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Bushy Tales #1
Tales of the Nun and Dragon
Come, rest your weary bones, draw a flagon and hark to the tales of Nuns & Dragons, of bravery and steadfastness in the face of mighty and implacable foes. Settle down and indulge yourself in wild flights of fancy brought to life by your fellow travellers.”
The Nun & Dragon is a local like no other – share in the wild and wonderful tellings of a gifted panoply of authors, tales replete with wonder, a liberal coating of mysticism, the odd splash of darkness and a sprinkling of grim humour.
The Nun & Dragon is a local like no other – share in the wild and wonderful tellings of a gifted panoply of authors, tales replete with wonder, a liberal coating of mysticism, the odd splash of darkness and a sprinkling of grim humour.
664 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2012
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January 27, 2016To be read with my next bottle of Tarasque.
(Tarasque was the name of the dragon tamed by St Martha, in case you're not up your hagiographic trivia. Heathen.)
(Tarasque was the name of the dragon tamed by St Martha, in case you're not up your hagiographic trivia. Heathen.)
September 9, 2012
Come, rest your weary bones, draw a flagon and hark to the tales of Nuns & Dragons, of bravery and steadfastness in the face of mighty and implacable foes. Settle down and indulge yourself in wild flights of fancy brought to life by your fellow travellers.”
The Nun & Dragon is a local like no other – share in the wild and wonderful tellings of a gifted panoply of authors, tales replete with wonder, a liberal coating of mysticism, the odd splash of darkness and a sprinkling of grim humour.
Over the last couple of years my passion for short stories has been re-ignited by some great small publishers and the anthologies that they are producing. Anthologies are a great way to discover the work of writers you have never read before so when I was offered the opportunity to take a look at the latest from Fox Spirit I jumped at the chance. C’mon dragons, nuns the coming together of the two. That’s never going to be a bad thing is it?
The Ballad of Gilrain by Sarah Cawkwell – Gilrain the knight and his trusty manservant, Therin, meet a troublesome dragon. This first story features a nice blend of humor and action to start things off. In addition you can download the entire ballad as an MP3 from the Fox Spirit website. I like extra touches like that.
Incident at Wearing Abbey by Mark West - A lone walker out in the woods and is attacked by a strange creature. When he wakes he finds himself in Wearing Abbey where he meets a group of nuns who seem to know a lot more than they are letting on. West’s take on the anthology theme brings us nuns with guns. Great fun.
Journey to Blackfire Keep by Colin F Barnes – A purple skinned Lizard man called named Billtong, a daring airship chase and a lost dragon civilization. Action packed, fast paced fantasy is always a winner with me. As an aside, I’ve noticed that often in an anthology there will be stories that feel like a preview to something larger. Journey to Blackfire Keep feels like that. I’d love to see this world explored in a bit more depth.
Nil Desperandum by Ren Warom - Malk meets a nun, actually that maybe the mother of all under exaggerations, Malk meets the worst nun ever. Things go downhill from there. A darkly comic tale is exactly what I would expect from this author and, you know what, it’s exactly what I got.
The Killing of Sister George by Pat Kelleher - Sister George versus school boy William Treadmore is the ultimate battle of wills. The unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Proper old school horror, please excuse the pun, and extra points for referencing the famous play. This was one of my favourite tales from the entire collection.
The Bells of Freedom by Cat Connor - A lost journal, a supernatural detective with a guardian angel called Horlicks and a suspicious acting nun. Like the story from Colin Barnes this screams ‘potential’. The set-up just seems to good to leave as is.
The Sound of Latex by Peter Ray Allison - Sir Valiant is in a bit of a predicament and he meets a very special, strangely dressed, nun named Willow von Trapp. Almost verging into the realms of nunsploitation this slightly campy, slightly surreal fantasy tale worked well. The back and forth dialogue between the two main characters were a real treat.
Loop by S.J. Caunt – Regular readers of the site will know that I’m a sucker for the end of the world. It’s always a pleasure to have a front row seat to the End of Days, especially when that final battle involves Robo-Nun and a creature known only as The Beast. I admit this was an unexpected, but thoroughly welcome, surprise to find some science fiction pop up in the mix.
Into the Woods by Geri Clark Hellery - Robin, Edward and Billy are out in the woods. One of them has a secret that the other two aren’t going to like, not one bit. A dark tale that has put me in mind of some of my favourite 80′s horror movies.
The Last Hunt by Karen Davies - Morgan Keel and his band of pleasingly disreputable mercenaries are on a dragon hunt when they meet the redoubtable Sister Yenza. I can’t think of a better way to round things off than with this final hunt. I’ve read a few of this author’s fantasy stories now and she has a genuine knack for the genre. I loved the nods toward the various characters backstories that are hinted at but never fully revealed.
