My grateful thanks to author Sue Clark (who previously featured on Linda’s Book Bag here) for sending me a copy of the short story anthology Taking Liberties by the twelve writers who form The Breakthrough Collective.

Another of The Breakthrough Collective authors, Ivy Ngeow can be found on the blog here.

Taking Liberties was published on 22nd April 2023 and is available for purchase here.

Taking Liberties

A daring rescue. A time-trapped forest. Paranormal problems for a down-to-earth detective.

War waged over wi-fi. An app to die for and a fateful shirt. Musing on the rails. Hermits, caves and epic tales. Roboboats aimlessly afloat. Passengers and paintings. The keys to sunlight, and young love in sunlit Santiago. Freedom has many faces. In Taking Liberties it is met in a dozen different guises and in worlds where nothing is what it seems.

Threaded through with the theme of freedom, the stories explore what it means to yearn for escape and to search for the true self, whether in the DNA or in the human soul. Mirth and myth, mystery and magic, noir and memoir shape this first offering from the Breakthrough Book Collective, a group of established and emerging authors embarking on its own journey of creative liberty.

My Review of Taking Liberties

A dozen short stories.

Taking Liberties is a cornucopia of delights. From the very first story Human Error I was struck by the skill and literary nature of the writing presented here. And it’s not just these jewel bright narratives that are of interest, but the introduction, the brief explanation of the power of reviews and the mini biographies all provide another layer of interest.

Many of these cracking stories have plots that would translate brilliantly into television dramas or films, with so much packed into them that I found not only was I entertained, but I was incredibly impressed by the authors. There’s crisp and lyrical prose, natural dialogue and no dialogue at all. There’s a variety of perspectives and points of view so that Taking Liberties rewards reading the stories in the order they are presented, or dipping in at random. There are beautiful descriptions, especially in creating vivid settings with the senses thoroughly catered for so that Taking Liberties feels rounded and layered. As a result, if it doesn’t sound weird to express it so, Taking Liberties isn’t disposable fiction. It’s a collection to savour and return to.  

Whilst every story is really well crafted and engaging, it’s the themes I found so appealing. With everything from genetic cloning, loneliness, grief, lust, media in various forms, touches of supernatural, myth and fable, personal experiences, sexuality and travel this is a kaleidoscopic collection and I suspect that the more the stories are read, the more they will reveal to the reader.  

Taking Liberties might be a relatively slim volume, but with an eclectic range of style, theme and genre, this is an intelligent, carefully crafted and rewarding collection with something for every reader. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About The Breakthrough Collective

The Breakthrough Collective is an affiliation of accomplished authors from diverse backgrounds who have come together to disrupt the industry and break new literary ground. To put power (creative and financial) back into the hands of the creators.

Contributers include: Stephanie Bretherton, Jamie Chipperfield, Sue Clark, Jason Cobley, Stevyn Colgan, Samuel Dodson, A.B. Kyazze, Virginia Moffatt, Ivy Ngeow, Eamon Somers, Paul Waters and PJ Whiteley.

You can find out more by following The Breakthrough Collective on Twitter @BBookCollective, on Instagram or finding them on Facebook. You can also visit the website.