fiction. The snippets of life are only the top layer of the story, however, with the motivations, last thoughts, and conflicting emotions of the crew comprising the most interesting aspect.

Offering a little something for everyone, Tide of Shadows and Other Stories is a collection of tales that know precisely how to engage the reader, and exactly how to find a climax without overstaying their welcome. Whereas some authors try to put too much into a short story, or are content to sacrifice content for style (or vice versa), Moher strikes that perfect balance.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Profile Image for Charles.
Author 71 books129 followers
July 8, 2015
Stuff I Read - Tide of Shadows by Aidan Moher Review

This is a rather short collection of stories, but I like that it feels complete. Because through the stories and perhaps even more through the commentary after each story, a narrative emerges that centers not precisely on the stories themselves, but on the author's journey as a writer, refining his craft as he experiments, as he tries to bring his vision to a satisfying light. I will admit that many of the stories have a bit of a rough quality to them, but that only heightens that meta-narrative, the progress the prose makes from the first story to the last. It's an interesting bit of structuring that ends up making the collection a somewhat satisfying reading experience for me.

The first story, for example, "A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes," is a little all over the place. As an experiment in multiple viewpoints it is ambitious, but the story does end up showing its influences on its sleeves, especially the grimdark inspirations. There are a few interesting touches, the setting feeling like it has a lot of potential that doesn't quite get revealed. The characters' past are similarly rife with potential that doesn't quite make its way into the story, which made the story for me a bit of a miss. But then, the author himself seems to hold a similar opinion, and the commentary on the piece is interesting and revealing of a writer starting out, finding influences and trying to do something new. For that, it makes a good starting point, because it is the roughest of the stories to me.

The next, "The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down," is similarly ambitious but the prose is a little tighter, a little harder hitting. The imagery is strong and there is a sense of striving with the story that made me want the story to do a little more. But though it shows a better eye for structure in my opinion, it didn't quite stick the landing for me. Again, the author does a nice job in the commentary on justifying the story’s inclusion, and it makes sense, does provide a look at how the stories improve one after the next. Just as “Of Parnassus and Princes, Damsels and Dragons,” which feels like the most ambitious piece in the collection. Of course, for me it seems a story that perhaps shows too much ambition without as much care as could have gone into it, for while it does an admirable job of trying to complicate fairy tale-like stories, I felt a little…uncomfortable with how it went about it. Though refreshing in certain ways, I felt it didn’t quite succeed in its criticism in the way it intended.

The last two stories show a greater degree of care and therefore I think succeed more in what they were trying to do. “Tide of Shadows,” while not being without some roughness, is still a good story, introducing an interesting and realized setting and characters who are complicated as well as interesting. Along with the commentary the stories show the progress of the author, his ability to more clearly express himself and do what he sets out to do. It’s not the end of the road, obviously, but it is an interesting study in the process, and even with the roughness of the stories I enjoyed the collection overall. A 6.5/10 for me.
Author 4 books15 followers
June 23, 2015
Aidan Moher is better known for his Dribble of Ink fantasy site than he is for being an author, but all great writers of the genre first start as readers, so it's unsurprising that this collection has appeared.

Before we even open it up the cover beckons us in, exquisitely done and highly evocative. Whoever was responsible for this piece of art could (and maybe does) make a living out of it, easily.

Alongside this we have a recommendation from Brian Staveley of Emperor's Blades fame, which does absolutely no harm to this book's chances and is an excellent name to have attached.

The first issue for me was that the bulk of this work was Sci-Fi, which I don't really review. Having said that, I'm no stranger to the genre and persevered!

A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes is the opener, and one of the tales which was more up my street, featuring a battle of some sort told from multiple viewpoints within its short word count.

After this we delve into the world of Science Fiction shorts, and while none of them are particularly unpalatable, they didn't move me either. Moher is clearly taking cues from the genre's founding fathers, but I feel that none of the stories are given enough space to achieve what he set out.

That is until we reach the eponymous story at the end of the collection.

Tide of Shadows reminds me of Robert Heinlein at his best, but the emotive elements mean that it's probably more Joe Haldeman. We've got military science fiction with a very human element as a countdown to an imminent and seemingly hopeless assault begins.

The story details the countdown and the hopes and fears of those witnessing it, and unlike the previous tales, which seemed vignettes to a genre Moher clearly loves, Tide of Shadows has a quality that grips you to the page.

Overall this collection is too short, uneven and suffers from a serious sag in the middle between the two quality tales bookending it at either side. I'd recommend this to Sci-Fi fans who enjoy their short fiction and especially to fans of A Dribble of Ink, as this is a way of directly compensating Aidan for all his informative blogging over the years.

I'd love to see either Tide of Shadows or A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes expanded into novella/novel format. I feel that Aidan has the chops to pull off long-form should he desire, it's about whether that's what he wants to do. Either way, I look forward to reading what comes next.
Profile Image for Micael Martel.
108 reviews12 followers
December 7, 2015
This collection of short stories started in a very interesting way, creating narratives that felt genuine and if not fresh, at least captivating. Unfortunately, it quickly fell into moralistic stories aimed to preach the authors views on society and culture that felt empty and lacked any subtlety. A cry for change that was devoid of any impact, which is suprising considering Moher's reputation as a reviewer.

As much as I liked his collection, I could not get over the preaching tone of it. He's definitely on his ways to write interesting things, and some of the stories showed real potential and I'll be following his career. But for anybody unfamiliar with Moher's now closed great blog "a dribble of ink", this collection of short stories might feel a bit dry. If the author can drop the preachy attitude and focus more on his storytelling, showing his social opinions in a way benefiting his worldbuilding instead of taking us away from it, there is no doubt that he'll be a writer worth reading.
Profile Image for Matthew Marchitto.
Author 4 books14 followers
September 28, 2016
An anthology with great science fiction and fantasy stories. The two I liked the most were "A Night for Spirits and Snowflakes" (fantasy leaning into historical fiction) and "The Girl with Wings of Iron and Down" (science fiction). But there's also a fairy tale with a twist, and military sci-fi. There's definitely something for everyone here.

The Notes at the end of each story offer some insight into the author's thought process. I found these to be really interesting. Each story seemed to start as a challenge, conceived with a "can I do that?". I always like getting a behind-the-scenes look.

Overall, each story is solid. There's never a point where I thought the author's voice and/or style were conflicting with any of the genres. It's definitely a feat to jump from such different genres naturally. I enjoyed these stories and would recommend you check 'em out.
Profile Image for Elijs Dima.
34 reviews7 followers
September 18, 2015
Unexpected.. and very interesting. Definitely not in my "comfort zone", but some of the beats and tones from these stories might resonate for a long time.
Profile Image for Ned Hayes.
Author 15 books267 followers
February 7, 2017
Interesting

Interesting stories from a literary writer who poses thought provoking questions about what happens in between the moments we're used to reading about in standard SF
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