In a Nutshell: I wanted this collection to work for me. But it just didn’t.

This short story collection contains 28 stories that are quite diverse from each other. They cover a variety of genres (crime, horror, dystopian, sci-fi, mystery…), periods (historical, contemporary, futuristic), lengths (with the shortest story being just a page long), and character perspectives (first, second and third person.) As such, the stories don’t feel repetitive.

This should have made the stories work well for me. But somehow, the writing style didn’t suit my taste. The plots were too meandering for my liking, with sometimes there being no logical connection between the start and the finish. At times, the ending was too abrupt. Many stories were quite conversation-dominated, a stylistic choice that never works for me.

The stories are supposedly “steeped in Spanish culture and tradition.” I might be too dense in this regard, given my lack of familiarity with all thing Spanish, so I could hardly make out anything cultural in the stories.

The title seems to promise twists, and there are twists present in the end for many of the stories. But most of these were foreseeable and hence not surprising to me.

I think a part of me expected more darkness from this collection, partly because of the titular crows. The darkness is present only in bits and spurts.

That said, I must give the stories credit for being quite imaginative. Many of the premises were mind-blowingly creative. If only the implementation had worked better for me!

The stories have been translated from Spanish (the author is of Venezuelan origin), but nowhere could I detect a linguistic hurdle and the writing flowed smoothly. Kudos to the translator!

As always, I rated the stories individually. However, most of them ended up with a midway or lower rating. No story reached even the 4-star mark. As such, my overall experience was just average and I cannot pick any story as a memorable one. The closest to the top were ‘Crow Salad’ and ‘Two Rocking Chairs’, with 3.5 stars each.

Most readers seem to have enjoyed this collecting, so either I was the wrong reader for this, or I picked it up at the wrong time. So please go through the other reviews before you take a call on this book.

2.4 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each of the stories.

My thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the DRC of “Twisted Crows: Spanish-Infused Short Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.

✨Book Review ✨

Twisted Crows by @willcanduri
Pub Date: June 15, 2023

This collection of Spanish-infused short stories is perfect for spooky season! With 28 different stories, there is something for every type of reader.

I really enjoyed that the lengths between the different stories varied, so I didn’t get the sense that the stories dragged. I especially enjoyed how rich they all were with Spanish culture and tradition. There’s also a bunch of twists I didn’t see coming!

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and can’t thank author @willcanduri enough for sending me a copy. Looking forward to reading your next one!

This collection is eerie and perfect for the season so make sure and pick it up!

#twistedcrows #willcanduri #spanishshortstories #hispanicheritagemonth #readmorebooks #lflsteward

"Twisted Crows" is a fascinating collection of stories by Will Canduri. Originally published in Spanish, this is the sequel to his similarly eclectic "Ensalada De Cuervos". As one would expect of a crow salad, the stories are unusual. They're shiny morsels picked up and collected together to create a whiplash inducing array of bright things. One story might be a single page long, and the next be over twenty. You just don't know what you're going to get.

This book is steeped in South American culture and motifs. There was some that was lost in translation to me, simply due to the fact that it's from a time and a place that I've never visited - let alone lived in. Nonetheless, the magical realism is thick in this collection.

This is a book that I feel I will get more from by revisiting later. Some of the stories I adored, some I didn't care for, all gripped and fascinated me. Some made me laugh out loud, while others had me squinting as I tried to piece together references that I just couldn't quite put my finger upon.

Twisted Crows is a collection you'll want to talk about. Will Canduri is certainly an author to watch.

'Twisted Crows' is a book that is filled with the fantastical backdrop of a rich and cultural Spanish that seems entirely fresh in the current sea of fantasy novels set in the modern world. Whilst I am not familiar with traditional Spanish fairytales, I could certainly see those traditional elements that make these stories 'timeless'. There is something captivating about Canduri's writing that allows you to observe the stories like a spectator, never immersed but certainly close enough to feel (almost like a crow flying over these events). I especially loved 'The Legend of Astronarda' which seemed to encapsulate the authors' true goal of creating a story that is both modern and classical, with elements of simplistic descriptions that aid the story rather than hinder behind 'wordy' pieces of writing, and easy to follow narrative which showcases the best of the cultural backdrop. A worthy read and I would argue a tale for both teens and adults alike.