Hard to believe but that’s actually less than half of the stories, I wouldn’t want to spoil all the surprises now would I? There are a whole host of other tales, some vivid artwork and even some striking poetry, still left for you to discover. The rest of the collection has a nice mixture of established as well as up and coming new writer’s work to read. There are stories from Mhairi Simpson, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jasper Bark, Francesca Terminiello, Kate Laity, Wayne Simmons, V.C. Linde, Catherine Rogers, Andrew Reid, Joan De La Haye, Simon Bestwick, Jay Faulkner and Sammy H K Smith.
The best news is that each writer has brought their ‘A’ game and produced something that works well as a standalone but also fits seamlessly into the collection as a whole. I was spoiled for choice with all the differing, iconoclastic interpretations of the nun and dragon theme. There is definitely something here for every taste whether your looking for traditional fantasy, horror, science fiction or dark comedy. Well worth checking out.
The Nun & Dragon is a local like no other – share in the wild and wonderful tellings of a gifted panoply of authors, tales replete with wonder, a liberal coating of mysticism, the odd splash of darkness and a sprinkling of grim humour.
Over the last couple of years my passion for short stories has been re-ignited by some great small publishers and the anthologies that they are producing. Anthologies are a great way to discover the work of writers you have never read before so when I was offered the opportunity to take a look at the latest from Fox Spirit I jumped at the chance. C’mon dragons, nuns the coming together of the two. That’s never going to be a bad thing is it?
The Ballad of Gilrain by Sarah Cawkwell – Gilrain the knight and his trusty manservant, Therin, meet a troublesome dragon. This first story features a nice blend of humor and action to start things off. In addition you can download the entire ballad as an MP3 from the Fox Spirit website. I like extra touches like that.
Incident at Wearing Abbey by Mark West - A lone walker out in the woods and is attacked by a strange creature. When he wakes he finds himself in Wearing Abbey where he meets a group of nuns who seem to know a lot more than they are letting on. West’s take on the anthology theme brings us nuns with guns. Great fun.
Journey to Blackfire Keep by Colin F Barnes – A purple skinned Lizard man called named Billtong, a daring airship chase and a lost dragon civilization. Action packed, fast paced fantasy is always a winner with me. As an aside, I’ve noticed that often in an anthology there will be stories that feel like a preview to something larger. Journey to Blackfire Keep feels like that. I’d love to see this world explored in a bit more depth.
Nil Desperandum by Ren Warom - Malk meets a nun, actually that maybe the mother of all under exaggerations, Malk meets the worst nun ever. Things go downhill from there. A darkly comic tale is exactly what I would expect from this author and, you know what, it’s exactly what I got.
The Killing of Sister George by Pat Kelleher - Sister George versus school boy William Treadmore is the ultimate battle of wills. The unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Proper old school horror, please excuse the pun, and extra points for referencing the famous play. This was one of my favourite tales from the entire collection.
The Bells of Freedom by Cat Connor - A lost journal, a supernatural detective with a guardian angel called Horlicks and a suspicious acting nun. Like the story from Colin Barnes this screams ‘potential’. The set-up just seems to good to leave as is.
The Sound of Latex by Peter Ray Allison - Sir Valiant is in a bit of a predicament and he meets a very special, strangely dressed, nun named Willow von Trapp. Almost verging into the realms of nunsploitation this slightly campy, slightly surreal fantasy tale worked well. The back and forth dialogue between the two main characters were a real treat.
Loop by S.J. Caunt – Regular readers of the site will know that I’m a sucker for the end of the world. It’s always a pleasure to have a front row seat to the End of Days, especially when that final battle involves Robo-Nun and a creature known only as The Beast. I admit this was an unexpected, but thoroughly welcome, surprise to find some science fiction pop up in the mix.
Into the Woods by Geri Clark Hellery - Robin, Edward and Billy are out in the woods. One of them has a secret that the other two aren’t going to like, not one bit. A dark tale that has put me in mind of some of my favourite 80′s horror movies.
The Last Hunt by Karen Davies - Morgan Keel and his band of pleasingly disreputable mercenaries are on a dragon hunt when they meet the redoubtable Sister Yenza. I can’t think of a better way to round things off than with this final hunt. I’ve read a few of this author’s fantasy stories now and she has a genuine knack for the genre. I loved the nods toward the various characters backstories that are hinted at but never fully revealed.
