David Gowey's Blog, page 6

The Emissary: Chapter Two

Arman woke to the crowing of roosters and the glow of hazy sunlight through his bedroom curtains, and knew then that he was already late. He flung off his blanket and stumbled to the wardrobe, bare feet slapping on the chilly tile floor. Luckily, he had already laid out today’s clothes last night, or else… Continue reading The Emissary: Chapter Two

The Emissary: Chapter One

Lord Carin despised sailing. Ever since he was a boy, the rolling motion of a ship on dark waters that stretched out beyond the horizon had been an irritation to him, if not a fear. For this reason, he could only laugh at himself as the Piedre’s Pride navigated up the slim estuary that would… Continue reading The Emissary: Chapter One

A Land of Promise

“You guys all get your own planet when you die, don’t you?” Frank Peterson said to himself as sweat dripped into his eyes. “Oh, we’ll see who’s laughing when I’m done. Yes, we will.” Assuming his little contraption didn’t blow up on ignition, because then he wouldn’t have to wait nearly that long. Of course, … Continue reading A Land of Promise →

Mercy

The ash had fallen for two weeks now, and those court astrologers who had survived the riots in the city were now locked away behind the palace’s earthen walls. At least that was the word that made it downriver to the village. There was no way to know for sure without walking all the way … Continue reading Mercy →

Waiting on the Rain

It always rained on Lorakast. Something about the orbital distance or screwy atmospheric modeling, they’d said in the preliminary report on the way here, but there had to be more to it than that. Years in the business had taught Rell that much. She watched the rain pattering and pinging off the thick window that … Continue reading Waiting on the Rain →

The Queen’s Symphony: Chapter Four

Aside from his father’s scant portrayals after the fact, the sum of Lydus’ knowledge about the king’s rising came from a single play by Taremont, who claimed to have recounted the exact morning ritual performed by an old king of Taruschkan in all its lurid details. Well, not all, since even Taremont could only get … Continue reading The Queen’s Symphony: Chapter Four →

Review: The Poppy War by RF Kuang

HERE BE SPOILERS The Poppy War is a story about a lot of things. If I had to pick one of them to highlight first, though, it would be a story about knowledge. Knowledge of how to fight; how to know the truth, the real truth; how to win. Knowledge of who you are and … Continue reading Review: The Poppy War by RF Kuang →

Chapter Eighteen: The Believer, or Hope

The struggle of living is articulating the necessity of your survival. If you cannot do this, then your life will be lived only for others who do not respect you, and who would truly call this life? – Words of the Emperor in Qepperdan, Matthieu Sartonné, as narrated to his page, Jarun Hichame   Matthieu … Continue reading Chapter Eighteen: The Believer, or Hope →

Review: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 It’s not a spoiler if it’s in the title: Baru Cormorant is a traitor, but the question Dickinson explores in excruciating detail is to whom, or rather who she’s truly unwilling to betray. The brutal intricacy of this conceit is contained in the Masquerade’s system of imprisonment and psychological torture, which is colonialism and … Continue reading Review: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson →

Review: Hunt by R. W. Taylor

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Hunt lives up to its title, presenting a dramatic sequence of events in the life of a man who is both hunter and hunted in order to survive. Details about his world enter through the narrator’s thoughts, revealing clues about the Hunters and a world in which humans are now prey. While 1st person … Continue reading Review: Hunt by R. W. Taylor →