Colin Fisher's La Ronde was published by Eibonvale Press in May 2020.
Colin Fisher was born in London, and his poetry and short stories have been published by Egaeus Press, 18th Wall Productions, Wyrd Harvest Press, Fringeworks Press and Occult Detective Magazine. In between writing, he works in IT and is currently working on a Masters in Celtic Studies. He lives in Kent with his wife and two grown-up cats.
Eibonvale Chapbook Line #14
by Colin Fisher
There are few rivalries bitterer than that of siblings, and few more ferocious than that of art.
Sébastien and Gabrielle Laronde are the most exquisite expression of fin de siècle Avignon. Artists without compare, they exist in eternal competition vying for the supreme accolade – not the acclaim of their peers, but to be found worthy of their family and its mysterious legacy.
In prose as sumptuous and rich as any of the Laronde sculptures and paintings, the twins’ simmering resentments weave a sensuous spell about the Vaucluse artworld. Drawn into their orbit, a new muse brings Sébastien the promise of perfection; his prize lies within the shining stone, but whose craft can be its equal?
REVIEW: LA RONDE BY COLIN FISHER
Colin Fisher's La Ronde is the 14th chapbook in the Eibonvale Chapbook Line.
La Ronde is a strikingly beautiful yet achingly brutal story about Sébastien and Gabrille Laronde who are twins and rivaling artists. They're unique siblings, because they has never been any twins in their family line, which be traced to the earliest dynasties of the lost Etruscan world. They're both talented and create amazing art, but they're each other's bitter rivals whose lives are affected by their family legacy.
This chapbook is a compellingly fantastical story about art, creation, passion and sibling rivalry. The author weaves a strong story about siblings who create beautiful art, but eternally compete with each other and vie for the supreme accolade so that they can be found worthy of their birthright and family legacy. Their competition serves as a core element that powerfully moves the story towards its brilliant and unsettling climax.
I enjoyed reading about how Sébastien met Katya and how Katya became his muse, because Sébastien felt strongly about immortalising Katya's beauty in his art. The author's descriptions about their meetings and conversations are captivating and reveal a lot about how artists are inspired by things to create unique art. He also writes fluently about Gabrielle and her artistical talents.
I found myself fascinated by the author's mention of brokenness being its own perfection. He writes captivatingly about how death and life are linked together and how destruction can give birth to beauty. I was also intrigued by the author's descriptions of the siblings' family legacy and how much it meant to them, because it affected their lives and drove them to compete with each other.
There's something about this story that reminds me of Jean Lorrain and Brendan Connell. The story has a similar kind of depth and style as their stories. It has elements of fin de siècle, renaissance and high art that will appeal to those who love stories that are rich in atmosphere and feature beautiful prose.
I strongly recommend this chapbook to readers who love literary speculative fiction and literary fiction, because it will attract readers with its beautiful prose and fascinating story. This is one of the finest stories published within the recent years, because it's a small gem of literary excellence, so please read it and treat yourself to a rewarding reading experience.
Highly recommended!