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Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Drawing The Barriers, by Tamara Vardomskaya

[BCS]
★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Fantasy Adventure) Mages aren’t allowed to learn crafts like drawing, but Magistra Nonar was a prodigy before she was a mage, and a secretive group wants to use her talent to smash the barriers the separate the worlds. (7,385 words; Time: 24m)


"," by (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in issue 256, published on .

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

Pro: Nonar overcomes her fear of challenging the order directly and joins the Group whole-heartedly. The Barrier will come down.

The world building is excellent, although it’s rich enough for a novel and therefore can seem a little much for a short story.

Con: She seems to be indecisive for too long, and her change of heart is abrupt and a little hard to believe.

The story ends right when it’s about to get exciting.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 256)
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2 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. Is this a short story or the second chapter of a novel? Sometimes it was hard to tell. On one hand, the world is incredibly complex. On the other, we never fully understand the significance of the barriers or what the characters are trying to accomplish. Ultimately, though, I think the excellent writing and interesting world are enough to make this story recommendable.

    4/5

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    Replies
    1. Apparently this is set in the same world as her longer work, Polyglossia.

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