"Twisted Crows" is presented as a compilation of short stories that celebrate Spanish culture and include some twists and turns along the way. As I immersed myself in this book I found that the synopsis led me to believe these stories would have particular undertones that would evoke twists and turns. While I discovered the latter insinuation to be lacking, the promise of the presence of folktales was the most successful and prevalent aspect of the content of this book.

The writing style appeared discordant at first, but as I adapted to the stylistic choices of the writing I could sense an efficient organization of thoughts which appeared to occasionally present themselves in a stream of consciousness manner. When I caught on to the author's voice I enjoyed this read when I could grasp the message behind the tale.

If I were to define this book, I would say that is a compilation of stories that gaze towards the perceived futuristic and historical experience of humans and their multitudes of achievements and foibles. It is a social commentary and a worldview that attempts to encapsulate how our intimate worlds orbit within a greater context. I also believe different readers will grasp a variety of interpretations and meanings behind this body of Spanish-infused parables.

I read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. All honest opinions are my own.

3 Stars
One Liner: An interesting mix

Anthologies are fun to read for the variety they offer. This collection is translated from Spanish and has twenty-eight stories from different genres, themes, tenses, and POVs. We have historical, contemporary, dystopian, futuristic, horror, gothic, realistic, crime, mystery, etc.
Some stories are in the second-person POV (is this a thing now?) and dialogue heavy. The length also varies, and that adds to its appeal. The translation is rather smooth and seamless (at least for me). The stories do read like they’ve been written in English.
Given the number, I decided not to review them individually but made notes anyway, so I’m adding that part directly to the review. As with most anthologies, I liked some. However, I couldn’t even figure out a couple of stories, so that did dim the enjoyment. Also, I read the book for over a month (don’t go by the GR dates), so it may have affected my reading experience a little.

Here we go:
The Water I Spilled Yesterday- piano, visual artist, ghosts of the house, mental illness (?)
Luis, Luisita and the Luisitos- short, adult-rated with a laugh-out-loud twist
Rot in Hell, Ramón!- missed bus, how life changes for someone else (what’s the connection)
The Legend of the Astronarda- sea, caption, pirate (no idea what it is)
The Mystery of the Bear’s Claw- detective mystery (kinda convoluted)
Madame Lingerie- Casanova bid for madame; quirky maybe
Crow Salad- set in the future and domestic violence (can we please try to make women more assertive, at least in the future. Imagine reading a story set in 2105 with a woman being subjected to domestic abuse. Give us some credit!)
Luke Comes from the Future- The same as previous, with a questionnaire
Barbarito Bond- a retired desk worker at the FBI, talks about his life; read it for the ending
Desideratum- Oh, well, now that’s how you get things done (or maybe not)
Conversation of Tears- different POV, human emotions but not human; well done
Where is Jack Rickshaw?- A journalist struggling to bring or even invent news vanishes; why and how. Interesting
Terror at Lake St. Clair- Spooky, horror-ish, twisted indeed
Mortimer’s Infidelity- What happens when a man confesses to his infidelity and his wife is (too) calm about it? Predictable
Mima- fishermen family, dreams, aspirations, betrayal
On the Shores of the Guatavita- Umm… something happens
Feromondo- Archeology, old manuscript, secret, and then it’s gone
Olivia and Me- a beggar’s life
An Afternoon in Cayapán- A wagon driver’s day in a teeny village on a hot summer noon
Between Two Moons, Your Eyes- Moon’s POV peeking into a house?
Flight 1039- Empty flight for a person? Really?
Aleja Ventura- Life story of an 86yo. Peels off layers, one by one. Nothing is as it seems.
Ludovico- A discussion between a psychopathic son and an estranged father? Or is it?
The Phantom’s Revenge- An invisible guy, second person POV, creepy but maybe surprising at the end
Pocaterra- Commander, political thingy. Betrayal and revenge
Lanky’s Helmet- gang wars, death, life; short and impactful
Letters in the Darkness- A short detective story about a death in a hotel room. Lots of telling, but is fast-paced.
Two Rocking Chairs- A story about a stubborn old man and his life. The ending is rather sweet and made me smile.

As you can see, not many stories managed to wow me. This is a fairly mixed read (timepass types) but not something I’ll remember in the long run.
To summarize, Twisted Crows is a varied collection of short stories that will appeal to a wide range of readers. Each reader will have different preferences, so you might like it better than I did.

