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Winterlands
Hag in the Water
A novelette of 15,000 words, sequel to Hambly's Dragonsbane (Winterlands) series. When a gnome wizard is murdered, the other gnome mages, fearing the killer was a demon, send for human witch Jenny Waynest. Unfortunately, Jenny is away. Her non-wizard partner, the scholarly Dragonsbane John Aversin, steps in to help solve the crime.
42 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2017
6 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
205 books1,591 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 31, 2017
First, don't read this unless you've read Dragonsbane. Although this could be read as a standalone (just about), this story draws heavily on the second half of that book. Knowing the later books isn't required, John & Jenny's problems with demons are barely referenced.
Second... If you liked Dragonsbane, you'll like this. If you loved it, you'll love this - except that you'll want more; this story is too short.
This story is told from John's viewpoint. It's a sort of magical whodunnit; if you pay attention (especially to the differences between gnomes & humans), you can reach the solution ahead of John. Explanation of the exact form of magic involved has to wait for Jenny's timely arrival (which, incidentally, should also be obvious to anyone who's read the first book - the fact that John fails to predict his lady's moves is, itself, predictable), but isn't required for the 'who' or 'why'.
Since this is a Barbara Hambly story, don't expect an entirely happy, all loose ends tied up ending.
A welcome addition to the Winterlands canon.
Second... If you liked Dragonsbane, you'll like this. If you loved it, you'll love this - except that you'll want more; this story is too short.
This story is told from John's viewpoint. It's a sort of magical whodunnit; if you pay attention (especially to the differences between gnomes & humans), you can reach the solution ahead of John. Explanation of the exact form of magic involved has to wait for Jenny's timely arrival (which, incidentally, should also be obvious to anyone who's read the first book - the fact that John fails to predict his lady's moves is, itself, predictable), but isn't required for the 'who' or 'why'.
Since this is a Barbara Hambly story, don't expect an entirely happy, all loose ends tied up ending.
A welcome addition to the Winterlands canon.
December 16, 2017
Though I only gave this a three star rating, I stayed up well after my bedtime to read it, and on a different day (which I hadn’t read another of Hambly’s shorts which I happened to like a little more, I might have rated it higher. So please plug all that into your evaluations.
This is an entirely solid short; a brief but interesting idea executed in the right number of well paced words to tell itself through. That might sound dry, but don’t take it for granted; plenty of writers struggle with just that, while writing shorter fiction, especially those who mainly write novels.
The decaying world of The Winterlands is fascinating to me; add a little mystery to it, and it’s irresistible. Worth staying up late for.
This is an entirely solid short; a brief but interesting idea executed in the right number of well paced words to tell itself through. That might sound dry, but don’t take it for granted; plenty of writers struggle with just that, while writing shorter fiction, especially those who mainly write novels.
The decaying world of The Winterlands is fascinating to me; add a little mystery to it, and it’s irresistible. Worth staying up late for.
May 21, 2018
Love John and Jen. Lovely little murder mystery.
July 17, 2023
Further Adventures of John and Jenny, Winterlands/Dragonsbane. Murder and monsters in the gnome's Deep...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews