About the Book:
Fate: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic
If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you leave the future to the turn of Fate?
Tales of Variety. Tales of History, Mystery and Magic – some comprising just one of these popular fiction genres, others, a mild mixture of all three.Perhaps you prefer historical fiction rather than a story about magic or fantasy? Maybe you enjoy exploring new themes or prefer sticking to the familiar? Historical fiction can often inform, imparting knowledge of the past, of its events and its people. Stories of mystery exercise the ‘little grey cells’ as Poirot would say, while fantasy and magic create new worlds and awed wonder.
Whatever result, this is where anthologies come into their own, and where short stories are often appreciated as enjoyable, entertaining, quick or easy reads shown through the eyes of a variety of extraordinary characters and situations. In this instance: an Anglo-Saxon woman facing the consequence of conquest, the pursuit of alchemy, the concern of a mother for her daughter, the shifting of time, the necessity of hidden identity, souls who will linger as ghosts, a warning from the supernatural, the necessity for (justifiable?) revenge. All mingled with the rekindling of romance through a mutual quest, and the preparations for a Cotswold village celebration. (Along with a good tip if illicitly snaffling cakes.
The binding theme? Destiny... Kismet... FATE!Published 2025 ✧ Jean Gill ✧ Taw River Press ✧ KU Loan
Review:
Jean Gill's "Six Pomegranate Seeds" weaves together myth and medieval history on the sundrenched island of Sicily circa 1240. The story follows Nina, the daughter of a nobleman, as she navigates the high-stakes politics of marriage. She neither dreams of escape nor suffers illusions of romance, choosing instead to pragmatically assess each of her suitors on the truth of their character, the security their home provides, and the level of autonomy she'd enjoy as their spouse.
Nina's pragmatism is refreshing, but her character is further distinguished by her love of troubadour poetry and admiration for talents like Dante da Maiano and Giacomo da Lentini. Her natural intellectualism and artistic tastes lend texture to the narrative, elevating her from obscure historical footnote to an engaging personage possessed of radical independence and uncommon ideals.
Persephone and Demeter, goddesses whose mythic perspectives appear in numerous works of literature, find voice in Nina's imagination. Gill's portrait of Persphone is nuanced, capturing both fury and bewilderment as she becomes acquainted with and learns to assert her agency among the Olympians. She doesn't surrender to fate; she reshapes it on her terms, mirroring her convictions and desires. Demeter, meanwhile, is a force of nature. She grieves with purpose, with might, and with a maternal ferocity that serves as an emotional counterweight to both of her younger counterparts.
Persephone's transformation plays out in Nina's dreams, not as prophecy or divine intervention, but as a catalyst for reflection and inspiration. Myth becomes metaphor, guiding Nina toward a choice that, while dictated by rank and social expectation, will shape the course of life and define her opportunities thereafter.
"Six Pomegranate Seeds" is a beautifully executed meditation on power, autonomy, and the ways women, goddesses or not, navigate systems designed to contain them. Subtle, resonant, and deftly crafted, it serves as a fine introduction to Gill's work.