Hard to believe but that’s actually less than half of the stories, I wouldn’t want to spoil all the surprises now would I? There are a whole host of other tales, some vivid artwork and even some striking poetry, still left for you to discover. The rest of the collection has a nice mixture of established as well as up and coming new writer’s work to read. There are stories from Mhairi Simpson, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jasper Bark, Francesca Terminiello, Kate Laity, Wayne Simmons, V.C. Linde, Catherine Rogers, Andrew Reid, Joan De La Haye, Simon Bestwick, Jay Faulkner and Sammy H K Smith.
The best news is that each writer has brought their ‘A’ game and produced something that works well as a standalone but also fits seamlessly into the collection as a whole. I was spoiled for choice with all the differing, iconoclastic interpretations of the nun and dragon theme. There is definitely something here for every taste whether your looking for traditional fantasy, horror, science fiction or dark comedy. Well worth checking out.
November 5, 2012
You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/...
Shadowhawk reviews the latest anthology from Fox Spirit Books, which combines Nuns and Dragons in some really delightful stories by authors new and old alike.
“This anthology is all about some of the most creative interpretations of the subject matter, so be prepared to be entertained.”~The Founding Fields
Something that’s hammered home at me this year is how invaluable anthologies are, whether published by small press, medium press, or large press. I’ve read reviews of several such anthologies by my friends in the reviewing blog-space, have written a few of my own as well, and this fact has just stuck with me. The different styles, the different approach to the subject, just the whole varying forms of creativity involved is mind-boggling at the best of times. And this is something that has continued with Fox Spirit’s latest anthology, Tales of the Nun & Dragon, which is an anthology of stories that feature Nuns and Dragons aplenty, but not always as you might expect or even both in the same story. It all makes for a really nice change of pace. When I heard about this through Sarah Cawkwell, a friend who has been previously published by Black Library and marks her first non tie-in published fiction with this anthology, I was quite excited. The idea behind it appealed to me and at the first chance I got, I contacted Fox Spirit, requesting a review copy. The review has been massively delayed unfortunately, since I read the anthology in the middle of September but couldn’t get around to it till now, even though the review was supposed to go up by the end of September. So here it is.
Sarah Cawkwell’s The Ballad of Gilrain is the lead-in story for the anthology. This tale focuses on a young adventurer named Gilrain who is setting out on his first ever monster hunt, accompanied by his faithful companion Therin. What Sarah succeeds in getting right here is Gilrain’s sense of foreboding and his reluctance to go through the hunt, given he has no prior experience. His back-and-forth with Therin livens up the story and the atmosphere of anticipation and reluctant heroism that the author builds up both make this one of the best stories in the anthology by far. A definite great way to kick things off. There is also an accompanying ballad-form of Gilrain’s adventure, which is even more awesome than the short story itself. Reading it, you really get into the mood for an epic-fantasy type grand old dragon hunt where the hero succeeds in his mission and becomes a legend. Oh, and the twist towards the end? You are so going to be bowled over by it! Sarah Cawkwell should definitely write more original fiction. She has a devious author imagination that I really like.
Then we have Mhairi Simpson’s Fire Exit, which is perhaps the cutest story in this anthology, certainly nothing I hold against it! This one features baby dragons and a young girl working in her parents’ inn. The baby dragons, god, the baby dragons. Just the images that Mhairi conjures up with her writing are so breath-taking. Imagine an inn’s main hall full of baby dragons breathing their baby dragon fire and flying around, being cheeky little troublemakers. Sounds like a great idea for a cartoon show to me, one that I’d definitely watch myself. This is Mhairi’s first published fiction and all I could think of after finishing this story was that I want to read more from her.
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Saint George and Saint Giles is next, and is another firm favourite of mine. Seeking to bring a successful end to a family quest, Sir Adolphus arrives at the convent of the Sisters of Saint Giles pursuing a dragon and looking for information on the beast’s lair. All is not as it seems however for the Sisters have been keeping a secret for a long, long time and Adolphus’ arrival just might upset a fine balance. This is a really short story, only 4 pages long, so its more like flash fiction but in terms of its effect it is no different. Adolphus rigid insistence, Mother Josephina’s stern disapproval, it all made for a really enjoyable story. Reading this story, I’m now quite tempted to try out Adrian’s other work, although that is all of a very different style and scope than this story. Shall see.
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/...
Shadowhawk reviews the latest anthology from Fox Spirit Books, which combines Nuns and Dragons in some really delightful stories by authors new and old alike.
