(Fantasy/Myth) The goddess of order has been flayed, and without the laws on her skin, the world will fall into chaos. So she goes beyond the world to look for it. (2,664 words; Time: 08m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
Recommended By: Readers"How the God Auzh-Aravik Brought Order to the World Outside the World," by Arkady Martine [bio] (edited by Niall Harrison), appeared in Strange Horizons issue 01/18/16, published on January 18, 2016.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: It's wonderful how even stripped of everthing, the goddess retains her essential nature, which is to create order. The story begins with her loss, but it ends with her satisfied with what she has replaced it with. Well done.
The occasionally narrative comments that aren't in mythic voice are quite amusing. "She had not intended for the applied theology to apply to her. It had been somewhat of a critical oversight."
Con: The evil sister goddess appears to suffer no real consequences for her actions. We're actually unsure what the ultimate consequences of all this are going to be.
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Arkady Martine Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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The occasionally narrative comments that aren't in mythic voice are quite amusing. "She had not intended for the applied theology to apply to her. It had been somewhat of a critical oversight."
Con: The evil sister goddess appears to suffer no real consequences for her actions. We're actually unsure what the ultimate consequences of all this are going to be.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01/18/16)
Arkady Martine Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
I think the consequence for the chaos goddess is that she is unable to unmake everything. I liked this one, and the artwork works well with it -- even though it's a style I wouldn't usually go for.
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