(Fantasy) Every year, Far Island rises from the sea, and the spirits of the dead return to Near Island, until the bone horses usher them back on the third day. The horses need a living rider, and Rowan is sure she can do it and survive. (3,932 words; Time: 13m)
Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended
Recommended By: Readers"The Sound Of Salt And Sea," by Kat Howard [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: Rowan succeeds on her third try, having been careless the first time, and having been usurped by Conor the second. To earn her place, she needs three things: she must make a bridle, a horse must choose her, and she must cope with Conor's ghost. It's blood--real or symbolic--that holds the dead, so it's fitting that she uses her own blood to send her friend to his final rest. Very satisfying.
Con: We don't actually get to know the characters well enough to feel a lot of emotion for them.
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Con: We don't actually get to know the characters well enough to feel a lot of emotion for them.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 10)
Kat Howard Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Good story. I agree with the rating.
ReplyDeleteI thought the ending could have been interpreted 2 ways. I am going to assume Rowan survived her ride.