Robert Morgan has edited some six previous anthologies for his own Sarob Press. This one contains four stories, by four authors, Mark Valentine, John Howard, Peter Bell and Colin Insole. The first three authors are in many of Morgan's previous anthologies, while I think Insole has appeared in only one other Sarob book.
Votive Offerings lacks the usual concrete underlying premise, which leads to the four stories being very different. Valentine's and Bell's stories are more traditional, while Howard's and Insole's more experimental. The tones of the stories are different as well. Valentine's "Roman Masks" deals with collegians invoking ancient powers at a ruin, but the tale doesn't really jell until it nears the end. Howard's "Desire Path" is a mix of pasts and present for an old man who dreams or re-experiences a never-quite-realized encounter with a mysterious figure. Peter Bell's "Figures in a Landscape" is the most engaging story in the volume, following a young archaeologist as she attempts to locate a lost hill figure. Part of the story is drawn to a conclusion, leaving some unsatisfaction about the main plot. Finally, Insole's tale reads more like a kaleidoscopic and erudite essay than a story proper. "The Secret Rainers" of the title are a long-existing fellowship who struggle against the periodic evil that attempts to reclaim the land. An interesting anthology, but I found this one somewhat less successful as a whole than Morgan's other volumes. The cover art by Paul Lowe is quite nice.
