Return of the Sword just received a good review over at The Fix, a review site dedicated to genre fiction that looks at a lot of small press work. Reviewer Janice Clark, who acknowledges that sweaty heroics and clanging battles aren’t normally her preferred reading fare, seems genuinely impressed with the quality of the offering. I was really glad to see that she was able to make a connection with this sort of fiction when she realized that heroes can be driven by fears and weakness just like the rest of us — and as she says quite perceptively: “It’s not just about the fighting. It’s about overcoming.” It’s good to see Return of the Sword making that sort of impression on someone who isn’t normally a fan of the genre.
Review of The Return of the Sword at The Fix
And here’s a sample of what she said about my own contribution to the anthology, The Wyrd of War:
I liked the way the author remained tightly in Vendic’s point of view, drawing the reader intimately into the story. The descriptions of the battle and the twisted creatures fighting it add a strong note of reality. I was there, whether I wanted to be or not. . . . The surprise, for me, was the kick in the stomach I felt at the end, even though I half-expected it. Very well done. It gave me the shudders.
I couldn’t be any happier than to know something I wrote had that effect.
Offerings from Flashing Swords Press continue to score well at The Fix, and it’s a site well-worth checking out as it covers a broad array of short fiction venues from magazines to anthologies.
