Monday, April 4, 2016

The Right Sort of Monsters, by Kelly Sandoval

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(High Fantasy) Viette wants a child, but she believes that her youthful visits to the "godswalk" left her barren. Another visit, they say, would let her bring home a child. Of sorts. (3,703 words; Time: 12m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

"," by (edited by Niall Harrison), appeared in issue 04/04/16, published on .

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

Pro: Viette gets what she seeks; a child to call her own. She also learns the cost--several deformed children for every near-normal one. She cannot, herself, slay the deformed children--even though she knows her sister did.

She could take the normal child back to the village and have a proper life, but only if she killed the other three. So she'll say on the godswalk, and raise her monsters. Against the day they can fight to hold the villagers off and stop the slaughter of children.

Con: For some reason the story feels lifeless. Viette's sacrifice doesn't feel like a sacrifice, though, nor does it feel like a triumph.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 04/04/16)
Kelly Sandoval Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB

2 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. She doesn't send the bunny-eared son to her sister. She thinks that *if* she were to kill three and go back with one, it would be him. But instead she decides she wants to stay and raise all four.

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    1. Right you are! I've corrected the review. Thanks!

      Now that I look at it again, this story seems to have a fairly obvious anti-abortion message. An unwanted child (pre birth) seems like a monster to its parents, after all.

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