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSoical, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***

The links to reviews on Goodreads and Amazon will be updated later this week.

I love folk stories or any kind of international story and when I seen these short Spanish stories by Will Canduri, I knew I had to get them and I was not disappointed from aliens to ghost to people disappearing the store is a strange and unlike any I can honestly say that I have read before. If you’re a lover of short horror stories or just stories that are different from the every day fair then you’ll love Twisted Crows I certainly did I am a collector of short McCobb and odd stories and I will definitely be buying the paperback of this one from my library. I can’t impress how original these stories were I totally love them. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Twisted Crows is a spooky anthology with 28 stories from different authors compiled by Will Canduri. These stories were short and packed a punch of eerie terror and complex twists. I enjoyed reading the terrifying tales and I think they all went together well.

3.5
Here is another book outside of my reading habits that I willingly wanted to try. Some stories are short, and others are extremely short. It's very diverse in terms of genre (horror, true crime, mystery, ...), of time (past, present and future), of types of narrators (age and genre). The author clearly has the ability to write very different things, which makes this book special. Somehow, it just wasn't for me. I had a hard time with some of the stories that left me confused or theorizing, and that's not usually what I'm looking for when I read. Some other stories were more to my liking. I'd still recommend it to readers who are looking for something short, diverse and in the genres mentioned above !

Twisted Crows review

Written by Will Canduri, provided by NetGalley.
Published 15th June 2023.

Star review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
(A good solid read, I liked it)

Twisted Crows is a series of short stories that are rich with Spanish culture and tradition.
Spanish culture is something I have always admired and been interested in. So for me this was enjoyable to read.
I love the way the stories are quick to dive in and out of and they flow great. I love the little sketches at the beginning of each short story to. ♥️

If I had to pick a favourite it would be conversation of tears.

Thanks to Will Canduri and NetGalley for the change to read and review Twisted Crows early in exchange for an honest review

An excellent short story collection . A diverse mix of tales that stay with you long after you have finished. I liked the way they were written .

Will Canduri writes with beauty and detail in this collection of stories. The development of characters and moments, along with the creative twists and cultural influences, all make this a collection well worth enjoying.

An interesting mix of stories here, with a nice variety of genres. Some have nice twists, and I can see the talent here.

Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!

As I have a close friend who is Spanish I was excited to be offered an ARC of Twisted Crows via NetGalley as it was described as 'a collection of Spanish infused short stories that are steeped in culture and tradition'. In hindisght, I noticed that Canduri is Venezuelan by birth and am aware Latin American culture can be quite different from European Spanish culture. Frankly, I didn't get most of these short stories and there were passages that, to me, seemed completely contradictory such as:

'Everyone recognized him by his gait: head bowed, directionless, with no noticeable details to call attention to his way of walking. He just moved along with clumsy, but efficient, stealth to his destination: the next street'

Maybe it is just me but even in just these two sentences it seems as though Canduri can't make up his mind whether he wants the character's gait to be memorable or not? There are sections that feel overwritten and I was surprised to read the line 'Just as in your times, we professors are poorly paid...' as there are many minimum wage earners that would most likely beg to differ on that front at a time of a cost of living crisis in the UK (though I cannot say whether this is true where Canduri works).

In another story there is a power cut in a building, the protagonist uses their phone as a light to find and then use an electronic card reader to open a door. Would the card reader work if the electricity was cut off? These are just a few little inconsistencies I found would jar me out of a story and stopped me from enjoying them.

The short story I thought best was Crow 17 'Feromondo', perhaps the rest of the stories just went over my head or I lacked the cultural background knowledge to appreciate them.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Author Will Canduri, please write more of these stories!! Super suspenseful and tense stories right from the start - and right up my alley! I LOVE fast, tense reads and this book was amazing. I learned about what is behind commissioned paintings during one of these mysterious stories, and how a painting can be so much more than just the colors on a canvas. These stories were creepy, enchanting, and kept me enraptured until the very end!

A wonderful collection of short stories by a very talented author. There are thrills, surprises and plenty of action. The individual stories are filled with twists and turns that delight the reader. The short stories cross many genres and make the collection unique and exciting. Well worth five stars.