“This anthology is all about some of the most creative interpretations of the subject matter, so be prepared to be entertained.”~The Founding Fields
Something that’s hammered home at me this year is how invaluable anthologies are, whether published by small press, medium press, or large press. I’ve read reviews of several such anthologies by my friends in the reviewing blog-space, have written a few of my own as well, and this fact has just stuck with me. The different styles, the different approach to the subject, just the whole varying forms of creativity involved is mind-boggling at the best of times. And this is something that has continued with Fox Spirit’s latest anthology, Tales of the Nun & Dragon, which is an anthology of stories that feature Nuns and Dragons aplenty, but not always as you might expect or even both in the same story. It all makes for a really nice change of pace. When I heard about this through Sarah Cawkwell, a friend who has been previously published by Black Library and marks her first non tie-in published fiction with this anthology, I was quite excited. The idea behind it appealed to me and at the first chance I got, I contacted Fox Spirit, requesting a review copy. The review has been massively delayed unfortunately, since I read the anthology in the middle of September but couldn’t get around to it till now, even though the review was supposed to go up by the end of September. So here it is.
Sarah Cawkwell’s The Ballad of Gilrain is the lead-in story for the anthology. This tale focuses on a young adventurer named Gilrain who is setting out on his first ever monster hunt, accompanied by his faithful companion Therin. What Sarah succeeds in getting right here is Gilrain’s sense of foreboding and his reluctance to go through the hunt, given he has no prior experience. His back-and-forth with Therin livens up the story and the atmosphere of anticipation and reluctant heroism that the author builds up both make this one of the best stories in the anthology by far. A definite great way to kick things off. There is also an accompanying ballad-form of Gilrain’s adventure, which is even more awesome than the short story itself. Reading it, you really get into the mood for an epic-fantasy type grand old dragon hunt where the hero succeeds in his mission and becomes a legend. Oh, and the twist towards the end? You are so going to be bowled over by it! Sarah Cawkwell should definitely write more original fiction. She has a devious author imagination that I really like.
Then we have Mhairi Simpson’s Fire Exit, which is perhaps the cutest story in this anthology, certainly nothing I hold against it! This one features baby dragons and a young girl working in her parents’ inn. The baby dragons, god, the baby dragons. Just the images that Mhairi conjures up with her writing are so breath-taking. Imagine an inn’s main hall full of baby dragons breathing their baby dragon fire and flying around, being cheeky little troublemakers. Sounds like a great idea for a cartoon show to me, one that I’d definitely watch myself. This is Mhairi’s first published fiction and all I could think of after finishing this story was that I want to read more from her.
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Saint George and Saint Giles is next, and is another firm favourite of mine. Seeking to bring a successful end to a family quest, Sir Adolphus arrives at the convent of the Sisters of Saint Giles pursuing a dragon and looking for information on the beast’s lair. All is not as it seems however for the Sisters have been keeping a secret for a long, long time and Adolphus’ arrival just might upset a fine balance. This is a really short story, only 4 pages long, so its more like flash fiction but in terms of its effect it is no different. Adolphus rigid insistence, Mother Josephina’s stern disapproval, it all made for a really enjoyable story. Reading this story, I’m now quite tempted to try out Adrian’s other work, although that is all of a very different style and scope than this story. Shall see.
January 26, 2013
Tales of the Nun and Dragon, edited by Adele Wearing, is an anthology of short stories and one poem by a range of different fantasy and horror writers, some well-known, some new names. There are a lot of stories inside, all with their own unique interpretation of the nun and dragon theme. Nuns, dragons, nuns verses dragons, nuns who are dragons, nun on dragon action (yep, that happens), pubs called The Nun and Dragon... not to mention lizardmen, knights, magic, time-travel, the end of the world, rituals, flying ships, dragonflies, baby dragons, undead dragons, and all manner of strange beasts. After reading these stories you’ll never think of nuns or dragons in the same way again.
Each author puts a different spin on the subject matter. For some, dragons are the traditional monsters of medieval stories. In others they are the satanic beasts of Christian thought. In some stories they are misunderstood or sympathetic characters, wise old creatures of a time long gone, or else magical, dangerous beings from another realm. Some of the stories are set in a pure fantasy land; others take place in our past, a few in the present, and even one in the future. Nuns appear as religious women of different faiths, some real, some imagined, or as dedicated warrior women. The stories themselves range in feel from horror to adventure, from romantic fantasy to slower, more thoughtful tales, and many incorporate interesting twists. There’s something for everyone, and no two stories are the same, which is surprising given the very specific theme of the anthology.
The stories are written well, and, while I preferred some to others, there are no bad ones. It’s an enjoyable and incredibly fun anthology. Here are ten of my favourite stories (which isn’t even half the collection!):
The Ballad of Gilrain, by Sarah Cawkwell – This seemed like it would be a very traditional, standard fantasy story at first, but the humour and the characters, and the relationship between Gilrain and Therin, really set it apart. An unexpected turn towards the end leaves the heroic tale with a slightly unusual ending. This is a great story to start the collection on.
