Short epic fantasy

Hero. General. Outcast.

With a single blow, Cete won both honor and exile from his last commander. Since then he has wandered, looking for a place to call home. The distant holdings of the Reach Antach offer shelter, but that promise has a price.

The Reach Antach is doomed.

Barbarians, traitors, and scheming investors conspire to destroy the burgeoning settlement. A wise man would move on, but Cete has found reason to stay. A blind weaver-woman and the beautiful sunset mantle lure the warrior to wager everything he has left on one final chance to turn back the hungry tides of war.

Ever since this novella was announced, I’ve been eager to read it. Like some other fans of fantasy, I sometimes think it would be nice to have a break from the Big Fantasy Tomes that seem to dominate. (Even though we frequently love the door-stoppers, too.) Sunset Mantle promised a shorter fantasy story told in a more compact form — short on length, if not world building and character development. I think it pretty well fulfils that promise, but it’s not without some weaknesses. Continue reading →