
(Fantasy) Thirty years ago, Bet beat the best sorcerer in the world, but at such cost she's been in hiding ever since. Now the plague hunters need her help again, but something seems very wrong. (10,822 words; Time: 36m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
Recommended By: RHorton:5"The Plague Givers," by Kameron Hurley [bio] (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in Uncanny Magazine issue 10, published on May 5, 2016.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The story is well written, the dialogue is excellent, and the ending is satisfying. We like Bet from the start, and we slowly come to respect Lealez as well.
Con: We never get a good idea why anyone would want to go around starting plagues, nor what that's such a problem that a major world organization spends all its energy fighting them.
The multigender element is a distraction, since it's used purely for window dressing and has no impact on the story at all.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 10)
Kameron Hurley Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
Con: We never get a good idea why anyone would want to go around starting plagues, nor what that's such a problem that a major world organization spends all its energy fighting them.
The multigender element is a distraction, since it's used purely for window dressing and has no impact on the story at all.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 10)
Kameron Hurley Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
I agree with the rating. It is a good story and worth reading.
ReplyDeleteThere is a 3rd gender in this world, with its own pronoun of "per".