★★★☆☆ Mixed
(High Fantasy) Adhamrya had the distinction of being the first moral to marry a goddess. Unfortunately he also had the distinction of being the first mortal to cheat on one. (7,831 words; Time: 26m)
"Love and Marriage in the Hexasun Lands," by Tahmeed Shafiq [bio] (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in Lightspeed Magazine issue 118, published on March 1, 2020.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.139 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Clearly, men weren’t meant to marry goddesses. Straightening out that error is the heart of the plot. Adhamrya wants his human wife, he wants his child, and he still wants his kingdom to get the support of the goddess. Thanks to Varabhata’s wisdom he manages to get all three—but it ultimately costs him his life.
The ending is quite touching: the goddess leaves a flower on his tomb every year on the anniversary of his death. She really did love him.
Adhamrya means unrighteous or unlawful in Sanskrit, which fits. I couldn’t find meanings for Schyan or Hebenath Varabhata though.
Con: The story drags too much. When it’s good, it’s very, very good, but when it’s bad it’s dull. The long excerpts from A History of the Hexasun Lands are, for the most part, a drag.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Tahmeed Shafiq Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Clearly, men weren’t meant to marry goddesses. Straightening out that error is the heart of the plot. Adhamrya wants his human wife, he wants his child, and he still wants his kingdom to get the support of the goddess. Thanks to Varabhata’s wisdom he manages to get all three—but it ultimately costs him his life.
The ending is quite touching: the goddess leaves a flower on his tomb every year on the anniversary of his death. She really did love him.
Adhamrya means unrighteous or unlawful in Sanskrit, which fits. I couldn’t find meanings for Schyan or Hebenath Varabhata though.
Con: The story drags too much. When it’s good, it’s very, very good, but when it’s bad it’s dull. The long excerpts from A History of the Hexasun Lands are, for the most part, a drag.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Tahmeed Shafiq Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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