A few weeks back I interviewed fellow Christchurch author and friend-in-specfic, AJ Fitzwater, about their new-out collection of linked short fiction, The Voyages of Cinrak The Dapper (Queen of Swords Press, 2020.)

In more normal times, I would only do an interview after having read the book, but in this case, owing to the exigencies of lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions, I decided to charge ahead anyway. In this respect, I also felt I knew AJ and their work well enough to manage an interview without having read the book first, which wouldna necessarily be the case with an author I did not already know.

All the same, one of the many positives about moving to Level 2 of Covid-19 restrictions, was finally getting my very own copy of the book and  reading it at last. Not only that, dear readers, but having now read it, getting the opportunity to tell you how very much I have enjoyed my time with Cinrak the Dapper and their salty crew, sailing the wide, wild, and magical seas of Rodentdom.

If challenged to find one word to describe these linked short stories, the first word that springs to mind is “delightful.” The character of Cinrak is doughty, resourceful, and courageous, and the cast of associate characters are variously enterprising, fun, and in many cases, such as Agnes the Kraken and their enduring love, Xolotli, the glass whale, imaginative and downright wonderful.

If I may use a further two adjectives to add to my “delightful”, then “highly imaginative” is a sound descriptor of The Voyages of Cinrak The Dapper. The stories are also beautifully written, and if you love gorgeous and lively and magical use of language, then this collection will hit the right reading spot for you. You may also enjoy, as I did, the stories’ themes of diversity and acceptance, and the importance of friendship and “found family.”

As an adult reader, I was charmed by The Voyages of Cinrak The Dapper, but it’s also a collection I wouldn’t hesitate to share with Junior and YA readers. I believe they would be equally delighted by the wonder, charmed by Cinrak and her salty comrades, and swept along by the mystery and adventure.

To find out more, check out: An Interview With AJ Fitzwater, Author of The Voyages of Cinrak The Dapper.