Capricorn, Utopia and Days Gone By is a collection of novellas with very different stories from author Jerry. J. C. Veit. The only thing that really ties these stories together is the author’s superb writing.

Capricorn is a tragic love story between Capricorn, an abandoned young woman that was brought up in isolation, and Montague, a man following his mission of retribution. Montague made it his life’s mission to destroy demons in the cities around him. He finds Capricorn underground and she reminds him of the power of human connection and love. I felt very moved by the story and I felt that it was reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, but with more of a dark fantasy tone. I enjoyed the atmospheric writing and reveled in the bittersweet love story.

Utopia is another tragic story following a young lawyer that doesn’t really learn his lesson; that the truth of life is caring about other people. He is offered freedom for silence and finds that the world that he enters into is anything but a utopia, even though everything is set up to be so. I felt sorry for the protagonist because I felt connected to the character due to the authors sharp writing. I felt like the whole story was cathartic and revealed a lot of truths about life. The author weaves into all of his stories a great moral lesson which gives the story a lot of depth.

Days Gone By is a poignant drama that follows a newlywed couple through various changes and traumatic events but mainly focuses on Caleb. He struggles with depression and is overcome by his own negativity and inability to stay uplifted. He is forever changed by tragic events of family members, but through this trauma he manages to come to an understanding of himself. Days Gone By for me was a deep look into the human psychological condition and I found it be an emotionally-resonant read.

Overall, the three stories couldn’t be more different in setting and plot, but all three will leave readers with an important message. Jerry J.C. Veit incorporates philosophical meaning and truths into his stories, which I personally enjoyed. This is a worthwhile collection of novellas that will leave you pondering.

Pages: 290 | ASIN: B0BKLPTWZZ