Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Sealskin, by Carrie Vaughn

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(Urban Fantasy) After a mission gone wrong, Richard, a young Navy SEAL with really great ability in the water, thinks about quitting the Navy. So he takes vacation in Ireland to look for the father he never knew. (6,800 words; Time: 22m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆, Average

"Sealskin," by (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in Operation Arcana (RSR review), published on by .

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: This story is about how Richard learned who he really is and came to peace with himself. He's a nice guy, we feel his pain, and we're happy for him at the end.

We expected Richard's dad to be a merman, not a selkie (a were-seal), but, of course, it's delightful that he's a SEAL who's part seal.

Con: It's a fun story, but it's very simple, with little in the way of surprises. We're sure he's part something supernatural, and we're not at all surprised that he feels drawn to the sea or that there's a boat waiting for him. The Selkies' offer to him to join their army seems a little weird--you'd have expected them to want help fighting human beings, not other selkies.

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