Saturday, June 9, 2018

I Sing Against the Silent Sun, by A. Merc Rustad and Ada Hoffmann

[Lightspeed]
★★★☆☆ Average

(Future Fantasy; Sun Lords of the Principality) A few years ago, the Gray Sun killed millions to silence the subversion of Li Sin’s revolutionary poetry. Li Sin faked their own death to escape, but somehow the Gray Sun learned the truth, and now it hunts again. (8,854 words; Time: 29m)

The Principality of Suns series contains other stories that reference these characters, but this story stands alone quite well.

"," by and (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in issue 97, published on .

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

Pro: The plot is crisp and clean: Li Sin and Vector need to deal with the threat the Gray Sun poses. Rather than running or committing suicide, they ultimately opt to confront it and ultimately destroy it.

The Principality universe is quite rich and complex, but the story manages to focus on just the bits that are relevant to it, making this a pleasant read for the most part.

Con: The biggest problem with the story is the protagonist. Li Sin is so broken that they end up contributing little to the victory over the Gray Sun, unless you credit the verses of poetry with having done that. The Li Sin we meet in this story just wants to die, and it’s hard to see what Gerarr or Vector sees in them. (To be fair, we didn’t get to see much of the pre-silencing Li Sin.)

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 97)
A. Merc Rustad Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Ada Hoffmann Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.

No comments (may contain spoilers):

Post a Comment (comment policy)