Saturn and Their Rings by S. N. Benenhaley

Nymeria Publishing sent me an ARC of this poetry collection in exchange for an honest review.

“I am Saturn, a planet of diamond rainstorms, Mega blizzards, and hexagonal hurricanes. I will have to find my own light by my own means.”

Talk about some atmospheric poetry!

This collection features stellar illustrations and poems from the perspective of Saturn—a lonely planet where it rains diamonds and eighty-two moons surround in orbit. Like Saturn, known for it’s exceptional ring system, S. N. Benenhaley writes that we are also more than the protective barriers we build around us. With some deeper exploration, the complexity of this galactic gas giant will be worth the expedition.

I thought that some of the themes in this collection could’ve been explored further, because some of the narrative got a little repetitive and could’ve been refined a bit more. I believe I read on Nymeria’s Instagram that S.N. Benenhaley put together this collection in about a month and did all the illustrations themselves with a friend. For me, the joy I found in this collection was grounded in supporting an eager new writer. Generally this collection shows promise for an upcoming poet dedicated to honing their craft.

I would recommend this collection for fans of Nikita Gill and any fans of the band Sleeping At Last. (Particularly if you like the song Saturn as much as I do!)