★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention
(Steampunk) Raneka enjoys her life as an heiress and tries hard not to be associated with the revolutionaries her grandfather was involved with. But something big is coming, whether she wants it or not. (6,776 words; Time: 22m)
"Dreams Strung like Pearls Between War and Peace," by Nin Harris [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 150, published on March 1, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.156 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: I like the combination of Raneka having grown up in humble surroundings yet now being a wealthy heiress. Feckless as she seems at the start, she’s a good person and wants to do the right things, even if she’s very afraid.
When we learn of the sort of indoctrination the Llen can do, it makes it a lot clearer why people want a revolution, but it also makes it look hopeless. It’s gratifying that Infarre figures it out and even has not just a way to detect it but a way to undo it.
Con: Raneka is too passive to be a compelling protagonist. Other people helped her escape the conditioning and other people fight at her dinner party. She’s just along for the ride, for the most part.
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Nin Harris Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: I like the combination of Raneka having grown up in humble surroundings yet now being a wealthy heiress. Feckless as she seems at the start, she’s a good person and wants to do the right things, even if she’s very afraid.
When we learn of the sort of indoctrination the Llen can do, it makes it a lot clearer why people want a revolution, but it also makes it look hopeless. It’s gratifying that Infarre figures it out and even has not just a way to detect it but a way to undo it.
Con: Raneka is too passive to be a compelling protagonist. Other people helped her escape the conditioning and other people fight at her dinner party. She’s just along for the ride, for the most part.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Nin Harris Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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