(High Fantasy) Jared has almost brought the princess to safety, but he worries that Kat, the crazy women who accompanies them, might have betrayed them. (3,417 words; Time: 11m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"I Have Been Drowned in Rain," by Carrie Vaughn [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 223, published on April 6, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: It’s very satisfying that Kat saves the day. There were plenty of hints that things were going too well to be believed, and Aldis’s betrayal makes it clear why that was.
Even in the short span of this little story, most of the characters become very real to us.
Con: Jared is the focus character, but he does nothing to save the party. Kat is the real hero, but she’s not the focus.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 223)
Carrie Vaughn Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Even in the short span of this little story, most of the characters become very real to us.
Con: Jared is the focus character, but he does nothing to save the party. Kat is the real hero, but she’s not the focus.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 223)
Carrie Vaughn Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
I thought this was a nice character piece. Note how the author uses the standard "adventuring party" tropes to fill in the skeleton of the story and allow her to start in the middle? Clever stuff.
ReplyDeleteI was conflicted over this one. I agree that it was clever, but I ultimately decided it didn't quite work.
ReplyDeleteA fun little play on tropes. Jared is the focus since everyone (particularly Jared himself!) expects him to be the hero. Then the hero turns out to be the one nobody knows what to make of.
ReplyDeleteNot all experiments work, however. :-) It was nicely written--like everything Carrie writes. It was certainly a very strong three.
DeleteIt worked for me, but doesn't really stand out. So that's what I'd rate it too.
Delete