Fire Exit, by Mhairi Simpson – I loved this story of Tereth and her family’s unique problem. Running an inn on a wychride, where magic is prevalent and literally anything can happen, might have seemed like a good idea, but in reality it means trying to prevent the little dragons that constantly pop into existence from burning down your home and livelihood in the night. This is a fun story, and the little dragonlings are adorable! This is one of those short stories that feels like it could easily be a whole novel.
Saint George and Saint Giles, by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Another story that felt like a standard knight verses dragon tale, then twisted it beautifully. This is a clever story with a great ending.
Fruit of the Forbidden, by Jasper Bark – This story works with the Christian concept of the dragon as the devil, and adds the idea of temptation and forbidden fruit to the mix. The story has a slightly seductive and almost eerie feel to it, and it questions ideas of what is good and evil, as well as what is holy.
Lex Draconis, by Simon Bestwick – You will never think of nuns and dragons in the same way again. A strange, thoughtful, and quite sad story, with a very unexpected ending!
Journey to Blackfire Deep, by Colin F. Barnes – Dragons, lizardmen and rat-men! Airships! Bar fights and gun fights! Ancient ruins! This is a crazy story packed full of fantasy adventure elements, with a slight Steampunk and D&D feel, and a good sprinkling of the Sword and Sorcery genre atmosphere. It’s fast paced and fun.
Martyr, by Andrew Reid – Another different spin on the dragon idea – undead dragon! – giving the story an element of horror. The reason for the dragon’s attack, and the real monster underneath the castle, are revealed at the end, when Lord Perren and Sister Gilda must battle a supernatural evil. A well told story with a good end.
The Killing of Sister George, by Pat Kelleher – This is very different from the other stories in the collection, with a less obvious fantasy element. It’s an effective and quite disturbing story, with a good ending that is open to interpretation.
The Hazel and the Hawthorn, by V. C. Linde – This is the only poem in the collection and it is a very good one. It tells of the aftermath of a battle, but is perhaps really about guilt and responsibility. It has a sad, wistful feel, looking at how a few people’s feelings could devastate an entire kingdom. I read a King Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot theme in it, but it is left open to fit other interpretations too.
The Last Hunt, by Karen Davies – I loved this one. It appears to be setting up a typical fantasy dragon-hunt story, but soon twists it, turning the tables satisfyingly on a main character who deserves what he gets, and introducing probably the best nun of the collection. This has a very enjoyable ending (I sort of guessed the twist, but then it double twisted on me), and was my favourite story of the book!
This review also appears on my blog.
November 2, 2015
Warning: this review contains bad puns.
I don't make a habit (agh) of reading short story collections; generally I just find them a bit hit & miss. I was interested in this one in particular however, as it is pretty much Fox Spirit Books's Mission (arf) statement - and I have chatted to several of the Skulk on a semi-regular basis. (Confession (hah) time: Indeed, I am one of the Skulk, now... disclosure indeed...)
It's not a convent-ional (sic) anthology: every tale is themed around the Nun and the Dragon of the title, whether as straightforward confrontations, allegorical battles, or in the setting of the pub of that name. As with any compilation album, there's always going to be the track or two that nods along, but all of these tales are tightly-written individual pieces, all of them keeping their own style while still hitting the brief. You can dip into any one of these stories and discover excellent new genre talent. For personal picks, I'll recommend Kate Laity's The Price, Ren Warom's Nil Desperandum, and Adrian Tchaikovsky's Saint George & Saint Giles.
Nun better.
I don't make a habit (agh) of reading short story collections; generally I just find them a bit hit & miss. I was interested in this one in particular however, as it is pretty much Fox Spirit Books's Mission (arf) statement - and I have chatted to several of the Skulk on a semi-regular basis. (Confession (hah) time: Indeed, I am one of the Skulk, now... disclosure indeed...)
It's not a convent-ional (sic) anthology: every tale is themed around the Nun and the Dragon of the title, whether as straightforward confrontations, allegorical battles, or in the setting of the pub of that name. As with any compilation album, there's always going to be the track or two that nods along, but all of these tales are tightly-written individual pieces, all of them keeping their own style while still hitting the brief. You can dip into any one of these stories and discover excellent new genre talent. For personal picks, I'll recommend Kate Laity's The Price, Ren Warom's Nil Desperandum, and Adrian Tchaikovsky's Saint George & Saint Giles.
Nun better.
March 12, 2014
A great debut anthology from Fox Spirit, this is great fun with some terrific writers involved and able editorship by Adele Wearing.
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