Reece Herring

 Review by Long and Short Of It    

Reece Herring’s “Erato’s Tears” in Song of the Muses series is notable for its thorough use of imagery, and near-poetic descriptions. At times, readers will find themselves visualizing the finest of Greco-Roman artistry; indeed you will feel that you have slipped into life in one of the paintings. The fantasy and fantastical quality throughout never get in the way of a simply super romantic tale.

In “Erato’s Tears,” the never-ending quality of love is explored, even celebrated. Through the struggles of mere mortals, Mathias and Ambrosia, the impact, power and belief of the gods is exposed. Apollo may be bent of revenge, but Aphrodite will never give up the fight for love.

The two main characters are quite human. Mathias is who he is: Spartan, warrior, and a determined protector of women. Lovely Ambrosia is no wilting flower, and neither needs nor wants the help of such as Mathias. Having such spitfire as the female lead here is certainly a surprise – and makes Ambrosia pivotal throughout. The relationship of the two will be tempestuous… and likely they both would have preferred to have avoided the interest of a certain god and goddess. Ambrosia’s grief threatens to engulf her whole personality, but she is a far deeper character than might at first be imagined. In fact, all the main characters prove interesting and multi-faceted.

Although some descriptions slow the storyline, beautifully written historic and architectural details enhance the feeling and setting of this story: “The city of Delphi was sculpted on multiple plateau-terraces along the slope of Mount Parnassus. Huge stone pillars sat far up onto the mountain where the stadiums and Temples of Apollo resided. Other structures of different heights and widths all linked together to form homes and places of business, creating a gleaming majestic display. It was a city worthy of Apollo and Hestia…”

Those who select this story because of the setting will thoroughly enjoy the descriptions, while romance lovers will find that the quality of the descriptions enhance the evocative quality of the tale. Very enjoyable.

 Review for Erato's Tears by Ashlyn Chase

This compelling and beautifully crafted story by Reece Herring captured my attention quickly and held it all the way through. At only 109 pages, you’d think some part of storytelling would have to be sacrificed, but that was not the case. A complete and vividly described world was built, characters you felt you knew and cared about came to life and a plot you couldn’t predict unfolded flawlessly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost interest in a book because I knew exactly what was going to happen next. Ms. Herring gave me an unexpected treat. An afternoon of indispensable fantasy, complete with ancient Gods and Goddesses, plus Erato the Muse of Love herself, come to life. Erato must have inspired Ms. Herring since she told this story so perfectly.

Ashlyn Chase

Multipublished Author  

 Long And The Short Of It Review of Soar Into Ecstasy

For a short story, the plot was well developed and fulfilling. Their tale follows a classic formula for love stories--Rheasan and Elisaph are thrown together by fate and instantly dislike one another, and through lots of adversity, their hearts find each other--but their adventure is revealed in an interesting and unique way. Ms. Herring hooks you with Elisaph, a gorgeous winged Anointed servant to the Goddess Euphrosyn falling through the trees and Rheasan going to his rescue, but instead of gratitude, he offers her impatience and ill temper. From there, I wanted to know what would happen to these two.

Review by Camomile from Long And the Short Of It