(Fantasy Adventure) The young Marquis has to marry for money, and he’s not quite sure how his new wife is going to cope with his mistress. (6,011 words; Time: 20m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"His Wife and Serpent Mistress," by Gillian Daniels [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 238, published on November 2, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Hubert manages to get everything, in the end. Freedom, money, and both women. To some degree he earns it by being a good lover to Arla.
It’s amusing in a sad sort of way that Hubert’s ancestor killed the beast dishonorably. It makes the whole thing easier to walk away from, anyway.
Con: Hubert isn’t a great protagonist, since he mostly just follows instructions from the actual active characters.
The different layers of plotting are much too complex. And it’s not at all clear why Miss B thinks she has a legitimate complaint against the family of the Marquis; she and her father are the ones who ruined them by stealing all their family money.
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Gillian Daniels Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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It’s amusing in a sad sort of way that Hubert’s ancestor killed the beast dishonorably. It makes the whole thing easier to walk away from, anyway.
Con: Hubert isn’t a great protagonist, since he mostly just follows instructions from the actual active characters.
The different layers of plotting are much too complex. And it’s not at all clear why Miss B thinks she has a legitimate complaint against the family of the Marquis; she and her father are the ones who ruined them by stealing all their family money.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 238)
Gillian Daniels Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Not what I expected. ...and they all lived happily ever after -- except the uncle who gets to live but isn't happy about it.
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