(High Fantasy) Having no heir, King Rulf sends Harlan, his most trusted adviser, to find the son of the king he overthrew 20 years ago (7,407 words; Time: 24m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
Recommended By: RHorton:5"In Skander, for a Boy," by Chaz Brenchley [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 191, published on January 21, 2016.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Descriptions and dialogue are good, the location is interesting, and Harlan's struggles to adjust to the place are amusing too. When he misconstrues the harbor master's girls (and boys) as being available sexually, it's doubly amusing because we'd assumed the same thing. The conclusion is unexpected, but rational and satisfying.
Con: It's impossible to like any of the characters. The plot is simple and straightforward.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 191)
Chaz Brenchley Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
Con: It's impossible to like any of the characters. The plot is simple and straightforward.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 191)
Chaz Brenchley Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
Interesting and well-written, but it felt more like one chapter of a longer story.
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing a lot of that lately for some reason. Sometimes the first section of a novel really does stand alone as a decent story, but it always leaves you thinking, "wait, that's it?"
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