The Winter Triptych, Papaveria Press, and Doctors Without Borders
Have you read Nicole Kornher-Stace’s wickedly twisted fairy tale retelling The Winter Triptych?
I have, and this is what I had to say about it.
“Nicole Kornher-Stace ‘The Winter Triptych’ is an icily glittering marvel of storytelling construction. This wicked tale of evil queens, mad huntsmen, martyred witches and a terrible curse that unfolds over a century executes its sleight-of-hand in diabolical layers. The immediate tableau before your eyes never flags as it pulls you in with its sweeping cast of characters, coldly terrifying villains and earnestly compelling heroines. And underneath it all, piece after piece locks and turns into place, until the entire triptych unfolds in a stunning revelation of inexorable fate, time-bending wonder and blood-curdling horror. I hold Nicole in both awe and envy: at the start of her career, she has already produced a masterwork.”
Although it’s hard to beat this line from Black Gate editrix C.S.E. Cooney:
Nicole Kornher-Stace plays with Time like it was her very own Tetris game.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. You can check out check out this review from Tori Truslow at Sabotage And this one from the indomitable Charles Tan of Bibliophile Stalker.
You can order it directly from the website of the publisher, Papaveria Press, or, if you don’t want to wait on overseas snail mail, you can snag it for your Kindle.
If you buy the book now, or buy anything from the Papaveria Press website, you’re helping out a good cause. Nicole is currently donating all her royalties from book sales to Doctors Without Borders. That includes both The Winter Triptych and her challenging debut novel, Desideria, which Booklist called “exceptionally well-crafted” and “spellbinding.”
Erzebet YellowBoy Carr, the totally awesome artist behind Papaveria Press, is doing likewise. Aside from many beautiful handbound volumes from the likes of Hal Duncan and Catherynne M. Valente, Papaveria published Amal El-Mohtar’s The Honey Month and C.S.E. Cooney’s own Jack o’ the Hills.
And if you have read The Winter Triptych, maybe you could consider posting a review on Amazon? It’s easy for wonderful offbeat works from offbeat publishers to disappear through the cracks. Consider sharing your thoughts on the book as a way of fighting injustice.
One last thing. Have a goggle at the full wraparound cover art, done by Oliver Hunter of Goblin Fruit fame.
Wow — that is a gorgeous cover!