Last Masquerade at the Carousel House By Katelynsam

An interview by INFAMOUS🦀

 

I admit it, sometimes I find books and short stories that instantly grab my attention and I would move them in my queue ahead of other TBR titles and break my own rules! Sometimes it’s because of the title, sometimes because of the cover, other times it might be the blurb (though the latter is very rare).

 

Such was the case with Last Masquerade at the Carousel House By Katelynsam, a short story with a long title.

 

I really didn’t know much about the author until I read a note on Substack where she was promoting the publication of this short story. I immediately loved both the title, the cover, and the premise of the story so I decided to not only buy and read the story but also contact Katelynsam to ask her more about her writing and its origins. Stay tuned for an upcoming Q&A with the author after this review.

 

PLOT:

Since this is a short story that I want to encourage all to buy and read, I will keep the synopsis to a bare minimum.

Basically this all takes place one evening at a social gathering where selected guests-including our protagonist Yuina, her uncle, and her fiance-have been invited to attend.

It’s a mysterious ball thrown by an even more mysterious host known for honing very powerful magic skills, which he uses here for his guests’ own amusement.

As you read on, you will find out more about the ‘fragile’ relationship Yuina has with uncle and fiance, and how meeting the host of this most extravagant party will change the course of her life and theirs.

 

MYSTERY + OPULENCE:

I’ve always been a fan of mystery stories that take place in opulent settings. The film masterpiece Last Year in Marienbad is a good example of this, where the dark, mysterious elements intertwine with the beauty and opulence of the environment. Usually that consists of a hotel, or a house, or even a cruise ship. In this story the author did spectacularly well at really taking us into this 4-story building (which by the way swivels on its own axis!) and we immediately feel pulled in. This setting MUST work in this type of story for everything else to work as well. If you have good characters but their surroundings lack that aura of beauty and mystery the readers won’t be able to fully commit to the narrative. So special attention must be paid to how the environment is described.

Katelynsam, fortunately for us, managed to meet those expectations and recreated a carousel house that feels beautiful but eerie, as both the outside and inside of it are so well defined that I have to admit, I wish this was more than just a short story.

 

TITLE + COVER:

Special credit also goes to the author for coming up with such a catchy and intriguing title, certainly a massive hook for me, and for designing the cover concept. Look at that cover, it is gorgeous! That is the type of book cover I particularly love because it creates mystery around the book but it also compliments the aesthetics of a personal library or studio like a piece of decoration. I know many of our readers do not necessarily go crazy for that cover style but nevertheless, major credit to Katelynsam for creating it.

 

JUST A FEW ISSUES:

Perhaps because this is a short story, I felt like the author could have used more exposition at times. How did the main character, fiance, and uncle get the invitation to this event? How was the host Raidenn casually wearing the magic talisman around his neck where anyone could easily snatch it?

Also a few lines to me that sounded awkward, like:

 

“The jazz music and opulent surroundings washed over our senses like the most intoxicating plume of opium smoke.”

 

Does that imply that Yuima is an opium smoker? Don’t know, nor does the author ever explain.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

Is this short story with a long name a perfect five star read? No.

Do I highly recommend it? Yes! And I say this because the positives far outweigh the (minor) negatives and I feel that perhaps the short story format is to blame for its shortcomings more so than the writer’s own skills.

 

Stay tuned for a Q&A with the author coming up soon!

 

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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