Sylvain de Guilherand secretly uses a captive water spirit to provide indoor plumbing to Louis XV's Versailles, but the spirit is childish, playful, and getting bored. (18,872 words; Time: 1h:02m)
Rating: ★★★★★, Award-Worthy
"Waters of Versailles," by Kelly Robson (edited by Ellen Datlow), published on June 10, 2015 by Tor.com Publishing.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Once the story gets rolling, it goes very fast. Sylvain goes from treating the nixie as a thing to treating her as a daughter, and yet the process is portrayed so masterfully that we believe it completely. The hints that Sylvain missed his homeland nicely foreshadow the ending, as do Annette's repeated suggestions that he doesn't know who he really is. His very name suggests the woods. The ending, then, is a triumph, not a disaster.
An especially nice touch is that when things start to fall apart and Sylvain draws his sword, his friend Gérard stands beside him and draws as well. Gérard has no idea what's going on--he only knows his place is at Sylvain's side. Sylvain, knowing he's about to unleash a flood in the palace, shows Gérard the same loyalty--warning him to escort his pregnant wife out before the stampede starts.
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An especially nice touch is that when things start to fall apart and Sylvain draws his sword, his friend Gérard stands beside him and draws as well. Gérard has no idea what's going on--he only knows his place is at Sylvain's side. Sylvain, knowing he's about to unleash a flood in the palace, shows Gérard the same loyalty--warning him to escort his pregnant wife out before the stampede starts.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites
I agree with the rating and the review. It is a very good story.
ReplyDeleteThe author, Kelly Robson, is eligible to be nominated for the Campbell award.
ReplyDeleteGood to know. When the Campbell Award page updates it's list of eligible authors for 2016, we'll generate a table of their stories that were reviewed on RSR.
DeletePodcast at PodCastle:
ReplyDeletehttp://podcastle.org/2018/10/02/podcastle-542-waters-of-versailles-part-1/
http://podcastle.org/2018/10/09/podcastle-543-waters-of-versailles-part-2/
http://podcastle.org/2018/10/16/podcastle-544-waters-of-versailles-part-3/