Category: Blog post

Short Story: The Martyr and the Widow

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Synopsis: Marcus, also known as Heva’s Bane, is the most feared and wanted rebel in the Killbraugha. He is literally fearless except when it comes to professing his love for his best friend’s and second in command’s sister: Caroline. With his feelings growing harder and harder to hide each passing day, Marcus desperately desires to tell her how he feels, but how can he when she is still grieving her murdered husband?

This is a short story featuring rebel leader Marcus Galloway (he/him), his second-in-command Kerry McNair (they/he), and Kerry’s sister, Caroline McDermott (she/her). They are three sides characters from the book I’m currently querying: For the Next Killer Who Dies (the one about queer anthro crocodiles giving the middle finger to colonial asshats).

The Martyr and the Widow

Mars 21st 1825 – McDermott’s Cottage, Marston County, Killbraugha

Marcus knew this was a mistake but said nothing as Kerry led him down the winding road to Caroline’s cottage, the lush green hills of the Killbraugha offering an eternal peace and quiet found nowhere else. Even now, when Hevian forces flooded the land and the Ilkhatal rose up in righteous rebellion following Marcus’ and Kerry’s every command-even the foolish ones and there had been many. So many painful lessons learned, so many good Ilkhatal lost. A burden God gave to them for reasons unknown. A burden given or a burden taken? Were he and Kerry destined to this lonely, bloody life or was there another way, hidden from them by their pride and Kerry’s lack of faith? What did that matter on the road to lovely Caroline? Why bring that doom and gloom to her door, one who had already lost so much and would only lose more?

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse Review

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4 out of 5 stars

I read this book because a number of people in my writing group recommended it and I really enjoyed it. It’s a well-paced, interesting, fast read with a lot of gorgeous details and intriguing world building.

The basic synopsis is that in this alt-world there is a civilization inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas and they’re preparing for a solar eclipse which is supposed to solidify the power of the Sun Priest and their retinue of believers. However, there is something traveling across the ocean, something dangerous and ancient that may disrupt this society’s way of life.

Honestly, I think my favorite part of this book was the world building. It’s effortlessly done, very few exposition dumps, and it feels real and tactile. There are giant animals that can carry humans, there are versions of mermaids and human vessels for gods, and there are various levels of magic. I love when an author really stops to think about how adding magical or scifi elements will affect society (as oppose to being like here’s magic that can produce wealth at will and it’s freely available to everyone but there’s still massive poverty!) I felt that Rebecca took the time to really think things through while still giving herself room to go some cool things with crows. I’m also a big sucker for pirates and seafaring adventures so the the fact that one of the main characters of this book was a pirate mermaid meant I was in love with the story by page one.

The characters are entertaining and endearing, but could have been more developed. The strongest character is Serapio, the young man connected with the dark, dangerous thing that can destroy everything. I love his struggle and his story and he’s one of the more tragic characters I’ve read in a long time. I liked Xiala. the mermaid pirate, until about midway of the book and then I felt she became a motive for Serapio and stopped being her own character. Naranpa was a little too naive for me to really connect with, although I found the intrigue she was involved in very interesting.

STOP READING IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS

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